Nona Reads

Written and illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld, The Rabbit Listened is a delightful children's book centered on a little tyke who has experienced the trauma of having his creation destroyed--so very symbolic and able to be adapted to many situations. He is told how to solve his problem by each of his friends with each solution mirroring the friend's manner. Finally, sweet Rabbit listens. Period. And the result is healing. Simple, yes, but more than enough for a kiddo to chew on. 

Written by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson, Last Stop on Market Street encourages listeners to open their eyes to the world beyond as a young boy and his grandmother travel from their world to a world needier than they.

Curious George--we all grew up hearing stories about this rascally little fellow! Here we have a new adventure which is definitely delightful and will have you looking for more!  Haven't we all wanted to crawl up the shelves of a toy store?!

True confession: I am uncomfortable reading the first Curious George book as it deals with his being taken from the jungle to be placed in a zoo...we all know the story didn't end that way, but for today's listeners, methinks we'll just skip reading that first book. What do you think?

Curious George--we all grew up with his story in our hearts, and here we have a new adventure. Written in the style of the original books, this adventure is delightful and will have you looking for more!

Another all-time favorite children's book, Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat is a classic, spunky, fast-paced book. The tireless Sam-I-Am is most certainly a reference to the children in our lives who ask, ask and ask again! Like many of Dr. Seuss' works, this story is capable of tying your tongue into knots and tickling your imagination--all at once. The classic Dr. Seuss illustrations do not disappoint. My advice? Well, if you don't already have this in your home library, it is worth ordering for you and your kiddos.

Written by Watty Piper and illustrated by George & Doris Hauman, this classic tale of choosing to be helpful has been read aloud to children across the nation since the 1920s! From its pages comes the repetition "I think I can! I think I can!" 

Another delightful book by author/illustrator Anna Dewdney, Llama Llama Gram and Grandpa combines some familiar childhood fears, a stuffed animal loss and the perfect solution flawlessly in what is, as expected with Ms. Dewdney's books, a delightful bedtime read.

Written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney, Little Excavator, with all of its construction site excitement, appeals to both girls and boys. Listen along as "Little E" finds his place among the big rigs.

Just a Nap is written and illustrated by Mercer Mayer whose works have long been favorites in our home. Her little critters and their adventures/misadventures are perfect for the preschool set. The stories are simple and contain many normal issues/fears/joys to which kiddos can very well relate. And, as you may have already guesses, this particular story is about naps...rather, a nap....an unwanted nap...

The Very Hungry Caterpillar--written and illustrated by the amazing and inimitable Eric Carle--is an absolute masterpiece. The simple story of an ever-hungrier caterpillar's journey to metamorphosis holds the attention of both young and old. If you have occasion, please look up a hard copy of this as the illustrations are true works of art....and maybe you might even visit the floating exhibit of his work making its rounds on the museum circuit recently.