The Magic School Bus Flies With The Dinosaurs

        The Magic School Bus Flies with the Dinosaurs by Martin Schwabacher

(Based on books and characters by Joanna Cole)

Illustrator: Carolyn Bracken

Publication: Scholastic

Date of Publication: September 1, 2005

ISBN #: 9780439801065 9781436437127

Pages: 32

Theme: Fiction

Format: Print, Easy Reader Level 2, Fiction

Ages: 4-8

That silly and wacky science teacher, Ms. Frizzle is teaching her class about dinosaurs. When one classmate draws a picture of a bird another classmate laughs and explains that birds are not dinosaurs, however this is where the adventure begins and the magic school bus goes back in time to the dinosaurs. Join Ms. Frizzle and the gang to learn more fun facts about dinosaurs and when they ruled the world.

The Magic School Bus series has been popular for nearly twenty years and introduces a fun and interactive approach to learning factual information in story form. In this early reader edition based on the beloved books by Joanna Cole, Martin Schwabacher takes readers on a ride back to the time of the dinosaurs via that super cool magic school bus to learn about different kinds of dinosaurs and what the world was like when the dinosaurs ruled the land.

In this adventure, the author presents the story when a classmate draws a bird for a class assignment on dinosaurs. Another classmate looks at the drawing and explains birds are not dinosaurs…or are they? Ms. Frizzle sets out on a new adventure to help her class learn about evolution and that over millions of years dinosaurs may have evolved into birds. Find out for yourself and read a long in another fun filled adventure with Ms Frizzle, Liz the lizard and learn for yourself if dinosaurs became birds.

The Magic School Bus is a series of books that focus on teaching science in a fun, easy and interactive way for children to learn about life in the real world. Although this series is indeed fictionalized, the stories present real, factual information and material for children to learn about. Joana Cole came up with a fantastic way for children to learn about things that go on in our world; she makes it relatable and easy to understand. This series is a fantastic resource to use when teaching/introducing science in elementary schools. The Magic School Bus is also a great series to bring into story times that focus on adventure and science.

My personal experience with The Magic School Bus series was a big part of my childhood. We only had a few books because this series was born in the nineties while I was growing up but we read what we had to death. They eventually came out with computer games where I seriously spent hours playing and learning all about the ocean in The Magic School Bus Explores the Ocean Floor. A fantastic story that brings back many memories. 

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Arthur's Chicken Pox

        Arthur’s Chicken Pox (An Arthur Adventure) by Marc Brown

Illustrator: Marc Brown

Publication: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Date of Publication: April 1, 1996

ISBN #: 9780316113847

Pages: 32

Theme: Family, Health

Format: Print, Picture Book, Series, Fiction

Ages: 5 +

Arthur (that infamous and loveable little aardvark) and his family are looking forward to the circus coming to town until he comes down with the chicken pox. His little sister, D.W. pesters and teases Arthur because of all the little red spots covering his body. D.W. realizes all the attention and goodies Arthur gets from being sick and instantly becomes jealous. When the day arrives to go to the circus, Arthur finally fells betters and his family soon realizes, D.W. now has the chicken pox she so badly wanted and now upset she can’t go.

A part of the acclaimed children’s series, many of the adventures of Arthur take place in school, around their town and mostly at home. In this story, most of the setting takes place in Arthur’s family home and centers around him getting the chicken pox when he was so looking forward to going to the circus with his family. His littler sister, D.W. makes fun of all the spots he is covered in but soon realizes she wants them too so she can get more attention from her parents and grandmother.

Many of the stories about Arthur revolve around his family, so family life and growing up is a huge part of the Arthur Adventure Series. In this adventure, Arthur comes down with chicken pox, something all children go through and unfortunately have to learn how to deal with being sick and endure being pestered by his little sister D.W. Arthur’s grandmother comes over and everyone helps take care of Arthur, D.W. is quickly annoyed that all the attention is on Arthur and doesn’t like not being the center of attention. D.W. later gets the chicken pox and realizes, it’s not so fun being sick.

The Arthur Adventures have been popular for nearly twenty years and children still love learning and getting to know Arthur and his friends because his life (family and at school) is very relatable to the reader. Mixing animals for human characters and creating a story that is similar to the readers own life, this is an instant success for young readers. Growing up with Arthur and seeing how he and family have evolved, this series is an excellent story that children and families can enjoy together.

As a child, our personal library was filled with many Arthur adventures and reading his books for bedtime stories seemed to be often. My particular favorite is Arthur’s Valentine and my sister’s is Arthur’s Christmas. Again, illustration plays an important role when reading to kids, I think the illustration and basic storyline is what I love about the Arthur Series. 

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The Owl and the Pussycat

        The Owl and the Pussy Cat by Edward Lear

 Illustrator: Jan Brett

Publication: Putnam Juvenile

Date of Publication: August 4, 1997

ISBN #: 9780399219252

Pages: 18

Theme: Juvenile Poetry, Animals

Format: Print, Picture Book, Poetry

Age: 1-3

After a long sea voyage, a hopelessly romantic owl and his pussy cat are finally able to buy a ring and celebrate and enjoy their wedding.

The Owl and the Pussy Cat is a classic when it comes to Children’s Literature. Written by Edward Lear, this nonsense poem tells a whimsical story about an owl and a cat as lovers. There are many fantastic retellings and editions of this story but the Jan Brett illustrated version is one of the better versions in my opinion. Jan Brett is a personal favorite having grown up reading many of her works, this particular edition has become an instant favorite with children due to her visually rich illustrations.

Most of the story takes place out at sea, and is told in nonsense verse but with mix of poetry and the vibrant colors and illustrations, this retelling of the story has become one of the better known versions of this story. A classic for decades, The Owl and the Pussycat tells an enchanting story of star crossed lovers in the shape of an Owl and a Cat. An odd pairing but an instant success with children, this story ends arriving to an island where Owl, Cat and friends celebrate the marriage between the lovers.

Edward Lear was known for his wit and telling fantastical stories about animals and imaginary creatures replacing human characters. With a love for poetry and making up silly poems, Lear became a favorite and master at telling silly little stories featuring very interesting characters and creating collections of poems/stories that would become favorites for years to come. What he did with this story was create easy rhyming verses that were both lyrical and easy to understand for children. This would be a great story to include in a story time that focuses on poetry, love, or animals. It can be used in an array of different themed story times.

Poetry is an easy way to win the hearts of children, when rhyming and nonsense comes into play, this grabs the attention and hooks kids into reading and listening to poems. Perhaps, the main reason why I love this story so much is because of the memories I have of the illustrations. If I had to guess, Jan Brett has to be the reigning queen of children illustrators. Her imagery and detail in this edition is fantastic and lovely all at the same time.

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There's A Nightmare in My Closet

        There’s A Nightmare In My Closet by Mercer Mayer

Illustrator: Mercer Mayer

Publication: Pied Piper Book

Date of Publication: 1968

ISBN #: 0803785747

Pages: 32

Themes: Fear, Bedtime, Growing Up

Format: Print, Picture Book, Fiction

Age: 3-5

What seems like a potentially scary story for toddlers, a boy decides once and for all he will confront the nightmare that is hiding in his closet to be not as frightening as he imagined.

A classic by anyone who enjoys children’s literature, Mercer Mayer is a master at telling stories for kids. Although he has written many nightmare and monster stories, There’s a Nightmare in My Closet puts all those stories to shame. A young boy is getting ready for bed and decides this particular evening he is going to catch the so called nightmare and shoot him. But he discovers the nightmare isn’t so scary after all, he’s actually pretty harmless who has a nightmare of his own.

This story takes place in setting in the bedroom of a little boy who is frightened there is a monster, his nightmare in fact living in his closet. He is determined to find this creature and shoot him with his toy gun but ends up hurting the nightmare and making him cry. Learning this nightmare isn’t a terror after all, he lets him snuggle in his bed but learns that his nightmare has a nightmare of his own that is also hiding in the closet.

The theme presented in this story is an excellent one for kids to learn and understand. Many children grow up thinking there are monsters under their bed, in their closet or in other areas of the bedroom at night when it’s time to go to bed. It’s an excellent story that teaches how to overcome fears, no matter what they may be. Again, a great book for pleasure but a story that teaches an important and invaluable lesson we all need in our lives. This would make for a good example in story time that focuses on overcoming fears or battling against monsters or nightmares.

I grew up reading a lot of Mercer Mayer books, the other nightmare books, There’s An Alligator Under My Bed and of course The Little Critter books. I remember when we got our first computer, we had a story time reader game that feature a lot of Little Critters and Little Monster stories. Mercer Mayer is what started my love affair with reading children’s literature. 

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Is Your Mama a Llama

     Is Your Mamma a Llama by Deborah Guarino

Illustrator: Steven Kellogg

Publication: Scholastic

Date of Publication: August 1, 1997

ISBN #: 9780590413879

Pages: 28

Theme: Family, Growing Up, Animals

Format: Print, Picture Book, Fiction

Age:   4-8

On a journey to find his mother, a young baby llama goes in search to find his mother by asking six other animals if their mothers are llamas. An excellent little story told in a poetic form about a child learning about his mother and other animals.

The story takes place in the wild and follows the life a young llama that is separated from his family and own kind. The baby llama goes in search of his mother and comes across a bat, swan, cow, seal and a kangaroo before finding his mother, Llyn and the rest of the llama pack.

If there are important names to know when it comes to children’s literature, Steven Kellogg is one name you should know by heart. His imagery and visuals are captivating and children and parents alike love his work. The illustrations in this story are great and full of color. His work in Is Your Mama a Llama, is soft and soothing to the eyes. It’s a story that really doesn’t need words because the pictures tell the story.

The major theme in this story revolves around family and growing up. Lloyd, the young llama we’re introduced too seems to be separated from his mother and the llama pack and goes on a journey to understand who he is and what differentiates other animals from him. He comes across several animals, like a bat, swan, seal, and kangaroo before he realizes their mothers are not even close to looking like llamas and soon realizes what makes him and his own breed unique and special. This would an excellent story to include in a story hour focusing on animals and mothers and their infants.

If there’s one story I can remember from my youth, I would say Is Your Mama a Lama stands out the most. A fun story told in verse, it was a story that I was able to understand due to the illustrations. I am more than certain I made my mom read this book at least every other night before going to sleep. 

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Olivia

        Olivia by Ian Falconer

Illustrator: Ian Falconer

Publication: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Date of Publication: October 1, 2000

ISBN #: 9780689829536

Pages: 40

Themes: Family, Growing Up, Animals

Format: Print, Picture Book, Fiction

Age: 3-7

Whatever the day brings, Olivia the Pig has plenty of energy to take on anything. From trying on everything in her entire wardrobe, picking up her cat and moving it, building sandcastles, picking up her cat and moving it again, drawing on the walls hoping to become the next Jackson Pollock and a big dreamer, Olivia is sure to become every little girl’s best friend.

Most of the Olivia stories take place within her home and focus on family life which includes her parents, her brother Ian and Edwin the cat. Olivia is first introduced to us as a precious and very energetic little girl. Clearly creative, imaginative and artistic, Olivia loves going to Museums and admiring the greats like Edgar Degas’s ballerina portrait and Jackson Pollock’s modern works. From getting dressed to trying her artistic hand on the walls at home, what Olivia is really good at…is tiring herself out.

The illustrations in this book are nothing close to fancy, and it’s not necessarily a piece of work to really analyze but it’s inviting, simple and fun.  What makes this story fun through the illustrations are the pops of color in each page. The two pages solely dedicated to all the outfits Olivia tries on is great to sit and let your child look at all the funny and interesting outfits Olivia goes through, like putting her ears in a bow and her swimsuits. The tone of the story is light, full of energy and ambition. It is a story about a curious, ambitious little pig, how could a little girl not love this book?

The main themes in Olivia are family life and growing up. As you can tell from the beginning of the story, Olivia is a very loud and energetic pig (portraying the life of a little girl). This story is admirable because even though it’s a pig, it mirrors the life of a little girl and tells the story that girls can be adventurous, creative, and imaginative and aspire to be great things like opera singers and artists. It tells the story of a girl growing up and trying to make sense of the world around her, it an excellent source to help foster young girls confidence. Olivia would be a great example of a book to use in a story time promoting self confidence and ambition.

Although, Olivia came much later, the character certainly had the impact that Madeline or Eloise did while I was growing up. She’s lovable, hilarious and ambitious, a best friend any girl would want. When I came across it several years ago, I bought it and fell in love with Olivia.

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The Berestain Bears Lend a Helping Hand

      The Berenstain Bears Lend a Helping Hand  by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Illustrator: Stan Berenstain

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Date of Publication: September 26, 2012

ISBN #: 100679889566

Pages: 32

Theme: Family, School, Social Behavior,

Format: Electronic

Ages: Preschool to Grade 2

      The Berestain Bears are back at teaching us more lessons with Brother and Sister Bear in their latest adventure and learning the importance of others and being nice, caring and thoughtful cubs. Mama Bear is worried her children are a little bit too selfish, it’s up to her to show them it’s better to nice and helpful to others than to always be thinking of themselves. What turns into a chore, the young bear cubs learn the importance of helping Mrs. McGrizz cross the street, help her with her groceries and clean out her attic.

      One of the many reasons why The Berenstain Bears still seem to be popular and relevant in early literacy in today’s culture and society is because of the lessons they teach in their stories. “The Berenstain Bears highlights the value of positive family interaction, their stories encourage positive social behavior like cooperation and respecting others.” (Publisher’s Weekly) Stan and Jan Berenstain have created a classic series that although centers on a family of bears, their lifestyle is very similar to our own, it’s relatable and teaches basic lessons on family and school life.

This is just one excellent story that teaches a small act of kindness. Brother and Sister bear are very much into their own lives and don’t necessarily see the good in helping others, including their family. While Mama is a bit worried and sees that old Mrs. McGrizz needs helps, she jumps at the chance to offer her children to help McGrizz. Not exactly thrilled to spend an afternoon away from their play time, brother and sister help bring in Mrs. McGrizz’s groceries and clean out her attic, the cubs enjoy the time spent with their neighbor and ultimately feel better having helped her. “The Berenstain Bears encourages positive social interaction and helps kids develop an appreciation of family relationships, which will give them a solid foundation of social development to prepare them for interacting with other children and the world.” (PBS Tracker) These stories have been around for years and continue to be fun, popular and a great way to teach children basic and invaluable lessons they need to know in the home and at school. The Berenstain Bears almost needs to be a requirement in schools and libraries, not just on the shelves but a major part of story time and teaching lessons in school and library settings.

I grew up reading and absolutely loving The Berenstain Bears, it was a defining part of my childhood because it taught me many life lessons. My mother was not a particularly big fan of these books but my sister and I loved them, so she was forced into reading a lot of Berestain Bears when it came to reading before bedtime.

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