Storytime Standouts looks at a delightful picture book that celebrates fathers and fatherhood – Some Dads… by Nick Bland

Some Dads… written and illustrated by Nick Bland
Picturebook published by Scholastic

In his cheery tribute to fathers, Nick Bland depicts all sorts of animal parents exuberantly interacting with their offspring. We laugh at an over-protective elephant dad who fills a swimming pool with life rings and a mischievous sheep who can’t resist throwing a water balloon at his child. Readers, both young and old, will enjoy the playful rhyming and the jubilant illustrations. Some Dads… is an excellent choice for Father’s Day or Dads’ Day at preschool, delivering a fun and affectionate message about diversity and unconditional love.

Some dads like strolling.
And some dads rock’n rolling.
And some dads just love the outdoors.

Some Dads… at Amazon.com

Some Dads… at Amazon.ca

Here Comes Hortense!
written by Heather Hartt-Sussman and illustrated by Georgia Graham
Picture book about jealousy, emotions and blended families, published by Tundra Books

When a six year old boy, his grandmother and her new husband go on vacation to a theme park, all is well until Hortense arrives. Hortense is Bob’s granddaughter and she is suddenly a threat. Nana shares her hotel room with Hortense, she sings “Lavender’s Blue” to her and she sits next to her for all the scary rides. To add insult to injury, Hortense even devises a special name for Nana!

Nana’s grandson is despondent. He can’t believe that Hortense has taken his special place with his grandmother.

It is not until Nana and Gramps take a ride in the Tunnel of Love that the two children are able to gain perspective and learn to like each other.

Note: Here Comes Hortense! is a follow up to Heather Hartt-Sussman and Georgia Graham’s Nana’s Getting Married

Here Comes Hortense! at Amazon.com

Here Comes Hortense! at Amazon.ca

Storytime Standouts looks at a stylish alphabet book, Paul Thurlby’s Alphabet

Paul Thurlby’s Alphabet
created by Paul Thurlby
Alphabet book published by Templar Books an imprint of Candlewick Press

Featuring bright, bold retro illustrations, Paul Thurlby’s Alphabet is a stylish tribute to graphic design and each of the letters of the alphabet. Young children will enjoy the dramatic and distinctive artwork while learning about letter shapes and sounds.

On the left side of each spread, we see a single letter in uppercase and lowercase form. The corresponding right side of each spread features an illustration that incorporates the shape of the uppercase letter and minimal text.

Older children and adults will particularly appreciate the aesthetics of Paul Thurlby’s Alphabet, possibly using his ideas as inspiration for their own graphic artwork. As well, removing the book jacket and opening it reveals a gorgeous alphabet poster that highlights each of the illustrations from the book. Lovely.

Paul Thurlby’s Alphabet at Amazon.com

Paul Thurlby’s Alphabet at Amazon.ca

Paul Thurlby’s PhotoStream on Flickr

Note: When selecting illustrations for the vowels, Thurlby uses a mix of short and long vowel sounds: A = awesome, I = island

Storytime Standouts’ Earth Day Printables Help Children Learn About the Environment, Recycling and Other Ways to Care for Our World

Our early literacy printables, including our Earth Day printables are in PDF format, if you don’t already use Adobe Reader, you will need to use it to access the downloads.

Please note, the photograph on this page is subject to copyright and was taken by Carolyn Hart.

Some of our early literacy printables including our free Earth Day printables are available to Storytime Standouts members only. To become a member of the website (without cost or obligation), please click on the “Members” tab and register as a user.

We also have a new page with resources about gardening with children.

Earth Day / Recycling Domino Game and Board Game Cards

Print these game pieces onto cardstock and them cut them apart. For the board game, recycle paper scraps to create a fun game board. Playing pieces promote recycling and environmental awareness as players race to the end.

  "Green" Domino Game
Please become a member of Storytime Standouts to download this file.

  "Green" Board Game Cards
Please become a member of Storytime Standouts to download this file.

Earth Day Interlined Paper

– beginning writers can use our interlined paper to tell stories about Earth Day

  Interlined Paper - Children Love the Earth
Please become a member of Storytime Standouts to download this file.

  Interlined paper - Recycling Boy and Girl
Please become a member of Storytime Standouts to download this file.

  Interlined paper - Tree with bluebird
Please become a member of Storytime Standouts to download this file.

  Interlined Paper - Tree including roots
Please become a member of Storytime Standouts to download this file.

Earth Day Riddles

– print the questions and the answers. Cut them apart and then challenge children to match the questions with the answers.

  "Green" Riddles - Part 1
Please become a member of Storytime Standouts to download this file.

  "Green" Riddles - Part 2
Please become a member of Storytime Standouts to download this file.

Gardening-Related

  Planting a Flower Garden Sequencing Activity

  I Love the Flowers

  A Little Seed

Be sure to visit our page highlighting
picture books about caring for our environment,
ecosystems, recycling,
reducing our environmental footprint and more.
Terrific resources for Earth Day and Arbor Day.

If you appreciate our free early literacy printables,
including these Earth Day printables,
please support this site by visiting and purchasing from Amazon.com or Amazon.ca.

I’m Here written by Peter H. Reynolds

Written with a goal of encouraging children and adults to reach out, embrace, and appreciate children in the autism spectrum as well as anyone who is different from ourselves, I’m Here suggests that young readers rethink their ideas about a child who prefers solitude or who is not skillful at social interactions.

At recess, a young boy sits, by himself. The loud, playground voices are too much for him, I hear it all like one big noise. A big drum. Boom. Boom. Boom Boom.

Sitting away from the crowd he feels the touch of the wind, notices a floating leaf. When a piece of paper lands near him, he knows, This is not where the paper wants to be.” He folds the paper into an airplane and launches it heavenward. Soon, the young boy is flying in the plane, exhuberant at the adventure.

A thoughtful, metaphorical picture book, I’m Here explores themes of friendship and acceptance and encourages children to look for opportunities to smile and be a friend.

I’m Here at Amazon.com

I’m Here at Amazon.ca

April 2, 2012 is World Autism Awareness Day

Storytime Standouts looks at ten great reasons to read aloud to your child

Reading aloud to my sons has been one of the highlights of being a parent. My boys are both teens now and have pretty much outgrown picture books (Christmas Eve is always an exception) but shared memories of trips to the library and hundreds of great bedtime stories read aloud will remain with us forever. Having said that, reading a couple of bedtime stories aloud, every night for seven or eight years is hard work. There were definitely nights where I would have happily ‘skipped’ and had a little more time to myself. I clearly remember, on more than one occasion, my younger son being wide awake at his bedtime while I was falling asleep as I attempted to read aloud to him. He would say, “Mommy, your voice sounds really strange.” I would rouse myself enough to finish the story and then head off to my own bed.

Let’s take a look at ten great reasons to read aloud to your child(ren)

When we read aloud to children, they (1) get to know books. They learn that books have front covers and back covers. The covers can be hard or soft/flexible. Books have spines and sometimes they wear jackets.

Sharing stories with children also helps them learn (2) how to hold and manipulate a book. When we read aloud to children, they discover how a book “works.” They come to understand that a book written in English is read from front to back and that we (gently) turn the pages as the story unfolds. They discover that, if we want, we can go back and reread a page, we can also skip a page.

Occasionally running a finger along the printed text will also help children learn that (3) pages are read from top to bottom and the text is read from left to right. With a little help from us, children will discover that bold words are often important to the story and usually we think of bold words or words shown in uppercase letters as LOUD WORDS.

If we read lift the flap books or pop up books, children will learn that (4) sometimes books have flaps or other features that hide the solution to a riddle or some other surprise.

Reading aloud also exposes children to the (5) beauty and richness of our language. Children will also gain (6)phonemic awareness as they discover how to play with words and sounds through rhyming and alliteration.

When hearing books read aloud, children (and adults) learn (7) new words and all sorts of wonderful (8) facts (especially when the children are wild about dinosaurs!)

Hearing a selection of books gives children an understanding of (9) what a story is , how a fairy tale is different from a fable and how tall tales exaggerate.

Hearing picture books read aloud can also enable children to (10) safely explore worrisome or difficult topics like going to the hospital or coping with illness, disability, bullying, or even the death of a loved one while safe in a loving and comfortable environment.

All the Water In the World written by George Ella Lyon and Katherine Tillotson
Eco-Friendly picture book about water, the water cycle and water conservation published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers | Simon and Schuster

All the Water In the World playfully and joyfully celebrates water and the water cycle. The first line explains,

“All the water in the world… is all the water in the world.”

Young readers will know that water sometimes blasts from hoses and collects in puddles but there is much more to the story of water. A breezy, lyrical introduction to the water cycle, All the Water In the World explains that water goes around.

That rain that cascaded from clouds and meandered down mountains and wavered over waterfalls then slipped into rivers and opened into oceans, that rain has been here before.

Positively delicious descriptive words celebrate water, water vapour, clouds and rain, and remind us that we must not take rain and the water cycle for granted; in some dry, dusty places, people must wait and hope for rain.

Beautiful illustrations match the tempo of the text and feature expressive bold colours that blast, splash, drip and gush across the page.

All the Water in the World at Amazon.com

All the Water in the World at Amazon.ca

Be sure to visit our page highlighting
picture books about caring for our environment,
ecosystems, recycling,
reducing our environmental footprint and more.
Terrific resources for Earth Day and Arbor Day.

Seal Song written by Andrea Spalding and illustrated by Pascal Milelli
Published by Orca Book Publishers

In folklore, selkies are mythological creatures that can change shape. Selkies live in the ocean as seals and on land as humans.

Each morning Finn helps his father fish but he is secretly anxious for the opportunity to slip away from the wharf and the cannery. He wants to swim with the seals.
“Sing to me.” said Finn. “Sing the seal song that brings good fortune.”
The seal blew a fish breath and disappeared below the waves. But, despite Finn’s pleas, he does not hear the seals sing.

One afternoon, while enjoying his usual swim with seals, Finn notices a commotion in the waves, his favourite seal has been caught in an old fishing net. Finn dives into the ocean, rescues the seal, feeds it and nurses it back to health. He has made a new friend. Finally his wish is granted; he hears the seals sing.

Father is not happy with Finn and does not believe that a seal song will bring good fortune. He is suspicious when a mysterious child appears near the wharf. The other fishermen warn, “That child will never let salt water touch her skin. If it does, she must return to the sea.”

Sheila becomes a good friend to Finn but she does not swim in the ocean with him nor does she allow salt water to touch her skin. Meanwhile, the salmon fishing is good, Finn and his father are especially lucky and the old fishermen attribute their good fortune to Finn’s new friend.

Richly illustrated with beautiful, evocative oil paintings, Seal Song is a thought provoking look at what it means to be a friend.

For older children, Seal Song could lead to an exploration of folklore, shapeshifting, friendship, sacrifice, social responsibility and/or salmon fishing.

Seal Song at Amazon.com

Seal Song at Amazon.ca

Be sure to visit our page highlighting
picture books about caring for our environment,
ecosystems, recycling,
reducing our environmental footprint and more.
Terrific resources for Earth Day and Arbor Day.