A Box Can Be Many Things

 by Dana Meachen Rau

Summary: A girl and her brother retrieve a large box from the garbage and pretend that it is a cave, car, house, and cage.

This story is a celebration of imagination! This book is part of the Rookie Readers publications. These books vary in style and appeal but are all excellent books for readers who are beginning to read on their own.

Interest Level: grades K-3
Reading Level: grade 1

I Love My Daddy Because…

by Laurel Porter-Gaylord

Summary: Many different animal fathers are shown caring for their young.

This is a very sweet story. It is an excellent share for celebrating dads and Father’s Day. The author also wrote I Love My Mommy Because…

Interest Level: ages 2-grade 3
Reading Level: grade 1

 

Let's Look for Opposites 

by Bill Gillham and Susan Hulme

Summary: Illustrates such opposite concepts as full/empty, open/shut, top/bottom, and dark/light, using photographs and sentences.

This book is ideal to read to children from birth. The illustrations are photographs which infants often enjoy. However, the photographs are somewhat dated. The short and simple text makes it a wonderful one on one read to young children with short attention spans. The book may also be used to teach opposites.

Interest Level: birth-age 4

Reading Level: grade 1

(cover image unavailable)

One Blue Fish: A Colorful Counting Book

by Charles Reasoner

Summary: Lift shaped flaps to reveal one blue fish, two white swans, and so forth, introducing readers to counting and colors using pond critters.

This is a neat picture book for preschool age children. The text is simple, but the flaps make it fun to learn how to count.

Interest Level: ages 2-4
Reading Level: grade 1

Little Mouse Gets Ready

Little Mouse Gets Ready

by Jeff Smith

Summary: Little Mouse gets dressed to go to the barn with his mother, brothers, and sisters.

This easy reader graphic novel is winner of the prestigious American Library Association’s (ALA) Theodor Seuss Giesel award. It can be used to teach getting dressed with younger children. The book is worth reading for the humor at the very end!

Interest Level: ages 2-grade 3
Reading Level: grade 1

Kitten's Winter

by Eugenie Fernandes

Summary: A young kitten explores the woods on a cold winter day as other animals shelter from the weather or engage in their usual seasonal activities.

This story in rhyme is a wonderful read aloud. I love the illustrator’s use of collage. The story is appropriate for use as an introduction to lessons on hibernation, winter, or seasons in general.

Interest Level: ages 2-grade 3
Reading Level: grade 1



Happy Birthday, Hamster

by Cynthia Lord

Summary: Follows Hamster and his friend Dog as they prepare for a birthday party.

This is an excellent interactive one-on-one read with a young child. As with any picture book, the reader may engage the child by asking what is happening in the illustrations and what he/she thinks will happen next. The pages contain pictures with increasingly obvious clues for what will happen at the end of the story. The text allows for a quick re-read in which a reader may ask a child how the pictures relate to the ending.

Interest Level: ages 2-4
Reading Level: grade 1

One Starry Night 

by Lauren Thompson

Summary: As all sorts of animals watch over their young, Mary and Joseph watch over their baby boy, Jesus, in Bethlehem.

This is a wonderful bedtime story, especially during the Christmas season and for celebrating a mother’s love for her offspring. The illustrations of animal and human characters are fantastic; they have pointed features and are heavily outlined in black. Though not a tradition prayer, this rhyming text ends with “amen.”

Interest Level: birth-age 4

Reading Level: grade 1

Good Night, Gorilla 

by Peggy Rathmann

Summary: When an unobservant zookeeper goes home locks up for the night, all the animals he thinks he has left behind in the zoo follow him home.

This adorable bed time story is available in different formats including board books and large sized. Caretakers may ask young children to identify all of the zoo animals as the book is read aloud.

Interest Level: birth-age 4

Reading Level: grade 1

Baby Animal Pets 

 by Kingfisher Publishing

Summary: From the guinea pig hiding in his hay, to the smiling puppy, the fluffy kitten, the fledgling parrots, the hamster, rabbit, and the teetering foal, young readers will see a whole new side of these favorite animal companions.

I love this book! The photographs of animals are adorable. Young children who like animals are sure to enjoy this book.

Interest Level: ages 2-4

Reading Level: grade 1

I Like Vegetables

by Lorena Siminovich

Summary: An introduction to several different vegetables and also to the concept of opposites.

This is a super board book to share with very young children. There are one or two words on each page; a child does not need to have a large attention span in order to enjoy this book. The textured illustrations make this book ideal for any child who likes to hold books or touch the pages. For preschool age children, this book is great to introduce the concept of opposites.

Interest Level: age 0-4

Reading Level: grade 1

The Hidden Alphabet

by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Summary: An alphabet book in which windows open to reveal the letters hidden within each picture

This is a unique alphabet book. Lifting the flaps makes the book exciting for active listeners.

Interest Level: ages 2-4
Reading Level: grade 1

Apple Pie ABC

by Alison Murray

Summary: A story about a girl baking an apple pie and a puppy observing the activities teaches the letters of the alphabet.

This a cute book that approaches teaching letters of the alphabet in way I have not seen before. The text includes large letters, a to z, in order. Underneath the large letter is a word or phrase that begins with that letter (except x, that is the second letter in the word). The words and phrases tell a story starring a dog who looks a lot like Charles M. Schulz’s Snoopy, whom I love; but I wish the illustrator was more creative in depicting this character.

Interest Level: ages 2-4
Reading Level: grade 1

My People
by Langston Hughes

Summary: Langston Hughes’ spare yet eloquent tribute to his people has been cherished for generations. Now, acclaimed photographer Charles R. Smith Jr. interprets this beloved poem in sepia photographs that capture the glory, the beauty, and the soul of being a black American today.

The illustrations in this book accompany the previously written text very well. This is an excellent share for Black History Month.

Interest Level: ages 2-grade 3
Reading Level: grade 1

 

Alligator Bear Crab: A Baby's ABC

by Lesley Wynne Pechter

Summary: Illustrations of animals from an alligator to a zebra, including such creatures as a loon, an urchin, and a vole, introduce the letters of the alphabet.

This book is not very creative, but will be enjoyed by young children first handling board books and young children who like animals. 

Interest Level: infant-age 4

Reading Level: grade 1

Are You Awake?

by Sophie Blackall

Summary: Persistent young Edward has many questions for his sleepy mother, many of which are answered, "Because it's night time."

This is a humorous story about a child with a case of the “whys.” The parent in the story is very patient. I would have told the child to go to sleep! This repetitive story is told in picture book format, but it is appropriate for beginning readers.

Interest Level: ages 2-grade 3
Reading Level: grade 1

My Dog, My Cat

by Ashlee Fletcher

Summary: A child points out the differences between a dog and a cat, but finds something they have in common, as well.

This book with minimal text is fantastic for reading one-on-one to young children. The story is ideal for teaching children opposites. The cat and dog often do opposite activities. For example, one will go up and one will go down.

Interest Level: ages 2-4
Reading Level: grade 1

Butterfly Tree

by Sandra Markle

Summary: When Jilly encounters a mysterious orange cloud on a family outing to Lake Erie, she and her mother go to investigate the phenomenon. Includes facts about monarch butterflies.

Because of the way this book started, I thought the story was going to lead into a bad situation. However, it is a sweet story about a special moment a mother and daughter have together. There is a note at the end of the story about butterfly migration. This book will appeal to curious, young elementary students.

Interest Level: ages 2-grade 3

Reading Level: grade 1

 

 We Love Our School!: A Read-together Rebus Story 

by Judy Sierra

Summary: Rhyming text with rebuses follows a group of animals through their first day of school.

This is a fun picture book that is appropriate for beginning readers. Being a rebus story, throughout the text there are pictures in places or words. For example, the title on the cover of the book has a heart in place of the word love.

Interest Level: ages 2-grade 3

Reading Level: grade 1

Goodnight Owl

by DwellStudio

Summary: Simple text invites the reader to look under lift-up flaps to find various creatures as they go to sleep at night in the forest.

This is an adorable bedtime story for young children. Children can be actively involved in the book by lifting the flaps and finding what is hidden beneath. The story ends with a very cute surprise.

Interest Level: birth-age 4
Reading Level: grade 1