Poems

The Dentist and The Crocodile 

By Roald Dahl

This humorous poem is about a crocodile going to the dentist to get his teeth cleaned. The only problem is that the crocodile wants the dentist to put his whole head in his mouth! A few couplets of lines do rhyme, which I found aesthetically pleasing. I give this poem a 5 out of 5 stars because I feel children would really love the silliness of it and also it is by Roald Dahl whom is an iconic children's book writer. 

About the Teeth of Sharks

By John Ciardi

Yet another poem about the teeth of a vicious animal! This is about the teeth of a shark and how they look, but what happens when you put your head too far in the sharks mouth? Uh Oh!! I give this poem a 5 out of 5 stars because I enjoy the way that each couplet of lines rhymed. And at the end the child gets a surprise. 

Mrs. Mitchell's Underwear

By Dennis Lee

Another silly poem! This is about a pair of underwear, as one could infer from the title of the poem. A very descriptive rhythmic tale of a pair of underwear drying on the line. I know any child would get a laugh out of that. Especially, if their teacher's name happened to be Mrs. Mitchell! I give this a 5 out of 5, I really enjoyed reading this poem, and almost singing it because of the rhythmic feel of it!

Informational

Owls 

 By Gail Gibbons

ISBN: 978-0823420148

Published by Holiday House in 2006

If you want to learn about owls then I would suggest reading this book! Learn about their lifestyle, how they sleep, and even what different environmental hazards are threatening them. I would give this book a 3 out of 5 because they aren't actual pictures of owls they are just illustrated. I think it's very informational, but I feel it would have been better to have real photographs in the book.

Dolphins 

By Seymour Simon

ISBN: 978-0064462204

Published by Harper Collins in 2011

This is a very informational children's book all about dolphins. There are real photographs that depict how dolphins live and how they swim. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars because Seymour Simon worked on this book with the Smithsonian, one of the most trusted names in science. Therefore, you know that this book is sharing accurate information with the children reading this book. 

My Country, 'Tis of Thee: How One Song Reveals the History of Civil Rights

By Claire Rudolf Murphy

ISBN: 978-0805082265

Published by Henry Holt and Co in 2014

Illustrations by Bryan Collier

This is a great story about the iconic song that children don't comprehend the true meaning. Reading this story to a child helps them realize the importance of this song to our nations history and it also shows how far our country has come. I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars because I feel that learning about our nations history is incredibly important and all children should be able to know this song and the true meaning.

Fantasy

The Polar Express 

By Chris Van Allsburg

ISBN: 978-0395389492

Published by Houghton Mifflin 1985

The Polar Express is a fantastic fantasy story about a young boy who has lost all of his Christmas spirit and his ability to believe in Santa Claus. Christmas Eve a train magically appears in front of his house and he gets on with hesitation to travel to the North Pole! I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars because as a young child this was one of my favorite books to read, especially around Christmas time. It is well written and it definitely engages children, even now with the movie!

Where the Wild Things Are

By Maurice Sendak

ISBN: 978-0064431781

Published by Harper Collins in 1984

Where the Wild Things Are is a story about a young boy who keeps misbehaving. He gets sent to his room and there his imagination goes wild! His bedroom becomes a jungle with many new friends!

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars because I really enjoyed the story line and also the illustrations get bigger and bigger on the page, making it enticing for children to read.

Harold and the Purple Crayon

By Crockett Johnson

ISBN: 9780060229368

Published by HarperCollins in 1951

Late one night, Harold leaves his house with just a crayon. He realizes that there is no moon out that night, so he draws one. There also isn't a path so he draws one, too! Harold goes on the biggest adventure of his life so this book deserves a 4 out of 5. I didn't think it was as creative as some of the other fantasy books that I found, but it is a classic.