2007 Buying Guide

Even a day that starts out on a sour note can become a good day after all, as four forest animals learn. A little girl who lives nearby finds the bird's lost feather and declares for all to hear that it really is a good day! Uncluttered illustrations use strong line and gentle colors to convey the wondrous turnaround.

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With the cadence, format, and appeal of the creators' Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, animals found in North America are introduced. From a rattlesnake to a mountain goat, children will delight in the rhythm and predictability of the text and the cadence of the illustrations.

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Ah, that baby in those "White shoes./High-jumping,/fast-funning,/fine-looking/shoes!" sure moves quickly when she and her mama take a walk to the park and beyond. Lively language and jaunty watercolors share the joy of the outing — for mother and child!

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Beetles come in many shapes and sizes — revealed in rhyming text and luminous illustrations. Readers will enjoy the dynamic interplay of words and pictures in this lively book.

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Bunny and mouse are friends who discover fun and mischief when the weather won’t allow them to play outdoors. But when the rain stops, "slippery drippy everything" makes mud — oh, so much fun in which to play! Simple language and expressive illustrations convey the child-like joy of play.

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Emily can do magic — but how? With words like please, thank you, hello, and more! Emily uses her magic words with friends and family alike. Uncomplicated illustrations create the magic, while the straightforward language makes the useful and pleasant point.

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Hondo and Fabian, dog and cat friends, are back. Here, their days take very different looks as Fabian the cat goes outside to play with "friends" while Hondo stays in with the baby. Softly lined and hued illustrations create humor to show what really goes on with an escaped cat and a dog-chasing toddler!

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When brother's hands tap, sister's hands clap and "Itty-bitty Baby's hands CLAP-CLAP-CLAP!" The entire family gets involved in the music and movement — until that tired baby "sleeps deep, deep, deep." Words and pictures swirl and swoop all over the pages of this energetic, musical family jaunt.

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Many trucks that are small have big jobs like ambulances or mail trucks. Others have different jobs like pick-ups, zambonis, and ice cream trucks. Readers who are intrigued by things that go will enjoy the full color photographs and brief explanation of the truck's job, cleverly placed on sign-shaped backgrounds of different colors.

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Who is under the umbrella or behind the laundry on the line? Is it the baby behind the ball? Just lift the flap and find the chubby-cheeked babies. Sturdy pages and everyday objects conceal the appealing youngsters in this interactive book, ideal for sharing.

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Rabbit's generosity sets off a chain of events that brings his kindness full circle. The lush and accessible acrylic paintings suggest the Chinese folktale upon which the retelling is based. A note at the end supports the notion of universal truth in folktales.

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Shake the shapes and what do you find? A host of triangles, squares, and more! What can you do with them? Make different things. Where can you see them? All around you! Geometric shapes in bold colors depict a cast of children finding, identifying, and playing with shapes — all to a rhythmic text.

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The long, cold nights of winter are the time when bear, frog, and a host of animals hunker down for sleep. Soft watercolors illustrate the drowsy text as the animals await spring and hibernate. Humorous touches augment the tone of the lullaby as everyone — including the listener — settles down.

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Lilting language and bold shapes in flat colors encourage response as the narration asks who do these knees belong to? And in another book by Asim, your child will discover Whose Toes Are Those? The author's background as a poet is evident in the simple and evocative writing.

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