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In My Library Tote: February Preschool Book Reviews and Recommendations

I love Jona’s excitement when I come home with a big stack of library books. (He’s totally my kid, right?) However, that beloved stack has been getting some fierce competition these days. Thanks to his birthday, Christmas, and a preschool field trip, he’s starting to build a collection of superhero books.

I’m not sure what started this superhero obsession, but he would read nothing but these if I let him. However, I do enforce a strict one superhero story per bedtime policy, to keep myself sane. I’m sure there are quality comics out there, but these stories targeted at little kids are cringe-worthy. Terrible puns. Over the top morals. The cheesiest plot-lines.

Anyway, I say this as full disclosure. Jona may have enjoyed the below books, but for him there’s no comparison to his beloved superhero stories. Here are the (non-superhero) picture books that we read in February.

{february recommended picture books}

{Valensteins by Ethan Long} The monsters are all curious about what Fran K. Stein is making. A mask? A big nose? A paper butt? Bunny explains that it’s a heart and it’s even more scary than what they had imagined: Fran is in love! I mentioned this one in my February Favorites post as well, but this one was probably the pick of the month.

{Hug Machine by Scott Campbell} I like that this one works perfectly for Valentine’s month, but it doesn’t have to be limited to February. An adorable boy who calls himself the “hug machine” has a hug for everyone, no matter how big or small. Can he even hug a porcupine? With a bit of creativity, of course he can! I thought this one was cute, and Jona thought it was funny, especially the porcupine-hugging.

{The Baby Swap by Jan Ormerod} I picked this one up after Cara shared that it was a hit at her house. Caroline Crocodile doesn’t understand why her mom is always fussing over her drooly baby brother. So when her mom is out exchanging her new hat, she decides to swap her brother for a new one. However, none of the animals she tries to swap him for are quite right. Maybe she should just keep the brother she has. This was a cute, endearing story, especially for an older sibling.

{Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo} Beth recommended this early chapter book to me, and Jona really enjoyed it. We took a road trip early in February to visit family, and reading this in the car helped to pass the time. (It has a lot of pictures though, which is great, but there was a lot of back and forth book passing…) Mercy is the Watsons’ pet pig, and she’s more than just a pig to them, she’s family. One morning when Mercy is snuggling in the Watsons’ bed, they hear a loud crack, and the bed falls through the floor. Mercy soon jumps to safety, thinking of breakfast. The Watsons, on the other hand, are sure that Mercy is headed to seek help. This was an entertaining read with lots of pictures, a perfect way to introduce a chapter book to a young child.

{Little I by Michael Hall} Little i loses her dot, but she sets out on a quest to go find it. When she finally finds it though, will she still have a use for it? This was an amusing tale about letters, punctuation, and growing-up. With our reading practice, Jona and I have been talking a lot about letters, sounds, and punctuation, so he really enjoyed this one.

{Dear Yeti by James Kwan} Two children go on a hiking adventure to find a Yeti, sending him letters to encourage him to come meet them. However, it isn’t long before they realize they didn’t prepare very well for their hike. Luckily the Yeti they seek proves to be a true friend to them, and they’re able to return home safely, with something to remember him by. This was a short but sweet, adorable winter story. 

{I’m Mighty by Kate McMullen} You may have your doubts about the power of this little tugboat, but you shouldn’t because he’s mighty! He shows time and again that he can help bring in the biggest of the big ships. If you have a preschooler, they may be on board (pun intended) just by seeing the cover, but the little tug’s brave and bold personality made this fun to read for me too.

{Plant a Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal} One little Miss planted a kiss, and she’s delighted when a sparkly sprout comes out of the ground. She decides to share her joyful harvest with the world. I thought this one was sweet, but Jona, who complains about “too slobbery” kisses on his cheek, and who will often remove my arm from around his shoulders (sniffle!), wasn’t feeling it. I should have known.

{Why Am I Me? by Paige Britt} In this story, two children who appear very different, are thinking the same thoughts and asking the same questions. It’s short and simple to read, but it can inspire some big discussions. I can appreciate that about it, but it just didn’t hold Jona’s interest. However, I think it would be a great book to read to a classroom of students to inspire conversation about differences, similarities, and empathy.

Have you discovered any good picture books recently?