Rhyming words, buttons help youngsters learn numbers
Button, button, who's got the button? Author William Accorsi.
There's no such thing as pushing the wrong button with the "10 Button Book."
William Accorsi has put together a tactile and visual treat for numerical neophytes. And as you might guess from the title, there are 10 large brightly colored buttons that become a beautiful way to help toddlers learn their numbers.
The buttons are securely attached to the book by matching colored ribbons (Workman Press includes a sticker saying the $14.95 book is safe for youngsters 18 months and older). The buttons can be placed in special holes on each page to help complete funny pictures. The universal clothes fasteners serve as oversized eyes, heads and flowers. A gentle tug at the ribbon pops the button out of its picture and leaves it ready to insert in the next work of art. Rhyming text quickly takes children from one page to the next -- only the fascinating buttons will slow them down.
But beware: Keep this book beyond the reach of playful cats and butterfingered braiders. The ribbons can become tangled in a knotted mass that will slow down play and infuriate parents doomed to detangling detail.
Experience life with gusto is the message wrapped in the new book by author and artist James Proimos.
"The Loudness of Sam" (Harcourt Brace & Co., $13) is about a boy who never held back when displaying his emotions. When something made him happy, he showed it and everyone else heard it. When something made him sad, he showed it and everyone else heard it. Sam presented an auditory challenge wherever he went, but his parents were content with that and never, ever shushed him.
A visit to his Aunt Tillie's house exposed Sam to a different world. Sam realized that most people didn't like loud, let alone his own explosive overdose of sound. But "The Loudness of Sam" is a different type of book, both literally and artistically. Instead of Sam becoming quiet -- holding his emotions inside -- people started catching Sam's infectious loudness and started experiencing the life we are all meant to have.
The boys of summer may be running headlong toward the end of their baseball season, but Monk the mouse is still getting the most out of his spring training.
"Mouse Practice," by author and illustrator Emily Arnold McCully, shows little Monk learning the game he loves the hard way (in his first game with big kids) and the easy way (practicing with family).
This charming book for young readers illustrates the importance of practice in developing skills of any kind. "Mouse Practice" (Arthur Levine/Scholastic Press, $15.95) also shows that the road to success is sure to have a few bumps, but they can be smoothed over with a little effort.
McCully's flowing watercolor illustrations offer a perfect view of summer as it should be -- life on the porch, practice under the shade of a big tree, summer without sweat.
"Mouse Practice" is sure to be a hit with young baseball fans.
Cat tales should always be this sweet.
Cynthia Rylant author of "Dog Heaven" and "Cat Heaven" has created another tasteful pet selection -- this time one to sink your teeth into. "The Cookie-Store Cat" follows the life of an orphaned kitten who inhabits the cookie store in a small town.
Throughout the book we find out the importance of this cat in the lives of the townspeople. The three bakers at the cookie store start their day by giving the cat a kiss and heaping praise upon him. The local pastor spends part of Monday morning with the cat. Shop keepers (there's a fish market and a yarn store on the same street) expect regular visits from him. School children can't wait to see him on their way home. Life without the cookie-store cat just wouldn't be the same.
Since every other page mentions cookies, readers should avoid diving into the book on an empty stomach. Rylant is happy to oblige readers who are driven to taste-bud madness. "The Cookie-Store Cat" (Blue Sky/Scholastic Press, $15.95) includes seven cookie recipes for the truly inspired.
This toothsome tale is quite at home in the kitchen.
-- Jill Hummels is the features editor of the Journal-World and the mother of Haley, 7, and Tess, 6. Her phone number is 832-7150. Her e-mail address is jhummels@ljworld.com.
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