72. Buzz Buzz (Audio CD) by Laurie Berkner

Bibliographic Citation:
Berkner, Laurie. (1998). Buzz Buzz [CD]. New York, NY: Two Tomatoes Records, LLC.

Awards/Selection Lists:

None

Format Examined:
Audio music CD

Annotation:
A combination of original and traditional songs which inspire imagination, rhyme, rhythm and movement for preschool children through a combination of guitar-backed and a capella recordings.

Personal Reaction:
This music CD incorporates alliteration, rhyming, and songs that encourage movement and participation. The songs are catchy, with some familiar traditional songs. Some of the original songs encourage the use of musical instruments, and learning is tucked into the lyrics through sounds and actions.

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

Themes/Issues:
Music, movement, rhythm, rhyming, imagination, instruments

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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


Narrative Skills:
The songs on this CD all encourage participation, and many of the songs tell story through their lyrics, such as "The Pretzel Store", "Pig on Her Head", and "Lots of Little Pigs".


Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is embedded within lyrics through rhyming words and alliteration.


Print Awareness:
Print awareness is not a direct focus of this CD.


Print Motivation: 
The songs on this CD can be directly linked to children's books in order to encourage literacy and reading. One example is the song, "Lots of Pigs" is modeled after the classic children's story, "The Three Pigs".


Vocabulary:
Vocabulary included in the lyrics of this CD are based on preschool concepts such as positional words, rhyming, alliteration, and traditional songs.



Author/ Artist Website:
http://www.laurieberkner.com/index.php

56. Red Sled by Lita Judge

Bibliographic Citation:
Judge, Lita. Red Sled. New, NY: Antheneum Books for Young Readers, 2011. 40 p. ISBN 978-1442420076.

Awards/Selection Lists:
Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review; Best Children's Book of 2011
School Library Journal, Starred Review
Publisher's Weekly, Starred Review
CCBC Choices, 2012

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
A group of animals borrow a child's red sled and enjoy sledding down the hill together before returning the sled to the place where the child left it.

Personal Reaction:
This nearly wordless book is a delightfully fun book. The text of the story consists of sound effects, in various font sizes and colors, that support the illustrated details of the story. Illustrations bring the animals' facial expressions to life, and the reader is able to live out the joy that they feel as they sled down the hill through the night.

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

Themes/Issues:
Animals, winter, borrowing, joy, fun

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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


Narrative Skills: 
Narrative skills are encouraged through the mostly wordless pages of this book. Children are encouraged to participate in telling the story through the details that they see in the illustrations.



Phonological Awareness: 
Phonological awareness is addressed through the use of phonological text to represent sound effects in the story.

Print Awareness:
The text of the story is printed in areas of the illustrations to show how they connect to the sounds that would take place during the action being represented.

Print Motivation: 
This book offers an entertaining look of the joy that animals would feel if they were able to ride a sled. Children will enjoy reading this book and being a part of the nearly wordless story along with creating sound effects to support the story.

Vocabulary:
Readers and children create the vocabulary for this story through describing the events in the illustrations.

Author/ Illustrator Website:
http://www.litajudge.net/

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

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

24. A Mouse Told His Mother by Bethany Roberts

Bibliographic Citation:
Roberts, Bethany. A Mouse Told His Mother. Illustrated by Maryjane Begin. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company, 1997. 32 p. ISBN 978-0316749824.

Awards/Selection Lists:
None

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
A mouse continues to use his imagination as his mother leads him through the process of preparing for bed.

Personal Reaction:
A mouse is playing when his mother comes to get him ready for bed. The mouse continues to use his imagination from "going to the moon" while brushing his teeth; to "climbing" a snow covered mountain in his pajamas; to "hopping into an airplane" while getting into bed; until he finally "comes back home again", and drifts off to sleep. The illustrations are vivid and colorful, pairing the mouse's real actions with his imaginary ones. 

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

Themes/Issues:
Bedtime routine, imaginary play, mice, adventure

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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

Narrative Skills: 
Children can become part of the narration of the story through describing what the mouse is doing in the illustrations.

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

Print Awareness:
The text of the story is printed in medium-sized font in alternating white or black in order to be seen on the pages. The illustrations play a more prominent role than the print on each of the pages, but is still visible, and connect back to the events in the illustrations.

Print Motivation: 
This book is an enjoyable bedtime read with beautiful illustrations that children will want to revisit.

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary included within the text of the story connects to objects used and actions taken during bedtime. 



Author/ Illustrator Website:
Author website: http://www.bethanyroberts.com/
Illustrator website: http://www.maryjanebegin.com/

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/

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





16. Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

Bibliographic Citation:

Feiffer, Jules. Bark, George. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1999. 32p. ISBN 978-0062051851

Awards/Selection Lists:

• Florida Children’s Book Award
• Georgia Children’s Picture Storybook Award
• Arizona Young Readers’ Award
• Flicker Tale Children's Book Award (North Dakota)
• Keystone to Reading Book Award (Pennsylvania)
• Buckeye Children’s Book Award (Ohio)
• Maryland Children’s Book Award
• Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor Book
• ALA Notable Children’s Book
• ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice
• Parents' Choice Silver Honor

Format Examined:

Hard cover

Annotation:

A dog's mother repeatedly tells him to bark, but each time he makes a different sound, including meowing, quacking, oinking, and mooing. George recovers his bark after visiting the vet.

Personal Reaction:

With its bright cartoon-like illustrations and humorous text, this is an enjoyable book for children and adults alike. Young children are tested on their knowledge of animal sounds as they are also encouraged to repeat the refrain, "Bark, George!". George makes the sounds of various animals, which are pulled out one by one by a vet. After the last animal is removed by the vet, George barks at long last. One last humorous problem arises when George and his mother walk home past people, and George says, "hello", rather than barking.   

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

Themes/Issues:
Humor, animal sounds, repetition, imagination

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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

Narrative Skills:
Children participate in the telling of this story through the repeated refrain, "Bark, George!", as well as through participation in the animal sounds and naming of animals throughout the story. The story also lends itself to a dialogic reading experience as the reader asks listeners what they think will happen and why George isn't able to bark.

Phonological Awareness:
Animal sounds are phonetically represented for each of the animals in the story.

Print Awareness:
The type representing the sound of each animal is displayed differently in order to draw attention to the words on each page.  

Print Motivation:
The humor used in the story, along with comic-style illustrations, animal sounds, and repetition of text make this an enjoyable book that easily holds the attention of children, and encourages interest in reading.

Vocabulary:
Vocabulary represented in this book is connected to animal sounds and identification of animal types. The introduction of a vet (animal doctor) also encourages discussion of what a vet does.

Author/ Illustrator Website:

No current official website

15. My Bunny and Me by Lindsay Barrett George

Bibliographic Citation:

George, Lindsay Barrett. My Bunny and Me. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books, 2001. 32p. ISBN 0-688-16074-3

Awards/Selection Lists:

None

Format Examined:

Hard cover

Annotation:

A boy draws a picture of a bunny and imagines all the things they could do together if the bunny were real. 

Personal Reaction:

The beautiful illustrations in this book bring the story of the imaginary bunny, and the boy who drew him, to life. The illustrations include realistic details and textures through dark lines. This sentimental story identifies with how many young children feel on days where they have no one to play with. At the end, when the boy thinks about what he would do if the bunny were actually real, he decides that he would probably let him him go. Instead, the boy puts the picture of the bunny in his back pocket and kicks the soccer ball around the yard with a smile on his face.    

Age Recommendation:

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

Themes/Issues:

Loneliness, imagination, drawing, rabbits

Early Literacy Skill Value:

Letter Knowledge:

Letter knowledge is not a direct focus of this book

Narrative Skills:

The text of this book is simple, encouraging children to retell the story on their own.

Phonological Awareness:

Phonological awareness is not a direct focus of this book.

Print Awareness:

The simple text is printed in large black text and white text, calling attention to the words on each page.

Print Motivation:

The beautiful illustrations support the text in a way that draws attention to the words on the page and encourages children to look at the book / read the book on their own. 

Vocabulary:

The text of the story introduces words that pertain to real rabbits, such as burrow, as well as other words that my be new for young children, such as reflection.

Author/ Illustrator Website:

http://www.lindsaybarrettgeorge.com/