Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, by Annie Kubler

Teaching sign language to pre-verbal children may help them to communicate and develop language skills earlier.  I’m not an expert in that research, but I know that teaching simple signs with this book is lots of fun. Everybody knows the song, and an assortment of multi-cultural children demonstrate the American Sign Language symbols for the [...]

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Little Mouse and Elephant: A Tale from Turkey retold by Jane Yolen, illus. by John Segal

“Some must learn by seeing for themselves.” In this Turkish folk tale, Little Mouse suffers from a case of pride. He is told by his grandfather that the master of the forest, Elephant, is the strongest animal around. Little Mouse goes off to meet many different animals, each telling him that Elephant is the Master. [...]

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In the Time of the Drums by Kim L. Siegelson, illus. by Brian Pinkney

In the Time of the Drums is a retelling of an African-American folktale in which Africans walked off a slave ship and into the water of Teakettle Creek near Georgia’s Sapelo Island. Kim L. Siegelson’s narrative centers on a little boy named Mentu who lives with his grandmother, Twi, an “Ibo conjure woman.” Twi keeps [...]

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Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China, translated and illus. by Ed Young

Parents and teachers who wish to broaden children’s knowledge of fairy tales may want to consider Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China, a Caldecott Medal-winning book translated and illustrated by Ed Young. In this variation on Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf disguises himself as a grandmother; however, this time he faces [...]

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Kamishibai Man by Allen Say

“Come gather around me, little ones, your kamishibai man is here again!” Clack, clack! “Come get your sweets and listen to my stories!” Clack, clack, clack! Before the advent of television, kamishibai (or “paper theater”) was a common form of entertainment for children in Japan. The kamishibai man would ride into town every afternoon on [...]

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Red Butterfly: How a princess smuggled the secret of silk out of China by Deborah Noyes, illus. by Sophie Blackall.

Red Butterfly is a visual treat, and an intriguing story. A young Chinese princess is preparing to leave the wonderful kingdom of her father for the unknown home of her future husband. The story is largely a lament for what she will miss: including pink peach petals, red butterflies, and sparrows pecking at mud. But [...]

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