Monday, May 23, 2011
3 New Picturebooks Perfect for Sharing
Red Wagon
By Renata Liwska
(She also illustrated The Quiet Book)
This is a fun story for sharing and would make a great addition to any storytime program. Lucy got a brand new red wagon and she is very excited to play with it. However, her mother asks her to first use the wagon to go to the market. This does not sound like fun to Lucy, however a simple trip to the market turns into quite the adventure!
Be sure to check out the author's website.
Monday is One Day
By Arthur A. Levine
Illustrated by Julian Hector
This is also a great book for sharing aloud. It shows a family counting down the days until the weekend when they get to spend time together doing something fun. It is a great way to expose children to the days of the week. The text is told in rhyme and flows very smoothly. I also liked how this book focused more on the father figure than the mother figure, which is unusual in children's literature. The illustrations appear to be done in colored pencil and are very vivid and add detail to the story being told.
Mini Racer
By Kristy Dempsey
Illustrated by Bridget Strevens-Marzo
This would make a great addition to a storytime about transportation or just a great read aloud anytime. I think boys would especially enjoy this title. We see animals of all types driving and racing vehicles of all types. When reading this story aloud, be sure to use lots of excitement and read faster as the racers drive faster. There are a lot of words in the story that can add to the telling of the story through your voice such as, "Zooming", "Screech!" and "Beep".
Thursday, May 5, 2011
New Picture Books Featuring Dogs (and one cat)
There seem to be an awful lot of dog picture books coming out in the recent months. I am more of a cat person than a dog person so while most of the following books feature man's best friend, I had to throw one that featured a cat in the mix for us cat people.
Harry & Hopper
By Margaret Wild
Illustrated by Freya Blackwood
This is a touching story about a little boy named Harry who loses his pet dog, Hopper. Although this is not a happy subject, it is one that many young children must deal with--the loss of a beloved pet. This story does a great job showing children how to deal with such an event. I was glad to see that my local library has this fun looking picture book shelved with the parenting materials. I wouldn't want a youngster to select this book only to find out the real topic by mistake.
Dog in Boots
By Greg Gormley
Illustrated by Roberta Angaramo
Dog is reading a story about a fantastic cat wearing boots. He decides that he should wear some type of shoe as well. So he sets off to the shoe store. He starts with a pair of boots, but later finds that they are no good for digging up his bones. He tries rain boots, flippers, high heels, and skis. None of these are right for a dog's daily activities. In the end he finds the perfect pair of shoes for himself----Paws! This book is wonderfully illustrated and would make an excellent read aloud.
A Dazzling Display of Dogs
Poems by Betsy Franco
Illustrated by Michael Wertz
This book is full of concrete poems all about the wonderful topic of dogs. The illustrations are fun and colorful. The poems are both humorous and educational. Some sample titles are, "Pug Appeal", "White Collar Blues", and "The Tail End". My only concern about this book, is that while the text is written in fun and creative ways, it may be a bit hard for beginning or struggling readers to decipher.
Bulldog's Big Day
By Kate McMullan
Illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre
Bulldog is looking for a job. He visits several of his friends and learns about their jobs (window washer, bookseller, firefighter, etc.) . While he is busy looking for a job, he is also munching on some bulldog cookies. In the end, he decides he should open up a bulldog cookie bakery since that is what he loves to do, bake and eat. The back of the book even includes a recipe for Bulldog's oatmeal-carrot cookies. While I don't think this book would make a great read aloud story, it would be great for beginning readers. It slightly resembles a graphic novel in the way the story is presented on the page, with small illustrations and text spread throughout the pages next to the small illustrations. My favorite part of the book was the facial expressions on all of the animals in the story.
Say Hello to ZORRO!
By Carter Goodrich
Mister Bud had a great life and he had a great daily schedule. He liked the schedule and everyone stuck to the schedule. Then, Zorro came along. He disrupted Mister Bud's great life and his schedule. But Zorro and Mister Bud soon found out that their schedules were the same, and having someone to share the schedule with was sometimes fun. They became best friends in the end. I loved this story and the illustrations, especially the dog's facial expressions! This would make a great read aloud!
Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku
By Lee Wardlaw
Illustrated by Eugene Yelchin
I loved the title of this book and the idea of cat haiku. Each poem is told in haiku and describes a cat's life who gets adopted from an animal shelter. Here are some of my favorite lines, "What do you mean, Eww? How is my tuna breath worse than peanut butter?" and, "Sorry about the squishy is your shoe. Must've been something I ate." I also liked the slightly Asian inspired illustrations. A must read for cat lovers!
Harry & Hopper
By Margaret Wild
Illustrated by Freya Blackwood
This is a touching story about a little boy named Harry who loses his pet dog, Hopper. Although this is not a happy subject, it is one that many young children must deal with--the loss of a beloved pet. This story does a great job showing children how to deal with such an event. I was glad to see that my local library has this fun looking picture book shelved with the parenting materials. I wouldn't want a youngster to select this book only to find out the real topic by mistake.
Dog in Boots
By Greg Gormley
Illustrated by Roberta Angaramo
Dog is reading a story about a fantastic cat wearing boots. He decides that he should wear some type of shoe as well. So he sets off to the shoe store. He starts with a pair of boots, but later finds that they are no good for digging up his bones. He tries rain boots, flippers, high heels, and skis. None of these are right for a dog's daily activities. In the end he finds the perfect pair of shoes for himself----Paws! This book is wonderfully illustrated and would make an excellent read aloud.
A Dazzling Display of Dogs
Poems by Betsy Franco
Illustrated by Michael Wertz
This book is full of concrete poems all about the wonderful topic of dogs. The illustrations are fun and colorful. The poems are both humorous and educational. Some sample titles are, "Pug Appeal", "White Collar Blues", and "The Tail End". My only concern about this book, is that while the text is written in fun and creative ways, it may be a bit hard for beginning or struggling readers to decipher.
Bulldog's Big Day
By Kate McMullan
Illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre
Bulldog is looking for a job. He visits several of his friends and learns about their jobs (window washer, bookseller, firefighter, etc.) . While he is busy looking for a job, he is also munching on some bulldog cookies. In the end, he decides he should open up a bulldog cookie bakery since that is what he loves to do, bake and eat. The back of the book even includes a recipe for Bulldog's oatmeal-carrot cookies. While I don't think this book would make a great read aloud story, it would be great for beginning readers. It slightly resembles a graphic novel in the way the story is presented on the page, with small illustrations and text spread throughout the pages next to the small illustrations. My favorite part of the book was the facial expressions on all of the animals in the story.
Say Hello to ZORRO!
By Carter Goodrich
Mister Bud had a great life and he had a great daily schedule. He liked the schedule and everyone stuck to the schedule. Then, Zorro came along. He disrupted Mister Bud's great life and his schedule. But Zorro and Mister Bud soon found out that their schedules were the same, and having someone to share the schedule with was sometimes fun. They became best friends in the end. I loved this story and the illustrations, especially the dog's facial expressions! This would make a great read aloud!
Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku
By Lee Wardlaw
Illustrated by Eugene Yelchin
I loved the title of this book and the idea of cat haiku. Each poem is told in haiku and describes a cat's life who gets adopted from an animal shelter. Here are some of my favorite lines, "What do you mean, Eww? How is my tuna breath worse than peanut butter?" and, "Sorry about the squishy is your shoe. Must've been something I ate." I also liked the slightly Asian inspired illustrations. A must read for cat lovers!
Another Printz Honor 2011 Winner
Please Ignore Vera Dietz
By A.S. King
2011 Printz Honor Award Winner
I chose to read this novel for two reasons, one- it is a Printz Honor book and two-many of my fellow bloggers have posted about this one. Why does Vera want to be ignored? Why is Vera afraid of turning into her mother or her father? Will Vera learn to deal with alcohol in a responsible manner? What about her best friend Charlie? What secrets was he keeping from the world? Why was his death so mysterious? What really happened the night of his death? Will Vera tell the world what she knows about Charlie's life? This story starts with Charlie's funeral and then we learn bits and pieces of the events that lead to this tragedy. The story is mostly told from Vera's point of view, but we also hear from Charlie and Vera's Dad. Towards the end of the book, most of the stories come together and the reader gets a clear picture of what really happened with Vera and Charlie. I have to admit that I wanted some of the lose ends tied up, but was left wondering about a few a things. Overall, this was a great read and I feel that teens can relate well to the events in the story.
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