Otto Runs for President by Rosemary Wells

Barkadelphia School is holding its yearly election for school president, and Otto's class is really excited. All of Tiffany's friends are sure she'll win - she's pretty, smart, and popular. And Charles seems to be a definite contender - he's a star athlete and the captain of all the sports teams.

Otto, on the other hand, is just a really good listener. While Tiffany and Charles are putting up banners and bumper stickers, Otto asks the kindergarteners about blankets. In the middle of pep rallies and pancake breakfasts, Otto quietly passes out homemade cookies.

It looks like a real close race heading into election day - Otto and his best friend Melanie have their fingers and toes crossed. Who do you think will win?

---

Our book kit includes a CD with the story narrated by Diana Canova. She has a great range of voices, making each character stand out. And the pep band background music definitely completes the story! There's two versions on the CD - one with page turn signals and one without. Great for sharing as a family, or for a young reader to practice on his or her own!

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

This is one of my very favorite picture books - not only is it fun to read and share, it's also a delight to act out!

One day, a peddler who sells caps - gray caps and brown caps and blue caps and red caps - goes out into the country to take a nap. He sits down under a big tree, falls asleep, and when he wakes up - all of his caps have disappeared!

Who could have took them? And how will he get them back?

---

If you enjoy this story, you'll like the sequel: Circus Caps for Sale. It's an equally fun romp, though I much prefer the original!

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

Get ready to laugh out loud as 14 talented artists take on the age-old question: Why did the chicken cross the road? Warning: egg-cellent jokes abound!

Two page spreads illustrate each artist's answer to the old joke, each one different from the next. (I won't tell you those answers; it would ruin the surprise!)

Some best-known artists include Mo Willems (Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus; Knuffle Bunny; the Elephant and Piggy books), Tedd Arnold (the Fly Guy! books), David Shannon (No, David!; How I Became a Pirate), Jerry Pinkney (The Little Red Hen; The Lion and the Mouse), Harry Bliss (Diary of a Spider; Diary of a Worm), Lynn Munsinger (What Mommies Do Best / What Daddies do Best), and Judy Schachner (Skippyjon Jones).

Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming

I had another book I was going to talk about this week - a chapter book that I've been holding onto for more than a week itself and am looking forward to reviewing. But I picked this one up by happenstance and it touched me so much that I had to write about it right now right now right now.

Boxes for Katje is a story of two little girls - one in Olst, Holland, and the other in Mayfield, Indiana, USofA. It is 1945, and World War II has just ended. Everyone in Europe is making do and going without after the ravages of the great war: they patch and repatch old clothing, save worn shoes for the cold months, and go without soap, milk, meat, or sugar.

And then one day Katje Van Stegeran recieves a box in the mail - a box from a girl named Rosie in America! Inside is a bar of soap, a thick pair of wool socks, and a treasure - a chocolate bar!

When Katje writes Rosie to thank her for the gifts, she begins an exchange that becomes the support the village of Olst needs to survive the horrible, harsh winter in store. And at the end of winter, Katje is able to send Rosie a beautiful gift of her own.

One of the very best things about this story is that it is based on a true one: the author's mother did send a box of useful things to a little girl named Katje in Holland, and that small box became many large ones of coats and food and shoes from her whole community by the time the winter ended. This is the kind of story that makes you cry a little because of the good in the world, and is an excellent resource for discussions of volunteering, the world wars, and the ways we can help each other out in difficult times. Stacey Dressen-McQueen's pictures are vibrant, charming, and folksy, and will have you lingering over each page even as the story draws you on.

Jack and the Night Visitors by Pat Schories

An absolutely delightful book, Jack and the Night Visitors is a wordless picture book by Pat Schories. In it, a dog named Jack and his young master receive a visit from some of the friendliest looking aliens you can imagine. Jack’s master is so taken by one of the little aliens he’d like to keep him. Luckily Jack inadvertently frees the little alien and he is able to join the rest of his group to get away in their spaceship.

If you find this book as charming as I did, you will also want to check out Jack wants a Snack, Jack and the Missing Piece, and Breakfast for Jack.

Ms. Schories also illustrates Alyssa Capucilli's easy reader book series featuring the dog Biscuit.

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton

This is one of those books that you read once, as a child or an adult - and then you keep coming back to it the rest of your life. Of course, for me that could just be because I have a sister named Katie who has the same grit, determination, and just plain stubbornness to get the job done as Katy does. But I think that's only part of it.

You see, Katy of our story is a big strong crawler tractor - a beautiful red crawler tractor - who works for the city of Geoppolis in their Highway Department. She has a bulldozer attachment for helping with road construction, and a big smooth snow plow for in the winter.

During the summer, Katy is always busy helping with the road construction and upkeep projects around the city. The bigger the task, the more she loves it and the harder she works - and she never gives up until the job is done.

But then during the winter, Katy mostly sits in her barn with her shiny snow plow and has nothing to do. The little bit of snow on the ground can be handled by the trucks - Katy's too strong for this job!

But then it begins to snow... and snow... and snow... and snow... When the whole town is snowed in and unable to move, who do you think can save the day?

Children will enjoy exploring the pen-and-ink drawings of construction equipment, town landmarks, and Katy's quest to clear the city.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

This is probably my all-time favorite storytime book! Readers (or especially listeners!) are asked to watch over the bus while the driver is gone - oh, and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Kids get a kick out of telling the adorable Pigeon "No you can't!" every time he makes a plea, demand, or suggestion for control of the wheel.

Whenever I read this book, I can't help but get into it. Willems' drawings are super-simple, but they do an amazing job of portraying all sorts of emotions - from sly to totally-innocent-I-wouldn't-do-that to totally enraged. In turn, I find myself acting out the part of the pigeon, making faces, altering my body language, and changing my voice for each panel.

This book is a true delight!