As Quick as a Cricket by Don and Audrey Wood Ages 2-6

This is a very important book. On the back cover is written "A joyful celebration of self-awareness." This selection tells children that it's okay to feel emotions sometimes; that together with positive ones you have a whole human being. Emotions are very abstract and difficult to express. This book takes them from the abstract to the concrete, by relating an emotion to an animal that typifies it (eg. I'm as a quick as a Cricket, I'm as slow as a Snail). This expresses the idea in terms children can readily understand. It is an appropriate book for children old enough to sit on a lap and look at the large 2 page glossy picture of animals to children in primary grade school.

Benefits:

* excellent patterning
* child can re-read text very easily as it is simple, and illustrations and text match extremely well
* uses familiar language patterns as an aid to reading
* provides appropriate labels or captions for pictures
* pictures are an integral part of the text
* action in the text is reflected by action in the illustrations
* the pictures assist in creating the mood of the story
* uses vocabulary to communicate feelings
* stimulates child to clarify who they are (eg. When are you nice? When do you feel tough? etc.) and to discuss emotions
* provides an excellent introduction to similes - associating together two things which are different yet the same

*Art Work - realistic, soft coloured drawings beautifully illustrated