May 2015 Titles for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers: A Month of Discovery!May 1st, 2015 | Posted by in Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers | 2014-2015 | May
Max discovers the moon is a constant companion on the drive home from his Granpa’s house. “The long ride home was swervy-curvy. This way and that, all the way. And the moon seemed to tag along.” Wonderful word choice chronicles Max’s journey home with the moon overhead, until “Dark clouds tumbled across the night sky.” The moon his Granpa said would always shine for him has disappeared. But as he’s falling asleep, the clouds fade and the moon returns. Floyd Cooper captures the magic of the moon and a grandparent to a small child in this picture book about a young African American boy. Cooper’s hallmark illustration style is especially adept at reflecting the wonder of moonlit landscapes. Highly Commended, 2014 Charlotte Zolotow Award © Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Start a conversation with children about the Max and the Tag-Along Moon:
1. How does Max feel when he says goodbye to Grandpa?
2. Why can’t Max see the moon? Why does the moon disappear in the story?
3. Find the arrows on Max’s ride home.
Wait! Wait! by Hatsue Nakawaki. Translated from the Japanese by Yuki Kaneko. Illustrated by Komako Sakai. U.S. edition: Enchanted Lion, 2013.
A series of typical toddler encounters are captured in a few simple lines of text accompanying illustrations that excel at depicting both the fascination and frustration that are part of a toddler’s experience. The story is told in pairs of page spreads. Over the course of the picture book, the young child on the cover notices a butterfly, a lizard, and two pigeons. “Wait! Wait!” But just as the child gets closer, the creatures flutter or wiggle or flap away. Help finally comes in the form of a grown-up, who picks the child up to ride, shoulder-high. Hatsue Nakawaki’s art has a nostalgic but not sentimental feel, and masterfully reflects the physical relationship of small children to the world around them. There is rich word choice in the spare text. © Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Engage children during or after reading Wait! Wait! with these prompts:
1. Where did the animals go?
2. Point to the flowers.
3. Which animals can fly?
Niño Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales. A Neal Porter Book / Roaring Brook Press, 2013.
A young, masked, underwear-clad boy takes on one opponent after another as he imagines the toys strewn on his floor as full-size wrestling rivals. Luckily, Niño has a series of patented moves to guarantee victory. He does in the Guanajuato Mummy with the Tickle Tackle. Olmec Head is defeated by the Puzzle Muzzle move. And El Chamuco is ruined with the Popsickle Slick. But the ticking clock warns of coming dread: “His sisters’ nap is over. Time for Niño to tangle with Las Hermanitas!” Has Niño met his match in these two darling, diaper-clad girls? A vibrant picture book that integrates Spanish words and expressions into the English text is a dynamic and engaging portrait of a child’s pretend play. Full of energy and humor, Yuyi Morales’s words and pictures will have young readers and listeners cheering. An author’s note provides information about Lucha libre, a “theatrical, action-packed style of professional wrestling that’s popular throughout Mexico and many Spanish-speaking countries.” Niño’s story is rich with specific cultural references but universal in appeal. Among the elements adding to the fun are endpapers offering profiles of Niño and all his opponents. Highly Commended, 2014 Charlotte Zolotow Award (MS) ©2013 Cooperative Children’s Book Center.
Continue the fun and adventure of reading Niño Wrestles the World with these questions:
1. How do you use your imagination when you play?
2. Do you pretend to be other people or characters? Who do you like to pretend to be?
3. The author attended the Lucha Libre wrestling matches with her dad when she was a little girl. Is there some special activity you like to do with a family member?
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