Children's Rhyming Picture Book: Night Cars

Night Cars by Teddy Jam illustrated by Eric Beddows, Orchard Books, New York, 1988.
The illustrations are fascinating this book.  Throughout the book we see Baby, who is having a hard time going to sleep.  Instead he likes to look out the window at the cars and the many things going on in the city.  He sees a snow storm, and the snow plows, a fire engine and many more sights.

Picture Book Review: Madeline

Madeline, Ludwig Bemelmans, The Viking Press, New York, 1939
This is a cute story about a little girl who lives at a convent school, and ends up at the hospital to get her appendix out.  I love the "two strait lines, and the youngest was Madeline."  This is a book for reading aloud.

DR. SEUSS (THEO LESIEG): Ten Apples Up On Top

by Dr. Seuss writing as Theo. LeSieg, illustrated by Roy McKie, random House, New York, 1961.  This is a simple book of three animals balancing apples on top of their heads, a lion, a tiger and a dog.

The Big Brag by Dr. Seuss

The Big Brag tells us who we are when in our pride we brag and boast of our own greatness.  The rabbit says he is best because he can hear so far, and the bear because he can smell so far.  It takes a worm to set them both strait and provide some humility.

Gertrude McFuzz by Dr. Seuss

Here is a fascinating story.  Gertrud McFuzz is a bird, who envies the pretty tail feathers of other birds, as she does not have enough feathers.  Consequently, she overdoes on the feather growing pill, and gets so many feathers she can't fly, or even really walk.  Sometimes we need to be content with what we have, and not worry about what we don't have.  Gertrude learned that it is painful to have all those extra feathers pulled.

Picture Book: Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss

This story is included with three others in a Dr. Seuss Book.  This is the story of a turtle who decides he is ruler of all he sees.  The higher he gets the farther he sees, and so uses other turtles as stepping stones, and caring about the inconvenience he is causing for others; until one of the turtles at the bottom burps.  Sometimes if you use others, all you have influence over is the mud.  Dr. Seuss has great insight in this story, and it is well told, drawn and rhymed.

Picture Book Review: Horton Hatches the Egg, Dr. Seuss

This is classic Seuss.  In this story we see Horton the elephant again.  He is hatching an egg because the lazy bird Mayzie doesn't not want to sit her egg.  Horton's statement is classic, and can teach us all a lesson.  "I meant what I said, And I said what I meant....An elephant's faithful One hundred per cent!  So Horton endures.  He endures rain storms, snow storms, friends who tease him, hunters who capture him, being shipped across the ocean, being in a circus and on display all over the world, boredom, and being uncomfortable; yet he sits the egg, which hatches as an elephant bird.

Dr. Seuss's ABC

Dr. Seuss's ABC, Beginner Books, Random House, New York, 1963.
A Dr. Seuss ABC book is fun, because you get the Seuss illustrations.  The book has a rhyme on each page, but the highlight is Z where we see the Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz.

Picture Book Review: The Night Before Mother's Day

The Night Before Mother's Day by Natasha Wing, art by Amy Wummer, Grosset and Dunlap, Penguin Group, New York, 2010.
This rhyming book takes the rhythm of the popular poem "The Night Before Christmas."  In doing this, I can sing it as in high school we sang a version of this song.  That makes this work even more fun for me.  And this Mother's Day was special.  It included spa and manicure given by her daughters.  The artwork is also very well done.  I especially like the last picture, a crown and mother's head, father in a cooking apron with a silly grin, and the daughters on mother's lap.

Picture Book: Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! Dr. Seuss

Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now! by Dr. Seuss, A Bright and Early Reader, Random House, New York, 1972.
This book is delightful, but most delightful because of the Dr. Seuss pictures.  He is using simple words, and sometimes a picture can carry the story better than words.  Such is the case here, us you look and wonder at some of the things Marvin could use to leave.  So just to see these pictures, this book is tremendous.

Picture Book: Appley Dappley's Nursery Rhymes, Beatrix Potter

Appley Dappley's Nursery Rhymes by Beatrix Potter, illustrated by Frederick Warne, Penguin Books, London, 1917.
This is a short and sweet rhyming story of a mouse.  However it also shows several other creatures, including a mole, guinea pig, rabbits and pig and sedge hog.  I think the line I like best is that the woman who lived in a shoe with such a large family must have been a mouse, or they would not have fit.

Picture Book Review: Fox in Socks

Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss, random House Beginner Books, New York, 1965.
This book come with a warning which should be headed, "Take it slowly; This book is dangerous!"  It is one tongue twister after another.  This makes it almost impossible to read.  It leaves your head spinning after every page as you try to imagine in your brain what you just read and make sense of it all.  I am sure it makes perfect sense, but it is the comprehension that comes slowly.  great fun if you take it stead and keep from getting frustrated.

Picture Book Review: Put Me in the Zoo

Put Me in the Zoo, by Robert Lopshire, Random House, New York, 1960.
Some animals just aren't fit for the zoo.  In this case we have a large cat, that can do many things with its spots.  But is it appropriate for the zoo?  It is not.  It is terrific the way the illustrator puts those spots all over everything.  And as often happens, this large cat finally found his place to shine.

Picture Book Review: Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss

Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss (The Simplest Seuss for Youngest Use) Random House, New York, 1963.
This book is a nightmare for every father.  You don't know how many times I have ben hopped upon.  I blame it all on Seuss.  "Hop Pop We like to hop.  We like to hop on top of Pop.  Stop  You must not hop on Pop."  Those few words have lead to many a smashed belly.  Hopping on Grand Pop is also a favorite activity of children.  This is one of the Seuss books for beginning readers.  It uses very few words, but has many rhyming words.  Even with so few words he draws they reader into the stories.  He tells of Mr. Brown, the thing that can sing, and Pat who sat on a hat.

Picture Book Review: The Bike Lesson (Berenstain Bears)

The Bike Lesson, Stan and Jan Berenstain, Random House, New York, 1964.
This is my favorite Berenstain Bear.  I love how Papa Bear gives the bike lessons, and when things go wrong he keeps saying, let that be a lesson how not to do things.  He doesn't lose a beat.  This is a common theme in the Berenstain Bear books, and they seem to have made it work.

Picture Book Review: The Bear Scouts

The Bear Scouts by Stan and Jan Berenstain, Random House, New York, 1967.
this is one of my favorite Berenstain Bear books.  I always enjoyed scouts, and these Bear Scouts make their own canoe.  This presents a common theme of the father who thinks he knows more than he does, and the Bear Scouts who pick him up because they are reading the book.  Great emotion in the pictures, especially Papa Bear.

Children's Book Review: I Can Read with My Eyes Shut! Dr. Seuss

I Can Read with My Eyes Shut! by Dr. Seuss, Random House, New York, 1978.
The Cat in the Hat reads can ready with his eyes shut.  But it makes his head ache and his hat droop he tells a younger Cat in the Hat.  And so with so many places to see why would you want to?

Picture Book Review: Green Eggs and Ham: Dr. Seuss

Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Seuss, random House, 1960.  This is a classic from Dr. Seuss.  I really love the emotion Dr. Seuss portrays in the faces of his furry people.  Sam wants his friend to try green eggs and green ham, but his friend will not budge.  The rhyming is classic.  One year, two camp staff at High Sierra read this book as a duet.  It was so fun.  This book is just fun, and tells us sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zone.  This is one of the best children's rhyming books ever.

Picture Book Review: I Am Not Going to Get Up Today! Dr. Seuss

I Am Not Going to Get Up Today! by Dr. Seuss, illustrated by James Stevenson, Random House Press, New York, 1987.
This is an interesting story about a boy whose bed is warm and his pillow is deep, and he is not getting up.  I have had such days and desires myself, but can't say I have ever slept all day.  The only issue is what to do with his egg, the hen will not take it back.
I love Dr. Seuss.  His stories are always well done.  I like the way the develop with run away imaginings.  However this is not one of my favorite.

Picture Book Review: Maybe you should fly a jet! Maybe you should be a vet! Dr. Suess

Maybe you should fly a jet!  Maybe you should be a vet!  Dr. Seuss as Theo. LeSieg, illustrated by Michael J. Smollin, Random House, New York, 1980.
This is a very simple exploration of different life-long paths which may be available to a young person.  There are 78 possibilities mentioned.  My favorite was the hammock tester.  I also like bring a voice, which is now a popular TV program.  I don't like the end, making up a rhyme for voice and choice.  Foice just doesn't cut it.  The illustrations are adequate, but there is nothing terribly memorable.  However their are four panoramic illustrations which are interesting with a glass blower, mushroom grower, fishbone boner and roller coaster owner.