I Am a Backhoe, by Anna Grossnickle Hines

Hines, Anna Grossnickle.  I Am a Backhoe.  Illustrated by Anna Grossnickle Hines. Tricycle Press, 2010. 32 pages. $12.99, ISBN 978-1-58246-306-3

AGE LEVEL
1 and 2 year-olds

GENRE
Nonfiction

REVIEW

A happy toddler uses his whole body to dig, stretch, push, and roll, imagining himself to be a series of six trucks commonly used on construction sites.  Young children will enjoy trying out each movement themselves, and on subsequent readings, trying to remember the corresponding truck which appears on the page after each movement.  The images of the toddler are clear, yet just a tad too ordinary, so the background washes of various hues of primary and secondary colors add some welcome interest to the overall visual experience of the book.  The last several pages of the story focus on the themes of family togetherness and literacy, as the boy’s father joins in the play and pretends to be a flatbed truck, delivering his son to the couch so that they can read a book together.  Overall, this book’s combination of almost perfect pacing and positive themes, together with its encouragement of imaginative play and the development of gross motor skills, make it a winning choice for toddlers.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING
While reading the book aloud, encourage children to try the protagonist's moves themselves.  Follow this up with more motor skills practice using action rhymes.

The Odd Egg, by Emily Gravett

Gravett, Emily. The Odd Egg. Illustrated by Emily Gravett. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2009. 32 pages. $15.99, ISBN 978-1-4169-6872-6

AGE LEVEL
0-12 months

GENRE
Picture Book

REVIEW

Duck is the only bird who hasn’t laid an egg, and thus finds one three times his size and proudly sits on it, despite the ridicule of his fellow avians.  On pages of successively increasing length (a format which will add interest for toddlers), we see the hatching of all the eggs except Duck’s.  Unperturbed, he continues to wait and knits, just as unsuspecting as the other birds of the impending dramatic arrival of his egg’s unexpected occupant.  This book, with its few words, endearingly sketched and water-colored characters, and large dose of humor, is perfect for the very youngest of listeners and viewers.  It is well-paced, and despite a conclusion which could be considered a tiny bit abrupt, is recommended.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING
This book is perfect for a baby or toddler storytime.

Zoo’s Who: Poems and Paintings

Florian, Douglas. Zoo’s Who: Poems and Paintings. Illustrated by Douglas Florian. Harcourt, 2005. 48 pages. $14.53, ISBN 0-15-204639-9

AGE LEVEL
3 and 4 year-olds

GENRE
Poetry

REVIEW
This collection of short poems and large striking illustrations concerns twenty-one different animals and insects, ranging from more commonly known creatures such as the eagle and the penguin, to interesting inclusions such as the bush baby and the shrew. The short poems range from about ten to twenty-five words in length, and include humor, rhyme, onomatopoeia, and alliteration, all of which should heighten their appeal to young listeners. Although some illustrations contain details that may be too fine to be enjoyable for the 0-4 set, the author’s use of collage techniques and an interesting array of materials such as paint, pencils, ink, shredded papers, foil, candy wrappers, and stamped and stenciled images could serve as a good lead-in to home or classroom art projects. Many of the illustrations could also be used as part of a lesson on shapes. Reading this book aloud a few poems at a time, so that the sounds of the text and the fun of the images can really be savored, may allow youngsters to get more out of it than if it were to be presented all at once.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
Children can create their own mixed media artwork on construction paper, using pictures from old magazines, repurposed materials (paper and candy wrappers, etc., from home), paint, crayons, etc.