“Stone Soup” By Heather Forest

In this cumulative retelling of an ancient and widely circulated legend, storyteller Heather Forest shows that when each person makes a small contribution, “the collective impact can be huge.” Gaber’s acrylic paintings portray the optimism and timelessness of a story that celebrates teamwork and generosity. There are many versions of this tale, but I particularly like this one and the one by Patricia Giff, because they focus on helping one another and tapping into resources rather than tricking. The most common version, however, is the one by Marcia Brown that won the Caldecott.

“The Lion and the Rat” By Brian Wildsmith

One day a rat walks right in front of a big, fierce lion. But the lion is feeling generous today. He lets the rat escape. In return, the rat promises to repay him for his kindness. But what can the little rat do to help the mighty king of the jungle? This retelling of the La Fontaine fable shows how a small rat could be the only animal capable of saving the life of the king of beasts. The moral of the story is that no act of kindness is ever wasted, and that you may one day need help from those you never would expect.

“A New Coat For Anna” By Harriet Ziefert

This is a sweet story about how a little girl gets a new coat during the difficult years after World War II. Her resourceful mother must trade some of her treasures to get the wool, the spinning, the weaving, and the sewing done for Anna’s new coat. It begins in a post-war environment, where no one has any money. The story is not only about how a coat is made, but also about how Anna’s mother trades her possessions for wool and the services of the spinner, weaver, and tailor in order to make the coat. It culminates at a Christmas party, where all of the people who helped to make the coat are invited to Anna’s house so she can express her gratitude, and she even goes back to thank the sheep.

“Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present” By Charlotte Zolotow and Maurice Sendak

The heroine of this book has a problem, and at first it does not look as though Mr. Rabbit is going to be much help in solving it. Everyone knows, after all, that you cannot give your mother a red roof, a yellow taxi cab, a green caterpillar, or a blue lake for her birthday. But then all the little girl had said was that her mother liked red, yellow, green and blue — and so Mr. Rabbit was trying. Mr. Rabbit and the little girl finally come up with the perfect present, and their method in doing so leads well into a discussion of important things to remember when plugging in. It also shows the importance of communicating clearly; how teamwork makes work more fun; and how sometimes we need to trust people (our parents) even though at first it may not seem that they are helping us.

“Whose Mouse Are You?” By Robert Kraus

A small grey mouse with enormous ears is asked by the narrator who he belongs to. Why, he’s nobody’s mouse! Where’s his mother? Inside the cat! Where’s his father? Inside a trap! What about his sister? She’s lost, far, far away. My goodness!! Well, what is he going to DO about it, then? The book goes on to share the creative answers to his life’s problems!

“A House For Hermit Crab” By Eric Carle

Hermit Crab moves out of his small shell on the sea floor, in search of a new residence. When he finds a bigger place, a sea anemone offers to move in with him; a starfish agrees to decorate the joint. A snail and a sea urchin are employed for cleaning and protection, a lantern fish for lighting, and smooth pebbles are used for a wall. Hermit lives happily for a while, until it is time to move again, to a still larger place. Carle’s underwater neighborhood is snug, dynamic and full of possibilities. This story emphasizes plugging in and turning our passions outward.

“The Rag Coat” By Lauren A. Mills

Minna’s family can’t afford a coat for her, but Papa keeps her warm in winter with a burlap sack and Mama’s patchwork quilt. This happy family understands that, “People only need people, and nothing else.’’ Soon, however, Minna loses one of those people. Papa, a coal miner, gets the lung sickness and dies, after urging 8-year-old Minna to start school. There’s still the problem of the coat. The women in her mother’s quilting group hear about the girl’s dream of going to school and that she needs a coat to make the dream come true, so they make her one out of each family’s rags. When the girl arrives at school in her rag coat, the other students tease her, but then she starts telling them the stories that go with each rag in her coat. As a result, the children come to respect her. The story is great for older children, teaching them to love and accept people who are different from you. This one is about how a community comes together to help a little girl, and your child is sure to love it too!

“Another Celebrated Dancing Bear” By Gladys Scheffrin-Falk

Boris, a “heavy-footed brown bear whose heart is soft as butter,” is unhappily employed at the animal hospital. When he sees an ornate poster announcing that his friend Max, “the celebrated dancing bear,” is about to tour St. Petersburg, his discontent overwhelms him and he can’t control his tears, even as he bravely struggles to congratulate Boris. But Boris, too, is soft-hearted, and he sets about teaching Max to dance. Scheffrin-Falk’s first picture book gracefully confronts jealousy, self-doubt (Max “felt a little foolish. Dancing lessons at his age!”), the value of persistence, and the power of friendship.

“Little Polar Bear” By Hans deBeer

This is a darling story about Lars, a little polar bear, who gets separated from his dad while learning how to hunt. Lars ends up traveling halfway around the world before he lands on a tropical beach. For the first time in his life, he sees something different from his icy homeland: trees and new animals, including a chameleon. He makes friends with Henry, the hippopotamus, who helps him find his way home.

“Famous People Series” By Ibi Lepscky

Five cleverly illustrated books for boys and girls tell true stories about five very unusual children, later recognized by the world as men and women of genius. But before everything else, they were children. And like every child, they loved to play and use their imaginations. Today’s children will delight in these stories while being introduced to children who grew up and changed our world. Titles include: Pablo Picasso, Amadeus Mozart, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, and Marie Curie.

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