The Red Lemon (Deluxe Golden Book) by Bob Staake. Golden Books (2006), Library Binding, 40 pages

Farmer McPhee adores yellow lemons and after much lavish praise of their many wonderful attributes, he discovers a RED lemon on one of his trees. Determined to be rid of it because "it's too red to bear!", McPhee pitches it to a faraway island where the seeds thrive and prosper. Years after McPhee's yellow lemon grove has become nothing but a patch of weeds, the Red Lemons, "six times as sweet" remain a sensation. Staake's illustrations are clean, colorful and bold. The rhyming text is fun to read and very reminiscent of Dr. Seuss at his best. A huge hit at story time and reading readiness programs... served with red lemonade, of course. PreK-1.

One Big Building: A Counting Book About Construction (Know Your Numbers) by Michael Dahl. Picture Window Books (2004), Library Binding, 24 pages

Follow the numbers 1 to 12 through a construction site--from one plan to "a building twelve stories high". Includes extras, such as fun facts about building construction, a glossary and additional information websites. Ouren's illustrations are bold, bright and especially appealing. For youngsters interested in the topic (and there are many!) this is one great counting picture book.

Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Edward R Emberley. L,B Kids (1993), Hardcover, 32 pages

Always a winner--and fun to read. toddlers thru kinder have fun making the big green monster go away and come back one page/nose at at time. Good tool for verbal practice--have group chant "GO AWAY" with you. Hand puppet too. Great for storytimes. ( )

123 to the Zoo by Eric Carle. Philomel (1982), Hardcover, 28 pages

Signature Carle illustrations--fun, bright and colorful--fill this wordless counting book. Wordless books are a great way to encourage children to think and to practise verbal and language skills: ask questions: what color is the train? What do you think will happen next? which animal is this? etc. Language aquisition. Excellent for one-on-ones and in very small groups.

Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh. Harcourt Children's Books (1991), Hardcover, 40 pages

Ten smart mice outwit a greedy snake and trick him into letting them go in this charming counting book

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer. Laura Geringer (1999), Edition: 1st ed, Hardcover, 32 pages

Something's wrong with George. He can't bark! Instead he meows and quacks and oinks. A quick trip to the doctor will reveal the reason but not the funny and surprising ending. Spare and simple enough for the youngest children, the clever twist in the plot will delight children of all ages. A tried and true hit for storytime and read-a-louds.

I'm The Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry. Dial (2007), Hardcover, 32 pages

Giant Squid brags about being the biggest thing in the ocean; bigger than shrimps, jellyfish, crabs, etc., until he meets up with a whale. Everyone will enjoy the clever ending where Squid, always the optimist, still manages to look on the bright side. Good introduction to size relativity and the concept of big/little and bigger/smaller. Loved it!