Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol. 34, No.

1, August 2006 ( 2006)

DOI: 10.1007/s10643-006-0087-x

Books for Children

Building Literacy Links for Young Children

Pauline Davey Zeece,1,4 Beatrice Harris,2 and Noir n Hayes3

Well-chosen and wisely shared literature facilitates transitions and builds bridges in the lives of
young children. Literature links are discussed and books are reviewed for infant, toddler,
preschool, and primary age children and transitional readers.
KEY WORDS: childrens literature; early childhood education; transitions; Gryphon Award; transitional
readers.

developmental continuity (Sorensen & Lehman,

1995). Thus, collaboration between early childhood
education professionals and families through the use
of well-chosen stories and books helps children to
cope successfully (and sometimes even joyfully) with
transitions (Bear & Barone, 1998; Neumann &
Dickinson, 2001).

INTRODUCTION
One of the more subtle contributions of literature is its ability to facilitate transitions and build
bridges in the lives of young children. All children
experience changes in their world. Some shifts are
developmentally predictable events (e.g., learning to
comprehend and produce language; mastering a wide
variety of physical and motor skills; venturing into
the world of meaningful social interaction; learning
to read) (Clay, 1991). Other transitions are more
dicult to handle because these are unexpected or
out of the childs and often times the familys control
(e.g., losing a parent; experiencing a divorce; dealing
with changes in child care arrangements; watching a
parent leave for military service). Transitions are
crucial times for decision making about literature
selections for children. Literature linking can support

Infant Links
When shared in early infancy, developmentally
appropriate literature selections provide an introduction into the world of communication and learning and create a vehicle for fostering and developing
attachment behaviors between adults and children
(Bus & van Ijzendoorn, 1988; Bus, Belsky, van
Ijzendoorn, & Crnic, 1997).
Carle, Eric. 10 Rubber Ducks. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2005. 36 pp., $19.99. Ages birth to
5 years.

Department of Family and Consumer Sciences/College of

Education and Human Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
135 HE, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA.
2
Department of Early Childhood Education, Boise State University, Education Ed. Bldg. 207, Boise, ID 83725, USA.
3
Dublin Institute of Technology Director, Centre for Social and
Educational Research, Rathmine House Room 52, Dublin, IR,
Ireland.
4
Correspondence should be directed to Pauline Davey Zeece,
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences/College of
Education and Human Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 135 HE, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA; e-mail: pzeece@unl.edu

Tumbling seas turn a rubber duck cargo into a

delightful Eric Carle story. When a crate of the yellow
quackers spills into the rolling waves, each duck drifts
in a dierent direction and encounters creatures of all
kinds. Familiar animals from earlier works appear
throughout the pages and provide a sense of continuity for Carle fans of all ages. The closing encounter
with a real mother duck and her babies (and the
embedded sound chip) will leave young readers
squeaking with delight.
61
1082-3301/06/0800-0061/0 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.

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Zeece, Harris, and Hayes

George, Kristine OConnell. Up! Hiroe Nakata, illustrator. New York: Clarion Books, 2005. 32 pp., $15.00.
Ages 1 to 3 years.
Award-winning poet Kristine OConnell George
conveys the power and playfulness of the word up
through the eyes of a young child. A trip to the park
with Daddy ends in the best kind of up: up and snug
in Daddys arms.
Stutson, Caroline. Mama Loves You. John Segal,
illustrator. New York: Scholastic Books, 2005. 32 pp.,
$6.99. Ages 1 to 3 years.
Simple, sweet rhyme describes the love mothers
have for their babies. From porcupine to buttery,
polar bear to mouse, unconditional love is expressed.
At storys end, a human mother whispers to her baby:
Youre my star,
My moon, my sun.
Mama loves you,
Little one.
Patricelli, Leslie. Binky. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick
Press, 2005. 24 pp., $6.99. Ages birth to 3 years.
Patricelli, Leslie. Blankie. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2005. 24 pp., $6.99. Ages birth to 3 years.
With transitional objects like binkies and blankets, young children are able to control their own
comfort. Rather than always wait for adults to provide
soothing cuddles, babies learn to soothe themselves. In
her humorous, bold graphic style, Leslie Patricelli
raises the plaintive question: can there be any peace in
the house when a beloved binky is not to be found?
Blankie enumerates and extols all the marvelous things
that can be done with a treasured security object.
Shannon, David. Oops! New York: The Blue Sky
Press, 2005. 12 pp., $6.99. Ages birth to 3 years.
Much like the simplied format of No, David!
(Shannon, 1998), Oops! addresses six common rst
words: Ball, Dog, Ride, Eat, Bath, and Mama. Juxtaposed to each of these utterances is a colorful scene
illustrating the related activity: a broken window, a
sticky puppy, a zippy tricycle ride, a splashy bath,
and a peaceful rest in his mothers arms.
Toddler Links
In the toddler years, high-quality books may
continue to foster emergent literature development by
bridging the gap between neonate listening and
active participation in literature sharing sessions

(Encouraging literacy, n.d.). Cognitive and social

transitions abound as youngsters are exposed to rst
time concepts and events: new moons, rst haircuts,
strangers, and so much more.
Henkes, Kevin. Kittens First Full Moon. New York:
Greenwillow Books, 2004. 40 pp., $15.99. Ages birth to
5 years.
Kevin Henkes 2005 Caldecott Medal winning
story of a winsome little kitten who mistakes the moon
for a bowl of milk is purr-fect for toddler readers. Softhued, black and white, gouache and colored pencil
illustrations create an ideal partnership with this
simple and succinctly told tale. A brave young kitten
sets out on a quest for the elusive moon milk that
leaves her confused, hungry, and nally back home
where there is something special waiting just for her.
Horn, Peter. The Best Father of All. Cristina Kadmon,
illustrator. J. Alison James, translator. New York:
NorthSouth Books, 2005. 32 pp., $6.95. Ages 3 to
5 years.
Little Sebastian turtle asks his father, What do
fathers do? and discovers that father birds teach
chirping, father centipedes untangle hundreds of legs
when children stumble, father spiders teach web
spinning, and funny father hedgehog sticks berries on
his back for an instant treat. In the end, Sebastian,
like children everywhere, decides his own loving father is the very best father of all.
CSaltzberg, Barney. Cornelius P. Mud, Are You
Ready for Bed? Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press,
2005. 32 pp., $15.99. Ages 2 to 5 years.
Transition to bedtime can be hectic for many
children-but not for Cornelius P. Mud! Chuckles
abound as Saltzberg illustrates Cornelius answers all
the typical bedtime questions: Have you put your
toys away? Yes (In the refrigerator); Did you feed
your sh? Yes (With Little Bitty Cookies); Did you
pick a bedtime book? Yes (In a very large stack). A
bedtime hug and story end the tale...or does it? Check
the back end-papers of the book!
Savadier, Elivia. No Haircut Today! Brookeld, CN:
A Neal Porter Book/Roaring Brook Press, 2005. 32
pp., $15.95. Ages infant to 4 years.
Dominic has whirlwind hair-twisty, curly, pokey,
and straight. He does not want to get a haircut and
screams at the suggestion. When clever coaxing fails,
Dominics mother holds him close and gives him a
reassuring hug. No haircut today-maybe tomorrow.

Building Literacy Links for Young Children

Van Rossum, Helene. Will You Carry Me? Peter van
Harmelen, illustrator. La Jolla, CA: Kane/Miller
Book Publishers, 2005. 32 pp., $15.95. Ages 2 to
4 years.
The universal toddler cry Carry me! is cleverly
redirected as Thomas a toddler nds himself too tired
to walk home after a long day of playing in the park.
His resourceful mother agrees that he is indeed too
tired to walk, but can he jump, y, swim, and even
run home? Humorous illustrations give clues to mothers next zany idea for locomotion as the pair is
joined by animal friends. Witty repetition and simple
text make this a book worth carrying to the next story
time!
Preschool Links

63
Kudlinski, Kathleen, V. The Sunset Switch. Lindy
Burnett, illustrator. Minnetonka, MN: Northwood
Press, 2005. 32 pp., $15.95. Ages 4 to 7 years.
The transition from day to night is integral to
every living thing. The Sunset Switch reveals the
moment when daytime animals go to sleep and nighttime animals appear. Packed with interesting information about creatures and their habitats, the story is
organized into six pairs of animals that eat the same
food. Swallows hunt mosquitoes during the day and
bats chased them at night. The slithering green snake
snaps up bugs under the sun, while the spotted red
salamander takes its turn during the night. The ending brings young readers back to morning, when the
sunrise switch begins.

The nature of childrens early experiences in

and before kindergarten is variable, and the demands placed on children dier. Researchers agree
that emergent literacy begins during the period before children receive formal reading instruction,
including the preschool years (Stahl & Miller, 1989;
Teale & Sulzby, 1986; van Kleeck, 1995). During
these years, emergent literacy diers from conventional literacy as it examines the range of settings
and experiences that support literacy, the role of the
childs contributions, and the relation between
individual literacy outcomes and the diverse experiences that precede those outcomes (Gunn, Simmons,
& Kameenui, 2002).

Morrison, Vicki. So Shy. Nora Hilb, illustrator. New

York: NorthSouth Books, 2005. 32 pp., $15.95. Ages
3 to 6 years.

Downs, Mike. You See a Circus, I See... Anik

McGrory, illustrator. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge,
2005. 32 pp., $14.95. Ages 3 to 7 years.

It is dicult to be little when everything else

seems so big! Little bear has legs that dangle, arms
that cannot quite reach, and a sister who constantly
reminds him that she is bigger. Just when hope of
growing bigger is about to be abandoned, little bear
nds proof that may-just maybe-he is growing. A
tender tale to address the frustrations of being little
and the excitement of discovering each new thing a
small bear (and child) can do.

Understanding that things and people are not

what they initially appear is an important cognitive
transitional skills. In a lively, rhyming text, Mike
Downs shows young readers through the eyes of a
young boy that rst impressions of his circus family
are not always correct. The muscle bulging giant is a
tender wrestling uncle. The tamer of erce lions is a
teacher. The tattooed man is really silly Joe.
You see a circus.
Tattooed men, trapeze stars,
Mighty strong men bending bars.
Jugglers, clowns, acrobats,
Lion tamers, roaring cats.
All beneath a three-ringed dome.
But when I see a circus,
I see...
Home.

Reticent children often hear the label shy for the

rst time during their early childhood years. So Shy
provides a tender vehicle to explore shy feelings. In
this story, Jakes only friend is his shadow. The young
boy is shy, but his kindness and bravery help him to
forget his shyness, rescue a stranded kitty, and best of
all, make a new friend.
Rosen, Michael. Three Feet Small. Valeri Gorbachev,
illustrator. San Diego, CA: Gulliver Books, 2005. 32
pp., $16.00. Ages 3 to 7 years.

Waddell, Marin. Its Quacking Time! Cambridge, MA:

Candlewick, 2005. 32 pp., $15.99. Ages 4 to 6 years.
Few transitions aect children as completely as
those contained within the role of sibling (or duckling)-in-waiting. When mother lays a new blue egg,
Duckling asks with anticipation and curiosity: Did I
come from one of those eggs? A series of typical
questions and answers ensue. Despite all the attention
and urging from various family members, new baby
duckling appears only after Duckling quacks softly

64

Zeece, Harris, and Hayes

by himself to the egg. Then and only then is it

quacking time.

gouache, colored-pencil, and pastel compositions

capture the spirit of OKeefes work for imaginative
sharing with young readers.

Primary Grade Links

McDonald, Megan. Stink: The Incredible Shrinking

Kid. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2005. 102
pp., $12.99. Ages 5 to 8 years.

As children begin their formal education, literature choices help to contribute to the development of
a wide range of concepts and skills across all developmental domains (Hart-Hewins & Wells, 1996).
Emergent readers are just beginning to control early
reading strategies such as directionality, word-byword matching, and concepts of print. They use
picture books to support reading and rely heavily on
their knowledge of language (Pinnell, 1996; Snow,
Burns, & Grin, 1998).
Graham, Bob. Oscars Half Birthday. Cambridge,
MA: Candlewick Press, 2005. 32 pp., $16.99. Ages 5 to
6 years.
Oscar is 6 months old, but no one can wait for his
whole birthday. Mom and Dad pack sandwiches, pack
Oscar in his stroller, and take older sister Milliehandmade fairy wings attachedto their urban
park for a half-birthday party. Over the footbridge,
Oscar kicks his feet and Millie aps her wings.
Through the grati-laden tunnel, they hear the rushing of the wind and the clickety-clack of the 11:15
train. An impromptu gathering of admiring park visitors joins, one by one, in a hearty birthday song to
complete the perfect half-birthday celebration.
Bunting, Eve. Sunshine Home. Diane de Groat, illustrator. New York: Clarion Books, 2005. 32 pp., $5.95.
Ages 5 to 8 years.
Seven-year-old Timmie and his parents go to visit
his grandmother for the rst time since her move to
the nursing home. Although the visit seems to go well,
he senses that something is wrong. Mother cries when
the family leaves. When Timmie realizes that he forgot
to give his grandmother the photographs he brought
for her, he returns to his grandmothers room and
discovers that she is crying too. A warm, honest, and
reassuring reunion concludes this timely tale.
Bryant, Jen. Georgias Bones. Bethanne Andersen,
illustrator. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for
Young Readers, 2005. 32 pp., $16.00. Ages 5 to
8 years.
Although she is teased for her interest in unique
shapes and sizes, young Georgia declares that she will
some day become an artist and this is exactly what
she does. Bryants lyrical text and Andersens

Every morning, Judy Moody measures Stink

and it is always the same: three feet, eight inches
tall. Stink feels like even the class newt is growing
faster than he is. Then, one day, the ruler readscan it be?three feet, seven and three quarters
inches! Is Stink shrinking? He tries everything to
look like hes growing, but wearing up-and-down
stripes and spiking his hair do not trick anyone into
thinking hes taller. If only he could ask James
MadisonStinks hero, and the shortest person ever
to serve as President of the United States. Stinks
special style is irrepressible and humorously complemented by the series of comic strips, drawn by
Stink himself, that are sprinkled throughout the
book.
Tomp, Sarah Wones. Red, White, and Blue Good-bye.
New York: Walker & Company, 2005. 32 pp., $17.95.
Ages birth to 3 years.
Saying good-bye can be dicult for the increasing numbers of young children in service families.
When daddy must ship out, his young daughter engages in creative attempts to thwart his departure.
But special rituals and daddys uplifting red, white,
and blue good-bye reminds his child that families can
stay connected in their hearts even when they are
separated in person.
Transition to Reading
At the end of the early childhood years, literature selections can serve as transition vehicles to
reading competencies. The Gryphon Award for
Childrens Literature is given annually and sponsored
by the Center for Childrens Books (CCB) at the
Graduate School of Library and Information Science
at the University of Illinois and funded by the CCB
Outreach Endowment Fund (American Library
Association, 2005). It was conceived to focus attention on transitional reading and to acknowledge that
this literature is crucial to the successful transition of
children from new readers to independent lifelong
readers.
The 2005 Gryphon Award for Childrens Literature is:

Building Literacy Links for Young Children

Bang-Campbell, Monika. Little Rat Rides. Molly
Bang, illustrator. New York: Harcourt Brace, 2004. 48
pp., $15.00. Ages 6 to 9 years.
Little Rat impatiently waits ride a horse, just like
her daddy did when he was young. But when it is time
for her rst lesson, she almost changes her mind. No
one said her horse, Pee Wee, would be so big! With
humorous determination and fatherly support, her
dream of becoming a fancy rider might just come true.
Two honor books were also named:
Nolan, Lucy. Down Girl and Sit: Smarter Than
Squirrels. Mike Reed, illustrator. San Diego, CA:
Marshall Cavendish Childrens Books, 2004. 64 pp.,
$14.95. Ages 6 to 9 years.
A madcap dog who believes her name is Down
Girl pairs up with her neighbor Sit to keep the
neighborhood safe from thieving bird, disarming
paper boys, a frightening creature named Here Kitty
Kitty, and most importantly pesky squirrels. This
delightful four-chapter transitional book is easy to
read and easier to relish.
Hoberman, Mary Ann. You Read to Me, Ill Read to
You: Very Short Fairy Tales to Read. Michael Emberley, illustrator. New York: Little Brown Childrens
Books, 2004. 64 pp., $16.95. Ages 4 to 6 years.
Three columns, three colors, and rhyme, rhythm,
and repetition frame 35 poems for beginning readers
to read alone or in unison. Words are printed in different colors to signal whose turn it is to read or when
it is time to read together. All sections conclude with a
refrain for the books main theme: you read to you.

65
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Bus, A. G., & van Ijzendoorn, M. H. (1988). Attachment and early
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