Snakes on the Job by Kathryn Dennis

Construction worker snakes are hard at work constructing a play ground.

Thoughts: Too fun! Snakes plus construction is sure to be a storytime hit. The pictures are bright, colorful, and informative. My favorite illustration is lunch time. I can't wait to add this book to some storytimes.

Themes: Snakes, Construction

(Feiwel and Friends, 2020.)

Tooth Fairy in Training by Michelle Robinson

Tate is a tooth fairy in training. She's learning from her big sister May. She collects teeth from all sorts of creatures. Can she pass the tests?

Thoughts: Such a cute book about sisters. I love that Tate has to collect teeth from animals as well as a child. Tooth Fairy in Training will be a great addition to my teeth storytime. The illustrations are colorful and whimsical. This book would pair well with Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat by Deborah Underwood, I've Lost My Tooth! by Mo Willems, and The Tooth Mouse by Susan Hood.

Themes: Teeth, Fairies, Dental Hygiene

(Illustrated by Briony May Smith. Candlewick, 2019.)

Saving the Countryside: The Story of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit by Linda Elovitz Marshall

This picture book biography of Beatrix Potter is suitable for the youngest readers and focuses primarily on Potter's interest in nature and her work with conservation later in life.

Thoughts: I've been a fan of Beatrix Potter for years. When I read Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature by Linda Lear I realized how much more Potter was than an author and illustrator. She was an entrepreneur and a conservationist. I like that this biography for children explores her conservation work. The illustrations are lovely. I think Potter would have liked them.

If you find yourself more interested in Beatrix Potter after reading this book, you might check out my Beatrix Potter Reading Project that I undertook in 2010 and 2011.

More Books About Beatrix Potter: 

Kid Artists: True Tales of Childhood from Creative Legends by David Stabler 

Writers and Their Pets by Kathleen Krull

Beatrix Potter and Her Paint Box by David McPhail 

Beatrix Potter And The Unfortunate Tale Of A Borrowed Guinea Pig by Deborah Hopkinson 

The Tale of Beatrix Potter adapted by Sara Schonfeld

Beatrix Potter by Jeanette Winter

The Ultimate Peter Rabbit: A Visual Guide to the World of Beatrix Potter edited by Camilla Hallinan

Themes: Biography, Conservation, Authors & Illustrators, Artists, Elementary

(Illustrated by Ilaria Urbinati. Little Bee Books, 2020.)

I Want a Dog by Jon Agee

A girl visits the animal shelter looking for a dog. Sadly, this particular animal shelter is out of dogs. She's offered an unusual assortment of animals instead. She turns them all down adamant she only wants a dog. After she tells the volunteer what's so special about a dog, he thinks he has just the right pet for her.

Thoughts: This book is hilarious! I can't wait to use it in storytime and share it with students at the elementary schools. It would pair well with What Pet Should I Get? by Dr. Seuss. The illustrations are in Agee's usual style. For such a simple illustration style, he conveys great emotion on the characters' faces. 

Themes: Pets, Dogs, Unusual Pets

(Dial, 2019.)

Bear Is Awake! An Alphabet Story by Hannah E. Harrison

A bear wakes up in the middle of winter and has quite an adventure from A to Z.

Thoughts: I love that while Bear Is Awake! is a simple alphabet book it tells a great story using a few words and great pictures. Bear and the girl have great expressions throughout the book. I can't wait to add this to my Animals in Winter Storytime this November or December. My favorite pages are E, H, L, N, and Z.

Other Books by Hannah E. Harrison: Extraordinary Jane

Themes: Bears, Winter, Alphabet

(Dial, 2019.)

Roar Like a Dandelion by Ruth Krauss

An alphabetical adventure complete with actions to act out.

Thoughts: Such a lively book. A few of the actions are nonsensical and I would have to give some thought to how to act them out with the kids. This book is going to be such fun to use in storytime. I love books that are interactive and get the kids up and moving. The illustrations are soft colored and expressive--just what I would expect from Ruzzier.

Other Books to Get Kids Up & Moving During Storytime:
Bounce by Doreen Cronin
Stretch by Doreen Cronin
Wiggle by Doreen Cronin
Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas
Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas
From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
Move! by Steve Jenkins

Themes: Alphabet, Movement

(Illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier. Harper, 2019.)

Llamas with Lemonade: An Unusual Animal ABC by Ariana Koultourides

An alliterative animal ABC board book filled with charming illustrations.

Thoughts: This book is cute and larger than the average board book so it will be easy to share with big crowds at storytime. I like that the animals and the things they have alliterate. It adds extra interest to the story. I could see myself asking kids what else could the deer have that begins with the letter d and so on. The illustrations are simple and the text is large. I look forward to other books from this author/illustrator. I can also see myself using this book as a writing prompt for elementary or homeschooled students. For example write me a story about a hedgehog with a hat.

Themes: Animals, Alphabet, Elementary

(Annick Press, 2019.)

Bad Dog by Mike Boldt

Rocky is a bad dog. She doesn't sit or stay or like going for walks. The problem is simple. I don't think Rocky's owner has realized that Rocky isn't a dog.

Thoughts: Too funny! I can hear the kids yelling at me now when I read this..."It's a dog!" This book would pair well with The Donkey Egg by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel and Peanut by Lisa Alsenas. There are a number of good picture books about unusual pets that would work with Bad Dog to create a great storytime. The illustrations are colorful and lievely. I love all Rocky's expressions as well as her owner's. My favorite illustrations are fish tank and bath time.

Themes: Cats, Dogs, Pets

(Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2019.)

A Trapezoid Is Not a Dinosaur! by Suzanne Morris

Triangle is putting on a space play and Trapezoid wants a part. The only problem is that the other shapes have never heard of a trapezoid and he just doesn't fit.

Thoughts: A funny story with funny lines! I can see myself reading this at storytime and to students in their classrooms. This book would pair well with Circle, Square, Moose by Kelly Bingham. This book would also do well as a reader's theater play as the whole book uses speech bubbles. The illustrations are bright and colorful. I enjoy the mixture of two page spreads and comic book layouts. My favorite illustration is blastoff.

Themes: Shapes, Space, Elementary

(Charlesbridge, 2019.)

What Does An Anteater Eat? by Ross Collins

A clever question and answer book. The anteater has forgotten what he eats. He asks a variety of jungle animals what he's supposed to eat. No one has has the answer until he remembers. The answer might surprise you!

Thoughts: Too funny! This book will pair well with "Slowly, Slowly, Slowly, " Said the Sloth by Eric Carle. I think kids will like identifying all the animals anteater questions. The ending is so surprising.  Based on the ending, this book will also work well with The Monkey Goes Bananas by C. P. Bloom. The illustrations are bright and colorful. My favorite is the last page.

Themes: Jungle Animals, Food 

(Nosy Crow, 2018.)

Beware! by Bob Raczka

Can a bee and a bear be friends?

Thoughts: I love how Bob Raczka uses the poetic form he first introduced in Lemonade & Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word to create a picture book. I've tried my hand at writing this type of poem and it's very fun. The story is great and I'm amazed at the great story words created with only five letters could produce. I look forward to adding this to my bears storytime. It will pair well with Bear & Bee by Sergio Ruzzier. The watercolor illustrations are perfect and they add much to the story with both the bears' and the bees' expressions. This book would also work well with older students in conjunction with Lemonade as a creative writing exercise. 

Themes: Bears, Bees, Friendship, Wordplay, Elementary

(Illustrated by Larry Day. Charlesbridge, 2019.)

This Book Is Gray by Lindsay Ward

None of the other colors ever want to let Gray be in the pictures they color so he decides to make his own book using a single color--GRAY!

Thoughts: Fabulous! I can't wait to read this book to first and second graders later this year. This Book Is Gray will pair perfectly with The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt. The text is witty and the illustrations are interesting. I love the mix of Gray's book text with all the other colors chiming in with speech bubbles. My favorite illustration is the one where Gray and all the other colors work together. This book would also pair well with Be Quiet! by Ryan T. Higgins and the Violet and Victor books by Alice Kuipers.

Themes: Colors, Writing, Elementary

(Two Lions Publishing, 2019.)