Mouse, Mole and the Falling Star, by A. H Benjamin

Synopsis: Mouse and Mole "trusted each other completely, even with their deepest secrets." But when they spot a falling star, each is determined to find it and wish on it, and the friendship quickly disintegrates into a tango of mistrust.

Activity: Identify new words from the book. Play 'hangman' to teach and test these new words (instead of hangman, you can use a falling star).

Too Many Frogs, by Sandy Asher

Synopsis: Rabbit has a well-scripted, predictable life until Froggie knocks on his door one night. His guest loves to listen to this big blue rabbit with oversized ears read a story and likes it even more when he has prepared himself a snack or gotten cozy–night after night. Polite Rabbit refrains from refusing entry until Froggie shows up with his entire family. As he settles himself down to read alone, however, he realizes that he misses Froggie and invites the whole crew in.

Activity: Pick kids to be the main characters/ narrators. The group can then act it out.

The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister

Synopsis: A cautionary tale about selfishness and vanity.

Activity: In groups, on mahjong paper, the kids drew their own sea creatures with speech bubbles.

Hare and Tortoise Race to the Moon, by Oliver Corwin

Synopsis: When Hare teases Tortoise for being a slowpoke, Tortoise challenges him to a race. Sound familiar? But this is a race to the moon and Hare takes off in "an aerodynamic hyperspaceship of the latest design" while Tortoise builds his own patchwork conveyance. As in the classic fable, Hare makes several stops along the way while Tortoise, in his plodding fashion, touches down on the moon just seconds before his pal. Then, "being best friends," they enjoy some super moon-jumping together.

Activity: The kids made their own rockets with scrap materials. Those who finished early wrote some sentences about their rocket.

Joseph and the Little Overcoat, by Simms Tabeck

Synopsis: When Joseph's favorite overcoat gets old and worn, he makes a jacket out of it. When the jacket is more patches than jacket, Joseph turns it into a vest. When the vest's number is up, Joseph makes a scarf. This thrifty industry continues until there's nothing left of the original garment. But clever Joseph manages to make something out of nothing!

Babar and the Scary Day, text by Ellen Weiss, characters by Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff

Synopsis: Pom and Isabelle can't figure out what the spooky noise coming from the attic is. It's a creepy, eerie, THUMP-drag, THUMP-drag-rattle. There's only one conclusion: it's a monster! Soon all of Babar's children are fleeing from the sound, only to soon realize that the monster is really Babar, dragging out the recyclables! This is a fun book not just for Halloween but year round, as an introduction for preschoolers to the legendary Babar.

Activity: Chat with kids about superheroes and monsters. Kids given sheet of speech bubbles and onomatopoeia. Kids read the "sounds" and discuss what things make those sounds. Turn an A4 sheet of paper into a 4-page comic book. Write and illustrate a superhero comic or other story, adding cut out speech bubbles and sounds.

Fish is Fish, by Leo Lionni

Synopsis: A modern fable of a minnow who wants to follow his tadpole friend - who becomes a frog - onto land.

Activity: Pictionary