Waiting by Paul Henkes

Waiting by Paul Henkes

Five toys wait at the window. The owl waits for the moon, the pig waits for the rain, the dog waits for the snow, the bear waits for the wind, but the bunny just likes to look out the window. Every so often a toy leaves but always comes back, and other times new friends come and go. However, looking out the widow and waiting makes them happy, because they see so many interesting things like clouds, lightning, rainbows, and fireworks. One day a new friends comes, a cat who doesn’t seem to be waiting for anything until one day when nine more cats come out of their new friend and so that there are ten of them. So, they are all happy together.

Review: This is an adorable story I would love to read to Pre-k students and younger. The illustrations are beautiful and even tell part of the story. This would be a grea book to introduce seasons chaning as the caracters wait for specific weathers to occur as they stand in the window.

The Spooky Tail of Prewitt Peacock by Bill Peet

The Spooky Tail of Prewitt Peacock by Bill Peet

Summary: Prewitt Peacock’s tail was not the best tail, it had scraggly feathers and only two eyes, because of this was always at the back of the group where Phineas Peacock was at the front. Prewitt waited and waited for his tail to grow as beautiful as the other, but it never did. Prewitt’s tail grew more wile, with fluffy dark eyebrows growing above the two eyes, a mouth below and even arms with claws at the end. Prewitt shrugged it off and though to himself that it could be worse and so he went about to join the group. It took a week for everyone to notice his tail, but when they did they were all in an upset about and Phineas had to calm everyone down. Once all was calm, Phineas became angry with Prewitt and called his tail spooky and that h=he had to either lose the tail or leave the pack. Later that night, Prewitt had a dream about an elephant with no trunk, a giraffe with no neck, a camel with no humps, a Prewitt with no tail. When Prewitt woke the next day he told Phineas that he and his tail were staying, but this made everyone mad, mad enough to start chasing Prewitt through the trees and into an open field. In the field was old tiger Travis who was ready to pounce on the now frightened peacocks. Before he could though, Prewitt's tail sprang up and scared old Travis away. Phineas and the other peacocks were so grateful that they asked him to be their new leader, but he declined. Prewitt decided he wanted to roam free and Phineas asked if they could follow him around and he agreed. Eventually, there were so many followers that Prewitt agreed to be their leader and now he truly now what it meant to be a proud peacock.

Review: This is a great book for independent readers in third, fourth, and fifth grade. Its a real fun book and a great way to teach children about learning to accept and appreciate other's differences. This a book I would love to have in my classroom. Also, an interesting fact that I found out about Bill Peet is that he worked with Walt Disney Animations Studios, and worked on Snow White.

Little Bear’s Visit by Else Holmlund Minarik, Illustrated by Maurice Sendack

Little Bear’s Visit by Else Holmlund Minarik, Illustrated by Maurice Sendack

Summary: Little bear went to go visit Grandmother Bear and Grandfather Bear. Here he liked to try one his Grandfather’s clothes and eat his Grandmother’s cooking. That day Grandfather Bear took Little Bear to have a fun day and when they were done, they sat down for a story, but Grandfather bear fell asleep. While Grandfather Bear was sleeping Little bear went to find Grandmother bear in the garden. When Little bear found her he asked her to tell him a story instead, and so they skipped to the summer house where she told him the story of Mother Bear and Her Robin. In this story Mother Bear, as a young girl, finds a young robin hurt on the ground and takes him home. Soon the Robin heals but Mother Bear is not ready to let him go. Eventually, Mother Bear sees that Robin is sad and so she sets him fee, but every year he comes back to see her. After the story, Grandfather wakes up and tells Little Bear a story about a Goblin. In this story there was goblin who hears a scary noise in his cave and runs off into a tree hole. When he peeks outside he find that it had been his own shoes chasing after him. When the stories are over Little Bear’s parents coming to pick him up and Little Bear insists that he is not tired, but before they leave they all find that Little Bear has fallen to sleep.

Review: I though that this easy-to-read would be a fun read-a-loud book for younger children, and it is appropriate for children in Pre-k to second grade. This book would be great for students who are learning how to read independently, that's how I would use it in my classroom. It would be on a shelf where students can find their own independent reading books. I would love to have this book in my classroom, as I remember the joy I had reading them and even watching that came out in the mornings before school started.

The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter

The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter

Summary: An old tailor who lived in Gloucester was very poor but made beautiful clothing. He would even little little scraps of cloth for the mice that would run around town without ever going into the streets. One evening when he came home he told his cat, Simpkin, to buy some things and especially some more twist so that he could make the nicest cherry-colored coat for the Mayor of Gloucester. Only, his cat. Simpkin forgot to by the twist and was angry that the Old man had let his mice loose from where he had trapped them. Later on that day the old man had found that he was growing sick and he was for the christmas holiday. However, the mice who had clothed and set free saw that he was sick and heard about what he said about making a cherry coat for the Mayor of Gloucester. On Christmas morning, when the animals were able to speak, the cat searched the cats that he old man had set free, and he found them in the Tailor shops singing songs. Now, because Simpkin could not find the key, he could not go into the store to get the mice. And so Simpkin went back home and waited fro the Old man to wake and go to the story. Later that morning when the Old tailor woke and entered the store there he found no mice but instead the cherry-colored coat he had envisioned for the Mayor of Gloucester. This coat was so amazing that all gentlemen from all around came to the old tailor, who grew rich, for coats with buttons that seemed to be stitched by little brown mice.

Review: Another Beatrix Potter classic that any child from ages 3-5 would enjoy. This story was cute and I thing that children will really enjoy that the cat goes shopping and the images of small mice in tiny clothing. I would to have on a classroom on my shelf, and again the fact the book was constructed to fit into small hands makes this book all the more appealing to students. A story like this could be used to teach kindness to students  or young children not in school yet, and how it affects the people around them.

Tale Of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

Summary: The Mother of four bunnies, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter had warned against going into Mr. McGregor’s garden because of what happened to their Father. However, while their Mother was out and Mopsy, Flopsy, and Cotton-tail were out picking berries, Peter decided to go to Mr. McGregor’s garden. When Peter got to the garden he ran straight into Mr. McGregor. Sacred, Peter ran as fast as he could with Mr. McGregor right on his tail. Peter lost both his shoes and his jacket before Mr. McGregor got tired of chasing him and went back to work. Peter, was not lost and wandered around the garden looking for a way out, not even a mouse taking food to her family could help. But finally, he saw the gate from which he came and ran as fast as he could not even caring that his shoes and coat had been made into a scarecrow or that he had to pass Mr. McGregor, who chased after him. One he arrived home, he fell to sleep. Later that night, Peter became ill and had to have tea instead of the yummy dinner his siblings were having.


Review: A classic like The Tale of Peter Rabbit is a great book to with 3 to 5 year olds. I would love to have this classroom, especially for the younger children, because it is a book that is made to fit their hands. This story could be used in a lesson having to do with cause and effect, such as your actions have consequences. I really enjoyed reading this book and am very excited to use it in my classroom.