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Children's Books: Spring 2008 |
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We've been busy reading the stacks of new titles that are now available for Spring. Here are the stand outs of the season:
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A Day With Dad
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(
Candlewick
$$15.99$
)
For so many children who spend only a day or two each week with their Dads, this is a special story. It speaks to the anticipation, the events of the day, and the sadness of saying goodbye. It’s a tender small story with a reality that will ring true to those who live with this all too common situation. Keeping those connections alive and well is still the challenge. A good book for talking about the up and down feelings of such brief encounters. 4 & up. Age:
Preschool.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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A Visitor for Bear
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(
Candlewick
$$16.99$
)
Bear wants no company, but one small mouse keeps finding a way into his house. Finally, bear gives up and allows mouse to stay for just one cup of tea. Surprise! Bear is a quick learner when it comes to having a friend. A little didactic, but a nice enough story. 3 & up.
Age:
Preschool.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?
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(
Holt$$16.95$
)
Using the same format as the classic picturebook, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, this new book features a baby bear and a cast of slightly less familiar creatures. As always, Carle’s collage images are beautiful to look at and expand the young child’s view of the animal world. Save this for the child who knows the familiar animals and is ready to move on to flying squirrels, blue herons, mule deer, prairie dogs and the like. 4 & up. Age:
Preschool.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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Busy Bunnies
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(
Tricycle Press$$6.95$
)
Newest in a fine series of sturdy board books with animal photos and rhyming couplets that describe the animals action. These active bunnies do not tend to look all that active…but never mind. For young animal lovers this will be hopping good fun. Look for others in the series. 2 & up. Age:
Toddler.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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Duck
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(
Candlewick
$$15.9$
)
A big carousel duck has always wondered what it would be like to fly. When a small lost duck shows up, the big duck nurtures it and finds a way to send the little one flying with real ducks. After a long cold winter her kindness is repaid by the return of the now not so small duck who takes her flying. A good bedtime fantasy with caring and kind characters. 4 & up.
Age:
Preschool.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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Duck Dunks
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(
Holt$$16.95$
)
A bouncy bright tale of a day at the beach with 5 lively ducks. Told in light verse that goes with the sunny day and the typical fun to be found at the shore. 3 & up.
Age:
Preschool.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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Giant Pop-Out Bugs
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(
Chronicle
$$10.95$
)
There’s some key information on the sturdy pages, but the show stopper comes with a lift of the flap as a giant size bug pops out on a huge leaf or other surface. This is a young science book that will get kids attention. Even the pop outs are on sturdy paper that will allow for many peek-a-boo viewings. Also fun, Giant Pop-Out Pets. 3 & up. Age:
Preschool.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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Lady Liberty
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(
Candlewick
$$17.99$
)
The appeal of Lady Liberty will be especially great to those who have recently visited or plan to do so. This handsome oversized picture book is for older readers/listeners who are interested in how the statue came to be. Told in the voices of those who took a hand in creating the landmark, the book chronicles the many steps in bringing it to completion. 7 & up. Age:
Early School Years.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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Little Green Frogs
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(
Candlewick
$$5.99$
)
Cleverly designed, this science book for the young shows with each flap the metamorphosis from egg to tadpole to frog. Each leaf opens until at last all the flaps open into a giant pond with flowers, bugs and green frogs. Also, same idea, see Big Yellow Sunflower. 3-7. Age:
Preschool,
Early School Years.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
2009
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Little Hoot
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(
Chronicle
$$12.99$
)
Kids and parents alike will smile through the upside down humor. Meet Little Hoot, an owl that doesn’t want to stay up late! He wants to go to bed! But what do Mama and Papa say to that? They insist he must stay awake. They do not give a hoot what time others go to sleep.
4-8.
Age:
Preschool,
Early School Years.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
2009
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Maisy's Nature Walk
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(
Candlewick
$$12.99$
)
A pull the tab books with flowers that open, ducks that quack and hatch, rabbits and snail that play peek-a-boo. Along the side of each colorful page are science words that describe things found in the big picture. As always, Maisy’s colorful sturdy pages are just right for toddlers and preschoolers to handle and study for not too fine details. 2 ½ & up. Age:
Toddler.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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Martha in the Middle
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(
Candlewick
$$16.99$
)
Poor little Martha, the middle one almost always feels squished and/or overlooked. When Martha decides to run away she meets a wise frog at the end of the garden who shows her the many ways that being the middle is best…as in the seeds of a sunflower, the juiciest part of the watermelon and more. Charming illustrations add to a warm story that will make this one to please many middle children. 3 & up. Age:
Preschool,
Early School Years.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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Never Take a Shark to the Dentist (and other things not to do)
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(
Atheneum
$$16.99$
)
Amusing one-liners with illustrations to match. A book of silly cautionary warnings, i.e. “Never sit next to a porcupine on the subway.” Or “Never play checkers with a spider.” The illustrations add to the humor and chances are kids will add to the cautions with other things never to do. 5 & up. Age:
Early School Years.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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Paco and the Giant Chile Plant
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(
Raven Tree Press$$16.95$
)
Here is Jack and the Beanstalk with an all new twist. Paco sells the cow for a handful of chiles. When Paco plants one of his chiles he climbs the great stalk and finds a giant who turns out to be someone Paco has been missing—none other than his dad! 5 & up Age:
Early School Years.
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Safari Animals
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(
Blue Apple
$$12.95$
)
Chances are your older toddler/preschooler will know what the answer is to each question posed on the fist frame of a giant fold out. The feet, stripes, mouth and other signal clue is clear when the text asks, “Who as I?” But that does not take away any of the excitement of unfolding the giant pages of bright colored animals. Another small factoid is added to the mix, but it is the art that is a wow! 2-5.
Age:
Toddler,
Preschool.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
2008
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Splat the Cat
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(
HarperCollins
$$16.99$
)
Anyone who has ever worried about the first day of school will empathize with Splat the Cat. He looks for every excuse in the book for not going, but his firm yet gentle mother does not give in. The whimsical art adds much to this first day of school that ends up almost purr-fect! 4 & up.
Age:
Preschool,
Early School Years.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!
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(
Hyperion
$$14.99$
)
When Pigeon wants something he wants it big time. This time it’s a puppy. Clearly, he is not ready to really take care of one, but still he wants it. Surprise. Woof! Woof! Maybe it is not quite what he expected. Once again, Willems sense of humor will be right for beginning readers.
Age:
Preschool.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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The Ultimate Guide to Grandmas & Grandpas
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(
HarperCollins
$$14.95$
)
If you have grandchildren, this is a book they need. An amusing instruction guide for how to pamper one’s grandparents, as in giving them your hand when you cross the street and allowing them to help build sand castles and knocking the castles down so they can rebuild them. Yes, this is good fun to share. 3 & up. Age:
Preschool.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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There Is a Bird on Your Head!
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(
Hyperion
$$8.99$
)
With his wonderfully wry humor and very few words, Mo Willems gives beginning readers plenty of repetition as Elephant and Piggy deal with one, two, and then three more birds that land on his head. Piggie has a solution for Elephant, but who will help piggie? Beginning readers.
Age:
Early School Years.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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Tweedle Dee Dee
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(
Candlewick
$$16.99$
)
You probably sang the original version of this song in school. Remember the Green grass grew all around and around? A cumulative song that can go on and on. This variation begins with a tree with birds that sing and green leaves grow all around. Charlotte Voake’s watercolors are old fashioned and pleasing as this updated song. 4 & up. Age:
Preschool.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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Tyrannosaurus Drip
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(
3M
$$16.95$
)
You might not recognize the Tyrannosaurus and Duckbill Dinos in this rather droll tale. The T-Rex clan would be happy to feast on the Duckbills, but they cannot swim across the river. When a duckbill egg gets into their nest by mistake one would expected this to turn into a tae of brotherly love—but no. There’s a happy good guy ending and the whole thing is told in verse with some near rhymes that will bother purists, but hardly a false note. 5 & up. Age:
Early School Years.
Phone: .
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award
2009
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Wave
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(
Chronicle
$$15.99$
)
Anyone who has ever “played” with the waves on the beach will relate to the feisty little girl in this wordless picture book. As she sticks out her tongue and escapes from being soaked, the young girl jumps, runs, stomps and plays a game of you can’t catch me with the tide. A flock of seagulls, the simplicity of Lee’s line drawings of the child, and the ever changing surf are all part of the shifting action that add up to a dynamic charm of this trip to the beach. 5 & up. Age:
Early School Years.
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2008
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