New Bookshelf

Mr. Prickles: A Quill-Fated Love Story by Kara La Reau

Poor Mr. Prickles! None of the other forest animals will be his friend because he's just...too...prickly! But when he meets Miss Pointypants, things start looking up. An entertaining read with lots of puns.

A Girl and her Gator by Sean Bryan

Claire wakes up to find an alligator has made his home on her head! She worries that her friends will gossip, but becomes a fashion trendsetter instead! Lots of fun.

Five Little Monkeys Reading in Bed by Eileen Christelow

When Mom won't read "just one more" story, the monkeys read to themselves--with hilarious results. Great fun for bedtime storytime.

It's been a great fall! We rocked our last 2's and 3's storytime of 2011.

Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin

Pete the Cat is back—and this time he’s rocking in his school shoes. Pete discovers the library, the lunchroom, the playground, and lots of other cool places at school. And no matter where he goes, Pete never stops moving and grooving and singing his song . . . because it’s all good

I Went Walking by Sue Williams

Join a young boy for a playful stroll with a colorful parade of farm animals.

Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters by Jane Yolen

Creep, gurgle, crawl, tumble! Meet two young monsters who are far from scary - they’re too busy having fun. They go to school, play outside with their friends, and eat after-school snacks. But they also have a bedtime, whether or not they’re ready for it! Young children and parents alike will find much to identify with as they follow these lovable little monsters getting ready for bed. With wildly colorful illustrations full of whimsy and warmth, Kelly Murphy brings Jane Yolen’s gently rhyming tale to rambunctious life.

Go Away Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley

Caldecott Award-winning author-artist Ed Emberley has created an ingenious way for children to chase away their nighttime fears. Kids can turn the pages of this die-cut book and watch the Big Green Monster grow. Then, when they're ready to show him who's in charge, they'll turn the remaining pages and watch him disappear! This lavish reissue features dramatic die-cut eyes and sparkling foil on the cover.

This week we read two new books about colors and animals.  These books have a lot of similarities as well as differences.  One explores creativity by painting animals in unusual colors.  One presents a color and a clue and we can guess what animal will be on the next page.  Both books have beautiful illustrations.

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle

Every child has an artist inside them, and this vibrant new picture book from Eric Carle will help let it out. The artist in this book paints the world as he sees it, just like a child. There's a red crocodile, an orange elephant, a purple fox and a polka-dotted donkey. More than anything, there's imagination. Filled with some of the most magnificently colorful animals of Eric Carle's career, this tribute to the creative life celebrates the power of art.  Includes biographical information about the German painter Franz Marc, who created unconventional animal paintings in the early 1900s.

I Spy With My Little Eye by Edward Gibbs

Have you ever played the I-spy game? Debut artist Edward Gibbs takes the game to a whole new level in this picture book with spy holes. Peeking through the pages, children will be able to spot a different colored animal every time, and guess what it is using a simple, factual clue. Bold illustrations and die-cut holes will absorb young readers as they learn about colors and animal names.

This week the 2's and 3's read a new book about caterpillars, plus an old favorite!

Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin Jr.

Ten little caterpillars are out and about in our big wild world—come join them! You never know what you might find....A butterfly, perhaps?

Illustrations and rhyming text follow ten caterpillars as one wriggles up a flower stem, another sails across a garden pool, and one reaches an apple leaf, where something amazing happens.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Follows the progress of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied and very large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep. Die-cut pages illustrate what the caterpillar ate on successive days.The beginning reader may watch a hungry caterpillar eat his way to the cocoon stage, when he hibernates for two weeks to emerge as a beautiful butterfly 

Do you like American Girl books? How about Choose Your Own Adventure books? Then you'll love the Innerstar University series by American Girl. Each book has more than 20 different possible endings, based on the choices you make. You can read each book more than once and see what happens when you make different choices.

George Brown, Class Clown: Super Burp by Nancy Krulik. Poor George! He moves to a new town and is determined to change his reputation as a class clown and make friends without having to make jokes. Unfortunately, a trip for ice cream results in the biggest burp EVER! The burb takes over and makes him do all kinds of crazy things! Will he be able to make some new friends in his new school?  There are lots of laughs in this fun series for grades 2 and up. Try the other titles, too.

Do you like hunting for treasure? Do you dream of pirate riches? Check out Smells Like Dog by Suzanne Selfors, the story of luckless 12 year-old Homer Pudding, a farm boy who dreams of being a treasure hunter like his uncle. When his uncle is eaten by a killer tortoise, Homer is drawn into a race for riches. Helping him in his quest is an oddball basset hound named Dog, who can't smell, but who has other hidden talents. Can Homer outwit an evil museum director and realize his uncle's dream? Kids in 4th grade and up will enjoy this screwball story with hints of The Odyssey.

Maneki Neki: The Tale of the Beckoning Cat by Susan Lendroth

Splat the Cat Sings Flat is a new easy reader based on the popular Splat the Cat picture books by Rob Scotton. While this book his written by Chris Strathearn, the illustrations,created by Rob Scotton, have the same whimsy of the orginal books. In this story, Splat has to sing on Parents' Night with his class. The only problem is, stage fright makes Splat forget how to sing, how to hum, and even how to meow! Will he overcome his nerves in time for the big performance?