Picture Books

Chanticleer and the Fox

Book cover: Chanticleer and the Fox
Author(s): 
Barbara Cooney
Illustrator(s): 
Barbara Cooney

This is an illustrated, children's adaptation of "The Nun's Priest's Tale" from The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. It's a simple moral tale, reminiscent of Aesop's Fables, with a lesson about the dangers of flattery and pride. A prideful rooster faces danger as he is flattered by a cunning fox. Truly a classic.

The Little Bear Treasury

Book cover: 'The Little Bear Treasury'
Author(s): 
Else Holmelund Minarik
This treasury incorporates the stories Little Bear, Little Bear's Friend and Little Bear's Visit - sweet stories from the "I Can Read" series of the 1950s and 60s. Little Bear is a walking and talking bear who makes friends with other animals and a girl named Emily. The stories involve humorous adventures and stories told by Little Bear's parents and grandparents. The stories involving Little Bear and his mother are especially sweet and portray some of the simple questions and worries of childhood. Another family favorite.

A Medieval Feast

Book cover: A Medieval Feast
Author(s): 
Aliki

This is a children's story book about a fictional, but historically accurate, medieval feast (appropriate to about 1400 A.D.). The story starts from the very beginning, when the lord and lady of a manor receive notice that the King would be visiting for a few days. We see what immense preparations would start long before his arrival and the concern on the part of those hosting the feast because the king wouldn't be travelling alone – the queen, knights, squires and members of the court would make the feast a large and somewhat worrisome preparation.

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.

Sunshine Makes the Seasons

Book cover: Sunshine Makes the Seasons
Author(s): 
Franklyn M. Branley
Illustrator(s): 
Michael Rex

"Sunshine warms the earth. If the sun stopped shining, the earth would get colder and colder..." It is important for children to consider the importance of the sun in our lives. In Sunshine Makes the Seasons, children are introduced to the sun's role and in particular how the seasons change because of the earth's rotation around the sun and the tilt of the earth.

The Children's Book of America

Book cover: The Children's Book of America
Author(s): 
William Bennett
Illustrator(s): 
Michael Hague

Another great collection compiled by William Bennett which includes beautifully illustrated tales and poems such as: Father Junipero Serra, the story of the First Thanksgiving, Paul Bunyan, the Story of the Star Spangled Banner, an Indian legend, and patriotic songs and poems. This is one of the books that my children ask for over and over – probably because of the wonderful illustrations, interesting content and great variety of stories.

Falcons Nest on Skyscrapers

Book cover: 'Falcons Nest on Skyscrapers'
Author(s): 
Priscilla Belz Jenkins
Illustrator(s): 
Megan Lloyd

This is a very interesting book (with excellent illustrations) that introduces young children to various falcons living in the United States, some of their remarkable abilities and the story of how some scientists were successful in re-introducing the peregrine falcon in the Eastern United States after they nearly became extinct because of an insect spray called DDT which was overused earlier in the twentieth century.

What Makes a Magnet?

Book cover: What Makes a Magnet?
Author(s): 
Franklyn M. Branley
Illustrator(s): 
True Kelley

What Makes a Magnet? constitutes a fairly substantial introduction to magnets for children approximately ages 5 to 9. They are invited to do a little discovery for themselves by doing some "fishing" with a magnet in a box of miscellaneous objects and see what things the magnet will pick up. The book goes on to explain that magnets pick up, not everything made of metal, but objects which contain iron in particular.

The Story About Ping

Book cover: The Story About Ping
Author(s): 
Marjorie Flack
Kurt Wiese

This charming, classic children's story tells of Ping, a young duck who lives on a boat in the Yangtzee River in China. He runs away from the boat and his family in order to avoid a spanking for returning late to the boat. He has some interesting adventures and sees many aspects of life on the Yangtzee River, but discovers that it's much happier to face the consequences in order to be back at home with his family.

This is a well-loved book in our family – particularly in the preschool set. The illustrations are beautiful, the story simple and meaningful and the lessons timeless.

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.

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