Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

By Mem Fox; illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

PICTURE BOOK

This book is a celebration of babies all over the world. The story is told in a simplistic, repetitive rhyme, which makes it appropriate for children learning to read. It features babies from different races and lands, but no matter where they are from, they each have "as everyone knows, ten little fingers and ten little toes." The pages feature one baby on the left and a second baby on the right, and when you turn the page, both babies are together. This continues throughout the story, connecting the poem from start to finish with the illustrations. With its rhyming text and soft, colorful illustrations, this is a great book for sharing with your little one.

Peg Leg Peke

By Brie Spangler

PICTURE BOOK

Have you ever had a boo-boo? I've had several, and they can hurt, especially those dreaded paper cuts, which can be a daily occurrence in the life of a librarian. This story is about Peke, a cute Pekingese puppy, who has a boo-boo - a broken leg! Ouch! But, this fun-loving dog doesn't let a little boo-boo come between him and adventure. With a little imagination, he transforms into a pirate with a peg leg in search of buried treasure. Ahoy matey! Will Peke find the treasure? What do you think it will be? You'll have to read this cute story to find out. The format of the book just begs to be read aloud. One page is the reader asking questions and the facing page is Peke replying. The illustrations are simple, but adorable.