Children

Bizarre and brilliant, this beautifully illustrated book is a great stimulus for children’s curiosity. Wiesner is to children’s books what Picasso was to art: constantly challenging our notions of how things are supposed to be. Watch out for flying frogs in the middle of the night!

Lauren Child is one of my favorite illustrators. If for no other reason, she created the wonderful characters Charlie and Lola that hold my son and daughter’s attention for the ten minutes it airs on Disney Channel every day. Clarice Bean is just a funny little girl, and I always look forward to reading about her adventures.

I am sort of addicted to these new scanimation books, as they operate like pop-up books on steroids. I have not shown this book to a single person who has not stopped what they are doing to stare in awe. You must check out this book.

Hate to end on a somber note, but this book is appropriate for this month.  This is a great book for teaching children about 9-11 on this, its second anniversary.  First graders wrote it, and all of us can learn from it.  Published by Scholastic, if you have a difficult time finding it.

I wish grown-up books were this much fun. Little kids love pulling the tongue back and forth on this book, which is a cute story that even manages to introduce kids to the food chain. Little boys like the book because you have to wash the frog’s tongue. Whatever it takes to get a reluctant reader interested, I am willing to try it.

Kimmel’s adaptation of a classic Middle Eastern tale of a man who finds a magic stick, only to deal with one curse after another, is sure to entertain young readers. Omar Rayyan’s illustrations are magnificent, as my own children giggle at his beautiful illustration of the donkey that poor Joha winds up carrying on his back to Baghdad. Wonderful come-uppance at the end to the greedy Sultan makes this a favorite.

This is a MUST purchase. I love any books that promote libraries, and I cherish touching books about friendship. This book delivers both, as one library’s patrons come to love a lion who treasures the library. My favorite part is when the resentful Mr. McBee seeks out the lion to cheer up head librarian/rule aficionado Miss Merriweather. Beautiful illustrations, courtesy of Kevin Hawkes.

This book has touched my heart, as my son Sean sings the song lyrics that accompany Goembel’s magnificent illustrations. This is the first book Sean has “mastered” on his own, and I love watching him and my daughter Kate compete to see who can read the song first.

I actually got this book when I heard a teacher gripe that it is full of gender stereotypes. Really? I managed to read the entire book with my three kids, and we all managed to giggle and point out what applies to mommy and what applies to me. It is a fun children’s book, for crying out loud! Ladies – why not buy this for your hubbies and encourage them to read it to your children. It’s filled with laughs and fun illustrations by Abby Carter.

I just love this funny story of a bear in search of his missing hat. I must confess, though, that I seem to enjoy it more than my children.

Featuring beautiful watercolors of New York City, this nice read aloud makes for perfect reading this Thanksgiving season.

A great addition to anyone’s self-help shelf. More adults should read motivational stories like this one.

Oops. A friend pointed out to me the other day that the book I have been raving about for the past year has been left off of this list. My apologies. You MUST read this book. It is the true story of a 17-year-old girl who pitched for Chattanooga’s minor league baseball team in an exhibition against the New York Yankees in 1931. And, oh, by the way – she struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. This book will delight boys and girls alike (as well as grown ups).

If you’re a parent, you’re going to have to deal with the bullying of your children sooner or later (or, worse – your child may be the bully). How about nipping it in the bud by looking at a positive way to remedy bullying? This book is THE BEST and most practical book on bullying that I have read. A MUST PURCHASE for parents, teachers and school administrators. In fact, I just handed a copy to my children’s elementary school principal.

Simply a lovely story with the simple message that every child is unique. The perfect antidote to today’s cynicism. Tillman’s illustrations are fabulous.