Librarian: Meg Paquette, children's librarian, South Burlington
Book: Move Over, Rover! by Karen Beaumont
Age range: 3 to 7
Paquette's summary: It's a stormy day, and Rover's in his doghouse taking a nap. When it starts to rain, Rover's friends look for a warm, dry place to wait out the storm. They squish and squeeze their way inside Rover's home. Soon, there isn't enough room to fit even a teeny, tiny mouse — until one last animal, with a slightly unpleasant odor, squeezes in and scares the others away.
Why it's appealing: I love the beautiful watercolor illustrations from one of my favorite illustrators, Jane Dyer. Kids enjoy the repetitive text, including "reading" the recurring rhymes at the end of every page.
Early literacy tip: When reading a story with a repeating phrase, such as "Move Over, Rover," encourage your children to read the phrase along with you. Run your finger under the words as your children say them. This will help build your children's confidence in their ability to read and help them understand that print has meaning.