Scholastic: Up on Daddy's Shoulders

This picture book celebrates a day shared between a young boy and his father. Corvino's sunny paintings fill each double-page spread, in which the boy rides on his father's shoulders. In just a few lines of text on each spread, the boy describes the view from his new perspective: "I am as big as our great big house." Down the winding road to the zoo, the boy is able to "touch" the tops of trees and "fly" like a bird. He seems taller than giraffes and hills and clouds. At dusk, as father and son return home, the boy feels that he "can touch the moon and stars." The book ends with a sentence that reinforces the book's message: "Up on Daddy's shoulders, I'm the happiest kid in the world." Easy on the eyes and ears, this title's rhythm and attractiveness make it a fine read-aloud choice, especially at bedtime.

Scholastic: Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie

Ruthie, a fox girl, loves teeny-tiny things, so when she finds a miniature camera in the schoolyard, she claims it as her own. And lies about it when fellow student Martin tells their teacher, Mrs. Olsen, that the camera belongs to Ruthie. The rest of the afternoon is long for Ruthie, and at home that night, she ruminates over her crime until she finally comes clean with her parents. Having been counseled that honesty is the best policy, Ruthie, with much trepidation, tells her teacher and Martin what she has done. Mrs. Olsen praises her for telling the truth, and Martin forgives her, too. A real-life situation might not have such a happy ending, but this gets right to the heart of what children feel when they know they've done something wrong but don't know how to set things right. The sprightly artwork is cheery in all respects, except when it comes to Ruthie. With subtle brushstrokes, Rankin captures all the varied emotions Ruthie goes through: glee, defiance, worry, fear, and eventually relief.