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FREE PRESS BOOK CLUB FOR KIDS: Spring's the Thing for a Poet; Michiganders Start With Facts

Posted on: Sunday, 16 April 2006, 06:00 CDT

By Michele Siuda Jacques, Detroit Free Press

Apr. 16--In the midst of spring's chilly, rainy, moody weather, this book of poetry will remind readers of the joys of the season. April is National Poetry Month and what better time to check out "Handsprings" by Douglas Florian (Greenwillow, $15.99), the last in his series of poetry dedicated to the seasons. The poems use lively language to celebrate spring's messy, jubilant spirit: baseball season, rain, rain and more rain, bugs, green and growing things, and all the fun stuff you can do outside.

Lisa Wheeler of Trenton has a great read that fans of prehistoric beasts or the "Ice Age" movies will love: "Mammoths on the Move" (Harcourt, $16). This fact-based story told in rhyme follows these woolly beasts as they migrate in search for food. Wheeler uses vibrant, active language and the realistic watercolors by Kurt Cyrus perfectly capture the chilly, rustic environment.

Berkley photographer Ronald Meyer's "Freddy Fox" (Nature's Beauty Publishing, $21.95) incorporates his photographs with life lessons taught to a little fox. The advice will sound familiar to children: Eat the right foods, wash your hands, ask questions, listen to your parents and more. It's a simple book with a timeless message of learning from everyone around you. It can be ordered through Borders and is also available at Doll Hospital & Toy Soldier Shop in Berkley and other specialty stores. For a list of stores and more information, go to www.naturesbeautyphotography.com.

Does it seem as if you and a toddler can agree on nothing? Then "No Bows!" by Shirley Smith Duke (Peachtree Publishers, $15.95) is for you. A headstrong girl has her own ideas (and lots of wonderful facial expressions thanks to illustrator Jenny Mattheson) about what she likes, but in the end she and her parents agree that hugs and kisses are perfect.

"Germs Are Not for Sharing" by Elizabeth Verdick gives the lowdown on those little bugs and what kids can do to keep them from spreading. Full of humor and with real-life situations illustrated by Marieka Heinlen, "Germs" comes from Free Spirit Publishing as a board book ($7.95) and as a paperback with more information for older kids ($11.95).

Boo-boos. They seem to be never-ending with young children. Joy Masoff and illustrator Jack Dickason have an interactive book out, "The Boo Boo Book" (Lark Books, $9.95), that gets into the details of such things as bruises, cuts and scabs. The rhymes are catchy ("Feeling hot ... hot ... hot! / Touched a pot ... pot... pot! / Swelling spot ... spot ... spot! / Hurts a lot ... lot... lot!") and the can't-miss activities are very fun: Stitch up a cut. Sign a cast. Lift a bandage to see a scar. Feel a sticky scrape and a mushy blister.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Detroit Free Press

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Source: Detroit Free Press

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