Title: Let’s Go for a Drive!
Author/Illustrator:  Mo Willems
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Publication Date: 2012
Format:  Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1423164821
For ages:  4-8 years
Type: Easy Reader

Gerald and Piggie are best friends. They want to go for a drive and they have a plan. They need a map. They need a sunny day. They need sunglasses for the sunny day. Follow the story to see what happens when Gerald and Piggie go for a drive.

Recommended by the TD Summer Reading Program, this book is perfect for this year’s theme of “GO.” Our weekly storytime has turned into an adventure theme for the summer. Repetition makes this book a hilarious read. From the ““Map! Map! Mappy-map-map!” boogie to the “Umbrellas! Umbrellas! Umbrelly-umbrellas!” shake – this book is a guaranteed love for any child.

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Title: Duck on a Bike
Author/Illustrator:  David Shannon
Publisher: Blue Sky Press
Publication Date: 2002
Format:  Hardcover
ISBN: 9780439050234
For ages: 3-6
Type: Picture Book

Duck has a crazy idea. “I bet I could ride a bike,” says Duck. He peddled slowly. He wobbled and wiggled.  Cow thinks Duck is silly. Sheep is worried that Duck is going to hurt himself. And Goat wants to eat the bike! Find out what Duck does next on the bike!

Perfect for an animal themed storytime, “Duck on a Bike” is infused with adventure and silliness.  I like reading this story because it shows a variety of animals on the farm – which you could always supplement with farm noises. Very interactive read for those wiggly ones in storytime.

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Title: The Deductive Detective
Author/Illustrator:  Brian Rock and Sherry Rogers
Publisher: Two Lions; $16.99
Publication Date: 2013
Format:  Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1607186250
For ages: 3-6
Type: Picture Book

Someone stole the cake from the cake contest and Detective Duck is on the case. With twelve suspects to weed out, will this sly sleuth find out whodunit? Could it be Mouse? But he only likes cheesecake. Could it be crow? But he was cock-a-doodle-doing at sunrise.

Detective Duck was called to “quack” the case, and that he does. This is an interactive picture book that will have the kids using their heads and their problem solving skills to catch the cake stealer.  It is recommended for children between the ages of 3 and 6; however, I would suggest this to be for older kids 6 and older. At this stage, the kids can use their deductive reasoning skills, numbers patterns, and subtraction. I will most likely use this book for an introduction to my Forensics for Kids program that I’m running in the fall.

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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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