This is Warren County Public Library's Children's book blog. Here you can get information on great new books that our librarians have reviewed. We hope you enjoy these books as much as we have!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Stella is a Star! By Bernadette Peters

Kindergarten-Grade 2—Stella is a lonely pit bull who uses a crown and fake tail to masquerade as a pig princess in order to join a dance class and meet friends. Her classmates are skeptical about her porcine roots but are interrupted by elegant Madame Cochon, who drills the youngsters and Stella for an important recital. Stella's initial clumsiness disappears with her faithful practice of pirouettes, pliés, and jetés. When the show's star is injured, Madame selects her to perform the famous "32 perfect turns." Despite dreading the necessity of removing the crown she believes hides her identity, Stella is a grand success on stage, and she learns that everyone knew all along she was neither a princess nor a pig. The final page has lyrics for a "follow your dream" song. Peters reads the story and sings the song on the accompanying CD. Murphy's paintings with collage provide all the ideals of ballet, from frothy tutus to embroidered bodices, and her animals' expressions are priceless.

beautiful illustrations and a fun and creative story all about a little dog who is a ballerina!

The Sleep Sheep By Anna Quinn

PreSchool-Grade 2 Sylvie is the kind of child whose mind never stops. She demands stories, and water, and drives her mother to distraction in order to avoid bedtime. When her mother suggests she count sheep, Sylvia gives it a try, but they won't stay still. They dance, swim, and rollerblade, making it impossible for her to get a tally. It isn't until the herd pretends to sleep that the child can successfully count them and drift off herself. The cartoon pen-and-ink drawings paint vivid scenes of Sylvie's imagination and are flush with fun details. Readers will linger over each page, looking for Sylvie's pink stuffed elephant throughout the story or the sheep in the cowboy hat with bucked teeth. A counting tale sandwiched in the middle of a bedtime story, The Sleep Sheep moves along at a rapid clip and with enough humor to be a successful read-aloud.

an adorable story about a little girl who can't sleep and her mother suggests for her to count sheep! But, the sheep will not exactly cooperate and stay still for her! a fun bedtime read aloud!