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

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

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/

43. Dancing Feet by Lindsay Craig

Bibliographic Citation:
Craig, Lindsay. Dancing Feet!. Illustrated by Marc Brown. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 2010. 40 p. ISBN 978-0375861819.

Awards/Selection Lists:
Gold Winner, National Parenting Publications Awards, 2010
Winner of the Best Books for Babies (Fred Rogers Company), 2011
Publisher's Weekly Starred Review

Format Examined:
Hard cover

Annotation:
Children are prompted to predict which animals are dancing as the text and illustrations provide  clues.  

Personal Reaction:
Rhythmic, rhyming text accompanies collage art to provide clues about animals dancing on the floor. The rhythm of the text encourages movement by listeners, while the artwork provides fun visual to each of the animals.

Age Recommendation: 
I would recommend this book for children 2-4 years of age.

Themes/Issues:
Rhythm, rhyme, dancing, clues, predicting

Early Literacy Skill Value:

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

Narrative Skills: 
The rhythmic text and lively collage artwork creates an opportunity for children to participate in the telling of the story throughout the book, as well as make predictions about what animals they think might be coming next.

Phonological Awareness: 
The sounds that different animals make while dancing are represented by silly words that represent the sounds (such as "stompity"). Rhyming text also promotes phonological awareness.

Print Awareness:
Text appears in a dark, kid-friendly, large font on each page. The text becomes part of the graphics on the page, as well.

Print Motivation: 
This book provides a fun, interactive experience that children will enjoy as a group or one-on-one.

Vocabulary:
The vocabulary in this book is connected to rhythms, beat, and animals dancing in the story.



Author/ Illustrator Website:
No official website