Picture Books and Easy Readers
Selected by Cindy Robertson, Reference & Youth Services Librarian.
Scheduled to be published in the Times Union on 6/2006.
| Title: Eating Up Gladys Author: Zemach, Margot Publisher: Arthur A. Levine 2005 For Ages 4-8. After an evening of being ordered around by their bossy big sister, Hilda and Rose decide to have her for dinner—literally. They pull out lots of sweet things (to make Gladys taste better) and drag out a huge pot amidst plenty of conspiratorial giggles. In a humorous twist, an angry Gladys manages to get herself stuck in the pot. Now it’s up to Hilda and Rose to prove they can do grown up things too. This is a funny, accurately voiced book about sibling rivalry without a single touch of condescension. |
| Title: Fancy Nancy Author: O'Connor, Jane Publisher: HarperCollins 2006 For Ages 3-8. A little girl bemoans the fact that no one in her family is fancy like herself, so she offers lessons. Soon Nancy’s whole family is decked out in boas, feathers, flowers and sunglasses. She is thrilled when dad takes them all out to dinner and they remember to stick out their pinky fingers when eating (pizza). A disastrous spill spoils the elegance of our heroine, but at the end of the day she realizes that there are no fancier words than “I love you” to give to the parents who spent their day being everything she wanted them to be. Olivia, move over—Nancy is in town! |
| Title: The Adventures of Old Bo Bear Author: Schertle, Alice Publisher: Chronicle 2006 For Ages 4-8. Old Bo Bear gets washed and loses an ear, but it only takes a full day of imaginative play to get him looking like his dear old dirty self. Schertle tells this tale with rhyming verse, but it is David Parkins’ illustrations that bring life to the adventures of a little boy and his teddy bear. |
| Title: A Grand Old Tree Author: DePalma, Mary Newell Publisher: Arthur A. Levine 2006 For Ages 4-8. A gentle book about the life cycle of a tree, DePalma’s story touches not only the cycles of seasons and tree-dwelling creatures, but also the cycle of life in general. The anthropomorphized tree eventually dies but “she” remains a home to creatures and plants (doing a different job) until finally all that is left are her grandchildren. This is a thoughtful story and possibly a comforting one for young children. |
| Title: Super Fly Guy! Author: Arnold, Tedd Publisher: Cartwheel Books 2006 For Ages 5-9. This easy reader is the second of Arnold’s “Fly Guy” series (Hi, Fly Guy! 2005). Buzz’s pet fly comes to school with him and finds a kind spirit in the lunch lady, Roz. When Roz is fired, Buzz and Fly Guy must come up with a plan to save her and put edible lunches back on the menu. Funny, mildly gross and full of slapstick humor and puns, Fly Guy continues to tickle the funny bones of his readers. Don’t miss this one! |