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/

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

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

31. Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar? by George Shannon

Bibliographic Citation:

Shannon, George. Who Put the Cookies in the Cookie Jar?. Illustrated by Julie Paschkis. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 2013. 32 p. ISBN 978-0805091977. 

Awards/Selection Lists:

None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:

Using the reverse of a familiar chant, the author tells the story of how many different people in different places it takes to make all the ingredients that make up a cookie.

Personal Reaction:
George Shannon uses a familiar chant used with young children to explain how a cookie is made, from the growing of wheat, to the delivery of the ingredients, to the person baking the cookies. Illustrations represent many different people, in different environments throughout the world, with many different cultures represented.

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

Themes/Issues:

Multicultural, food sources, global awareness

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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

Narrative Skills: 
Rhyming text encourages child participation, and narrative skills are modeled through the reading of the text.

Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is represented through rhyming text.

Print Awareness:
The text of the story is placed within the illustrations to draw attention to the text in a way that makes the print a part of the story.

Print Motivation: 
Interesting multicultural, festive looking illustrations, coupled with the explanation of the real story of how a cookie is made make this an interesting book for preschool-aged children. 

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary in this book includes words that represent the ingredients that go into making a cookie, and the way they are formed and pulled together.



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