Kindergarten

Black? White! Day? Night!

Author(s): 
Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Here's a clever picture book about opposites! We loved it so much, the kids told me this had to be a picture book of the week.

Each page has a one-word question, such as "alike?" Each page has one or more cut-out windows, showing a picture–in this case, several "alike" diamonds. Flip the page and the picture of an opposite concept is shown: the little "alike" diamonds were actually all part of several very differently-shaped snowflakes!

My First Number Book

Book cover: 'My First Number Book'
Author(s): 
Marie Heinst
This delightful picture book introduces many math concepts to preschoolers. We have enjoyed working through concepts such as counting, matching, sorting, sets, and sequencing. The illustrated pages make it fun for my son to discover more, less, and equal, addition and subtraction, geometric solids, and more. For example, matching begins with familiar matching pairs such as handprints, shoes, and earrings.

The Salamander Room

Author(s): 
Anne Mazer
Illustrator(s): 
Steve Johnson
Lou Fancher
The Salamander Room is a beautifully illustrated picture book that is sure to captivate the nature-loving child. Brian finds a salamander and asks his mother to keep him as a pet.

Chats With God's Little Ones

Book cover: 'Chats With God's Little Ones'
Author(s): 
Mrs. Margaret Mary Myers

Chats With God's Little Ones is a unique Catholic religion course for the youngest of students from pre-kindergarten up through the second grade. Written to the teacher, the lessons are designed to be used orally with the student in a Charlotte Mason three-step style of asking the child, answering with the child, and the re-telling by the child. The lessons are presented as guided scripts for the teacher, who can personalize them and adapt them to the needs and interest of the child.

My First Body Book

Book cover: My First Body Book
Author(s): 
Melanie Rice
Christopher Rice

This is a fun and very kid-friendly introduction to the body and its various functions and capabilities. It begins with a set of transparent overlays which portray the skeleton (skeletal system), the heart, lungs and blood (cardiovascular system), and the brain and nerves and digestive system. When I first got this book (back in the days when I was a DK representative for a short time) I worried that this book wouldn't hold up very well. After more than three years of use by little hands, I have to admit it's done quite well.

The Big Dipper

Book cover: The Big Dipper
Author(s): 
Franklyn M. Branley
Illustrator(s): 
Molly Coxe

A very simple science book for children with cartoon-like pictures (nice cartoon, not cheezy-cartoon) that introduces some basic concepts about the stars. The very simple story line discusses looking at the night sky, that you see different stars in the summer and winter, where the big dipper got it's name, the names of the stars that make up the big dipper, how people can find direction from the North Star and the traditional constellation Ursa Major that the Big Dipper belongs to.

How a Seed Grows

Book cover: How a Seed Grows
Author(s): 
Helene J. Jordan
Illustrator(s): 
Loretta Krupinski

A very simple, charming book that explains to young children what seeds are and takes them through the development of some bean seeds. The growth present each day is illustrated in the book and the child is invited to try grow the beans themselves and watch the progress in real life. The book also introduces children to different kinds of seeds (for trees, flowers, vegetables, etc.), and how each seed will grow into the same kind of plant that it came from, and the basic things necessary to make a plant grow.

What Lives in a Shell?

Book cover: What Lives in a Shell?
Author(s): 
Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
Illustrator(s): 
Helen K. Davie

This beautifully illustrated book, designed for preschool and kindergarten, explains different kinds of shells and the creatures that inhabit them. The shells are compared to the shelter occupied by people and by other animals. We learn that some shells do grow larger along with certain animals while other animals must shed their out-grown shell in favor of a new one. Many shells are beautifully depicted and identified and the story-format of the text is very easy and interesting for young children to follow.

Pages