Pouch!  by David Ezra Stein  (2009)

          I start this one by talking about how mother kangaroos have a pouch that their babies live in and how a pouch is like a pocket, so right away this book builds vocabulary.  It's about a little kangaroo, Joey (of course), who's ready to hop out into the world.  He takes a hop out and finds another creature.  "Who are you?" he asks.  "Bee." says the bee.  "Pouch!" yells Joey and hops for his mother's pouch.  Venturing a little further out each time, Joey meets more animals, getting scared and yelling "Pouch!" each time.  Until he meets another baby kangaroo and, after the initial fright, makes a friend.  The audience naturally starts to join in the repeating "Pouch!" reaction to each new animal.  The charming illustrations show all of Joey's many moods: confidence, curiosity, fear, vulnerability, happiness.  A repeating refrain, pictures with lots to talk about, humor, and emotional relevance all make this a great book for print motivation. 

-Karen McElravy