Make Way for Readers

May 16, 2016
Sierra returns to the subject of Wild About Books and Born to Read with another exuberant celebration of reading, this time focusing on the joys of a good read-aloud session. As the story opens, young animals ride scooters, skateboards, and bikes to a story hour led by Miss Bingo, a bespectacled flamingo who holds court in an outdoor library of sorts, complete with a pond and surrounding meadow grasses. Karas (A Poem in Your Pocket) includes visual nods to several children’s book classics—avid readers will recognize copies of Pat the Bunny and Doctor De Soto, among other titles—and Sierra puts Mother Goose rhymes front-and-center as the day’s read-aloud choice. As usual, Sierra’s verse is spot-on in its rhyme and meter, and Karas’s wispy colored pencils capture the animals’ bountiful enthusiasm. And when one of the animals steps on the foot of tiny Annabelle the mouse during a mid-reading stretch session, Sierra eloquently shows how reading can do more than just engage imaginations—with a little improvising, it can turn tears to giggles, too. Ages 4–8. Illustrator’s agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.

April 15, 2016
Link nursery rhymes with storytimes, add animal characters and whimsical illustrations, and voila: a rollicking, rhyming story.It opens with: "Make way for the readers, / the riders, the rollers, / arriving in backpacks, / on bikes, and in strollers." Assorted animals parade up to the gate adorned with the sign "Miss Bingo Storytime." Miss Bingo is a singing flamingo who shares tales of kittens with mittens, Miss Muffet and her tuffet, and other favorite rhymes. The group raps to "The Cat and the Fiddle," and Miss Bingo honks for the little ones to stretch high and low during a break. Oh no! The crocodile accidentally treads on mouse Annabelle's toe. She makes a fuss, and storytime stops--until fox Rory reads her a slightly altered Mother Goose rhyme ("Annabelle Mousey-kin ran up the clock"). The colored-pencil illustrations have just the right amount of whimsy to fully entertain readers, who will love spotting familiar favorites in Miss Bingo's backyard library. Miss Bingo wears a green dress, red eyeglasses on a pearl neck chain, and a jazzy green boater hat, and the other animals are just as jauntily attired. In particular, Rufus, the clumsy croc, sports a black tank top and red ball cap worn backward.Any adult who has ever read to a group of preschoolers will grin with delight over these familiar antics, and regular storytimers will enjoy seeing this favorite activity depicted. (Picture book. 4-8)

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June 1, 2016

Toddler-PreS-A variety of young and curious animals ride and roll to a grassy nook by a pond for Miss Bingo's storytime. Miss Bingo, a flamingo, leads the enthusiastic group through songs, dances, and Mother Goose rhymes. The little ones are rapt as she reads them stories of kittens with lost mittens, and Miss Muffet's tuffet. The animals are kind and encouraging to one another, especially when little Annabelle Mouse's toe is trod upon by Rufus, a clumsy crocodile. Gentle Rory the fox steps in to save the day by making Annabelle smile and giggle, and Miss Bingo leads the crowd in a cheer for their storytime hero. Even when the last story is read and it's time to leave, Rory remembers his favorite storytime moments. Short rhyming sentences and a large, easy to read font make this a great choice for toddler storytime. There are plenty of opportunities to invite the group into discussion and action through prompts such as "How did you get to storytime today?" or "Let's stretch up high like Miss Bingo." The soft and inviting colored pencil illustrations emphasize the interactions among the children as they navigate their world. The uncluttered background and simple compositions keep the focus on the energetic and lovable characters. VERDICT This sweet celebration of the community created among children during storytime is a natural fit for public library collections. Perfect for read-alouds and one-on-one sharing.-Amy Seto Forrester, Denver Public Library

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