A Weekend with Wendell, by Kevin Henkes

Henkes, Kevin. A Weekend with Wendell. Greenwillow Books, 1995. 32 pages. $6.99, ISBN 0-688-06325-X

AGE LEVEL
3 and 4 year-olds

GENRE
Picture book 

REVIEW 
Wendell is staying with Sophie for the weekend, and things are not going well.  He only wants to play games where he makes all the rules, he wakes Sophie up, tries to scare her, and ruins her crayons, just to list a few examples of his annoying behavior.  Not surprisingly, Sophie is counting the minutes before Wendell's mother returns to pick him up.  On the last day of the visit, however, Sophie asserts herself, declaring that she will make the rules of their next game of make-believe.  Finally experiencing a taste of his own medicine and likely touched by Sophie's tenderness to him when she sees that he is hurt, Wendell's attitude changes and the two become friends.  Sweet painted illustrations reveal the characters' emotional states.  This is a very funny look at a topic which is important for 3 and 4 year-olds, namely how to compromise and share in friendships.  The repetitive pattern of the plot heightens its accessibility to young children.  A highly recommended gem of a book.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
At one point in the story, Wendell leaves Sophie's crayons on the porch and they melt.  In a special visit to the library kitchen, children can watch librarians melt old crayons in a microwave and pour the result into candy molds of various shapes.  Children can help decide which colors to melt together.

A Splendid Friend, Indeed, by Suzanne Bloom

Bloom, Suzanne. A Splendid Friend, Indeed. Boyds Mills Press, 2005. 32 pages. $8.95, ISBN 978-1590784884

AGE LEVEL
1 and 2 year-olds

GENRE
Picture book

REVIEW

As Bear is reading a book, Goose starts climbing his huge body.  He ends up at Bear's head, where he asks, “What are you doing?  Are you reading?”  Goose can’t help himself, as his favorite pasttime is chatting.  Bear prefers solitary silent activities such as reading books, writing, and thinking, and is at first annoyed by Goose’s questions, although he tolerates them.  However, when Goose writes a note to Bear, referring to him as “my splendid friend,” Bear is touched and joyful.  Due to its few words per page, engaging multi-shade blue and white illustrations, and the irresistible character of Goose, this book is very highly recommended for 1 and 2 year-olds.  This is a wonderfully humorous look at the theme of friendship.

Big Brown Bear Stories, by David McPhail

Nutmeg Media. Big Brown Bear Stories. Nutmeg Media, 2007. 1 videodisc, 24 minutes. Price unknown, ISBN 1933938323

AGE LEVEL
3 and 4 year-olds

GENRE 
Film

REVIEW

This delightful DVD is a film version (still images of the pages) of three picture books about good friends Bear and Rat.  The first of these books is Big Brown Bear's Up and Down Day, in which the two meet and become friends as a result of Rat’s attempt to steal Bear’s slipper to use as a bed. In the second book, Big Brown Bear Goes to Town, Bear and Rat find a creative solution to the issue of preventing Rat’s car from filling with rain.  The third book is Big Brown Bear’s Birthday Surprise, in which Rat organizes a surprise birthday picnic for Bear.  The warm and sweet ink and watercolor illustrations transfer well to the screen.  The DVD also includes McPhail’s discussion of how he became a children's books author and other topics. These humorous stories which focus on friendship, creative problem-solving, and forgiveness make for a wonderful DVD which is highly recommended for 3 and 4 year olds. Although the film is a collection of still images, it is not at all stilted.  Actually, this format, in which different sections of each page are focused on separately, highlights aspects that one may have missed when reading the books.

Armadilly Chili, by Helen Ketteman

Ketteman, Helen. Armadilly Chili. Illustrated by Will Terry. Albert Whitman & Company, 2004. 32 pages. $7.95, ISBN 0-8075-0457-2

AGE LEVEL
3 and 4 year-olds

GENRE
Traditional Literature (Folktale)

REVIEW
A cold wind's blowing in a Texas desert town, and Miss Billie Armadilly is in the mood to make her special chili.  All the friends she asks to help her collect beetles, pick peppers, and chop cactus in order to prepare the dish, however, are too busy doing their own thing to help her.  Peeved, she makes the chili on her own and initially turns her friends down when they later show up on her doorstep to eat.  However, Billie soon realizes that chili eaten alone is just not very tasty.  Lucky for her, her friends have already realized their error and have returned to make amends.  This book is a wonderful southwestern twist on the Little Red Hen story, and the regional details and the illustrations' lush blues, reds, and browns are very evocative of the story's locale.  The engaging character of Billie alone is reason to read this book aloud --  even when miffed, she is adorable, and reminiscent of a sweeter Miss Piggy. A great book for 3 and 4 year-olds to explore important themes of friendship and helpfulness.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
This book could be read aloud during preschool storytime along with other variations on the Little Red Hen story, such as Jerry Pinkney's traditional The Little Red Hen and The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza, by Philemon Sturges

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....

Little Blue Truck, by Alice Schertle

Schertle, Alice. Little Blue Truck. Illustrated by Jill McElmurry. Harcourt, 2008. 32 pages. $16.00, ISBN 978-0-15-205661-2

AGE LEVEL
1 and 2 year olds

GENRE
Picture book

REVIEW
Little Blue is a friendly and helpful pick-up truck who lives on a farm amidst rolling hills and fields of wheat.  As the story opens, Blue is driving down a country road beeping his hellos to all his friends, whose return greetings of "baaa!", "moo!", "oink!" and other animal sounds are all printed in various colors of bolded text.  Suddenly, a huge yellow dump truck rudely barrels past Blue, and then promptly gets stuck in the mud.  Only Blue steps up to help "the Dump", getting stuck himself in the process.  Unlike the Dump's calls for help, however, those of the beloved Blue are heeded by all the animals, and they come to his aid.  The book's illustrations were created with gouache on watercolor paper, with lots of shading, creating a rich canvas of yellows, reds, browns, greens, and blues.  The repetition of various words, short rhyming sentences, and large type make this book appropriate for 1 and 2 year-olds, but the story will also be enjoyable for 3 and 4 year olds.  A valuable message about the benefits of taking the time to build friendships.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
This book could be read aloud at a toddler storytime, along with related books such as I Am a Backhoe by Anna Grossnickle Hines and Trucks Roll!, by George Ella Lyon.

The New Adventures of Madeline, by Vivendi Entertainment

Vivendi Entertainment. (1995). The New Adventures of Madeline [television series]. 30 minutes/episode. http://www.hulu.com/madeline?c=Family

AGE LEVEL
3 and 4 year olds

GENRE
Television show

REVIEW
Based on the characters created by Ludwig Bemelmans in his Caldecott Award-winning Madeline picture book, The New Adventures of Madeline television show is appropriate for preschoolers. The rhyming text in the picture book is preserved in these shows in the occasional narration of Christopher Plummer. The majority of each show, however, consists of action, dialogue, and song. The simple nature of the stories, their repetition of key points, and their focus on themes which apply to many children’s lives -- especially that of being part of a group -- make these shows a good match for three and four year-olds. Madeline’s energy and courage are positive models for young children. Madeline's prescient and ever-helpful boarding school teacher, Miss Clavel, serves as a comforting reminder that there are indeed reliable people in life.  The inclusion of some French words and phrases is a bonus.  One weakness of the shows' content is the fact that almost all the main characters are Caucasian, and one disadvantage of watching the shows online is that commercial advertising interrupts each epiosode a couple times.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
An episode could be screened to start off a family movie night at the library.

The Lonely Moose, by John Segal

Segal, John. The Lonely Moose. Hyperion Books for Children, 2007. 40 pages. $15.99, ISBN 978-1-4231-0173-4

AGE LEVEL
3 and 4 year-olds

GENRE
Picture book

REVIEW
"Deep in the woods, at the foot of a mountain, lived a moose.  He had no family, few friends, and rarely entertained visitors".  These opening lines and an illustration of a contented moose strolling alone in his rural idyll at once tell us something about the preferences of our protagonist.  But life as Moose knows it abruptly turns upside down when change literally falls out of the sky in the form of a small bird.  Moose rescues Bird from drowning, and reluctantly decides to spend some time with him while he learns how to fly.  By the end of the summer, the two have become close friends.  When a forest fire suddenly separates them, Moose realizes how important Bird is to him. Children will enjoy discovering whether the two are reunited.  This is truly an exemplary book which excels both in its engaging, thoughtful story and soft black-outlined watercolor illustrations which are gorgeous in themselves and also work well with the text to convey additional detail, especially about characters' emotions.  Truly humorous moments are woven throughout the story, such as Moose's first taste of bird cuisine: "They walked to the meadow to dig for worms. 'Try one,' said Bird.  'They're delicious.'  Moose tried one.  Revolting, he thought." A very highly recommended book for three and four year-olds.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
This book and other titles on friendship and/or fires could be read aloud during a special preschool storytime which would include a visit from a firefighter and a brief talk/drill about fire safety.

PEEP and the Big Wide World video shorts, WGBH Educational Foundation

WGBH Educational Foundation. PEEP and the Big Wide World video shorts. WGBH, 2010. 10 minutes each. http://www.peepandthebigwideworld.com/videos

AGE LEVEL
3 and 4 year olds

GENRE
Film

REVIEW
These video shorts, available on the PEEP and the Big Wide World Web site, present science concepts through the day-to-day adventures of a small yellow bird named Peep, and his friends Chirp and Quack. In the short “The Real Decoy”, for example, Quack and Peep find something which they think is a living duck which is simply not moving. Their belief about the "duck" can be considered a hypothesis, which they go about testing by trying to get the duck to eat, drink, paddle on water, etc. Through use of their observational skills, they gradually accumulate information about this duck that begins to suggest that it is inanimate. Much of the success of the PEEP shorts results from the facts that they are not didactic in tone at all and are also often laugh-out-loud funny due to Quack's huge ego.  Additional strengths include their focus on friendship, helpfulness, kindness, and of course, determination in the pursuit of answers to questions. The shorts do not always clearly explain all science concepts, but they are only meant to be an introduction after all. With their uncomplicated plot lines and clear and bold animation, the PEEP shorts are appropriate for preschoolers.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
Full screen versions of the shorts could be shown as part of a science day at the library.  Stations where children could test some of the science concepts shown in the shorts could be set up.

Superheroes (The Adventures of Max and Pinky), by Maxwell Eaton III

Eaton III, Maxwell. Superheroes (The Adventures of Max and Pinky) Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. 32 pages. $12.99, ISBN 978-0-375-83806-7

AGE LEVEL
3 and 4 year-olds

GENRE
Picture book

REVIEW
All starts off well for friends Max and the porcine Pinky, as they prepare to play superheroes by practicing their moves and choosing outfits.  But once the costumes are on, "Mighty Max" develops an equally mighty ego, leaving the less desirable superhero tasks to Pinky, his "stubby sidekick".  Pinky finally speaks up to voice his protest, leading to a rift between the two.  However, Max soon finds himself in a difficult situation in which he could sure use Pinky's help.  Eaton's line-drawn and brightly-colored illustrations capture the book's energy and humor well, although some facial expressions could be a bit more revealing.  Comic-style speech bubbles often belie the statements in the text, adding to the story's humor.  A good message about treating others as one's equal, embedded in a delightful story whose nuances make it most appropriate for three and four year olds.  A bit of adult explanation about the story's comic tension will be very helpful to young children.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
A read-aloud of this and books such as Caralyn Buehner's Superdog: The Heart of a Hero and Udo Weigelt's Super Guinea Pig to the Rescue could be combined with a superhero dress-up activity.

Boo Hoo Bird, by Jeremy Tankard

Tankard, Jeremy. Boo Hoo Bird Scholastic Press, 2009. 32 pages. $14.99, ISBN 978-0-545-06570-2

AGE LEVEL
3 and 4 year-olds

GENRE
Picture book

REVIEW
It all starts innocently enough, with a friendly game of catch, but soon Bird is accidentally hit on the head. We realize right away that he will not be bouncing back quickly when he pronounces, "That hurt. A lot." One by one, his friends do their best to alleviate Bird's trauma with kisses, hugs, and cookies, but all to no avail. It is only when Bird sees that he has made his friends cry in their worry about him that he stops complaining. This pivotal moment of realization, depicted in one wordless page, demonstrates the skill with which Tankard conveys emotion in his seemingly simple cartoon-style drawings. Earlier he conveys Bird's worsening mood in increasingly darker orange-brown backgrounds. The repetitive pattern of the story will make it fun for children to predict Bird's reaction to each attempt to help him, and the amount of text makes this story most appropriate for three and four year-olds. With humor, this story demonstrates the results of overdoing it on self-pity.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
This story could be read aloud in conjunction with a visit from a local safety/health professional such as an ambulance driver or nurse.  Discuss with children what they should do if they or someone around them is injured.

Yoko, by Rosemary Wells

Wells, Rosemary. Yoko. Illustrated by Rosemary Wells. Hyperion Books for Children, 1998. 32 pages. $10.17, ISBN 0-7868-2345-3

AGE LEVEL
3 and 4 year-olds

GENRE
Picture book

REVIEW

Three-to-four year-olds who are about to start preschool or kindergarten will enjoy this story about Yoko, a kitten who unwittingly singles herself out by bringing to school that most mortifying of all classroom faux pas, a “weird” lunch.  Help comes in the form of a caring and creative teacher who steps in to remedy Yoko’s embarrassment by decreeing an international potluck day, with the aim of getting the class to try the youngster’s sushi and learn something about accepting and celebrating individual differences along the way.  But even this does not completely do the trick, with one more plot twist necessary to an eventual happy resolution and  a new friendship for Yoko.  The illustrations of Yoko and her puppy, raccoon, rabbit, and other furry classmates are adorable, painted in both bright and soft watercolors, marred only slightly by a bit of uneveness in the quality of the depictions of a couple animals.  The length of the text may be most appropriate for somewhat older children, but the vocabulary is not too complex nor the pacing too rapid for three-to-four year-olds to enjoy this charming and highly recommended book.

LIBRARY PROGRAMMING IDEAS
After reading the story aloud, ask children to name or think about something special about themselves or their family.  3-4 year olds can draw simple self-portraits which include this special aspect.