The Day the Crayons Quit

TITLE:  The Day the Crayons Quit
AUTHOR:  Drew Daywalt
ILLUSTRATOR: Oliver Jeffers
PUBLISHER:  Philomel Books
COPYRIGHT:  2013

At school Duncan is going to color, but he finds a stack of letters from his crayons.  The crayons each tell him why they are quitting and what he needs to change.  Some feel over used (like red for all the holidays). Some feel under used (like pink since it is more of a girls' color).

I love crayons so the title and front of this book caught my eye.  This was a fun read to imagine crayons coming to life and writing letters.  It would be great to use in a classroom and have children write their own letters.

This is on the 2014 Bluebonnet Award list.  It is AR level 3.8.

My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood

TITLE:  My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood
AUTHOR:  Tameka Fryer Brown
ILLUSTRATOR:  Shane W. Evans
PUBLISHER:  Viking
COPYRIGHT:  2013

Join Jamie through his day as he experiences various emotions.  He describes these emotions using color and a rhythmic text.

I thought this book was nicely illustrated and would be beneficial for a class discussion on feelings.  Then I can see this book turning into a great writing and art project for a class.

10 Easter Egg Hunters

TITLE: 10 Easter Egg Hunters
AUTHOR:  Janet Schulman
ILLUSTRATOR: Linda Davick
PUBLISHER: Alfred A. Knopf
COPYRIGHT:  2011

This is a counting book about children hunting for eggs. There are not a lot of words, but they do tell the story of the kids trying to find a variety of eggs of different colors.

It is appropriate for toddlers through preschool aged children.  It would be a good book to use to practice both counting and color identification. 

Chester Raccoon's Favorite Color Game

TITLE: Chester Raccoon's Favorite Color Game
AUTHOR:  Audrey Penn
ILLUSTRATOR: Barbara L. Gibson
PUBLISHER: Tanglewood
COPYRIGHT: 2012

Chester Raccoon plays a color game where he finds objects of various colors.  Your child can learn their colors through this board board and learn to play the color game themselves. 

The Journey Home from Grandpa's

TITLE:  The Journey Home from Grandpa's
AUTHOR:  Jemima Lumley
ILLUSTRATOR:  Sophie Fatus
PUBLISHER:  Barefoot Books
COPYRIGHT:  2006

A child is on the trip home from Grandpa's.  This book describes the things that the child sees on the trip home from Grandpa's.  It uses repetition and rhyming words.  Each page focuses on a different colored method of transportation, including a white helicopter and orange truck.

I liked the fun, bright illustrations in this book that went along with the rhythmic text.  This book is appropriate for a read aloud in the classroom as well as at home.  I could see it being a favorite of young children because of its repetitive nature.  I would recommend it for kindergarten or younger aged children.

A Book About Color

TITLE: A Book About Color
AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Mark Gonyea
PUBLISHER: Henry Holt and Company
COPYRIGHT: 2010

This is a nice book with brightly colored illustrations to introduce a young child to color. Things discussed are primary and secondary colors as well as complementary colors.

This would be a good book for a school or classroom library.