"Make way for the readers, / the riders, the rollers, / arriving in backpacks, / on bikes, and in strollers." So begins the sing-song text of this picture-book celebration of story-time from author Judy Sierra and illustrator G. Brian Karas. Miss Bingo, the singing flamingo, manages to shepherd the many young children who attend her storytelling session through the process of selecting, reading and listening to various tales...

There's nothing really wrong with Make Way for Readers, but there's nothing particularly right about it either. I'm usually a proponent of rhyming texts, for use with younger audiences, and I certainly value the love of books, reading and storytelling. That said, this one just failed to impress me, either textually or artistically. I suspect that in a week's time I'll have no memory of it at all. Tastes vary, of course, so if you're in the market for rhyming texts celebrating storytelling and storytellers, this might be a book to consider. ( )

Illustrator: G. Brian Keras

Miss Bingo, the Flamingo, is the children's librarian. She wears red round glasses (similar to my tortoise shell ones!!), a green hat with a yellow flower. She is quite the sight! The children are animals and ready for story time.

Ms. Bingo stands in a pond of water, bookshelves around the edge while the children sit on the grass. Ducks, a skunk, a crocodile, a fox and a mouse, an owl and a penguin listen, get up and dance, exercise to the rhythm and rhyming of Ms. Bingo's story time. She reads Mother Goose nursery rhymes set to her own jingle.

This little book is built on total interaction. I am just imagining the preschoolers and toddlers who came to my story times (as children's librarian) reaching up and bending low, marching and walking, wiggling and squiggling, flapping and clapping right along with this delightfully fun and rhymed story time book. As the children come and leave, some have library books in hand.

Age Range: 4 - 8 Years

Author

Judy Sierra was born in Washington DC, growing up in Virginia. Her father was a photographer, her mother a school librarian. They read to her every day. She began writing and illustrating her own books when she was seven. During the summer after her fourth grade year, Judy decided to read all of the children's books in her local library. She began in fiction, but, by the letter D, she felt there were too many books that were not right for her. The librarian suggested that she switch to the 398 section—folklore and fairy tales. She loved those books so much that many years later she went to UCLA and got a Ph.D. in Folklore. Her anthologies of folktales have received awards and accolades including seven Children's Choice Awards from the International Reading Association/Children's Book Council, two Aesop Awards from the American Folklore Society, and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Prize from the Association of Booksellers for Children.

Judy attended American University, B.A., 1968; California State University—San Jose (now San Jose State University), M.A., 1973; University of California—Los Angeles, Ph.D.

Judy Sierra worked as a children’s librarian, then a puppeteer. She traveled all over the United States, putting on shows with hand puppets and shadow puppets for children. She visited schools to teach children how to write scripts, make puppets, rehearse, and perform for an audience.

As an author, Judy has written many children's books as well as a number of adult books. She writes original tales in rhyme. Some of her books have been listed as Notable Books by the American Library Association: Wild About Books, Tasty Baby Belly Buttons, Thelonius Monster's Sky-High Fly Pie, and two--Antarctic Antics and Wild About Books—have been New York Times picture book bestsellers. She has received many other awards as well.

She is married and has one son, living in Portland, Oregon. You can find Judy Sierra @ http://www.judysierra.net/



Illustrator

G. Brian Karas was born in Milford, CT. In 1979 he graduated from Paier School of Art in Hamden, CT where he decided that illustrating children's books what what he wanted to do. From 1979 to 1982 he worked at Hallmark Cards as a greeting card artist in the Humorous Department. He moved to New York in 1982 and became a freelance artist. He has written and illustrated many books, many of which have won awards. He has illustrated for Cynthia Rylant, Denise Fleming, and many others.

He lives in the Hudson Valley of New York. He can be found @ http://www.gbriankaras.com/ ( )