Literacy - Early Childhood Literacy Resources at Kellogg Community College

When Sophie Gets Angry, Molly Bang
Summary: Sophie gets angry when she wants a turn playing with her favorite stuffed animal. She becomes furious when her mother suggests that it is still her sister's turn. Slowly she is able to reflect and calm herself down in the solitude and solace of the outdoors.

Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak
Summary: The story is simple. Max acts wild and is sent to his room. He exercises his wildness in his imagination and then comes back to his loving family.

The Paper Boy, Dav Pilkey
Summary: Every morning the paperboy and his dog get up before the sun and quietly leave the house to deliver papers to the neighborhood. In the quiet of the early morning, the paperboy has plenty of time to think about things, and when he returns home the paperboy and his dog go back to bed as the sun comes up.

Ten Black Dots, Donald Crews
Summary: A counting book which shows what can be done with ten black dots—one can make a sun, two a fox's eyes, or eight the wheels of a train.

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs, Byron Barton
Summary: Some have horns, others have spikes. Some are fierce, still others are scared. And they all lived a long time ago. From dawn to dusk, Byron Barton offers the brightest, scariest, and most endearing dinosaurs yet.

Good Night Gorilla, Peggy Rathmann
Summary: It's bedtime at the zoo, and all the animals are going to sleep. Or are they? Who's that short furry guy with the mischievous grin?

Mouse Paint, Ellen Stoll Walsh
Summary: Mouse Paint is a light hearted introduction to color concepts for young children. Three white mice find three jars of paint, red, blue, and yellow. They jump in and out, dance in the puddles, and discover some amazing things, things like green...and orange...and purple.

Five Little Monkeys, Eileen Christelow
Summary: A little rabbit bids goodnight to each familiar thing in his room, in this classic story told with gently lulling words and soothing illustrations.

My Many Colored Days, Dr. Seuss
Summary: Dr. Seuss wrote the text for this wonderful book about feelings and moods back in 1973. My Many Colored Days depicts large-scale paintings which literally burst off the page.

Little Blue and Little Yellow, Leo Lionni
Summary: Little blue and little yellow share wonderful adventures. One day, they can't find one another. When they finally meet, they are overjoyed. They hug until they become green. But where did little blue and little yellow go? Are they lost?

It Looked Like Spilt Milk, Charles Shaw
Summary: Sometimes it looked like Spilt Milk. But it wasn’t Spilt Milk. Sometimes it looked like a Bird or an Ice Cream Cone or a Birthday Cake or an Angel. But it wasn’t a Bird or an Ice Cream Cone or a Birthday Cake or an Angel. What was it?

Corduroy, Don Freeman
Summary: A beautiful tale about a loved bear and a lost button. A treasured classic loved all over the world.

Have You Seen My Cat?, Eric Carle
Summary: A little rabbit bids goodnight to each familiar thing in his room, in this classic story told with gently lulling words and soothing illustrations.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt, Michael Rosen
Summary: Come along on a bear hunt with a brave young family. With them you will cross a field of tall, wavy grass ("Swishy swashy!"), wade through a deep, cold river ("Splash splosh!"), find your way through a big, dark forest, ("Stumble trip!"), fight through a whirling snowstorm ("Hooo wooo!"), and enter a narrow, gloomy cave. You'll soon learn just what to do to escape from a big, furry bear!

Freight Train, Donald Crews
Summary: Brief text and illustrations trace the journey of a colorful train as it goes through tunnels, by cities, and over trestles.

Leo the Late Bloomer, Robert Kraus
Summary: Leo the tiger couldn’t do anything right. He couldn’t read or write. He couldn’t draw, and he was a sloppy eater. Every day and every night Leo’s father watched him for signs of blooming. Then one day, in his own good time—Leo bloomed!

Goggles, Ezra Jack Keats
Summary: Peter and his friend Archie call upon faithful dog Willie to outsmart a gang of tough bullies who want Peter's motorcycle goggles.

Letter to Amy, Ezra Jack Keats
Summary: Peter’s having a birthday party and he’s inviting all of his friends. But only one friend—a girl—is getting a letter in the mail. A windy rainstorm changes Peter’s plans, and now he doesn’t know if Amy will ever come to his party!

Friends, Helme Heine
Summary: Charlie Rooster, Johnny Mouse, and Percy the pig are the best of friends. They do everything together. They ride their bike together, play games together, and even do their chores together. When night falls and it's time to go to bed, they learn that sometimes friends have to be apart. But that's okay, because true friends always find each other, even if it's just in their dreams.

The Puddle, David McPhail
Summary: A little rabbit bids goodnight to each familiar thing in his room, in this classic story told with gently lulling words and soothing illustrations.

In the Small, Small Pond, Denise Fleming
Summary: It's springtime and a bright green frog leaps out of the tall, tall grass and lands in a small, small pond. Splash! Tadpoles and minnows scatter. Summer passes, turtles drowse in the sun and dragonflies hover in the air above. Fall arrives as ducks paddle by and the colors change. Finally snow falls. The little frog burrows deep into the pond and waits for spring to come again.

The Doorbell Rang, Pat Hutchins
Summary: Each time the doorbell rings, there are more people to share Ma’s cookies.

The Three Billy Goats, Paul Galdone
Summary: Three goat brothers are trying to reach a grassy meadow where they can eat all they want, but, in order to get to the meadow, the goats must cross a bridge guarded by a fierce troll.

In the Tall, Tall Grass, Denise Fleming
Summary: If you are a fuzzy caterpillar crawling through the tall, tall grass on a sunny afternoon, what would you see? To find out just follow the tiny tour guide as he inches his way through the pages of this book. Beginning as the sun is high in the sky and ending as fireflies blink and the moon rises.

Gingerbread Boy, Richard Egielski
Summary: This is a modern retelling of a nursery classic. This time, the gingerbread boy is on the loose in New York City, and he taunts everyone from construction workers to subway musicians, until his fateful chase through Central Park!

Hello Red Fox, Eric Carle
Summary: Mama Frog gets a big surprise when the guests arrive for Little Frog's birthday party: Red Fox looks green to her! Orange Cat looks blue! What has gone wrong?

Where's My Teddy?, Jez Alborough
Summary: Eddie loses his favorite teddy bear then is shocked to find that his teddy has grown to an enormous and totally impractical size—too big to cuddle or even to fit in his bed! Then along comes a real live bear with a similar problem. Eddie is relieved to discover it’s a case of mistaken identity: His bear is safe and sound and hasn’t changed a bit.

The Keeping Quilt , Patricia Polacco
Summary: A Russian immigrant mother and family arrive in the United States. She plans to make a quilt from a basket of old clothes, telling her daughter, "It will be like having the family in back home Russia dance around us at night". The quilt is passed along from mother to daughter for four generations. It becomes a Sabbath tablecloth and a wedding canopy. When it becomes a blanket for new generations of children, it really tells a family's story of love, faith and endurance.

Hush! , Minfong Ho
Summary: A mother goes to each animal, from lizard to water buffalo to elephant, trying to quiet noises that might wake her child. When the animals are silenced and the mother finally falls asleep, the baby lies awake, with wide eyes and a smile.

Anansi The Spider , Gerald McDermott
Summary: A mother goes to each animal, from lizard to water buffalo to elephant, trying to quiet noises that might wake her child. When the animals are silenced and the mother finally falls asleep, the baby lies awake, with wide eyes and a smile.

The Missing Mitten Mystery , Steven Kellogg
Summary: Annie and her dog, Oscar, have had a busy day playing in the snow. Somehow Annie's red mitten has disappeared in all the fun. They look high and low. . . . It's not on the sledding hill, and it's not by the snow castles. Maybe an eagle carried it off to keep its baby's head warm. Or maybe a mouse is using it as a sleeping bag. When the sun goes down, Annie and Oscar have to give up their search and go inside. But when Annie looks out the window, something red catches her eye. . . .

Snow, Uri Shulevitz
Summary: As snowflakes slowly come down, one by one, people in the city ignore them, and only a boy and his dog think that the snowfall will amount to anything.

Tacky and the Winter Games, Helen Lester
Summary: Tacky and his fellow penguins have to work hard to get in shape so they can represent Team Nice Icy Land in the athletic competitions. After rigorous training, they're ready - but are the games ready for Tacky? Will his antics keep Team Nice Icy Land from winning a medal? From bobsledless racing and ski jumping to speed skating, Tacky lends his unique, exuberant style to each competition. In laugh-out-loud scenes of Tacky and his fellow penguins' athletic debacles, Tacky reminds readers of the underlying joy and enthusiasm that propels athletes to greatness. So get ready to cheer for Team Nice Icy Land and let the games begin!

The Three Little Kittens, Paul Galdone
Summary: The favorite Mother Goose rhyme about the three careless kittens who lost their mittens is given added appeal with Galdone's bold and colorful illustrations. "This refreshingly hearty version of the nonsense verse will be as much a favorite of adult storytellers as it will be of toddler listeners."

The Little Red Hen, Paul Galdone
Summary: This timeless classic is sure to be a hit with your children. The relatively simple text and repetition makes it a great learning tool for young children. This is a great book and teaches your child a valuable lesson about teamwork and helping out.

The Three Little Pigs, Paul Galdone
Summary: Retells the fatal episodes in the lives of two foolish pigs and how the third pig managed to avoid the same pigfalls.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears, James Marshall
Summary: Classic tale of the little girl Goldilocks who visits the bear's home while they are gone and ends up falling asleep on their bed! In this version the bears live in a gorgeous Victorian house and Goldilocks makes a mess of it.

Red Riding Hood, James Marshall
Summary: A little girl meets a hungry wolf in the forest on her way to visit her grandmother.

Hansel and Gretel, James Marshall
Summary: When Hansel and Gretel are abandoned in the woods by their nasty stepmother, they are welcomed with open arms into the cottage of a sweet old lady. The pair soon discovers they've jumped from the frying pan into the fire.

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten, Joseph Slate
Summary: Here's a warm, humorous book for that special morning of mixed emotions--the first day of kindergarten or preschool. Miss Bindergarten's soon-to-be students are excitedly, anxiously getting ready at home. Young school goers will recognize their own actions and emotions in the rhyming text which incorporates the alphabet for additional interest.

School Bus, Donald Crews
Summary: What is large (or small), bright yellow, and filled with students? School Bus! Climb aboard and let Donald Crews take you to school -- and home again.

My First Day of School, P.K. Hallinan
Summary: This simple, rhyming book traces the typical first day of school in a reassuring and very fun-to-read way. P.K. Hallinan's cartoon characters and witty verse are sure to bring happy smiles to the faces of children anticipating the first day of school and those who remember their first day of school.

The Tiny Seed, Eric Carl
Summary: With his inimitable bright collage art and simple text, Carle follows the journey of a seed, from being blown by the wind to taking root and sprouting seeds of its own.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Iza Trapani
Summary: An expanded version of the nineteenth-century poem in which a small girl accompanies a star on a journey through the night sky, examining both heavenly bodies and the earth below.

I’m a Little Teapot, Iza Trapani
Summary: Expanded verses of a familiar song tell how a teapot dreams of visiting China, Mexico, the opera, a jungle, and other places while waiting to be used to serve tea. Includes the music and lyrics on the last page.

There Was A Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow!, Lucille Colandro
Summary: There was a cold lady who swallowed some snow.
I don't know why she swallowed some snow.
Perhaps you know. This time, the cold lady is swallowing everything from snow to a pipe, some coal, a hat, and more! With rhyming text and colorful humorous illustrations, this version of 'I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly' will have the children at story time in stitches. No one will be able to guess the surprise ending!

Growing Vegetable Soup, Lois Ehlert
Summary: Together, a father and child share the joys of planting, watering, and watching seeds grow. And once their harvest of tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, and corn is ready, they'll cook it up into the best soup ever!

The Carrot Seed, Ruth Krauss
Summary: This is a simple story about a little boy who plants a carrot seed. He cares for it carefully and waits patiently. Everyone around him insists that the carrot "won't come up" but he works diligently and sure enough, soon a wonderful carrot comes forth from the earth. This is a great story to help your children to learn to stand up for their beliefs and goals against opposition.