Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

A collection of silly poems guaranteed at least one will make a child/adult smile.

I loved these when I was a child and I loved it again now. I can think of nothing better for a teacher, child librarian or parent to have on hand. This book reminds me of the best parts of childhood - laughter, what ifs? silliness.

Silverstein, S. (2000). Where the sidewalk ends. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.
ISBN: 0060291699
Illustrated by the author

Babushka's Mother Goose by Patricia Polacco

A collection of stories based on the author's Russian grandmother's storytelling. Some stories seem to be retelling of Mother Goose's tales but with a Russian focus. Others appear to me to be folktales. The illustrations have a Russian/Eastern European flair.

I picked this up because the word Babushka reminded me of my grandmother. I enjoyed the rhyming and the unfamiliar words used are fun to say even if a child doesn't know what they mean. The illustrations are bright, colorful and detailed.

Polacco, P. (1995). Babushka's mother goose. New York, NY: Philomel Books.
ISBN: 0399227474
Illustrated by the author

The Real Mother Goose illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright

A collection of over 300 Mother Goose's nursery rhymes illustrated beautifully.

I enjoyed reading this book and remembered many of the illustrations and rhymes. The book is large and the text is somewhat crowded for a new reader. It would be a good book to read to a child and the illustrations could tell a story in of themselves.

(1994). The real mother goose. New York, N.Y. : Scholastic, Incorporated.
ISBN: 0590225170
Illustrated by Blanche Fisher Wright.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.

Rhyming text accompanies numerous pictures of colorful animals and a mother showing what a child may see.

Perfect book to read aloud to children. The rhythm of the text is simple allowing children to catch on quickly. The pictures are large and colorful so a child could be amused alone paging through the book.

Martin Jr, B. (1983). Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
ISBN: 0805002014
Illustrated by Eric Carle

Looking for a Moose by Phyllis Root

Children go to the woods in search of a moose and find many moose.

I liked the choice of words the author used to repeat throughout the book. I can imagine children saying them over and over again getting great enjoyment. Inside the illustrations are clues that moose are close by even when the children in the book can't see them. The illustrations are colorful and animals are clearly defined.

Root, P. (2006). Looking for a moose. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
ISBN: 076362005X
Illustrated by Randy Cecil

Look At You! A Baby Body Book by Kathy Henderson

A book for babies describing what babies do and rhythmically written making it a great book to read aloud with a baby. Large illustrations of babies appear lifelike which captures the mood and feel of the writing.

When reading this book, I imagined what the images must look like for a baby. I am sure that a baby would be excited to turn each page. This is a great book to share with a baby.

Henderson, K. (2006). Look at you! A baby body book. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
ISBN: 0763627453
Illustrated by Paul Howard.

Arithme-tickle: An Even Number of Odd Riddle-Rhymes by J. Patrick Lewis

A variety of math problems are beautifully illustrated in eighteen rhyming riddles of text.

A clever way to learn math. I admire the authors creative use of riddles and rhymes. The pictures are interesting to the eye and illustrate the riddles perfectly!

Lewis, J. (2002). Arithme-tickle: An even number of odd riddle-rhymes. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Inc.
ISBN: 0152164189
Illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz.

Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang

A father and child counting items in her room before she falls asleep. Each two numbers verse rhyme in the ending, like close and nose.

The cadence when reading this aloud helps lull a child to sleep. The pictures are soothing colors helping to relax a child. Great book!

Bang, M. (1983). Ten, nine, eight. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.
ISBN: 0606008721
Illustrated by author.

Tangerines and Tea, My Grandparents and Me by Ona Gritz

An alphabet book that uses alliterative rhyming phrases for each letter and illustrations that demonstrate siblings visiting grandparents on their farm.

The illustrations are full inviting children to identify many objects. The word choice and rhyming make this a fun book to read aloud. At first, I did disagree with this categorization as an alphabet book. The letters are not shown with the rhyme so it would not be as useful as some in letter recognition. However, it is helpful in reinforcing the sound of each letter.

Gritz, O. (2005). Tangerines and tea, my grandparents and me. New York: NY, Harry N. Abrams.
ISBN: 0810958716
Illustrated by Yumi Heo.