Book Finder

Sophisticated readers will appreciate the sly humor and wordplay in the “kissin’ cousin of haiku.” Senyru focuses on everyday activities (e.g., “Freedom vanishes, as the babysitter arrives… kids are tied in nots”) complemented here by comic illustrations.

A range of forest inhabitants are presented imaginatively in a variety of poetic styles. From the “Bucktoothed Cleaver” (a beaver) to the chipmunks that invest in the “Acorn Savings Bank,” poetry and illustrations allow readers to see animals afresh.

Children everywhere enjoy similar things, celebrated here in rhymes from around the world. Some are traditional while others are by credited authors; each is accompanied by soft illustrations until it’s time to say good night (in many languages).

Dazzling watercolors turn Hughes’ short poem into an unforgettable glimpse of African American history and an emotional journey through time. A concluding note details the illustrator’s personal connection to the classic poem.

The team who created A Kick in the Head (opens in a new window) presents another appealing collection of poems in varied forms and from different time periods. All these poems shout to be shared aloud while illustrations deserve multiple looks.

A predictable rhyme leads from one baby animal to another until a child and his mama kiss “in the honey-sunny day, in the bright and breezy air.” The lively language uses lots of onomatopoeia and soft illustrations that are just right for sharing aloud.

This handsome book is presented as though the notebook of a birder. It combines haiku, information about birds, and realistic watercolors with notes. Additional brief comments conclude a book that is sure to spark continued interest.

Luminous illustrations brighten up each month of the year in this brief but evocative jaunt. The seasons come to life through rhythmic language and translucent images that beg to be shared aloud.

Recognizable sibling relationships and associated emotions come alive in dynamic poems and realistic watercolor illustrations. As irritating as brothers and sisters can be, “…I’d rather have them, than not.”

Soft illustrations reveal the animals seen as an imaginative young girl walks home to her parents. Using alliterative language, she counts from one prancing pig to ten loving llamas, and feels a part of it all.

Eeny, meeny, miney, moe! Who ate all the cookie dough? asks a mother kangaroo of other animals. No one knows, of course, until the culprit can be found quite close to home! Children will catch on to the repetition quickly and will delight in the rhyming response.

Poppa worries that the family’s old car won’t make it, but the children convince him otherwise and so begins the summer outing — a real celebration of family and fun and even the old family car!

Could the chicken’s dream of buried treasure — a treasure of cracked corn under a great pink pig — be true? His friend George thought so. And so Chicken and George set out to follow the dream. Corny jokes abound in this funny, fast fable sure to delight (as well elicit groans!).

Dramatic scratchboard illustrations add drama to the poetic riddles that encourage readers to turn the page and find out more. This is a unique and lively introduction to the animals, insects, and plants that comprise a meadow.

The familiar, lively, cumulative song entitled “And the Green Grass Grew All Around” has been refashioned. Here, word and picture show children watching birds hatch in a tree where the “green leaves grew around… and the birds went, ‘Tweedle-Dee-Dee!’”

What is summer without a rainstorm? Alliterative language and richly textured collages create a day’s play interrupted by rain — until the sun returns.

Max and his brothers play outdoors on a summer day, but Max is the first to see his dragon. When chased by a dark cloud that looks surprising like a fierce dinosaur, only a rhyme — and the breeze from the dragon’s sneeze defeats it. Textured, rounded figures and playful language combine to present this imaginative summer adventure.

Dogs say “bow-wow” in English, “goo-ow” in Spanish, “wah-wah” in French, and “wan-wan” in Japanese. But no matter where the cow lives, it says “moo!” Bright, bold, playful illustrations introduce how animals sound in different languages.

John’s music began when he listened to the music in his childhood. Semi-abstract illustrations vivify sound-filled poetry, together introducing a boy who would grow up to become the great John Coltrane.

In this gentle, imaginative countdown to sleep, a child and her mother imagine how a menagerie of animals would lovingly say goodnight; that is, all except the sloth and her cub. Rich language swirls around and through warmly-hued illustrations to create a satisfying bedtime tale.

Two boys nicknamed Squirrel and Bear are best buddies. Bear’s rhyming narration chronicles how they play outside all year round — swimming, splashing in puddles, rolling in snow, and more. Lighthearted illustrations recount the boys’ mutual affection and their play.

Sturdy pages are used to introduce the alphabet and more. Alliteration, folding flaps, and added textures create a lively, appealing, humorous menagerie in word and illustration.

Short verse and dynamic woodcut illustration combine to reveal characteristics of farm animals, from rooster to rabbit with lots in between. Allusions are intriguing and playful (“The Bees/Tell their story,/sweet and old./It begins in clover;/it ends in gold.”) and may inspire other activities.

A young child’s world is presented in a variety of poems, each illustrated with verve and humor. The large pages support the well-organized collection sure to be appreciated by young children and the adults who share the poems with them.