Mrs.McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash by Sarah Weeks with illustrations by Nadine Bernard Westcott c1998 Harper Collins

Here are a few books that four and five-year-old children enjoyed at story time. Most of them are suitable for younger children as well. My story programs with the four-year-old group lasted for 20 minutes and usually included some attention building nursery rhymes that might be sung or had accompanying actions. Today’s titles will appear on a longer reading list as a page soon, but with just the titles and authors, which should make it easy to print the list should anyone wish to. Picture books for older children will have their own lists, so stick around!

Mrs. McNosh does a big wash every Monday morning. Here are the author’s words:

“It takes her all morning, and when the sun’s high, she hangs what she’s washed on the clothesline to dry.”

Once Mrs. McNosh gets going there is no stopping her. All sorts of things besides laundry begin to appear. The dog, with his dish takes his place on the line, then a lamp, next two bats, which get hung upside-down. This brief, rhyming story will probably need to be read again because your audience will want more.

Wow! Said the Owl written and illustrated by Tim Hopgood c2009 Farrar, Straus and Giroux : New York

When a little owl decides to stay awake during the day, she experiences awe as colorful butterflies, green leaves, blue skies, and fluffy white clouds appear. The double page spreads in this book provide luscious expanses of bright color which just might elicit a “wow!” from viewers. Follow it up with a discussion of colors your audience has noticed indoors and out, and some paper and crayons.

Minerva Louise written and illustrated by Janet Morgan Stoeke c1988 Penguin Young Readers : New York

Minerva Louise is a curious chicken. The house with the red curtains attracts her, so when a window is left open she decides to investigate. Since she is a creature of the farmyard, she is confused by some of the things found in a house. Could logs laid for a fire in the fireplace be a cozy nest? A tricycle looks like a tractor to Minerva Louise, and a flowered bedspread must be a meadow of flowers, that cat sleeping on the sofa could only be a cow…The large, simple pictures and brief text make this suitable for very young children. There are more stories featuring the adventures of Minerva Louise, and they are all just as funny and full of charm.