Like Boohbah, books can transport you and your child to a magical world full of discovery, imagination, and learning. You can reinforce specific themes in Boohbah by reading together the books listed below.

• Movement
• Problem Solving / Creative Thinking
• Counting / Math / Addition and Subtraction
• Resources for Parents and Teachers

Movement
To complement Boohbah’s encouragement of children to move, to be aware of and name different ways of moving, to explore movement as a viable expression of emotion, and to encourage cooperation and self-confidence in a light-hearted, fun-loving way, you may want to follow up viewing by reading the following books with your child:

From Head to Toe
By Eric Carle. Harpercollins (1997)
With brightly illustrated pictures of animals children know and love, the author encourages children to move like their favorites, to focus attention and follow directions. I can do it! is the theme of this book that introduces and encourages simple movement, and body part names.

Dinosaurumpus
By Tony Mitton - Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. Orchard Books (2003)
Brilliant colors, exuberant text and wild, joyous illustrations make this book a unique delight. It’s a lively, happy story about dinosaurs who romp and dance and roll. Funny story, and some tongue-twisting made-up variations on dinosaur names. Great ideas for some dinosaurumpuses by kids and parents after they have finished reading the story. The vivid illustrations and clever text will appeal to the full Boohbah target age of 3-6, but particularly to the older end.

The Wheels on the Bus: A Book with Parts that Move
Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. Dutton Books (1990)
It is impossible to offer a list of books on movement without including this version of a well-loved handplay game and song. This book is brightly illustrated, with parts that are easy and fun to manipulate. The music and words to the song are included. This is a hand play that is often taught early in pre-school years, but its appeal lasts.

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Problem Solving and Creative Thinking
Boohbah is distinguished from other programs for 3-6 year olds by, among other things, its rich visual design and its special comedy. The books listed below reinforce that visual and humorous approach while introducing concepts of creative thinking and imaginative problem-solving, as well as self-confidence and loving support:

Harold and the Purple Crayon
By Crockett Johnson. Harpercollins Juvenile Books (1981)
This is a classic book about a little boy with a large purple crayon and a bright imagination from which he draws inspiration. Harold’s drawings are quite extraordinary - whatever he draws is real and Harold has many interesting adventures in his drawings. Simple, compelling art and a gentle, good-humored text have made this and other books about Harold and his beloved purple crayon popular for many years.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
By Judi Barrett - Illustrated by John Nickle. Aladdin Library (1982)
The illustrations are eye-popping and the story-line is funny and absurd and reminiscent of the nonsense of such classics as Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass. In the town of Chewandswallow no one needs to cook because meals fall from the sky. Eventually even this comic weather turns bad, and the townsfolk must resort to their own creative thinking in order to survive. Children especially at the upper end of the Boohbah target (5’s and 6’s) will find the humor most entertaining - as they have more experience with what actually does fall from the sky and what definitely does not.

Some Dogs Do
By Jez Alborough. Candlewick Press (2003)
One morning a young pup feels so happy, he floats into the sky and flies to school! But no one will believe that he did! The other dogs remind him that dogs just don’t fly. The puppy is sad until his dad reveals his own secret. Yes, some dogs don’t fly. But some dogs do! A simple rhyming text and bright vivid colors make this book compelling and entertaining for both children and parents. And the underlying message of encouragement to accept and expect the unexpected in life is told in a way children will remember.

The Hidden Alphabet
By Laura Vaccaro Seeger. Roaring Book (2003)
This is a lift-the-flap book. Each page has a cut out with a picture inside and a word beginning with a different letter of the alphabet. When you lift the flap, you see that the picture is part of the featured letter of the alphabet. It’s a gentle visual trick - this book encourages creative thinking visually rather than in text, and may appeal to children who are more inclined to learn from what they see rather than from what they hear.

Something From Nothing
By Phoebe Gillman. Scholastic (1993)
Adapted from a Yiddish folk tale, this is the story of a grandfather who makes his grandson a beautiful blanket when the boy is born. As the boy grows up and the blanket wears out, the grandfather (a tailor) re-makes it into something new. The surprise of the book is in all the different things the grandfather can remake the blanket fabric into and the whole story is told in way that is warm and loving.

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Counting / Math / Addition and Subtraction
Math for All Seasons
By Greg Tang. Illustrated by Harry Briggs. Scholastic (2002)
Economist and math educator Greg Tang teams up with illustrator Harry Briggs to offer this collection of math riddles for children from 4-8 years old. They are lively, warm and funny - well-suited to both children and adults who may still have some anxiety about the subject. Tang’s focus is not on counting, but on the use of math problem-solving strategies which should build confidence and encourage interest and enthusiasm.

Other books written by Greg Tang and illustrated by Harry Briggs also effectively combine humor, rich artwork and math principles. They are targeted to older children (9-12), but might be effective “reach” books for first and second graders who are ready for the challenge of slightly more advanced math strategies.

Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes: A Cookbook for Preschoolers
By Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson. Tricycle Press (1994)
Recipes are provided both in words and in pictures for 17 healthy, vegetarian treats. There is lots of guidance for the parent, but the style of the text and descriptions of the recipes are targeted to 4-8 year-old children. Though not specifically an addition and subtraction text, a cookbook offers practical incentives for understanding the use of fractions and measurement. (NOTE: This would also suit as a book to encourage Creativity)

Bunny Money
By Rosemary Wells - Puffin (2000)
Ruby the Bunny has saved up all her money to spend on a birthday present for her grandmother. She sets out with the best of intentions, but finds that management of money is a tricky business. Everything turns out well and Ruby learns some important lessons about the limits of a particular amount of money. There are several pages at the end of the book with play money illustrations suitable for photocopying. Children can use their play money to act out Ruby’s story and use some beginning math skills in their pretend play.

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Resources for Parents and Teachers
Smart Moves: Why Learning is Not All in Your Head
By Carla Hannaford, Ph.D. Great Ocean Publishers (1995)
Children learn in many different ways and this book presents a thoughtful and interesting analysis of the role the body and movement play in learning. The author is a neuro-physiologist and educator. It is important to understand that movement is not only important for children’s physical health, but is a critical part of a child’s intellectual development, too.

Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children
By Susan B. Neuman, Carol Copple, and Sue Bredekamp. NAEYC (2000)
Though written primarily for child care professionals, this guide book from the nation’s leading early childhood organization provides strategies to help children expand vocabulary, build early (emergent) literacy skills, and develop a love of reading.

“Building Blocks: The Importance of Children’s Play”
Available here. This article from the PTA is a good starting place for exploring the importance of creative play.

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