Reading Rockets offers a wealth of reading strategies, lessons, and activities designed to help young children learn how to read and read better. Our reading resources assist parents, teachers, and other educators in working with struggling readers who require additional help in reading fundamentals and comprehension skills development.
2004 Holiday Buying Guide
Recommended Books for 0-4 Year Olds
Colorful pages to turn, a warm lap to sit on, and the familiar voice of a mom, dad, brother or sister – no wonder books are associated with love among young children. The nine books below are read-aloud books with kids ages 0-4, and are recommended for their gentle stories, award-winning illustrations, and lyrical language.
A selection of nursery rhymes and games from different countries are presented in this book in both Spanish and English. The rhymes are accompanied by gentle illustrations. Music appears with lyrics (again in both languages) at the end of this pleasing book.
Rather than sleep, Baby wants to dance the polka, the cha cha – any and everything – exhausting the poor parents! After lots of activity, Ma and Pa finally tuck in the tuckered out baby. Rhyming text and flaps that lift on sturdy pages make a memorable book to share at bedtime and beyond.
In the "great green room," a young rabbit bids good night to all of the familiar objects, from the picture on the wall to the moon that peeps in the window — as the old lady comfortingly watches, as she has for generations.
When Kitten sees her first full moon, she thinks there's a little bowl of milk in the sky. But try as she might, she just can't seem to reach it. Disappointed, she returns home, only to find a bowl of milk waiting for her. "Lucky Kitten!" Expressive illustrations in shades of black, white, and gray are carefully placed to show movement and motion during Kitten's nighttime adventure.
Trixie enjoys errands with her dad until her beloved stuffed toy, Knuffle Bunny, is left at the Laundromat. It takes her mom's insight to figure out what made Trixie go "boneless." Only then is the beloved toy recovered and Trixie utters her first real words! Cartoon characters are imposed on a background of monochromatic photographs portraying a New York neighborhood. The book was awarded a Caldecott Honor.
It's not easy for duck parents to find a safe place to bring up their ducklings, but during a rest stop in Boston's Public Garden, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard think they just might have found the perfect spot.
Bold color and broad shapes show the details of Sam's car and how he takes care of it before he drives to his job and goes off, driving a bus!
More than sixty rhymes are in this collection, mostly the old-time favorites, but also more recent ones such as "Shoo Fly" and "Down by the Station." Ranging in size from tiny vignettes to double-page spreads, the lavish, action-filled, ink-and-watercolor drawings are arranged to complement the text.
The Snowy Day is the simple tale of a boy waking up to discover that snow has fallen during the night. The little boy celebrates the snowdraped city with a day of humble adventures.
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