Joseph Had A Little Overcoat by Simms Taback.

Joseph Had A Little Overcoat by Simms Taback.

One sentence per page is all you need to understand how thrifty Joseph is. Joseph’s coat gets worn, but he doesn’t give up on it, he makes something new out of it over and over again. This book is an excellent read to show children how we can REUSE things again and again. The cut outs in the pages make the book fun too. My kids kept flipping them back and forth to see Joseph’s coat morph into something new. (See open book picture with cut out through the cow.) The illustrations are excellent and appear even thick and woolen.

 

Henry Builds a Cabin by D.B. Johnson

Henry Builds a Cabin by D.B. Johnson

After celebrating Earth Day, this book seems like the perfect post. Henry builds a VERY small cabin to live in, which his friends question. This book seemed somewhat familiar, and in the back I read through a paragraph that explained why. It’s based on Henry David Thoreau, the paragraph explains Henry’s decision to live in a cabin in the woods. This is an awesome historical introduction to your preschooler on Henry David Thoreau, and also a nice book if your child seems to have the gimmie, gimmies.

 

I Can Save the Earth! by Alison Inches

I Can Save the Earth! by Alison Inches. Illustrated by Viviana Garofoli.

As a child I participated in a demonstration at a local nature center for a field trip. We made a landfill, a small one, but it made a lasting impression on me. I realized trash doesn’t go away, we just bury it. I have become a green crusader as much as I can, and a big part of that for me is instilling “greenness” in my children. This book is made from recycled paper (yippee) and has a green message. My preschooler enjoys how silly Max is. I’m sure it helps I use a silly voice. Max learns about why we need to save our planet, and many different ways to do so. We love this book!