Bless This Mouse

Title:  Bless This Mouse Author:  Lois Lowry Illustrator: Eric Rohmann Publisher: Houghton Mifflin ISBN: 9780547390093 Audience: Reading level 9 years Summary: Hildegard, the mouse mistress of the community of mice (219 members) at St. Bartholomew’s, has important responsibilities: counseling mice on the size of their families, leading them in the hymns and prayers from the [...]

The Quiet Book

Name of Book:  The Quiet Book Author:  Deborah Underwood Illustrator:  Renata Liwska Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin Books for Children ISBN:  978-0547215679 Audience:  Ages 3 and up; may work well as part of an intergenerational conversation. Summary:  This picture book explores the many kinds of “quiet” that we experience throughout our lives. Young animals are seen in [...]

Little Gorilla

Name of Book:  Little Gorilla Author:  Ruth Bornstein Illustrator:  Ruth Bornstein Publisher:  The Seabury Press ISBN:  0816431582 Audience:  Ages 2-4 Summary:  Little Gorilla is small and fuzzy and utterly adorable, as all babies are.  His parents and extended family love him, and so do all the animals in the forest, from Pink Butterfly to Big [...]

All Things Bright and Beautiful

Name of Book: All Things Bright and Beautiful Author:  Cecil F. Alexander; illus. Ashley Bryan Publisher: Atheneum ISBN: 978-1416989394 Audience: Ages 2-5 Summary:  Cut-paper collages depict scenes of people, animals, and nature that perfectly interpret this wonderful 19th c Irish hymn. Bryan has created a masterpiece in which art and text work together to God’s [...]

A Good Day

Name of Book: A Good Day Author: Kevin Henkes Publisher: Greenwillow ISBN: 9780061140181 Audience: Ages 2-5 Summary: Four animals face small disappointments that threaten to ruin their good mood. But before gloom can settle over an otherwise sunny day, their momentary losses – of self, freedom, love and food – are seen in a new [...]

On the Night You Were Born

Name of Book: On the Night You Were Born Author: Nancy Tillman Illustrator: Nancy Tillman Publisher:  Feiwell and Friends ISBN: 978-1-250-00292-1 Audience: Ages 1 – Grade 2 Summary:  This books uplifting message to children is that when they are born, they are unique and wonderfully celebrated. The world has never known anyone like them, and [...]

Naamah and the Ark at Night

Name of Book:  Naamah and the Ark at Night Author:  Susan Campbell Bartoletti Illustrator: Holly Meade Publisher: Candlewick Press ISBN: 978-0-7636-4242-6 Audience: 4 and up, intergenerational, women, new parents or mixed age choirs Summary:  Noah’s wife, Naamah, sings all through the night to the animals of the ark. Literary elements at work in the story:  [...]

Mudshark

Name of Book: Mudshark Author: Gary Paulsen Publisher:  Scholastic Books ISBN: 978-0-545-28407-3 Audience: Ages 8 – 12 Summary: Mudshark – real name Lyle Williams -  is a student blessed with perfect recall, a good heart, and lightning reflexes.  Whenever something goes missing, he’s the guy to find it.  When the librarian gets an all-seeing parrot, [...]

The Listening Walk

Name of Book:  The Listening Walk Author:  Paul Showers Illustrator:  Aliki Publisher:  Harper Collins Audience:  Ages 3 – 7 Summary:This is the story of a little girl who, while walking quietly with her father down city streets, a forest trail, a park path, and all around, encounters sounds—whrrring cars, bomping balls, prrroooing pigeons, bzzzing bees, [...]

You’re Finally Here

Title: You’re Finally Here Author: Melanie Watt Illustrator: Melanie Watt Publisher: Hyperion Books ISBN:9781423134862 Audience: 4-8 years Summary: “You’re finally here,” shouts the rabbit in an excited welcome.”  “But where were you?”  And the rabbit turns from excitement to irritation as he recounts with analogies how long he has waited and how bored he has [...]