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.
KINDERGARTEN BOOKS
ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY by Judith Viorst
The perennially popular tale of Alexander's worst day is a storybook that belongs on every child's bookshelf. Alexander knew it was going to be a terrible day when he woke up with gum in this hair. And it got worse...
THE LORAX by Dr. Seuss
"UNLESS someone like you...cares a whole awful lot...nothing is going to get better...It's not." Long before saving the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss, speaking through his character the Lorax, warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth's natural beauty.
CORDUROY by Don Freeman
Don Freeman's classic character, Corduroy, is even more popular today then he was when he first came on the scene in 1968. This story of a small teddy bear waiting on a department store shelf for a child’s friendship has appealed to young readers generation after generation.
Yo! Yes? By Chris Raschka
An effective, unusual 34-word story of the beginnings of a friendship, accompanied by wild and wonderful illustrations. Against pastel backgrounds, in vibrant, colorful images, an African-American boy and a white boy meet on the street.
THE SNOWDY DAY by Ezra Jack Keats
The adventures of a little boy in the city on a very snowy day.
I WILL NEVER NOT EVER EAT A TOMATO
by Lauren Child
Lola is a fussy eater. A very fussy eater. She won't eat her carrots (until her brother Charlie reveals that they're orange twiglets from Jupiter). She won't eat her mashed potatoes (until Charlie explains that they're cloud fluff from the pointiest peak of Mount Fuji).
THE POLAR EXPRESS by Chris Van Allsburg
A young boy, lying awake one Christmas Eve, is welcomed aboard a magical trip to the North Pole . . .
Through dark forests, over tall mountains, and across a desert of ice, the Polar Express makes its way to the city atop the world, where the boy will make his Christmas wish.
LLAMA LLAMA RED PAJAMA by Anna Dewdney
Llama, Llama red pajama waiting, waiting for his mama. Mama isn’t coming yet. Baby Llama starts to fret. In this infectious rhyming read-aloud, Baby Llama turns bedtime into an all-out llama drama!
IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE
by Laura Joffe Numeroff
If a hungry little traveler shows up at your house, you might want to give him a cookie. If you give him a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk. He'll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache, and then he'll ask for a pair of scissors to give himself a trim....
OLIVIA by Ian Folconer
Have fun with Olivia... dressing up, singing songs, building sand castles, napping (maybe), dancing, painting on walls and - whew! - going to sleep at last.
GOOD NIGHT, GORILLA by Peggy Rathmann
It's bedtime at the zoo, and all the animals are going to sleep. Or are they? Who's that short, furry guy with the key in his hand and the mischievous grin?
THE STORY OF FERDINAND by Munro Leaf
All the other bulls would run and jump and butt their heads together. But Ferdinand would rather sit and smell the flowers. And he does just that, until the day a bumblebee and some men from the Madrid bullfights give gentle Ferdinand a chance to be the most ferocious star of the corrida—and the most unexpected comic hero. This cherished hardcover is perfect for those who love Ferdinand, and those who have yet to meet him.
SKIPPYJON JONES by Judy Schachner
He's fearless, he's fun, he's a hero to all!
CAPS FOR SALE by Esphyr Slobodkina
This tale of a peddler and a band of mischievous monkeys is filled with warmth, humor, and simplicity and also teaches children about problem and resolution.
CURIOUS GEORGE AND THE FIREFIGHTERS
by Margret & H. A. Rey
Firefighters are a famously brave lot, but can they withstand a visit from one curious monkey?
THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD by Watty Piper
The story of a train filled with toys and gifts for little boys and girls that breaks down before reaching the children. After asking several passing trains for help over the hill, a little blue train agrees to help the stranded toys. Even though she is small, the blue train tries her best to bring the toys to the children on the other side of the hill.
FIVE LITTLE MONKEYS JUMPING ON THE BED
by Eileen Christelow
As soon as they say good night to Mama, the five little monkeys start to jump on their bed. But trouble lies ahead as, one by one, they fall off and hurt themselves.
NO, DAVID! by David Shannon
When author and artist David Shannon was five years old, he wrote a semi-autobiographical story of a little kid who broke all his mother's rules. He chewed with his mouth open (and full of food), he jumped on the furniture, and he broke his mother's vase! As a result, all David ever heard his mother say was "No, David!" Here is his story.
CLOUDY WITH A CHANGE OF MEATBALLS
by Judi Barrett
If food dropped like rain from the sky, wouldn't it be marvelous! Or would it? It could, after all, be messy. And you'd have no choice. What if you didn't like what fell? Or what if too much came? Have you ever thought of what it might be like to be squashed flat by a pancake?
