More Great Books for Toddlers

There are few preschool teachers who are blessed with a center that keeps them waist deep in books. I happen to be lucky enough to be one of those few. The only problem with all of these books is that I have three year old students who only want to hear the same stories over and over again. Or so I thought.

I recently was gifted with a new group of students. My old standbys were simply not working and I found myself floundering, desperately trying to gather their attentions for just ten minutes of Circle Time. These children had heard my voice carry across the hallway saying "...and the bear snores on..." one too many times. What was I to do? Thank the Literary Gods for their reinforcements! When digging into my book shelve's bottom cubby I came across a few new magical titles.

I am one of those people who just cannot keep a good thing to myself. I love to share. So, that being said, my magical formula is as follows:

One copy of "Unloveable" by Dan Yaccarino. Published by Scholastic Books and copyright 2001.
Unloveable is the story of one little pug puppy who, no thanks to his housemates and the neighborhood dogs, has very low self esteem. He thinks he is too small and too ugly to ever be loved. When a new family moves in with a new dog that wants to be friends with the puppy, the puppy lies about himself. Your toddles will learn a valuable lesson as they find out what happens when the neighbor's puppy crawls under the fence!

One copy of "Olivia" by Ian Falconer. Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers and copyright 2000.
Olivia is a very adorable, very precocious pig. In fact she reminds me very much of my three year olds! The story goes through Olivia's typical day, including her getting into big trouble. When the books closes as Olivia's mother tells her how much she loves her, inspite of her mischeif making, it reminds toddlers that they too, are very much loved.

One copy of "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown. Published by Harper Trophy and copyright 1947.
This book is a timeless classic. Traditionally a bedtime story, my class often hears this when the volume level gets a bit too loud or right before nap time. The simple rhymes encourage children to follow along with the story and the bright pictures are very engaging.

No class room is complete without a copy of "Chicka Chicka, Boom Boom!" by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault. Puclished by Scholastic Books and copyright 1989.
The colors in this book alone are enough to enthrall a group of rambunctious toddlers. When you add a contagious rhyme involving the alphabet, you will have cursed yourself to hearing "Chicka Chicka, Boom Boom, will there be enough room?" for days to come. This book is a must for teachers who are instructing their children on the alphabet. It always makes the task a bit more inviting.

One copy of "Teeny Tiny Mouse" by Laura Leuck. Published by Scholastic Books and copyright 1998.
To be quite honest, I HATE this book. i think it is a bit too cutesy for my liking. But, this isn't about the books I like, is it? My toddlers love this book because of the rhyme and repetition. They love to chat along: "...said the teeny tiny mommy to the teeny tiny mouse..." As the little mouse and his mother go through their house, the mother asks the little mouse if he can find items of a certain color in each room. It greatly resembles the game of "Eye Spy," albeit a younger child's version. The thing i like about this book is that it reinforces color recognition. For this reason alone, I keep reading it.

If you are still wondering what magic can be held in a few children's books, I have one suggestion for you. As your children are being a bit too rowdy, pull them all together and reach for "Goodnight Moon." If a group of sixteen three year olds all sitting and listening quietly isn't magic, then I've been at this job too long. Just remember - once the words "Goodnight noises everywhere" are spoken, your spell will also be broken.