Books for Readers 0-3

A wacky safari that is sure to strike a chord with kids! For each letter of the alphabet, this clever book of rhymes presents a cross between an animal and a musical instrument. From newtubas and mandolions to drumonkeys and pigolos, kids will have a blast during this musical safari. Zany illustrations accompany each creation.

Get ready to stomp and chomp to that mambo beat! When carnival time rolls into New Orleans, these hip dinosaurs want to boogie on down. Iguanodon wiggles to the music of a marching band, while Zigongosaurus dances zydeco and Pterodactyal swoops into the crowd. From singing tunes and tossing beads, these big beasts sure know how to party. Laissez les bon temps rugir!

A popular career choice for most five year olds, firefighting conjures images of pump trucks, sirens, and ladders. This informative and fun ABC journey gives a bit of firefighting history with B is for bucket brigade and moves into the 21st century with T is for thermal imaging camera. The colorful illustrations sport a spotted Dalmatian hidden on every page.

From alligators to winding country lanes and fried zucchini, this picture book is an alphabetized list of Southern delights. Breezy rhymes recall an appreciation for good food, laid-back evenings, and the gentle dispositions the region is known for.

Martha Day Zschock, best-selling author and illustrator of the Hello! series of regionally-focused board books, has just completed a brand new board book, Read To Me! Created to encourage a love of reading in the very youngest children, Read To Me! is, with its rhymes and colorful illustrations, a wonderful book to read aloud, for the reader and the listener. The shared experience is sure to create an appreciation of books, and encourages children and their family and friends to read together. For ages 0-3. Made in the USA.

In 1939 Robert L. May, a copywriter working at Chicago's Montgomery Ward & Co., wrote a holiday story at the request of his employer. Almost two and a half million copies of the little tale about a reindeer with a shiny red nose were given away to all the children who visited Montgomery Ward stores that year. The rest is history. Seventy-five years later, the beloved classic is once again available in a hardcover faithful facsimile of the 1939 Rudolph, with original text and original Denver Gillen illustrations.

Throw me out there, mister!

When Carnival rolls around in New Orleans, everyone gets into the celebration—including the beads! On Fat Tuesday, a plain string of little purple beads hangs from a hook on a parade float. His fervent wish is to be caught by someone special. The bigger and fancier beads tell him that no one will ever catch him. But a little hope and determination may go a long way in the magical season of Mardi Gras! When the bead spots a little princess in the crowd, he knows she is the person for him! Will she try to catch him? The heartwarming tale offers opportunities for a discussion of bullying, self-worth, and inclusion with young readers. The delightful story and illustrations from this daughter/father team will charm the entire family and become a parade route favorite!

Raised in New Orleans, Julie P. Rowley holds a master’s of education in early childhood curriculum and instruction from the University of New Orleans. Her stories were inspired by her daughter’s imagination.

A graduate of Loyola University New Orleans, John R. Paquette is a retired editor. He is also a professional vocalist and a talented portrait artist and illustrator. He enjoyed collaborating with his daughter.

All is calm in the warlord�s palace, and the artist�s apprentice Chuan sits with his friend Jing Jing, watching the sunset, when an invading army approaches. Jing Jing comes up with an ingenious solution using Chuan�s knowledge of calculating area as well as his handmade paper and ink to frighten the troops into leaving.

The warlord�s presence is requested at the emperor�s banquet in two weeks, but he is sixteen days away by horseback. Using their math skills, ingenuity, and the wind, Chuan and Jing Jing reach the warlord�s camp and encourage him to use their sailing cart to travel to the feast. The Warlord�s Messengers is the sixth book in the acclaimed Warlord�s Series, and includes directions for making your own windsock as well as suggestions for velocity-related math activities.

A May/June 2000 BookSense ’76 Selection

Accelerated Reader Program Selection

In China, a beautiful ceramic tile lies shattered on the ground, and the artist who dropped it is sentenced to the land’s worst punishment. The fierce warlord will execute the artist unless some wise person can put the seven pieces back together. That person will then be invited to live in the castle. Both locals and strangers from far away wait their turns for a chance to solve the warlord’s puzzle.

After learning why these people are waiting to enter the castle, a peasant boy convinces his poor but wise father to join the line. This little boy starts them off on the first step to solving the puzzle—entering the contest.

Gold/Honors Award Winner
National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) Children’s Products
The Big Read 2010
Recommended Reading List for the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools

Based on a popular song adapted by the multi-award-winning New Orleans singer-songwriter Johnette Downing, Today Is Monday in Louisiana rhythmically takes readers through a culinary calendar, describing a Louisiana meal a day. Now adapted to board book format for tiny hands, each page presents collaged images of yummy foods. On Monday there are red beans to eat and on Tuesday, po’ boys. On Wednesday gumbo is served, and on it goes, each day bringing another unique and tasty Louisiana dish to share.

On the first warm and sunny day of the year, Washington, D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School principal Sharon Riggs needs one more substitute teacher. Victor Kennedy, the father of the school�s secretary, agrees to teach the seventh-grade American-history class for the day and tells the students about the Tuskegee Airmen. During World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen were the first black men allowed into combat, flying over 1,500 missions over the course of the war and winning a significant battle against segregation at home. Young readers will experiencefor themselves the triumphant pride of these men in serving their country.