Equipped with surfboards, shovels, and a beach umbrella, Turtle and Snake are off to the beach. They decide to enter a sand castle contest, and they build an impressive one. After that they go surfing. While they are gone the waves knock down their creation. They build another, which is also knocked down. Will they build a third? Pictures provide clues for some of the more difficult words (like umbrella and shovel), but there are also plenty of simple one-syllable words that children may even recognize.
RESOURCES
The books, organizations, and online sites in this section are only a few of the many resources to help parents further investigate read-aloud strategies and early literacy issues and locate great books to share with their children.
Books
100 Best Books for Children A Parent’s Guide to Making the Right Choices for Your Young Reader, Toddler to Preteen
Anita Silvey. Mariner, 2005.
Looking for classic literature? Silvey’s list of one hundred “essential” titles, published prior to 2004, is a great place to begin the search, whether the object is a book for a baby or for an older child. Eden Ross Lipson’s The New York Times Parent’s Guide to the Best Books for Children is another excellent resource for classic titles.
A Family of Readers The Book Lover’s Guide to Children’s and Young Adult Literature
Roger Sutton and Martha V. Parravano. Candlewick, 2010.
In this collection you’ll find essays and articles from children’s books authors, illustrators, and the editors of Horn Book Magazine, which is one of the premier children’s books review journals.
Great Books for Babies and Toddlers
Kathleen Odean. Ballantine, 2003.
Don’t let the copyright date stop you from taking a look at this book. Many of Odean’s suggestions (most published prior to 2000) are still in print and still great choices for sharing with infants and toddlers.
Picture Books for Children Fiction, Folktales, and Poetry
Mary Northrup. American Library Association, 2012.
Northrup offers a choice selection of picture storybooks (poetry and folktales) published during the last decade, for children in kindergarten through third grade.
Picturing the World Informational Picture Books for Children
Kathleen T. Isaacs. American Library Association, 2012.
It’s not easy to find informational books for young children. Isaacs describes more than 250 titles for elementary school children, some of which can be shared with older preschoolers or used for family read-alouds.
Raising Bookworms Getting Kids Reading for Pleasure and Empowerment
Emma Walton Hamilton. Beech Tree Books, 2009.
Hamilton has compiled a wealth of book-reading strategies for parents to use with infants and children right through the middle school years.
Reading Together Everything You Need to Know to Raise a Child Who Loves to Read
Diane W. Frankenstein. Perigee, 2009.
Frankenstein discusses ways to talk to children about books, describing one hundred particularly good ones (preschool through high school) to get a conversation started.
Organizations
Association for Library Service to Children
www.ala.org/alsc/
A division of the American Library Association, ALSC sponsors the prestigious Newbery and Caldecott awards, which are selected by librarians to represent the single best-written and the single best-illustrated (respectively) book of the previous year. The division also sponsors an annual list of children’s notable books, for preschoolers through age fourteen. These lists are available for free download. ALSC also maintains a blog accessible to parents (www.alsc.ala.org/blog/?cat=96).
International Board on Books for Young People
www.ibby.org
Organized in 1953, IBBY is devoted to “promote international understanding through books.” Its membership includes parents as well as educators, book publishers, teachers, social workers, and others from more than seventy countries around the globe. Annotated IBBY Honor Lists, a biennial selection of the best international children literature (for age six and up), can be downloaded for free from the site.
International Reading Association
www.reading.org
In addition to their annual “Teachers’ Choices Reading List” (www.reading.org/resources/booklists/teacherschoices.aspx), IRA offers a number of free-to-download publications especially for parents who want to help their child develop a lifelong interest in reading.
National Association for the Education of Young Children
www.naeyc.org
This nonprofit organization “supports families in early childhood education and parenting needs.” It counts teachers, childcare providers, medical specialists, and parents among its membership.
National Science Teachers Association
www.nsta.org
NSTA is devoted largely to teachers for grades K–12, but its annual list, “Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12” (www.nsta.org/publications/ostb/), is a great resource.
Reading Is Fundamental
www.rif.org
Dedicated to putting books in the hands of all children, RIF is the largest nonprofit literacy organization in the United States. Its home page provides links to book lists, articles, and activities that can be used at home or in a formal educational setting.
Zero to Three National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
www.zerotothree.org
This national nonprofit organization is dedicated to providing health, developmental, and early literacy information to “professionals, policymakers, and parents” who are working to improve the lives of the very young.
Online Resources
Bookends
http://bookends.booklistonline.com
Hosted by Booklist Online, (Booklist is the review journal of the American Library Association), this lively blog offers personalized perspectives on current, kid-tested titles for children from infancy through high school.
The Cooperative Children’s Book Center
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
The CCBC, a noncirculating research library, is part of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. It publishes CCBC Choices, an annual list of best books for children, which can be downloaded at no cost. It also maintains a book-related discussion forum open to the public, CCBC-Net (www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ccbcnet/default.asp).
Database of Award-Winning Children’s Literature
www.dawcl.com
Reference librarian Lisa R. Bartel maintains this up-to-date, searchable database of award-winning titles. The database, which displays results of 102 different children’s and young adult book awards, is searchable by author, title, ethnicity, genre, and more.
A Fuse #8 Production
blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production
Children’s librarian Elizabeth Bird oversees this blog, which features a review of the day, links to other reviews, and an extensive list her favorite “kidlit” bloggers.
I.N.K: Interesting Nonfiction for Kids
http://inkrethink.blogspot.com
Book reviews plus interviews and articles by and about some the best nonfiction writers working in children’s publishing today.
Kidlitosphere Central The Society of Bloggers in Children’s and Young Adult Literature
www.kidlitosphere.org
This site hosts the Cybils: Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards (www.cybils.com), an annual list of books selected by discriminating bloggers—reviewers, librarians, teachers, and parents—who are devoted to books for young people.
Planet Esme
www.planetesme.com
Teacher and author Esmé Raji Codell brings her experience with children and love of literature together in a dynamic site with plenty of ideas to help link children to books.
Reading Rockets
www.readingrockets.org
Although this site i
s largely for teachers, it has a special parents’ section and routinely runs reviews and articles of possible interest to parents and caregivers, including reading tips for parents in English, Spanish, and a number of other languages.
ILLUSTRATION CREDITS
Page 23. From Little Chicken’s Big Day, by Jerry Davis and Katie Davis. Text copyright © 2011 by Jerry Davis. Illustration copyright © 2011 by Katie Davis. Reprinted by permission of Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.
Page 32. From All in a Day, by Cynthia Rylant, with illustrations by Nikki McClure. Text copyright © 2009 by Cynthia Rylant. Illustration copyright © 2009 by Nikki McClure. Reprinted by permission of Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.
Page 34. From Buster, by Denise Fleming. Copyright © 2003 by Denise Fleming. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of Henry Holt and Company, LLC.
Page 38. From I’ll Be There, by Ann Stott, with illustrations by Matt Phelan. Text copyright © 2011 by Ann Stott. Illustration copyright © 2011 by Matt Phelan. Reprinted by permission of Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.
Page 42. From No Two Alike, by Keith Baker. Copyright © 2011 by Keith Baker. Reprinted by permission of Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.
Page 57. From Henry’s First-Moon Birthday, by Lenore Look, with illustrations by Yumi Heo. Text copyright © 2001 by Lenore Look. Illustration copyright © 2001 by Yumi Heo. Reprinted by permission of Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.
Page 63. From Pecan Pie Baby, by Jacqueline Woodson, with illustrations by Sophie Blackall. Text copyright © 2010 by Jacqueline Woodson. Illustration copyright © 2010 by Sophie Blackall. Reprinted by permission of G.P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group. Published by the Penguin Group.
Page 77. From Waddles, by David McPhail. Text and illustrations copyright © 2011 by David McPhail. Reprinted by permission of Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS.
Page 87. From The Butter Man, by Elizabeth and Ali Alalou, with illustrations by Julie Klear Essakalli. Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth and Ali Alalou. Illustration copyright © 2008 by Julie Klear Essakalli. Reprinted by permission of Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.
Page 91. From Monsoon Afternoon, by Kashmira Sheth, with illustrations by Yoshiko Jaeggi. Text copyright © 2008 by Kashmira Sheth. Illustration copyright © 2008 by Yoshiko Jaeggi. Reprinted by permission of Peachtree Publishers.
Page 97. From Bats at the Ballgame, by Brian Lies. Copyright © 2010 by Brian Lies. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Page 104. From Pig Kahuna, by Jennifer Sattler. Copyright © 2011 by Jennifer Sattler. Reprinted by permission of Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers.
Page 112. From Flotsam, by David Wiesner. Copyright © 2006 by David Wiesner. Reprinted by permission of Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Page 119. From Stars, by Mary Lyn Ray, with illustrations by Marla Frazee. Text copyright © 2011 by Mary Lyn Ray. Illustration copyright © 2011 by Marla Frazee. Reprinted by permission of Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.
Page 125. From All the Water in the World, by George Ella Lyon, with illustrations by Katherine Tillotson. Text copyright © 2011 by George Ella Lyon. Illustration copyright © 2011 by Katherine Tillotson. Reprinted by permission of Atheneum Books for Young Readers, a division of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.
Page 130. From First the Egg, by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. Copyright © 2007 by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. All rights reserved. A Neal Porter Book. Published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishings Holding Limited Partnership.
Page 140. From Vulture View, by April Pulley Sayre, with illustrations by Steve Jenkins. Text copyright © 2007 by April Pulley Sayre. Illustration copyright © 2007 by Steve Jenkins. Reprinted by permission of Henry Holt & Company, LLC.
Page 146. From Max Spaniel: Dinosaur Hunt, by David Catrow. Copyright © 2009 by David Catrow. Reprinted by permission of Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc.
INDEX
Page numbers in italic indicate illustrations.
A
Actual Size, 123–24
Ada, Alma Flor, 26, 56
Addasi, Maha, 94
Adele, Geras, 46
Ajmera, Maya, 36, 61–62
Alalou, Ali, 87, 87
Alalou, Elizabeth, 87, 87
Alborough, Jez, 19–20
Alex and Lulu: Two of a Kind, 69
Alex and the Wednesday Chess Club, 95
Alexander, Claire, 41
Aliki, 27
All in a Day, 31, 32
All the Water in the World, 124, 125
And Tango Makes Three, 51
Angelina’s Island, 52
Apple Pie ABC, 16
Apple Pie Fourth of July, 52
The Apple Pie That Papa Baked, 124–25
The Apple-Pip Princess, 124
April and Esme: Tooth Fairies, 109
Arabella Miller’s Tiny Caterpillar, 125–26
Arnosky, Jim, 126
Around Our Way on Neighbors’ Day, 79
Ashman, Linda, 53, 85, 127
Asim, Jabari, 54
At the Supermarket, 80
Avraham, Kate Aver, 66–67
B
Babies in the Bayou, 126
Baby Baby Baby!, 8
Baby Brains, 31–32
Baby Face: A Book of Love for Baby, 16
Baby Shoes, 8
Bae, Hyun-Joo, 92
Baker, Jeannie, 90
Baker, Keith, 23–24, 41, 42
Balancing Act, 16
A Ball for Daisy, 8–9
Banks, Kate, 36–27
Barner, Bob, 88
Barnett, Mac, 110
Barrett, Judi, 103
Barton, Byron, 12
Barton, Chris, 106
Basher, Simon, 10
The Basket Ball, 95–96
Bats at the Ballgame, 96, 97
Batter Up Wombat, 96, 97
A Beach Tail, 32–33
The Bear Who Shared, 69–70
Bear’s Birthday, 9
Beaumont, Karen, 101–2
The Beeman, 126
Bell, Cece, 115
Bella and Stella Come Home, 33
Benny and Penny in Just Pretend, 144
Berry, Lynne, 18
Best, Cari, 100
Best Best Friends, 70
Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia, 86
Big Brothers Don’t Take Naps, 52
Big Pig and Little Pig, 144
Big Red Lollipop, 52–53
The Big Storm: A Very Soggy Counting Book, 17
The Biggest Soap, 86
Bikes for Rent!, 86
Bildner, Phil, 108
Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem, 110
Bippity Bop Barbershop, 80
Birds, 17
Birdsall, Jeanne, 111
Birdsongs, 126–27
Biscuit Goes to School, 144–45
Black, Michael Ian, 104
Blackall, Sophie, 62, 63
Blackout, 53
Blackstone, Stella, 9
Bley, Anette, 71
Block Party Today!, 96–97
Bloom, Suzanne, 76
Bluemle, Elizabeth, 101
Bolam, Emily, 11
Borden, Louise, 52
Brown, Peter, 35
Brown, Tameka Fryer, 79
Bruchac, Joseph, 60
Bubble Trouble, 110
Bunting, Eve, 20, 104–5
Burleigh, Robert, 80
Burningham, John, 28, 115
Buster, 33, 34
The Butter Man, 87, 87
Butterworth, Chris, 137–38
By the Light of the Harvest Moon, 1
10
C
The Caged Birds of Phnom Penh, 88
Callie Cat, Ice Skater, 97
Calmenson, Stephanie, 102
Camping Day, 97–98
Campoy, F. Isabel, 26
Capucilli, Alyssa Satin, 12–13, 144–45, 148–49
Caramba, 33
Carle, Eric, 8
Castles, Caves, and Honeycombs, 127
Catrow, David, 145, 146
Celestine, Drama Queen, 34–35
Chalk, 110–11
Chameleon, Chameleon, 127
Chen, Chih-Yuan, 55
Cherry, Lynne, 132
Chicken Said, “Cluck!”, 145
The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County, 98
Child, Lauren, 64
Children Make Terrible Pets, 35
Chodos-Irvine, Margaret, 18–19, 70
Choo Choo Clickety-Clack!, 17
Christelow, Eileen, 100
Circle Unbroken, 53
City Dog, Country Frog, 70
Clang! Clang! Beep! Beep! Listen to the City, 80
Clemesha, David, 17
Clever Jack Takes the Cake, 98
Cocca-Leffler, Maryann, 43–44
Codell, Esmé Raji, 95–96
Cohen, Miriam, 60
Cole, Brock, 59
Cole, Henry, 65
Collard, Sneed B., III, 140–41
Come Fly with Me, 88
Compost Stew, 127–28
Construction Zone, 80–81
Cooper, Elisha, 81, 82
Cordell, Matthew, 47
Corey, Shana, 105
Cossi, Olga, 93
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, 98
Cousins, Lucy, 21, 24
Cowley, Joy, 127
Craig, Lindsey, 9
Creaky Old House: A Topsy-Turvy Tale of a Real Fixer-Upper, 53
Crews, Nina, 25
Cronin, Doreen, 27–28
Cruise, Robin, 57
Crum, Shutta, 24, 46
Crummel, Susan Stevens, 113
Cunnane, Kelly, 89
Curtis, Carolyn, 114
Cuyler, Margery, 72
D
Daddy Goes to Work, 54
Daly, Niki, 89–90
Dancing Feet!, 9
David Gets in Trouble, 35
Davies, Nicola, 139–40
Davis, Jerry, 22, 23
Davis, Katie, 22, 23
The Day of the Dead/El Día de Los Muertos, 88
The Day Ray Got Away, 111
Deedy, Carmen Agra, 85
Demas, Corinne, 44–45
Read with Me Page 17