The Crayons' Board Books

All written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. 

The Crayons' Book of Numbers (Grosset & Dunlap, 2016.)

Counting with the Crayons! Features Purple, Green, Yellow, Orange, Beige, Pink, Blue, Red, Black, and Gray. Readers can count and identify colors in this board book. There's also many opportunities for creativity. Why not color a crocodile like Green Crayon? 

The Crayons' Book of Colors (Grosset & Dunlap, 2016.)

Can you name the Crayons' colors and what you might color with them? Features Red, Purple, Beige, Gray, White, Black, Green, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Pink, and Peach. Again there are opportunities for creativity within the book. Let's color use Pink Crayon to color a monster! 

The Crayons' Book of Feelings (Grosset & Dunlap, 2021.)

Explore feelings with the Crayons! Features the following feelings: Happy, Sad, Excited, Invisible, Scared, Grumpy, Brave, and Curious. Features Orange, Beige, Brown, White, Gray, Purple, Pea Green, and Peach. A great book for introducing feelings or emotions to the youngest children. 

Rainbows in Bloom: Discovering Colors with Flowers by Taylor Darroch Putnam & Michael Putman

Learn about colors through beautiful photographs of flowers. Seek and find items on every page. Once you know your colors, learn some flower names, too. 

Thoughts: Color books for the youngest children are nothing new. Colors are one of the concepts toddlers and preschoolers learn. Rainbows in Bloom is something new. Visually stunning with beautiful photographs of colorful flowers. The text invites readers to explore the flower collages on the foldout pages. I love the inclusion of the flower names throughout the book. The age group this book is aimed at (2-5) is notoriously inquisitive. I'm sure there are kids that the answer "It's a flower." won't satisfy their curiosity. This is a larger board book with foldout pages so I think I could easily use it for storytime especially if my group is small. Rainbows in Bloom will also be great for one-on-one sharing.

Themes: Colors, Flowers, Spring 

(Review copy provided by publisher. Phaidon, 2021.)

A Day So Gray by Marie Lamba

Two friends out for a walk on a wintry day disagree about the colors that surround them. Is gray just gray? 

Thoughts: Such a fun book that explores the many colors of winter. I love the optimistic friend's descriptions of the colors and the pessimistic friend's disgruntled responses. The illustrations are bright and colorful. My favorite is the cover illustration. Pair with Red Sings from the Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman, Cozy by Jan Brett, Bear is Awake! by Hannah E. Harrison, Winter is Here by Kevin Henkes, and "Menu for a Gray Day" from The Popcorn Astronauts and Other Biteable Rhymes by Deborah Ruddell. 

Download a Winter Scavenger Hunt for the Family here. 

Themes: Winter, Colors, Friendship

(Illustrated by Alea Marley. Clarion Books, 2019.)

The Truth About Parrots by Maxwell Eaton III

Everything you've ever wanted to know about parrots including some rather humorous asides from the birds themselves. 

Thoughts: From the very first I've loved this series! Great facts paired with colorful illustrations and tons of humor. It's a great way to get kids reading more nonfiction. I learned a lot from this book and look forward to sharing with with first and second grade students when I visit classrooms. 

Visit the author's website for some fun activities! 

Don't miss the other Truth About... Books

• The Truth About Hippos 
• The Truth About Bears 
• The Truth About Dolphins 
• The Truth About Elephants 
• The Truth About Crocodiles 
• The Truth About Hawks 
• The Truth About Butterflies 

Themes: Elementary 

(Roaring Brook Press, 2021.) 

Fourteen Monkeys: A Rain Forest Rhyme by Melissa Stewart

Discover which monkeys live in Manú, a national park in Peru. 

Thoughts: Such an informative book! I like that the actually text is short so I could potentially share Fourteen Monkeys with my storytime kids. The additional information on each page makes this a great book to share with older kids as well. I really could have made use of this book back in the summer when one of my weekly themes was Jungle (South America & Southeast Asia). Steve Jenkins's cut paper collage illustrations are stunning as always. My favorites are the pygmy marmosets and the Emperor tamarins. The included information at the end of the book is great for readers who want to know more. 

Themes: Rain forest, Monkeys

(Illustrated by Steve Jenkins. Beach Lane Books, 2021.) 

Those Are Not My Underpants! by Melissa Martin

Bear Cub finds a pair underpants. Who do they belong to? 

Thoughts: To funny! Underpants books are always a hit with the storytime crowd. My favorite parts were sparkly underpants for owls and long underwear for snakes. Pair with The Underpants Zoo by Brian Sendelbach, any of Claire Freedman's underpants books (Pirates Love Underpants, Monsters Love Underpants, Aliens Love Underpants), Monster's New Undies by Samantha Berger, Underwear by Jennifer Harney, or One Big Pair of Underwear by Laura Gehl. 

Themes: Forest Animals, Underpants 

(Illustrated by Troy Cummings. Random House, 2021.)

I Want a Boat by Liz Garton Scanlon

A girl has a box, but wants a boat. No problem! Just add a little imagination. 

Thoughts: Simple text with gorgeous illustrations. I love the girl's exuberant imagination. Would pair well with Not a Box by Antoinette Portis, Big Friends by Linda Sarah, Box: What Would You Do with a Box? by Min Flyte, and What To Do with a Box by Jane Yolen. 

Themes: Boxes, Boats, Imagination 

 (Illustrated by Kevan Atteberry. Neal Porter Books, 2021.)