Children

Only a little boy understands that this giant with a taste for metal is actually quite gentle. Fearful adults finally turn to the giant to save them from a space-bat-angel-dragon. What is amazing about this story is the strong theme of world peace, and I have to tell you that the movie version of this story is one of the most underrated films of the past 20 years (along with Groundhog Day).

My daughter Kate loves me reading aloud this book to her every night. A girl who loves pink is teased by all the other girls who insist black is the “it” color, but she finds a kindred spirit who mixes pink and blue to create a beautiful purple cake. “That’s the kind of girl I want you to be friends with,” I always tell Kate.

My son Sean enjoys this story about a pack rat who sells all of his “stuff” to buy trees for his hometown. Includes wonderful illustrations by Steve Cox.

This is absolutely just a fun picture read for little ones curious to see the different hairstyles of Lionel, the lion. The pictures make all kids laugh.

While I think Adam Mansbach’s Go the F**k to Sleep is pure genius, it is meant for an adult audience. Kaplan has written a book that makes adults laugh with their children while getting kids to pay attention to one of my biggest pet peeves: whining. This book is perfect for playful read alouds.

One of the best ways I know to engage students of all ages is to create parodies of well-known songs. Your kids will be tickled by Katz’s clever ditties and David Caltrow’s delightful illustrations, and don’t be surprised if you find yourself humming the tunes for the rest of the week.

You’re kids will enjoy this fun story about a dog choosing his family over a pack of unsavory canines.

If you are not reading children’s books, humbug to you! Some of the best stories lay on children’s bookshelves. I cannot get enough of stories like this one, chronicling the inspiration of A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh. Sally Walker also has a great version of the story in her book Winnie.

A perfect rhyming bedtime read aloud that teaches the value of family and helping one another.

Very cleverly designed book featuring die-cut holes that make little things on one page appear much larger on the next. Great message for ALL readers, as the little things usually become the big things.

When the sun strays from its normal position, representatives from each planet in the solar system team up to solve the problem. Part of the Eyeball Animation series (the books all have cool big plastic eyeballs popping out), this is a fun way to introduce students to the planets.

Looking for sweet AND a fun way to teach the alphabet? This is your book. Beautifully illustrated by Joan Rankin.

Adorable book that is a MUST read aloud for young ones at bedtime, as they happily tuck-in their books.

I have featured a number of books by Steve Jenkins (and his frequent collaborator, Robin Page) in my book talks around the country, and I did not realize that I had never featured him in a single lazy readers’ pick. He is one of my favorite children’s authors, as his books always include wonderful illustrations that educate students on a wide array of subjects, from animals to geography. This book is great because it features illustrations of the actual size of different animals’ claws, wings, etc. Kids love comparing the size of their hands and fingers to the pictures. Lots of fun!

My good friend Bob Matulich gave my daughter this book on the day she was born, and it is a treat. A great reminder to all of us to keep our minds young and our smiles large.