Picture Books

Angus and the Ducks

Book cover: Angus and the Ducks
Author(s): 
Marjorie Flack

Angus is a little Scottish terrier who is terribly curious about everything – especially a noise coming from the other side of the large green hedge. One day, when "the door between outdoors and indoors was left open by mistake" he goes exploring to discover what makes that noise. His adventures are very cute, my children love hearing the sounds made by Angus and by the ducks. The text is very short and simple, but the real beauty is in the language which has a charming and humorous flow to it – it is perfect for reading aloud to little ones..

The Lady of Guadalupe

Book cover: The Lady of Guadalupe
Author(s): 
Tomie dePaola

This has been one of my family's very favorite picture books since our oldest was a toddler. It is a beautiful re-telling of a beautiful story with illustrations that complement it nicely and which are very appealing to children. I especially like Tomie de Paola's attention to detail. It's informative enough to be interesting even for adults.

The Princess and the Kiss

Book cover: The Princess and the Kiss
Author(s): 
Jennie Bishop

"Long ago, in a wonderful castle on a mountain of splendor, a beautiful princess was born." So begins the story of The Princess and the Kiss, a tale of a young woman's – in this case princess's – first kiss. On the day she is born, her parents present her with this special gift from God. In a secret room in a castle tower, it is kept safely hidden away under glass. When she is old enough, her parents explain the treasured value of this precious gift and warn her to not give it to just anybody.

The Angel's Alphabet

Book cover: 'The Angel's Alphabet'
Author(s): 
Hilda Van Stockum

A charming book of religious poems for young children – one for each letter of the alphabet. The simple, rhyming poems have been favorites with my little ones and provide a nice introduction to the Saints and Angels, Our Lady, God's love for us, important virtues... Some titles include: C is for Cherubim, F is for Father, G is for Gabriel, L is for Lamb of God, M is for Saint Michael, O is for Obedience, Q is for Queen of the Angels.

Birds of the World

Book cover: Birds of the World
Author(s): 
Colin Harrison
Alan Greensmith

This is my favorite of the Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Handbooks and I would venture to guess that it's probably the best bird handbook you can find. Hundreds of birds, from doves and swallows, to hawks and falcons and tropical birds are included with clear photos, a small map of where they can be found, an icon showing how large they are in comparison to the book, and other basic information about their habitat, migration, etc. Our family has used this guide extensively in identifying and learning more about the substantial variety of birds we find in our own backyard.

Tomie dePaola's Book of Bible Stories

Book cover: Tomie de Paola's Book of Bible Stories
Author(s): 
Tomie dePaola
Illustrator(s): 
Tomie dePaola

Tomie de Paola is a unique illustrator with artwork in a woodcut or icon-like style (I can't decide which.) I thought his artwork was more suited to The Lady of Guadalupe but I like the content of his Bible stories and appreciate the "Index of Bible Text" in the back. This would be a suitable book for acquainting preschoolers with the major stories of the Bible.

The Children's Book of Heroes

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

I like this volume even better than The Children's Book of Virtues. (We checked it out from the library three different times before I finally bought it!) Heroes includes stories of Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa, Helen Keller, David and Goliath, Father Flanagan and Jackie Robinson. The book is filled with illustrations and stories are generally three to five pages, with a few poems included as well. The biographies are our family's favorites, but there are many other stories including myths and fairy tales which teach some of the same values.

Make Way for Ducklings

Book cover: Make Way for Ducklings
Author(s): 
Robert McCloskey

This is one of our family's favorite books in the "non-religious" category. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are looking for a safe place to start their duck family. They make friends with Michael the policeman who helps Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings make their way safely to the Public Garden to meet up with Mr. Mallard. The illustrations are SO charming – my children ask for this over and over.

Who Eats What? Food Chains and Food Webs

Book cover: Who Eats What? Food Chains and Food Webs
Author(s): 
Patricia Lauber
Illustrator(s): 
Holly Keller

This book explores the notion of various plants and animals that are linked together based on "who eats what." Children will learn about some simple food chains such as – leaf, caterpillar, wren and hawk. They also see how one plant or animal can belong to several food chains and that members or these related food chains (food webs) have a certain amount of dependence on each other. The text goes on to explain, through an example of a problem with over-hunted otters around the turn of the century, that when part of a food chain is disturbed, the other members will also be affected.

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