by Stacy
Here’s my selection for Perfect Picture Book Friday:
Title: A Beginner’s Guide to Bear Spotting
Author: Michelle Robinson
Illustrator: David Roberts
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2016
Suitable for ages: 3-6
Theme/Topic: Bears, Survival Tips, Humor
Opening Spread: Going for a walk in BEAR Country? You’d better make sure you know your bears.
Brief Synopsis: (from Amazon)
Do you dream of seeing some real, live bears? Then this essential guide to bear spotting, filled with offbeat humor and quirky illustrations, is for you!
In this perfect read-aloud, sure to delight kids and parents alike, a young aspiring bear spotter ventures into bear country . . . But coming face-to-face with the furry creatures themselves, whether black or brown, can be dangerous, and our protagonist–accompanied by a trusty teddy bear–might need to use some unconventional means to stay out of trouble and avoid being (gulp!) eaten.
Resources: The National Park Service has tons of information available on bears. Stuffed bears could also be used to act out scenes from the book.
Why I Like This Book: This books is funny from the first page! While the child is ready for an outdoor adventure, the narrator keeps warning the child about bears. As a person, who always hopes to avoid bears, I laughed out loud while reading this book. Michelle Robinson’s pacing is excellent and the second the narrator says “Don’t worry. Chances are you won’t even SEE a bear.” You KNOW when you turn the pages things will get more interesting. This book has been one of my favorites from 2016.
For more PPBF books, visit Susanna Leonard Hill’s Blog.
by Stacy
Here’s my selection for Perfect Picture Book Friday:
Title: Secret Agent Man Goes Shopping for Shoes
Author: Tim Wynne-Jones
Illustrator: Brian Won
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2016
Suitable for ages: 4-8
Theme/Topic: Action, Adventure, Humor, Imagination, How to Tie Your Shoes
Opening Spread: S.A.M. is digging for the Lost City of Raisins … He is tracking down the treacherous green spitting bug, balancing on high places, and stealing home.
Brief Synopsis: (from Candlewick)
Secret Agent Man (S.A.M.) needs new shoes. His mom — er, sidekick, “K” (short for Kay) — takes him shopping. But the operation will be dangerous: to start with, Shoe Store Man looks shifty. “Frisk him,” says S.A.M. With the help of a Team of Expert Spies and keen observation skills, will Sam find that his brand-new tiger-striped shoes convey a new superpower . . . and that he can now tie his own shoelaces? Imaginative play is the mission in this witty picture book with retro illustrations that cleverly merge S.A.M.’s escapades with the ordinary world. Roar!
Resources: Here’s a whole website on Top Spy Secrets. We may need to go around and rename parts of our house based on the spread I mention below.
Why I Like This Book: The first spread sets up agent Secret Agent Man or S.A.M.’s imagination as he plays and the second spread immediately lets us know the reality of his world. It’s a fun story from the first page to the last. My favorite spread is near the end as S.A.M. tries to find K (his mom). He looks int he Secret Chamber of Silence, the Holding Cell of Despair, Torture Chamber, Rocket Silo, and the Darkest Valley of Doom. Most parents will laugh at this. I was going to be secretive about what each item represents, but Illustrator Brian Won has this spread on his website. Take a look. I hope it makes you smile like I did. I discovered this one while searching the library’s online collection for shoe tying books.
For more PPBF books, visit Susanna Leonard Hill’s Blog.
by Stacy
Happy Halloweensie! It’s that time of year again when children’s writers gather ’round the cauldron to craft a story in 100 words or less. Author Susanna Hill is the gracious founder of the contest. She and her assistants deserve tons of treats for reading all the contest entries.
This year, each 100-word or less entry must contain the words spider, ghost and moon. Variations of the words are allowed. Stories should be kid-friendly and contain no illustration notes. Here are the rules, if you want to participate. You have until the strike of 11:59 p.m. EDT.
Here’s my 2016 entry:
Halloween Tracks
By Stacy S. Jensen
Oliver saw the tracks every Halloween.
They were colorful with a sweet aroma and looked like scat. Oliver never ate it, but other owls did.
“Who?” he wondered made them. He flew over the streets in the moonlight searching
High,
Low,
And, in circles for the critter.
He saw bunnies, coyotes, and spiders and almost gave up.
Until, he heard …
SCRITCH.
SCRATCH.
SPLAT.
Oliver followed the noises to a little ghost.
“Your tracks!” Oliver screeched.
“My candy,” Ghost cried.
Oliver helped Ghost collect his spilled loot.
“Here’s a treat!” Ghost tossed a candy to Oliver. “Happy Halloween!”
Word tells me I’m at 98 words!
There will be plenty of entries at Susanna’s blog. I am always impressed by the very talented work created in this contest and also how similar our thought process can be. I’ve been a happy Halloweensie participant since 2011 — 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011.
I hope you all have a spooky, fun-filled Halloween!
P.S. I’ve been re-working my website in recent weeks between other projects. It’s not “done,” but decided Halloweensie is more important than “done.”
by Stacy
Here’s my selection for Perfect Picture Book Friday:
Title: Douglas, You Need Glasses!
Author and Illustrator: Ged Adamson
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2016
Suitable for ages: 3-7
Theme/Topic: Glasses, Being Unaware, Humor
Opening Spread: Nancy and Douglas were chasing squirrels.
Brief Synopsis: (from Amazon) Meet Douglas, a dog with a big problem: he needs eyeglasses but doesn’t know it, and his bad eyesight tends to land him in some pretty hairy situations.
Readers will laugh along with the new picture book character Douglas as he chases a leaf that he mistakes for a squirrel, walks through wet cement because he can’t see the warning sign, and annoys the neighbor’s dog by mistakenly eating out of his bowl. And when Douglas’s owner Nancy finally takes him to what is clearly an eyeglass store and Douglas asks, “Why are you taking me to a shoe store?” everyone will be giggling.
After an eye exam confirms that Douglas needs glasses, and Nancy helps him find the perfect pair, readers will rejoice with Douglas as he sees all the amazing things he’s been missing!
Both kids and parents will laugh out loud—and may even recognize themselves!—while reading this utterly irresistible, hilarious picture book.
Resources: Articles on children wearing glasses. Encouraging your child to wear glasses.
Why I Like This Book: Douglas was a random find at the library. We spend much of May and June reading picture books about children with glasses after Enzo began wearing his own. It’s fun to laugh along as Douglas makes his discovery of how glasses can make a difference.
For more PPBF books, visit Susanna Leonard Hill’s Blog.
by Stacy
Here’s my selection for Perfect Picture Book Friday:
Title: I Didn’t Do My Homework Because …
Author: Davide Cali
Illustrator: Benjamin Chaud
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC, 2014
Suitable for ages: 6-9
Theme/Topic: Homework, Fantasy
Opening Spread: “So, wh
y didn’t you do your homework?” [Teacher character asks]
[Boy] “I didn’t do my homework because … An airplane full of monkeys landed in our yard.”
Brief Synopsis: (from Amazon) How many excuses are there for not doing homework? Let us count the ways: Giant lizards invaded the neighborhood. Elves hid all the pencils. And then there was that problem with carnivorous plants…. The excuses go on and on, each more absurd than the next and escalating to hilarious heights. Featuring detail-rich illustrations by Benjamin Chaud, this book is guaranteed to amuse kids and their parents, not to mention anyone who has experienced a slacker student moment—and isn’t that everyone?
Resources: There is a companion book called I Didn’t Do My Homework Because … Doodle Book of Excuses. Homework tips from Scholastic.
Why I Like This Book: Homework can be a struggle. This book offers a number of fantasies on why one’s homework isn’t finished. We’ve had fun reading this book and thinking about all the fun ways to explain why homework is not completed. Of course, at the end of the week, the reality is that homework is complete.
For more PPBF books, visit Susanna Leonard Hill’s Blog.
by Stacy
For the picture book world, it’s been a very sad week with the deaths of Anna Dewdney and of Deirdre Sheridan Englehart.
Enzo wondered how Ms. Dewdney’s books will be finished. I told him we need to read all of her books again and again!
I thought I had already posted about this book. Apparently, not. So, here’s an official post for PPBF.
Title: Roly Poly Pangolin
Author and Illustrator: Anna Dewdney
Viking, 2010
Themes/Topics: Pangolins, Fear, Friendship
Opening: Roly Poly, very small,
doesn’t like new things at all.
Brief Synopsis: (from author and illustrator’s website) —
Roly Poly, very small, doesn’t like new things at all.
Meet Roly Poly Pangolin’s little pangolin who’d rather stick close to his mama instead of facing anything unfamiliar. Whether it’s a line of ants, a friendly monkey, or a loud noise, Roly Poly runs the other way. Then he hears something that really scares him. So he does what all pangolins do when they’re frightened: he rolls up into a tiny ball. But Roly Poly is surprised when he finally peeks out, because another ball is peeking back…it’s a small pangolin just like him!
Resources: In obituaries that circulated after her death, Ms. Dewdney asked people to read a book to a child. As a tribute to her, I believe that’s a great activity.
Why I Like this Book: Enzo and I were introduced to this book at a neighborhood story time. Everyone brought a book to share. I can’t recall the book we dropped off. Enzo picked up Roly Poly Pangolin. I loved it from the first spread.
Don’t wait! Go read a book to a child. Do it for the writers who have left us, for the writers still sharing stories with us, and for the children, who enjoy a stories. Have a wonderful weekend!
For more PPBF books, check out the list over at the incredible Susanna Hill’s website.
