Love that Puppy! by Jeff Jarka

PreK-2. Peter was an ordinary boy until he decided to become a dog. Peter does all of the things that dogs do such as sleep in a doghouse, beg, play fetch, bark, chase cars, terrorize the mailman, and eat homework. Finally, his parents are so fed up with Peter's behavior they ask him to stop being a dog. Peter goes back to being a boy... that is until he decides to be another animal!

Big, bright cartoon-like pictures depict this laugh-out-loud funny story perfectly. This would make for a fun storytime read or an appealing independent read!

Let's Do Nothing by Tony Fucile

PreK-2. Frankie and Sal have done it all. They've painted, read, baked, played sports, played board games, in short, they've done everything. So what's next? NOTHING! The boys challenge each other to do nothing for 10 whole seconds! First, they try to be statues. Then, they try to be giant redwood trees. Next, they try to be the Empire State Building. Everytime they try to do nothing, their imaginations get the better of them and the boys stumble upon a great discovery: there is no such thing as doing nothing!

This laugh-out-loud funny book will thrill kids, especially those who can read on their own because this author does a very good job of tapping into the ways kids think, act, talk and, most importantly, imagine. In addition to the text, kids will really respond to the illustrations. This is the authors 1st picture book, but Fucile has spent more than 20 years animating cartoon characters and this is apparent in the way he lays out the book and illustrates the two boys. I highly recommend this title!

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee

PreK-2. James and Eamon ("AY-mun") spend a week at Nature Camp at Eamon's grandparents' (Bill and Pam) house on the beach. Bill attempts to engage the boys in nature-based activities (i.e. hiking, a visit to the penguin exhibit at the Natural History Museum, map skills ect...), but the boys spend most of their time eating (Pam is a fabulous cook), watching TV, and enjoying the beach. Their last day at camp becomes their most memorable as they use rocks, sticks, and shells to recreate Antarctica. This is a humorous book with beautiful illustrations. It really taps into the way kids think and play, and their unique brand of humor. This title is great for one-on-one book sharing or for silent reading.