Books for children can be a load of fun

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Oct 22, 2007

Autumn has arrived - a perfect time to sit down and read a few new books with your favorite preschooler.

Start with David A. Carter's clever, well-constructed lift-the- flap book "Peek in My Pocket" (Harcourt, 2007.) Using the clues in this interactive predictable text, young readers will soon be guessing what is in each character's lift-the flap pocket. Featuring colors, textures and shapes, "Peek in My Pocket" is entertaining and instructional.

The hilarious characters, including a dog wearing a baseball cap, a cat tangled in yarn and an elephant holding flowers in her trunk, will tickle funny-bones. And the rhyming text will be a big hit with beginning readers.

Jan Thomas also uses predictable text in her funny book "What Will Fat Cat Sit On?" (Harcourt, 2007). In this enjoyable tale, a cow, a chicken, a pig, a dog and a mouse tremble at the thought of being sat on by a fat cat until mouse comes up with a solution.

In a surprise ending, the cat comes up with a riddle that sends the other silly animals running in all directions. The simple text and cartoon-like illustrations will leave readers laughing and wanting more.

Lucy Cousins treats youths to a story about her famous character Maisy the mouse in "Maisy Big, Maisy Small," (Candlewick Press, 2007.) Maisy introduces readers to the concept of opposites, including hot and cold, slow and fast, black and white, alone and together, fluffy and spiky, and clean and messy.

Most young readers are drawn to books about vehicles and will no doubt find Monica Wellington's "Truck Driver Tom" (Dutton, 2007) a new favorite. Tom drives a rig filled with his cargo of fresh fruits and vegetables. As he drives vroom-vroom from the fields where the fruit and vegetables grow to large cities zoom-zoom where he delivers his cargo, children will spy more than 60 varieties of vehicles on the roads with Tom.

Be prepared to read these books over and over again.

Gary and Barbara Bleeker teach at Emporia State University and are nationally recognized authorities on children's and young adult's books.