Twenty-One Elephants and Still StandingWritten by April Jones Prince
Illustrated by Francois Roca
Age: 5-7 years; 7-10 years
This became a favorite even before we checked it out. Joshua (4 years old) absolutely loves architecture - buildings, bridges, if it's man-made he's fascinated by it! Living just outside of NYC, he is especially inspired by the many monumental skyscrapers and bridges in the area.
Over the summer we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge - a free activity that I highly recommend to anyone visiting or living in the NY area. So, when I ran across this book about elephants AND the Brooklyn Bridge in my search for books on elephants, I was excited. And this book did not disappoint our high expectations. The illustrations are beautiful, with some spectacular ones of the bridge itself. The story is interesting, chronicling a true story of P.T. Barnum Bailey's stunt of walking his 21 world-famous elephants over the newly constructed bridge. I'm sure you and the kids in your life will enjoy this book!
My First Airplane Ride
By Patricia Hubbell
Illustrated by Nancy Speir
Age: 3-5 years
This is a definite favorite in our house. We check this out so often that I have thought of purchasing our own copy. My favorite line is: "Snacks are coming on a tray. What a long, exciting day!" :) We're heading to Australia in about a month - I think the last half of that line will pretty much sum up our travel experience!
In the future, look for more books written by Patricia Hubbell on this blog. She, along with various illustrators, has written several transportation-themed books that the kids love.
The Enormous Carrot
By Vladimir Vasil'evich Vagin
Age: 3-5 years, 7-10 years
We LOVED this book! Each time we visit our library we find good books, but it's still a rare to find a book that is so engaging for all of us and has the kids talking about it during their free play. That said, I'm not sure what drew us to this book. Just check it out for yourself and find out if you enjoy it as much as we did. :)
"Up Goes the Skyscraper"
By Gail Gibbons
Age: 3-5 years, 7-10 years
Joshua (4 years old) loves this book! We check it out often and never get tired of it. There is a lot of information, but most of it can be skimmed for kids with a shorter attention span. A great book for the budding architect or construction lover!
