Llama Llama Red Pajama

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney is a sweet and funny tale that describes the trials of bedtime and seperation anxiety. After Mama Llama reads a bedtime story to Baby Llama and leaves the room he begins to fret and calls out for his mama. Throughout the story Baby Llama whimpers, boo-hoos, pouts, and shouts for his mama to come. At last Mama Llama who was busy appears and reassures her baby that she is always near even if she's not right there. Finally Baby Llama calms down and falls asleep. Young children will relate to this story and find it amusing. This story has a simple rhyme scheme with a natural language that children will enjoy. The pictures are large, colorful, and whimsical. The illustrations capture Baby Llama's facial expressions wonderfully. The contrast between light and dark enhance the drama in the story. This adorable picture book is a great choice for storyhour and bedtime.

I love this book and I used this for storyhour and the children loved it so much that they wanted to hear it again. This is a great book to read aloud in a library setting.

Reviews

" A real charmer that will leave preschoolers giggling and parents appreciating the familiar scenario."--Julie Cummins for American Library Association

" This effective read-aloud will be a popular choice for storyhour and one-on-one sharing."--Corrina Austin, Locke's Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada

Plot Summary

This week I read Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes. This Caldecott winner for 2005 is a charming story about a kitten who sees her first full moon and mistakes it for a bowl of milk. The young and persistent kitten struggles to reach for the faraway moon. She finally ends up leaping into the air trying to catch it but ends up in the pond all wet and hungry. So she goes back home and to her surprise she actually finds a great big bowl of milk on the porch waiting for her. I loved this book and found it to be a beautiful picture book that really captures the sweet spirit of the kitten. The gorgeous black and white illustrations represent a luminous moonlight night of a more nostalgic period. The rhythmic text combined with the stunning pictures will appeal to young children. I believe this would be a great book to use in a library. It will be fantastic for storytime!

Reviews

One review that I read was from Preschool written by Karin Snelson. Ms. Snelson describes this book perfect for children who have yearned for anything and will understand how much Kitten wants that elusive bowl of milk. She believes the simplicity and the humor of the story make for a beautiful picture book.

The Runaway Bunny

Plot Summary

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown is a story about a young bunny who decides to run away. The bunny's mother tells her young bunny that she will run after him no matter where he goes. Throughout the story the young bunny takes on many forms such as a fish in the stream, a rock on the mountain, and a crocus in a hidden garden. No matter what form the young bunny becomes his protective mother always finds a way of catching him. This story expresses the love of a mother for her child in a beautiful way. The book is full of wonderful illustrations both in color and black and white. The Runaway Bunny is a favorite classic children's book that is both appealing to children and adults.

I was very impressed with this book. It is a lovely and sentimental story that one can treasure always. This book would be great for a read aloud in a library setting.

Reviews
"Clement Hurd's black and white and colorful, dream-like illustrations grace spreads throughout the book, bringing to life perfectly the imagination of the young and the depth of love a parent has for a child. Children and the adults who love them will treasure this story." - Bethany Miller, Children's Literature

"Best of the Best"- Children's Books, 1966