From Story Time: The Letter "O"

Read in Book Babies

Frog on a Log?

Written by Kes Gray

Illustrated by Jim Field

Scholastic Press, 2014.  Picture Book.

A read-aloud story that will have kids rhyming around the house!  "It's very simple, really.  Cats sit on mats, hares sit on chairs, mules sit on stools, gophers sit on sofas, and frogs sit on logs."  Each animal's designated seat rhymes with that animal's name.  "It's not about being comfortable," explains the cat.  "It's about doing the right thing."  The frog does not want to sit on a log.  Doing his best to find an alternative place to sit, the frog asks the cat a litany of questions.  For every answer the cat has, the frog has another question--until the frog finds out what dogs sit on!  Peppered with catchy rhymes, FROG ON A LOG? shows young readers that every animal has a special place to sit.  With rhymes that are reminiscent of Dr. Seuss's beginner books, FROG ON A LOG? is a fun, educational read-aloud story that helps teach phonics!  --Publisher

Read in Toddler Time

Over the Ocean

By Taro Gomi

Chronicle Books, 2016.  Picture Book.

In this beautiful testament to wondering, a young girl gazes out to where the water meets the sky and wonders what lies beyond the waves.  Boats filled with toys?  Skyscrapers filled with people?  Houses filled with families?  Or, maybe, over the ocean stands someone not so different from the girl herself, returning her gaze.  In this celebration of imagination's power, young readers will find joy in the mystery of the faraway, the unknown, and the just-beyond.  --Publisher

Read in Preschool Time

Nothing Rhymes With Orange

By Adam Rex

Chronicle Books, 2017.  Picture Book.

We all know nothing rhymes with orange, but how does that make Orange feel?  Well, left out, obviously!  When a fruit parade gets together to sing a song about how wonderful they are—and the song happens to rhyme—Orange can't help but feel like it's impossible to ever fit in.  But when one particularly intuitive Apple notices how Orange is feeling, the entire English language begins to become a bit more inclusive.  Beloved author-illustrator Adam Rex has created a hilarious yet poignant parable about feeling left out, celebrating difference, and the irrefutable fact that nothing rhymes with orange.  --Publisher

Read in Preschool Time

Oliver

By Birgitta Sif

Candlewick Press, 2012.  Picture Book.

Oliver is different. He enjoys his solitude. He likes playing with his friends, who are puppets, stuffed animals, and other toys. With his rich imagination, Oliver’s day is never dull. There are bridges to cross, sharks to fight, and treasures to find! But maybe toys don’t always give a boy everything he needs. Maybe he needs another kind of companion. Will Oliver discover a way to be, well, different? When his tennis ball rolls across the lawn into the yard of the girl next door, he just might be surprised.  --Publisher

Read in Cuentos

Vamos a cazar un oso

Written by Michael Rosen

Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Ediciones Ekaré, 2016.  Spanish Picture Book.

¿Alguna vez has cazado un oso grande y peligroso?  En esta canción de la tradición inglesa, en version del poeta Michael Rosen, una familia sale a cazar un oso.  Atraviesan un campo de pastos verdes, un río profundo, un bosque oscuro, y entre ellos no hay ningún miedoso.  Hasta que entran en una Cueva tenebrosa y se topan con dos ojos que miran rabiosos…  --Publisher