by Herve Tullet

Electronics, once again, top the charts in sales this holiday season! We live in an electronic world, with children playing on their iTouch, iPad, iPhone, Android, Nintendo DS, PSP, Kindle, XBox, or Wii, to name a few.

Put down the electronics because ,with great pleasure, I would like to introduce you to a picture book that is sure to capture the attention of any child. It is so interactive that it is hard to believe that the experience it offers comes from old fashioned printed pages!

In this creative book, Press Here, Herve Tullet, invites his readers to “press here and turn the page”…who can resist not to? With that, the journey begins! Children are easily engaged as they are instructed to press the dots, blow on the pages, shake the pages, tilt the book and more to wonder what will happen next. Readers are amused as they watch the dots multiply, change in color, change in size, switch their order and so on.

As if the excitement of action and reaction weren’t enough, the reader is rewarded for following directions with positive comments encouraging them to continue. Great! Well Done! Fabulous! Bravo! Who wouldn’t want to keep going?

The reader is exposed to the concept of left and right. “”Rub the dot on the left”..as it changes from yellow to red. “Rub the dot on the right” as it changes from yellow to blue. The reader gets exposure to counting..”Five taps on the yellow dot” and watch as the dots multiply. There is exposure to color as they are instructed to press only on certain colored dots. Two dots happen to switch places which introduces the concept of patterns. Can you find them?

Shake the book…the dots scatter. Tilt the book…the dots slide. Clap your hands..the dots grow bigger and bigger. This unique picture book is so interactive it is hard to believe that it is just a book. It definitely utilizes the power of imagination and leaves children and adults wanting to read it again and again. Luckily, the pages are thick and high in quality to endure frequent and repeated use!

Your children will not be disappointed by putting down their electronics for this printed adventure!

by Keith Baker

“No two snowflakes are alike,

almost, almost

…..but not quite”

Take a journey with two adventurous birds through a snow fallen forest. Explore the wintery landscape to discover that “no two are alike”…from branches and leaves to forests and trees. This book has very simple yet poetic verse which makes it a wonderful read a loud that is sure to capture the attention of all children. It is a beautiful depiction of the uniqueness of everyone and everything around us. A sweet affirmation of how we are all “one of a kind” and how individuality is a part of life. What a nice way to celebrate differences and applaud uniqueness.

“No two friends, large or small, no two alike among you all?”

“Are we the same, just alike?

almost, almost

….but not quite.

I highly recommend that you add this to your reading list this winter!

Written and Illustrated by Kaethe Zemach

This is a treasure of a children’s book to remind us about being thankful for what we have and remind us of the dangers of wanting MORE.

Is it possible to have too much?

“Simon the Fiddler had a cozy little house and everything he needed.” He had a bed to give him the rest he needed, food to keep him from going hungry, clothes to keep him warm and friends to keep him from being lonely.

“For a long time, Simon was perfectly happy. He took care of his house and spent time with his friends. But one day, Simon looked around his little house and thought, “I don’t have enough.”  “I WANT MORE!”

So, Simon starting accumulating more chairs, and more toys, and more hats…until…. his house got so crowded he could barely move.

Simon missed his simple life  and cried, “I have TOO MUCH!”

What does he do with all of his newly acquired possessions in order to restore the simplicity he once enjoyed ? You must read the book to find out. But, one thing is for sure, readers young and old will delight in this whimsical tale of having too much. It is a wonderful story about  getting and giving.

Warning: it may spark discussions about the joys of friendships, sharing, greed and much more.

Aside from the literary content, enjoy the  beautiful watercolor illustrations with vibrant colors that bring such life to his cozy stone cottage. The artwork goes from simple and peaceful to abundance and clutter and back to simple again. A true depiction of the story.

This is the perfect time of year to share this book with young audiences everywhere. May it remind us to be thankful for what we have. Let the moral of this story also remain in our minds throughout the holiday season as we give and receive!

Enjoy the story and cheers to the simplicities of life!

Translated from the Japanese by Susan Matsui

Have you ever experienced the joy of watching a child do something all by themselves for the very first time? Whether it be learning how to hold their own bottle, feed themselves, tie their own shoe, ride a bike, learn how to sound out a word…All moments of growth in a childhood that mark a sense of  independence and pride. A Bear’s Autumn is a tender story about a child’s “firsts” and a mother’s role in facilitating a few of  life’s lessons.

Mother Bear and her baby bear sit along the river’s edge waiting for the Salmon to swim by. Patience is the first lesson taught as Baby Bear eagerly says,”Will they come? Will they really come?” and his mother calmly responds, “Yes, of course they will.”  Next lesson, courage and determination as the Mother Bear dives in beneath the water and comes up with a big salmon in her mouth. Baby Bear comes over to her and her response is, “Go catch one for yourself”.

How easy would it be for the mother to just give the baby bear the salmon? One of life’s biggest lessons is unveiled: independence, accountability for self, and the ability to be resourceful. Sure enough, Baby Bear rises to the occasion and attempts to catch his own salmon. Not successful at first, Baby bear exhibits bravery and determination as he tries and tries again.

Alas, the triumph and pride...

“Baby Bear eats salmon for the first time in his life. How good it tastes, the salmon he has caught all by himself!”

Complete with woodblock print illustrations reflective of autumn and the colored leaves, this beautiful books brings to mind the Chinese Proverb,

“Give a man a fish and you  feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Illustrator: David Roberts

“Young Iggy Peck is an architect and has been since he was two, when he built a great tower-in only an hour- with nothing but                 diapers and glue.”

Thus begins the rhythmic tale with expressive illustrations of Iggy Peck, Architect. Iggy has one great passion and that is..building! This story is sure to charm creative children everywhere. Iggy exudes creativity and self expression! Both parents and children alike are amused with Iggy and his choice of buildings and building materials. From a tower of dirty diapers to churches and chapels made from peaches and apples..each page is sure to delight.

Tradgedy strikes when Iggy meets his second grade teacher, Miss Lila Greer. Unfortunately, they are a terrible match. When she when she was 7, she got lost on the 95th floor on an architect’s tour and was found 2 days later on an elevator. Enters the conflict, her fear imprint vs. his creative passion. She bans him from building anything in school!

“With no chance to build, his interest was killed.”  His stifled creativity made learning a bore. Until…..

The class went on a fieldtrip to a small island and as they crossed the footbridge, it collapsed causing  Ms. Greer to faint. Gasp! No need to fear, Iggy was near to dream up an exciting plan. He gathered his class and they stretched supplies that they had from ridge to ridge in efforts to create a  new bridge. Problem solved with a little ingenuity and creativity! Ms. Greer came to and was impressed by the sight and pleased that they would be alright.

In conclusion,  Ms. Greer changed her outlook on architecture and now every week they have a guest speaker “in T-shirt and sneakers, who talks of buildings from Rome to Quebec”….the one and only Iggy Peck!

As we head back to school, let this book remind us that there is a lot to be learned from multiple intelligences and that we should not be stifled by limited learning modalities.

Back by special request.. Pre K Scholars will, again, be featuring a Book of the Month! Hope you enjoy September’s Pick. For more commentaries, check out the  ”Mom Talk” section of our website http:// blog.prekscholars.com/

If April showers are in your forecast, then it’s imperative that you read James And The Rain with your tots! With expanded text and updated illustrations the 1957 out-of-print copy has been revived!

“James pressed his nose against the pane and saw a million drops of rain.
The earth was wet, the sky was gray, it looked like it would rain all day.”

But a downpour does not discourage James—rather, he grabs his bright yellow raincoat and a gigantic umbrella and sets out on an adventure. He meets up with animals. Do they know of any excellent rainy day games? The animals are encountered in numerically ordered sets, making this classic story a counting book in it’s own right. From one cow, two ducks, three toads…and many more. They splash and slip and puddle jump!

Karla Kuskin uses whimsical text filled with lots of rhyming and repetition, engaging the reader from start to finish. James and the Rain is also filled with wonderful vocabulary words not to be missed.

In celebration of A Week, the alphabet and ABC books everywhere

Did you ever notice that letters don’t always look the same?

“Blocky or small. Thick or tall. Roundish, slope-y, Fancy, or dopey. Letters look different in all different places, That’s because they have different typefaces!” With an alligator made of aaa’s—to a zebra made of zzz’s, alphabeasties uses a multitude of typefaces to create a beautiful and creative ABC book.

This book teaches it’s readers, big or small, about the world of typography and the design of different fonts and letters. Adults and children will both be engaged with the ingenuity as you are able to lift the flaps to reveal the different “beasties” that correspond to particular letters of the alphabet.

The alphabethas never been more interesting! Welcome to the world of fonts!

Most of us recognized yesterday as Valentine’s Day, but it was also the first day of the Chinese New Year. In celebration, this month’s book review focuses on Ruby’s Wish, an endearing story of the Chinese New Year that provides wonderful insights into Chinese culture and particular customs. It’s a must read to children everywhere.

The main character in Ruby’s Wish is a little girl named Ruby who defies all of the social norms for typical Chinese girls. She has a wealthy grandfather who hires a tutor for all of his grandchildren, which means that Ruby is able to be educated, though the story takes place in a time in Chinese history when girls were taught to cook and keep house, not to receive a formal education.

Instead of aspiring to get married, Ruby is determined to grow up and go to University. This is Ruby’s wish, and she displays the determination and hard work needed to make her wish come true.

Follow along as Ruby celebrates Chinese New Year visiting the homes of many of her family members, ending at the home of her grandfather. She bows before him: “Good luck and prosperity, Grandfather.”

“Good luck, little Ruby,” replies her grandfather as he hands her a very fat red packet. Instead of containing money as Ruby expects, the packet contains a letter from a university saying they would be happy to accept Ruby as one of their very first female students. Her hard work paid off!

Ruby’s Wish is such a warm and heartfelt story—especially when you learn that Ruby happens to be the author’s grandmother and that this is a true story! Start the Year of the Tiger off with this remarkably inspiring story. Gung hay fat choy!

A new year has begun, and for many of us that means new beginnings and new dreams. Twelve fresh months ahead—what will we do with them?

In the decision and planning process, we get to utilize one of the greatest gifts we are given: our imagination! As this relates to children, pick up the book, For Just One Day, written by Laura Leuck and illustrated by Marc Boutavant. You and your child will not be disappointed by the places your imagination travels in this creative story, which urges children to imagine what it would be like to be a particular animal FOR JUST ONE DAY!

“For just one day, I’d like to be a busy, buzzing…” (turn the page) “…bee! The flowers would belong to me, if I could be a bumblebee.” “Or maybe I’ll just flutter by and be a monarch…” (turn the page) “…butterfly! I’d fly down low, I’d fly up high, if I could be a butterfly.”

What child hasn’t pretended to be an animal either physically, emotionally or characteristically? This book captures many different animals while adding vivid text and illustrative descriptors; it is designed in such a way that the child has to turn the page to find the answer as to what animal is being imagined. And there is a built-in guessing game with rhythmic clues and vocabulary enhancement, which captures a child’s attention immediately!

The illustrations are not to be missed—on the pages where the child is imagining the animal, the illustrations are simple and softer in color. Turn the page and you get the animals in there habitat, pictured creatively and full of vibrant color! The illustrations leave room for some very creative discussions with your child.

Grab this book, sit down with your child and let your imaginations soar for just one day!

I believe that the more animated you are in reading to your children, the more engrossed they will become in the story. This holiday season, I recommend reading Don and Audrey Wood’s Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear! to your children—the animation in your voice will come naturally as you become the narrator, conversing with a very responsive and precious little mouse. You are sure to capture your child’s attention on page one and it will be held until the very end of the story!

On each page the little mouse depicts a different emotion. The illustrations are captivating; it helps that the mouse is so expressive! It’s impressive to see the emotional progression of the mouse grasping the true meaning of Christmas.

The story begins in the mouse’s house with all of his Christmas trimmings. His tree is adorned with lights and ornaments and surrounded with “lots of presents” for himself. But with the mention of the “big, hungry bear in the cold, dark cave at the top of the hill,” the mouse is terrified. He then becomes pensive as he tries to figure out how to save his presents from the bear—who LOVES Christmas presents. It’s comical to see what lengths he will go to in order to guard his gifts (nailing his door shut, placing tacks all over the floor and much more). A little selfishness as he wants his presents for himself.

Next comes compassion, with the mention that the bear never gets any presents, not even from Santa Claus! The sweet mouse sheds tears for the bear’s solitude and comes up with a plan: With a compassionate, brave heart he dresses up as Santa, loads up his decorations and his gifts and ventures through the snow to the bear’s house. He decorates Bear’s tree and leaves all of his gifts; to his surprise, Bear also leaves a very large present out for him. The gift of friendship is revealed!

When you get to The End, don’t be surprised to hear, “Read it again!”

Merry Christmas!