During a web library search for a different felt book, I stumbled upon Super-Cute Felt Animals by Laura Howard and thought I'd give it a try. The patterns are simple, very simple, but that makes for perfect beginning sewing projects for kids. The animals are also small, around four inches on average, which makes them super quick to finish - another bonus when sewing with children! My eleven year old is learning to hand sew this year, so we worked together on a few projects from the book:

and here are the fish and the whale on this month's nature table:

If you have even moderate sewing experience, you may find this book a little disappointing. These designs have a single front and back piece, which makes them essentially flat, even when stuffed. For felt animals that I plan to sew for the little guy, I'm using slightly more complicated patterns from another book. That said, I have enjoyed working on these projects! They are super fast, as in whip one up after breakfast for play time that morning fast, and my son can complete one without getting frustrated. They would make cute ornaments or backpack friends, and although I could draw up the patterns myself, it is so much more convenient to trace or photocopy them and hand them off to be completed by the next available child. I would definitely give this book a whirl if you have a beginning sewer and can find it at your local library.