Library Resources

This column offers a monthly survey of the best books, CDs, and resources available for parents and children. Perfect for librarians and those who love children's books. Here's a recent sample:

Books on Learning to Get Along

We're in Big Trouble Blackboard Bear by Martha Alexander; Candlewick Press; Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2001 hardcover $10.99 This is another of the classic (and reissued) Blackboard Bear series, still relevant and still charming. Blackboard Bear has been taking things during the night --goldfish, honey, and blueberries. Anthony defends his good friend, but when Bear confesses they must decide what to do about this. A lovely tale with a strong moral, and the importance of restitution

Happy Birthday to You, You Belong in a Zoo by Diane deGroat; Morrow Junior Books; New York, 1999 hardcover $15.00 When Gilbert is invited to Lewis's birthday party he thinks maybe they're becoming friends. He is crushed to find out that Lewis's mom made him invite all the boys in the class, and decides to get his revenge by giving Lewis a really bad birthday present, an iron skillet. But once at the party having fun, he begins to wish he had brought a real gift. Happily, his mother knew best, and substituted a toy spaceship. Gilbert comes home happy and relieved. His father uses the skillet to make apple pancakes.

Learning to Get Along series from Free Spirit Publishing; Minneapolis, MN softcover $10.95. There are several excellent books in this series which focus on social skills for young children. At the end there are several activities which parents and preschool teachers can use to encourage and practice the gentle lessons contained in the book. Titles include: Be Polite and Kind; Join In and Play; Listen and Learn; Share and Take Turns; Understand and Care; and When I Feel Afraid.

Mo's Stinky Sweater by David Bedford; illustrated by Edward Eaves; Hyperion Books for Children; New York, 2003 hardcover $14.99 Mo loves his rainbow colored sweater. He loves it so much that he refuses to take it off to be washed. His mom and other animal adults end up in a tug of war with little Mo and the other animal children. And they all end up in the water, and the sweater gets washed clean. But the tugging has stretched it way out of shape. Not to worry, Mo decides to use it as a hammock for sleeping.

Something Might Happen by Helen Lester; illustrated by Lynn Munsinger; Houghton Mifflin Company; Boston, MA, 2003 hardcover $15.00 Twitchly is a sloth (the animal), a terrified sloth. No matter what the situation, Twitchly finds something to scare him. When Aunt Bridget Fidget drops in, she takes matters in hand, and Twitchly is happily astounded to discover...nothing bad happens!

When I Feel Jealous by Cornelia Maude Spelman; illustrated by Kathy Parkinson; Albert Whitman & Company; Morton Grove, IL, 2003 hardcove. The little bear explains what it feels like to be jealous, what makes her experience that uncomfortable emotion, and what she does to help make herself feel better.

Whose Garden Is It? by Mary Ann Hoberman; illustrated by Jane Dyer; Gulliver Books (Harcourt, Inc.) San Diego, CA, 2004 hardcover $16.00 Who owns that beautiful garden? Is it the gardener who carefully tends it? The animals who live in it? The creatures who eat the leaves, vegetables, and flowers? Maybe it's the plants? Or the sun that shines down? Whose garden do you think it is? A lovely way to encourage children to see things through the eyes and experiences of others.

Pinduli by Janell Cannon; Harcourt Children's Books; San Diego, California, 2004 hardcover, $16 Pinduli is a young hyena who goes off exploring but everywhere she goes the other animals laugh at her. The wild dogs make fun of her saying she looks like an elephant so she tries to hide her ears. The lion criticizes her coat. And so it goes. After each encounter the little hyena felt worse and worse about who she was, trying to change her appearance until at last she looked nothing like herself. Of course, there's the happy ending in which the other animals learn how hurtful their comments had been. The book describes all the kinds of hyenas and some of the other species of animals.

The Worm Family by Tony Johnston; illustrated by Stacy Innerst; Harcourt Children's Books; San Diego, California, 2004 hardcover $16 The Worm family rejoiced in who they were. "Whenever they saw one another, they embraced, exclaiming, 'Oh, joy! We're Worms!'" But no matter where they tried to live, the other creatures would be mean, throwing things at them and saying unkind things. The Worm family would move on singing their splendid Worm song: "We are Worms and we are proud! We are long and we are LOUD!" One day they decide to stay put. They were enjoying their new lives, until new neighbors came pounding on the door. Bracing themselves they sang their Worm song. But the new neighbors welcomed them and joined in their dance of jubilation. This charming and exuberant book makes it easy to identify with the Worm family and celebrate their acceptance by the neighbors.

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