65. My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann

Bibliographic Citation:
Rohmann, Eric. My Friend Rabbit. Brookfield, Connecticut: Roaring Brook Press, 2002. 32 p. ISBN 978-0761315353.

Awards/Selection Lists:
Caldecott Medal, 2003
ALA Notable Children's Book, 2003
Parents’ Choice Recommended
National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) Gold Award

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
Rabbit is a good friend, but he always finds a way to get into trouble, even when he is trying to help rescue his friend, Mouse.

Personal Reaction:
Bold illustrations help tell the story of Rabbit, who accidentally throws his friend, Mouse, and his airplane, up into a tree. In order to help rescue his friend, Rabbit gathers up their friends and stacks them up, one on top of the other, in order to reach Mouse. The stack of animals fall into a heap, but somehow, the airplane and Mouse are freed.  

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

Themes/Issues:
Friendship, mistakes, safety, rescue

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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


Narrative Skills: 
The details included in the illustrations of this book invite children to participate in the narration of this book.


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


Print Awareness:
Text is printed in simple, black font positioned to support the illustrations. Smaller text is included to enhance the story line by representing the words of Mouse as he is stuck in the airplane in the tree.

Print Motivation: 
This book is a humorous story of friendship that children will enjoy hearing and revisiting. The vivid illustrations will encourage young children to look at the book on their own, as well. 

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary in this story deals with conversation related to efforts to rescue Mouse, as well as the difficulties that Rabbit experiences.



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

37. Jump Frog, Jump! by Robert Kalan

Bibliographic Citation:

Kalan, Robert. Jump Frog, Jump!. Illustrated by Byron Barton. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books, 1989. ISBN 978-0688092412. 

Awards/Selection Lists:

None

Format Examined:
Paperback

Annotation:

A frog in a pond finds himself in danger numerous times, and the only escape is to jump away, until he is caught by children under a basket, and needs help to get away.

Personal Reaction:
The circular text of this book calls for help from the audience to make sure a frog gets away from danger. The title phrase of this book, "Jump, frog, jump!" is repeated as the frog is almost caught by a fish, a turtle, and a snake, which all eat each other. Finally, a group of children catch him under a basket, but one of the children comes and lifts the basket, and the frog jumps away.

Age Recommendation:

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

Themes/Issues:

Circular story, frog, food chain, pond animals, repetition

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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

Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are emphasized through repeated lines this circular story.

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

Print Awareness:
The colorful illustrations of this book are more prominent than most lines of the story, except for the words, "Jump, frog, jump!", which appear on the pages in yellow in order to promote audience involvement.

Print Motivation: 
The circular story of each of the pond animals eating the next, along with the repeated title line makes this fun book one that children will enjoy revisiting many times.

Vocabulary:
Words that are introduced pertain to pond animals and positional directions.

Author/ Illustrator Website:
No official website

36. David Gets in Trouble by David Shannon

Bibliographic Citation:

Shannon, David. David Gets in Trouble. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc., 2002. 32 p. ISBN 978-0439050227.

Awards/Selection Lists:

None

Format Examined:
Paperback

Annotation:

David gets into trouble over and over, but always has an excuse, until he goes to bed, and realizes that he should apologize for the things he has done.

Personal Reaction:

This book provides a good lesson for young children about taking responsibility for their mistakes. David repeatedly denies any wrong doing as he gets into trouble over and over throughout the day. He makes the realization at the end that he should apologize, and is able to go to sleep at the end with a clear conscious.  

Age Recommendation:

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

Themes/Issues:

Personal responsibility, apologizing, telling the trouble

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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

Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are modeled through the reading of the simple text on the page. As children become more familiar with the book, they may be able to become involved in the telling of the story.


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

Print Awareness:
The text of the story is in font that is hand-drawn and large, which calls attention to the print on each page.

Print Motivation: 
This book is fun to read, as some of the things that David does are funny. David is a likable character, and teaches a lesson at the end. The artwork and hand-drawn words make this an enjoyable book for preschoolers.

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary can be supported through the dialogic reading of this book. Words concerning personal responsibility can be highlighted.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
No official author website

23. Olivia by Ian Falconer

Bibliographic Citation:
Falconer, Ian. Olivia. New York, NY: Antheneum Books for Young Readers, 2000. 40 p. ISBN 978-0689829536.

Awards/Selection Lists:
Caldecott Honor, 2001
Children's Illustrated Winner, 2001
ALA Notable Children's Book, 2001

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
Olivia is a precocious pig who knows what she likes, and what she doesn't. Olivia's abundance of energy often gets her into trouble, but her family continues to love her anyway. 

Personal Reaction:
Olivia is a four-year-old pig, who enjoys doing 4-year-old things. Her spunky attitude and love of life bring this story to life. The illustrations all appear in shades of black, white, and red, drawing attention to the most important parts of the page.While Olivia spends much of her story in trouble, the details of her day to day life, and her desire to enjoy life, make it so the reader cannot help but to pull for her, and so that children can't help but love her.

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

Themes/Issues:

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 the story, and through dialogic reading (asking children to predict what will happen next, why things happen in the story, etc.)

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

Print Awareness:
The text of the story is printed in a small, simple, black font throughout the book, and is support through the illustrations. 

Print Motivation: 
Olivia is a likable character, which encourages children to want to read this book again and again.

Vocabulary:
New words such as: "prepared" and "bask" are paired with familiar words and phrases. A phrase that appears in this book repeatedly is that Olivia "wears" her mother out. This may be a n unfamiliar phrase for younger children before listening to this story.  



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

22. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Bibliographic Citation:
Carle, Eric. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. New York, NY: Philomel, 1981. 32 p. ISBN 978-0399208539.

Awards/Selection Lists:

National Education Association "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children", 2007
School Library Journal, "Top 100 Picture Books", 2012

Format Examined:

Hard cover

Annotation:

A little caterpillar is born, then eats holes through all sorts of food until he becomes a large caterpillar who spins a cocoon, and turns into a butterfly.

Personal Reaction:

This classic books uses Eric Carle's tissue paper collage to tell the story of a small green caterpillar who is born from a tiny egg. The reader experiences the caterpillar's path of eating holes through different types of food on different days, until, at the end of the week, he eats through so many different foods that he develops a stomachache. The caterpillar then spins a cocoon and takes a long rest. When the caterpillar finally emerges, he is a beautiful butterfly. The combination of all the parts of the story teaches counting skills, days of the week, food types, and the stages of the life cycle of the butterfly. 

Age Recommendation:

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

Themes/Issues:

Colors, food, days of the week, life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly, counting

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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

Narrative Skills:
Children are encouraged to help tell the story through naming types of food, counting, naming days of the week, and predicting what will happen to the caterpillar. 

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

Print Awareness:
Each day that the caterpillar eats through different pieces of food is accompanied by supporting text that includes the day of the week and the number of pieces of food that the caterpillar eats. All of this works together to draw a child's attention to the connection between the illustrations and the words that make up the story. 

Print Motivation: 
This classic book has been a favorite of preschool children for many years. The colorful artwork and the text based on counting pieces of fruit as the caterpillar moves through the days of the week provides an interesting story to support a child learning about the life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly. The illustrations encourage children to be excited about this book.


Vocabulary:
Children learn the names of the days of the week, types of fruit, and the names of each stage of a caterpillar's life leading up to becoming a butterfly.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
www.eric-carle.com

19. Press Here by Herve Tullet

Bibliographic Citation:

Tullet, Herve. Press Here. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2011. 56 p. ISBN 978-0-8118-7954-5

Awards/Selection Lists:

Publisher's Weekly Starred Review

Format Examined:
Hardcover

Annotation:

This interactive book instructs children to press dots of varying colors in order to make things happen in the book.  

Personal Reaction:
This book is a great book for group reading and participation. The text is fun, and the illustrations are simple and inviting. The printed words on the page are small and light in color. In order to connect illustrations and actions taken to the text on the page, it is important for the reader to point out the text to children as the story is read. Larger, darker text would better foster print awareness.   

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

Themes/Issues:
Following directions, participation, dialogic reading, cause and effect

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Print Motivation:
This book is a fun, interactive book, which invites children to participate in pressing colorful dots on the pages, "moving" the dots, and guessing what might happen to the dots when the book is shaken.

Vocabulary:

Print Awareness:
The printed words provide directions for the actions that listeners take throughout the book. The print is small and light in color, so it is important for the reader to point out the text to listeners as the story is read in order to foster print awareness.

Narrative Skills:
The interactive format of the book creates opportunity for children to become active in the telling of the story. This also provides the opportunity for children to tell the story on their own after becoming familiar with the story.

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

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

Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://www.herve-tullet.com/en/accueil.html





18. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

Bibliographic Citation:
Numeroff, Laura. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Illustrated by Felicia Bond. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1997. 32p. ISBN 978-0064434096

Awards/Selection Lists:
California Young Reader Medal
Colorado Children's Book Award
Buckeye Children's Book Award
Nevada Young Readers' Award
Georgia Children's Book Award

Format Examined:
Paperback

Annotation:
A boy shares a cookie with a mouse. The mouse asks for a glass of milk, which sets off a circular chain of events leading back to another cookie.

Personal Reaction:
This is a circular story which represents cause and effect relationships through the tale of a boy who gives a mouse a cookie, followed by a glass of milk, a straw, a napkin... all the way back around to another cookie. The author uses if/then statements to lead the reader through each step of the story. The format of the book encourages participation through a dialogic reading experience. The illustrations use soft colors and shading, almost like that of a coloring page, to support the text with details in the pictures on each page. 

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

Themes/Issues:
Sharing, cause and effect, circular story

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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

Narrative Skills:
The circular story invites the listener to become part of telling the story through guessing what the mouse will need next to go with each thing that the boy in the story provides. Trough the process, children learn to make connections between items in the story.

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

Print Awareness:
The illustrations support the text on each page. Sentences are divided into sections on the page to correspond with matching illustrations, which work together to show that printed words have meaning.


Print Motivation:
The circular story invites children to become involved in guessing what will happen next. This fosters interest in the story, making this book an enjoyable experience that children will want to be involved in again.


Vocabulary:
Children are exposed to words that are related to the cause and effect relationship between items in the story. 

Author/ Illustrator Website:
Author website: http://lauranumeroff.com/ ; http://www.mousecookiebooks.com/
Illustrator website: http://www.mousecookiebooks.com/