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BOOKLISTS
The librarians at The Robert R. Jones Library are pleased to be able to share their expertise in the form of these thoughtful and timely booklists. These lists will be updated periodically to ensure the recommendations they contain remain current and relevant. New lists will be added as they are created, and others removed after they have served their useful shelf life.
EARLY CONCEPT BOOKS
COLOR ZOO
by Lois Ehlert
Shapes and colors in your zoo, lots of things that you can do. Heads and ears, beaks and snouts, that's what animals are all about. I know animals and you do too; make some new ones for your zoo.
CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM
by BIll Martin Jr. & John Archambault
The 26 characters in this rhythmic, rhyming baby book are a lowercase alphabet with attitude. "A told b, and b told c, 'I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree'"--which probably seemed like a good idea until the other 23 members of the gang decided to follow suit.
EATING THE ALPHABET by Lois Ehlert
While teaching upper and lowercase letters to preschoolers, Ehlert introduces fruits and vegetables from around the world. A glossary at the end provides interesting facts about each food.
LMNO PEAS by Keith Baker
Get ready to roll through the alphabet with a jaunty cast of extremely cute and busy little peas. This fresh and fun alphabet book features bright colors, bouncy rhyming text, and silly pea characters who highlight the wide variety of interests, hobbies, and careers that make the world such a colorful place!
BEAR SEES COLORS by Karma Wilson
Colors, colors everywhere! Can you find colors just like Bear? Karma Wilson’s playful text and Jane Chapman’s adorable illustrations creatively introduce colors to the youngest Bear fans, who will delight in discovering a rainbow of fun.
MOUSE SHAPES by Ellen Stoll Walsh
What can you make with one oval, two circles, and eight triangles? Just ask three clever mice--who even find a funny way to trick a sneaky cat.
MOUSE COUNT by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Walsh introduces the concept of counting forward and backward in a suspenseful story that will keep young readers guessing.
DR. SEUSS'S ABC by Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss ignites a child's imagination with his mischievous characters and zany verses.
FISH EYES by Lois Ehlert
Brightly colored fish introduce young children to counting and basic addition in this fun and simple concept book. “A visual treat from start to finish.
OUTDOOR OPPOSITES by Brenda Williams
This colorful camping singalong encourages physical participation as children learn how to do opposite actions.
RED IS A DRAGON by Roseanne Thong
A beautiful Chinese dragon in several shades of red writhes across a double-page spread, accompanied by children carrying drums, cymbals, and strings of firecrackers-a fitting start for a concept book about colors.
ROUND IS A MOONCAKE by Roseanne Thong
A little girl's urban neighborhood becomes a discovery ground for all things round, square, and rectangular in this lyrical picture book. Most items are Asian in origin, others universal: round rice bowls and a found pebble, square dim sum and the boxes that the pizzas come in, rectangular Chinese lace and a very special pencil case. Bright, whimsical art accompanies the narrative rhyme, and a short glossary adds cultural significance to the objects featured in the book.
THE DOORBELL RANG by Pat Hutchins
Each ring of the doorbell brings more friends to share the delicious cookies Ma has made. This terrific and suspenseful read-aloud picture book about friendship, sharing, and cookies can also be used to introduce basic math concepts to young children.
TEN TERRIBLE DINOSAURS by Paul Stickland
Learn to count with the wildest bunch of stomping, romping dinosaurs ever! A group of rollicking dinosaurs counts down from ten to one as it introduces subtraction to the reader.
WHAT'S UP, DUCK? by Tad Hills
Goose carries an oh-so-heavy log, while duck easily balances a light-as-a-feather feather. Thistle is one fast bird, but Goose is slooo-w. And when Duck is sound asleep, Goose is wide awake. With a simple text and colorful illustrations–plus the inimitable characters, of course–here’s a wonderful, and humorous, introduction to an important concept.
UP, DOWN, AND AROUND by Katherine Ayres
From seeds dropping into soil to corn bursting from its stalks, from children chasing butterflies to ants burrowing underground, everything in this vibrant picture book pulses with life —- in all directions! Sprightly illustrations set the mood for a rhythmic text that follows nature’s course to a feast of backyard bounty.
Z IS FOR MOOSE by Kelly Bingham
Moose, terribly eager to play his part in the alphabet book his friend Zebra is putting together, then awfully disappointed when his letter passes, behaves rather badly until Zebra finds a spot for him.
WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT by Michael Rosen
Brave bear hunters go through grass, a river, mud, and other obstacles before the inevitable encounter with the bear forces a headlong retreat.
THE THREE LITTLE PIGS by Patricia Seibert
In this beloved tale, the three pigs find out whose house really is the strongest when they each stand up to the big, bad wolf. Children will eagerly continue reading to see what will happen when the wolf shows up and tries to blow the pigs' houses over!
THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT by Cheryl Nathan
Uses different animals to introduce the concept of size, comparing, for example, the length of a ring-tailed lemur's tail with that of a Boston terrier.
BIG & LITTLE by Steve Jenkins
Each spread of Big and Little shows animals that are related to each other but vary greatly in size. All animals are illustrated on the same scale, so readers can compare them throughout the book.
THE DEEP, DEEP PUDDLE by Mary Jessie Parker
Young puddle jumpers will delight in this silly Seuss-like fantasy about a puddle that keeps on growing. How deep can it get? So deep that soon enough, glub glub glub, the entire city sinks out of sight, only to reappear later with everything in disarray. This ingenious urban counting tale will engage young ones learning their numbers, as well as older readers who will enjoy the overlying story and the breezy artwork.
THE SUN ABOVE AND THE BLOOMS BELOW
by Felicia Sanzari Chernesky
Time for a field trip to the farm to see chicks hatch--and discover opposites too! It's still a little cold and wet outside, but it's warm and dry inside the barn where the eggs are waiting. You'll find things that are big and little, short and tall, from beginning to end of this springtime story.
THE FEELINGS BOOKS by Todd Park
Targeted to young children first beginning to read, this book will inspire kids to discuss their multitude of feelings in a kid-friendly, accessible format, told through Parr's trademark bold, bright colors and silly scenes.
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