Lately, I have been thinking a lot about picture books. Maybe it is because I am doing preschool and baby storytimes this summer or maybe it is because I have been spending a lot of time checking in new picture books. There are so many picture books, but finding the good ones can be challenging. I have stumbled upon some new favorites.
The first two books are about a cute brown bear. Greg Foley has written and illustrated Don’t Worry Bear and Thank You Bear. The spare text and simple illustrations in these two books will appeal to young children, while somewhat older children will be more interested in how bear deals with a specific problem in each book. I have successfully shared these two books with toddlers and preschoolers.
Another one of my new favorites features a different brown bear. A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker is about a bear who wants to make his breakfast and enjoy it alone in peace. He even has a sign on his front door that says, No Visitors Allowed! No matter how hard bear tries, mouse just won’t let this happen. This book makes for a great read aloud and has a wonderful message about friendship.
As a Children’s Librarian, it is sometimes difficult to tell what children will really be perceptive to during storytime. Trial and error is what works best for me. I find that some picture books that might not appeal to my “adult” sensibilities are an absolute hit when read aloud to children. I had this experience with the Froggy books by Jonathan London. I am yet to share one of these books without soliciting a lot of laughter from my audience. A new Froggy book just arrived on our shelves, Froggy Goes to Camp, and I can’t wait to share it!
