Posts Tagged Ages 3 – 6

Ducklings: Classic, New and Multicultural

March 8, 2013 at 9:03 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6 ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

First published in 1941, Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, is still a charming story. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard decide to settle in Boston’s Public Garden, but find a more suitable nesting site up the Charles River. When the ducklings are old enough Mrs. Mallard and her children must find their way safely back to the pond in the Public Garden. The warm pencil illustrations make it a great book to snuggle up to before bedtime, when you’re in the mood for a longer story.

If you’re in the mood for a true story that is reminiscent of Make Way for Ducklings, check out Lucky Ducklings by Eva Moore, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. Mama Duck and her ducklings, Pippin, Bippin, Tippin, Dippin and Little Joe take an excursion to town. When they slip into a storm grate, the local fire department and other town members come to their rescue.  The beautiful illustrations alone make this picture book memorable, but Moore’s text also makes for a great read-a-loud. And how can you not love Little Joe?

In The Ugly Duckling, Rachel Isadora transplants Hans Christian Andersen’s classic story to the African continent. This ugly duckling lives in a world of howler monkeys, elephants, hot desert sun and winter ice. A kind farmer helps the duckling survive the winter, and by spring he has grown into a beautiful black swan. Isadora’s vibrant collage illustrations are stunning, and give this much-loved tale fresh energy and an exotic feel.

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That’s Mine!

January 18, 2013 at 9:58 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6 ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

thatsmineWe’ve mentioned Candace Fleming’s book Oh No! recently, and for those of you who enjoyed it, I highly recommend That’s Mine! I love this brand-new picture book by Michael Van Zeveren. In That’s Mine! a frog discovers a mysterious egg, which he claims as his own, despite the protests of the other animals. The snappy dialogue and animal sounds make this book perfect for read-alouds.  Little ones will enjoy guessing whom the egg belongs to and what’s inside. Its bright colors and humorous twist at the end are sure to please even the youngest reader.

-Erin

That’s Mine! by Michael Van Zeveren; Gecko Press; $17.95

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Kids’ Next List: Autumn 2012

October 24, 2012 at 12:32 pm · Filed under Booksellers Diary ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Every season IndieBound puts out “Kids’ Next” a newsletter featuring recommendations from Indie booksellers around the country. We’re invited to write reviews throughout the year for books that we get a chance to read in advance (a perk of being a bookseller) and occasionally, reviews from our staff are featured!

In the Autumn 2012 edition of Kids’ Next, three reviews from Hooray for Books! staff made it in. Check out our recommendations:

In the section for ages 4-8, Amanda said this about Bear Has a Story to Tell:

“The Caldecott-winning team who created A Sick Day for Amos McGee is back with another utterly charming story. The quiet-yet-strong demeanor of a bear wanting to tell his friends a story is subtly sweet, and the selfless acts of help he gives those friends in their preparation for winter instead of telling them his story is lesson for all of us. The soft and detailed illustrations give soul to the animals. Just lovely!”

Bear Has a Story to Tell by Philip C. Stead and illustrator Erin E. Stead; $16.99; Roaring Brook Press; Ages 4+

In the section for kids ages 9-12, Ellen talked about the latest Adam Gidwitz book, In A Glass Grimmly:

“This is a bloody marvelous, wonderfully horrible companion to Gidwitz’s award-winning debut, A Tale Dark & Grimm. In this Mother Goose-meets-the-Brothers Grimm version of ‘Jack and Jill,’ the two children will meet a talking frog – he’s a good guy – and lots of murderous giants, twisted mermaids, gruesome goblins, and other scary bad guys. But that’s okay, because what’s the point of going on a life-or-death quest if it’s easy-peasy?? A must-read for middle-graders!”

In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz; $16.99; Dutton Juvenile; Ages 9+

Finally, in the section for teen readers, Megan raves about Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick:

“Bick’s follow-up to Ashes is another heart-pounding, frantic, action-packed adventure for those who can’t get enough of the zombie-apocolypse. As protagonist Alex fights to survive in a world gone seriously haywire, she begins to piece together just how dangerous her situation is. These are not the walking dead we know from television and film; they are cognizant beings, fueled as much by shrewd instinct as by animalistic blood lust. Bick keeps her complicated plot moving with plenty of twists and turns, creating a cringe-inducing, fascinating, and utterly entertaining read.”

Shadows: The Ashes Trilogy by Ilsa J. Bick; $17.99; Egmont USA; Ages 14+

We love IndieBound and can’t wait to see what makes it into the future issues of IndieNext and Kids’ Next. We have plenty of copies of this season’s newsletter, as well as back issues, at the store for your taking!

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Not a Valentine story

October 17, 2012 at 8:27 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6 ·Tagged , , , , , ,

Bear has a secret admirer. Not the kind that sends unsigned notes, but the kind that leaves him yummy treats every morning. When Bear wakes up, he finds a carrot on the rock outside his cave, and on each succeeding day, he finds more: first two carrots, then three, then a bunch, and even a flower. Bear busies himself in finding stuff to give back to his new friend, singing “I wonder who it is.” Each night he tries to wait to see who is coming by, but as hard as he tries, Bear always falls asleep. Until one night when he hears someone singing back. Could it be that he has found his new friend?

This book is another extra-special story from Daniel Pinkwater. We’ve loved his others books about bears in the past; this book is no different. Though the title is Bear in Love, don’t confuse it with yet another Valentine’s Day story. I think that the story is a sweet friendship story as well. It’s great for teaching a child to share with others, and it’s also a good story if a child is worried about having a friend that is different than he or she.

Bear in Love, by Daniel Pinkwater; illustrated by Will Hillenbrand; Candlewick Press; hardcover; $15.99; ages 3-6

Happy Reading,

Maryam

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Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds

September 26, 2012 at 6:42 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6 ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Marisol is in charge of painting the sky for the class mural, but she can’t find the color blue! She isn’t sure how to create the perfect sky without the perfect blue color and is worried she won’t be able to make a beautiful mural.
 
When she sees has the opportunity to watch the sky change from day to night — while riding home on the bus and then sitting on her front porch — Marisol realizes that the sky doesn’t HAVE to be blue. It can be whatever she wants it to be, while still becoming something absolutely beautiful.
Peter Reynolds is one of my absolute favorite authors. Sky Color is going to inspire kids AND adults, making for an awesome picture book. Just because we’ve been taught that the sky is blue doesn’t mean it has to be blue all the time. Sometimes it’s purple, pink, orange, grey…lots of colors. Marisol will help everyone realize that you don’t need the color blue to make a sky…be creative!
I also love the other books in Reynolds’ Creatrilogy series: The Dot and Ish. They also will help to spark a great sense of creativity in any child. Love them!
Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds; $14.00; Candlewick; Ages 3+
Enjoy!
Amanda

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Goldilocks, dinosaurs, chocolate, and Mo Willems–hilarity ensues

September 14, 2012 at 7:44 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6, Ages 6 - 8, Booksellers Diary ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Just in from Mo Willems is Goldilocks and The Three Bears…I mean, Dinosaurs. What?? Yes. DINOSAURS.  Chocolate loving dinosaurs, to be exact. (If you’ve seen me at the store I’m usually wearing my blue dinosaur shirt and munching on chocolate, so this book couldn’t be more fitting for me.) Anyway, the story starts in the typical fashion of introducing the characters, but instead of a Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear it is Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur, and “some other dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway.” That is just the first of many story line replacements that will yield a chuckle. There is chocolate pudding instead of porridge, and a trio of dinosaurs intentionally trying to wrangle a succulent and delicious-chocolate-filled-little-girl for dinner rather than meeting Goldilocks by happenstance. Willems delivers a story that will have children giggling and will surprise parents with the new spin on this classic tale.

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs, by Mo Willems, Balzer & Bray, $17.99

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New Picture Books from the Authors we Know and Love!

July 13, 2012 at 11:02 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6, Ages 6 - 8 ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

It is always exciting to see new and old names on our new books bookcase. For the month of  June, we have a few familiar names that we were pleased to see. It’s good to know they haven’t stopped writing and illustrating these wonderful books. Here are a few you can expect to see on our Hot off the Press shelf.

The Hueys in The New Sweater 

The title suggests more to come and we sure hope so. Megan K has raved about the conversation starter of  The Incredible Book Eating Boy, and Oliver Jeffers has done it again with this book. These egg-like creatures called Hueys are so much fun. They all do the same thing, dress the same way, think the same, etc. Until one day a brave Huey by the name of Rupert knits himself a bright orange sweater–very different than everyone else. His fellow Hueys respond in shock. What happens when Rupert’s friend Gillespie decides that being different is not so bad after all, and follows Rupert’s lead?

The Hueys in The New Sweater, by Oliver Jeffers; Penguin Young Readers; $10.99; Ages 3-6

Our favorite dog Zorro is back. We looove Say Hello to Zorro here at Hooray for Books. When it came out, even cat-lovers among us had to agree that it was adorable and true for most dogs.  So when a new Zorro book came out, we all could not wait to read it. This book did not disappoint. Mister Bud and Zorro were going through their previously established routine when there was a hold-up at walk time. Their owner had found a super-hero costume just right for Zorro. While his owner loves it, Zorro finds it very embarrassing, as dogs and even cats laugh at him. Zorro’s mind is changed when he meets a very fast dog at the park who is also wearing a costume.

Zorro Gets an Outfit by Carter Goodrich; Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers; $15.99; Ages 3-6

Wumbers

From the cre8ers who kept our minds busy with Duck! Rabbit! we have a brand-new book. Amy Krouse Rosenthal has a way of making us think and reordering the ordinary. This book mentions it right on the cover that it is a game and a book together, and it sure is fun. This book uses the sounds of the numbers to create words by mixing letters and numbers. For example: 4gotten or con10tment. Rosenthal even found a way to use these wumbers in foreign languages “c’est 4midable, non?” If you’re having trouble figuring out what all these wumbers mean, Tom Lichtenheld’s artwork helps paint the picture. After you’ve figured all the wumbers out, it’s fun to try to come up with some on your own.

Wumbers by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Illustr8ed by Tom Lichtenheld; Chronicle Books; $16.99; Ages 3-6

Happy Reading,

Maryam

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New in Picture Books: More

June 15, 2012 at 12:55 pm · Filed under Ages 3 - 6 ·Tagged , , , , , ,

More 

For the adult who appreciates art or the 2-year-old who doesn’t need too many words at storytime, this book is great. The art is what caught my eye. Right from the cover,  Brian Lies (of Bats at the Beach) draws with great attention to detail, from the magpie’s feathers to the numbers around its leg. The story is one any child (or adult) can identify with; a story of collecting too much stuff. The magpie finds more and more stuff to take home until it is TOO MUCH! Some kind mice help him get rid of what he doesn’t need and keep just what he needs (just enough).

More by I.C. Springman, Ill. by Brian Lies; Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; $16.99; Ages 3-6

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Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown

June 7, 2012 at 1:41 pm · Filed under Ages 3 - 6, Ages 6 - 8 ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Star Wars fans will delight in this depiction of Darth Vader’s fatherly duties to 4 year-old Luke Skywalker.  Darth Vader and Luke are showcased as a typical father-son pair, taking on day-to-day activities like breakfast, school, and bedtime, as well as the use of the Force and questions about Yoda.  Full of detailed illustrations that mimic scenes from the movies and a few plays on Darth Vader quotes, this book is guaranteed to generate new fans and leave seasoned fans chuckling.

We laughed our heads off here at Hooray for Books as we flipped through this one! Check out the hilarious illustration above–it’s a perfect example of the humor you can expect from this awesome little book!

Also, it’s the perfect idea for a goofy Father’s Day gift. Get your shopping done early!

Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown; Chronicle Books; 14.95; Ages 2-102

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The Pigeon has a new friend!

April 11, 2012 at 6:55 am · Filed under Ages 3 - 6 ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Everyone’s favorite pigeon is back! In this latest escapade, the pigeon meets a duckling who simply asked for a cookie and actually got one! The poor pigeon is used to asking for simple things like hot dogs, puppies, and a later bedtime , without ever being given anything. He decides that ducklings just get everything and it is just not fair! Super silly, as one would expect from a Mo Willems book, this new adventure will have pigeon followers and new fans alike laughing out loud. Guaranteed to make you giggle!
Amanda’s review was also featured in the Spring Children’s Indie Next newsletter! Tons of great book recommendations make their way into these newsletters, making gift giving and picking out books for your own readers super easy. Make sure to grab one next time you’re in the store!
The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? by Mo Willems; $15.99; Disney Press; Ages 3+

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