Title: There Was An Old Pirate Who Swallowed A Fish
Author/Illustrator:  Jennifer Ward and Steve Gray
Publisher: Two Lions; $16.99
Publication Date: 2012
Format:  Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0761461968
For ages: 3-6
Type: Picture Book

There was an old pirate…who swallowed a fish, a bird, a map, some gold, and even a whole pirate ship! Yo ho ho! Watch the pirate’s belly grow!

This humorous take on the tale “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” is always a hit during preschool storytime. I read this story in my “pirate voice”  which always has the kids giggling. Steve Gray, the illustrator, uses bright pictures to tell this animated story. Each page the pirates expression is visible through his eyes and growing belly. A perfect read for a pirate themed storytime.

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Title: Pete the Cat: Pete’s Big Lunch
Author/Illustrator: James Dean
Publisher: Harper Collins, $3.99
Publication Date: 2013
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780062110695
For ages: 4-8
Type: Picture Book

When you’re eyes are bigger than your belly, read Pete the Cat: Pete’s Big Lunch. Pete the Cat is very hungry, so he’s going to make the grooviest sandwich ever. This groovy sandwich will have fish, tomatoes, carrots, eggs, bananas, pickles and topped with mayo. As the sandwich grows, Pete the Cat wonders who will help him eat the sandwich. So, Pete invites his friends over and they devour the sandwich together.

This is part of the “I Can Read” series and geared towards children ages 4 and up. I read this book for toddler storytime and the concepts were easy enough for them to understand. Each child took their turn yelling out what Pete was going to eat next. The pictures are easy enough for children to understand and the overall theme of sharing is explored. The Pete the Cat series is always enjoyable for storytime and is highly recommended for any storytime program.

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Title: I Dare You Not to Yawn
Author/Illustrator: Helene Boudreau and Serge Bloch
Publisher: Candlewick Press, $18 CND
Publication Date: 2013
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780763650704
For ages: 3-5
Type: Picture Book

When bedtime nears, do not yawn. Your eyes may water. Your chin will quiver. But, a yawn can lead you to bed. And, who wants to go to bed early? So, don’t think of your cuddly blanket or baby orangutans stretching their arms out for a hug. Don’t think of Baa Baa Black Sheep or any other nursery rhyme. Avoid opening your mouth, curling your tongue back, stretching your arms out wide and letting out a big, big yawn.

I don’t think I’ve read this story without yawning and your kids will probably yawn too. I read this story during our weekly bedtime stories program. The story reads like a cautionary tale: if you yawn, you will have to go to bed. Who wants to go to bed early? I had kids who were squirming with their hands over their mouths. The pictures are simple, but expressive. The character’s big eyes are wide enough to tell the story.  I would recommend this book for bedtime stories program, otherwise, during regular storytime its quite trivial.

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Title: I Spy on the Farm
Author/Illustrator: Edward Gibbs
Publisher: Candlewick Press, $17 CND
Publication Date: 2013
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780763664312
For ages: 2-3
Type: Picture Book

I spy with my little eye…

Each page is a guessing game when you look through the keyhole to spy on the barnyard animals. Use the clues on each page to guess what animal is coming next!

Controlling the wiggles is hard to do when you have a storytime filled with toddlers. This book is particularly engaging because children love farm animals. Engage the children by asking them what each sound makes and having them guess what each animal is coming up next. This is the third book in Edward Gibb’s “I Spy” series and perhaps the best suiting for storytime. His other two books I Spy with My Little Eye and I Spy on the Sea choose complicated creatures and items too difficult for younger children to guess. This book is a good balance for fun and interaction.

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Title: Little Beauty
Author/Illustrator: Anthony Brown
Publisher: Candlewick, $19 CND
Publication Date: 2008
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0763639594
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book
The story begins with a gorilla that communicates only with sign language. He has everything he ever wanted, except the gorilla is lonely. One day, the gorilla signed to his keepers: I want a friend. The keepers give the gorilla a kitten named Beauty. Beauty and the gorilla do everything together! One day, gorilla gets very angry while watching a program on television and smashes it. The keepers threaten to take Beauty away from gorilla – until Beauty steps in and takes the blame for the damage. And the two live happily ever after.

The story is geared towards children three years of age and older; however, I read this book to a group of two year olds and they were glued to the book. The pictures are simple and engaging. I even had a little girl recognize that Beauty and the gorilla’s faces are embedded in some of the rose images. Although I would recommend this book for a friendship storytime theme, I do not like the idea of promoting the theme of “lying for a friend.” Little Beauty does tug on the heart strings of adults. A must have for a library collection.

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