Jana Novotny Hunter

This book was included in the BCPS curriculum for kindergarten as a 'read-aloud.' I enjoyed the text features such as dialogue and speech bubbles on each page. This kept the children engaged and prompted them to ask questions about the features. The story, in terms of becoming impatient and not wanting to wait much longer, is relatable to children. The one thing I didn't love about this story is that while the boy waits for his daddy to pick him up, his daddy ends up being late. In a culture show more that can sometimes paint negative images on dads, I felt disheartened that the dad was late in this story. show less

The little boy in this story is excited because it’s daddy’s turn to pick him up from school. His daddy drives a big red tanker truck, and is returning home from a long way off. The colorful and hyperkinetic drawings underscore the boy’s eagerness to see his dad, and his father’s race to make to school on time. Great for kids whose fathers travel, or who don’t get to see their fathers as often as they would like, or who just plain love big trucks!

Reviewed by Book Dads

A family of dragons, dad, mom and little one, go through their day both together and apart.

There's some interactive possibilities here, so I thought it would get a better reaction from my toddlers and their parents, but not so much. Maybe it was just an off day for me as the leader or maybe for the parents; maybe this just works better as a one-on-one bedtime story. It could also be useful for kids just starting preschool or daycare as it provides an upbeat look at time away from parents show more for a toddler. I think what sort of threw me about it, is that sometimes is has rhythm and rhyme, but it drops in and out of the pattern making it a little difficult to read aloud. Illustrations are by Sally Anne Lambert and fit the story perfectly with their soft palette and charming family. Most of the illustrations are full bleed with a page of spot art and a page with a single vignette added for variety.

Used for Delightful Dragons Storytime - Terrific T's 4/20/10. show less

The little guinea pig goes to nursery school and completes many different actions, such as being quiet, noisy, fast, strong, and careful. This book shows children ways to do each action stated and has cute illustrations to go along with each one. This would be great for nursery or preschool aged children.