WIXLIB

School ReadinessBooks for Early Childhood Professionals and ParentsFairfax County Department of Family ServicesFairfax County Public Library

Office for Children — Department of Family ServicesSchool ReadinessBooks for Early ChildhoodProfessionals and ParentsThese books can be used by early childhood professionals andparents as they prepare children for success in school and beyond.Many of these children’s books were purchased by the FairfaxCounty Office for Children for the Fairfax County Public Librarythrough a Smart Beginnings grant from the Virginia Departmentof Social Services and the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation.The books correspond to the “Early Learning Guidelines,” whichcan be read online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ofc.

Social and Emotional DevelopmentGo Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed EmberleyThis features die-cut pages through which bits of a monster arerevealed to help a child control nighttime fears of monsters.Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratneyDuring a bedtime game, every time Little Nutbrown Haredemonstrates how much he loves his father, Big Nutbrown Haregently shows him that the love is returned even more.Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator! by Mo WillemsAmanda and her alligator have lots of fun together, but whenAmanda’s grandfather buys her a panda, Alligator must learn to makenew friends.I Can Do It Myself! by Diane AdamsEmily Pearl is a big girl who insists on doing everything for herselfuntil evening, when having someone help her get ready for bed is nice.Keisha Ann Can! by Daniel KirkKeisha Ann is proud of all the things she can doduring her day at school.Owl Babies by Martin WaddellThree owl babies whose mother has gone out inthe night try to stay calm while she is gone.The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark by Deborah DiesenMr. Fish feels nervous venturing deep in the sea to look for Ms.Clam’s lost pearl until Miss Shimmer helps him conquer his fear ofthe dark.2

Mouse was Mad by Linda UrbanMouse struggles to find the right way to express his anger, modelingthe behavior of Hare, Bear, Hedgehog and Bobcat, only to discoverthat his own way may be the best way of all.Roly Poly Pangolin by Anna DewdneyRoly Poly, a pangolin, is shy and afraid ofnew things until he discovers that some newexperiences are not bad at all.Wemberly Worried by Kevin HenkesA mouse named Wemberly who worries about everything, finds thatshe has a whole list of things to worry about when she faces the firstday of nursery school.Approaches to LearningBrown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.Children see a variety of animals, each one a different color, and ateacher looking at them. Through repetitive text children can predictand participate as the story is read aloud.Hello, Good-bye by Arlene AldaA collection of photographs introduces children to the concept ofopposites.Look! A Book! by Bob StaakeEasy-to-read, rhyming text invites the reader to searchfor items on a different theme on each page, whilecelebrating the wonder of a picture book.3

Look Book by Tana HobanFull-color photographs invite young viewers to scrutinize and thinkabout what they see – and do not see.Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergartenby Joseph SlateThis book introduces the letters of the alphabet asMiss Bindergarten and her students get ready forkindergarten.Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric LitwinPete the cat walks around town in his white shoes. He steps invarious items—strawberries, blueberries, mud, water—that changethe color of his shoes.Round Like a Ball by Lisa Campbell ErnstEveryone tries to guess what is round, warm, cold, strong and fragile,until they finally realize it is the earth.You and Me We’re Opposites by Harriet ZiefertSimple text reveals differences between zoo animals, from theirbehavior to their coloring.LanguageA Ball for Daisy by Chris RaschkaThis wordless picture book shows the fun adog has with her ball and what happens whenit is lost.4

Hickory Dickory Dock by Keith BakerRhythmic text expands on the Mother Goose rhyme, including avariety of animals that react as the clock strikes one through twelve.Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan ThomasThree dust bunnies, Ed, Ned and Ted, demonstrate how much theylove to rhyme. A fourth, Bob, ruins the rhyme when he tries to warnthem of approaching danger.Say Hello by Rachel IsadoraA little girl greets people in her neighborhood inmany different languages.Say What? by Angela DiterlizziWith easy-to-rhyme text, this book explores the meaning ofsounds exchanged between animal parents and their offspring.LiteracyAlphabet House by Nancy Elizabeth WallaceA large rabbit family lives in an alphabet house, and readers areinvited to find items that begin with letters of the alphabet.Cat the Cat, Who is That? by Mo WillemsIn simple, easy-to-read text, an exuberant cat introduces readers toher friends.Chicken, Chicken, Duck! By Nadia KrilanovichThis book has easy-to-read, rhythmic text about a group of farmanimals, led by a tenacious duck, who play a noisy game together.5

My Teacher Can Teach Anyone!by W. Nikola-LisaAn alphabet story in verse about a Latino boyand his remarkable teacher who can teach anastronaut how to float in space and instruct aballet dancer how to land with grace.Shout! Shout it Out! by Denise FlemingMouse invites the reader to shout out what he or she knows as theyreview numbers, letters and easy words.The Turn-Around, Upside-Down Alphabet Bookby Lisa Campbell ErnstAn alphabet book in which each letter becomes three differentobjects as the book is turned different directions.Mathematics10 Minutes till Bedtime by Peggy RathmanA boy’s hamster leads an increasingly large group of hamsters on atour of the boy’s house, while his father counts down the minutes tobedtime.Actual Size by Steve JenkinsThis book discusses and gives examples of the size and weight ofvarious animals and parts of animals.Each Orange Had 8 Slices by Paul Giganti, Jr.Readers are invited to multiply, add and count their way through themath puzzles hiding in the world around them.6

Feast for 10 by Cathryn FalwellNumbers from one to ten are used to tell howmembers of family shop and work together toprepare a meal.How Many Baby Pandas? by Sandra MarkleBasic counting skills combine with panda facts tointroduce readers to numbers and cuddly cubs, from the momentthey are born to the time they start climbing trees.Pattern Bugs by Trudy HarrisThe concept of patterns is introduced with both graphics and text.Round is a Mooncake by Roseanne ThongAs a little girl discovers things round, square and rectangular, she isreminded of her Chinese American culture.Shapes, Shapes, Shapes by Tana HobanA wordless book presents photographs from everyday life providingexamples of various geometric shapes.ScienceOver in Australia: Amazing Animals DownUnder by Marianne BerkesA counting book in rhyme presents variousAustralian animals and their offspring, froma mother crocodile and her “little hatchlingone” to a huge father emu and his “littlechicks ten.”7

Animal Babies in Grasslands by Jennifer SchofieldThis book offers a simple introduction to the baby and adult animalsthat live in grassland areas.A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts AstonColorful illustrations and simple text describe the manycharacteristics of butterflies.The Falling Raindrop by Neil JohnsonA newborn raindrop falls happily from the sky,until he begins to worry about what mighthappen next.It’s a Good Thing There Are Insectsby Allan FowlerThis book identifies the characteristics of insects and describes someof their useful activities and products.It’s Snowing! by Gail GibbonsThis introduces readers to snow and discusses topics such as differenttypes of snowstorms, regions where snow falls, and how to preparewhen a snowstorm approaches.Shadow by Suzy LeeA little girl uses her imagination and a lightbulb to go on an adventure in a dark attic.So That’s How the Moon Changes Shape!by Allan FowlerThis offers a simple explanation of the moon, and why it changesshape throughout the month.8

We Planted a Tree by Diane MuldrowSimple text reveals the benefits of planting a single tree, both to thosewho see it grow and to the world as a whole.Creative ArtsBaby Loves by William LachThis story presents a simple rhyme about a baby’s activities, suchas drinking, napping and hugging. The illustrations are paintings,prints and pastels by American Impressionist Mary Cassatt.How to Take Your Grandmother to the Museum by Lois WyseA young girl takes her grandmother on an outing to the naturalhistory museum.I Spy Shapes in Art by Lucy MicklethwaitPresents objects with the shape of a heart, atriangle, a square and other shapes throughpaintings by such artists as Magritte, Escher, andMatisse.Perfect Square by Michael HallA perfect square that is perfectly happy is torn into pieces, punchedwith holes, crumpled and otherwise changed, but finds in eachtransformation that it can be something new.The Very Busy Spider by Eric CarleThe farm animals try to divert a busy little spider from spinningher web, but she persists and produces a thing of both beauty andusefulness.9

Health and Physical DevelopmentThe Bear Went Over the Mountain by Iza TrapaniIn this expanded version of the traditional song, a bear goes exploringnear his home in the mountains, using all five senses throughout thefour seasons.Dancing Feet by Lindsay CraigEasy-to-read, rhyming text depicts different animals dancing.Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and VegetablesFrom A to Z by Lois EhlertAn alphabetical tour of the world of fruits andvegetables, from apricot and artichoke to yamand zucchini.Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois EhlertTogether, a father and child share the joys of planting, watering andwatching seeds grow.From Head to Toe by Eric CarleEncourages the reader to exercise by following the movements ofvarious animals.My Five Senses by Margaret MillerFive children show how their five senses work in daily life.Showdown at the Food Pyramid by Rex BarronWhen snack foods take over the food pyramid and make it collapse,members of the various food groups have to work together using the“Great Food Guide” to rebuild it.10

Sleep is for Everyone by Paul ShowersThe book discusses the importance of sleep and what happens to ourbrains and bodies during slumber.Stretch by Doreen CroninRhyming text describes the many ways tostretch.Toddlerobics Animal Fun by Zita NewcomeA group of toddlers has fun imitating a penguin, a crab, aduck, an elephant and other animals while they exercise.You Are a Lion! And Other Fun Yoga Poses by Taeeun YooChildren pretend to be many different animals as they do variousyoga poses.Your Insides by Joanna ColeThis book introduces young children to their own bones, muscles,joints, digestive tracts, lungs, hearts and nervous systems.Kindergarten ReadinessAdventure Annie Goes to Kindergartenby Tony BuzzeoEven though there are rules to follow, a littlegirl who loves adventure has an exciting firstday of kindergarten.11

Countdown to Kindergartenby Alison McGheeTen days before the start of kindergarten, apreschooler cannot tie her shoes by herself andfears the worst.Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!by Nancy L. CarlsonEven though Henry is looking forward to going to kindergarten, heis not sure about staying once he first gets there.On the Way to Kindergarten by Virginia L. KrollA mother describes the increasing accomplishments of her five-yearold, from crying and sleeping, to riding a tricycle, then preparing forschool.A Place Called Kindergarten by Jessica HarperWondering why their friend Tommy has not come to the barn at hisusual time, the animals become alarmed when the dog tells them thathe has gone to a place called “Kindergarten.”Who Will Go to School Today? by Karl RuhmannSam decides to send his toy monkey Timbo to kindergarten in hisplace, but after telling Timbo about his school friends and schoolroutine, he realizes he wants to go himself.12