Patricia Polacco

ages 5-105

Patricia Polacco has such a beautiful way of recording history. Her books share her family history in a way that is engaging and relevant for people of all ages. She has brought her personal experiences of growing up and made them into timeless picture books. And the books that she has written that are not her own family's stories, are historic and accurate and well-worth reading and preserving. Others are just sweet and enjoyable. Her stories are moving and have incredibly important lessons for life, no matter what generation. They teach of compassion, service, love, unity, and the struggles of growing up. She writes descriptively and beautifully but her books can be a bit long for the antsy little one. However, I have spotted a few of her books in simplified board book versions, which would be a great way to share her books with younger listeners.

She has a few Christmas books that I love and are must-haves in your Christmas library. I know you'll love them, and soon consider them as classic Christmas traditions in your family. Check her out and enjoy!

My Favorites By Patricia Polacco:

Pink and Say (*Black History)
January's Sparrow (*Black History)
The Bee Tree
Chicken Sunday
Applemanda's Dreams
Just Plain Fancy
Thunder Cake
The Keeping Quilt
Rechenka's Eggs
Picnic at Mudsock Meadow
Emma Kate
Betty Doll
The Butterfly
Thank You, Mr. Falker
Welcome Comfort (*Christmas)
Uncle Vova's Tree (*Christmas)
Christmas Tapestry (*Christmas)
An Orange for Frankie (*Christmas)

Check Out Her Website:

www.patriciapolacco.com/

Kevin Henkes

ages 0-9+, teens
Perhaps my love of Kevin Henkes' books comes from my many years teaching and how so many of his books involve school, teachers, friends, and dealing with the issues that come with being a kid. My favorites of his are his Mouse Books. The drawings are sweet, the characters lively, and the problems relevant. Chrysanthemum is a personal favorite of mine. Kevin Henkes has written a Caldecott winner, a Caldecott honor, as well as a Newbery honor. His story lines are fun and kids love his characters. Pick up a few of his books to kick off back to school this year.
For the teens in your life, Kevin Henkes also has a variety of novels that he has written. I have not yet read any of them but have heard of many of them and think they would be worth looking into. You can learn more about them on his website.
And for the little one in your life, many of Henkes' books come in board books are are colorful and simple reads. Don't forget to check the board book section for Kevin Henkes.

My Favorites By Kevin Henkes:
Chrysanthemum
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse
Lilly's Big Day
Owen
Julius, the Baby of the World
Chester's Way
Wemberly Worried
Sheila Rae, the Brave
A Weekend With Wendell
Kitten's First Full Moon

Check Out His Website:
www.kevinhenkes.com

Seymour Simon

ages 5- 12+
The nonfiction books in my classroom library were always the first ones to fall apart and need frequent repair. My students never let them sit on the shelf unnoticed for very long, especially the boys. Kids are fascinated by the content and pictures in nonfiction books, and so many nonfiction picture books are forgotten and under-used by parents and teachers. Seymour Simon has had an amazingly long and successful career as a nonfiction children's author. He has written 250 books for kids on a wide range of science topics. Some of his books are illustrated, but my favorites are the photography books. He uses pictures that are large, colorful, descriptive, and breath-takingly beautiful. All of his books are thorough, accurate, and well-written for kids. He writes about everything from animals to the human brain. I would especially recommend these books for a reluctant boy reader. However, be aware that these are not simple books to expect them to read on their own. The vocabulary is sophisticated, and nonfiction books are written in different styles and formats than fiction. These books are a great motivational tool to help their interest in reading stay high. Be sure to read to or with your beginning or reluctant reader so they don't get lost or frustrated. Go check out a stack of these books from the library and enjoy being fascinated along with your kids.

My Favorites From Seymour Simon:
Any topic your child is interested in learning about is a good one to pick up and read!

Check Out His Website:
www.seymourscience.com

Alan Katz

ages 1-12+
April is poetry month. So read some poetry with your kids. One poet who I have found has spell-binding power with kids of all ages is Alan Katz. His poems are unique because they are set to the tune of popular, well-known songs. For example, his poem Take Me Out of the Bathtub, is set to the tune of Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Not only are they unique, but Katz's poems are extremely funny and easy for kids to relate to. My third graders wanted to sing them for music time, my first graders begged for the book and argued over who got to read it next, my one-year-old digs through hundreds of other books until he finds the Bathtub book and pulls it out for me to read to him multiple times every day. Trust me, your kids will be reading these books over and over again (until you know the songs by heart). And the great thing about that is that each time they re-read it they are practicing and building better fluency in their reading. The icing on the cake with Katz's books is that they are illustrated by David Catrow, whose bizare and quirky drawings top it all of perfectly!
Katz also has some other children's books, aside from his songbooks, which I am not familiar with. However, if you have older elementary kids, I'd give them a chance and see what other crazy things he has come up with.

My Favorites By Alan Katz:
Take Me Out of the Bathtub
I'm Still Here in the Bathtub
Where Did They Hide My Presents? (Christmas Songs)

Check Out His Website:
www.alankatzbooks.com

Faith Ringgold

Ages 6-12+
In honor of black history month, pick up a book by Faith Ringgold with your young readers. Her books address the serious issues of slavery, racism, the underground railroad, as well as heroes such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. She retains a sensitivity toward young readers who may be just digesting this information for the first time, yet doesn't shy away from the sad truths. She has an over-arching theme of hope and dreams in her literature and artwork. Her stories help readers to understand the struggles of those in the past, as well as how they can overcome their own struggles, or at least appreciate how small their struggles may really be.
Ringgold's art is extremely unique. She is a quilter and many of her illustrations are done in this media. She is well known for her story quilts, which are quilts that she sews, paints, and writes on. I find her words inspiring and her art uplifting. I'm so glad she decided to share her art and her voice with the world of children's literature.

My Favorites By Faith Ringgold:
Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky
My Dream of Martin Luther King
The Invisible Princess
If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks
Tar Beach
Dinner at Aunt Connie's House

Check Out Her Website:
www.faithringgold.com

Jan Brett

Ages 0-10+
I love Jan Brett this time of year because so many of her books have that warm, cozy, holiday feel. Her art is so detailed and careful and her stories are so fun and interesting, that children from many ages can fall in love with her work. Many of her books are available in a board book version so be sure to check that area in the library and book store when looking to read to infants and toddlers. Jan is a fun author to study because she has so many books. She has traveled around the world and brings the flavor of different countries and stories to life for little ones. Her website is full of fun games, activities, coloring pages, printables, videos and more. After reading her books, visit her website with your child and print pictures of the story characters for retelling. Retelling is a fun and interactive way to help your child practice many sophisticated comprehension strategies. You be one of the characters and help model for them so they learn how to retell. Cut out the characters and glue them on popsicle sticks so your little one can play with the story over and over again. You can even help your child send Jan Brett an e-mail. I have e-mailed her in the past, and received a personal response. This is a fun way for your child to become more deeply involved with her stories. Have them come up with a few questions to ask her and see how she responds! She also travels around the country frequently so keep track of where she is heading so you can go see her and get your child's book autographed when she's in your area.
Pick up some of her Christmas books this holiday season and enjoy!

Christmas Books By Jan Brett:
Christmas Treasury
Christmas Trolls
The Wild Christmas Reindeer
Who's That Knocking On Christmas Eve?
The Twelve Days of Christmas
The Night Before Christmas

My Favorites By Jan Brett:
The Mitten
The Hat
The Gingerbread Baby
The Umbrella
Daisy Comes Home
Hedgie's Surprise
Berlioz the Bear
Honey... Honey... Lion!
On Noah's Ark
Town Mouse, Country Mouse

Check Out Her Website:
www.janbrett.com

Ian Falconer

Ages 0-8+
Ian Falconer is the genius behind the Olivia books. Olivia is a mischievous and hyper pig with a wild imagination. Personality is just oozing from her. Falconer has the amazing ability in both his art and writing that he can be simple and understated, yet create such a strong character and witty stories. Olivia books are funny and quick-paced for kids like Olivia. The Olivia books are some of my favorite in my entire children's literature collection. I am so excited that Falconer recently came out with a Christmas book, Olivia Helps with Christmas. I can't wait to go get my own copy for the upcoming holidays. For the littlest of readers, there is a collection of Olivia books in board books. Shockingly, I don't own any of these (yet) so I can't recommend them except I don't think you can go wrong when it comes to Olivia.

My Favorites By Ian Falconer:
Olivia
Olivia Saves the Circus
Olivia and the Missing Toy
Olivia Forms a Band
Olivia Helps with Christmas

Check Out His (Her!) Website:
www.oliviathepiglet.com

Chris Van Allsburg

Ages 7+
Chris Van Allsburg is an AMAZING artist and storyteller. His picture books are full of mystery, suspense and science fiction. They are not best suited for little ones, however you could read Z was Zapped and a few others to younger readers. Although he is best known for his beloved Christmas book, The Polar Express, most of Van Allsburg's books are perfect for reading in October, with the mystery and eeriness that his books are full of. Welcome the autumn season in by reading The Widow's Broom and The Stranger. His illustrations are so incredible, you really have to spend more time looking at the pictures than reading the words. He captures so many emotions and leaves the reader thinking all the time. When you pick up these books for your child, make sure you read them together and discuss what happened in the book. Read it more than once and reinforce what you discussed. He leaves a lot of clues and children have to use inferencing to figure out exactly what went on. Inference is a sophisticated and important comprehension skill that good readers need to develop. Chris Van Allsburg is a great way to practice that skill with your child. His books are so fun! I promise you'll enjoy them as much as your child.

My Favorites By Chris Van Allsburg:
The Stranger
The Sweetest Fig
Two Bad Ants
The Widow’s Broom
The Z was Zapped
The Garden of Abdul Gasazi
Jumanji
Just a Dream
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
The Polar Express

Check Out His Website:
www.chrisvanallsburg.com

Mother Goose

Ages 0-7+
Yes, I know you know her, but be honest... how often do you read Mother Goose to your kids? An amazingly few number of kindergartners and first graders are familiar with Mother Goose poems. They don't know poetry, and if they have heard it they don't know it by heart. Poems are such a great tool to help little ones learn to hear the rhythm and rhyme of our language. These are incredibly important components of building language and reading skills. Your preschooler should be able to recite several of their favorite Mother Goose poems, and be very familiar with many, many more. That's how you'll know if you're reading enough poetry to them. Plus, it takes you back to your own childhood. The funny thing is I bet you never realized how twisted many of the poems are. They take on a whole new meaning as an adult reader! Mother Goose poems are short, they have wonderful rhythm and rhyme and they help your child build the background knowledge that they will use through their entire career as a reader. Please, please, read Mother Goose to your kids! Any collection of Mother Goose will do, but here are a few of my favorites.

My Favorite Collections of Mother Goose:
Tomie dePaola
Sylvia Long
Arnold Lobel
Blanche Fisher Wright
Rosemary Wells
Mary Engelbreit
*Most of these are also available in a board book version for your younger listeners.

Gail Gibbons

ages 3-10+
I am a huge fan of Gail Gibbons because she makes nonfiction accessible to the very young. Children of all ages love hearing about how the world works but it can often be difficult to find a book to read to a 3-year-old that they can understand and still uses sophisticated vocabulary. Gail has mastered this area. She has published over 130 picture books on almost every nonfiction topic imaginable. She explains plants, animals, ecosystems, weather, inventions, space, holidays, seasons, occupations, locations, and the list goes on. Her books are illustrated by her clear, colorful and child-friendly artwork.
Hearing and reading nonfiction books helps kids get used to the unique features of this genre. It is crucial that children start being exposed to these types of books at a young age. Point out some of these differences as you read with your child. For example, discuss why some of the words are in bold type, some of the pictures are labeled with words and that some of the pictures have captions explaining what is being shown. Your child will quickly internalize the elements of nonfiction and begin to use them in their own reading experiences.

My Favorites By Gail Gibbons:
Apples
Christmas Is...
Frogs
From Seed to Plant
Halloween
Monarch Butterfly
Penguins
Polar Bears
Pumpkins
Sea Turtles
Stargazers
The Moon Book
The Honey Makers
(But really I highly recommend them all!)

Check Out Her Website:
www.gailgibbons.com

Mo Willems

Ages 0-9+
If you have not yet discovered the pigeon books be careful, it may be the only book your 4 year old will let you read for the next week. Mo Willems has a few different series but the Pigeon books are by far my favorite. Mo's books are funny to kids and adults. They are simple and complex at the same time. Start with Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and go from there. His newest pigeon book is, The Pigeon Wants a Puppy which I instantly fell in love with. While teaching, I had to get a new copy of Mo's books every year because they were too worn out by my first graders. They read them over and over, and always used plenty of enthusiasm. Kids love his books!
Mo has a series for beginning readers called Elephant and Piggie. I haven't actually read any of these books, however I know that they are written at a basic level for new readers. Based on his other books, I'd give them a try if you have a 5-9 year old.

My Favorites From Mo Willems:
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
The Pigeon Wants a Hot Dog
Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy
The Pigeon Loves Things That Go (Board Book)
Knuffle Bunny
Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct

Check Out His Website:
www.mowillems.com

Mem Fox

Ages 0-9+
Mem Fox is not as readily recognized as many children's authors because she does not do her own illustrations. Each of her picture books has a unique flavor because of the different styles of artists that have illustrated her work. She is best known for her bedtime story, Time for Bed. Her books are almost musical, so they make a wonderful read aloud. They are full of interesting vocabulary, rhythm, rhyme and stories of the human experience. Some of her books are appropriate for infants and are even available in board books. Others are a bit longer and more for preschool or elementary aged kids.
Mem Fox is from Australia and so many of her characters are Australian animals, eat Australian food and visit Australian cities. Visit Mem's website to hear her read a few of her stories in her great Australian accent. She has also written a novel for parents about reading aloud to your child. It's called Reading Magic and is a must-read for anyone with small children. It's a quick read and well worth your time.
I was lucky enough to hear Mem speak a few years ago at a conference. I fell instantly in love with her energy and enthusiasm for life. She is a sensational children's author.

My Favorites From Mem Fox:
Koala Lou
Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge
Whoever You Are
Possum Magic
Hunwick's Egg
Shoes From Grandpa
Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild
Tough Boris
Sleepy Bears
The Magic Hat
Time For Bed
Boo to a Goose
Night Noises
Hattie and the Fox
Reading Magic (for parents)

Check Out Her Website:
www.memfox.com

Eric Carle

ages 0-9+
Eric Carle is such an easy author to fall in love with. His books appeal to a wide range of ages and cover a variety of topics. Most children know him from The Very Hungry Caterpillar but he has so many more wonderful books. One of the most appealing aspects of his books is how so many of them are repetitive and predictable. This feature may cause you to roll your eyes as your child asks you to read it for the fifth time that day, however, this is such a great tool for beginning readers. Children build confidence and feel like they can read his books before they are really able to start decoding. Many of my beginning-of-the-year first graders would return to his books over and over again because they knew they could read them. He writes about bugs, animals, plants and people. His style of collage art is unique and his use of bold colors and large shapes make his books interesting to even the littlest of readers. I have several of his books in board style and my baby started staring intently at his pictures at just a few weeks old. Eric Carle is now one of his favorite authors, at nine months of age.

My favorites from Eric Carle:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Very Busy Spider
A House for Hermit Crab
Today is Monday
From Head to Toe
Mr. Seahorse
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?
The Very Clumsy Click Beetle
Brown Bear, Brown Bear (And all the others in this series- These are written by Bill Martin, Jr. but illustrated by Eric Carle)
Rooster's Off to See the World
10 Little Rubber Ducks

Check Out His Website:
www.eric-carle.com