Barb's book picks for February

Teaching Pre K-8, Feb 2000 by Kines, Barbara

PRIMARY AND INTERMEDIATE: If you know anything about children's books, you're aware of how much Eric Carle has contributed to literature. His books are not just for youngsters, either; a prospective father we know received a copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar as a gift, and has been intrigued by the artwork, repetition and general charm of the story. So, of course, we saw to it that he had The Very Busy Spider followed by The Very Quiet Cricket, with its wonderful surprise, and now The Very Lonely Firefly, a visual delight. Adults as well as children love the colorful illustrations, and when you realize they're collages made of bright bits of paper, they're even more fascinating.

I've recently discovered Flora and Tiger., 19 Very Short Stories from My Life, by Eric Carle (Philomel, 1997), published after he'd written and illustrated more than 50 books for young children. The stories all feature animals and insects, friends or relatives, and the author, whose father taught him the joy of drawing and of story-telling as well as the love of creatures. I'm still smiling at his story of getting chickens to "play dead" as a practical joke on his grandmother.

This is a great read-aloud for young children, and can be read easily and enjoyed by their brothers and sisters in intermediate grades.

FOR PARENTS: Rolling Along with Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Cindy Meyers, illustrated by Carol Morgan (Woodbine House, 1999), is a picture book retelling of the classic folktale designed to appeal to children who use wheelchairs, and to teach their classmates, siblings and friends about differences and special needs.

Woodbine House's Special Needs Collection includes books both for adults and children, covering such topics as Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy, Down's Syndrome and Attention Deficit Disorder, to name only a few. Especially helpful are books by parents of children with disabilities and those from a sibling's point of view. Some of the titles are offered in Spanish as well as English. To order a catalog, call 800-843-7323.