St. Mary's Good Reading Guide, Summer 2020 - For Rising Preschool, Prekindergarten and Kindergartners
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St. Mary’s
Good Reading Guide,
Summer 2020
For Rising Preschool,
Prekindergarten and KindergartnersHi there! Welcome and thanks for reading! Ahead of us is a most unusual
summer, in large part because this is a time when everyone wonders what the future will
hold, not just children. In this tentative time, may I offer some stories? Children and adults
alike benefit from a routine that includes cozy time and children especially benefit from a
routine storytime with their grownups. Even in the most normal of times this is true, but
now it is even more so.
How do we make a success of storytime? Number one is to just do it. Number two
is to let children follow their curiosity. They are developing early literacy skills by being
read to and by watching you read, too. Allowing them some choice will only make them
that much more excited about reading together. Don’t be afraid to try a longer kid’s book
broken into several days’ worth of reading. Just make it a habit and years and years later,
you’ll know the difference you made. Kids who are read to regularly are statistically more
likely to enter top schools, earn higher salaries and be not just more intelligent generally
but more emotionally intelligent, too.
This is the time. Make this a reading summer however it works and I know you’ll
be glad you did! And now, enjoy the books!
Happiness and health to you,
- Jennifer England-Burnside, April, 2020Read-Together Picture Books! Dear Peter Rabbit by Alma Flor Ada The first of a charming series involving correspondence between Peter and other story characters like Goldilocks and the Three Pigs. An oldie but goodie. How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander I bet you have a favorite way to read a book…on a lap, or in a big comfy chair? On a blanket in the shade of a tree? Enjoy this ode to reading! Oh My Baby, Little One by Kathi Appelt Mama bird soothes baby when he worries about being at school without her; a sweet reassurance. Similar to Audrey Penn’s The Kissing Hand. Wild About Us! by Karen Beaumont In this companion to her earlier I Like Myself! readers bounce through rhymey reassurances from animals that we are all different and that’s a good thing! The Little Guys by Vera Brogsol Little acorn-capped dudes live in the forest with other critters but don’t always use their joint strength for good—at first. Good for cooperation & kindness. This Book Just Ate My Dog! by Peter Byrne What starts out as an ordinary walk turns into an eye-popping metaphysical conundrum when Bella’s dog falls into the gutter of the book! Goofy and fun! Bill and Pete by Tomie dePaola In light of the passing of Mr. dePaola, we should remember the joyous results of his literary and artistic talents. Bill and Pete is a great place to start! The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry The Fan Brothers provide amazing illustrations for this tale of a scarecrow who focuses on his job, until the day a baby crow looks to him for help.
When’s My Birthday? by Julie Fogliano A bouncy, clappy poem set in a picture book, be sure to read this with a smile and quick cadence, which is very easy to do. Truly funny and delightful! Field Trip to the Moon by John Hare A wordless picture book—an out of the world one! It’s a field trip, except one student gets distracted and is left behind…on the moon! Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman Grace is gifted with an extraordinary imagination! When the class play is being cast, Grace knows she can do well as the lead, but can she convince the others? Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard This year’s Caldecott Award winner is not to be missed. Soft and warm illustrations tell of family stories, old and new. Includes a recipe! Saturday by Oge Mora Ava and her mommy have the most special Saturday all planned out, but bit by bit, the plans fail. Ava and mommy “make lemonade” and it is just lovely. Puppy Truck by Brian Pinkney The latest from Pinkney the younger comes an adorable tale of a boy who asks for a puppy, but gets a truck instead. Who says trucks can’t be puppies!?! Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco A classic from a favorite author—this is good for soothing anxiety and learning to focus on the good, not the scary. Leave it to grandma to make it better! Another by Christian Robinson And another wordless picture book in which a girl and her cat explore interdimensional time and space! A super-neat book—check it out! Small in the City by Cynthia Smith A big city covered in snow is no place to feel lost, alone, and vulnerable, but with a bit of courage, patience, and grit, all are found and all is well!
Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
Make sure you’re up on your fairy tales before starting as chicken decides it’s
up to her to change the outcomes she feels are too upsetting!
The Panda Problem by Deborah Underwood
Pandas go meta in this story that made this year’s PreK laugh their heads clean
off! And for good reason—it’s a story within a story with a plot problem!
The Three Robbers by Tomi Ungerer
Can zebras change their stripes? When faced with sound kid logic, 3 robbers
can! Good for thinking about helping others and making good choices.
The Storm Book by Charlotte Zolotow
Oklahomans know well the wind turning a hot summer day into something
uncertain. A Caldecott honor book in 1953, it’s still relevant and compelling.
…and last but not least, the one to remember for its great message:
Read to Your Bunny by Rosemary Wells
The creator of the favorite “Max & Ruby” books brings us this timeless
message in a sweet and loving way.
Some Favorite Authors, Old & New
Jon Agee Eric Hill Peter Reynolds
Mac Barnett Trina Schart Hyman Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Judi & Ron Barrett Molly Idle Cynthia Rylant
Jan Brett Jory John Dan Santat
Margaret Wise Brown Ezra Jack Keats Tammi Sauer
Marcia Brown Steven Kellogg Jon Scieszka
Peter Brown Leo Lionni Rob Scotton
Eric Carle Arnold Lobel Bob Shea
Doreen Cronin James Marshall Janet Stevens
Hannah Harrison Robert McCloskey Jan Thomas
Kevin Henkes Todd Parr Vera Williams
Ryan Higgins Jerry Pinkney David WiesnerMust-Read Concept Books!
What is a “Concept Book”? It’s a book that helps with teaching a specific
idea, like colors, shapes, letters, numbers, etc. Here are some tried and true
good “concept” authors and some great books, old and new!
FAVORITE CONCEPT BOOK AUTHORS
Alan Baker Tana Hoban Richard Scarry
Byron Barton Pat or Hazel Hutchins Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Sandra Boynton Marthe Jocelyn Dr. Seuss
Donald Crews Ann Jonas Ellen Stoll Walsh
Lois Ehlert Bill Martin Harriet Ziefert
Smart George by Jules Feiffer
In this long awaited follow up to Bark, George, George is back & busy learning
his numbers! Comes out in June, so read Bark, George 1st and then find this!
Red House Tree House Little Bitty Brown Mouse by Jane Godwin
An adorable book covering color in basic charming rhymes said by a mouse!
Roar Like a Dandelion! by Ruth Krauss
Enjoy this never before published book from the beloved author of The
Carrot Seed and others. Great for inviting activity and exploring the alphabet!
The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC’s (The Hard Way)
by Patrick McDonnell
An “abecedary”—where each letter is introduced as part of telling the story!
The “Crayola World of Color” series by Mari C. Schuh
Yep, these books are just as beautifully vibrant as you’d imagine!
“The Nutshell Library” by Maurice Sendak
A favorite series from a favorite author to practice your letters, numbers,
months and more! Find the musical “Really Rosie” featuring Carole King!Folk and Fairy Tales! Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema A cumulative “pourquoi” tale which not only answers “why?” but shows how one little event can cause a huge chain reaction. The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson A classic from the Danish master of fables and folktales. Try the edition illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton! The Little Red Hen retold by Byron Barton Barton’s colorful palette makes this classic tale great for the younger set. Lion and Mouse by Jairo Buitrago Based on the 2,000+ year old tale from Aesop, this modern retelling imagines a deeper, more complex friendship while telling the same moral tale. Tomie dePaola’s Mother Goose Favorites by Tomie dePaola There are also many excellent collections of Mother Goose rhymes out there, but check out dePaola’s lovely illustrated version. Two of Everything retold by Lily Toy Hang A delightful retelling of a couple who discovers a magic pot that doubles everything that’s put in it! Yes, it leads to trouble—how can they fix it? Anansi and the Talking Melon retold by Eric Kimmel That old trickster Anansi is up to mischief again! This time, he’s stuck inside a melon, so decides to have fun with the local animals while he’s there. Cinderella retold and illustrated by Ruth Sanderson And yes, a princess story to please. Sanderson’s illustrations are exquisitely lush and colorful. Also look for K.Y. Craft’s version!
Nifty True Books and
Fun Poetry!
Magnets Push, Magnets Pull by David Adler
Fiction author Adler has recently put out a neat series on science basics.
Titanosaur: Discovering the World’s Largest Dinosaur
by Dr. Jose Luis Carballido and Dr. Jose Pol
Learn all about the Titanosaur, the largest animal ever to have walked Earth!
The Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-to Poems
selected by Paul B. Janeczko, illus. by Richard Jones
Learn a few very practical things (pancakes, anyone?) & silly things from some
of the best poets. I’d like to meet a hedgehog, and I better be prepared, right?
Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O’Neil
This classic book of poems, each inspired by a color. The 1990 edition has
illustrations different from the 1961 original, but both are lovely.
Hey, Water! by Antoinette Portis
A beautiful book on the water cycle for budding scientists, or anyone who
likes turning on the faucet or a good jump in a rain puddle!
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood by Fred Rogers
Just the perfect collection of poetry, which is just as thoughtful and moving
as you would expect it to be. For fans of Mr. Rogers and newbies, alike.
A Stone Sat Still by Brendan Wenzel
Author Wenzel does it again with a tale of a simple stone and all the creatures
that use it for something throughout the day.
A Ray of Light by Walter Wick
In a long overdue follow-up to A Drop of Water, Wick (who also did the “I
Spy” series) takes readers through a long and lovely lesson on light!You can also read
