To the Beach by Thomas Docherty

PreK-2. A simple travel story told in a beautiful illustrated sequence of pictures. This is a book that can almost be told through its pictures as there are very few words and most of them are nouns naming the object depicted on the page. A small boy lists everything he will need for a trip to and from the beach. This book would work well with very young children as it is predominately visually interesting and short on words, meaning it can be shared many times in one sitting.

This book would work well in storytime, possibly as a flannel story. I highly recommend this book that allows readers to make a great journey by simply turning a page!

Catfish Kate and the Sweet Swamp Band by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by Elwood H. Smith

PreK-2. A rhythmic text that begs to be a part of a musical storytime, this story features Catfish Kate and her all girl band. Skink and his Skunktail Boys demand peace and quiet so they can read and so follows the battle underneath the moon to see what will prevail: music or silence? Luckily the two warring groups find a compromise in the cattails found around the swamp.

The added fun with this book is the opportunity to make up your own tune!

Little Oink by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Jen Corace

PreK-2. Little Oink is very different from other pigs. He hates messes! He's a neat pig and just wishes he could be like his friends and clean his room instead of mess it up the way his parents insist that he do. Reminicent of Gregory, the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat and illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey, kids will enjoy reading this story about one very unpiglike pig!

This would make a good storytime selection, especially when paired with Gregory. This book could be used in many ways as the pictures offer a lot in the way of discussion and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser on account of its humor!

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!

Mouse Cleaning by Rose-Marie Provencher, illustrated by Bernadette Pons

PreK-2. Grandma Twilley ends up getting her spring cleaning done when she finds a mouse in her house and invents clever ways to chase it out. This would be a great storytime read as the mouse is hiding in the illustrations on each page and it would be a fun kid challenge to find the mouse in each picture.

Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea

PreK-2. There's no match for Dinosaur! He'll ROAR any opponent down and that's just what he does until he meets his biggest match yet: bedtime! With limited text, childlike illustrations, and lots of roaring this book makes for an excellent bedtime and storytime read!

The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! by Mo Willems

PreK-2. Pigeon learns to share when a curious duckling interupts him with questions while he is trying to eat a delicious hot dog. A funny story told in simple illustrations and a great storytime read! Willems seems to understand kids' humor as only few authors do and The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! is another gem in a long line of modern classics!

Jack's Garden by Henry Cole

PreK-2. Cumulative text and illustrations depict what happens in Jack's garden after he plants his seeds. Written in the style of "This is the House that Jack Built" this would be a great storytime read! The highlight of this book is the margins where the author features detailed drawings of gardening tools, bugs, and seeds.

Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert

PreK-2. Simple text and big, bright, colorful illustrations show the evolution of a garden from seed to sprout to flowers. This title would work very well for a spring, garden, or flower-themed storytime! The highlight of this book is the detailed depictions of a variety of flowers paired with their proper names. The illustrations work so well that it could double as a source to identify different garden flowers.

The Vegetables Go to Bed by Christopher King, illustrated by Mary GrandPre

PreK-2. Simple, rhyming text tells the story of how each vegetable in the garden gets ready to go to bed. Beautiful illustrations depict the unique qualities of each vegetable and give each plant a face. This book would work well in a garden, spring, or vegetable-themed storytime and additionally, this title reads great for bedtime!

Flower Garden by Eve Bunting, illustrations by Kathryn Hewitt

PreK-2. Simple, rhyming text tells the story of how a little girl and her family plant a garden in the window box of their apartment. Big, bright illustrations show the African-American family buying the plants at the grocery store and the trip they take home to their apartment. There is a wonderful view of the family's neighborhood in this book. The text is limited to just one sentence per page and paired with the detailed illustrations this would be an excellent book for a spring or garden-themed storytime! One of the highlights of this book is the close up view of the garden box that gives a clear view of the different flowers and their proper names.

We're Going on Safari by Lenny Hort, photos by Tom Arma

PreK-2. Real photos of babies dressed as animals make this a fun read! The text is repetitive and could make a good storytime selection if a few pages were skipped as it is a bit long for sharing with a group.

Star Baby by Margaret O'Hair

PreK-2. Rhyming, repetitive text detail the events in Baby's day. The text is paired with soft illustrations that make this a good bedtime story. This would also work well in a storytime for babies, though it is a little long so I'd skip a few pages and just stick with the most memorable or meaningful.

Ten Tiny Tickles by Karen Katz

PreK-2. A vibrant counting picture book that shows different family members tickling Baby all over her body. Great for storytime, especially with babies because it shows Baby's activities throughout the day!