Category Archives: Additional Purchase

Clara: The Triumphant Rhinoceros

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A True Story

Written by Jane Kurtz Illustrated by Claire Messer

This is a fictional tale about Clara, a famous rhinoceros that was taken in as a calf by a Dutch sea captain 260 years ago. This adorable Indian Rhino traveled with Captain Van der Meer where she became a wonderful ambassador for the species. As many know, rhinos have the reputation of be ill-tempered, deadly and cruel. Clara proved these assumptions to be wrong in her lifetime.

Today, many would feel that having someone travel with what should be a wild animal in this way is wrong but as the author’s note says the captain truly treasured Clara and took the best care of her he could. The note also discusses how with conservation efforts these rhinos are now numbering in the thousands although in the past very few were left alive and the species was almost extinct. II would recommend this book as an extra purchase as philosophies on wild animal care have changed and this may take some explaining to do if one was to want to read it aloud to groups and young children.

Bouncing Bunnies!

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Written by Fiz Osborne, Illustrated by Tim Budgen

Bouncing Bunnies all around in this tale. When it’s time for the baby bunnies to wake up they do their bestest jumps! After that, they get hungry then it’s time to wiggle. This carries on until it’s time to cuddle snuggle and go to bed.

This happy little picture book can be a fun librarian read for youngers as it would be easy to sing a simple little tune to it. It can also be one that can have movement activities for an audience easily added. I recommend it as an extra purchase if one needs some new books like this for kinders and pre-K.

Sharing the Dream

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Written by Shelia P. Moses, Illustrated by Keith Mallett

This book is another wonderful book about a family traveling to march in Washington DC to fight for rights. Agnes travels by train on an adventure with many others. She is nervous and excited as she does not know what to expect. When they arrive, they walk and walk and in the end, they see many speak about rights, freedoms and the future. It is a day of celebration and smiles. People are hopeful for better days. I recommend this book for libraries that may need to refresh their MLK Day, Black History month books of just want a great historically based book added to their collection.

Gecko Girl/Lagartijita by Daniel Chacon

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A young girl falls asleep while her father tells her a story and dreams that she wakes up as a gecko. She sets off to find out what she is. The cat says she’s a toy, the dog says food, the spider says danger. Eventually the girl wakes up to realize that she is still a child.

The book is bilingual with the text on top in English and the text at the bottom of the page in Spanish. One side of a two page spread is text and the other is the illustrations which fill the page.

The Kite Collector

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By Zoey Abbott

A young boy builds on his relationship with his baby sister when she starts messing with his new kite. After he gets really angry with her and makes her cry, he feels bad and knows that he needs to repair their relationship. He has many kites and enjoys collecting them (as the title implies) but never really flies them and so he goes out and gets her one and they fly it together.

This is a nice story that emphasizes the patience an older sibling needs to have with the younger ones. I would recommend this book as an extra purchase, especially if your library needs more tales about family dynamics/relationships.

Me & Lavender

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Written by Melody C. Peugh, Illustrated by Eve Farb

Lavender is a wonderful friend who always want to go on an adventure! When a girl awakes and realizes she must stay clean and tidy for an event that her mom has planned it is difficult to say no to her buddy. As the day goes on, things go a little sideways but Lavender is always there. In the end, she is found a muddy mess by her Mom who successfully gets her into a bubble bath and Lavender into the washing machine just in time.

A wonderful story with bright colors about a girl, her stuffie, and her sense of adventure. I would recommend this book to purchase if you have extra money.

A Tree for Me

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The book A Tree for Me is a celebration of the diversity of trees found in a temperate climate. A boy, his father, and a dog take a walk through the park and point out noteworthy characteristics of the trees they come across. The details described are typical of what a young child might notice and are usually inadequate to differentiate specific trees. The story ends with the boy choosing a tree from a nursery to plant at their home.

Colorful illustrations lend the book a cheerful feel. A Tree for Me is a good pick for Arbor Day discussions or for a young explorers just starting to notice the world around them. Endpapers include a picture glossary of the trees from the park as well as a bulleted list and resources titled “Why We Love Trees.”

Dinosaur Friends!

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by Peter Curtis

Dinosaurs of all sizes romp together in this easy reader. With names like Squeak, Whack and Thud (to name just a few), these dinosaurs are friendly and full of fun. They explore the rainforest of their home, the island Paleos. Most pages introduce another dinosaur by name, with their italicized scientific names and physical attributes (attached to their names). For example: Snap is a Spinosaurus who has very sharp teeth. Whack is a Stegosaurus with a tail that can knock over the other dinosaurs. In this book, dinosaurs play chase, but they never eat each other. Who would eat their friends?

Boldly drawn dinosaurs in vivid colors explore their island home, Their cartoon-like faces are always smiling even when they have very large teeth! Each page has minimal text that early readers will enjoy. A glossary at the beginning of the book details each dinosaur’s imaginary name, scientific name with pronunciation guide and physical attributes. Young readers will enjoy going back to that glossary more than once. Add this to your collection if you need some lower level dinosaur storybooks with the bonus nonfiction content.

We Are the Builders!

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In We Are the Builders!, Ramla, a young woman wearing a hijab, walks through a diverse neighborhood identifying ways people young and old can make a difference in their communities. Each of ten identified community roles is described in poetic verse and includes an invitation to join in helping through that role. The book recognizes that improving a community requires the engagement of multiple roles.

The endpapers explain that We Are the Builders! is a picture book version of the authors social change ecosystem map. Through identifying the role that best fits our interests and strengths, we can change the world for the better.

Are We There Yet?: The First Road Trip Across the USA

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This book tells the true story of the very first car trip across the United States. In 1903, Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson made a bet that he could drive a car from California to New York in less than three months.

Dr. Jackson did not know how to drive, and there were no highways back then. He hired a bike racer to help fix the car, and they took their dog Bud along for the trip.

The trip was hard! They had to cross streams, drive through mud, and wait for car parts. Their car had no doors or roof, so everything bounced around on the bumpy roads.

This story is great for kids to learn about early cars, trying hard, and fixing problems. The pictures are bright and fun, making the trip easy to imagine.