A DIFFERENT KIND OF TOY STORY

Teddy is a kid who likes to play with all kinds of toys--trucks and hula hoops and puzzles and action figures and rockets--but his favorite toy of all is his doll, Bren-Da, Warrior Queen of Pacifica. After all she has the best manners, is the most versatile to style, and even has some pretty impressive fighting skills. But one day, during a really tough battle, Bren-Da breaks her leg. Teddy tries in vain to tend to her wounds using the latest surgical technology, bubble gum and lots of tape, but when he goes off to school the Warrior Queen of Pacifica gets mistaken for trash and hauled away. Will Teddy ever be able to see his favorite toy again? Only if his intrepid mom--with some pretty impressive style and warrior moves of her own--has anything to say about it. 

Teddy's Favorite Toy, by Christian Trimmer and illustrated by Madeline Valentine, makes for a delightful and lively read-aloud, and is sure to be embraced by preschoolers through second graders who understand the strong bond between a kid and their favorite toy--and their valiant parents alike. 

TOYS' DAY OUT... IN THE SNOW!

The delightful characters of Emily Jenkins's beloved Toys Go Out chapter book series are back in a wintertime picture book adventure for a younger new audience. Lumphy the stuffed buffalo, StingRay the plush sting ray, and Plastic the rubber ball encounter all the wonder of a snowy day for the first time in Toys Meet Snow when their little girl has left them at home during her winter vacation. They try to get to the bottom of what snow is exactly--is it frozen water? or a "blanket of peace over the world"?--by catching snowflakes, building snowmen, and making angels in the snow. 

Paul O. Zelinsky's  captivating illustrations shine in this bold color format, and Jenkins's poetic and gently humorous text makes a seamless transition from chapter book to picture book. This sweet and whimsical story will warm the hearts of readers of all ages, but particularly the preschool to second grade set. 

CUTE, CUDDLY, AND A LITTLE... CREEPY?

There’s something spooky about Koala in this picture book tale by Sean Ferrell. Perhaps it’s the eyes? When Adam receives a (presumably) stuffed koala bear as a present, he immediately declares: “I don’t like Koala.” 

Each evening Adam schemes to rid himself of the seemingly omnipresent Koala: he hides it under the couch, over the refrigerator, behind a tree, among toy cars, in a purse, and even with the dirty laundry. Every morning, however, Adam wakes to find Koala there. In his bed. Sharing his pillow. A furry paw reaching over to grasp his face.

Spooky, indeed.

Despite his vocal protests, Adam's parents remain outwardly oblivious to Koala’s eerie abilities. And after a final attempt to lose Koala in the woods, Adam ultimately discovers that there’s more to fear than a cuddly, stuffed koala bear… isn’t there? 

I Don’t Like Koala might not be for every child, but young fans of spooky, quirky reads might enjoy this subtly eerie picture book. For another darkly humorous story, try Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds. 

Ages 4+

TOY STORIES

The Montrose branch library hosted a stuffed animal sleepover on January 26^th.  Children dropped off their favorite stuffed animals at the library and returned the following week to see pictures of the adventures their friend had while the library was closed. They were amazed to see pictures of their stuffed animals checking out books, hiding in the shelves, using computers, and even taking a field trip to Andersen’s Pet Store.

Toys (especially stuffed animals) are an important part of childhood. They inspire imagination, encourage creativity, and create memories. It’s not uncommon for children to come up with personalities for their stuffed animals and imagine what kind of adventures they must have when we are not watching.

In Hooray for Harry, written and illustrated by Kim Lewis, three stuffed animals have quite an adventure while their owner is not around. Wanting to take a nap, Harry the elephant, is distraught to discover that his favorite blanket is missing! Recruiting help from fellow stuffed animals, Ted the teddy bear and Lulu the lamb, they set off into the yard while retracing their steps from a very active afternoon. Will the blanket ever turn up so Harry can take his much needed nap?

Sometimes disaster can befall our beloved stuffed animals, as we see in Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale written and illustrated by Mo Willems. A routine trip to the Laundromat for Trixie and her stuffed rabbit quickly turns perilous when Knuffle Bunny is left behind. Readers will quickly figure out what is about to happen to Knuffle Bunny as the illustrations reveal Knuffle Bunny peeking out from the laundry basket as clothes are loaded into the washing machine and later peering out from behind the machine’s glass window. Poor Trixie quickly realizes her friend has been left behind, but like any frustrated pre-verbal toddler, can’t seem to make her daddy understand what has happened. Will Trixie and Knuffle Bunny ever be reunited?

What Does My Teddy Bear Do All Day?,  written by Bruno Hachler and illustrated by Birte Muller, follows a little girl who is determined to see her teddy bear’s antics for herself. She believes that by staying home for the day and spying on her bear, she will catch him in the act of jumping on her bed, painting pictures, dancing to the radio, or whatever it is that our stuffed animals do during their unobserved hours. She’s so focused on the teddy bear that she fails to notice what her other toys are getting up to behind her back. Just when it seems that the teddy bear is going to sit very still all day, something happens when the little girl’s back is turned while retrieving a jar of honey…

Ages 3 and up; Great for storytimes!

MINE! MINE! ALL MINE!

From Vivian, Children's Librarian at the Casa Verdugo Branch Library:

Betty Bunny Wants Everything by Michael B. Kaplan

Mother Rabbit allows each of her children to select one toy from the toy shop but things don’t go as planned.  Betty Bunny decides to fill a cart with toys and have a wild tantrum at the store.  Mother Rabbit doesn’t tolerate Betty’s behavior and takes her young one home without any toys.  Mother and Father Bunny must devise a plan to help their tantrum-throwing child make responsible choices about saving or spending money.  A nice story that introduces the importance of budgeting money and the value of modeling patience and understanding.

ANOTHER TOY STORY

From Vivian the children's librarian at the Casa Verdugo Branch Library:

Chicken, Pig, Cow and the Class Pet by Ruth Ohi

Three adorable toys lend a helping hand to a class pet hamster who has escaped from his home.  Ruth Ohi’s illustrations bring these toys to life, and old and new fans of this series will want to share this over and over again with a young audience.

THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR TOYS LIVES...

Lumphy, Stingray and Plastic are back again with their toy friends for new adventures. They meet a shark friend, made of rubber, that they stuff with garbage before they realize he's a nice shark. They escape out the window into a big drift of snow as they try to hunt for the little girl that loves them. But the best story yet is when they go to the basement for a dance party to celebrate the repair of their friend the dryer! TOY DANCE PARTY by Emily Jenkins is the sequel to Toys Go Out, and is just as entertaining. The hilarious actions of these toys bring them to life and give each one some very human characteristics. Good for 2nd - 5th grade readers.

TOYS ARE PEOPLE TOO!

Sting-ray, Lumphy and Plastic are three toys that live in a nice house with a sweet little girl to take care of them. There are many things they have to learn about living with humans. They get very nervous when the little girl puts them in the bottom of a dark sack and it starts bumping around, not to mention the thought of the scary machine in the basement that's supposed to make them clean. Even though they aren't used to the human world, they feel very loved. If you are just starting to read chapter books, TOYS GO OUT by Emily Jenkins is a great one! For 2nd graders and up.