Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff

Baby Bear wakes up and explores the day’s colors.

What I thought: A gentle story. I love the bear’s exploration of nature. The illustrations are great. They remind me of old school woodblock prints but with more color. My favorite illustrations are red and orange. I’m glad I read the dust jacket. It’s nice to discover the inspiration behind a book.

Story Time Themes: Bears, Colors

(Beach Lane Books, 2012)

Bring on the Birds by Susan Stockdale

Summary from Dust jacket via amazon.com: Birds come in all sorts of interesting shapes, sizes, and colors and many of them can do amazing things as well. Can you imagine...Dancing birds, Diving birds, Hanging birds, Hiding birds...They're all real!

What I thought: I think I’ve found another author/illustrator that I like as much as Cathryn & John Sill. The simple text and colorful illustration combine to entertain and educate children about birds. The afterward provides just enough information to whet the kids’ appetites for more bird books. It was hard to pick a favorite illustration, but I really like the fluffy crests.

Story Time Themes: Birds

(Peachtree, 2011)

Where’s Walrus? by Stephen Savage

Walrus has escaped from the zoo. Can you help the zookeeper find him?

What I thought: I love it! I can’t wait to use Where’s Walrus? for story time. I know the kids will love helping the zookeeper and telling the story. All the illustrations are great. I can’t pick a favorite. I like the lack of outlines.

Story Time Themes: Zoo, Wordless

(Scholastic, 2011)

Wolf Won't Bite by Emily Gravett

The three circus pigs have one main attraction—a wild wolf. They love to boast that no matter what they do to him “Wolf won’t bite!” Or will he?

 

What I thought: Another hit from Gravett. I’ll be adding this title to my Three Little Pigs Book List. Wolf Won’t Bite is a fun book. I think my story time kids will be on the edges of their carpet squares to see if wolf will bite. The illustrations are great. I like that Gravett used a limited color palette. She also made good use of white space. My favorite illustrations are wolf in bow, knife throwing, and bite.

 

Story Time Themes: Three Little Pigs, Wolves, Circus

(Simon & Schuster, 2011)

Horsefly & Honeybee by Randy Cecil

Two insects who don't like to share become allies when their lives are threatened.

What I thought: A great story with lovely illustrations. I'll definitely be doing a bugs story time in the spring with Horsefly & Honeybee as a featured book. I love that the characters don't start out as friends. My favorite illustrations are drat and napping (last page).

Story Time Themes: Friendship, Bugs/Insects, Spring

(Henry Holt, 2012)

Blue Chameleon by Emily Gravett

Chameleon is blue because he's lonely. He searches for friends to stop his loneliness.

What I thought: I don't know why I'm just now ordering this book, but I like it. I have a Gravett story time planned for the fall and want to have as many of her books on hand as possible. Her illustrations are great. My favorites are swirly, stripy, spotty, and colorful chameleons.

Story Time Themes: Colors, Chameleons, Emotions (pair with My Heart Is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall)

(Simon & Schuster, 2010)

Hide & Seek by Il Sung Na

It's game time in the jungle. Elephant is the seeker and the other animals are hiders. Can he find them all?

What I thought: I always order Na's books because I love not only the whimsical illustrations but the stories. Hide & Seek did not disappoint me. I know my story time kids will love looking for the chameleon on every page.

Story Time Themes: Games, Jungle Animals, Chameleons

(Knopf, 2012)