Henry Wants More

Henry Wants More by Linda Ashman illustrated by Brooke Boynton Hughes (2016) #ownvoices?

A loving, multigenerational multi-racial family tries to keep Henry, the youngest, entertained throughout the day as his insatiable desire for repetition exhausts them all. There’s no shortage of love in the family however, and this title is sure to charm young and old—a perfect choice for storytime. I’ve also used it in my lapsit storytime by shortening it and sharing just a few spreads.

Themes/topics: family, love, having fun, siblings, grandparents, behavior

Sample text from two spreads:

 Papa’s lifting Henry high above his head. Henry’s face is joyful. Papa’s face is red. UP and UP and UP again. His arms are getting sore. Papa stops to catch his breath, but Henry hollers: [page turn]

MORE!

Grandma Play piano—it’s Henry’s favorite song. Henry, on her lap, claps and sings along. She plays it once. She plays it twice. She loses count at then. Our ears are getting weary, but Henry cheers: [page turn]

AGAIN!

Twenty Yawns

Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley and Lauren Castillo (2016)

After a long day at the beach, everyone is sleepy. After mom falls asleep reading to her, Lucy finds herself wide awake in a sleeping house. She tiptoes around in the mysterious moonlight to retrieve her lovey, Molasses. Of course, she can’t leave the other toys behind, so tucks them all into the moonlit bed with her before they all—YAWN!—fall asleep. Castillo’s gorgeous large, clear illustrations paired with Smiley’s evocative prose make this a great fit for storytime.

Themes/topics: bedtime, beach, stuffed animals, being awake

Sample text:

The moon shone through the window, a silver veil that fell across the floor. Everything looked mysterious, even Lucy’s own hands on the bedspread. Suddenly, Lucy was wide awake.

She looked around. Everyone in the pictures seemed to be watching her—Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Elizabeth, Mom, and Dad. Even Fred, in the book that Mom had dropped on the floor.

Lucy slipped out of bed and padded to the door. Her dad was snoring in the living room. The house was verrrrrry quiet. Lucy needed Molasses, her bear. 

Let Me Finish!

 

Let Me Finish! by Minh Lê illustrated by Isabel Roxas (2016) #ownvoices

I’ll be honest, I’m not sure this one would work for storytime, but I know full well that what works for me is different than what works for you, so I try and give you enough information to make your own decisions. It might work great for those of you who do voices! This title has really grown on me with multiple readings. All the kid wants to do is finish a book in peace, but is constantly beset by animals just *dying* to deliver spoilers. With a giggle-worthy twist—or two—at the end, this title will resonate with book-lovers of all ages.

Themes/topics: reading, funny, dinosaurs, books

Sample text from three spreads, which switch between text and dialogue bubbles.

[kid] Here we go. I can’t wait to dive in.

[giraffe] “Ooh, I’m in the middle of that book too! That’s my favorite part”

[birds, bear and giraffe] “Don’t you love it when he reaches the top of the mountain—“

[kid  ]No! Not this time! This time I’m making it to the end! JUST LET ME FINISH!

In Plain Sight

In Plain Sight by Richard Jackson and Jerry Pinkney (2016) #ownvoices

Sophie lives with her parents and wheelchair bound grandfather. Every day she visits him after school and he just happens to have lost some small object that he needs Sophie to search for until—in plain sight!—there it is. On morning Sophie is about to burst into his room, but is stopped by Mama because he’s still sleeping. Sophie hatches a plan to surprise Grandpa by hiding herself in his room. The adoring relationship between the two is the heart of this wonderful story, and Grandpa’s cat is an additional element for reader’s to observe throughout the story.

Themes/topics: Grandparents, searching/looking/lost, hide and seek, days of the week, games

Sample text from two spreads

And after school each day, Sophie looks in. “Here I am, Grandpa,” she says. “How was the morning?”

“Surprising,” he says. “I had me a paperclip, you know? Nice and shiny. Now it’s vanished. Help me find it, will you, with your bright eyes?”

“Where?” says Sophie.

“That’s just it, honey. You have to look.”

If you lean in close you might hear Sophie say, “Oh.” And eventually, you might hear her say, “There!”

“Good, says Grandpa. “Thanks honey.” 

Chirri and Chirra

Chirri and Chirra by Kaya Doi, Translated from the Japanese by Yuki Kaneko (2016) #ownvoices

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a book that charmed me more than this delightful confection. Chirri and Chirra wake up one day ready for an adventure, so they set off into the woods for a bicycle ride. They stop at the forest café for tea, the forest bakery for bread and jam, and spend the night at the forest hotel—where they join the forest sing-along from the balcony of their room. Pure delight.  It’s a tiny book with tiny details, so probably best for small to medium-sized groups.

Themes/topics: bikes, adventures, fantasy, tea, size

Sample text from two and a half spreads:

After a while, they arrive at the forest hotel. They go inside and ask for a room for the night. One the wall they see keys of all different sizes.

The doors are different sizes too. The hotel clerk takes them to a door that is just right for them.

The beds are just the right size too! Perfect for a good night’s sleep. 

Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion

Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion by Alex T. Smith (2015, UK; 2016 US)

Little Red provides a fun, sassy, and fashionable take on the Little Red Riding Hood story. Little Red immediately recognizes that it’s a lion in her auntie’s bed, and decides to teach the beast a lesson. After taming his wild mane with twists and braids, making him clean his teeth and upgrade his wardrobe, Little Red scolds the fed-up lion, with an admonishment to simply ask for some food if he’s hungry!

Themes/topics: fairy tales, red, tricksters, manners, sickness/illness

Sample text from one spread:

“Oh, hello,” purred the Lion. “Where are you going?”

“To visit my auntie who is covered in spots,” said Little Red.

In the time it took for his tummy to rumble, the Very Hungry Lion had cooked up a very naughty plan.

[illustration shows a map of his plan, which concludes, ‘Well done! You are a VERY clever Lion!’]

And off he rushed to put his plan into action.

December '16 Round Up: Six New Racially Diverse Books for Storytime

All the book/title/author information is also listed at the end. Enjoy!

Can One Balloon Make and Elephant Fly? by Dan Richards and Jeff Newman (2016)

Visiting the zoo with his mother, Evan keeps asking if x amount of balloons will make each animal fly. Mom, thinking he’s referring to toys, confirms yes to each question—and doesn’t notice Evan handing balloons to the animals in the cages as she ties balloons to the small plastic toys. As mom releases the small plastic toys, Evan looks over her shoulder at the real life animals serenely taking flight as well. Both agree that it’s amazing, although mom is none the wiser.

Themes/topics: zoos, imagination, balloons, miscommunication, fantasy, flying

Sample text:

“Can two balloons make a hippopotamus fly?”

“For you, Evan, two balloons should be plenty to make a hippopotamus fly.”

Look Up! By Jung Jin-Ho (2016 US copyright) #ownvoices

A lonely young girl in a wheelchair looks down on the tiny people in the street below, wishing for someone to look up. Eventually, another child does look up, and after a shouted conversation he lays in the street so she can see more than the top of his head. Others follow suit, and the two new friends are shown in the end on street level, looking up with giant smiles. While this mostly wordless book is best suited for very small groups, it has so much potential for art programs, particularly when talking about perspective and seeing things differently. I think it would pair well with Wenzel’s They All Saw a Cat.

Themes/topics: friendship, perspective, seeing

Sample text from three spreads:

Come down! You can’t see well from up there.

You’re right! I can only see the tops of people’s heads!

[wordless spread with boy laying down]

[another person walks up to the boy] Why are you lying on the sidewalk?

So the girl up there can see me.

Marta! Big & Small by Jen Arena Illustrated by Angela Dominguez (2016) #ownvoices

Marta just might be the cutest human character of 2016. She’s open, delightful, and authentically childlike. The repetitive language and simple storyline teaches opposites while still providing dramatic tension, making this an excellent storytime choice. With her backpack and adventurous spirit, she may remind readers of another Latina explorer, but Marta stands tall on her own merits. Top notch!

Themes/topics: opposites, animals, snakes, exploring

Sample text from two spreads; the Spanish words are in a different color and font.

To a bug, Marta is grande. Big, very big.

To an elephant, Marta is pequeña. Small, very small.

A Squiggly Story by Andrew Larsen and Mike Lowery (2016)

This one might be hard to pull off in storytime, but it’s SUCH a delightful exploration and visual representation of the process of marks turning into letters turning into words turning into a story. There just has be a program in this book! The story is mostly told through dialogue, which can be difficult to pull off as a read aloud—but again, it’s just so clever, delightful and inspiring!

Themes/topics: writing, stories, siblings, imagination, reading

Sample text from one spread, which switches between text and dialogue bubbles.

“What are you doing?” I ask one day while we’re sitting at the kitchen table.

“I’m writing a story.” [answers his sister]

“I wish I could write a story”

“You CAN. It’s easy.”

“How? I know my letters but I don’t know man words.”

“Write what you know. Every story starts with a single word, and every word starts with a single letter. Why don’t you start there, with a letter?”

The Class by Boni Ashburn and Kimberly Gee (2016)

This rhyming text compares and contrasts the experiences of a group of kids as they get ready for school. Fun, funny, and poignant, this is a great fit for any “first day of school” storytime. The kids are both racially and economically diverse, and the illustrations avoid stereotypes between the two. Fun to read in a group, but extra rewarding to close readers who can track individual children throughout the book and follow their individual stories, this one is worth putting on your radar.

Themes/topics: school, getting dressed/getting ready, growing up

Sample text:

Ten have bed head. Nine use combs. One tries brushes…sprays…and foams…

Two put ribbons in their hair

Four wear day-old underwear. Five can’t find a matching sock.

One yells, “Don’t you ever knock?!” [baby sis opens bathroom door]

When Penny Met POTUS by Rachel Ruiz illustrated by Melissa Manwill (2016) #ownvoices?

Penny’s mother works at the White House. Penny hears the term “POTUS” a lot, and imagines that POTUS is a kind of monster—which leads to much confusion when she comes face-to-face with the real POTUS—who turns out to be a woman. Penny and her mother have dark hair and eyes, and may read as “white” to most viewers, but close readers will note that while Penny and the POTUS’ skin is a similar shade, Penny’s skin tone is more brown than the President’s, and considerably darker than some of the other White House staff, particularly the gardener.

Themes/topics: Presidents, The White House, voting, elections, women, empowerment, monsters

Sample text from three spreads:

“Penny looks at the woman. “You’re POTUS?”

The woman nods, smiling. “POTUS is a nickname people use for me,” she says. “It stands for President of the United States.”

“You’re the president?” Penny asks. “But you’re a—“

[the president is shown in a power pose with a word bubble that reads, “That’s right, I’m a—“]

“Human,” Penny says.

She feels a little disappointed.

Can One Balloon Make and Elephant Fly? by Dan Richards and Jeff Newman (2016)

Look Up! By Jung Jin-Ho (2016 US copyright) #ownvoices

Marta! Big & Small by Jen Arena Illustrated by Angela Dominguez (2016) #ownvoices

A Squiggly Story by Andrew Larsen and Mike Lowery (2016)

The Class by Boni Ashburn and Kimberly Gee (2016)

When Penny Met POTUS by Rachel Ruiz illustrated by Melissa Manwill (2016) #ownvoices?