From: holnb
Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 20:16:07 -0400

I do storytime for preschoolers as part of my job and one of the books I most enjoy reading to that age group is How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Yolen. The large colorful pictures and simple text make it a great read aloud for this age group.
     Owl Babies by Waddell and Hi! Pizza Man are also good because of their repetition and relating of common childhood situations.
     I also love reading Bennie and the Binkie by Lingren to my storytime group. The lines, "He is happy. The binky is good." always makes me laugh. I think young children are somewhat shocked by the violence: "Let's punch him in the snout, say the tough Pigs." And, of course, the theme is universal: jealousy of the new baby in the house.
     Preschoolers also seem to identify with Chicken Chickens by Gorbachev. It's fun to do little scared chicken voices. Children are notably relieved at the happy ending.
     Waring's Hungry Hen has a surprise ending that preschoolers enjoy. Children who listen to this story love the pictures showing the hen as it gets fatter and fatter.
      The book that everyone seems to enjoy hearing the most (parents too) is Bark George by Feiffer. I love reading the part where the vet puts on his longest latex glove because of the reaction it gets- especially from adults. And the ending is always a delightful surprise that leaves the listeners guessing what could possibly happen next.
   When my own children were of school age all of us loved Rootabaga Stories by Sandburg. The stories are fanciful and essentially poetry. The language is meant to be read aloud.
      
    Nancy Berghoef
    Library Assistant
    Herrick District Library
    Holland, MI. 49423
Received on Thu 05 Aug 2004 07:16:07 PM CDT