"The Shape of My Heart" by Mark Sperring, illustrated by Alys Paterson

Mark Sperring's The Shape of My Heart is pretty cute. It starts with the shape of a person and goes through other shapes you might see in a typical days and ends with the shape you love with- your heart. This is a great book for kids that are recognizing and pointing out shapes, though I do recommend it for kids that have a decent grasp on shapes, not for kids that are just beginning to learn their shapes. Each page focuses on several shapes and could be overwhelming to kids that are just figuring out the difference between a square and a triangle.  This book is also full of bright colors, great for asking "what color is this?"

 Actually, this book is great as a whole as a question book. There are plenty of elements to ask kids about; shapes, colors, animals, etc. And Paterson's illustrations are just adorable! There isn't a lot of text on each page, good for helping with short attention spans (and there is so much going on in the pictures, there will be plenty for kids to look at while they listen). I thought this book was very sweet and see it being a kid pleaser!

Happy Reading!

-Melly

"Press Here" by Hervé Tullet

This is the perfect children's book!  Hervé Tullet's Press Here is a picture book that completely captures the imagination of those both young and old.  It starts off with a white page that is blank except for one yellow dot and the instructions "Press here."  With the turn of each page the dot grows in number, changes color, location and even size- all with the help of the reader!  I love this book because it works great both one on one or with a big group.  I have used this book with a group of elementary students and instead of doing the reading and actions myself, I have found that it works great as an activity and let the kids "press here."  Even though this is just a book (not an iPad or other piece of technology) it still captivates the reader on an interactive level like I have never seen before.  It's also great for kids learning their colors and learning to count.  It's the kind of book that I want to own for myself and want to use every time I read books to kids.




Happy Reading!
-Melly