Back Catalog Posts: Lola Reads to Leo by Anna McQuinn

Image source: Amazon.com

Review by Mary K.

Lola Reads to Leo by Anna McQuinn and Illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw (2012)

Lola loves to read (check out her earlier books Lola Loves Stories and Lola at the Library). So when she learns she is to have a new baby brother, naturally she wants to share her books with the boy. When Leo arrives, Lola helps out by reading to him: duck stories while he’s in the bath; potty stories while he’s having his diaper changed. She does other things too - helping with laundry and dishes while Leo is sleeping - but the family always ends their day with a story. The illustrations are colorful and large and Lola is depicted as a happy child who wants to help. This story of book love (and how books are great for sharing as a family) is perfect for toddler or preschool storytimes.

Themes/topics: family, new baby, siblings, reading, books

Sample text from two spreads:

“Leo cries a lot. Lola wants to cheer him up, so she tells him a story.

It turns out he is just hungry. Lola holds her best bear story while Mommy feeds him. She and Mommy read it together"

The Ring Bearer by Floyd Cooper

The Ring Bearer by Floyd Cooper (2017) #ownvoices

Weddings may not be the most common theme for storytime, but nervousness is universal. Jackson is very nervous about his role in his mama's wedding--he has to carry the rings! He's also nervous about calling Bill "Dad" and getting a new little sister, Sophie, who is the flower girl in the wedding. Grandpa helps get them ready to walk down the aisle--slow and steady--but Sophie forgets and is about to trip on a stair when Jackson catches her and saves the day. Jackson finds the confidence and comfort he needs within himself in this sweet read-aloud.


Themes/topics: weddings, nervousness, anxiety, siblings, family, remarriage, saving the day, blended families, #ownvoices

Sample text from two spreads:
Grandpop helps them practice, shows them how to walk down the aisle slow and steady. "That way you won't trip," Grandpop says like he knows just what's in Jackson's heart. But Jackson is worried anyway. 

The music starts and Sophie takes off. Grandpop nudges Jackson to get him going, too. Jackson walks slow and steady while Sophie skips ahead, ignoring Grandpop's advice. Mama's having a wedding, and Jackson has an important job to do, and no matter what Sophie does, he will not trip down the aisle!

I’m Big Now by Anthea Simmons and Georgie Birkett

I’m Big Now by Anthea Simmons and Georgie Birkett (2017)

It’s always refreshing to find a new sibling book that is positive, and this one does a great job of honoring the feelings of the older sister, while still framing things in a positive helpful manner. To deal with her feelings of jealousy and displacement, she pretends to be a baby. In each case, a loving family member affirms her feelings and reminds her that she’s a big girl now in rhyming text.

Themes/topics: siblings, new baby, growing up, pretending

Sample text from two spreads:

The baby’s got his mushy food, he gets it in his hair. But I’ve got crunchy cereal and I sit on a chair.

“Would you like breakfast all mashed up?” Mummy teases me.

“No!” I can eat my big girl food with big girl teeth you see.

The baby’s on the changing mat and he’s not very happy.

I’m up on my potty. I don’t have to wear a nappy.

“This was you, once,” Daddy says.

“You hated diapers, too.”

“I’m a big girl, now,” I say. “I do what big girls do.”

Love is a Truck words by Amy Novesky pictures by Sara Gillingham (2016)

This board book is a great choice for baby and toddler storytimes. The simple rhythmic text combines love of a favorite toy,  the love shared between siblings, and different kinds of vehicles--a winning combination that is just the right length to introduce some complex vocabulary and concepts without losing the audience. Sweet as pie, this is one your audience will love.

Themes/Topics: Trucks, love, siblings, bedtime, play time, vehicles, firetrucks, board books

Sample text from the first two spreads:

"Love is a truck, shiny and new.
Lights and sirens that go woo! woo! woo! 

Love is a fire engine, red as a heart. 
A ladder truck, spotted dog in the back" 

Harry and Clare’s Amazing Staycation by Ted Staunton and Mika Song

Harry and Clare’s Amazing Staycation by Ted Staunton and Mika Song (#ownvoices)

Trapped inside at home due to rain, Harry and Clare use their vivid imaginations to have lots of fun adventures—well, fun for Clare who has a lot of opinions about how the adventures should go and somehow manages to find a way to eat Harry’s snack every day. On the day they get to go the park, Clare realizes they forgot snacks and wants to go home, but Harry has squirreled snacks away in his pockets, and uses them to negotiate a more equal partnership in their playtime. Clever, imaginative, and fun, but probably best for older groups who will understand the dynamics of the story.

Themes/topics: snacks, imagination, siblings, playtime, bossiness

Sample text:

“Watch out for umpire bats,” whispered Clare, “and hop quietly. The hippo is sleeping.” She jumped, clunk, over the sandbox. Harry had an idea. He kept it to himself.

“We are looking for a sunken ship guarded by a monster octopus,” Clare went on. “We’d better ride our Kimono dragons so we can go faster.” Harry rode hard to keep up. He held on to his idea.

“Duck,” Clare cried. “Elephant hummingbirds!” Then she reined in her Kimono dragon. “Oh-oh. We forgot snacks. We have to go back.”

Harry didn’t say a word. He climbed off his dragon, took something from his pocket and began to munch.

“Is that a baby carrot?” asked Clare. Harry didn’t answer. His mouth was full. 

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!