Extraordinary Jane by Hannah E. Harrison (2014)

It’s wonderful to see the ordinary celebrated in this beautifully illustrated first picture book by Hannah Harrison. Jane is ordinary, in a world full of extraordinary. Her mother rides bareback on a horse, her father powerlifts elephants and her brothers take pleasure in being shot out of cannons. Everything Jane tries seems destined to be beyond her abilities. It turns out that just being Jane, “a really good dog,” is enough.

With short simple sentences on each page this gorgeous story is a perfect read aloud for a preschool audience.

Check out Extraordinary Jane at Auckland Libraries.

Or buy Extraordinary Jane from Fishpond.

Hog in the fog by Julia Copus; illustrated by Eunyong Seo (2014)

I’ve never been to a party with slug-flavoured chips and warm jellied maggots, but then again I’ve never been friends with a hog! Candy Stripe Lil is waiting with anticipation for her friend Harry the Hog to arrive at her house for a very special afternoon tea, only he never arrives. So, “Pittery pattery, tippety tappety, off up the hill went Candy Stripe Lil”. She gathers a sheep, a deer and a crow along the way to help her find Harry. They’ve all seen some strange animals recently but none of them have seen Harry – or have they?

As the sun sets and the fog rolls in, the search becomes harder and harder. I won’t ruin the end, but let’s just say it finishes with afternoon tea. This picture book is beautifully illustrated, with endpapers you want to sink your teeth into – well, maybe if you were a hog.

Check out Hog in the fog at Auckland Libraries

Or buy Hog in the fog at Auckland Libraries.

Big and small by Elizabeth Bennett; illustrated by Jane Chapman (2014)

When you’re small, the world in all its bigness can throw some challenges in your way. For Small, a teeny tiny mouse; bees, holes and giant stepping stones all have the ability to stop him in his tracks. Luckily his friend Big, a gorgeous bear, is there to lend a helping hand as soon as Small squeaks: “A little help, please!”

But being big doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t need a helping hand now and then, as this beautiful story tells us. With big illustrations and a gentle (but not small) message, this is a wonderful story to read to a young audience of any size.

Check out Big and small at Auckland Libraries.

Or buy Big and small from Auckland Libraries.

A boy and his bunny by Sean Bryan; illustrated by Tom Murphy (2005)

Some picture books are ridiculously fun to read to an audience, and A boy and his bunny is a great example of a read aloud picture book at its best. If you want to make the experience extra special for your listeners, I highly recommend strapping a bunny puppet, or stuffed toy to the top of your head where it can perch precariously for the duration of the story. A worthwhile challenge, trust me.

One morning, a boy wakes up with a bunny on his head. Not surprisingly this causes him some significant level of consternation, until he realises just how many things you can do with a rabbit on your head. The rhymes are fabulous and the story whizzes along at a wonderful pace, your audience will be entranced. If they clamour for more animals-on-head stories then you could also throw Sean Bryan’s A girl and her gator into the mix.

Check out A boy and his bunny at Auckland Libraries.

Or buy A boy and his bunny from Fishpond.