Category: Books

I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur

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I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur (2006)
by Stella Blackstone and Clare Beaton

While looking for dino books for our 3-year old, I found surprisingly few that I actually liked.  This one gives a brief and easy intro to some of the dinosaurs during a short tale about a young child dreaming she’s a dinosaur.  The flowing, simple rhymes are cute, but the real highlight of this book for me is the amazing collage art done with fabric, ribbons, sequins, and the like.  (I want to be Clare Beaton’s friend, peek into her art studio, and take classes from her.  I am itching to get my hands on more of her books!)  My other favorite part of this book is actually the little glossary at the end that tells facts about the 13 dinos introduced in the book.

 

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Our Seasons

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Our Seasons (2007)
by Grace Lin and Ranida T. McKneally

In my quest to get everything Grace Lin, I came across this book.  It introduces the seasons by focusing on four children experiencing them.  Each page contains a delightful illustration by Ms. Lin, a haiku for younger readers, and then a longer scientific explanation of some natural occurrence of the season.  Examples are: “Why do my cheeks turn red in the cold?”  “Why do I tan?”  “Why do the leaves change color?”  What a clever book!  I love that it not only holds the interest of our 3-year old, but also offers me new information.  It’s a book that will grow with your child and can give you plenty of jumping off points for more learning and exploring.  Brilliant!

 

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Miss Fiona’s Stupendous Pumpkin Pies

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Miss Fiona’s Stupendous Pumpkin Pies (2001)
written by Mark Kimball Moulton, illustrated by Karen Hillard Crouch

Miss Fiona, the witch, uses secret ingredients to cook up pumpkin pies every Halloween.  She may look like a “kooky” witch, but Miss Fiona has “goodness deep within.”  In her warm and cozy house, she serves pumpkin pie to eager trick-or-treaters at the stroke of midnight every Halloween night.

This is a longer picture book, but the story and the rhyming verses keep it interesting.  I especially like that instead of the children being scared off by Miss Fiona, they see her home as the highlight of their night.  She’s good to them, serving pies and cider and passing out spider rings.  The illustrations are great.  I love that this is a Halloween book with all the trappings of Halloween, without being scary.

 

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Bears in the Night

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Bears in the Night  (1971)
by Stan and Jan Berenstain

This is a limited-word picture book that uses repetition and prepositions to tell its story.  Seven bear siblings hear a mysterious noise from their bed and decide to go investigate.

I remember this book from when I was a girl, so I do have a bit of nostalgia for it.  I enjoy its simplicity and feel like the reader’s approach can either make it into a lesson about placement and positions, a quick bedtime story, or even a spooky Halloween story.

Bears in the Night (1971)

The Teeny Tiny Woman

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The Teeny Tiny Woman (1986)
retold by Paul Galdone

This is a folktale ghost story about a teeny tiny woman who finds a teeny tiny bone and takes it back to her teeny tiny house.

Delivery is a huge part of this tale, and while it could be a bit spooky (and a bit odd), the repetition and rhythm of the “teeny tiny” words also make it quite humorous.  I love the final, brave and funny, punchline.

I have such fond memories of my dad reading this tale to us as kids, so I picked it up for our daughter when she was born.  When she was very little, she wouldn’t sit through it.  Now though, she thinks it’s great.  A good book for anytime of year, but could definitely be brought out for Halloween or a spooky, preschool-friendly, “ghost” story.

The Teeny Tiny Woman (1986)

 

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