Go-to Authors

Like many of you, I have favorite books that I use in storytimes. Some are classic works that I grew up with; others are brand-new favorites that have been recently published.

Many of those authors are well-known. (I’m talking about Eric Carle, Mo Willems, Bill Martin Jr., Ed Emberley, Lois Ehlert, Rosemary Wells…you get the picture.) And while some of my favorites are lessen-known, all write fabulous stories!

Here are just a few of my go-to authors for storytime books:

Jane Cabrera — Cabrera takes familiar songs and creates very appealing illustrations to accompany them in quite a few of her books. I absolutely love using them in storytime because parents are familiar with the song/rhyme and will often join me in singing these books aloud.

Lindsey Craig — Craig has only written two books so far, but I absolutely bring down the house in storytime when I use them. The rhymes, animals, and story lines come together in a perfect combination for a storytime. I can’t wait to see more from Craig!

Emma Dodd — I sometimes feel like I would be lost without “Dog’s Colorful Day” in my storytime repertoire! Dodd’s stories are easy to relate to, fun, and a joy to read in storytime. Her books have become some of my patrons’ favorites since I started using them so often.

Kevin Henkes — Henkes is definitely on the more well-known side and has written many books and received many achievements. That doesn’t mean he can’t be on my favorites list! I know when I grab a book by Henkes, that I will be sharing gorgeous illustrations and an imaginative story with my storytime kids — creating new classics that they can grow up with.

Monica Wellington — Wellington does a wonderful job of explaining tasks/jobs (making birdhouses, gardening, baking, apple farming, etc.) in an accessible way for preschoolers, teaching them as well as entertaining them. These are great books to use in a community helpers storytime; I’ve also used them in several season themed storytimes.

Like I said, that’s just a few of my favorites! What about you? Who are your go-to authors for storytime books? (Mostly importantly, who am I missing out on?)

- Katie Salo
Youth Services Manager
Melrose Park Library
http://storytimekatie.com