70. The Biggest Kiss by Joanna Walsh

Bibliographic Citation:

Walsh, Joanna. The Biggest Kiss. Illustrated by Judi Abbot. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 2011. 32p. ISBN 978-1-4424-27693

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
Different kisses for different animals are represented through rhyming text and colorful illustrations.

Personal Reaction:
The smallest ant and the biggest elephant all receive kisses. The rhyming text of this story about different types of kisses for different animals is combined with lively illustrations, which young children will enjoy. The rhyming format changes throughout the book, which makes the text read like a song at times.

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

Themes/Issues:
Parents, children, love, animals, rhyming, alliteration 

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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

Narrative Skills:
The rhyming text invites children to help recite the story along with the reader as they become familiar with the words.

Phonological Awareness:
Phonological awareness is fostered through rhyming text, alliteration, and phrases, which are sometimes represented within the inside of the sentence's structure, while other times it is presented as end rhyme.

Print Awareness:
The text of the story appears in various font sizes, with the word "kiss" appearing in bold print.

Print Motivation:
The whimsy of the illustrations and the fun of the rhyming text make this a book that children will enjoy reading together with an adult.

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary of this book deals with different animals, sizes, and uses some nonsense words within the rhymes and alliteration that is presented.

Author/ Illustrator Website:

Illustrator website: http://www.giudiimages.it/

67. Animal Baths by Bob Barner

Bibliographic Citation:
Barner, Bob. Animal Baths. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2011. 32 p. ISBN 978-1452100562.

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
This simple book identifies animals and body parts through rhyming text and collage artwork.

Personal Reaction:
Bathing animals are identified through rhyming text and adorable paper collage artwork. The simplicity of the story encourages young children to participate in the identification of animals, and participate in pretend bathing. The end of the book includes each action taken by the animals in the book for children to repeat after the reading of the book.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 12 months-4 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Bath time, cleanliness, animals

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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


Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are fostered through simple, colorful illustrations that encourage children to identify animals as they clean themselves. Body parts are also identified as areas that need to be cleaned during bathing.


Phonological Awareness: 
The rhyming text of this book fosters phonological awareness.


Print Awareness:
The text appears in a large font in spaces that compliment the illustrations. The color of the font changes to show against the changing background colors.


Print Motivation: 
This book is enjoyable for young children. The animals in the illustrations are very childlike, inviting children to identify them, even as they look at the book on their own. The size of the book is large, making it a nice size for children to hold in their laps.


Vocabulary:
The vocabulary of this book deals with animal identification, naming body parts, and the importance of self-help/cleanliness.



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

61. Moon Child by Nadia Krilanovich

Bibliographic Citation:
Krilanovich, Nadia. Moon Child. Illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles. New York, NY: Tricycle Press, 2010. 32 p. ISBN 978-1582463254.

Awards/Selection Lists:

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
Three animal babies of the night play with the moon before drifting off to sleep with their families.

Personal Reaction:
The soft illustrations and simple text tell the story from the perspective of three nocturnal animal babies who "play" with the moon as is hangs in the sky above them. The illustrations are from a perspective that a child might have of the moon "following" them. The gentle text makes this a nice bedtime story for young children.

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

Themes/Issues:
Bedtime, nocturnal animals, night sky, perspective, families

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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


Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are modeled through simple text that provides the opportunity for dialogic reading experiences. 

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

Print Awareness:
The text of the story is printed in white font over a dark background on each page, drawing attention to the connection between the text and the illustrations.

Print Motivation: 
This book provides the familiar experience of seeing the moon as something that is "touchable" for young children. The familiarity of the subject matter combines with the soft illustrations and gentle text to create a book that children will enjoy choosing as a bedtime story.

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary of this book deals with the night sky and the perspective of the moon by the different animals.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
No official author website
Illustrator website: http://elizabethsayles.blogspot.com/

60. I Am Small by Emma Dodd

Bibliographic Citation:
Dodd, Emma. I Am Small. New York, NY: Cartwheel Books, 2011. 24 p. ISBN 978-0545353700.

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
A baby penguin feels small among the great, big world around him. His size doesn't matter anymore after he is snuggled up with his mom.

Personal Reaction:
This sweet, rhyming story is told from the perspective of a baby penguin who realizes what a small part of the world he is. The baby penguin tries to keep up with other bigger penguins who are sliding and swimming, and then he notices how vast the sky is, and how truly little he is. The baby penguin finds his mother at last, and is okay being small in comparison to the world, as long as he knows that he is the biggest thing to his mother.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 18 months-3 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Self-image, size, the world around us, love, feeling important, positional words

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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


Narrative Skills: 
Children are encourage to participate in the narration of this story through the repetition of the title phrase, "I am small". The illustrations also provide the opportunity for dialogic reading discussion between the reader and children listeners of the story.

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


Print Awareness:
Print awareness is fostered through descriptive words that are printed in large text on each page. 


Print Motivation: 
Young children will identify with the baby penguin in the story. The use of a cute penguin and silver, metallic accents draw the attention of young children, who will enjoy reading this book with an adult, or looking at the pictures by themselves. 

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary in this book represent descriptive words which portray the concepts of size, position, and emotions.



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

52. How Do You Make a Baby Smile? by Philemon Sturges

Bibliographic Citation:
Sturges, Philemon. How Do You Make a Baby Smile?. Illustrated by Bridget Strevens-Marzo. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2007. 24 p. ISBN 978-0-06-076072-4. 

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
Methods for playing with a baby in order to get a reaction are represented through animals and their babies, and then back to a human baby playing with his mother.

Personal Reaction:

This simple book relates the play activities that animal parents engage in with their young, and then brings the story back to a human baby playing with his mother before bedtime. The animals in the story are then revealed to be the toys that belong to the baby. 

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 18 months-3 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Playing with baby, animals, bedtime

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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


Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are supported through a question, answer format of this book.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is addressed through simple, rhyming text.

Print Awareness:
Print awareness is promoted through simple text printed on each page, supported by illustrations that match the text. 

Print Motivation: 
This book, with rhyming text, and lively, colorful illustrations, is an enjoyable book to read with young children at bedtime.

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary in this book deals with words relating to how animal parents play with their children, and then relates back to a human baby and mother playing together before bedtime.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
No official author website
Illustrator website: http://www.bridgetstrevens.com/

50. Tell Me About Your Day Today by Mem Fox

Bibliographic Citation:
Fox, Mem. Tell Me About Your Day Today. Illustrated by Lauren Stringer. New York, NY: Beach Lane Books, 2012. 40 p. ISBN 978-1416990062. 

Awards/Selection Lists:
Publisher's Weekly Starred Review

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
A boy and his stuffed animals enjoy a bedtime ritual which includes the recounting of the events of the day. 

Personal Reaction:
Mem Fox uses traditional language, paired with soft illustrations, to tell the story of a young boy who loves the rituals of bedtime. The boy and his stuffed animals take turns telling about their day, until they share a hug, and drift off to sleep.

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

Themes/Issues:
Retelling the events of the day, bedtime rituals, turn-taking 

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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

Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are modeled by the main character in this book as he takes turns recounting the events of the day with each of his stuffed animals. The format for retelling the events of the day remains the same for each of the stuffed animals, as well as for the little boy, in a repeated series of lines each time. 

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is modeled through repeated rhyming text.

Print Awareness:
Each line of text is printed in white, on a dark blue background, in position around each of the illustrations in order to draw attention to the connection between the illustrations and the printed text on each page.

Print Motivation: 
The soft illustrations and gentle bedtime story make this a book that children will enjoy embedding into their own bedtime ritual each night.

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary in this book is connected to the repeated line spoken to each of the animals and the boy recounting the events of the day ("the who, the what, the why, and the way").



Author/ Illustrator Website:
Author website: http://www.memfox.net/welcome.html
Illustrator website: http://www.laurenstringer.com/Home.html

48. Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

Bibliographic Citation:

Waddell, Martin. Owl Babies. Illustrated by Patrick Benson. Candlewick Press, 1996. 22 p. ISBN 978-1564029652. 

Awards/Selection Lists:

Format Examined:
Board book

Annotation:
Three little owls are left on their own while their mother goes in search of food.

Personal Reaction:
This book works through many emotions through a format that children can understand. When Owl Mother leaves the nest to search for food for her owl babies, the baby owls awaken to find that she is gone. The three owls work together to try to figure out where their other has gone, while also encouraging each other not to worry or be afraid. When all three begin to worry, they close their eyes, and wish Mother Owl would come home, and she does, which delivers a strong message to young children who worry about separation from their parents.

Age Recommendation:

I would recommend this book for children 18 months-3 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Separation anxiety, trust, parent/child relationship, siblings 

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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

Narrative Skills: 
The opportunity for children to participate in the narration of this book is provided through modeling, as well as through familiarity of the repeated line, "I want my mommy!", which children may recite as it is recited repeatedly.

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

Print Awareness:
The text of this book is printed in varying pastel shades on the dark background of each page, calling attention to the text.

Print Motivation: 
This book makes a good choice for bedtime reading together, and also provides a positive lesson for children who may feel anxiety about separating from their parents. Children may choose this book for a parent to read again due to its positive message and cute owl illustrations.

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary in this book deals with the types of food that owls might eat, as well as descriptions of the owls' habitat in a tree in the forest.

Author/ Illustrator Website:
No official website

47. Ten Tiny Toes by Todd Tarpley

Bibliographic Citation:
Tarpley, Todd. Ten Tiny Toes. Illustrated by Marc Brown. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company, 2012. 32 p. ISBN 978-0316129213.

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
The story of the ten tiny toes of a baby that are loved, bathed, walked on, hopped on, and eventually grow into adulthood.

Personal Reaction:
This sweet book uses poetry and adorable paper-pieced illustrations to tell the story of toes that grow from baby to adulthood. This is a good read-aloud book for parents to read to young children.

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 12 months-3 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Babies, love of a parent, growing up

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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

Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are modeled through an adult reading the text of this book aloud.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness/sounds are modeled through the text being read aloud to children.

Print Awareness:
The text of the story is printed in a simple font and placed on the page in empty space not occupied by the illustrations. This draws the eye from the illustrations to the text on each page.

Print Motivation: 
This book combines rhyming text that emphasizes the love between parent and child, with gentle collage art portraying the toes of a baby as the baby grows up. This is a good selection for parents to share with young children, and would make an enjoyable book for repeated sharing. 

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary of the book focuses around all of the things that toes can do throughout a lifetime, as well as milestones along the way.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
No official website

42. Sleepy, Oh So Sleepy by Denise Fleming

Bibliographic Citation:
Fleming, Denise. Sleepy, Oh So Sleepy. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 2010. 32 p. ISBN 0805081267.

Awards/Selection Lists:
Booklist Starred Review

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
Sleepy animals are introduced at bedtime, along with the repeated phrase, "sleepy, oh, so sleepy", until a human baby appears as part of a big world of sleeping babies at the end.

Personal Reaction:

This book is a naturally calming story and is perfect to read at bedtime. The repeated refrain connects all of the sleeping babies together, animal and human alike, all across the planet. Denise Flemings' pulp paper art works well in combination with the soothing text to create a book that will help lull children to sleep as it is read. 

Age Recommendation:
I would recommend this book for children 18 months-3 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Bedtime, animals, sleeping

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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

Narrative Skills: 
Children are invited to softly participate in reciting the refrain "sleepy, oh so sleepy" after each animal is introduced.

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

Print Awareness:
The text of the story is printed in black, simple text, drawing attention to the connection between the illustrations and the words on the page.

Print Motivation: 
Soothing text and illustrations make this book work well as a bedtime tradition that children will enjoy.

Vocabulary:
Words that are introduced through the story are connected to different animals in the story.



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

33. Peter's Chair by Ezra Jack Keats

Bibliographic Citation:
Keats, Ezra Jack. Peter's Chair. New York, NY: Puffin Books, 1998. 40 p. ISBN 978-0140564419. 

Awards/Selection Lists:

None

Format Examined:
Paperback

Annotation:
The main character, Peter has to learn how to come to terms with the fact that he has a new baby sister, and his parents are painting his old baby furniture pink for his sister to use.

Personal Reaction:

This classic book tells the story of Peter, a boy who has a new baby sister. He has to learn to be quiet while she sleeps, and notices that his parents are passing all of his old baby furniture to his baby sister-- and painting it all pink. Peter sees his favorite small chair, and grabs it before it can be painted pink, too. He decides to run away (just outside the house), with his baby chair and his dog, until he realizes that he has gotten too big to fit in the chair. In the end, he decides that the chair should be painted pink for his sister. This story provides a powerful message for children who have new siblings.

Age Recommendation:

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

Themes/Issues:
New baby, sharing, growing up, siblings, family

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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

Narrative Skills: 
This book provides an opportunity for dialogic reading and modeling of narrative skills through the reading of the text aloud.

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

Print Awareness:
This book incorporates environmental print, such as the print of a newspaper on the floor as Peter's father paints.

Print Motivation: 
Children who have new siblings will identify with this story, and want to revisit this book.

Vocabulary:
Natural language is used throughout the text to describe how Peter feels and how his feelings change.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/

30. Sail Away by Donald Crews

Bibliographic Citation:

Crews, Donald. Sail Away. New York, NY: HarperTrophy, 1995. 40 p. ISBN 978-0688175177.

Awards/Selection Lists:

Booklist Editors' Choice

Format Examined:
Paperback

Annotation:

A family rows out to their sailboat, and goes sailing all day, through sun, wind, and a storm.

Personal Reaction:
Donald Crews uses illustrations and typeface together to form the story of this book about a family who sails the day away. The colors are bold and the use of large letters draws a child's eyes to the words as an important part of the story. The tone of the reader's voice is encouraged to change through the growing size of the font. Crews also uses words to symbolize the sound of the boat and the wind. 

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

Themes/Issues:
Sailing, family, storms

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge: 
While letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book, letters can be identified through the large text that is printed on several pages to symbolize the wind and sailing through a storm.

Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are modeled through the reading of this story, and children may be encouraged to help tell the story since the text is short and simple. Children may also be encouraged to participate in the sound effects of that are a part of the story.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is a part of this book through the use of words to represent the sound of a small boat engine ("putt... putt... putt...") and the sound of the wind picking up the sail ("WHOOSH!).

Print Awareness:
This book provides a rich print awareness experience through the use of text that is a direct part of the story through changes in size, color, and position in relation to the illustrations. 

Print Motivation: 
This book provides an active experience for children through the use of sounds and a growing intensity throughout the book. Children will find the illustrations interesting to look at as well, since there are many details to explore on each page.

Vocabulary:
New words pertaining to sailing are presented, as well as words that symbolize sounds. 



Author/ Illustrator Website:

No official author website

29. I Love You As Much... by Laura Krauss Melmed

Bibliographic Citation:

Krauss Melmed, Laura. I Love You As Much.... Illustrated by Henri Sorensen. New York, NY: Tupelo Books, 1993. 22 p. ISBN 978-0688159788.

Awards/Selection Lists:

None

Format Examined:
Board book

Annotation:

A mother expresses her love for her baby through rhyming text that compares her love to the love that different animal mothers have for their children. 

Personal Reaction:

Beautiful painted illustrations accompany a lullaby-type story that a mother shares with her baby as the baby drifts off to sleep. The text is written in rhyme that is poetry-like, and is accompanied by soft, painted illustrations that look like mini portraits on each page. This book makes a nice bedtime book for a parent to read to their child.

Age Recommendation:

I would recommend this book for children 12 months to 4 years of age.

Themes/Issues:

Bedtime, parent-child love, animals, motherhood

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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

Narrative Skills: 
Older children will be able to take part in naming the types of animals, and after hearing the story many times, should be able to help recite the rhyming text.

Phonological Awareness: 
The rhythm of the rhyming text supports phonological awareness.

Print Awareness:
The text is printed in spaces that do not take away from the illustrations; however, the font is also small, light, and ornate, making it more difficult for children to connect to the words of the story as they are read to them. 

Print Motivation: 
This book, with its sweet text and beautiful illustrations would be a book that children might choose over and over at bedtime. 

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary includes animal names, and words that each animal uses to describe their love. Young children may learn new words associated with each animal's description. 



Author/ Illustrator Website:
Author website: http://www.laurakraussmelmed.com/
No official illustrator website

28. Have You Seen My Duckling by Nancy Tafuri

Bibliographic Citation:
Tafuri, Nancy. Have You Seen My Duckling?. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books, 1996. 14 p. ISBN 978-0688148997. 

Awards/Selection Lists:
Caldecott Honor, 1985

Format Examined:
Board book

Annotation:

A mother duck thinks the she has lost one of her ducklings and searches around the pond for him. 

Personal Reaction:

The illustrations in this book are nostalgic in color and tone, which matches the familiar storyline well. The simple repetitive text on each page matches the illustrations to help tell the story. The lost duckling appears on each page; however, in the board book version of the book, he is sometimes difficult to see.

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

Themes/Issues:

Family, getting lost, pond animals

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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

Narrative Skills: 
The repetitive text encourages young children to take part in telling the story.

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

Print Awareness:
The phrase, "Have you seen my duckling?", is repeated in a simple, black font  throughout the book, drawing attention to the text on the pages.

Print Motivation: 
The simplicity of the story work in conjunction with the colorful illustrations of different looking pond animals to hold the attention of young children. The book's heartfelt storyline is also one that will have young children wanting to read this book again and again.

Vocabulary:
The word "duckling" may be a new word for young children. Different types of birds that may also be unfamiliar are represented in the illustrations, which may be identified by the reader.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
www.nancytafuri.com