Picture Book: Lines that Wiggle

Lines That Wiggle is an intriguing book by author Candace Whitman. This stylishly illustrated picture book asks kids to interpret the different lines on each page using visual cues and minimal text.

For example, the "Lines that Wiggle" page shows a monster cozying up to a wiggly snake; the "lines that trap" page has a monster stuck in a spiderweb. Every page features a different monster, which will really tickle kids!

As kids visually and physically follow the lines through this book, they will build a really important set of early literacy skills. They'll work on spatial awareness (both 2d and 3d), which helps kids understand shapes in space and on paper. This will assist kids when they begin forming letters, and when they do simple math.

Kids will also learn to rely on visual cues when interpreting text. This is another important decoding skill; it's especially helpful for beginning readers, who use pictures to help them decode words, and for nonfiction reading, where images support the information gained through the text.

Most of all, this is a fun and engaging book that invites kids to participate in reading and understanding. With appealing, retro illustrations and charming monsters on every page, this book will appeal to most preschoolers.

Picture Book

Ages 3-6

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Picture Book: Hidden Hippo

Hidden Hippo is one of those books that has appeal for kids of all different ages. Very young children will love looking at the fabric art pictures of african animals; they're bright, colourful, and charming! Older kids will be ready for the challenge of looking for Hippo.

The rhyming text leads us through the landscape, and mentions the flamingos, giraffes, leopards, and other animals that wander crowd the pages. In every scene, hippo is hiding somewhere in the background or the water. Kids will love scoping him out, until he bursts forth from the water at the very end!

School aged kids might like to check this book out for the final pages, which have brief descriptions of each animal mentioned in the book. Some informatino is given about the animals' characteristics and habitats. A faboulous book for all kinds of reasons!

Picture Book

Ages 2-6

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Picture Book: Hello Tilly

I've just discovered the Tilly and Friends series, and I think I'm in love! These charming picture books are a UK import, and they have the whimsical pictures and storyline that characterize English books for children.

Tilly and her animal friends all live together in their little yellow house. Tilly is reading one day when Tiptoe the bunny comes by, and askes if she wants to play band with him. Of course she does! Doodle invites them to a feast, then chicken Pru starts a dress up party. When everyone has a little too much fun, they settle down to listen to Tilly's story, and the tale ends where it began.

With very simple words and little plot, this is a perfect book for very young children. Kids will love the silly fun that Tilly and friends get into, and they'll find themselves in at least one of Tilly's very different group of friends.

Picture Book

Ages 2-4

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Picture Book: This is the Firegighter

This is a great new addition to the plethora of firefighter books that are already available in the library. The simple, cartoony pictures are complemented by clear rhyming text, with just one idea or piece of information per page.

The text format is repetetive as well as simple. The "This is the firefighter, this is his hose" format gives younger preschoolers a very clear understanding of what firefighters do. As if they needed any more reasons to love the guys in red!

Picture Book

Ages 2-4

Click here to check out the Port Moody Public Library's catalogue!