Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What do You See?

Bill Martin Jr. (2003), 14 pages

Illustrated by Eric Carle

Audience: babies

Format: board book

Two great children’s authors Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle have come together to create a very popular series of “what do you see” books. These books are great fun for babies. Filled with repetitious and cumulative text makes this an easy read and especially enjoyed by babies who follow along and anticipate the next lines. This popular series began with Martin’s Brown, Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? which teaches children about colors and animals. All of these books are unique in the animals they represent however Panda Bear, Panda Bear What Do You See? features all endangered animals. Examples include water buffalo, spider monkey, green sea turtle, macaroni penguin, and the red wolf. Carle’s illustrations are done in his signature collage-style with bold colors and primitive perspective capturing the essence of each animal. At the end of the book, children are treated to a re-cap of all the animals which effectively works to practice all that they’ve learned. This series translates well to a board book format, which is more accessible for babies.

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this book, you may like: My Big Animal Book by Roger Priddy or My Very First Book of Animal Sounds by Eric Carle

Other books by this author: The Bill Martin Jr. Big Book of Poetry by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael R. Sampson, A Beasty Story, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, The Maestro Plays, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?

Yellow Elephant: A Bright Bestiary

Julie Larios (2006), 32 pages

Illustrated by Julie Paschkis

Audience: pre-K

Format: picture book

Larios brings a colorful menagerie to life in her book of poems, Yellow Elephant: A Bright Bestiary. Using clever and imaginative language, the author wonderfully pairs an animal with a specific hue (examples include Green Frog, Gray Goose, Black Fish, and Red Donkey, etc) elevating color from everyday to extraordinary. This book reads like a dream (perfect read-aloud) as it is not only visually but lyrically stunning, a sure way to introduce poetry to young children while learning about animals and colors.

-Black Fish-

Now all silver quiver

Now all dark flash

She’s all water and wonder,

this black fish.

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this book, you may like: Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors (Caldecott honor) by Joyce Sidman or Poetrees by Douglas Florian

Other books by this author: Imaginary Menagerie: A Book of Curious Creature, and Have You Ever Done That?

The Mitten

Jan Brett (1989), 32 pages

Audience: pre-K

Format: picture book

Cozy up with Brett’s adaption of a traditional Ukrainian folktale this winter. An endearing tale of a Grandmother who cautiously knits a pair of white mittens at her grandson’s request. Fearing that he may lose the snow-white mittens outdoors, Baba goes ahead and knits a pair for Nicki (her grandson). And the very next day, Nicki does lose one – but who finds it? A pack of forest animals seeking refuse from the cold winter wind and snow. As more animals climb inside the warm woolen mitten to avoid the cold “the mitten swelled and stretched. It was pulled and bulged to many times its size. But Baba’s good knitting held fast” that is, until the last animal makes her way inside!

Although this book is published both as a board book and a picture book, I prefer the traditional picture book form for this story … I find the illustrations translate so much better in the larger format since the main narrative is illustrated along with inset side panels. Brett’s decorative touches are beautiful especially the embroidery motifs, which flank the bordered pages (in my opinion these touches further echo the author’s handcrafted fiber-inspired storyline) along with Baba and Nick’s traditional garb. Brett seamlessly adapts this traditional Ukrainian folktale into a charming, fantastical tale for children – it is one of the best fairytale/folktales for children 0-4.

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this book, you may like: The Mitten Tree by Candace Christiansen

Other books by this author: Town Mouse, Country Mouse, The Three Snow Bears, Gingerbread Baby, and Hedgie’s Surprise

Life in the Boreal Forest

Brenda Z. Guiberson (2009), 40 pages

Illustrated by Gennady Spirin

Audience: Pre-K

Format: picture book

Life in the Boreal Forest by Brenda Guiberson, illustrated by Gennady Spirin is an exceptional piece of nonfiction. The narrative is clear and accurate; the author not only identifies the environmental region “a forest so huge it covers one third of the earth’s total forest area. It grows across Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, and Russia” but she explains the origins of names and terms in a lyrical voice… “a swath of trees this big has many names, like taiga and boreal forest. Boreal means northern, from Boreas, the Greek God of the North Wind.”

Animals, like the snowshoe hare and lynx come to life in Spirin’s expansive forest landscape paintings. The book provides additional websites of information; organizations and agencies that are dedicated to forest preservation and acknowledges several experts who helped in the manuscript (including a boreal ecologist, wildlife biologist, and two research scientists).

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this book, you may like: Redwoods by Jason Chin or Rain Forest by Helen Cowcher

Other books by this author: The Emperor Lays an Egg, Into the Sea, and Ice Bears