The Dinosaurs Night Before Christmas

Title: The Dinosaurs Night Before Christmas

Author: Anne Muecke

Price: $18.99

Pages: 36

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Publisher Date: 2008

ISBN: 0811863220

Classification: Holiday Picture Book/Holiday Music

Annotation: Christmas just went prehistoric with this humorous take on the traditional poem. Included are dinosaur-themed holiday songs and a read aloud of the poem!

Evaluation: I heard this poem many times as a child and was always entranced by it. I also was mesmerized by the idea of dinosaurs and remember my brother memorizing each and everyone of them. Here is the marriage of the holiday classic with an high interest twist. Get your kids reading poetry and exploring there favorite dino-characters! Sure to be a literate christmas afterall! The CD is an awesome bonus that will enhance the book and your Christmas! I highly recommend this holiday book as a Christmas read aloud or even an introduction to poetry and verse!

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See + CD

Title: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See + CD

Author: Bill Martin and Eric Carle

Price: $9.99

Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners; Pap/Com edition

Publisher Date: August 4, 2009

ISBN: 1427207267

Classification: Picture Book and AudioBook

Annotation: Brown Bear...what do you see? A book full of colors and rhythm and animals...see?

Evaluation: Enthusiastically colored pictures side by side with children's favorite animals make this story about looking and learning colors also a calming pulse of rhythm that will soothe as well as entertain. Sure to be a favorite. And with the CD to listen too, children will be able to get lost in the colors!

Author Website: http://www.eric-carle.com/home.html

Puff The Magic Dragon + CD

• Title: Puff The Magic Dragon
• Author: Peter Yarrow
• Price: $16.95
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Sterling; First Edition edition (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402747829

Annotation: Follow the famous Folk Song, Puff the Magic Dragon in this new, beautiful picture book plus CD with music!

Evaluation: This book has been so popular with my read aloud group that then bring it back and insist upon preforming the song and showing me the pages that match the song lyrics! They are so entranced by this book (both the pictures and the music) that you can't help but recommend it to everyone! The dragon here is so love-able it reminds me of How to Train Your Dragon (Dreamworks new blockbuster film). So much so, in fact, it makes you wonder if it may in fact be somewhat inspired by this dragon classic! And yes, the author is the "Peter" from Peter, Paul, and Mary, as they are the writers of the original song. This is an amazingly beautiful book!!!!!

Author Website:

http://www.peteryarrow.net/

Olivia + CD Audio Book

Title: Olivia + CD Audio Book

Author: Ian Falconer

Price: $12.99

Pages: 40 pages

• Publisher: Atheneum; Rei/Cdr edition
• Publisher Date: October 27, 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416980342

Classification: Picture Book & Audio Book

Annotation: Olivia is a spunky piggy who dreams, plays, visits museums, tries on hundreds of outfits, and all this is backdropped with Falconer's amazing artwork!

Evaluation: Miss energy the pig, otherwise known as Olivia, is introduced here in the first Oliva book! Whether viewing fine art, making art on her own walls, dreaming of being a famous dancer, or just trying to get dressed, Olivia is one of the finest characters in modern children's literature. She is drawn in a wonderfully developmentally appropriately bold way with reds, blacks, and whites, and juxtaposed with actual photography and artwork! And in this particular collection, you get a read aloud audio book included with the hard copy. And the Audiobook is a great way to support early literacy skills! Furthermore, I highly recommend the board book version for the younger kids. Every time I read this book in read alouds it seems to be high interest hit with all children, both girls and boys!

Oliva's Website: http://www.oliviathepiglet.com/