Picture Book Saturday (10)

A My Name is Alice
By Jane Bayer, illustrated by Steven Kellogg
Published 1992 by Puffin Books
This one caught my eye on the shelves and I couldn't resist. The rhyme (or game) should be familiar to many children but this book provides excellent vocabulary in its choice of animals represented, as well as providing geographical information when we find out where they come from. The illustrations are classic Kellogg - fun and interesting with lots of details for kids to discover. This could be a great book to introduce some non-fiction about various animals or geography.

Fannie in the Kitchen
By Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
Published 2001 by Atheneum
Non-fiction picture books - I cannot resist them. This one I discovered in the 600s. It details the story of Fannie Farmer and how she revolutionized cooking by introducing precise measurements and recipes. It's an easy read and a cute story with suitable illustrations. I enjoyed it because I'm a big fan of cooking and I think this will appeal to a certain population of kids.

Always Lots of Heinies at the Zoo
By Ayun Halliday, illustrated by Dan Santat
Published 2009 by Hyperion Books
I've recently become enamored with Dan Santat's illustration style, so this one jumped out at me from the shelves one day. This is a book about butts - do I really have to say anymore to convince kids to read it? It's a fun book with witty text that is absolutely fabulous for vocabulary. We get interesting animals and a plethora of synonyms for your rear end. The illustrations are, of course, fantastic. I think this would be immensely enjoyed in a storytime if you can manage to keep the riotous laughter under control!

11 Experiments that Failed
By Jenny Offill and Nancy Carpenter
Published 2011 by Random House Children's Books
This is a cute story about trying new things and exploring. While the outcome of some of the experiments seems clear from the start, I think kids would have a good time with this book. They might even learn about the scientific process and be inspired to conduct some experiments of their own, though hopefully nothing too similar to the ones outlined here. This could be used in a storytime to introduce science and experimentation and could possibly pair with some non-fiction, though it might be a little too silly.