Kelly DiPucchio
I love Kelly DiPucchio’s picture books! They are perfect for reading aloud and sharing with small people. They are always a little bit funny, for both the small people and the adult reading the story! Also, Kelly is from Southeast Michigan, which, being from Southeast Michigan myself, I think is really cool! Here are a couple of my favorites!
Gaston
By: Kelly DiPucchio Illustrated By: Christian Robinson This is the story of four puppies: Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La, and Gaston. Gaston works the hardest at his lessons on how to be a proper pooch. He sips--never slobbers! He yips--never yaps! And he walks with grace--never races! Gaston fits right in with his poodle sisters. Well, almost. |
A chance encounter with a bulldog family in the park—Rocky, Ricky, Bruno, and Antoinette(who looks a lot like Gaston!)- reveals there’s been a mix-up, and so Gaston and Antoinette switch places. The new families look right…but they don’t feel right. Can these puppies follow their noses—and their hearts—to find where they belong?
Bed Hogs
By: Kelly DiPucchio & Howard Fine
The runt of this litter of piglets just can’t seem to find a good spot to settle in with his siblings and get to sleep! So . . . he kind of starts shoving everybody out! He thinks he’s finally in for a good night’s sleep when everyone is outside, but is he?
Not only does this book have the cutest illustrations, but it also reinforces numbers, counting down and has great rhymes – all good for early literacy purposes. I love it when a book is educational and super fun!
By: Kelly DiPucchio & Howard Fine
The runt of this litter of piglets just can’t seem to find a good spot to settle in with his siblings and get to sleep! So . . . he kind of starts shoving everybody out! He thinks he’s finally in for a good night’s sleep when everyone is outside, but is he?
Not only does this book have the cutest illustrations, but it also reinforces numbers, counting down and has great rhymes – all good for early literacy purposes. I love it when a book is educational and super fun!
Check out this video of a real life bed hog!
Emily Gravett
I was first introduced to Emily Gravett’s book when I began doing storytimes for two year olds. Believe it or not, finding books that will capture a group of two year olds’ attention isn’t always easy. Gravett’s books fit the bill. However, the really great thing about Gravett is that her books run the gamut interest wise, from the very youngest to elementary age children! Below you will find examples from each end and in between!
Monkey and Me
In this short book, we take a trip to the zoo with our protagonist and her stuffed monkey! The simple, repetitive rhyme leads us every time we turn the page to a different animal! The fun here comes in when your little person recognizes the animal and shouts out the name! You can also have fun counting the animals on each page! This one, along with Orange Pear Apple Bear is for the younger set, but might be fun for an older sibling to read to his little sister or brother!
In this short book, we take a trip to the zoo with our protagonist and her stuffed monkey! The simple, repetitive rhyme leads us every time we turn the page to a different animal! The fun here comes in when your little person recognizes the animal and shouts out the name! You can also have fun counting the animals on each page! This one, along with Orange Pear Apple Bear is for the younger set, but might be fun for an older sibling to read to his little sister or brother!