The Reading Corner

This Month’s Featured Books:

Infant/ Toddler: All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon (Author), Marla Frazee (Illustrator)

All the world is here. It is there. It is everywhere. All the world is right where you are. Now.

Following a circle of family and friends through the course of a day from morning until night, this book affirms the importance of all things great and small in our world, from the tiniest shell on the beach, to the warmth of family connections, to the widest sunset sky. Now available as a Classic Board Book, this Caldecott Honor picture book written by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Marla Frazee is perfect for the youngest of readers.

Preschool: Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

When three baby owls awake one night to find their mother gone, they can't help but wonder where she is. Stunning illustrations from unique and striking perspectives capture the owls as they worry about their mother: What is she doing? When will she be back? What scary things move all around them? Not surprisingly, a joyous flapping and dancing and bouncing greets her return, lending a celebratory tone to the ending of this comforting tale. Never has the plight of young ones who miss their mother been so simply told or so beautifully rendered. This is one of my favorite stories to help with separation anxiety for preschoolers.

School-Age: First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg,

Illustrated by Judy Love

Everyone knows that sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach just before diving into a new situation. Sarah Jane Hartwell is scared and doesn't want to start over at a new school. She doesn't know anybody, and nobody knows her. It will be awful. She just knows it. With much prodding from Mr. Hartwell, Sarah Jane reluctantly pulls herself together and goes to school. She is quickly befriended by Mrs. Burton, who helps smooth her jittery transition. This charming and familiar story will delight readers with its surprise ending.