It's like Disneyland for children's book lovers. Nothing can compare to the fun and joy of seeing great children's books recognized and honored! Here's the American Library Association's list. (Not my list, their list. And, this gives me a chance to again say how important NONFICTION books are for kids!)
Newbery Medal
"Moon Over Manifest," written by Clare Vanderpool, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
Newbery Honor Books
"Turtle in Paradise" written by Jennifer L. Holm, published by Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
"Heart of a Samurai" written by Margi Preus, published by Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams
"Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night" written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen, published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
"One Crazy Summer" written by Rita Williams-Garcia, published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Caldecott Medal
"A Sick Day for Amos McGee" illustrated by Erin E. Stead, written by Philip C. Stead, a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing
Caldecott Honor Books
"Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave" illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill, published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
"Interrupting Chicken" illustrated and written by David Ezra Stein, published by Candlewick Press
2012 Arbuthnot Honor Lecture
Peter Sis
Batchelder Award
"A Time of Miracles" written by Anne-Laure Bondoux, translated by Y. Maudet, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
Batchelder Honor Books
"Departure Time" written by Truus Matti, translated by Nancy Forest-Flier, published by Namelos
"Nothing" written by Janne Teller, translated by Martin Aitken, published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division
Belpre (Illustrator) Award
"Grandma's Gift" illustrated and written by Eric Velasquez, published by Walker Publishing Company, Inc., a division of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.
Belpre (Illustrator) Honor Books
"Fiesta Babies" illustrated by Amy Córdova, written by Carmen Tafolla, published by Tricycle Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.
"Me, Frida" illustrated by David Diaz, written by Amy Novesky, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Abrams
"Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin" illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Abrams
Belpre (Author) Award
"The Dreamer" written by Pam Munoz Ryan, illustrated by Peter Sis, published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.
Belpre (Author) Honor Books
"Ole! Flamenco" written by George Ancona, photographs by George Ancona, published by Lee & Low Books Inc.
"The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba" written by Margarita Engle, published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC
"90 Miles to Havana" written by Enrique Flores-Galbis, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing
Carnegie Award
"The Curious Garden" produced by Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard, Weston Woods Studios
Geisel Award
"Bink and Gollie" written by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile, published by Candlewick Press
Geisel Honor Books
"Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same!" written and illustrated by Grace Lin, published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
"We Are in a Book!" written and illustrated by Mo Willems, published by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group
Odyssey Award
"The True Meaning of Smekday" produced by Listening Library, an imprint of Random House Audio Publishing Group
Odyssey Honor Audio Books
"Alchemy and Meggy Swann" produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group
"The Knife of Never Letting Go" produced by Candlewick on Brilliance Audio, an imprint of Brilliance Audio
"Revolution" produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group
"will grayson, will grayson" produced by Brilliance Audio
Sibert Medal
"Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot" written by Sy Montgomery, photographs by Nic Bishop, published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Sibert Honor Books
"Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring" written by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca. A Neal Porter Book., published by Flash Point, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing
"Lafayette and the American Revolution, written by Russell Freedman, published by Holiday House
Wilder Medal
Tomie dePaola
Happy Holidays!
Just a note to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I'm busy at work on LITTLE AMERICA. It will be a board book for the same series as my LITTLE CALIFORNIA book and will be published by Sleeping Bear Press in March 2012. I'm excited!
HO HO HO!
I'm busy at work on LITTLE AMERICA. It will be a board book for the same series as my LITTLE CALIFORNIA book and will be published by Sleeping Bear Press in March 2012. I'm excited!
HO HO HO!
Authors' Fair 2011
The Greater San Diego Reading Association and the San Diego County Office of Education will host Authors' Fair on Friday, March 18, 2011. This event has a long, fabulous tradition. Here's a sneak peek at the details and if you need more info, just email me at hfjames@san.rr.com.
Authors’s Fair
Friday, March 18, 2011
Stacia Deutsch
www.blasttothepastbooks.com
Lincoln’s Legacy
Disney’s Dream
Bell’s Breakthrough
King’s Courage
Sacagawea’s Strength
Franklin’s Fame
Washington’s War
Betsy Ross’s Star
Key Words: Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Time Travel, Fantasy, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Sacagawea, Inventors, Famous People in History
Edith Hope Fine
www.edithfine.com
Water, Weed and Wait
Armando and the Blue Tarp School
Cryptomania: Teleporting into Greek and Latin with the Cryptokids
Under the Lemon Moon
Nitty-Gritty Grammar: A Not-So Serious Guide to Clear Communication
More Nitty-Gritty Grammar: Another Not-So Serious Guide to Clear Communication
Biographies of Gary Paulsen, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Barbara McClintock
Key Words: Gardening, Literacy, School Stories, Greek and Latin Root Words, Multicultural Education, Grammar, Biography, Expository Text, Research
Patty Hall
www.pattyhall.com
Johnny Gruelle, Creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy
Raggedy Ann and More: Johnny Gruelle’s Dolls and Merchandise
Raggedy Ann and Johnny Gruelle: A Bibliography of Published Works
The Real-For-Sure Story of Raggedy Ann
Raggedy Ann and Andy: Day at the Fair
Raggedy Ann and Andy: School Day Adventure
Raggedy Ann and Andy: Going to Grandma’s
Raggedy Ann and Andy: All That We Love
Patty also has a variety of CDs. Check out her website for details.
Key Words: Biography, Children’s Literature, Music, Research
Judith Josephson
www.judithjosephson.com
Armando and the Blue Tarp School
Nitty-Gritty Grammar: A Not-So Serious Guide to Clear Communication
More Nitty-Gritty Grammar: Another Not-So Serious Guide to Clear Communication
Why Did Cherokees Move West? And Other Questions About the Trial of Tears
Umbrellas
Biographies of Nelson Mandela, Louis Armstrong, Jesse Owens, Ludwig van Beethoven, Nikki Giovanni, Mother Jones
Key Words: Literacy, School Stories, Multicultural Education, Grammar, Expository Text, Biography, Research
Lori Mitchell
www.differentjustlikeme.com
Different Just Like Me (author and illustrator)
Holly Bloom’s Garden (illustrator)
Lifes Building Blocks (series illustrator)
Key Words: Character Education, Perseverance, Diversity, Gardening, Accepting Differences, Vitilgo, Illustration
Note: Different Just Like Me is available in braille through the Los Angeles Braille Institute (323) 660-3880.
Joy Raab
www.joyraab.com
Kate Sessions: The Mother of Balboa Park (author and illustrator)
Balboa Park: A to Z (illustrator)
Key Words: San Diego History, Biography, Balboa Park, Children’s Book Illustration, Women in the History of San Diego, Community
EVERYONE will be visiting with Shelley Moore Thomas in larger group (in addition to “their author,” and display time. Shelley is both an author and a storyteller.Her books include;
A Cold Winter's Good Night
Good Night, Good Knight
Get Well, Good Knight
Happy Birthday, Good Knight
Take Care, Good Knight
Somewhere Today
www.shelleymoorethomas.blogspot.com/
Authors’s Fair
Friday, March 18, 2011
Stacia Deutsch
www.blasttothepastbooks.com
Lincoln’s Legacy
Disney’s Dream
Bell’s Breakthrough
King’s Courage
Sacagawea’s Strength
Franklin’s Fame
Washington’s War
Betsy Ross’s Star
Key Words: Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Time Travel, Fantasy, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Sacagawea, Inventors, Famous People in History
Edith Hope Fine
www.edithfine.com
Water, Weed and Wait
Armando and the Blue Tarp School
Cryptomania: Teleporting into Greek and Latin with the Cryptokids
Under the Lemon Moon
Nitty-Gritty Grammar: A Not-So Serious Guide to Clear Communication
More Nitty-Gritty Grammar: Another Not-So Serious Guide to Clear Communication
Biographies of Gary Paulsen, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Barbara McClintock
Key Words: Gardening, Literacy, School Stories, Greek and Latin Root Words, Multicultural Education, Grammar, Biography, Expository Text, Research
Patty Hall
www.pattyhall.com
Johnny Gruelle, Creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy
Raggedy Ann and More: Johnny Gruelle’s Dolls and Merchandise
Raggedy Ann and Johnny Gruelle: A Bibliography of Published Works
The Real-For-Sure Story of Raggedy Ann
Raggedy Ann and Andy: Day at the Fair
Raggedy Ann and Andy: School Day Adventure
Raggedy Ann and Andy: Going to Grandma’s
Raggedy Ann and Andy: All That We Love
Patty also has a variety of CDs. Check out her website for details.
Key Words: Biography, Children’s Literature, Music, Research
Judith Josephson
www.judithjosephson.com
Armando and the Blue Tarp School
Nitty-Gritty Grammar: A Not-So Serious Guide to Clear Communication
More Nitty-Gritty Grammar: Another Not-So Serious Guide to Clear Communication
Why Did Cherokees Move West? And Other Questions About the Trial of Tears
Umbrellas
Biographies of Nelson Mandela, Louis Armstrong, Jesse Owens, Ludwig van Beethoven, Nikki Giovanni, Mother Jones
Key Words: Literacy, School Stories, Multicultural Education, Grammar, Expository Text, Biography, Research
Lori Mitchell
www.differentjustlikeme.com
Different Just Like Me (author and illustrator)
Holly Bloom’s Garden (illustrator)
Lifes Building Blocks (series illustrator)
Key Words: Character Education, Perseverance, Diversity, Gardening, Accepting Differences, Vitilgo, Illustration
Note: Different Just Like Me is available in braille through the Los Angeles Braille Institute (323) 660-3880.
Joy Raab
www.joyraab.com
Kate Sessions: The Mother of Balboa Park (author and illustrator)
Balboa Park: A to Z (illustrator)
Key Words: San Diego History, Biography, Balboa Park, Children’s Book Illustration, Women in the History of San Diego, Community
EVERYONE will be visiting with Shelley Moore Thomas in larger group (in addition to “their author,” and display time. Shelley is both an author and a storyteller.Her books include;
A Cold Winter's Good Night
Good Night, Good Knight
Get Well, Good Knight
Happy Birthday, Good Knight
Take Care, Good Knight
Somewhere Today
www.shelleymoorethomas.blogspot.com/
LITTLE CALIFORNIA
Hooray!
I'm looking forward to my next book, LITTLE CALIFORNIA! It will be published in March 2011 by Sleeping Bear Press. Here's the cover and the info. More news to come!
Published/Released: March 2011
ISBN 13: 9781585365388
ISBN 10: 1585365386
Product number: 255838
Shipping Weight: 0.73 lbs (0.33 kgs)
A list of 365 Best Children's Books Ever
Cindi Rose from the San Francisco examiner.com listed my book, S IS FOR S'MORES: A CAMPING ALPHABET, on her list of "365 Best Children's Books Ever." Wow. How fun is that?
Here's the link:
http://www.examiner.com/fiction-in-san-francisco/a-list-of-365-best-children-s-books-ever-part-1
Here's the link:
http://www.examiner.com/fiction-in-san-francisco/a-list-of-365-best-children-s-books-ever-part-1
National S'mores Day!
August 10 is National S'mores Day!
I'm pleased Cindi Rose, San Francisco's Fiction Examiner, included my book in her National S'mores Day salute. Here is the article and a big thank you to Cindi Rose for the shout out.
If you missed National S'mores Day, remember that August 30 is National Marshmallow Toasting Day! Just a thought . . .
Camping and S'mores Go Together Like Peanut Butter and Jelly
by Cindi Rose, San Francisco Children's Fiction Examiner
Camping is an activity that thousands enjoy every time the weather warms up during the summer months. Camping in the backyard or at Yellowstone, neither reaches the fullest potential of enjoyment without s'mores. Just like it seems wrong to eat peanut butter without jelly, it seems wrong to go camping and not eat s'mores.
August 10 is National S'mores Day and what better way to recognize it than going camping and eating the tasty treat. Of course, whether you are able to get outside and pitch a tent or just set one up in your living room, don't forget to bring along some books for bedtime reading after the entire family has gorged on graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows.
There are s'mores recipes out there, believe it or not, but they are truly enjoyed best when made in the simplest of ways.
Ingredients
campfire that has burned down to coals
roasting sticks
marshmallows
graham crackers
chocolate bars
Steps
Break each graham cracker in half so that you now have two graham cracker squares.
Break chocolate bar into pieces along scored lines and place one piece on top of graham cracker.
Place a marshmallow on the roasting stick and hold over hot coals, rotating to ensure thorough heating until marshmallow is a golden brown.
Grasping roasted marshmallow between a graham/chocolate layer and another square graham cracker, remove roasting stick.
Enjoy!
Camping Books
S Is for S'mores: A Camping Alphabet by Helen Foster James and Lita Judge An alphabet book? About s'mores and camping? It doesn't get any better than this!
Curious George Goes Camping by Margret Rey and H. A. Rey You know there will be some sort of mishap or mix up when George and the Man with the Yellow Hat go camping.
Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping by Peggy Parrish and Lynn Sweat Amelia is so confused. How is she supposed to pitch a tent and all the other things required to go camping?
Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems by Kristine O'Connell George and Kate Kiesler Eighteen poems express the excitement, peace, and craziness that make camping an enjoyable experience.
When I Go Camping With Grandma by Marion Dane Bauer and Allen Garns All the adventures of a camping trip shared between a grandmother and a first-time camper.
I'm pleased Cindi Rose, San Francisco's Fiction Examiner, included my book in her National S'mores Day salute. Here is the article and a big thank you to Cindi Rose for the shout out.
If you missed National S'mores Day, remember that August 30 is National Marshmallow Toasting Day! Just a thought . . .
Camping and S'mores Go Together Like Peanut Butter and Jelly
by Cindi Rose, San Francisco Children's Fiction Examiner
Camping is an activity that thousands enjoy every time the weather warms up during the summer months. Camping in the backyard or at Yellowstone, neither reaches the fullest potential of enjoyment without s'mores. Just like it seems wrong to eat peanut butter without jelly, it seems wrong to go camping and not eat s'mores.
August 10 is National S'mores Day and what better way to recognize it than going camping and eating the tasty treat. Of course, whether you are able to get outside and pitch a tent or just set one up in your living room, don't forget to bring along some books for bedtime reading after the entire family has gorged on graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows.
There are s'mores recipes out there, believe it or not, but they are truly enjoyed best when made in the simplest of ways.
Ingredients
campfire that has burned down to coals
roasting sticks
marshmallows
graham crackers
chocolate bars
Steps
Break each graham cracker in half so that you now have two graham cracker squares.
Break chocolate bar into pieces along scored lines and place one piece on top of graham cracker.
Place a marshmallow on the roasting stick and hold over hot coals, rotating to ensure thorough heating until marshmallow is a golden brown.
Grasping roasted marshmallow between a graham/chocolate layer and another square graham cracker, remove roasting stick.
Enjoy!
Camping Books
S Is for S'mores: A Camping Alphabet by Helen Foster James and Lita Judge An alphabet book? About s'mores and camping? It doesn't get any better than this!
Curious George Goes Camping by Margret Rey and H. A. Rey You know there will be some sort of mishap or mix up when George and the Man with the Yellow Hat go camping.
Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping by Peggy Parrish and Lynn Sweat Amelia is so confused. How is she supposed to pitch a tent and all the other things required to go camping?
Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems by Kristine O'Connell George and Kate Kiesler Eighteen poems express the excitement, peace, and craziness that make camping an enjoyable experience.
When I Go Camping With Grandma by Marion Dane Bauer and Allen Garns All the adventures of a camping trip shared between a grandmother and a first-time camper.
Join Me at the Yellow Book Road
Please join me at the Yellow Book Road children's book store on Wednesday, August 4 @ 11 AM. They'll be serving real s'mores and we'll have some fun time with my book, S IS FOR S'MORES: A CAMPING ALPHABET.
The Yellow Book Road
7200 Parkway Dr, Suite 118
La Mesa
(619) 463-4900
www.yellowbookroad.com
S'mores Recipe
Here's a basic s'mores recipe.
Ingredients:
Graham Crackers
Chocolate Candy Bar (Thin Type)
Marshmallows (Big Type)
Equipment:
A Roasting Stick or Long Fork
A Campfire
An Adult to Help You
1. Get two graham crackers.
2. Put a thin chocolate candy bar on one of the graham crackers.
3. Put a marshmallow on a roasting stick and roast until it's a toasty, golden brown.
4. Slide the marshmallow off the stick and onto the candy bar. (Be careful! The marshmallow will be hot.)
5. Place the other graham cracker on top.
6. Each and say, "Yummy! I wan't s'more!"
From S IS FOR S'MORES: A CAMPING ALPHABET by Helen Foster James (Sleeping Bear Press)
Arizona Road Trip
Greetings!
I'm just back from my Arizona road trip with a visit to the Grand Canyon where I got to happily sign copies of my book, S is for S'mores: A Camping Alphabet.
After our stay in an historic cabin with a rim view of the Grand Canyon, we visited Winslow where we were "standing on the corner of Winslow, Arizona." We stayed at Mary Colter's La Posada Hotel. Fabulous . . . if you ever have the chance . . .
And, of course, there were numerous visits to Cracker Barrel restaurants. Yum.
New Children's Museum Resource
The National Children's Museum has a new publication, FAMILY LITERACY PROJECTS ON A BUDGET. I'm thrilled it includes S IS FOR S'MORES: A CAMPING ALPHABET as one of the alphabet titles. I was a founding friend of the Children's Museum of San Diego many years ago so it's a real treat for me to be included in this valuable resource.
The resource "provides educators and families with affordable resources and activities designed to foster literacy at school and in the home. Developed by National Children's Museum education experts, the book teaches school-age educators and family childcare providers to proactively address community literacy with PACT (parent and child together) teaching methods, creative hands-on activities, and inexpensive supplies. This publication offers resources, ideas, helpful tips, and suggestions to develop and present cost-effective literacy activities based on broad themes and familiar subject matter. Emergent reading skills such as identifying everyday objects, storytelling, vocabulary practice, letter recognition, and print and phonological awareness comprise a comprehensive approach to family literacy and are integrated into the book."
It was just released and is available on amazon.com.
REI and International Reading Association Visits in Chicago
Here I am in a tent at the REI in Chicago reading my book, S IS FOR S'MORES: A CAMPING ALPHABET, to some young campers. How fun is that?! Thanks to Claire for organizing this event.
I was in Chicago to attend the International Reading Association where I participated in a session with writers Larry Dane Brimner, Juanita Havill, and Joan Sandin. Our Topic: How Research Intensifies Reading: Authors and Illustrators Talk About the Importance of Research in Putting Flesh on the Bare Bones of Fact. And, it was my pleasure to sign books at the Sleeping Bear Press booth.
See you at ALA in San Diego on January 7-12, 2011. More details later!
Little California
I'm writing a new book:
LITTLE CALIFORNIA
to be published by Sleeping Bear Press.
It will be a part of a series, and LITTLE MICHIGAN is fresh off the press. It's adorable and I'm excited!
100 Days of School
I spoke with my editor on Friday and she told me her son was celebrating the 100th day of school AND Valentine's Day on Friday in his first grade class. (Did I mention how much I loved teaching first graders?)
This reminded me of this article I wrote:
Book Links: November 1999 (v.9 no.2)
Celebrating the One-Hundredth Day of School
by Dr. Helen Foster James
The world may be counting down to the year 2000, but another counting is taking place right now in primary grades throughout the country to commemorate an event that happens every year: the one hundredth day of school. The count begins on the first day of school, when number lines and tallies begin, and counting sticks are placed in the 1s container. Culminating celebration activities abound as cereal, leaves, buttons, beads, and other everyday items are counted, sorted and placed in groups of 10, displayed, or mounted.
Now is the perfect time to bring out your favorite counting books, assess your collection, and add a few new treats to your shelves in preparation for this year’s celebration. It provides a great opportunity for reading a few counting books aloud and making a classroom or library display for children to enjoy.
A few books have been written specifically for this kind of celebration. Angela Shelf Medearis told this story about the beginnings of her book The 100th Day of School:
I was visiting a school when a tribe of first graders walked into the assembly wearing sashes and hats decorated with all kinds of odd things glued on them. The teacher was wearing a vest with 100 pennies glued all over it. I thought that maybe it was somebody’s birthday and asked the teacher. She told me that it was the 100th day of school. She was a first year teacher and I thought that maybe she was particularly happy to have completed 100 days! But, then she told me all about celebrating the 100th day of school and the counting and calendar activities teachers did. I knew immediately that I wanted to write a story about the 100th day of school to give teachers a tool.
The book has become a great resource for students and teachers. The book’s illustrator, Joan Holub, created a Web site () to complement the book. The site presents more than “200 Celebration Ideas for the 100th Day of School” to assist teachers in activities and projects. Some of the ideas included are having a person who is 100 years old visit the class, collecting 100 postcards, and having the principal come to class as a “Zero Hero.”
When Josef Slate’s Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten was published, everywhere Ashley Wolff, the book’s illustrator, went, kindergarten teachers told her Miss Bindergarten should celebrate 100 days. Ashley was familiar with the one hundredth day of school concept from her own children’s school experiences and was eager to make an accurate, helpful picture book for the occasion. She recalls:
There was high drama associated with Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten that I still speak about whenever I show slides of it. I relied heavily on the creativity and the generosity of all the teachers I know to help me come up with ideas for the 100-days activities and ran all ideas by them for appropriateness and accuracy. When all the art was done, I, of course, checked it, my teacher and librarian friends looked it over, my editor and numerous art people and assistants checked it and it was sent to Hong Kong for printing.
I was showing slides I had taken before I had sent it off at a conference when a teacher raised her hand and bravely said “I see a mistake.” Well, she had spotted little cut-off milk cartons tacked to the calendar easel and filled with counting straws for each day of the year. I had reversed the place order and put the ones in the hundreds’ place and no one had spotted it until she did!
I thanked her, finished my show and went straight home to call my editor and tell her to literally stop the presses. This embarrasses me to this day but shows what utter dependence I have on the kindness of teachers!
Emily’s First One Hundred Days of School chronicles her school adventures, one day at a time, as she encounters and learns her numbers in a variety of ways. Rosemary Wells makes connections between numbers and the many ways they appear in our daily life, including games, poetry, and songs. The song “Tea for Two,” the card game Crazy Eights, the town Twenty-nine Palms, and piccalilli labels with 57 varieties of pickles are just a few of the ways that Wells has incorporated numbers, counting, and everyday life in this counting-book treasure.
Counting books about and many of those not purposefully written for the day also make great contributions to the festivities. Pam Muñoz Ryan, the author of One Hundred Is a Family, explains a little about the counting that takes place in her book:
The book counts one to ten and then to one hundred by tens. On each page, the number of people increases. There are twenty people on a spread, then thirty people on the next spread, then forty people, fifty, sixty, and up to one hundred. And are there exactly that many people on each page? Absolutely! A third grader even told me an easy way to count them. She said, “It’s not hard, you just take a ruler and move it slowly across the page and count each face you see.” How many people are in the book? 595!
How Many Ants? illustrator Joan Cottle writes in her illustrator’s note that she painted “more than 1,050 ants, 2,100 antennae, and 6,300 ant legs!” to complete the book. Its author, Larry Dane Brimner, explained the process of writing his emergent reader in this way:
I knew I wanted to write a book dealing with the concept of 100 and the idea of 100 ants seemed intriguing. The problem was to do it in a way that accommodated the repetitiveness of the emergent reader and respected the confines of telling a “story” in a limited number of words. The result was the classic “quest,” with a visual set up on the title page through an illustration of the scout ant and opening with a map. The quest, or treasure hunt, ensues and as the army of ants advances toward its goal it increases by tens—a concept I commonly witness in kindergartens throughout the country. The conclusion required some sort of surprise, since the reader knows from the very outset that the ants are after a cake, so I opted to have human characters beat them to it. And that leaves us with “One hundred ants too late!”
Upper-grade teachers and students needn’t feel left out of the younger children’s celebration. There are a host of picture books that are sophisticated and can be enjoyed by all ages, including Laura Rankin’s The Handmade Counting Book. This book will delight all readers as they view hands signing the numbers from 1 to 20 and then 25, 50, 75, and 100, in American Sign Language. Longtime favorites such as Eleanor Estes’ The Hundred Dresses, Sharon Bell Mathis’ The Hundred Penny Box, and Rachel Field’s Hitty, Her First Hundred Years may make a fine read-aloud choice for the celebration. In addition, Rosemary Wells and Susan Jeffers have collaborated on Rachel Field’s Hitty: Her First Hundred Years with New Adventures.
The books listed below reflect some of the best of those available that are dedicated to celebrations of the one hundredth day of school, and a small selection of counting books that adapt very well to use in such programs.
One Hundredth Day Books
Cuyler, Margery. 100th Day Worries. Illus. by Arthur Howard. 2000. 32p. Simon & Schuster, $16 (0-689-82979-5).
Preschool–Gr. 2. Jessica is a worrier. When her first-grade teacher asks each child to bring a collection of 100 things for the one hundredth day of school, Jessica worries about what to bring, until her family help out with contributions from their own collections. This charming story of a supportive family, depicted in quirky cartoon illustrations, incorporates lots of counting and addition.
Harris, Trudy. 100 Days of School. Illus. by Beth Griffis Johnson. 1999. 32p. Millbrook, $21.90 (0-7613-1271-4).
K–Gr. 2. Clever math problems focus on familiar objects and animals and are paired with witty asides and livened with bright, clear illustrations, making this picture book a great resource for ideas for celebrating the first 100 days of school.
Medearis, Angela Shelf. The 100th Day of School. Illus. by Joan Holub. 1996. 32p. Scholastic, paper, $3.99 (0-590-25944-X).
Preschool–Gr. 2. Celebrate the special day and “do everything the 100 way” with this easy reader showing children planting 100 seeds, learning 100 spelling words, and baking 100 cookies.
Slate, Joseph. Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten. Illus. by Ashley Wolff. 1998. 32p. Dutton, $15.99 (0-525-46000-4).
Preschool–Gr. 2. The creators of the popular Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten present this companion book. In this lively look at the one hundredth day celebration in kindergarten, each student must bring 100 of some wonderful thing.
Wells, Rosemary. Emily’s First One Hundred Days of School. 2000. 61p. Hyperion, $15.99 (0-7868-0507-2).
K–Gr. 2. Emily starts learning her numbers on her first day of school, and each day she learns a number in a different way.
Related Books
Appelt, Kathi. Bats on Parade. Illus. by Melissa Sweet. 1999. 32p. Morrow, $16 (0-688-15665-7).
K–Gr. 3. On a midsummer’s eve, the Marching Bat Band arrives and its members assemble, marching and playing their instruments, to create a rollicking parade of 385 bats. The first bats arrive in 2s, then 3 by 3, up to 10 by 10, creating multiplication problems as they march along. The counting story is told in rhyme, with lively illustrations, by the creators of Bat Jamboree (1996).
Arnosky, Jim. Mouse Numbers: A Very First Counting Book. 1999. 48p. Clarion, $4.95 (0-395-55006-8).
Preschool–Gr. 1. A mouse journeys from 0 to 10 and back again in this small-sized, wordless book where young readers enjoy spotting the numerals in the mouse’s surroundings.
Beaton, Clare. One Moose, Twenty Mice. 1999. 32p. Barefoot, $14.95 (1-902283-37-6).
Preschool–K. Can the reader find the ginger cat hidden among each of the felt-art stitched pages of this charming book? This simple book presents the numbers 1–20 with an interactive flair.
Brimner, Larry Dane. How Many Ants? Illus. by Joan Cottle. 1997. 32p. Children’s Press, $17 (0-516-20398-3); paper, $4.95 (0-516-26251-3).
Preschool–Gr. 2. Part of the Rookie Readers series for emergent readers, this story counts along as ants continue to increase by multiples as they march up the hill toward a tall, tall cake. One hundred ants march toward, over, by, and down to their goal.
Estes, Eleanor. The Hundred Dresses. Illus. by Louis Slobodkin. 1944. 81p. Harcourt, $16 (0-15-237374-8); paper, $6 (0-15-642350-2).
Gr. 3–6. This Newbery Honor Book tells the story of Wanda, who wears the same faded blue dress every day. She tells her schoolmates that she has 100 dresses at home of silk, velvet, and all colors.
Field, Rachel. Hitty, Her First Hundred Years. Illus. by Dorothy P. Lathrop. 1929. 224p. Simon & Schuster, $17 (0-02-734840-7); paper, $4.99 (0-440-40337-5).
Gr. 4–7. This classic story of Phoebe’s remarkable wooden doll and her exciting adventures both on land and at sea through the course of a century was the Newbery Medal recipient in 1930.
Hassett, John, and Ann Hassett. Cat up a Tree. 1998. 32p. Houghton, $15 (0-395-88415-2).
K–Gr. 3. Nana Quimby asks for help from the firehouse, police, pet shop, zoo, library, and even city hall, as cats and more cats are stuck in her tree. Will anyone help her rescue the stranded cats? The cats are depicted in 5s, from 5 all the way up to 40, making the counting part of the fun in this humorous tale.
Johnson, Stephen T. City by Numbers. 1998. 32p. Viking, $15.99 (0-670-87251-2).
Preschool–Gr. 5. Tour New York City as Johnson explores it in these realistic paintings featuring the numbers 1 through 21, all hidden within the city’s sights. Twenty-one was selected as the final number to salute the twenty-first century, in this companion to the 1996 Caldecott Honor Book Alphabet City.
Krudwig, Vickie Leigh. Cucumber Soup. Illus. by Craig McFarland Brown. 1998. 32p. Fulcrum, $16.95 (1-55591-380-6).
K–Gr. 2. One tiny flea, two praying mantises, and other insects in the garden work together to provide the strength needed to move the cucumber. Factual information about each insect is included, and a recipe for cucumber soup completes this offering. The book is also available in a Spanish version, Sopa de Pepino, translated by Antonio Madrigal.
Lesser, Carolyn. Spots: Counting Creatures from Sky to Sea. Illus. by Laura Regan. 1999. 32p. Harcourt, $16 (0-15-200666-4).
K–Gr. 3. Spotted animals from around the world introduce the numbers from 1 to 10. The animals are depicted in biomes, and notes at the end of this informative book provide background on each biome. The illustrations are gorgeous, and the language is delightful—salamanders are sloshing, wiggling, and lurking—in this nonfiction book that successfully combines facts with fun.
Marsh, T. J., and Jennifer Ward. Way Out in the Desert. Illus. by Kenneth J. Spengler. 1998. 32p. Rising Moon, $15.95 (0-87358-678-5).
K–Gr. 3. The Sonoran Desert community is presented in this variation of Olive A. Wadsworth’s poem “Over in the Meadow.” A glossary explains the desert terms, and music notations are provided.
Mathis, Sharon Bell. The Hundred Penny Box. Illus. by Leo and Diane Dillon. 1975. 47p. Viking, $16.99 (0-670-38787-8).
Gr. 2–5. An intergenerational story of a boy and his 100-year-old great-great-aunt. Aunt Dew’s most precious possession is her 100-penny box, which holds 1 penny for each year of her life.
McGrath, Barbara Barbieri. The Cheerios Counting Book. Illus. by Rob Bolster and Frank Mazzola, Jr. 1998. 32p. Scholastic, $10.95 (0-590-00321-6); paper, $4.95 (0-590-68357-8).
Preschool–Gr. 2. A one hundredth day celebration would not be complete without counting Cheerios or a similar cereal. This book uses Cheerios as the tool to count from 1 to 20 and then in groups of 10 to 100.
Merriam, Eve. Ten Rosy Roses. Illus. by Julia Gorton. 1999. 32p. HarperCollins, $14.95 (0-06-027887-0).
K–Gr. 2. Julia Gorton’s ‘50s-style illustrations complement Eve Merriam’s poem that counts down from 10 to 0 as children pick roses for their teacher.
Rankin, Laura. The Handmade Counting Book. 1998. 32p. Dutton, $15 (0-8037-2309-1).
All ages. This lovely book counts from 1 to 20 and then 25, 50, 75, and 100 in American Sign Language. The illustrations provide the hand motions, and display realistic, beautifully illustrated objects to be counted. This is a companion book to the popular The Handmade Alphabet (1991).
Ryan, Pam Muñoz. One Hundred Is a Family. Illus. by Benrei Huang. 1994. 32p. Hyperion, $14.49 (1-56282-673-5); paper, $4.95 (0-7868-1120-X).
Preschool–Gr. 2. Counting first from 1 to 10, then by 10s to 100, this book celebrates the many meanings of family. People connect in ever-widening circles, creating families of community, heritage, and friendship.
Sís, Peter. Fire Truck. 1998. 24p. Greenwillow, $14.95 (0-688-15878-1).
Preschool–K. This award–winning author-illustrator demonstrates his artistic range in this simple story. Matt, a little boy with a passion for fire trucks, wakes up to find he is a fire truck—with one driver, two ladders, three hoses, and other equipment to count. The metaphor extends visually through a gatefold illustration that opens into a three-page spread.
Tolstoy, Aleksei. The Gigantic Turnip. Illus. by Niamh Sharkey. 1999. 40p. Barefoot, $15.95 (1-902283-12-0).
K–Gr. 3. Tolstoy’s popular tale is told with six yellow canaries, five white geese, four speckled hens, three black cats, two pot-bellied pigs, and one brown cow. They all work together to help the old man and the old woman pull up their gigantic turnip. Quirky illustrations make this an excellent variation of this favorite tale.
Walton, Rick. So Many Bunnies: A Bedtime ABC and Counting Book. Illus. by Paige Blair. 1998. 32p. Lothrop, $16 (0-688-13656-7).
Preschool–Gr. 2. Old Mother Rabbit lived in a shoe with her 26 children. Each bunny child is named after a letter of the alphabet, and each is placed to sleep in a location that rhymes with his or her name: “18 was named Rae. She slept in the hay.” Rhymes, alphabet, counting, and bedtime bunnies add up to pleasure in this sweet concept book.
Wells, Rosemary. Rachel Field’s Hitty: Her First Hundred Years with New Adventures. Illus. by Susan Jeffers. 1999. 112p. Simon & Schuster, $19.95 (0-689-81716-9).
Gr. 3–7. Rosemary Wells and Susan Jeffers have collaborated on extending the classic story about a girl and her doll.
Helen Foster James teaches children’s literature at University of California, San Diego, and National University. She is the author of Across the Generations: Selecting and Using Intergenerational Resources (Highsmith, 1997).
This reminded me of this article I wrote:
Book Links: November 1999 (v.9 no.2)
Celebrating the One-Hundredth Day of School
by Dr. Helen Foster James
The world may be counting down to the year 2000, but another counting is taking place right now in primary grades throughout the country to commemorate an event that happens every year: the one hundredth day of school. The count begins on the first day of school, when number lines and tallies begin, and counting sticks are placed in the 1s container. Culminating celebration activities abound as cereal, leaves, buttons, beads, and other everyday items are counted, sorted and placed in groups of 10, displayed, or mounted.
Now is the perfect time to bring out your favorite counting books, assess your collection, and add a few new treats to your shelves in preparation for this year’s celebration. It provides a great opportunity for reading a few counting books aloud and making a classroom or library display for children to enjoy.
A few books have been written specifically for this kind of celebration. Angela Shelf Medearis told this story about the beginnings of her book The 100th Day of School:
I was visiting a school when a tribe of first graders walked into the assembly wearing sashes and hats decorated with all kinds of odd things glued on them. The teacher was wearing a vest with 100 pennies glued all over it. I thought that maybe it was somebody’s birthday and asked the teacher. She told me that it was the 100th day of school. She was a first year teacher and I thought that maybe she was particularly happy to have completed 100 days! But, then she told me all about celebrating the 100th day of school and the counting and calendar activities teachers did. I knew immediately that I wanted to write a story about the 100th day of school to give teachers a tool.
The book has become a great resource for students and teachers. The book’s illustrator, Joan Holub, created a Web site () to complement the book. The site presents more than “200 Celebration Ideas for the 100th Day of School” to assist teachers in activities and projects. Some of the ideas included are having a person who is 100 years old visit the class, collecting 100 postcards, and having the principal come to class as a “Zero Hero.”
When Josef Slate’s Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten was published, everywhere Ashley Wolff, the book’s illustrator, went, kindergarten teachers told her Miss Bindergarten should celebrate 100 days. Ashley was familiar with the one hundredth day of school concept from her own children’s school experiences and was eager to make an accurate, helpful picture book for the occasion. She recalls:
There was high drama associated with Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten that I still speak about whenever I show slides of it. I relied heavily on the creativity and the generosity of all the teachers I know to help me come up with ideas for the 100-days activities and ran all ideas by them for appropriateness and accuracy. When all the art was done, I, of course, checked it, my teacher and librarian friends looked it over, my editor and numerous art people and assistants checked it and it was sent to Hong Kong for printing.
I was showing slides I had taken before I had sent it off at a conference when a teacher raised her hand and bravely said “I see a mistake.” Well, she had spotted little cut-off milk cartons tacked to the calendar easel and filled with counting straws for each day of the year. I had reversed the place order and put the ones in the hundreds’ place and no one had spotted it until she did!
I thanked her, finished my show and went straight home to call my editor and tell her to literally stop the presses. This embarrasses me to this day but shows what utter dependence I have on the kindness of teachers!
Emily’s First One Hundred Days of School chronicles her school adventures, one day at a time, as she encounters and learns her numbers in a variety of ways. Rosemary Wells makes connections between numbers and the many ways they appear in our daily life, including games, poetry, and songs. The song “Tea for Two,” the card game Crazy Eights, the town Twenty-nine Palms, and piccalilli labels with 57 varieties of pickles are just a few of the ways that Wells has incorporated numbers, counting, and everyday life in this counting-book treasure.
Counting books about and many of those not purposefully written for the day also make great contributions to the festivities. Pam Muñoz Ryan, the author of One Hundred Is a Family, explains a little about the counting that takes place in her book:
The book counts one to ten and then to one hundred by tens. On each page, the number of people increases. There are twenty people on a spread, then thirty people on the next spread, then forty people, fifty, sixty, and up to one hundred. And are there exactly that many people on each page? Absolutely! A third grader even told me an easy way to count them. She said, “It’s not hard, you just take a ruler and move it slowly across the page and count each face you see.” How many people are in the book? 595!
How Many Ants? illustrator Joan Cottle writes in her illustrator’s note that she painted “more than 1,050 ants, 2,100 antennae, and 6,300 ant legs!” to complete the book. Its author, Larry Dane Brimner, explained the process of writing his emergent reader in this way:
I knew I wanted to write a book dealing with the concept of 100 and the idea of 100 ants seemed intriguing. The problem was to do it in a way that accommodated the repetitiveness of the emergent reader and respected the confines of telling a “story” in a limited number of words. The result was the classic “quest,” with a visual set up on the title page through an illustration of the scout ant and opening with a map. The quest, or treasure hunt, ensues and as the army of ants advances toward its goal it increases by tens—a concept I commonly witness in kindergartens throughout the country. The conclusion required some sort of surprise, since the reader knows from the very outset that the ants are after a cake, so I opted to have human characters beat them to it. And that leaves us with “One hundred ants too late!”
Upper-grade teachers and students needn’t feel left out of the younger children’s celebration. There are a host of picture books that are sophisticated and can be enjoyed by all ages, including Laura Rankin’s The Handmade Counting Book. This book will delight all readers as they view hands signing the numbers from 1 to 20 and then 25, 50, 75, and 100, in American Sign Language. Longtime favorites such as Eleanor Estes’ The Hundred Dresses, Sharon Bell Mathis’ The Hundred Penny Box, and Rachel Field’s Hitty, Her First Hundred Years may make a fine read-aloud choice for the celebration. In addition, Rosemary Wells and Susan Jeffers have collaborated on Rachel Field’s Hitty: Her First Hundred Years with New Adventures.
The books listed below reflect some of the best of those available that are dedicated to celebrations of the one hundredth day of school, and a small selection of counting books that adapt very well to use in such programs.
One Hundredth Day Books
Cuyler, Margery. 100th Day Worries. Illus. by Arthur Howard. 2000. 32p. Simon & Schuster, $16 (0-689-82979-5).
Preschool–Gr. 2. Jessica is a worrier. When her first-grade teacher asks each child to bring a collection of 100 things for the one hundredth day of school, Jessica worries about what to bring, until her family help out with contributions from their own collections. This charming story of a supportive family, depicted in quirky cartoon illustrations, incorporates lots of counting and addition.
Harris, Trudy. 100 Days of School. Illus. by Beth Griffis Johnson. 1999. 32p. Millbrook, $21.90 (0-7613-1271-4).
K–Gr. 2. Clever math problems focus on familiar objects and animals and are paired with witty asides and livened with bright, clear illustrations, making this picture book a great resource for ideas for celebrating the first 100 days of school.
Medearis, Angela Shelf. The 100th Day of School. Illus. by Joan Holub. 1996. 32p. Scholastic, paper, $3.99 (0-590-25944-X).
Preschool–Gr. 2. Celebrate the special day and “do everything the 100 way” with this easy reader showing children planting 100 seeds, learning 100 spelling words, and baking 100 cookies.
Slate, Joseph. Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten. Illus. by Ashley Wolff. 1998. 32p. Dutton, $15.99 (0-525-46000-4).
Preschool–Gr. 2. The creators of the popular Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten present this companion book. In this lively look at the one hundredth day celebration in kindergarten, each student must bring 100 of some wonderful thing.
Wells, Rosemary. Emily’s First One Hundred Days of School. 2000. 61p. Hyperion, $15.99 (0-7868-0507-2).
K–Gr. 2. Emily starts learning her numbers on her first day of school, and each day she learns a number in a different way.
Related Books
Appelt, Kathi. Bats on Parade. Illus. by Melissa Sweet. 1999. 32p. Morrow, $16 (0-688-15665-7).
K–Gr. 3. On a midsummer’s eve, the Marching Bat Band arrives and its members assemble, marching and playing their instruments, to create a rollicking parade of 385 bats. The first bats arrive in 2s, then 3 by 3, up to 10 by 10, creating multiplication problems as they march along. The counting story is told in rhyme, with lively illustrations, by the creators of Bat Jamboree (1996).
Arnosky, Jim. Mouse Numbers: A Very First Counting Book. 1999. 48p. Clarion, $4.95 (0-395-55006-8).
Preschool–Gr. 1. A mouse journeys from 0 to 10 and back again in this small-sized, wordless book where young readers enjoy spotting the numerals in the mouse’s surroundings.
Beaton, Clare. One Moose, Twenty Mice. 1999. 32p. Barefoot, $14.95 (1-902283-37-6).
Preschool–K. Can the reader find the ginger cat hidden among each of the felt-art stitched pages of this charming book? This simple book presents the numbers 1–20 with an interactive flair.
Brimner, Larry Dane. How Many Ants? Illus. by Joan Cottle. 1997. 32p. Children’s Press, $17 (0-516-20398-3); paper, $4.95 (0-516-26251-3).
Preschool–Gr. 2. Part of the Rookie Readers series for emergent readers, this story counts along as ants continue to increase by multiples as they march up the hill toward a tall, tall cake. One hundred ants march toward, over, by, and down to their goal.
Estes, Eleanor. The Hundred Dresses. Illus. by Louis Slobodkin. 1944. 81p. Harcourt, $16 (0-15-237374-8); paper, $6 (0-15-642350-2).
Gr. 3–6. This Newbery Honor Book tells the story of Wanda, who wears the same faded blue dress every day. She tells her schoolmates that she has 100 dresses at home of silk, velvet, and all colors.
Field, Rachel. Hitty, Her First Hundred Years. Illus. by Dorothy P. Lathrop. 1929. 224p. Simon & Schuster, $17 (0-02-734840-7); paper, $4.99 (0-440-40337-5).
Gr. 4–7. This classic story of Phoebe’s remarkable wooden doll and her exciting adventures both on land and at sea through the course of a century was the Newbery Medal recipient in 1930.
Hassett, John, and Ann Hassett. Cat up a Tree. 1998. 32p. Houghton, $15 (0-395-88415-2).
K–Gr. 3. Nana Quimby asks for help from the firehouse, police, pet shop, zoo, library, and even city hall, as cats and more cats are stuck in her tree. Will anyone help her rescue the stranded cats? The cats are depicted in 5s, from 5 all the way up to 40, making the counting part of the fun in this humorous tale.
Johnson, Stephen T. City by Numbers. 1998. 32p. Viking, $15.99 (0-670-87251-2).
Preschool–Gr. 5. Tour New York City as Johnson explores it in these realistic paintings featuring the numbers 1 through 21, all hidden within the city’s sights. Twenty-one was selected as the final number to salute the twenty-first century, in this companion to the 1996 Caldecott Honor Book Alphabet City.
Krudwig, Vickie Leigh. Cucumber Soup. Illus. by Craig McFarland Brown. 1998. 32p. Fulcrum, $16.95 (1-55591-380-6).
K–Gr. 2. One tiny flea, two praying mantises, and other insects in the garden work together to provide the strength needed to move the cucumber. Factual information about each insect is included, and a recipe for cucumber soup completes this offering. The book is also available in a Spanish version, Sopa de Pepino, translated by Antonio Madrigal.
Lesser, Carolyn. Spots: Counting Creatures from Sky to Sea. Illus. by Laura Regan. 1999. 32p. Harcourt, $16 (0-15-200666-4).
K–Gr. 3. Spotted animals from around the world introduce the numbers from 1 to 10. The animals are depicted in biomes, and notes at the end of this informative book provide background on each biome. The illustrations are gorgeous, and the language is delightful—salamanders are sloshing, wiggling, and lurking—in this nonfiction book that successfully combines facts with fun.
Marsh, T. J., and Jennifer Ward. Way Out in the Desert. Illus. by Kenneth J. Spengler. 1998. 32p. Rising Moon, $15.95 (0-87358-678-5).
K–Gr. 3. The Sonoran Desert community is presented in this variation of Olive A. Wadsworth’s poem “Over in the Meadow.” A glossary explains the desert terms, and music notations are provided.
Mathis, Sharon Bell. The Hundred Penny Box. Illus. by Leo and Diane Dillon. 1975. 47p. Viking, $16.99 (0-670-38787-8).
Gr. 2–5. An intergenerational story of a boy and his 100-year-old great-great-aunt. Aunt Dew’s most precious possession is her 100-penny box, which holds 1 penny for each year of her life.
McGrath, Barbara Barbieri. The Cheerios Counting Book. Illus. by Rob Bolster and Frank Mazzola, Jr. 1998. 32p. Scholastic, $10.95 (0-590-00321-6); paper, $4.95 (0-590-68357-8).
Preschool–Gr. 2. A one hundredth day celebration would not be complete without counting Cheerios or a similar cereal. This book uses Cheerios as the tool to count from 1 to 20 and then in groups of 10 to 100.
Merriam, Eve. Ten Rosy Roses. Illus. by Julia Gorton. 1999. 32p. HarperCollins, $14.95 (0-06-027887-0).
K–Gr. 2. Julia Gorton’s ‘50s-style illustrations complement Eve Merriam’s poem that counts down from 10 to 0 as children pick roses for their teacher.
Rankin, Laura. The Handmade Counting Book. 1998. 32p. Dutton, $15 (0-8037-2309-1).
All ages. This lovely book counts from 1 to 20 and then 25, 50, 75, and 100 in American Sign Language. The illustrations provide the hand motions, and display realistic, beautifully illustrated objects to be counted. This is a companion book to the popular The Handmade Alphabet (1991).
Ryan, Pam Muñoz. One Hundred Is a Family. Illus. by Benrei Huang. 1994. 32p. Hyperion, $14.49 (1-56282-673-5); paper, $4.95 (0-7868-1120-X).
Preschool–Gr. 2. Counting first from 1 to 10, then by 10s to 100, this book celebrates the many meanings of family. People connect in ever-widening circles, creating families of community, heritage, and friendship.
Sís, Peter. Fire Truck. 1998. 24p. Greenwillow, $14.95 (0-688-15878-1).
Preschool–K. This award–winning author-illustrator demonstrates his artistic range in this simple story. Matt, a little boy with a passion for fire trucks, wakes up to find he is a fire truck—with one driver, two ladders, three hoses, and other equipment to count. The metaphor extends visually through a gatefold illustration that opens into a three-page spread.
Tolstoy, Aleksei. The Gigantic Turnip. Illus. by Niamh Sharkey. 1999. 40p. Barefoot, $15.95 (1-902283-12-0).
K–Gr. 3. Tolstoy’s popular tale is told with six yellow canaries, five white geese, four speckled hens, three black cats, two pot-bellied pigs, and one brown cow. They all work together to help the old man and the old woman pull up their gigantic turnip. Quirky illustrations make this an excellent variation of this favorite tale.
Walton, Rick. So Many Bunnies: A Bedtime ABC and Counting Book. Illus. by Paige Blair. 1998. 32p. Lothrop, $16 (0-688-13656-7).
Preschool–Gr. 2. Old Mother Rabbit lived in a shoe with her 26 children. Each bunny child is named after a letter of the alphabet, and each is placed to sleep in a location that rhymes with his or her name: “18 was named Rae. She slept in the hay.” Rhymes, alphabet, counting, and bedtime bunnies add up to pleasure in this sweet concept book.
Wells, Rosemary. Rachel Field’s Hitty: Her First Hundred Years with New Adventures. Illus. by Susan Jeffers. 1999. 112p. Simon & Schuster, $19.95 (0-689-81716-9).
Gr. 3–7. Rosemary Wells and Susan Jeffers have collaborated on extending the classic story about a girl and her doll.
Helen Foster James teaches children’s literature at University of California, San Diego, and National University. She is the author of Across the Generations: Selecting and Using Intergenerational Resources (Highsmith, 1997).
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