Before Curious George, there was Angus. Angus's curiosity got him into lots of trouble, just like Curious George. The main difference between them, besides the fact George was a monkey and Angus was a dog, is that George has so many books, films, and TV shows. Angus has just three books. But those three books... Continue Reading →
Doctor De Soto
The hero of Doctor De Soto by William Steig, is a dentist. He's not an ordinary dentist - he's a mouse dentist, and a good one at that. All the animals come to see him, and he has various solutions for working on the mouths of animals bigger than he. However, Doctor De Soto does... Continue Reading →
The Story About Ping
Ping is a duck who lives with his family on the Yangtze River in China. The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack tells of his adventures - or rather misadventures. One night, in order to avoid a spanking for being the last duck home, he stays on shore rather than board the wise-eyed boat which... Continue Reading →
Usborne Book of World History
The book my seven-year-old is most likely to pick out for read-aloud time (even outside of school time) is The Usborne Book of World History from Usborne Publishers. Obviously, my seven-year-old loves history. He loves it so much that our copy of World History is about to fall apart. Do not be afraid to start... Continue Reading →
Big Book of Science and Nature
My favorite science book of all-time is The Berenstain Bears' Big Book of Science and Nature by Stan and Jan Berenstain. How can you resist learning science with the Berenstain Bears - especially from Professor Actual Factual, the Foremost Bear Scientist of His Time (as featured on the book cover)? This is a big book... Continue Reading →
Madeline
Before Fancy Nancy, girls fell in love with Madeline. Girls still love Madeline - and for good reason. Ludwig Bemelmans created Madeline after he moved to the United States and became a US citizen. Bemelmans wrote and illustrated several Madeline books, most of which take place in Paris, France. Children love the lilting rhyme of... Continue Reading →
How Artists See:
Colleen Carroll has created treasures for parents who wish to teach their children about art - especially those who don't know much about art themselves. Her series of books titled How Artists See... give parents and children a common vocabulary with which to discuss paintings. Each two-page spread focuses on a different painting and guides... Continue Reading →
The Cat in the Hat
No American childhood would be complete without reading Dr. Seuss's famous book The Cat in the Hat. Hollywood has taken to turning Dr. Seuss's simple children's books into movies - but as with most movies, the books are better. The Cat in the Hat tells the story of a boy and his sister, left alone... Continue Reading →
What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?
Children studying the Revolutionary War will find What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? by Jean Fritz. Fritz starts with information every child is curious about - Franklin's childhood. Instead of boring readers with facts and figures, Fritz tells stories from Franklin's life - of how he taught himself to swim different strokes, how he studied... Continue Reading →
Amelia Bedelia
If you have never read any of Peggy Parish's Amelia Bedelia books, you are missing out. Amelia Bedelia is a young woman with a heart of gold, but she cannot seem to do anything right. In the first book, Amelia follows Mrs. Rogers' instructions exactly, even though they don't make sense to her - things... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 