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Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore!

Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore!

By David McPhail 32 pages Children

Danny Says

How I have failed to include this book on a prior recommendation list is beyond me, as I have been reading this book aloud to audiences of children, teenagers and adults for years. McPhail is a treasure, and teachers can find the full text of this book (with pictures on the PBS Kids website.
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The Seven Silly Eaters

The Seven Silly Eaters

By Mary Ann Hoberman 40 pages Children

Danny Says

A wonderful rhyming tale about a poor mother who has to prepare food that meets the specific, picky tastes of each of her seven children. Like any great children’s story, this one has beautiful illustrations and a lot of heart, besides all the laughs. I enjoyed the book when it first came out nearly ten years ago, and I can relate to the poor mother even more now that I have my own children. This one will please parents just as much as children when they read it together before bedtime.
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When I Was Young in the Mountains

When I Was Young in the Mountains

By Cynthia Rylant 32 pages Children

Danny Says

I meant to recommend Rylant’s wonderful book The Relatives Came when I realized I had never mentioned a Cynthia Rylant book on any of my previous lists. I guess sometimes I overlook the best authors when formulating my monthly lists of picks. This Caldecott Honor book is probably one of my favorite pieces of poetry of all time, as Rylant writes with such love and affection for her childhood in the Appalachians that I think it would affect anyone prone to reflect on his/her own childhood. Cynthia Rylant is simply a brilliant author with extraordinary ability. 
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Jose! Born to Dance

Jose! Born to Dance

By Susanna Reich 32 pages Children

Danny Says

A beautifully illustrated biography of the dancer José Limon, this book has proven to be quite timely in light of recent events surrounding immigration. It chronicles how young José fled Mexico for America and endured ridicule in elementary school for his poor English. Regardless, José’s determination to succeed prevailed, and his story always receives cheers when I read it to various elementary classes.
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Tadpole's Promise

Tadpole's Promise

By Jeanne Willis 32 pages Children

Danny Says

I absolutely love this book and cannot recommend it highly enough for all ages, as it tells the amusing tale of a caterpillar and tadpole who fall in love and promise one another to never change. The caterpillar becomes annoyed when her beloved tadpole develops into a frog, but she goes through some changes of her own. One of the most gratifying endings of any children’s book I’ve read recently, and a useful book for those of us who still try to incorporate a little science into school. A MUST READ!
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Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story

Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story

By Paula Yoo 32 pages Children

Danny Says

Wonderful children’s biography of the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal (in the 1948 Summer Olympics in London). Lee’s inspirational story reveals his ascent from only being allowed to use public pools in southern California once a week to becoming an Olympic diving medalist and doctor. If you ever get a chance to see Sammy Lee interviewed, he is a delight. Among his other accomplishments, he used to be the coach of a diver named “Greg Louganis.”
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Walter Was Worried

Walter Was Worried

By Laura Vaccaro Seeger 40 pages Children

Danny Says

I have been featuring this book in my literacy workshops this past year as a perfect way to invite students to become interested in letters. Walter was so worried, you could see it written all over his face. Children get the chance to find the letters that form the facial features of various characters. A real hoot for kids. 
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The Little Engine That Could

The Little Engine That Could

By Watty Piper 48 pages pages Children

Danny Says

I often receive books in the mail, and I want to thank the anonymous benefactor who sent me this beautiful classic, with new illustrations by Loren Long. Is there any better story about perseverance and determination? I read this book to a group of students stressed about taking a standardized test. If you’d like to see a good song to sing with kids before testing, check out this month’s blog by clicking here. 
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Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs

Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs

By Robert Sabuda & Matthew Reinhart 12 pages Children

Danny Says

You NEED to buy books by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart. These are no ordinary pop-up books; they belong in museums. Kids salivate at the site of this book, which features brontosauruses rising and a tyrannosaurus rex lunging out of a page. This is the type of book you keep on your teacher’s desk and allow your “student of the day” to take home as a reward. 
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The Bones of Fred McFee

The Bones of Fred McFee

By Eve Bunting 32 pages Children

Danny Says

I love Eve Bunting. Her books are a treasure. She has written a number of great Halloween books for kids (including “In the Haunted House” and “Scary, Scary Halloween”) and a couple of my favorite children’s books, “Fly Away Home,” which deals with homelessness, and “A Day’s Work,” which deals with a grandfather day laborer’s struggles with English. Most of Bunting’s books are touching and represent the diversity of students that are in our schools. This is just a good, old-fashioned rhyme that makes for a perfect read aloud with young children.
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Cinderella Skeleton

Cinderella Skeleton

By Robert D. San Souci 32 pages Children

Danny Says

I adore familiar tales told from different points of view. Everyone knows the tale of Cinderella, but this version puts a macabre spin on it. Again, this makes for a great read aloud, but you need to practice it before you read it, as the rhyming scheme was quite complicated for a white guy like me.
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Arthur's Halloween

Arthur's Halloween

By Marc Brown 32 pages Children

Danny Says

It looks like there are two themes for this month: Halloween and the long overdue inclusion of some awesome writers. You need to expose your children to Arthur, as Marc Brown provides stories that can teach morals and remain entertaining. Brown has a gift of including humor that should make adults laugh along with their children. I believe that his wonderful show on PBS is one of the funniest series on television (if you do not believe me, check it out for a couple of episodes). I know I look forward to reading Marc Brown books with my children.
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Thank You, Sarah

Thank You, Sarah

By Laurie Halse Anderson 40 pages Children

Danny Says

A must read for all ages this November, as this lovely book chronicles the decades-long letter-writing campaign of Sarah Josepha Hale to Congress to create a national Thanksgiving holiday. Illustrator Matt Faulkner creates the funniest and best illustration of Congress that I have ever seen, and the story is a lesson in persistence and passion for us all. By the way, when she wasn’t writing letters to officials, Sarah occupied herself by creating nursery rhymes like “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
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The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups

The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups

By David Wisniewski 48 pages Children

Danny Says

Wisniewski is one of my favorite authors to recommend to reluctant boy readers, as he has written several books that get kids laughing (I enjoy his tale “Sumo Mouse,” too). What is ironic is that he wrote the very different Caldecott winner “Golem.” I am telling you, folks: if you are not reading children’s literature, you are denying yourself access to some of the greatest authors.
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An Undone Fairy Tale

An Undone Fairy Tale

By Ian Lendler 32 pages Children

Danny Says

This is one of my favorite books from the last year. Kids love this as a read aloud, as the illustrator cannot paint the pictures as quickly as the reader reads the story. One of my favorite pages includes a picture of a king wearing a donut instead of a crown because the illustrator is rushing. Little kids, especially, get excited to turn pages quickly. Clever and fun.
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