Reading Our Library- Kathi Appelt

Kathi Appelt is an award-winning author, and poet who has written over thirty books for children and young adults. We first noticed Kathi Appelt because a few of her books were part of the Harper Growing Tree series, a series of books aimed at promoting early literacy.

Bubbles, Bubbles

This is a fun read that celebrates a common ritual in a toddler's life- bathtime! In this story, a young girl who is covered with dirt, ends her day with a bubble bath. The story is told in an engaging rhyme that is matched by the colorful pictures. Jonathan and I read this book at bathtime and really enjoyed it. The rhyme, in fact, still runs through my head every time I start a bath for him. Very cute! Harper recommends this for ages 2 and up.

Rain Dance 

Another Harper Growing Tree book that we enjoyed. This simple rhyming story is about animals enjoying the rain as it starts to fall. We counted the animals up from one to ten and identified them as we read the book. Jonathan enjoyed this book early on, especially as he was starting to recognize animals and imitate their sounds. Now the book provides great practice for counting. The very lively illustrations add to the fun.

Toddler Two Step

This book will be sure to get your toddler up and moving! By far our favorite of the three Harper Growing Tree books, this book combines Appelt's knack for catchy rhymes with a toddlers' love for motion! The book counts up from 1-10 as more toddlers join the toddler dance. The energy increases as the book progresses from clapping hands, to twirling in around. Then the book counts back down from 10 to 1, giving your tot a chance to slow back down the pace. It's great when you and your tot need a stretching break, And as a bonus, this book provides more practice counting!

Someone's Come to Our House

This book is a joyous celebration of a family welcoming a new baby. The rhyming text has a song-like feel and the oil pictures invite you into the family home and celebration. The excited suspense of the story drew Jonathan in to the book- only on the last page do you see exactly who is the focus of the celebration- and at the end of the book, he gave the baby pictured in the story a kiss (followed by his own baby sister)! The nice thing about the book is that it shows the entire family (including the big brother and sister) celebrating and welcoming their new family member. It's a sweet read for a family who may be welcoming a new baby.


We've also reviewed Bat Jamboree during our b is for bat lesson- check out the review here!

Carrie @ Reading My Library has also reviewed Someone's Come to Our House as well as some other Kathi Appelt books.

Find these books in your local library:

Bubbles, Bubbles
Rain Dance
Someone's Come to Our House
Toddler Two Step