Expand your Childrens' Book Mind!

I am writing in reaction to a recent shopping experience for a 5 year old child's birthday present. As a librarian, every time a gift-giving occasion arises, I feel responsible to produce some sort of book. Browsing around for the perfect selection is too much fun for me, probably as much fun as others may have finding a great pair of shoes, and I use any occasion (birthday, Christmas, 4th of July!, etc.) as an excuse to indulge my selfish book addiction.

In an act of uncharacteristic forethought, I started considering what book(s) this particular pre-Ker would really get a kick out of far before her birthday. No matter what the age of the recipient and what type of gift you're giving, you must always keep the receiver in mind. For example, I thought about buying a set of Spanish bingo cards to support the skills she is picking up in a Spanish immersion program. My boyfriend politely pointed out that this gift would make her parents far happier than it would make her. She'd probably toss it to the side along with the cards and envelopes as she opened presents and unintentionally break my heart. So I decided to channel my inner 5 year old.

A few selections came to mind from my days student teaching in an elementary school library. I decided to get her the following books that not only did I enjoy reading, but the youngest students went crazy over:

 

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont, Illustrated by David Catrow, 2005

Kids will love lending their voice to the sing-songy text of this book while they enjoy the creative illustrations. Catrow uses bright splashes of paint to accompany the feelings of the story. Also, there is an element of rhyme which gets early readers involved as they shout out the obvious words.

Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey (author and illustrator), 2003

Love, love, love Dogzilla! And who wouldn't? Illustrated with a mixture of photographs and paint, this book tells the story of the terrifying Dogzilla and the terror he unleashes on the citizens of Mousopolis. Clever word choice make this a funny read for all ages.

Good Boy, Fergus! by David Shannon, 2006

Kids love books about any animal, but they especially love dogs. Good Boy, Fergus! really doesn't have much of a story line, but in my experience, readers will laugh and watch charming Fergus the whole way through. And they'll try to tell you every tiny piece of information about any dog they have ever seen. The very little bit of text leaves time for comments and enjoyment of the soft and vibrant illustrations.

Now back to my shopping adventure. Everything was fine and dandy until I actually went to find these books! I figured the Beaumont book may be a bit tough to locate in your average, chain bookstore, but I had hope for the other two titles seeing as they are by Dav Pilkey, the author of the wildly popular Captain Underpants series AND winner of the 1997 Caldecott for The Paperboy, and David Shannon, a very successful picture book writer and illustrator well known for his No, David! books. Boy, was I wrong. I scoured the shelves at 3 separate book sellers, 2 large chains and one neighborhood children's bookstore, to no avail. And what I did find there was a big disappointment. 

Now don't get me wrong. I too have many wonderful memories of the classics like Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, but if I have to choose between Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?  and Where the Wild Things Are one more time (which pains me to say because I do love Maurice Sendak), I might lose it. Unfortunately, children's book selection at most stores is so limited to these classics and a few other very popular series. Everything else seems to get lost in the shuffle. If you want something a little different, you have to know what you're looking for and order it online. Where can we go to browse? Luckily, a library is a great place to start. Librarians develop their collections based on not only popularity as a store would but on reviews, educational strengths, and suggestions from other book nerds. Also, do not buy a book just because it boasts the distinction of a New York Times Bestseller. This is no indication of quality...it just means a lot of people bought it. A lot of people also watch Jersey Shore (...ahem). Read reviews from other places like School Library Journal. Check out their blogs (like this one) as well. You might also want to join an online reading community like Shelfari or GoodReads.

My final selections are what some may call early readers and (BONUS) are even funny for kids' grown up reading companions! Early readers can help kiddos transition from being read to into reading themselves. Extra bonus: they are both parts of series you can read out of order. So if you fall in love with the characters, you can join them on many more adventures.

I Spy Fly Guy! by Ted Arnold, 2009

This early reader book may give kids that big kid feeling as they flip from chapter to chapter. Lovable Buzz and his Fly Guy play hide-and-seek in this funny and colorful tale.

My Friend Is Sad by Mo Willems, 2007

Willems seems to get to the heart of what kids really want to read (i.e. pigeons driving buses in Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, 2003). In My Friend is Sad, an Elephant and Piggie book, Willems uses muted colors and simple dialogue to tell a short story about cheering up. Early readers will be able to follow along and work their way into beginner reading skills.




*Images from BarnesandNoble.com