I SPY...

For parents who've heard, "How long until we get there?" (from the backseat) or "How much longer do we have to wait?" (often asked at doctor visits) - these books are for you! Filled with hidden objects, animals, people, and fairytale characters, the artwork and photographs in these books will keep your children happily occupied during long drives, plane trips, waiting time at doctor appointments, or just good old Quiet Time!

The WHERE'S WALDO? books, by Martin Hanford, became a craze in the late 1980's. While I can't deny that this cartoon-style series is fun, see my recommendations below for some extra special choices...

EACH PEACH PEAR PLUM by Allan Ahlberg, illustrations by Janet Ahlberg (ages 4-8) Nursery rhyme characters sneak their way into gentle drawings - in the cupboard, on the stairs, in the forest...little ones will love this clever story! Also look for: THE JOLLY POSTMAN, where every other page is an envelope containing letters to fairytale characters. For example, there's a note for the Three Bears from Goldilocks, who not only apologizes for the trouble she's caused, but invites Baby Bear to her birthday party. Adorable!!

ANIMALIA by Graeme Base. (ages 4-8) This, the first of many original books by Base, is an elaborately illustrated alphabet book of paintings like no other you've ever seen! Packed with detail and layers and layers of objects matched to their corresponding letter on each two-page spread.

I SPY... (series) by Walter Wick, began with I SPY: A PICTURE BOOK OF RIDDLES, published in 1992. All the books have riddles by Jean Marzollo, in two-page spreads of objects hidden in photographs by Walter Wick.

CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? (newer series, ages 4-8) written and photographed by Walter Wick. These books not only have riddles, but also puzzles and brain teasers matched to the pages jam-packed with photos of objects to be found.

CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE, SEYMOUR? (ages baby-preschool) Same as above, but for a younger crowd.

LOOK-ALIKES: THE MORE YOU LOOK, THE MORE YOU SEE! (series, ages 5 & up) by Joan Steiner. These amazing books are full of photographs and riddles, but unlike Walter Wick's series, Steiner photographs three dimensional scenes that are made of everyday objects - like matchboxes, pretzels, crayons, and slices of bread, that double as trucks, chairs, a sidewalk, etc. Delightfully deceiving!!!

LOOK-ALIKES JR. (series, ages 2 & up) "To Look-Alike Land! We're blasting full throttle on a spaceship that looks like a THERMOS BOTTLE!" You've got to see it to believe it.

SUMMER FUN WITH JAN BRETT

If you're not familiar with author/illustrator Jan Brett, get ready to experience lots of fun animal stories, all beautifully illustrated with colorful detail and imaginative border "story within a story" pages that hint at what will happen later in the book. Brett writes about human and animal cultures ranging from Scandinavia to Africa. Her extensive travel, in order to get a better idea of the architecture, landscapes, and costumes of the countries she draws in her books, really sets her stories apart.

Her website, http://www.janbrett.com/ is full of (free!) fun activities, coloring pages, games, and cards that go with each of her books. This could keep you and your child busy all summer long! (But you'll want to save some for winter, because she's written quite a few Christmas and snow stories too, that I didn't even list!)

Some of our favorites (all for preschool & up):

BERLIOZ THE BEAR

GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

GINGERBREAD BABY

HEDGIE'S SURPRISE

THE MITTEN

ON NOAH'S ARK

TROUBLE WITH TROLLS

TOWN MOUSE, COUNTRY MOUSE

TIME FOR GARDENS

Summer is a great time to read and learn about seeds and planting! There are some wonderful picture books out there that may inspire you and your child to start your own backyard garden...

Preschool-2nd grade
THE CARROT SEED, by Ruth Krauss - illustrations by Crockett Johnson. Children will love the simple drawings in this story about a little boy who not only plants a seed, but tends it carefully and waits patiently - even though everyone tells him, "it won't come up".
ONE BEAN, by Ann Rockwell - illustrations by Meghan Halsey. You'll want to try some of the activities at the end of this book! A look at exactly what happens to a bean as it sprouts on a wet paper towel - bright and accurate illustrations make learning about plant cycles interesting for even young children.
FROM SEED TO PUMPKIN, by Wendy Pfeffer - illustrations by James Graham Hale. Sweet watercolor-and-pencil illustrations of children planting and taking care of their pumpkins. Some simple recipes and experiments are included.
A FRUIT IS A SUITCASE FOR SEEDS, by Jean Richards - illustrations by Anca Hariton. Fun introduction to seeds, with nice watercolor pictures.


Kindergarten-3rd grade
THE LADY AND THE SPIDER, by Faith McNulty - illustrations by Bob Marstall. Spiders are NOT among my favorite things, but I couldn't resist this serene story of a lady and the green spider that lives in her lettuce patch. Learning about what goes on in a spider's daily life will help young ones (and moms), who might be squeamish about these eight-legged creatures, appreciate, instead of fear them!
A WEED IS A FLOWER: THE LIFE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER, by Aliki.
George Washington Carver learned about plants by taking care of other people's gardens. This man, who devoted his life to helping the south improve its agriculture, was born to slave parents and didn't go to college until he was 30 years old!
ALL IN A DAY, by Cynthia Rylant - illustrations by Nikki McClure. The black and white paper art cut-outs by Nikki McClure, on alternating pastel blue and yellow backgrounds, are a beautiful pairing with the quiet poetic text, written by Cynthia Rylant, about a day in the life of a boy on a farm. He not only waters his garden and gathers eggs, but picnics and naps with his pet hen.

CAPTURING THE "EVERYDAY MOMENTS" OF CHILDHOOD

There is something very special about an author who can capture the innocent humor of those everyday, ordinary moments of childhood. A.A. Milne is a perfect example of this; and his stories and poems featuring Christopher Robin are even more humorous and endearing because of the additional animal characters of Winnie-the-Pooh, Rabbit, Piglet, Eyore, Tigger, Kanga and Roo.

Two contemporary authors that have really been able to capture the essence of childhood by introducing us to the imaginative worlds of some very fun animal characters are Russell Hoban and Kevin Henkes.

Hoban wrote about Frances the badger in the 1960's and his sophisticated wit peeks through Frances' precocious personality as she learns lessons about life...

From A BIRTHDAY FOR FRANCES, by Russell Hoban, with charcoal illustrations by his wife Lillian Hoban:

Frances was in the broom closet, singing:

Happy Thursday to you,

Happy Thursday to you,

Happy Thursday, dear Alice,

Happy Thursday to you.

"Who is Alice?" asked Mother.

"Alice is somebody that nobody can see," said Frances. "And that is why she does not have a birthday. So I am singing Happy Birthday to her."

"Today is Friday," said Mother.

"It is Thursday for Alice," said Frances...

"I am sure Alice will have cake and candy on her birthday," said Mother.

"But Alice does not have a birthday," said Frances.

"Yes, she does," said Mother. "Even if nobody can see her, Alice has one birthday every year, and so do you. Your birthday is two months from now. Then you will be the birthday girl. But tomorrow is Gloria's birthday, and she will be the birthday girl."

"That's how it is, Alice," said Frances. "Your birthday is always the one that is not now."

MORE FRANCES BOOKS: BEDTIME FOR FRANCES; A BABY SISTER FOR FRANCES ; BREAD AND JAM FOR FRANCES; A BIRTHDAY FOR FRANCES; BEST FRIENDS FOR FRANCES; A BARGAIN FOR FRANCES.

Henke's popular mouse stories, published in the 1980's and 90's, featuring Chester, Chrysanthemum, and Lilly - to name a few - wouldn't be complete without his fun illustrations that match the text perfectly...

From CHESTER'S WAY, written and illustrated Kevin Henkes:

Chester had his own way of doing things...

He always cut his sandwiches diagonally.

He always got out of bed on the same side.

And he never left the house without double-knotting his shoes.

Chester always had the same thing for breakfast - toast with jam and peanut butter.

And he always carried a miniature first-aid kit in his back pocket. Just in case.

"You definitely have a mind of your own," said Chester's mother.

"That's one way to put it," said Chester's father.

MORE MOUSE BOOKS: (ages 4 & up) CHESTER'S WAY; CHRYSANTHEMUM; JULIUS, THE BABY OF THE WORLD; LILLY'S BIG DAY; LILLY'S PURPLE PLASTIC PURSE; OWEN; SHEILA RAE, THE BRAVE; A WEEKEND WITH WENDELL; WEMBERLY WORRIED.

Go to: http://www.kevinhenkes.com/ for more books by the author and "Fun & Games" activities.

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ALASKA?

My brother and his family live in Eagle River, Alaska, near Anchorage. We were able to visit them during the summer years ago and let me tell you, Alaska has some of the most beautiful landscapes, seascapes, and flowers I've ever seen! Today I thought I'd share some picture books with you about Alaska that my kids enjoyed reading before and after our trip.

Shelley Gill has written many children's books about Alaska. These were our favorites, illustrated by Shannon Cartwright. (ages 4-8)
ALASKA'S THREE BEARS is a fun twist of the original, featuring the Polar Bear, the Black Bear, and the Grizzly Bear as they travel across Alaska in search of perfect homes. Your child will love the artwork and learn tons of interesting facts about bears.
THE ALASKA MOTHER GOOSE - Fun rhymes that teach kids about all the different wildlife in Alaska.
SWIMMER - Learn about the Chinook salmon and their life stages in this fun, beautifully illustrated story.

MAMA, DO YOU LOVE ME? by Barbara M. Joosee, pictures by Barbara Lavallee. This question is delightfully asked and answered from the perspective of the Intuit culture, as a daughter attempts to find the limit of her mother's love.

THE BRAVEST DOG EVER: THE TRUE STORY OF BALTO by Natalie Standiford, illutrations by Donald Cook. (grades 1-3) This is the true story of a sled dog in 1925 who led his team through the snow and ice - over 53 miles - to deliver medicine.

These three books about St. Herman are written for different age levels:

SAINT HERMAN OF ALASKA, written and illustrated by S.A. Smith. (ages 4-8) A simple telling of a Russian Monk who brough Christianity to the native populations of Kodiak and Spruce Islands.

NORTH STAR: ST. HERMAN OF ALASKA, by Dorrie Papademetriou. (32 pages, ages 9-12) A more detailed telling of the monk who, in the late 1700's, crossed the Bering Strait with other Russian monks and lived with the Aleut people for over 40 years.

FATHER HERMAN: ALASKA'S SAINT (72 pages, ages 12 and up), by F.A. Golder, with papercut illustrations by Nikki McClure, tells of the life and miracles of St. Herman.

CELEBRATING DADS

With Father's Day coming up, I thought it would be nice to mention some fun books honoring all those Dads out there...and please let me know if you have a favorite to add to my list!

JUST LIKE DADDY, by Frank Asch (baby-preschool). I love Frank Asch's bear stories. His text and simple illustrations are always full of humor. In this story, the bear describes all the activities he does during the day that are just like his daddy's.

JUST ME AND MY DAD, by Mercer Mayer (from his Little Critter Series for ages 2-5). Critter and his dad go on a camping trip, filled with Critter's mistakes and good intentions.

PAPA, PLEASE GET THE MOON FOR ME, by Eric Carle (4-8) Bright illustrations and an imaginative story, with pages that pull out to reveal a huge ladder that Papa uses as he tries to get the moon. A great introduction to the monthly lunar cycle!

EVERY FRIDAY, by Dan Yacarino (4-8) A young boy and his father have a weekly breakfast at a local diner - and the walk to get there is half the fun! Bright illustrations have a retro 50's style, even though this book was published in 2007.

DADDY AND ME, by Karen Katz (baby-preschool) Your little reader can lift the flaps to help daddy find the tools he needs for his project.

DADDY HUGS 1 2 3, by Karen Katz (baby-preschool) Cuddle and count with baby as you read this cute book. (Also look for MOMMY HUGS).

DADDIES GIVE YOU HORSEY RIDES, by Abbie Levine; illustrated by John Bendall-Brunello. (4-8) Fun picture book with animal daddies giving "horsey rides" and doing lots of other things to help their families.