It was snowing outside, so we had a small group at the preschool storytime.  The children who came, however, were great listeners.  I was able to read longer books about friendship today.

Jane Yolen and Mark Teague just published their 10th book in the How Do Dinosaurs… series.  Jane sets up her stories really well – talking about possible bad behavior only to reverse it midway.  This time the dinosaurs were really nasty to their friends.  I was a bit concerned.  But the last half of the book was lovely. Mark Teague’s illustrations are so fabulous it’s easy to think these are imaginary dinosaurs.  Not true.  The Kaatedocus, Masiakasaurus, Dilong and Chialingosaurus (and many others) are all real names for dinosaurs.

Next we read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst.  This is one of my favorite picture books, but most times the groups are large and the children are young, and I don’t read it in storytime.  Today’s group was very attentive.  Alexander’s day is a series of bad happenings – some his fault, some not.  He wishes he could escape to Australia, but his mom assures him at the end of the book that some days are like that, “even in Australia”.  One of the moms asked about a sequel, which I couldn’t remember.  After storytime, I remembered the first sequel: Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday.  I never enjoyed it as much and had completely forgotten about it.  There have been 2 other books as well.  The original was published in 1972, and the most recent was published in 2014!  Read them all, and tell me if you disagree that the first is still the best.
     

I read Waiting by Kevin Henkes once again, because the dog continues to wait for the snow each day. And it is a lovely book about inclusion.  5 characters grace the cover of the book, but by the end there are 10 of them “And they were happy together, waiting to see what would happen next,

Finally, I read an Elephant and Piggie book, because they are such great friends.  This one starts out with Gerald and Piggie teaming up against someone big. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with these books that misunderstandings are clarified and things are harmonious by the end of the story.

I look forward to our next storytime together, but unlike the dog, I am no longer waiting for the snow.

~Maureen