64. Go, Go, Grapes: A Fruit Chant by April Pulley Sayre

Bibliographic Citation:
Sayre, April Pulley. Go, Go, Grapes!: A Fruit Chant. New York, NY: Beach Lane Books, 2012. 32 p. ISBN 978-1442433908.

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
This book showcases different types of fruits through photographs taken at farmer's markets, small grocery stores, and fruit stands. 

Personal Reaction:
Rhyming text is presented alongside photographs to identify different types of fruit. The rhythmic text describes the attributes of the various fruits in the pictures, including color, taste, and texture.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Fruits, colors, textures, taste, nonfiction

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.


Narrative Skills: 
The narrative, rhythmic text invites children to participate in reading the story. Dialogic reading would also offer children the opportunity to identify fruit in the accompanying photographs.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is presented through rhyming text and alliteration.

Print Awareness:
Text appears in white font against colorful backgrounds, which draws attention to the printed words of the book.


Print Motivation: 
Children will enjoy the colorful pages and photographs included in this book. The rhyming text is presented in fun, rhythmic way that will have children jumping in as the story is read.


Vocabulary:
Vocabulary presented in this book is focused around different types of fruit and the way they look, feel, and taste. Children will be presented with the identification of new types of fruit.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://www.aprilsayre.com/

62. Color Farm by Lois Ehlert

Bibliographic Citation:
Ehlert, Lois. Color Farm. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1990. 40 p. ISBN 978-0397324408.

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
Cut-out shapes reveal colorful farm animals which are identified in text on each page.

Personal Reaction:
Animals are created through the use of cut-out shaped pages of different colors. Animals are created through the combination of each layer of pages under the cut-out page, and accompanied by matching text. This book offers learning for young children through a simple method of combined colors and shapes created from the cut-out pages.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-6 years of age.

Themes/Issues:

Shapes, colors, farm animals

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Children are invited to participate in the narration of the story through shape, animal, and color identification. 

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:
Each animal and shape is identified through large, black, capital letters which spell out the corresponding name of each.

Print Motivation: 
Children will enjoy naming the animals, objects and colors on the page, and seeing how the pictures change as the pages are turned.

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary in the book focuses on shape, animal, and color identification.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
No official website

58. Hide and Snake by Keith Baker

Bibliographic Citation:
Baker, Keith. Hide and Snake. New York, NY: Harcourt, Inc., 1991. 40 p. ISBN 978-0152339869.

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
A colorful snake hides among many different brightly colored objects, inviting the reader to find him. 

Personal Reaction:
Keith Baker's vivid illustrations are paired with simple text to encourage children to seek out the snake on each page. Children become part of the story through hunting for the snake, and are encouraged to help narrate the story through its simple plot.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Hiding, camouflage, snakes, garden

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.


Narrative Skills: 
Children are encouraged to help narrate the story through finding the snake and guessing where he might be next.


Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is highlighted through the rhyming text of the story.


Print Awareness:
The text of the story is printed in a large, simple font, dancing along the edge of the illustrations of each page. This fun way of incorporating the text draws attention to the words as they correspond with the pictures.

Print Motivation: 
This simple story, with bright illustrations, and rhyming text is fun to read and to listen to. It also provides a game of hide and seek that will engage children.


Vocabulary:
The vocabulary is centered around the things that snake hides among, and includes familiar words for young children. 



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://www.keithbakerbooks.com/

57. Feathers for Lunch by Lois Ehlert

Bibliographic Citation:
Ehlert, Lois. Feathers for Lunch. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace, 1990. 40p. ISBN 0-15-230550-5.

Awards/Selection Lists:
The Horn Book Fanfare Best Book, 1991

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
A cat sneaks out and attempts to catch different types of birds for lunch, until he is caught by his owner.

Personal Reaction:
Text is interwoven into the illustrations on each page in order to identify flowers and birds through the story of a cat that sneaks out and is hunting for a bird for lunch. The cat misses each time, only getting a mouth full of feathers. The story ends with the cat being caught by his owner.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 4-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Cat, bird identification, types of flowers

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are modeled through the text of this book about a cat hunting different types of birds. Children are invited to participate in the naming of types of birds as well as flowers identified in the story.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is represented through the sound of the cat's bell ringing and bird calls throughout the book. Rhyming text also fosters phonological awareness. 

Print Awareness:
Birds and flowers are identified through small text printed in various colors along the edge of the corresponding illustration.

Print Motivation: 
This book identifies birds and flowers in a fun way that combines collage and text. Children will enjoy revisiting this book and exploring types of birds and flowers. 

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary connected to bird and flower names is embedded on each page through small text printed around corresponding illustrations. A brief glossary of bird names is included at the end of the book.

Author/ Illustrator Website:
No official website

               

54. White is for Blueberry by George Shannon

Bibliographic Citation:
Shannon, George. White is for Blueberry. Illustrated by Laura Dronzek. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books, 2005. 40p. 978-0060292751.

Awards/Selection Lists:
ALA Notable Children's Book, 2006

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
This book is about looking at things from a different perspective to see that additional colors can be associated with the objects.

Personal Reaction:
This concept book introduces color awareness in a way that suggests looking at things from a different perspective. Colors are associated with illustrations on a page, and the words do not match the pictures, until the reader turns the page to reveal how the color of the object changes  from a changed perspective. An illustration of a black crow begins the book associated with the word "Pink", which is revealed on the next page of pink babies hatched from eggs. 

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children ages 4-6 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Colors, looking from a different perspective, discovery

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus if this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Children are invited into the narration of the story through color and object identification.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:
The text is part of the story as the words change colors to match the illustrations.

Print Motivation: 
The vivid colors of the book, paired with the discovery of the objects make this a book that children will want to revisit, even on their own.

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary in this book relates to colors and changing perspectives to see inside the objects on the page.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://www.georgewbshannon.comcastbiz.net/

46. About a Bear by Holly Surplice

Bibliographic Citation:
Surplice, Holly. About a Bear. Wilton, CT: Tiger Tales, 2012. 32 p. ISBN 978-1-58925-112-0.

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:

Bears can be a lot of things, from happy to sad, and from hungry to sleepy, and many things in between.

Personal Reaction:

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-5 years of age.

Themes/Issues:

Emotions, characteristics, friendship

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Rhyming, simple lines of text match the colorful illustrations of the story in a way that encourages children to become involved in the narration as they become familiar with the text.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is addressed through the rhythmic, rhyming text of the book.

Print Awareness:
The written text is matched up within the illustrations on each page, drawing attention to the fact that the words on the page match what is happening in the story as the words are read aloud.


Print Motivation: 
The bright, vivid colors that are used in the illustrations of a cute bear and his friends match the simple, rhyming words well. This book is fun and quick to read, and portrays a happy ending among animal friends of the forest.  

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary used in this book is used to tell about the qualities of all the things a bear might be.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://hollysurplice.blogspot.com/

45. Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Bibliographic Citation:
Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. Green. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press, 2012. 36 p. ISBN 978-1596433977.

Awards/Selection Lists:

Caldecott Honor, 2013
ALA Notable Children's Books, 2013
Publishers Weekly Starred Review
Booklist Starred Review
The Horn Book, Starred Review
Kirkus Reviews Starred Review
School Library Journal Starred Review

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
This award-winning concept book represents objects and animals in varying shades of green.

Personal Reaction:
Objects and animals representing varying shades of green are revealed through the die-cut pages of this book. Acrylic painted artwork represents each object of green.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 2-5 years of age. 

Themes/Issues:
Green objects, shades of the color green

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Children are encouraged to participate in naming the green objects on each page.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:
Simple text which identifies the name of the shade of green on the page support the beautiful illustrations.

Print Motivation: 
Preschool age children will enjoy looking through the die-cut pages and viewing the beautiful illustrations of green objects on the page.

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary offered by the text of this book pertains to the different shades of green that exist through objects in the world around us.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://www.studiolvs.com/website_root/StudioLVS_Home/Home.html

44. My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall

Bibliographic Citation:
Hall, Michael. My Heart is Like a Zoo. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books, 2009. 32 p. ISBN 978-0061915109.

Awards/Selection Lists:

None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
Twenty paper animals made from colorful heart shapes are included in this book about emotions.

Personal Reaction:
Animals are created from collages of brightly colored hearts, and are accompanied by simple text describing emotions that match the animal on the page. Alliteration is sprinkled throughout the book, which promotes phonological awareness. The text of the book is printed in a simple to read, white font, which is easily noticed among the bright colors on the page.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-5 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Love, heart shapes, emotions, bright colors, animals

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.


Narrative Skills: 
Simple text that matches the artwork on each page encourages participation from children in the telling of the story, and in making guesses as to the type of animal on each page. 

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is addressed through periodic alliteration throughout the book.

Print Awareness:
Text is presented in a simple white font against the colorful background of the page and colorful hearts that make up each animal.

Print Motivation: 
The simple text and colorful heart-made animals make this an inviting book for preschool-aged children to revisit on their own or with an adult reader.

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary pertains to each animal name, as well as the descriptions associated with each animal.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://myheartislikeazoo.com/

40. Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by by Eric Litwin

Bibliographic Citation:
Litwin, Eric. Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons. Illustrated by James Dean. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2012. 40 p. ISBN 978-0062110589.

Awards/Selection Lists:

Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor, 2013

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:

Pete the Cat returns in this book about his four groovy buttons, which he loses one by one, but he keeps his cool throughout the entire book.

Personal Reaction:
Pete the Cat's attitude about life teaches many lessons for children in a very cool way. Using a combination of rhyme (or song, if you download it), and everyday language, Pete teaches that "things will come and things will go", but that we should keep on going with a positive attitude. This book also embeds subtraction of buttons throughout the story.  

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Losing things, positive attitude, subtraction

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Through the use of rhyming text/song, repeated lines, and math, children are invited to become a direct part of telling the story.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:
While the actual text of the story is printed in small text, which is not easily seen in a group atmosphere, the numbers included in the subtraction of the buttons is easily seen.

Print Motivation: 
This book is a wonderful book for print motivation, as the song/chant is fun, hip, and easy for children to participate in, and Pete the Cat is a likable character with a contagious positive attitude. 

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary pertaining to subtraction (minus and equals) are presented within the text of the story. Other everyday language is used, including common slang phrases, such as "it's all good".



Author/ Illustrator Website:
Author website: http://www.ericlitwin.com/#!
Illustrator website: http://www.petethecat.com/about

34. Bears, Bears, and More Bears by Jackie Morris

Bibliographic Citation:

Morris, Jackie. Bears, Bears, and More Bears. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 1995. 32 p. ISBN 978-0812093490.

Awards/Selection Lists:

None

Format Examined:
Paperback

Annotation:

Different kinds of bears are identified through simple text. 

Personal Reaction:
Glossy pages of beautiful water color illustrations are used to show different types of bears in their natural habitat. Simple, large, black text is printed on each page to describe what each type of bear looks like and/or does. Real bears are shown throughout the book until the teddy bear at the end with a child. Children who have stuffed bears will identify with this book, and narrative skills can be encouraged due to the simple text of the book. 

Age Recommendation:

I would recommend this book for children 3-5 years of age.

Themes/Issues:

Bears, habitat, hibernation, climate

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book, but letter identification can be encouraged through the simple lines that are printed on each page.

Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills can be encouraged through the identification of the different types of bears and the simple text. 

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:
Simple text in a plain black font draws attention to the text on each page.

Print Motivation: 
Children who like bears will identify with this book, and enjoy looking at the pictures and retelling the story on their own.

Vocabulary:
Words that describe bears are used throughout the book. Lifestyles of bears are portrayed an offer an opportunity to build vocabulary, including hibernation, climate, types of bears, and colors of bears.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://www.jackiemorris.co.uk/blog/

32. Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs by Byron Barton

Bibliographic Citation:

Barton, Byron. Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs. New York, NY: HarperTrophy, 1989. 40 p. ISBN 978-0064432986.

Awards/Selection Lists:

None

Format Examined:
Paperback

Annotation:
Colorful illustrations accompany a story that helps the reader and listener imagine what dinosaurs looked like, and how they might have lived long ago. 

Personal Reaction:

This book's color and subject matter make it a book that dinosaur-loving children choose again and again. Children are invited to imagine what dinosaurs were like. Dinosaur types are represented through the illustrations, inviting children to identify them each by name.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-7 years of age.

Themes/Issues:

Dinosaur identification and history

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Colorful illustrations encourage children to take part in naming the dinosaurs on the page as the story is read.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:
The text of the story is in a large, simple font that describes the illustrations on the page. The color of the font is changed on darker pages where the print may be difficult to see otherwise.

Print Motivation: 
Dinosaurs and their descriptions make this a fun book for children who love dinosaurs.

Vocabulary:
Words that describe what dinosaurs might have looked like, and how they lived, are used throughout this book.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
No official author website

25. My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss

Bibliographic Citation: 
Seuss. My Many Colored Days. Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. New York, NY: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1996. 40 p. ISBN 978-0679875970. 

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
Different colors are used to describe different emotions that are felt by the narrator of this non-traditional Seuss book.

Personal Reaction:
The text of this Dr. Seuss book lay in wait for a color artist to illustrate it for more than 20 years. While the text of the book rhymes, as do most of Dr. Seuss' books, the subject matter has more of a serious tone, and the rhythm does not follow Seuss' typical style. The soft, chalk-like illustrations each work well to portray the emotions that are personified by each of ten different colors.  

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 3-5 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Colors, emotions, rhyming text

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book.

Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are encouraged through rhyming text and familiar objects that are included in the illustrations to reinforce color identification. 

Phonological Awareness: 
Letter sounds are highlighted through rhyming words and words that are written to symbolize sounds, such as "Wheeeeeeeeeee" and "WHAM!".

Print Awareness:
Words are written in different font types, sizes, and changing boldness to show how the text should be read to match the different colors and the corresponding emotions.

Print Motivation: 
Attention is drawn to text that changes with each page of colorful illustrations through different fonts and sizes of text. This print method encourages a child's interest in print. 

Vocabulary:
Words portraying different emotions and colors are introduced through rhyming text.

Author/ Illustrator Website:
Author website: http://www.seussville.com/
Illustrators' website: http://www.johnsonandfancher.com/