Arthur's Jelly Beans

First and foremost, who doesn't like Arthur!? I thought this was a great book to add to my children's literature collection because many are familiar with the television show. Muffy is hosting her spring fling party and invites the crew over. Before they start their first game, they have to wait on Arthur who is always slow. Finally, the games begin!  From the egg push to the bunny hop, Arthur comes last in every single game. The crew ridicules Arthur for being so slow. For the last game, they decide to see how can collect the most jelly beans in fifteen minutes. Everyone is excited to play because the winner gets a big chocolate egg! Muffy blows her whistle, and everyone but Arthur races around the yard fast. Francine, Binky, Buster, Fern, and the Brain fill their bags with jelly beans to the top before Muffy can even blow her whistle. Everyone but Arthur starts counting their jelly beans and eating from their full, heavy bags. Five minutes left, and Arthurs is still crawling around the floor trying to find as many as he can to add to his bag. Muffly looks at her stop watch and yells "Oops! Time's up!" Everyone lines up and pours their jelly beans as Muffy walks down the line counting. Then she comes to Arthur, "One, two, three"...and she keeps counting "twelve, thirteen, fourteen." Muffy announces Arthur as the winner and hands him the prize. Arthur knows he can't finish the egg because of how slow he is and shares it with his friends.
This cute fiction book has a great lesson in it. Unfortunately bullying is something young children might have to face. Although Arthur's friends laugh at him and make comments about him being so slow in all the games at first, Muffy does not let Arthur feel left out. Feeling accepted is important to every young child, and many will be able to relate to Arthur with this aspect. I highly recommend this book for younger children.

Betsy Who Cried Wolf

I know we all know of the story of the boy who cried wolf, however Gail Carson Levine has a different story to share! Betsy comes from the same town as the boy who had cried wolf, and has just turned eight and taken the Shepherd's Oath. She's ready to guide her sheep and protect them from any wolf who may try to eat them. Zimmo, a hungry and lonely wolf up on the Rosenrise Mountain refuses to let this happen! He knows he needs food, and soon, so he comes up with a plan. As Betsy leads her sheep up the mountain, Zimmo shows up several times. He hurries to hide every time she calls for help. Afraid that this is a repeat of the lying boy from years ago, the townsmen have a hard time believing her and send Betsy back to Shepherd School. They agree to give her one last chance and allow her to head back to the mountain. Betsy comes face to face with Zimmo. She calls for help, but nobody comes. This time, the hungry wolf runs towards Betsy and the sheep, but has eyes on Betsy's shepherd's pie. Betsy offers her lunch and pie to Zimmo, and he is no longer hungry! Zimmo turns out to be helpful and Betsy's new assistant in herding the sheep.

I loved reading the new twist to the old story of the Boy Who Cried Wolf. I think this would  be a great read aloud to pair up with the original story. Scott Nash's illustrations with funny details make it even more enjoyable! I think that kids would really enjoy this fun book because of the relatable message. Adults can sometimes be oblivious to very important things that are obvious to kids. The unfairness and frustration of it all teaches some valuable lessons with a twist!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a children's book written and illustrated by Eric Carle. This book is a great way to introduce the the concept of the life cycle to young children. It starts with an egg on a leaf where a very tiny caterpillar emerges. This book also teaches children the days of the week, colors, and  counting as the caterpillar eats through one red apple, two green pairs, three blue plums, four strawberries, and five oranges on consecutive days (Monday through Friday).  On Saturday, the caterpillar eats many different foods until it doesn't feel good. On Sunday, the caterpillar eats through a single leaf to make him feel better. The caterpillar is now very big and ready to form a cocoon. Finally the caterpillar is a very beautiful butterfly!
I think this book is a great read to share with younger kids. Eric Carle teaches many different concepts all in one book! It can be used for Kindergarden to explain the days of the week, new colors, and counting numbers. It can also be used for grades 1-2 to explain what the process  of the life cycle means  and the stages of how a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly.

Madeline's Rescue

Madeline's Rescue is a great rhyming book for younger children. It has also been awarded the Caldecott Medal for its illustrations. In this story, Madeline begins to frighten Miss Clavel as she usually does, but falls off the bridge and into the river. Madeline would have drowned if a dog had not jumped into the river to save her. The dog becomes more of a friend to the girls, and is very helpful and clever. The girls decided to name her Genevieve, and start fighting about where she should sleep at. The girls treated Genevieve as apart of the family, until she is kicked out of the home during the annual inspection. The girls are left heart broken and search through Paris to find Genevieve. One night, Miss Clavel wakes up and finds Genevieve outside the house. They are excited to see that she has had a liter of puppies. Each of the twelve girls takes one.
This book is an enjoyable reading for grades K-2. It teaches children about friendship, compassion, and sharing in a fun, rhyming  way.