Dim Sum for Everyone

Grace Lin (2001), 28 pages

Audience: toddlers

Format: picture book

Who wants some dim sum? Everyone will after reading Lin’s book Dim Sum for Everyone. Join a family with three little girls as they go out for a tantalizing meal at a Chinese dim sum restaurant. A series of little dishes are served from carts straight to the table. Diners get to point and choose each dish; mouthwatering sweet pork buns, fried shrimp, turnip cakes, sweet tofu, and egg tarts are paraded before the reader. Ma-Ma, Ba-Ba, and all three daughters have their favorites. So everyone chooses a little dish to share “we eat a little bit of everything; everyone eats a little bit of everything.” Whether you eat out frequently or are going for the first time - it’s never too early to teach kids about new cuisines. In addition, Lin includes some historical background on dim sum’s evolution, translation, and customs. Lin’s illustrations are bold and patterned; primary colors dance across the page appealing to young children. Traditional Chinese ingredients (ginger, daikon, bok choy, taro, etc.) and other dim sum dishes (dumplings, stuffed eggplant, rice noodles) even decorate the endpapers … yummy! Parents might want to use this book in a preliminary discussion of food; for example go to the grocery store and point out new vegetables or ingredients. Expand your palette and your child’s vocabulary at the same time!

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this book, you may like: Bee-Bim Bop! By Linda Sue Park or Yum Yum Dim Sum by Amy Wilson Sanger

Other books by this author: Fortune Cookie Fortunes, Kite Flying, Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, Lissy’s Friends, and Olvina Flies, and Robert’s Snowflakes

Wombat Wallkabout

Carol Diggory Shields (2009), 32 pages

Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Audience: pre-K

Format: picture book

Follow six of the cutest wombats on a walkabout. Deep in the Australian outback they start out on their journey as “six woolly wombats, walking one by one, passed a golden wattle blooming in the sun. The last little wombat, whose name was Clive, stopped to smell the flowers … then there were five.” Oops, now the group has gone from six to five! But his disappearance is not just due to distraction, there happens to be a hungry-eyed dingo tagging along. One by one, the group slowly dwindles down to just two, suddenly … the remaining pair Jen and Jack “thought it awfully quiet, so they looked back. No little wombats? That’s not good! They jumped off the track and hid in the wood.” What should they do? As the dingo approaches the hidden duo soon realize where their friends went … Dingo’s got their mates in a big swag bag. They think of brilliant plan to trick the dingo – and what do you know? Their friends survive … now “Six woolly wombats, good as new. Walked along together, two by two.” Shield’s text is rhythmic without being over the top (seamlessly integrating assonance, alliteration, and rhymes) into each verse. Creating a narrative rich with imagery and substance – she also includes a glossary of Australian terminology such as native wildlife (dingo, wombat, kookaburra) and flora (wattle tree, eucalyptus). Blackall’s illustrations are enchanting; she manages to create adorable characters with personality yet plays homage to the Australian landscape beautifully. This book is ideal for teaching counting, numbers, phonological awareness, and increase vocabulary. A great read-aloud book for kids and adults!

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this book, you may like: Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French, Koala Lou by Mem Fox, or Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles

Other books by this author: The Bugliest Bug, Food Fight!, and Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp

Other books by this illustrator: Ruby's Wish, Pecan Pie Baby, Edwin Speaks Up, and Big Red Lollipop

Between the Lions

PBS Kids (2000-2011), 30 minutes

Audience: Pre-K

Format: television show and website

Funded by the Corporation of Public Broadcasting and the U.S. Department of Education’s Ready to Learn grant, PBS Kids produces a variety of television shows for children with an emphasis on reading and early literacy skills, such as Between the Lions, a puppet show featuring a family of literate lions. Main characters Lionel and Leona (cubs) and their parents read a couple stories (examples include Sylvester and the Magic Pebble and I miss you Stinky Face) whilst intersected by other animated vignettes highlighting certain letters, words, and vocabulary from supplemental character skits such as Gawain’s Word, Information Hen, and Word Cup Masters. Using puppetry and simple animation –this show manages to be both educational and entertaining.

As an accompaniment or supplementary tool to their television programming, PBS Kids offers companion computer games that foster literacy skills. Kids can try several Between the Lions inspired games, examples include Fuzzy Lion Ears (kids can pretend they have fuzzy lion ears –listening to words they can match the missing sound to the correct letter and make the word whole again), Pounce! (children can practice word matching by “pouncing” or clicking on each appropriate word) or Word Play (where words are displayed and animated to act out their meaning –for instance the word “vanish” actually disappears or the word “pop” bursts off the screen). Combining clear instructions with a simple interface makes digital games easy to use and appropriate for young children. Although interactive games can be simulating for kids and engage their literacy skills, parental involvement cannot be circumnavigated; parents are still encouraged to model these skills.

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this TV show, you may like: Reading Rainbow, Olivia, Sesame Street, or Toddworld

Other television shows by PBS Kids: Curious George, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Caillou, Sid the Science Kid, WordGirl, and The Electric Company

Super Why!

PBS Kids (2007-present), 24 minutes

Audience: pre-K

Format: television show

PBS Kids’ Super Why! stages a quartet of characters: Whyatt, Pig, Red Riding Hood, and Princess Pea who have adventures in Storybook Land. These friends transform into Super Readers with reading readiness powers: Alpha-Pig, Wonder Red (word power), Princess Presto (spelling) and Super Why (power to read) as they search out clues and solve problems using words, letters, and reading skills. This program asks for viewer participation using open-ended questions to add interactive elements, examples include “what letter comes after P?” and “what sound does “F” make?” These prompting techniques can be beneficial, helping to build a child’s vocabulary and phonemic awareness.

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this TV show, you may like: Blue’s Clues or Dora the Explorer

Other television shows by PBS Kids: Word World, Martha Speaks, and The Cat and the Hat Know a Lot About That!

On Earth

G. Brian Karas (2005), 32 pages

Audience: pre-K

Format: picture book

“On earth we go on a giant ride in space, spinning like a merry-go-round …” Although concepts such as earth rotation, gravity, and planet orbits may seem too advanced and complex for this age group … Karas teaches these concepts eloquently and effectively by combining simple, yet poetic text with large format kid-like illustrations (which alternate between a child’s personal perspective and a global one). In addition, Karas uses familiar concepts such as birthdays and seasonal changes making these concepts relatable and easier for children to understand and grasp. This book is an excellent introduction to Earth science. Also, included in back of the book is a glossary defining terms such as sphere, equator, orbit, axis, etc. Parents can use this book as precursor for other topics, such as planets, stars, moon, geography, even recycling. Include this book in your next storytime and foster a child’s love of science at an early age!

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this book, you may like: The Earth Book by Todd Parr, What Makes Day and Night by Franklyn M. Branley, I Love our Earth by Bill Martin Jr., Michael Sampson, Dan Lipow, or Our Big Home: An Earth Poem by Linda Glaser

Other books by this author: Atlantic, Bebe’s Bad Dream, Skidamarink: A Silly Love Song to Sing, The Windy Day, and Young Zeus

Thesaurus Rex

Laya Steinberg (2003), 24 pages

Illustrated by Debbie Harter

Audience: pre-K

Format: Board book

Thesaurus Rex is a playful, active bright-blue spotted dinosaur that finds synonyms for everything he does! For instance, when he plays … he frolics, rollicks, frisks, and romps. While eating he munches, crunches, nibbles, gnaws, and when he gets ready to sleep he doesn’t just leap - he bounces, jumps, springs, and flies into bed. Thesaurus Rex effectively combines educational elements with a kid-friendly character and storyline – making it a must-have book for preschoolers. Kids will have a great time building their vocabulary and discovering new words!

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this book, you may like: Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What is an Adjective? by Brian P. Cleary, The Boy who Loved Words by Roni Schotter, or Slop Goes the Soup: A Noisy Warthog Word Book by Pamela Edwards

Other books by this author: All Around Me I See

Baby’s Beginnings: Colors

So Smart (2009), 30 minutes

Audience: babies

Format: DVD

Instrumental music, soft narration, and colorful animation combined make learning colors fun for babies and parents! In short intervals (for a total playing time of 30 minutes), seven colors are featured in separate segments allowing babies to learn easily and at their own pace. All seven colors (green, purple, blue, yellow, orange, red, and pink) are brought to life using simple shapes and cute animated animals! This video is charming, sweet, and imaginative -a great teaching tool for parents and infants.

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this DVD, you may like: Crazy for Color produced by The BumbleBee Kids Studio

Other products by So Smart: Baby’s First-Word Stories: Pets, Beginning Shapes, Beginning Letters

Language Nursery

Baby Einstein (2002), 62 minutes

Audience: babies

Format: DVD

The Baby Einstein Language Nursery video presents babies with short, colorful vignettes in eight different languages: Japanese, Russian, English, Hebrew, German, Italian, French, and Spanish. The video features traditional rhymes, songs, numbers, alphabets, and lullabies by native speakers and uses very simple imagery (close-ups shots of dolls and toys along with minimal graphics), engages babies’ sense of sight and sound. The DVD contains additional footage of flashcards (29 different vocabulary words) and a video tutorial, which instructs the parents on how to watch the video while interacting with their baby. The Baby Einstein brand declares that the videos should be used in conjunction with parent interaction, citing “that parent-child interaction is one of the most critical elements to the development of a healthy and happy baby during the first three years of life” (Baby Einstein Company, 2007, ¶ 2). Additional videos concentrate on other subjects, such as music (Baby Mozart and Baby Bach), poetry (Baby Shakespeare), and colors (Baby Van Gogh). An excellent source for parents and babies will find the content appealing and fun!

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this DVD, you may like: Little Pim (Series) produced by The Little Pim Co.

Other products by Baby Einstein: Discovering Shapes, Baby Mozart, and Neighborhood Animals

Mama, Do You Love Me?

Barbara Joosse (1991), 24 pages

Illustrated by Barbara Lavallee

Audience: babies, toddlers

Format: board book

An age-old tale of children testing parental limits and finding that a mother’s love is unconditional –even in the Arctic. Inuit mother and daughter charmingly demonstrate love, imagination, fear, and acceptance as the story unfolds. Native arctic animals, like the raven, whale, and puffin along with Inuit terminology such as “mukluks” give way to a culture-rich narrative. In addition, the back of the book includes historical/geographic information and a glossary of traditional terms.

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this book, you may like: I Love you the Purplest and Papa, Do You Love Me? by Barbara Joosse or Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Other books by this author: In the Night Garden, Nikolai, The Only Bear

13 Words

Lemony Snicket (2010), 36 pages

Illustrated by Maira Kalman

Audience: Toddlers, and Pre-K

Format: picture book

Expand your vocabulary far beyond basic words; from scarlet to haberdashery, Snicket’s 13 Words will soon become some of your favorites! There once was a bird who was sad, so sad in fact she was despondent. Read along as her friends try their best to cheer up their glum friend (and in their endeavor all thirteen words are cleverly introduced). Snicket's strange and fantastical tale is unique and whimsical; the narrative is seamlessly echoed in Kalman’s colorful and surrealistic illustrations. Such an entertaining and educational read, not only does it provide a vocabulary lesson, it can be used to teach counting, colors, and much more!

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this book, you may like: Dear Deer by Henry Holt or Wonderful Words by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Other books by this author: The Lump of Coal