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Wild for Animal Stories!
Reviews by Melissa Oxborrow

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[August 12, 2014]  It’s no secret that children love animals.  Check out some of our new summer titles featuring our furry (and feathery, scaly, hairy and slimy) friends.  Your kids will love ‘em!

Goatilocks and the Three Bears by Erica S. Perl (illustrated by Arthur Howard), Beach Lane Books, c2014, 40 pages

Kids will go wild for this hysterical twist on the classic Three Bears story.  It all starts when Goatilocks enters her neighbor’s house without their permission.  She starts out in the usual way; eating Baby Bear’s porridge.  But then she moves on to bigger and better things---like the spoon and the bowl, a chair, a bed and some pillows.  Children’s eyes get bigger and bigger and their giggles get louder and louder as Goatilocks makes her way through the Bears’ house.  How will it all end?  With a heart-warming and hilarious twist, of course!  This is a wonderful read-aloud for preschool and school-age children and will give adults a chuckle, as well.


Following Papa’s Song by Gianna Marino, Viking Juvenile, c2014, 40 pages

This sweet tale of Little Blue and his Papa is filled with beauty and discovery. Join Little Blue as he explores the wonders of the ocean during the whales’ migration. He’s full of questions for Papa and his father answers each question patiently.  All is well until Little Blue finds his way into darkness and can’t see his Papa.  Will he be able to find Papa by listening for his song?

Preschoolers and young school-age children will innately respond to the lush illustrations of this exotic underwater world as well as the tender relationship between father and child.
 

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Old Mikamba Had a Farm by Rachel Isadora, Nancy Paulsen Books, c2013, 40 pages

“Old Mikamba had a farm”…a game park filled with animals both familiar and new, including an elephant, a rhinoceros, a baboon, a springbok, a dassie and so many more.  Children love to make animal noises and this book gives them great scope for their imaginations as they try sounds they’ve never made before!  The bright collage-art illustrations also contribute to the exotic feel of the book.  This well-known song truly gets a make-over that will appeal to preschoolers and early school-age children.  Expose your kids to the beauty of Africa with this fun-filled read-aloud! 

3-2-1 Circus by William Wegman (board book), Dial, c2014, 24 pages

Author William Wegman is famous for his photographs of Weimaraner dogs.  Here his photos are paired with colorful drawings to create a board book that toddlers and preschoolers will adore.  Learning is fun when you have puppies along for the ride. Your little ones can practice counting while enjoying the antics of puppy acrobats, clowns and trapeze artists.  They’ll want to go to the circus with their new friends again and again!

To check out these books or any of our other new animal-themed picture books, please come see us at the Lincoln Public Library, 725 Pekin Street.

[By MELISSA OXBORROW, Lincoln Public Library District]

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