Archive for Books for little kids (0-3)

The Baby Goes Beep

January 19, 2011 at 9:08 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3)

My five year old is one of the luckiest kids in the world I think. Every night since he was a tiny infant, he’s had stories before bed and then either Josh or I recite his two favorite stories: The Baby Goes Beep by Rebecca O’Connell and Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. Every night. Since he was a baby. He’s 5 and a half now. That’s a lot of “the baby goes beep; the baby goes beep beep; the baby goes beep beep beep beep/ The baby goes boom; the baby goes boom boom” etc. etc. I think you can probably do Goodnight Moon from memory too, so no need for me to write it out.

The Baby Goes BeepI was really sad when The Baby Goes Beep went out of print — it was the perfect baby present and it felt a little awkward to buy new moms a used copy. Luckily, Albert Whitman just brought it back into print as a board book (perfect!). Truly, it’s one of the best baby books and clearly a favorite in our house. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

What are your favorite baby books?

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Rosh Hashanah — A New Start

September 9, 2009 at 4:35 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3)

So, I fell off the blogging wagon. But, we’re coming up on a new year so instead of feeling lousy, I’m going to jump back in with a delightful new Rosh Hashanah title that I know you will enjoy.

Today Is The Birthday of the World

Today Is The Birthday of the World

Today Is The Birthday of the World by Linda Heller is the type of book that is just so nice to hold in your hand. It’s just all round dreamy — from the delightful illustrations to even the slightly heavier paper. The words are soft and the story so easy to read — it reminds me of Mem Fox’s Time For Bed in the way that it just flows so nicely. It’s a nice quiet story perfect for a hushed voice.

Sigh. It’s a nice book to get me back in the mood for blogging.

Want some other Rosh Hashanah options? Check out last year’s ideas.

Just a quick side note: the theme of this book is what does it mean to be the best that you can be. While the book is a great read for young kids, it will certainly prompt older kids into an interesting discussion of the values of Rosh Hashanah: what does it mean to be the best that you can be?

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Alef Bet by Michelle Edwards

April 7, 2009 at 3:33 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3), picture books (ages 4-6) ·Tagged , , ,

Alef-Bet

Alef-Bet

DreamyReads is heading to Israel! For two weeks. With the two little readers (and the husband). On a plane. For many hours. With a stopover. Can you tell I’m excited/ totally freaked out?

To focus on the excited part, I want to give a big shout out to one of my favorite picture books, Michelle Edwards’ Alef Bet. This book, which has been out of print for a great many years too many, is a fantastic Hebrew alphabet book. And it has just been republished and is back to being available! Hurray for New-South Books!

Why is it so fabulous? Because, like all of Michelle Edwards’ books, it is fabulously illustrated with quirky people who look much more like people I know than most books. And, because one of the kids in the book happens to be in a wheelchair. And because you can learn a whole bunch of interesting Hebrew words (the word of the Hebrew letter Alef is ahm-BAHT-yah which means bathtub and the word for Gimmel is gar-BAH-yimwhich means socks). And, most importantly, this isn’t just an alphabet book — Michelle Edwards gives you all sorts of information about the family that is pictured in the book so you can actually talk to your children about what is happening in each picture. It’s actually quite cool.

So, I’m going to take out my old copy of the book, and the re-published copy of the book, and the kids and I are going to pour over the pictures, learn some funky words and prepare for an overnight flight. Oh dear. Wish us luck!

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Passover Books!

April 1, 2009 at 5:06 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3), early chapter books, illustrated books for children ages 10+, middle grade novels, picture books (ages 4-6), picture books for older kids (7-10) ·Tagged , , ,

OK, so I think this isn’t too last minute to be useful. Depending on what you are looking for, there are some really nice Passover books out there. So here, in a nutshell (kosher for Passover nuts only please), is the round up of titles to consider:

If you are looking for a great book to really get into the story of Passover, check out:

Nachshon

Nachshon

Nachshon Who Was Afraid to Swim by Deborah Bodin Cohen. Great for the 6 and up set, this is the story of Nachshon, the Biblical character who is said to be the one to first step into the sea (before it split). Didn’t help (according to Cohen, not the Bible) that he was afraid of water. But freedom means living up to your fears… Beautifully illustrated and a great book to help you discuss freedom and the Exodus story. New this year!

Yankee at the Seder

Yankee at the Seder

Yankee at the Seder by Elka Weber. Great book. Really, really great book. It’s the end of the Civil War and a Yankee Soldier happens upon a Southern child eating matzah outside. Of course, the family invites him for seder. There’s nothing boring or didactic about this story — it’s just great. Pictures are lovely, writing is lovely. Highly recommended and new this year!

Miriam’s Cup by Fran Manushkin. Better for girls, ages 6 and up. This book really delves into the Biblical narrative, from the point of view of Miriam, Moses’ sister. The illustrations are stunning.

If you are looking for something that can be used at your seder, check out:

Let My People Go!

Let My People Go!

Let My People Go! by Tilda Balsley. A play about the plagues (oy vey), it’s actually a lot of fun. Last year, I got our whole seder table participating, with my (then) 5 year old playing Moses. There’s lots of words for the narrator to say and the other parts are pretty easy to remember (even for a 5 year old).

Wonders and Miracles

Wonders and Miracles

Wonders and Miracles by Eric Kimmel. A fantastic seder companion filled with interesting information and incredible photographs and illustrations, it really explains each part of the seder. It’s perfect for kids who like to know things, as well as adults. Highly recommended, even though it’s non-fiction.

If you are looking for some books that are just plain fun, check out:

Only Nine Chairs by Deborah Uchill Miller. What happens when 19 guests are expected but there’s only 9 chairs? It’s pretty funny what they come up with. The illustrations feel dated, but the book is hilarious. Great for 2-4 year olds.

Passover!

Passover!

Passover! by Roni Schotter. Nice and light Passover experience for very young children (ages 1-3).

Passover Magic by Roni Schotter. This is sadly out of print, but if you can find it, it’s really great. A lovely story about a young girl during her family’s celebration of Passover — it’s pretty much a perfect book. Ages 4-7.

No Matzoh For Me!

No Matzoh For Me!

Pearl’s Passover by Jane Breskin Zalben. A great collection of stories and activities that will last kids through all seven/eight days of Passover. Better for girls, and kids ages 5 to 7.

No Matzoh for Me! by Nancy Krulik. It’s Passover time and you are cast in your Hebrew school play as the Matzah? Not the Pharoh, not even a plague or Moses but Matzah?? Great for kids 5 to 7.

If you are looking for a chapter book, check out:

Penina Levine

Penina Levine

Penina Levine is a Hard-boiled Egg by Rebecca O’Connell. A modern day Jewish family with a very modern day Jewish girl at the center. Penina is a great heroine, and luckily there’s another book in the series: Penina Levine is a Potato Pancake. Probably better for girls…

The Devil's Arithmetic

The Devil's Arithmetic

The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen. OK, it’s very heavy, but so so good. Hannah is really bored at her family seder and wishes she wasn’t there. Her family is annoying and the whole seder is pretty meaningless to her. Until she opens the door for Elijah and suddenly, she’s not in the present time anymore, she’s stepped into Poland in the early 1940s. Yes, it’s heavy, but so good.

If you are looking for something for a child who is really ready to understand the meaning of freedom, check out:

The Secret Seder

The Secret Seder

The Secret Seder by Doreen Rappaport. An illustrated book for older children, this is the story of a family who is pretending to be Gentiles during the Holocaust. The lengths that they are prepared to go to celebrate Passover and have a secret seder, is heart-breaking. There’s no violence and difficult images, but the idea of what they are saying during the seder vs. how they are living is really challenging.

OK, it’s a pretty solid list, though I’m sure I’m missing stuff. Any favorites I left out?

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Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel

March 20, 2009 at 8:08 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3), early chapter books, picture books (ages 4-6) ·Tagged ,

I think I would be hard-pressed to find many parents who have not read Frog and Toad to their children. They are perfect little gems of stories, great for children of varying ages (always important if you have only one voice and more than one child). And, they are wonderful to listen to in the car (or anywhere your ipod or CD player takes you) — especially since they are narrated by the great Arnold Lobel, author and illustrator of the series.

Owl at Home

Owl at Home

Much less well known but equally wonderful (honestly) is Arnold Lobel’s Owl at Home. The downside of Owl at Home is that there is only Owl (no Toad to play off Frog and Frog to play off Toad). But luckily, Owl is just silly enough to make it on his own in these stories. With a similar humor found in Frog and Toad, Lobel plays with Owl’s misunderstandings (like when he becomes scared of the two bumps at the bottom of his bed).

But, again like Frog and Toad, there is also something sweet about Owl’s silliness — like when he thinks the moon is following him home. He finally believes he has convinced the moon to stay over the lake when it hides behind the clouds but then, in his bed, he feels sad to be all alone. Guess what fills his room with light? A good friend, who knows not to leave you even when you ask him to.

A great discovery for all those who wish there were more Frog and Toad stories.

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How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers

March 13, 2009 at 2:02 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3), picture books (ages 4-6), Uncategorized ·Tagged ,

There are some books that are so beautiful that you want to buy extra copies so you can cut them up and use the pages as art for your walls. OK, it might just be me. But, if you’ve ever thought you might be inclined to do that, this is the book you’d want to do it with.

How to Catch a Star

How to Catch a Star

How to Catch a Star, by Oliver Jeffers, is not only beautiful, but also whimsical, touching, stirring and just about as perfect as a book for a young child can be. The story of a boy who wants to catch his own star, How to Catch a Star is a great lesson in imagination, perseverance and learning to make do with something that isn’t exactly what you wanted.

Once there was a boy and the boy loved stars very much.

The text is just that simple, but his ideas on how to catch the star are anything but. (At one point he wants to use his rocket ship but he’s out of petrol… If I had a dime for the number of times I hate that problem.) I just love the way this book is focused on the point of view of a child, where anything is possible, as long as you try hard enough.

Does he finally catch his star? Yes, but to find out how, you’ll have to read the book. Suffice to say, it’s a good ending…

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Harriet You’ll Drive Me Wild by Mem Fox

March 10, 2009 at 1:27 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3), picture books (ages 4-6) ·Tagged , ,

Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild!

Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild!

Well, whether your kids are driving you wild because it’s Purim and they have too much sugar in their bodies or because it’s Tuesday (or Wednesday or…), this is the book to read. In fact, we have several copies of it at home because we read it that often. Sometimes we read it so often that it is no longer about what my kids want to read but what I NEED to read — I need to read Harriet, You’ll Drive Me Wild by Mem Fox, illustrated by the fantastic Marla Frazee. And if they want me to read their stories, I get to read my story.

Harriet Harris was a pesky child. She didn’t mean to be, she just was.

Could that describe our my children any better?

Harriet’s mother has about 10 pages more patience than I do, but still, I like to think we are the same person (if I had a daughter, a lot more patience, stayed at home and, well, OK, she’s not much like me). After each thing that goes wrong (Harriet accientally pulls the tablecloth and lunch dishes to the ground; Harriet drips paint all over the floor as she shows her mom her painting, etc.), Harriet’s mother (“who didn’t like to yell”), gets “angry” and each time, her statements get longer and longer:

Harriet, my darling child. Harriet, you’ll drive me wild..

And of course, each time, Harriet apologizes, as children are sometimes good at doing.

 Until the end, when Harriet pops a pillow and the feathers go everywhere. And then, well, Harriet’s mother starts to yell. And she yells and yells and yells. And then she apologizes.

Basically, it’s an average day at my house.

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Time for Bed by Mem Fox

January 6, 2009 at 5:45 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3) ·Tagged ,

Board books are generally pretty boring. Every so often you get a really funny one but for the most part, you have to read them so many times that even the best start to feel tiresome.

And then there are the bedtime books. My 3 year old still insists on hearing Goodnight Moon every night — so we don’t even read it anymore, it’s one of the “stories” he gets to hear when he’s in his crib (yes, he still sleeps in his crib — truthfully, I’d keep him in there until he’s 10 if it will keep him from getting out of bed!). So it’s high praise when I call a board book one of my favorite bedtime stories.

It's Time For Bed
Time For Bed

Time For Bed by Mem Fox is a perfect bedtime story. The words are lilting, there isn’t too much text and it’s sweet without being too sappy. It has this soothing rhythm that could honestly put my to sleep if I let it and Jane Dyer’s soft illustrations are a perfect complement. If you are dealing with a child who is too awake, there’s also a lot to look at in the book — you can point out all the animals and their animal parents, etc. And it’s the perfect message for the end of the day:

It’s time for bed little mouse, little mouse,
Darkness is falling all over the house.

It’s time for bed little calf, little calf,
What happened today to make you laugh?

Unfortunately, at the end of the day (for that’s what it is when you read this book), even a great bedtime book can’t ensure a great bedtime. Sad, isn’t it?

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Half a World Away by Libby Gleeson

November 10, 2008 at 5:13 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3), picture books (ages 4-6) ·Tagged , ,

Having moved a number of times in my life, I have often felt very far away from my very best friends. However, the worst was when my childhood best friend Rachel moved across the ocean to England when I was 13.

I think about that a lot these days now that Rachel and I are back in touch, more than 20 years later, and talked on the phone, still across the ocean from one another. It’s in that spirit that I want to recommend another delightful gentle book, Half a World Away by Libby Gleeson.

Half a World Away

Half a World Away

It’s a quiet book, beautifully illustrated in soft but vivid colors by Freya Blackwood. It’s the type of book that makes you sigh when you are done, that makes you feel peaceful — perfect for that last book before bed. In it, Amy and Louie are best friends — children who do everything together, who climb through the fence between their backyards every day, who call each other to play by calling: “Coo-ee Am-ee” or “Coo-ee Lou-ee.” But then Amy, like Rachel many years ago, moves with her family to the other side of the world (presumably from the illustrations, New York) and they are separated.

Louie is despondant and wants to call out “Coo-ee Amy” but everyone tells him that she won’t hear it, that when it’s day for him, it’s night for her. Finally, his grandmother says that maybe Amy would hear it and Louie takes the chance. And that night, in a dream, Amy can hear Louie calling across the ocean: “Coo-ee Am-ee.” Soft and delightful and hopeful — a wonderful bedtime read.

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Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems

October 30, 2008 at 4:08 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3), picture books (ages 4-6) ·Tagged , ,

Amy reminded me of one of my favorite monster books — Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems.

Leonardo, the Terrible Monster

Leonardo, the Terrible Monster

There are a number of lovely books for children about monsters. Generally, monster books are great for helping children talk about fears since generally it turns out that monsters aren’t nearly as scary as they initally seem to be. So, that’s the standard monster book. Then there are books like Shrek and Leonardo that turn this model on their heads.

Leonardo you see, is a Terrible Monster. Not terrible as in very, very frightening but terrible in that he is very bad at being a monster. He’s not scary or disgusting or creepy, even though he wants to be. He desperately wants to scare someone, but he just can’t seem to be scary enough. Until he meets Sam. Until he makes Sam cry in fact. But it turns out, Sam isn’t scared, he’s just lonely and then Leonard has a big choice to make: continue being a terrible monster or focus instead on being a wonderful friend.

Leonardo doll

Leonardo doll

It’s such a lovely book — oversized with interesting type and fun for adults and children. And it’s sweet. And silly. And apparently, you can get a Leonardo doll as well. Again, who knew?

I think I have to add Mo Willems to my author crushes. Thanks Amy!

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Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

October 29, 2008 at 4:38 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3), picture books (ages 4-6) ·Tagged ,

So, I have very mixed feelings about Hallowe’en. On the one hand, it was probably the most important day each year next to my birthday when I was growing up. I thought about it and obsessed about what I would magically transform myself into for months. I was really into Hallowe’en. As a parent though, I have to say that it’s really annoying.

First and foremost, it’s all about candy. And my kids would eat candy for breakfast, lunch and dinner and have room for candy snacks if they had the option. And even the costumes are a pain. I like to think of myself as pretty crafty but I really don’t want to be making Luke Skywalker costumes all night. I’ve been lucky for the past few years on Purim because my kids were still fine wearing Superman PJs and calling that a costume. It’s all changing.

Room on the Broom

Room on the Broom

All my baggage aside, one of my favorite Halloween books is Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson. The witch in this story is quite a lovely woman who keeps losing things (her wand, her hat, her ribbon) as she’s flying along. Every time she loses something, an animal helps her find it and asks if there is room on the broom for him/her. And each time, our lovely little witch says yes. Well, after a while, there are too many creatures on the broom and the broom breaks and that’s when trouble beings. But, it turns out, when you help others, they quickly come to your aid as well. Even when there’s a monster that thinks that “witch with french fries tastes delicious to me”!

Room on the Broom Activity Book

Room on the Broom Activity Book

Donaldson, who also wrote the marvelous The Gruffalo, is definitely an author to look for when you are looking for something new. This book is so much fun to read out loud that I actually used it for the read-aloud for my son’s 4th birthday party. In January.

According to Amazon, you can even get a Room on the Broom Activity Book or CD. Huh, who knew?

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Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers

October 24, 2008 at 4:05 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3) ·Tagged , , ,

Board books are not my favorite kind of book. They either seem to be too much text and content squished into small, relatively sturdy, pages; or they bore me from the first pages. At best, they are funny and the words make your baby laugh. But often you wonder — would my baby notice the difference if I was reading The Wall Street Journal, pointing to the pictures and making animal noises?

Everywhere Babies

Everywhere Babies

But then you have perfectly wonderful board books like Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers, illustrated by the fantastic Marla Frazee. it’s a delight to read and it has beautiful illustrations of babies of all shapes, sizes and colors scattered throughout. It actually reflects diversity without beating you over the head with it.

I read it to my babies, to my toddlers and now to my older kids (note: all the same kids — I only have 2). I could read it again and again and not grow bored. It’s sentimental without being saccharine which is almost unheard of in baby books. And best of all, if you look carefully, there are same sex parents all over the place in this book. Yay Marla Frazee for your illustrations! 

This is a wonderful gift for new parents and new babies and pregnant women, though it will probably make them cry. 

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Sukkot Books

October 10, 2008 at 1:14 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3), picture books (ages 4-6), picture books for older kids (7-10) ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

I’m not sure what I’ll write about when these Jewish holidays are over. I feel like every other entry is holiday related. Then again, I also feel like every other day is a holiday …

Anyway, back to books. So, next up is Sukkot and we’re just going to go with a roundup on this one. Here’s what I see as the best books out there on the ole Festival of Booths.

Best for children ages 1-2:

Tamar’s Sukkah by Ellie Gellman

Tamar's Sukkah

Tamar

OK, the pictures are a little corny and old fashioned which gets points deducted in my book, but the story is lovey. Tamar is building her sukkah and each page, there’s something she needs help with, so she finds another child to help. But even when that task is complete, Tamar says that: “Something’s still missing.” It turns out that only when there are friends to share the sukkah is the sukkah really finished.

Best for children ages 2-3:

It’s Sukkah TIme by Latifa Berry Kropf & Sammy Spider’s First Sukkot by Sylvia Rouss

Sammy Spider's First Sukkot

Sammy Spider's First Sukkot

It's Sukkah Time!

It's Sukkah Time!

I’m giving this age group a tie. I’ve talked about both of the series before so I won’t dwell on them here. Younger kids seem to really like the “It’s [insert holiday name] Time!” stories which take place in a lovely looking Jewish preschool. In this book, the kids learn about sukkot, decorate the sukkah and create little miniature sukkahs. In terms of Sammy Spider, kids seem to love him, though adults grow weary of him (and his mother’s penchant for dwelling on all things spiders can’t do…). But, Sammy does learn all about Sukkot in the latest installment of Sammy’s adventures in the Shapiro house.

Best for kids ages 3-5:

Leo & Blossom’s Sukkah by Jane Breskin Zalben & Hillel Builds a House by Shoshana Lepon

Leo & Blossom's Sukkah

Leo & Blossom

So here, it’s not so much a tie as a split based on what kind of family you live in. Leo & Blossom’s Sukkah (which is sadly out of print) is great for children in a variety of different homes. Zalben, who has created two main series of stories about little animals that live in Jewish homes and celebrate Jewish holidays, here tells a lovely Sukkot story. The pictures are very small but it’s a nice story and there are many more where that one came from. The story is also anthologized in Beni’s Family Treasury where you’ll find many more stories like it.

Hillel Builds a House

Hillel Builds a House

Hillel Builds a House is also a lovely story (with very out of date illustrations) but it’s better for families that actively celebrate Jewish holidays on a regular basis (which does not just mean Orthodox folks). Hillel loves to build houses and wants to always have his own little house. Every holiday, starting with Hanukkah, he tries to have his own little house (at Hanukkah he builds it in the basement but he can’t light his candles in it; on Purim he makes a house costume but it gets rained on; etc. etc.). Finally, it’s Sukkot which is a perfect holiday for building a house!

Best for children ages 5-7:

Night Lights by Barbara Diamond Goldin

Night Lights
Night Lights

Night Lights is a great story by Barbara Diamond Goldin about sleeping outside in a Sukkah. While last year, Daniel (who you may remember from the Rosh Hashanah story: The World’s Birthday) was OK sleeping outside because he grandfather was there, this year he is scared to do it. Not making things easier, his big sister Naomi keeps telling him that he won’t be able to do it because he’ll be too scared. In the end, even Naomi is scared and they realize that being together, they can make it through the night. I like this story a lot, but I am a little disappointed in the re-illustration that was done when the book was re-released. So, on the one hand, I fully support buying the edition in print because then the money actually goes to the author, but on the other hand, the artwork in the original edition (by Louise August) is exceptional and I would advocate buying that edition, even though it’s used. The one other note I would make is that the new edition (published by UAHC Press/ URJ) is less scary than the old edition because the illustrations are less intense. So, decide on your own — or get both and compare!

Best for children  ages 6-9:

The Mysterious Guests by Eric Kimmel

The Mysterious Guests

The Mysterious Guests

The Mysterious Guests is a gorgeous new book that is new this year. According to the prologue:

It is said that our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, return to Earth for the harvest festival of Sukkot. Disguised as weary travelers, they appear at the sukkah, asking to share the holiday meal. If they are welcomed as honored guests, they leave a blessing. If not, they teach a lesson that is not soon forgotten.

The Mysterious Guests shows us how some people who have much to give, give so grudgingly, while those with little to give, give all they can. It’s a lovely lesson about tzedakah and a model of how to greet guests.

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Chicks and Salsa by Aaron Reynolds

October 8, 2008 at 3:52 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3), picture books (ages 4-6) ·Tagged , ,

Well, it’s almost Yom Kippur so my thoughts are already turning to … food. One day maybe they will turn to religious/ spiritual things but for now food is my main pre-occupation.

Chicks and Salsa

Chicks and Salsa

One of my favorite children’s books about food is Aaron Reynolds’ Chicks and Salsa. It’s just a fun and silly book about a collection of farm animals who get tired of eating chicken feed, slop, etc. and instead start farming the vegetables to make their own delicious treats. The writing is fun and zippy, the illustrations are hilarious (look out for the mice who are the “dealers” of the story) and maybe one day my sons will love to cook? Well, maybe that won’t be influenced by this book, but as a parent, I love reading it.

For those who are fasting, have an easy fast, and to everyone else, eat well!

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Rosh Hashanah Books for Little Kids

September 26, 2008 at 3:57 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3) ·Tagged , , ,

To my mind, Rosh Hashanah books for young children are at best OK and at worst, very annoying. For little kids, you don’t tend to get a great story, you get object identification and something to chew on. That said, there are some better than others and here are my favorites (in order of age appropriateness).

Happy Birthday, World

Happy Birthday, World

Happy Birthday World by Latifa Berry Kropf

Happy Birthday, World is a sweet board book that compares Rosh Hashanah, the birthday of the world, to a child’s birthday. “On your birthday, you eat a delicious birthday cake. / On this birthday, we eat crisp apples dipped in honey.” I’m not crazy about the illustrations, but that’s just a taste issue. Basically, it’s a good one for toddlers (though I feel like few of them have a real sense of what a birthday is…).

Apples and Honey

Apples and Honey

Apples and Honey by Joan Holub

If your child is ready for something a little bit more sophisticated than a board book, Apples and Honey is actually a nice choice. A lift-the-flap book, this one has a bit of a plot as a family prepares for Rosh Hashanah. The illustrations are lovely, but the book is stapled together, giving it that lovely supermarket feel. I’m a big fan, but I do wish they would have spent the extra pennies to get a real binding.

It's Shofar Time!

It's Shofar Time!

It’s Shofar Time! by Latifa Berry Kropf

It’s Shofar Time! is part of a well-known series of photo essay books for little kids around the Jewish holidays. They all take place at a lovely looking Jewish preschool in Charlottesville, VA, as a group of multi-ethnic, multi-cultural children celebrate the Jewish holidays. Surprisingly, it’s actually a lovely series and this book — centered around Rosh Hashanah is no exception. In my experience, children love looking at photos of other children and in addition to having age-appropriate text, it’s also a great advertisement for Jewish preschool.

Sammy Spider’s First Rosh Hashanah by Sylvia Rouss

Sammy Spider's First Rosh Hashanah

Sammy Spider's First Rosh Hashanah

And finally, it would be difficult to have a list of holiday books for little children without a mention of Sammy Spider. Sammy, for those who haven’t had the “pleasure” of meeting him, is a curious little spider who lives with his mother in the Shapiro household. Sammy watches the Shapiros celebrate their holidays and constantly wants to join in. His mother like to remind him (over and over again): “Silly little Sammy. Spiders don’t … . Spider’s spin webs.” So, not great for teaching your child they can do anything they want, but the books are a good model of Jewish families living Jewishly (but not too Jewishly). In this “adventure,” Sammy learns all about Rosh Hashanah but not before he accidentally gets stuck in the sticky honey. Parents will likely find Sammy tiresome pretty quickly but unfortunately, kids really seem to like him. He’s kind of like the Jewish Curious George.

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Somewhere Today by Shelley Moore Thomas

September 17, 2008 at 4:45 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3), picture books (ages 4-6) ·Tagged

I’m really into books about peace for young children. I think that no matter how much you believe in striving for peace or searching for peace or finding peace, it’s a concept that is really hard to explain to young children. The great thing about these children’s books is that not only are they good at explaining the concept, they are good about explaining it in terms of how we create peace and specifically, how children can create peace.

Somewhere Today

Somewhere Today

So, another book I’d like to add to my list is Somewhere Today: A Book About Peace by Shelley Moore Thomas. With the backdrop of vivid photo montages, Thomas is able to give concrete examples of what making peace looks like — much like Todd Parr’s The Peace Book. Each double page spread starts with the familiar “Somewhere today.” Her first example is one of my favorites:

Somewhere today… someone is being a friend instead of fighting.

And then after  a series of wonderful examples, Thomas ends with:

Somewhere today… someone is reading a book about peace and thinking about making the world a better place.

Perfect, isn’t it?

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Amazing Machines by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker

September 15, 2008 at 12:44 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3) ·Tagged , , , , ,

So, I’m a mom of two boys. And as much as they’ll read good quality picture books with interesting stories, at the end of the day, they adore books about trains, fire trucks, boats, planes, rockets and the like. I know more about the different parts of a train or the different planets in the solar system than I’ve ever known. And, I’ll even admit it, I’m kind of into it. (Much better than having to read another Star Wars or Superman book.)

Flashing Fire Engines

Flashing Fire Engines

One of my favorites for this genre are the books in the Amazing Machines series by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker. The rhymes are good, there aren’t too many words on the page, and the illustrations are vivid and engaging. Best of all, I can read them over and over again without wanting to pull out my hair, which is important for books like these. I also really like how they introduce hard words: at the end of Flashing Fire Engines (read last night, twice), they write:

At last the fire’s extinguished.

The flames are all put out.

Lower the ladder. Roll the hose.

“Hurray!” the fire crew shouts.

Terrific Trains

Terrific Trains

See, it’s cute and has explained the term “extinguished” before I even had a chance to worry about what I would use instead. All in all, they aren’t high literature but are a lot of fun to read, if you are into reading about machines that is.

 

Here are some of the individual books in the series:

You can also get a full miniature set.

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The Friday Nights of Nana by Amy Hest

September 12, 2008 at 8:48 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3), picture books (ages 4-6) ·Tagged , , ,

The Friday Nights of Nana

The Friday Nights of Nana

It’s almost Shabbat and I’m thinking of the millions of things I won’t have time to do. Unlike the characters in Amy Hest’s The Friday Nights of Nana, I don’t spend the day getting ready: tidying things up, taking a nice walk to get flowers, baking an apple pie and putting on special clothes. But I really, really wish I did.

There is something so soothing about this classic story of a girl and her grandmother. I love reading it at bedtime and taking the time to really sink into Hest’s lyrical descriptions and illustrator Claire Nivola’s exquisite illustrations. I love the description of the moment when Jennie and Nana finally light the candles:

“Is it time?” I ask.

“Now,” Nana says, and finally it’s the best time. Nana is lighting candles and our dresses are touching and she is whispering Sabbath prayers and no one makes a peep. Not even Lewis.

And I love the ending, when the family is all together (with the mom discreetly breastfeeding at the table!):

Outside, the wind howls. Snow whips up in great white swirls.

But here inside, the candles flicker. A Sabbath song is in the air. It’s time for pie and we’re all here together on the Friday nights of Nana.

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Picture Books About Peace

September 11, 2008 at 8:21 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3), picture books (ages 4-6) ·Tagged ,

In honor of September 11th, I wanted to offer a few suggestions on great picture books that teach about the amorphous subject of peace. Here are some of my favorites:

 

The Peace Book

The Peace Book

The Peace Book by Todd Parr

Child-friendly, appealing to all ages, like the rest of Todd Parr’s books, The Peace Book is an excellent conversation starter. From lofty goals (“Peace is everyone having a home”) to realizable goals (“Peace is offering a hug to a friend”), this book offers big steps and small steps to help everyone make this a better world.
 

 

26 Big Things Small Hands Do

26 Big Things Small Hands Do

26 Big Things Small Hands Do by Coleen Paratore

26 Big Things Small Hands Do links every letter of the alphabet with a good thing that can be done. As the book’s first page states: “Your hands are small, but they do BIG things that make this a wonderful world.” Some letters are better (F: “Small hands feed.” and H: “Small hands help.” are favorites of mine) but either way, every letter is a good way to start a conversation about all the wonderful things even small hands do!

 

 
When I Grow Up, I Will Win the Nobel Peace Prize

When I Grow Up, I Will Win the Nobel Peace Prize

When I Grow Up, I Will Win the Nobel Peace Prize by Isabel Pin  

This is a book all about intentions, which is fantastic for all those kids (and grownups) who have lofty goals but sometimes don’t quite get there. Luckily, everything is couched in “When I grow up…” like “When I grow up, I will love my neighbor” right beside a beautiful illustration of a boy not loving his neighbor. Intentions are important, and this is a fun book that can help in a discussion of changing behaviors, if that is possible.
 

I Will Make Miracles by Susie Morgenstern

I Will Make Miracles

I Will Make Miracles

This is another book about a small child with lofty ambitions. Against illustrations similar to those of Maurice Sendak, the child in this oversized book has a lot of answers to the question: “When you get older, what will you be?” In addition to thoughts of being “a plumber, or pilot. Or dance the ballet!” he says: “I’d make the world stop fighting! / I’d get it in writing! I’d shout it far and near. / And everyone would hear.” and “I’d lock the bad guys up in cages / And turn them into wise old sages.”

 

Fundamentally though, the only way that these books will be successful is when they are springboards to discussions. That’s the hard part.

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The Baby Goes Beep

September 10, 2008 at 4:24 pm · Filed under Books for little kids (0-3) ·Tagged , ,

Choosing a first book to recommend is at once overwhelmingly hard, and also a no brainer.
The Baby Goes Beep

The Baby Goes Beep

Every night, before my 3-year old goes to sleep (and every nap before he goes to sleep but I’m rarely there for that), I recite The Baby Goes Beep by Rebecca O’Connell and then Goodnight Moon. Goodnight Moon you’ve all probably heard of but The Baby Goes Beep is an unknown gem. 

The book is simple in content, and has a lyrical sing-songy quality to the text: 
The baby goes Beep. The baby goes Beep Beep. The baby goes Beep Beep Beep Beep.
The baby goes Boom. The baby goes Boom Boom. The baby goes Boom Boom Boom Boom.
The pictures are big and vivid and the story just meanders as the baby gets home, plays for a bit, eats dinner, takes a bath, gives good-night kisses and goes to sleep (actually, my kids like to point out that the mom and dad go to sleep but on the end page, the baby is standing up in the crib!).

Simply put, it’s a perfect bedtime book. Everyone in my family knows it by heart by now, even our occasional babysitters do. Sadly, it’s out of print, so snap up any copies you find!

 You can find it at Amazon.

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