Baby Preschool Books

This book is simple, yet it gets the point across very well...when Mom is gone, she still loves her little one all day long. My 2 1/2 year old granddaughter loves it and it has helped her with separation issues. A must have for all mothers that want to reassure their young ones!!!

sweet book - helps kids adjust to school - positive thoughts to make it through the day

My three year old loves this book. She likes to look at the pictures and talk about Owen's day at school.

This is one of my son's favorite books about starting preschool. He was having some anxiety about preschool, but the books & DVD's seem to help. He asks for the "pig book" over and over again.

What a sweet book! We purchased this to read in preparation for starting preschool and wish we'd had it when our daughter had started daycare at 18 mos. The book doesn't mention where the baby pig is going, only that he will be without his parents. I think it particularly resonated with our daughter because he has a lovey, a stuffed frog who is in every picture with him, and we talked a lot about how she could take her lovey to preschool with her. She clearly used this book, as well as My First Day at Nursery School, to work through her feelings about this new experience.

I didn't like all the stories chosen for this collection. In this case I would rather have chosen individual books. I didn't really pay attention to the titles ahead of time.

This book and the other collections (farm tales, animal tales) are very well done! They are much more enjoyable to read than the "treasury" collections of little golden books which condense the stories, leaving out parts and omitting many of the illustrations. In these books the stories are complete, the pages are glossy, and the illustrations are bright and colorful. My children are able to enjoy reading the old Golden Books that are no longer available individually. We especially love the illustrations by Eloise Wilkin!

These are the stories that my Mom read to me as a little girl and I can't wait to read them to my children as well. The books are very nice and sturdy, great for years of cuddles with your children. The illustrations are just like the originals but bigger than the small golden books. Your kids will love them!

My grandautghter caries this book wherever she goes. She talks about which story she will get to hear toinght. I love the old golden books

I bought this for my daughter and this is a real steal. You get twelve stories from the Little Golden Book collection. The best ones are the oldie but goodies like "I Can Fly", "The Color Kittens" and "The Wonderful House". The newer stories have hideous artwork with no charm whatsoever... its worth it for the classic stories as the pages are big and colorful, nothing is omitted and the paper is a heavy keepsake type. Not thin/flimsy at all. Highly recommended.

Just what I needed to revamp my classroom. This is the first time I have taught in literacy centers, and this book is an immense help. There is so much out there for primary grades and literacy groups...but not for intermiediate grades. Took a while to put it all together, but hopefully, it will last me for years. Many thanks.

The take it to your seat books have all been great & the kids seem to especially enjoy this one. I needed something hands-on for my 6 year old but my 4.5 year old just loves the activities as well. There are 14 different activities inside, quite easy to just tear out & prepare. I used brown paper bage to glue each cover to, the instructions I glued on the back of the bag and placed the cut out material for the activity inside. I put the whole lot in a free choice box for them to choose from and I find them regularly pulling out several of the bags to do - they really enjoy them and it reinforces the maths concept in a concrete way. The illustrations are attractive and a good size. My eldest really likes the self-check answer gauges on the back of each game & it frees me up to do other things if needed. I prepared the whole book of activities in one afternoon. Well worth the money and have bought more from the series.

My 3 year old son has a hard time sitting still for any books, but these seem to work! He loves the bright pictures, short sentences, and funny humor! Great for both my kids (ages 3 and 5)! Would recommend to anyone!!

We loved this book and all other books by this Author. The illustrations are wonderful. We had read these over and over to our child and now she can read them to herself. It is a series of books that will be kept for future generations.

I have a son who is soon to be two. We read a lot of children's books, and it always amazes me at how many don't flow very well in terms of text. The text in this book is simple but very well-written. I am only giving it 4 stars only because I believe it would have been a better book for a younger child. He loved it for a short period of time, but a year ago it would have interested him more. It's a great book to use when your child is just beginning to be interested in having books read to him/her.

I love all of the Gertie and Friends books, but this one is probably my favorite. The illustrations are simple, and yet full of interesting tidbits you can help your child find. It's amazing how expressive these little goslings are. I appreciate that the story is short and sweet. My daughter is not yet old enough to enjoy longer stories, but she is fully able to sit through this one.

My son laughs everytime we read this -- which is at least 10x per day. He loves this book and carries it everywhere.

Oh this just doesn't make a jot of sense. It doesn't. Look, under normal circumstances books with big flashy morals make me cringe. You know what I'm talking about. Books with agendas. The ones that foist some kind of message on you like "be yourself" or "cheating is wrong". To make a book with that kind of blatant preachifying actually work as a whole you need to be some kind of amazing writer. You need serious skills. And then I pick up Fanny by Holly Hobbie. I pick it up, I read it, I choke up, I read it again, and for the life of me I have absolutely no idea why a book that could have been so messagey and didactic instead ends up sweet, loving, and smart. What the freaking heck happened here? For Holly Hobbie (author/illustrator of those fabulous Toot & Puddle books) to switch gears entirely and write a picture book about a little girl, LET ALONE a picture book that thwaps Barbie and Bratz dolls upside the head, and for that same book to be an overwhelming and utter success.. well, I can't explain it. By all logic this book shouldn't work. The fact that it will charm you utterly and completely is a testament to Ms. Hobbie's mad skillz in the writing and illustrating arenas. Bow before her, people. Then scratch your head in bafflement.

If there is one thing in the world Fanny wants it is a Connie doll. One of those big-lipped designer dolls all her friends already have. And when Fanny's mom says in no uncertain terms that she will not purchase that toy for her daughter, Fanny comes up with a solution. Why not make her own? The end result is a lovely comfy doll she names Annabelle that looks nothing like the store bought Connies everyone else has. At first Fanny grows embarrassed of her "different" doll. But after a little consideration she decides that even though Annabelle isn't like the others, she's still a great doll and worth playing with (particularly when the Connies are nurses and Annabelle's the doctor). And when she starts making her more clothes, Fanny decides to give Annabelle her own little doll. That doll's name? Why Connie, of course.

They publisher is sort of toting this with a Holly-Hobbie-Goes-Human angle. Those of us who were children of the 70s and 80s, however, might be surprised to learn that this is not the first time Ms. Hobbie has penned people rather than pigs. If you flip through her illustrated memoir The Art of Holly Hobbie you'll find quite a few Sunbonnet Sue pictures. The minute I saw these they triggered an immediate response in the spiderwebbed crevices of my memory. Holy cats, I used to read Holly Hobbie when I was a kid! After gasping a little over this revelation, however, it's clear that the author has refined her art over the years. Where in the past her girls were often be-hatted with faces hidden in silhouette, Fanny's mug is clear and present every step of the way. If Ms. Hobbie ever sported a reluctance to do people, it's now impossible to tell.

Let's go back to Fanny though. Take a gander at this gal. She's kind of a rare beast, though you wouldn't necessarily recognize the fact at a first glance. The glasses and headband are cute. Ditto her penchant for black leggings and pink sneaks. And as one co-worker of mine said as she flipped through the book, "Thank GOD she's not a redhead!" We children's librarians get a little sick of repetition, and some days it feels like the word "spunky" is synonymous with "flame-haired". That said I'd almost say that Fanny is less "spunky" than she is inventive and ingenious. I mean, she wants something, her mother says no, and so instead of whining about it she sets about finding a solution to her problem another way. Spunk heck. This kids' got chutzpah.

I can already hear what some people will say about the book. A kid that age has created a doll that good? Poppycock! Yeah, well sure. That's probably true. Maybe Fanny's some kind of proto-sewing machine prodigy for being able to create a doll this good out of her pink pajama top. But I think most people will be willing to overlook that minor detail (and honestly, it's not impossible that some kids would be gifted in this way) in the face of the story's tone. Hobbie's great skill is that she never feels like she's pandering or even trying to make you feel a particular emotion. Using succinct little sentences we feel Fanny's frustration, embarrassment, and ultimate confidence without a vast plethora of needless sentences. Plus you can't help but like a book where the mom explains why she won't buy her daughter her heart's desire because when it comes to those kinds of dolls "They're just too... much." Parents everywhere will sympathize.

The illustrations themselves are part of the real draw here. Fanny is immediately accessible and sympathetic right off the bat. Something about her feels real. Maybe that's why the artificial glamour of the Connie dolls look so out of place. Not that Hobbie can't make a mean Connie doll. A combination (as I've said) of Barbie and the Bratz, these vapid supermodels make for a wonderful punch line when Fanny and friends play hospital and Dr. Annabelle is assisted by two over-makeuped nurses. Above and beyond the physical presentation of the objects in this book, Hobbie is also capable of producing an excellent skeptical glance. When Fanny presents her homemade Connie doll the looks on her friends' faces speak volumes.

The book bears some surface similarities to The Birthday Doll by Jane Cutler in which a glamorous hard plastic doll is eventually eschewed as a bedtime companion for its floppier, sweeter rival. That book might pair nicely with little Fanny, but there's an emotional tug to this book that would be difficult to replicate elsewhere. Hobbie's managed just the perfect melding of text and image so that what you end up with isn't a diatribe against oversexed dolls for girls but a clever story of ingenuity and tenderness. Tone can sometimes be everything in a picture book and the tone of Fanny will sustain it in the memories of children and adults for a long time to come. Sweet in the best sense of the word.

Max and Ruby books are good for young toddlers. The stories are very vague and nothing ever really happens leaving the ending of the book a little dry. If you like Max and Ruby I suppose this book is along the lines of standard for this author. There is that red lobster that appears in this book (and others) that chases Max around and around and like always Ruby is trying to get him out of trouble...at the end Max wants to do it again.

Max's Bday is another wonderful little Max book for children and adults. They capture a young child's world with humor and empathy. As Max asserts his "needs," Ruby perceives them as "wants" much like parents. I am a child/family psychologist and I use the Max and Ruby books frequently.

Max and his sister Ruby are back. Max unwraps Ruby's gift - a large wind-up mechanical lobster - and is startled as it seems to chase him around the house. As always, Rosemary Wells delights young listeners with her surprise ending and simple dialog. I read this to my day care children and the 1 and 3 year olds love it. Adults will enjoy the details such as the party outfits decorated with cake and ice cream and Max's facial expressions. And when your children want to hear this book over and over, it's a quick read aloud.

The Max books are among my favorites for small children, and this one is no exception. While it explores concepts like "over," "under," etc., at the same time it includes interesting illustrations and a story line that preschoolers and their parents can relate to (Max is afraid of his birthday present -- a windup dragon -- at first, but after running away from it for several pages, in the end says, "Again!"). In all of the Max books that we have read so far, the author incorporates amusing common childhood traits into an entertaining story that everyone can relate to. This book gets my vote for one that parents and children will enjoy reading together, over and over.

I was disappointed with "Max's Birthday" because it wasn't about birthdays at all: it was all about Max getting a toy lobster that he was afraid of. Other than a wrapped present on the cover and a party hat and birthday-cake clothes throughout, a toddler would have a hard time knowing that this is a book about birthdays. When I bought this after a search of the Baby/Preschool category, looking under the keyword "birthday," my hope had been to obtain a couple of good books to help my two toddlers understand the concept of turning 2 and celebrating the event. To me, this just didn't cut it.

Sheila Rae has a peppermint stick and she's having a great time taunting her little sister Louise with it. Natural consequences take over and Sheila Rae learns a lesson.

This is one of our favorites! We have a great time reading this book, and we like to embellish with the voices. I highly recommend it!

Who can resist a Henkes book? Move over Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse and Julius the Baby of the World...another book by Henkes which is surely destined to be a children's classic has arrived!
We parents remember what it is like to have a treat all of our own and our reluctance to share it, and our preschoolers can certainly relate to the dilemma! "I want to share it but if I do I will have less for myself". When a mishap befalls the peppermint stick the sharing process becomes much easier and both girls in the story are delighted with the outcome. After all, Sheila Rae was planning on sharing from the very beginning. (Or so she says!)A fun story with adorable pictures.

Most board books are descriptive - 'Cow says moo...Sheep says baa..etc.'. But this one has a storyline, amusing and cleverly constructed characters, and very expressive illustrations. It is amazing that this kind of a story has been made to fit in a board book format.

The story is about two mice - Sheila Rae, the older sister, has a peppermint stick that her younger sister, Louise, covets. Sheila Rae teases her in a typical big sisterly way, and says she can have a lick if she can guess how many stripes there are on the stick. Sheila Rae knows that Louise cannot guess correctly. In the end, Sheila Rae climbs high up on a stool and some books, and says Louise can have the stick if she can reach it. But then, Sheila Rae herself stumbles and falls, and the peppermint breaks into two pieces, one for each sister. A clever and face-saving solution for both sisters who then hug and kiss.

The illustrations are simple but very cute and convey the ages and attitudes of the two characters - the smug, teasing older sister who looks six, and a smaller younger sister (maybe three years old) who follows her big sister around and hangs on to her every word, while clutching her teddy bear.

This book is perfect to read aloud with preschoolers (like Louise). Slightly older children (the Sheila Raes) can read the book by themselves. It is a very interesting book that beginning readers will want to read again and again.

If you haven't met Kevin Henkes or his little mice characters, you and your child (or your grandchild) are missing a great experience. In this book, Sheila Rae has a peppermint stick that she's having a hard time sharing. The illustrations are delightful, and the situations in all of Henkes' books are true to life, so any child can relate and learn something without a bit of sermonizing. If you like this story, try "Owen's Marshmallow Chick" and "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse". Don't miss the expression in his characters' eyes as you flip through the books. Your little ones will love reading and rereading them. The board books are just right for the tiniest hands. My one-year old grandson, three-year old granddaughter, and the students in my reading classes are all Kevin Henkes fans. If you have a chance to meet him, grab the opportunity. He's a shy, gifted author and illustrator.

A favourite of young and old alike at the Watts' house, this book has it all. (Ignore the review that says Louise grabs the stick and breaks it...she does no such thing.) It's perfect for reading aloud--or for reciting by those who aren't yet reading. The brief, well-chosen text lends itself easily to expressive vocal interpretation. Loads of personality are packed into the simple, cartoon-ish illustrations. All this plus a great plot and twist on a child's level make this book one of our most cherished.

I love these series of touch and feel books for babies/toddlers. I have purchased many of them for lots of kids under the age of 18 months and they all love them. Great travel book too!

My son got this when he was about 12 months old and it was instantly his favorite. There's a great extra 'game' you can play with these books. On each page is a little white mouse. I ask "Where's the mouse?" and he points to it. We have also bought a couple of others in this series and they are equally as fun.

wonderful books!!!!!!!!!!!! get them all!!! our daughter has loved them since she turned one, and still loves them after turning 2! very fun to read, colours are vibrant, textures are appropriate, such nice books!! first discovered this series on www.mybabycantalk.com 's dvd's "First signs" and "Sharing signs" (by the way the BEST dvd's for babies and toddlers to learn sign language (asl) and english words. they are a must alongwith the books listed here.

My daughter has loved this book (and several others in the series) since she was about 6 months old. She's getting less interested now at 13-months, but it's still a favorite.

This is a great board book and touchy feely book for age 8 to 9 months and up. I would even buy it for as young as 3 months old. It's sturdy, durable, colorful, beautifully illustrated. This book has won the Parent's Guide Award. They learn about the different textures and love looking at the pictures. A plus to this book is that there is a mouse hidden in the pages that they can look for. It gives them great satisfaction when they see it. It's a great reading readiness book and talk about book. We love it.

This is a fantastic little song that carries so much more personality than the words as a mother tries to get the local wildlife to quiet whilst her baby sleeps. The verses are repetitive, but still lovely and unique to each animal. Another great feature is the stunning illustrations that carry on the story behind the singing mother's back. Charming, sweet, and hilarious.

I enjoy exposing my children to different cultures. This book is a simple and wonderful way to show children life in a small village in Thailand. A mother is trying to put her baby to sleep. The indigenous animals make noise, and the mother hushes each of them.

There is onomatopoeia as each animal makes its own unique sound. The rhymes flow soothingly, and the repetitive phrases let the kids participate in the "reading" of the book.

My only criticism is that some of the animal noises are not very soothing if the book is being used as a bedtime story. As the book progresses (and the children get sleepier), the animals become progressively louder. The book does end on a calming note, but sometimes my kids get worked up by the animal sounds, and the bedtime story has the opposite affect.

My 22 month old son loves many books, but this one has been a stand-out since the first read. He keeps asking for it "again" at the ending and has started to take it to bed with him. I was initially surprised, but now I also love the rhythmic pace and gentle story.

My husband is from Thailand and we were having a hard time finding books that were for children with Thai themes. This was perfect. Our 1 year old son enjoys the colorful pages and the story is just the right length. I actually enjoy all childrens books by this author.

The little ones I read this to absolutely delight in the gentle, rolling rhythms of Hush! It's become a pre-nap favorite in their house.