Summary. An early reading book filled with photos and facts of sloths. Kids learn about this slow-moving mammal through the use of basic vocabulary and short sentences that are appropriate for early readers.

Reviews. This is a sweet book filled with lots of images for children to enjoy. A read along for the youngest students and basic read for students in grades 1 – 2.

Summary. Baby Monkey has a job as a private eye to find lost jewels and missing pizza. This book is a blend of picture book and graphic novel for early readers in Kindergarten and higher.

Reviews. Appropriate for very young readers and as a read along. The beautiful illustrations are loved by children. And, the story line is both enjoyable and engaging. Some reviewers find this more appropriate for preschoolers, age 3 or 4.

Summary. Children will learn about all the activities and structure of worms. The book takes readers through a descriptive journey of how worms see, why they are cold and slimy, and what they do all day.

Reviews. This nature science book is great for students in K – 1 who are learning to read. Speech bubble text and illustrations engage children and help them learn how to connect sounds to written words and develop an understanding of the meaning of those words. In particular, children love the funny, kid-friendly language.

Summary. These books are about friendship and the life adventures of Elephant and Piggie.

Reviews. The Elephant & Piggie books are fun and entertaining for children of all ages. Read the simple text aloud and young students will mimic the story and learn to read along the way. Kids love the simple text, wonderful illustrations, and searching for Pigeon on the inside back cover.

Kids may also enjoy learning how to draw the characters of Elelphant & Piggie on author Mo Willems’ site Pigeon Presents.

Summary. As the grown ups stay busy at a pie eating contest, a young boy assumes the responsibility of taking care of all the babies. He goes on a short adventure chasing the babies through bogs with frogs and creating a makeshift pulley to carry them back to safety. The unique black illustrations have hidden pictures of butterflies and frogs.

Reviews. The rhyming narrative of this wonderful book is enjoyed by parents and children of all ages. Kids have fun spotting hidden items such as a tiny caterpillar in the illustrations. Readers love how the story is told from the perspective of a mother telling a bed time tale to a child. The unique artwork is another great reason to buy this book.

Related Books. Another wonderful book by Peggy Rathmann is Officer Buckle & Gloria, a Caldecott Medal Book. Officer Buckle’s presentation about safety tips results in an audience of sleepy, bored students. That is, until he brings his K-9 companion, Gloria, who captures everyone’s attention with funny tricks.

Summary. A easy to read rhyming short story book for the youngest students. The book is filled with simple rhymes and creative hand drawn illustrations.

Reviews. The short book is great for preschool and Kindergarten children. Kids love the drawings of cows flying in space and falling into soup. The witty rhymes are fun to read many times and make it easy for children to connect sounds to words.

Summary. Elmer Elevator learns that jungle residents on Wild Island have captured a dragon. The dragon is forced to shuttle the residents across a wide river and anyone who rescues him may be rewarded with a free dragon ride. As Elmer dreams of being able to fly, he stows away on a ship to the island where he matches wits with tigers, gorillas and other jungle creatures. This illustrated adventure is a great book for early readers in grade 2 and up.

Reviews. Readers love reading this book aloud with their kids and believe it’s a great first chapter book for young elementary students. The illustrations are great for the kids who enjoy tracking the adventure alongside the included map. Some parents, however, found that the story includes unnecessary cruelty for young children and decided to wait until their kids were 8+ to read it together.

Newbery Honor Book