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A Perfect Day for Hockey by Andrew Podnieks, illustrated by Jesse Jind

Moydart, 2016. 978-1-5526-7609-7; Board book;
CAN $8.00.

This sweet little board book can be a baby's first introduction to that favorite Canadian pastime: pond hockey. While the words and concepts may be a little over their adorable heads, the high contrast illustrations with strong black outlines may capture their attention. Not an essential purchase but may appeal to hockey-loving parents.

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Baby Loves to Boogie! 
by Wednesday Kirwan

New York: Little Simon, 2014.  ISBN 978-1-4814-0383-2;
Board book edition; $US $5.99/CAN $6.99.

This bright, colorful board book of animals frolicking in various types of dance is full of engaging rhymes ("The chicks can do kicks and the toucan can cancan") and creative word-play that has a fun mouth-feel ("There's a cha-cha Chihuahua and an eel-ectric slide") that will make both child and reader want to get up and boogie! In addition to being fun to have in the collection, this book would be a great asset to a Babies in the Library program or a Family Dance Party.

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The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids: 101 Ways to Get Kids Outside, Dirty, and Having Fun by by Whitney Cohen and John Fisher

Portland, OR: Timberpress, 2012. ISBN 978-1-60469-373-7; Hardcover; US $29.95.

Who knew there were so many fun things to do with kids in the garden? Take your physical literacy programming outdoors to your nearest park or community garden and build some lavender wands for casting spells from Harry Potter! Or grab some paper cups and dried beans and play "Chickadees and Jays." Or leave from the library with photocopies of the pictorial scavenger hunt on page 172 and see who can be the first to fill their card! Want to teach your patrons more about living with a vision impairment? Follow the "Blindfolded Meander" on page 173 and experience the garden using different senses: the fuzziness of leaves, the smell of flowers, the singing of birds, and the feel of dirt between their fingers. What a great book!

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Boris for the Win by Andrew Joyner

New York: Scholastic, 2011. ISBN 978-0-545-48449-7; Paperback; US $4.99/CAN $5.99.

Part of Joyner's Boris series, this installment finds our lovable warthog competing in his school's field day. The problem is, Boris isn't exactly...athletic. He's very concerned that he's going to come in dead last, alongside his friend Frederick. They want very much to beat Eddie, the class field day champ who seems to be good at everything. So they develop a plan to practice their skills alongside their friend Alice after school. They set up a course in the backyard and work very hard at the drills. When the big day comes, Frederick has a bad case of hay fever and isn't performing very well, but Boris is doing much better than expected. In fact, he's all lined up to beat Eddie in the big track event! But being the kind soul he is, Boris goes back to help out his friend who is struggling and a surprise competitor crosses the finish line! This sweet story of friendship and doing your best is perfect for grades K-3.

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The Busy Body Book: A Kid's Guide to Fitness by Lizzy Rockwell

New York: Little Simon, 2014.  ISBN 978-1-4814-0383-2;
Board book edition; $US $5.99/CAN $6.99.

This wonderfully inclusive book features illustrations of bodies of all colors, shapes, sizes, ages, and abilities engaging in all sorts of movement, like running, yoga, hopscotch, kayaking, and biking. Surprisingly comprehensive for a picture book, it features an easy-to-understand explanation of all the major systems of the body: skeletal, muscular, nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, and circulatory. The book isn't just full of dry facts; the information is presented in a way that is interconnected and useful. For example, the author explains how we sweat and why it is important to drink water, especially when we've been exercising. The book ends with the author's letter to parents encouraging them to get their kids (and themselves!) moving and helpful suggestions of different ways to incorporate fitness into their week.

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Can You Make a Scary Face? 
by Jan Thomas

New York: Beach Lane, 2009.
ISBN 978-1-4169-8581-5; Hardcover;
US $12.99/CAN $16.99.

This engaging (and frankly fairly nonsensical) story about a bossy ladybug who gets the reader to jump, dance, and get imaginary bugs off their nose before a giant frog attacks, will be a huge hit with younger kids. In fact, this book is our number one go-to pick when we do K-2 school tours. Be sure to bring along a plastic bug or two for added effect. Not only great for enhancing physical literacy with all jumping around, but on a deeper level, by asking the kids to associate emotions (being scared or scary) with movement, they are connecting to the concept that emotion IS energy-in-motion.

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Dojo Daytrip by Chris Tougas

Toronto: Owl Kids, 2015. ISBN 978-1-77147-142-8; Hardcover; CAN $16.95.

A bus full of little ninjas embark on a field trip to the farm with their cowboy-hat-wearing Master. Their Master seems to get into one disaster after another: tripping on a banana peel and landing on a pig, waving a red scarf and angering a bull, and getting caught on a runaway horse. Luckily the little ninjas are around to save him...eventually. My boys (age 5 and 10) got the biggest giggle out of this book, and it encouraged much rough and tumble ninja-play and the yelling of "It's a big barnyard disaster! No one's there to save the Master!" I have yet to try the book out on a storytime crowd, but I'm sure it would have a very similar effect. A great tool to encourage some physical literacy if you are doing a barnyard, teamwork, or martial arts theme.

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Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig, illustrated by Marc Brown

New York: Knopf, 2011. ISBN 978-0-375-86455-1;
Hardcover; US $15.99/CAN $17.99.

What a fun book to get your preschool storytime crowd bopping and grooving! With great rhythm, rhyme, repetition, and fun word play ("Puuurrrr! Mee-ooow! All that racket wakes up...cow!") this story is not only a joy to read but a guaranteed hit with the kiddos. Add some shakers and noisemakers and get everyone up dancing! You could even incorporate a fun game of pretending to have some of the kids asleep, acting out the different animals, and having the others rattle the noisemakers to wake them up while you read the story! A must-add for every juvenile collection at a public or school library.

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The Five Forms by Barbara McClintock

New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2017.
ISBN 978-1-62672-216-3; Hardcover;
US $17.99/CAN $24.99.

In this fantastic book by award-winning author and illustrator Barbara McClintock, a girl finds an instruction manual of martial arts poses (wushu) abandoned on top of a book donation bin.There is a warning at the beginning of the book that if the forms are performed by anyone other than a master, unexpected things could happen. And happen they do! When she performs Crane pose, a real life crane appears in her bedroom! You can only guess the havoc that ensues when she attempts the Snake, Leopard, and Dragon forms—the house gets a little rowdy! Luckily there is a form to return everything back to the way it was, along with a little elbow grease, just in time for her mom to get home. There is a lovely author's note at the end of the book explaining McClintock's inspiration for the tale. This book is sure to inspire young readers to practice some of their own forms and see what they can conjure.

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Footloose by Kenny Loggins, illustrated by Tim Bowers

Lake Forest, CA: MoonDance, 2016. ISBN 978-1-63322-118-5; Hardcover with CD; US $17.95/CAN $23.95.

This popular song, redesigned for the younger set by featuring zoo animals cutting loose, will be sure to get your storytime hopping! While I found the cadence of some lines a bit awkward, kids don't seem to notice. When I brought this book home to share with my boys (age 5 and 10) it was requested multiple times and they were soon singing it themselves and dancing around the living room. So be prepared for repeat requests!

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Go, Shapes, Go! by Denise Fleming

New York: Beach Lane, 2014. ISBN 978-1-4424-8240-1;
Hardcover; US $17.99/CAN $21.99.

This creatively illustrated story incorporates paper cut-outs of shapes and movement-based language as a way to teach shape and pattern recognition. Using the familiar and friendly forms of a monkey and a mouse, children can be encouraged to march, leap, flip, slither, bounce, roll, slide, scoot, fly, twirl, hop and....oh no! crash! alongside their animal shape friends. You can find fun printable activities to accompany the book at the author's website. A ready-made storytime combining gross and fine motor skills with language and pattern building blocks. Perfect-o!

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Hop into Bed! by Nicholas Oldland

Toronto: North Winds Press, 2018. ISBN 978-1-4431-5726-1; Hardcover; CAN $16.99.

Bob the frog loves to hop. In fact, Bob doesn't just like to hop, he likes all sorts of movement: flipping, leaping, jumping, crashing, flopping, twisting, bouncing, springing, flying! Not to mention running and swimming! He gets called home for dinner and bedtime, but no amount of begging by his family will help Bob wind down and get ready for sleep. He stays up all night jumping on his bed. He finally crashes as the sun comes up and he sleeps through an entire day of activities: bathing, eating, school, band practice, even a trip to the zoo! Suddenly, at bedtime, Bob wakes up at the sound of the word "hop" and starts jumping around again. But this time he learns his lesson and goes to sleep when he is supposed to.

Your storytime kids will really enjoy this story of Bob and his jittery antics, and parents will appreciate the message about how important it is to self-regulate. Too much of anything (rest OR exercise) is a bad thing, we have to strive for balance. It would be fun to add a game to your program where the kids could pretend to be Bob, hopping through a bunch of activities (like putting on their coats, pretending to brush their teeth, drinking out of a cup, etc...) and then to pretend to do all those activities while sleeping. I bet you can think of a bunch more!

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I Am a Hockey Rink by Andrew Podnieks, illustrated by Jesse Jind

Moydart, 2016. 978-1-5526-7610-3; Board book;
CAN $8.00

This board book introduces babies and toddlers to one little boy's love of hockey. We learn a bit about the rules, the sounds of the rink, the feelings that come up while playing and watching, and especially the joy of shaking hands at the end of a game. A nice item to have on hand to encourage sports participation and promote the multi-sensory aspects of physical literacy.

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I Got the Rhythm by Connie Schofield-Morrison, illustrated by Frank Morrison

New York: Scholastic, 2014. ISBN 978-0-545-83877-1; Paperback; US $4.99.

Gather your crew for a funky preschool storytime with this simple but engaging story of a girl who makes her "body rock." Produce some beats using toy drums (we sometimes just hit sticks on top of plastic container lids—use what you have!) and body parts (feet, fingers, hands, knees, hips, toes, and mouth). Bust out the tunes to get everyone in the mood to keep dancing!

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I.Q. Gets Fit by Mary Ann Fraser

New York: Walker & Co, 2007.  ISBN 978-0-8027-9558-8;
Hardcover; US $15.95.

In this cute book in Fraser's I.Q. series, the class pet mouse decides he's going to start taking better care of his body during Health Month at school by participating in the Student Fitness Challenge. But his real motivation is that he wants to win a gold ribbon. He experiences some pretty discouraging emotions during the month, like feeling his muscles aren't strong enough, or he isn't flexible enough. He realizes he hasn't been drinking enough water or sleeping enough. Even though he doesn't win a gold ribbon, he gets a special prize for being the student with the most improvement. While the messages in the book aren't perfect, they are realistic of the motivations of the age group the book is designed for.

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Leap! by JonArno Lawson,
illustrated by Josée Bisaillon

​Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2017. ISBN 978-1-77138-678-4; Hardcover; US $16.99/ CAN $18.99.

Follow the creatures in this colorful, varied landscape as they fidget, toss, twitch, tilt, glide, slide, jump, hop, land, leap, twist, gambol, lurch, spin, and more! If you are teaching a class or leading a storytime with a focus on action words, this is the book for you! Perhaps a bit wordy for the preschool set, this is an ideal read-aloud for K-4.

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Move, Play and Learn with Smart Steps: Sequenced Activities to Build the Brain and the Body by Gill Connell, Wendy Pirie, and Cheryl McCarthy

Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit, 2016. ISBN 978-1-63198-024-4; Paperback; US $34.99.

This practical handbook of activities works in tandem with Connell and McCarthy's previous book, A Moving Child is a Leaning Child: How the Bosy Teaches the Brain to Think (Free Spirit, 2014) which introduced their "Kinetic Scale." Jam-packed with great physical literacy ideas for working with ages 0-7, they don't miss any of the senses and touch on proprioceptive skills, midline development, pacing, balance, and directionality. In other words, these activities meet all the physical literacy checkmarks for this age group! Try adding a few activities to each storytime as a great way to get the kids moving—there are so many to choose from, you'll never get bored!

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Mrs. Fox's Class Shapes Up
by Eileen Spinelli,
illustrated by Anne Kennedy

New York: Scholastic, 2011. ISBN 978-0-545-44816-1; Paperback; US $5.95.

Mrs. Fox began noticing some problems with her students: they couldn't stay awake, they forgot to eat breakfast, and they got very tired running short distances or going up the stairs. So she decides to do something about it. Together with their families and teachers the students learn how to make healthy meals, get more exercise, and sleep better. When Field Day comes, Mrs. Fox's class is in the best shape they've ever been and—even more important—they've created healthy habits that will last them a lifetime!

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Murphy Meets the Treadmill by Harriet Ziefert, 
illustrated by Emily Bolam

Houghton Mifflin, 2001.  ISBN 978-0618113576;
Hardcover; US $16.00.

Murphy is a lovable yellow Lab who likes to sit around on the porch and eat treats between meals. One day his owner Cheryl (who's not-so-slim herself, by the way) tells him that he is "getting fat" and puts him on a diet, even though he feels pretty good about himself ("I thought I had a good build and was an excellent example of my breed").  She tries to get him to exercise but he's not having it, so Cheryl buys him a treadmill. Cheryl gets angry and makes him stay on the treadmill even though he is upset and scared. Eventually Murphy loses weight and all the neighbors (canine and human) praise him—he even gets the attention of a frisky female Greyhound next door—and he begins dreaming about becoming famous and rich. He concludes that exercise is definitely "worth it."

There are so many horrible messages in this book that I didn't even take it home to read to my own children, which I almost always do when reviewing a book to gauge the response of my "trusted advisers." My eldest son struggles with his weight and I can't imagine offering him this guilt-laden book filled with messages about how you can be a better, happier person/dog by concentrating on what other people think of you and avoiding the pain of rejection by complying with their demands and admonishments. If you are looking for materials to build your physical literacy book collection or use during storytime, look elsewhere.

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Never Enough Hockey! by Gilles Tibo, 
illustrated by Bruno St-Aubin

Toronto: Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 978-1-4431-5566-3; Paperback; CAN $7.99.

This book fooled me! I was sure it was going to be another puck-obsessed action tale geared towards the ice-addict—and it is!—but it also contains an important physical literacy message: athletes (and everyone) are healthier and more capable in their sport of choice if they cross-train. Nicholas is sick and doesn't get to attend hockey training camp this year. Once he starts feeling better he learns it's too late to join in and promptly declares he's giving up hockey and decides to try another sport instead. He calls all his friends to try their favorite activities: tennis, gymnastics, running, table tennis, weightlifting, yoga, diving, and swimming. While he gains new skills and has fun with his friends, he still really misses being on the ice. He wakes up the next morning to attend try-outs for this year's team and he is feeling very discouraged. Not only did he skip all the training at camp, but the competitors for his goalie position look fierce. But once the pucks start flying Nicolas realizes all his cross-training has paid off. He is now stronger, quicker, more flexible, and has better coordination and concentration! He is very thankful to have such helpful friends who were willing to share their time and talent with him. This great story encourages kids to play sports out of their comfort zone and to also share their favorite activities with others. The illustrations are lively and their is a good gender balance of the athletes. A winner for sure!

Ninja Boy Goes to School by N.D. Wilson, illustrated by J.J. Harrison

New York: Random House, 2014. ISBN 978-0-375-86584-8; Hardcover; US $16.99/CAN $19.99.

Ninja Boy goes to school and tries to use his skills of patience, strength, balance, and nimbleness but when he uses his skill for disappearing by sneaking out of the classroom he finds himself "facing a strong enemy" (his teacher) and hides his emotions from his father and principal. His parents punish his misdemeanor by taking away his ninja garb and sending him to bed, where he concludes that he must learn to pretend not to be a ninja even though he is one inside. There are so many confusing themes in this book I don't even know where to start: subjugating your own desires in order to follow the social order while respecting authority and hiding your feelings from the ones you love, but keeping them alive on the inside where no one can judge them but you can never act them out? I picked up this book hoping it would encourage kids to practice martial arts and mindfulness, and instead was hit with this mixed-bag of conflicting messages. I took it home to read it to my boys (age 5 and 10) to gauge their reactions (maybe I was reading too much into it?) and they both concluded that "Ninja Boy shouldn't have jumped out the window" and "he shouldn't hide his feelings." So yeah, I'm going to give this one a big ol' "no thanks." There are better subversive-ninja-goes-their-own-way picture books on the market, like Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted to be Noticed by J.C. Phillips or Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny by John Himmelman.

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Ninja Bunny by Jennifer Gray Olson

New York: Knopf, 2015. ISBN 978-0-385-75493-4; Hardcover; US $16.99/CAN $19.99.

The first in Olson's Ninja Bunny series, our (gender-not-specified - hurrah!) little bunny wants to follow all the ninja rules in the ninja rule book, like: always work alone, achieve invisibility, maintain perfect balance, and master the ability to fly. Unfortunately, despite their persistence, our determined ninja is having major difficulty. This is when a whole team of bunny ninjas join in the fray and our protagonist rewrites rule # 1 to be: "A super awesome ninja needs super awesome friends!" Read this cute storybook to preschoolers and have them act out being sneaky, strong, invisible, climbing, and balancing. A little obstacle course made out of available materials (chairs, beanbags, blacks, hula hops, etc...) could be built easily to help with your imaginative play and work on those gross motor skills.

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Say Zoop! by Hervé Tullet

San Franciso, CA: Chronicle, 2017.  ISBN 978-1-4521-6473-1;
Hardcover; US $15.99

The great thing about Tullet's books for kids (see also: Press Here, Mix it Up!, Let's Play!, The Game in the Dark) are that they are designed to be interactive, which naturally enhances physical literacy. Say Zoop! is no exception. By encouraging the reader(s) to associate sounds with the illustrations it calls out to be touched and physically manipulated while also incorporating vocalization, making it a multimodal approach to literacy. By having various voices interacting in the text at once (for example, two robots speaking to one another) it promotes collaboration and fun interaction between the reader and the audience, so that multiple readers emerge, helping the child(ren) build literacy confidence while they act out the characters. And excellent book for one-on-one bonding with child and caregiver, it also lends itself well to library storytime. Encourage extra movement by having the kids act out the dots jumping on a trampoline, going for a walk, or being cars while following along with the text. An essential addition to any juvenile collection.

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Spunky Little Monkey by Bill Martin Jr., Michael Sampson, illustrated by Brian Won

New York: Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 978-0-545-77643-1;
Hardcover; US $17.99/CAN $23.99.

For those of you familiar with the popular clapping game, Down Down Baby, this energetic modified version is sure to be a hit! Our sleepy little monkey won't get out of bed and the doctor prescribes exercise as a cure for his lethargy. Pretty soon our monkey is clapping, stomping, shaking, hip-wiggling, and ding-donging his way to a fun day of play with his friends. A great book to use during preschool storytime, the children will be happy to grab some noisemakers and rattle along with this monkey's colorful moves. The book even ends with a note from author Michael Sampson encouraging parents to incorporate daily exercise by using this repetitive chant and lively artwork to also promote literacy! Movement + story + art = multimodal, whole-person literacy!

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Tales of Bunjitsu Bunny by John Himmelman

New York: Henry Holt, 2014. ISBN 978-0-8050-9970-6;
Hardcover; US $13.99/CAN $15.99.

Is there anything Isabel the Bunjitsu Bunny can't do? Besides being the best martial arts student at her school, she is great at solving problems, helping her friends, practicing even when she is tired, being humble, and doing all she can to avoid a fight. But when she does have to fight—watch out! The first book in Himmelman's Bunjitsu Bunny series is sure to please the early elementary reader, with just enough cute illustrations to keep kids' turning the pages. My boys (age 5 and 10) who practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu couldn't get enough of Isabel and I'd often find them reading this book together on the couch and then acting out her moves. There's lots of positive messages here about staying healthy and treating others with respect, delivered in a very entertaining package all ages will enjoy.

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Tiptoe Joe by Ginger Foglesong Gibson, illustrated by Laura Rankin

New York: Greenwillow, 2013. ISBN 978-0-06-177203-0; Hardcover; US $17.99.

OOoooooo!!!! Spoiler Alert!!! This book has THE BEST ending! So much cuteness!! Join Joe the Bear as he tiptoes around the forest (wearing his high tops no less) and gathering his animal friends for a mighty surprise...wait for it!—I'm not going to tell you—you have to read the book! Get all your storytime munchkins to practice their very best tippie-toes like Joe and his friends, who are more into "clops" (Donkey), "thumps" (Rabbit), "flaps" (Turkey), "thuds" (Moose), "swishes" (Owl), and "slaps" (Beaver). A great book for dramatic reading, you can lower your voice to an nearly inaudible whisper as the parade of animal friends get closer and closer to Bear's lair for the big reveal. Every little listener in your audience will be on their tiptoes (pun gleefully intended!) in anticipation.

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Where's Rodney? by Carmen Bogan, illustrated by Floyd Cooper

San Francisco, CA: Yosemite Conservatory, 2017. ISBN 978-1-930238-73-2; Hardcover; US $16.99.

Rodney is a boy who has a hard time staying inside or staying still, and who can blame him when there is so much to see and do? Outside is where Rodney always wants to be, and moving is what he always wants to be doing. His teachers aren't so sure this is how he should spend his time.

His class is supposed to go on a field trip to the park and Rodney thinks that means the small neighborhood corner of yellow grass his mother has warned him to stay away from, so he's not particularly enthused. On Friday as the bus leaves the city, Rodney discovers they are going to a much more exciting place - a National Park! He feels a variety of things: small, big, loud, quiet, fast, slow, and more! He feels more "outside" than he has ever felt before. This book is a great way to start a conversation with kids about what it means to be "outside," and gives a city-kid perspective to rural readers, and gives city-kids someone to identify with.

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Wiggle by Doreen Cronin,
illustrated by Scott Menchin

New York: Atheneum, 2005. ISBN 978-0-6898-6375-2; Library Binding; US $12.95/CAN $18.95.

Wiggle is the first book in Cronin's "Get Moving" trilogy. When I go to the park to do outreach storytimes I often bring this along and it is always the first book requested when kids come up to my story blanket. Who doesn't love a dog who wiggles out of bed, wiggles until he has pancakes on his head, and wiggles in his underwear? This book is guaranteed to get giggles from your audience!  A fun element of suspense is built into this simple story as we near the end and try to guess what's wiggling inside an egg. A great pick to encourage some adorably silly movement in your youngest patrons.

Find an activity guide for the series at Doreen Cronin's website.

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Yoga Bunny by Brian Russo

New York: HarperCollins, 2017. ISBN 978-0-06-242952-0; Hardcover;
US $17.99/CAN $21.99.

Bunny wakes up one morning and starts his regular yoga routine. He invites his friends to join him but they are all too busy, cranky, or don't feel like it. Bunny feels lonely but remembers that yoga is fun to practice alone too. Some curious mice come along and decide to join in the stretch session and soon all the other animals do too. They discover yoga was exactly what they needed to not feel so busy, tired, or out of sorts! The end papers contain drawings of Bunny doing all the different poses and would be an excellent way to introduce some simple yoga asanas during a storytime.

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