Neither Rain, Sleet Nor Snow or Hail Can Keep Me From This Book

Books Kids Will Love RATING: BBB

The Cat in the Hat Learning Library

Book: Oh Say Can You Say What's The Weather Today: All About The Weather

By: Trish Rabe

Illustrated by: Aristides Ruiz

Recommended for ages 4 to 8

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In the spirit of Dr. Seuss this book teaches kids the basic concepts of weather through rhymes. Concepts introduced include thermometers, anemometers, meteorologists, cumulus and cirrus clouds, precipitation, evaporation, condensation, forecasting, and tornadoes. The rhymes are clever and crisp. For example when talking about the weather in the rain forest, the books reads "the weather is humid, which makes you feel icky. The air's full of water. That's why you feel sticky." At the end of the book, there is a glossary of weather terms and recommendations for further reading if your child is interested in meteorology. This was my daughter's first experience with this Cat in the Hat learning series. We purchased this book at the Boston Children's Museum, yesterday at the 10th birthday party celebration held for the magazine, where I am editor. Bella is pictured here, age 4, reading her new book.

I would recommend these books for preschoolers, kindergartners, and those in the lower elementary grades. Great book to add to a young child's reference book shelf.

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Random House Books For Young Readers

The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library

First published in May 2004

48 pages

$8.99, hardcover

A Great Bite-Sized Animal Fact Book

Books Kids Will Love RATING: BBBB
BOOK: Animal Snackers
By: Betsy Lewin
Recommended for ages 3-6
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My daughter is hungry for animal facts and this book, now available in paperback, fed her obsession.
Betsy Lewin describes the eating habits of a dozen birds, animals, and creatures in beautiful four-line verses. Children learn puffins dive for fish, gorillas snack on tender bamboo shoots, and porcupines are apt to dine on twigs and bark.
The watercolor illustrations are colorful and playful. Children will love looking at and reading these animal facts. The text sounds wonderful read aloud to children, not yet reading. This is a simple to challenging book for beginning readers, due to words like indigestion, eucalyptus, and abalone.
At the end of the book is a terrific fact page. Children learn that koalas hardly drink water and sea otters wrap themselves in seaweed so they won't drift away.
If your child is fascinated with animals (and adores the zoo), this is a book to add to his personal library.
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Scholastic
Hardcover first published in 1980
Paperback published in 2004
$6.99, paperback

Local Author Writes Book To Help Parents Deal With a Cranky Child

Books Kids Will Love RATING: BB
Book: Cranky Pants
By Stephen Sanzo
Illustrated by Matt Whitlock
Recommended for ages 2-6
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Everyone has those days. The alarm goes off, but you can’t get your head out from under the covers to start the day. I still have days like that, and so does the lead character in Arlington author Stephen Sanzo’s book.
The boy’s day doesn’t get much better. The youngster finds his food yucky, the weather soggy, and school uninspiring. In essence, he is just plain cranky.
What parent hasn’t had to deal with a cranky child? (If you haven’t, don’t worry the day will come.) What can dissolve crankiness? Kickball? No.
Pizza? Possibly.
But in this book, it ends with the boy going back to bed and burying himself under the covers.
While children can relate to the story, parents will love identifying nostalgic items from their childhood in the illustrations by Matt Whitlock, who previously worked as an artist for Walt Disney Animation.
Parents, check out Rock’ em Sock’em robots, Weebles, a Big Wheels, Evil Knievil on a metal lunchbox among others. It will remind you of your childhood!
This is a great book to take out from your local library.
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Cranky Pants Publishing
32 pages
$16.95, hardcover

Developing A Bedtime Ritual

Books Kids Will Love RATING: BB

Book: Chicken Bedtime is Really Early

By Erica S. Perl

Illustrated by George Bates

Recommended for ages 2-7

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This book answers the age-old child’s question, “Why do I have to go to bed so early?”
In this delightful tale, no one wants to go to bed – not the bunnies, the chickens, the sheep or the frogs. Each animal family has a different bedtime and a different strategy for staying up all night. This is a delightful bedtime book by first-time children’s author Erica S. Perl. (She works at Harvard University on the Harvard Children’s Initiative, an interdepartmental effort to improve the plight of children in the community and the world.)
I love the illustrations by George Bates and the rhythmic words by Perl. (Check out her Web site at http://www.ericaperl.com/ )
And a sign-of-the-times observation, the book features both moms and dads as part of the bedtime rituals.

My daughter enjoyed her dad reading this to her at bedtime.

This is a great book to borrow from the local library. If it becomes a favorite of your child's, by all means purchase it!

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Abrams Publishing

32 pages

$14.95, hardcover

Help Child Overcome Fear of Hospitals With This Book

Books Kids Will Love RATING: BBBB
A Visit to the Sesame Street Hospital
Author: Deborah Hautzig
Illustrator: Joe Mathieu
Recommended for ages 1 to 8
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My daughter is scheduled for surgery to remove her tonsils and adenoids this month. I found this book online (http://www.amazon.com/) to help answer her questions about the surgery and hospital stay.
Discussing openly about what may happen during a hospital stay can help to alleviate a young child's anxieties. Sesame Street, one of the best at helping children understand complex issues, does a terrific job in explaining about tonsil removal surgery for young children.
In the book, Grover's throat hurts. His doctor tells him his tonsils need to come out. Grover, and his pals, including Ernie & Bert, take a tour of the hospital and learn about the operation.
While every surgery and hospital is different, this book does a great job covering the basics. (If your child is having surgery ask if she can take a pre-hospital tour. Many Massachusetts hospitals that specialize in pediatric surgery provide this service and even have personnel to help children cope with a hospital stay.)
We added this book to our family library. It was read often before and post-surgery.
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Random House
First published in 1985
$3.25, paperback

Katie Caught A Cold

Check out my feature story on the book Katie Caught a Cold by local, Massachusetts pediatrician Charlotte Cowen in the January issue of the magazine I edited.
The link is www.baystateparent.com/news/2006/0101/articles/041.html.
I am a huge fan of the book and the series.
I rate it BBBB.
I recommend adding every book in the series to your home library.