Rain Play, by Cynthia Cotten

Cotten, Cynthia. Rain Play. Illustrated by Javka Steptoe. Henry Holt & Company, 2008. 32 pages. $16,95, ISBN 978-8050-6795-8

AGE LEVEL
1 and 2 year-olds

GENRE
Picture book

REVIEW
As this rhyming story begins, a group of children are playing at a park playground.  Suddenly, the sky grows dark and the weather changes.  Cotten writes, "Rain begins.  Cools our skins.  Raindrops splatter. People scatter."  The children continue playing for a while, stomping in puddles and making boats, among other things.  But when the storm begins in earnest, Dad appears in his car to scoop up his children and take them home.  The painted paper collage illustrations in this book are quite striking and the illustrator has achieved interesting shading effects, it appears by possibly wrinkling the paper at some point in the creative process.  The text per page is minimal, yet rhythmic and descriptive. For example, "Make a boat. Watch it float. A leaf's a cup.  Fill it up."  For its stunning visuals and brief text that moves the story along like poetry, this book is a great pick for 1 and 2 year-olds.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
Share this story aloud at toddler storytime along with some nonfiction books about rain and storms.

Tar Beach, by Faith Ringgold

Ringgold, Faith. Tar Beach. Crown, 1991. 32 pages. $15.00, ISBN 0-517-58030-6

AGE LEVEL
3 and 4 year-olds

GENRE
Picture book

REVIEW
Ringgold based this Caldecott honoree and King Award winner on her childhood memories of growing up in Harlem.  As the book begins, we are immediately transported into narrator eight-year-old Cassie Louise Lightfoot's imagination as she declares, "I will always remember when the stars fell down around me and lifted me up above the George Washington Bridge." In a completely absorbing folk style, Ringgold paints in peaches, corals, and pale green-blues against deeper blue nighttime skies.  It is revealed that the Bridge is important to Cassie's family history and relates to her touching wish for a better life for her father and mother.  The social climate of the time the picture book takes place, which appears to be the late 1930s, is included in the text, as Cassie states, "Well, Daddy is going to own that building, 'cause I'm gonna fly over it and give it to him.  Then it won't matter that he's not in their old union, or whether he's colored or a half-breed Indian, like they say."  This book is a tour-de-force -- words, images, and themes create a powerful story together -- and is very highly recommended for three and four year olds, athough the imaginations of younger children will also take flight based purely on the illustrations.  An image of Ringgold's stunning Tar Beach story quilt and an informative article about her follows the story text.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
Due to the book's focus on flight, the following is a possible action rhyme to pair with it at preschool storytime:

          BIRDS

          If I were a bird, I'd sing a song,
          (tuck hands in armpits to represent wings) 
         
          And fly about the whole day long.
          (stretch arms out at sides and rock body as if flying)
         
          And when the night came,
          (give yourself a hug and make shivering motion)
         
          Go to rest, up in my cozy little nest.
          (flap arms and them cup hands to form nest)

Two Old Potatoes and Me, by John Coy

Coy, John. Two Old Potatoes and Me. Illustrated by Caroyn Fisher. Alfred A. Knopf, 2003. 32 pages. $15.95, ISBN 0-37592180-X

AGE LEVEL
3 and 4 year olds

GENRE
Picture book

REVIEW
This is a book which completely and wonderfully transports reader and listener into the world of its story, surrounding us not only with the earthy and bright colors and textures of its mixed media artwork, but equally with the wonder of the process of creating new life through growing potatoes and with its description of a dad lovingly fathering his daughter post-divorce.  As the story opens, a young girl relates how she was about to throw away some old potatoes at her dad's house in the spring.  But her dad recognized their potential, and the two decide to try growing new potatoes. The girl describes the process from planting in May to harvesting in September, her words drawn right into lush paint and crayon collages of earth, leaves, and herself and her dad working side by side. This is an exceptional work in both text and illustration, and especially in its demonstration that life for children after divorce will go on and can be wonderful again. 3 and 4 year olds will enjoy discovering and poring over each fully alive page and will probably want to try growing something themselves afterward.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
Read this story aloud toward the beginning of a two to three-month preschool storytime session, and have the children help plant and tend to something relatively easy to grow in individual cups, such as lima bean plants.

Yo! Yes?, by Chris Raschka

Raschka, Chris. Yo! Yes? Orchard Books, 1993. 32 pages. $14.95, ISBN 0-531-05469-1

AGE LEVEL
1 and 2 year olds

GENRE
Picture book

REVIEW
At the start of this fun and vibrant book, two young boys different in every way, from personality to speech to race, meet by chance.  They reach out to each other in tentative one to two-word exchanges such as "Yo!", "Yes?"; “What’s up?”, “Not much.”; and “Why?” “No fun.”  The vivid and expressive watercolor and charcoal illustrations reveal the range of emotions that each boy experiences, ranging from loneliness to hopefulness to their final ecstatic happiness that their desire for friendship is reciprocated. The sparse text enables even the youngest children to enjoy this story, yet the fact that the characters appear to be 5-6 years old and the exuberance of  the artwork makes this book a great choice for 3 and 4 year-olds and older children as well.  A seemingly simple story which contains the powerful message that making friends is usually easier than it seems.  A veritable must read-aloud.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
The following song is a great match for this book during toddler storytime:

          THE MORE WE GET TOGETHER

          The more we get together, together, together,
          The more we get together, the happier we'll be.
          For your friends are my friends,
          And my friends are your friends.
          The more we get together, the happier we'll be.
          
          The more we play together....
          The more we sing together....
          The more we read together....

My Boat, by Kay Davies & Wendy Oldfield

Davies, Kay & Oldfield, Wendy. My Boat (First Step Science series). Photographs by Fiona Pragoff. Gareth Stevens Publishing, 1994. 32 pages. $11.99, ISBN 0-8368-1115-1

[No image available of cover.  Here is a link to the Worldcat record.]

AGE LEVEL
3 and 4 year-olds

GENRE
Nonfiction  (Boats, Water Displacement)

REVIEW
At about 5-10 words per page, this short book about the properties of boats, how they float, water displacement, and how to make some simple vessels, is perfect for 3 and 4 year-olds.  We explore the world of boats through the eyes of two young boys who appear to be 5-6 years old, and of different races, a positive aspect of this work.  Unfortunately there is only one image of a young girl.  Topics in the book are explained simply and concisely.  Photographs are large and clearly illustrate the text that accompanies them. There is some helpful additional material following the text: notes to help adults explain the scientific concepts touched upon in the book, suggested activities and topics for further learning, facts about boats, a glossary, a list of science museums, a few recommended books, and an index.  Although a bit dated in appearance, this book is an interesting introduction to the topic.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
Here's a good song to pair with this book at preschool storytime:

          LIGHTLY ROW
         
          Lightly row,  
          Lightly row,
          Over the deep blue sea we go,
          Smoothly glide,
          Smoothly glide,
          On the gentle tide.
          
          Let the wind and waters be,
          Mingled with our rhyme of glee,
          Sing and float,
          Sing and float,
          In our rowing boat.

Rap a Tap Tap: Here's Bojangles -- Think of That!, by Leo and Jane Dillon

Dillon, Leo & Jane. Rap a Tap Tap: Here's Bojangles -- Think of That!  Blue Sky Press, 2002. 32 pages. $17.99, ISBN 978-0439455978

AGE LEVEL
1 and 2 year-olds

GENRE
Picture book

REVIEW

This King Award honoree about the achievement and gifts of legendary tap dancer Bill Robinson (Bojangles) is an exemplary book on many levels.  First of all, the gouache artwork is quite striking, composed of layers of translucent paint depicting several copies of Bojangles' legs in each scene, showing his quick and graceful movements. The city dwellers whom Bojangles dances by are also illustrated in beautifully layered colors. The rhyming text of the book and repeated "Rap a tap tap -- think of that!" refrain makes this book perfect for 1 and 2 year-olds. And in the midst of all this -- while focusing mainly on the joy that Bojangles brought into peoples' lives -- the authors also ground their book in reality, alluding to the social climate of the early 20th century in lines such as "He danced past doors; some were open, some closed".  An afterword with some brief information on Bojangles' achievements is included. A visual feast and wonderful read aloud for all ages of children.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
At storytime, this book could be followed by this dance for toddlers:

          CAN YOU POINT YOUR FINGERS AND DO THE TWIST?

          Can you point your fingers and do the twist?
          Can you point your fingers and do the twist?
          We're gonna go up
          And down,
          Go back up
          And turn around.
          Can you point your fingers and do the twist?

          Can you stand on one leg and shake your hands?
          Can you stand on one leg and shake your hands? 
          We're gonna go up
          And down,
          Go back up
          And turn around.
          Can you stand on one leg and shake your hands?

Little Eight John, by Jan Wahl

Wahl, Jan. Little Eight John. Illustrated by Wil Clay. Lodestar Books, 1992. 30 pages. $14.99, ISBN 0-525-67367-9

AGE LEVEL
3 and 4 year-olds


GENRE
Traditional Literature (Folktale)

REVIEW  
In memorable opening lines, Wahl establishes exactly the kind of little boy we are about to meet: "Once there was a fine-looking boy named Little Eight John. He looked fine. But he didn't act fine. He was as mean as mean there was."  Little Eight John is a boy who just can't resist doing what he is not supposed to do, and who laughs at the bad fortune of others. If his mother advises him that climbing trees in his nicest outfit will bring grief to the family, up the nearest trunk he goes. When the family's potatoes won't grow as a result, John giggles. But as the conclusion of the story shows, no one can escape the consequences of meanness forever.  Although there isn't a large amount of text in this book, a few pages may contain a bit more than is appropriate for 0-4 year olds. However, the repetitive nature of the story, with its sequence of several instances in which John deliberately disobeys his mother's wishes, compensates for these few longer pages. The tone is enjoyably conversational and the text includes direct address of the reader such as "Well sir, right then he had to go count his teeth."  The illustrations, which appear to be drawn in colored pencil, fill each page with life and movement. The expressions on characters' faces are well detailed, reflecting a range of emotions. This Coretta Scott King award winner would make a fun read-aloud for preschoolers, and for many toddlers as well.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
This story could be shared at a special periodic folktale storytime.  Such folktale storytimes may help to make more patrons aware of the fact that there are many works of fiction in the portion of the library organized by Deewy Decimal numbers.