Here’s a new one for the Perfect Picture Book Fridays list.
Written and Illustrated by Andy McGuire
Harvest House Publishers, 2011
Suitable for: Ages 3 to 8
Theme/Topic: Truth, Lies, Animals
Opening: Eleanor Hippo talked a lot, which is good sometimes … But sometimes not.
Brief Synopsis: Eleanor fibs all day about the animals around her. After telling a false story about Leon the lion, she’s forced to face the consequences of all her false tales.
Link to resources: Teacher Planet has several lesson plans on honesty. This book opens up discussions about feelings when you are the victim of a fib or hear another child telling one.
Why I chose this book: My son likes a good hippopotamus tale, so we put all the children’s book titles we could find at our library on hold. He squealed when we picked up a dozen books featuring hippos. The illustrations are realistic, but fun in this book. My favorite line: “She made up stuff that wasn’t true. Of crazy things the locals do.” February will likely be Hippo Month here, as it is Hippo Month in our home.
For more Perfect Picture books, check out Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog.
Spambots have become huge fans of PPBF. This week, I’ve received several dozen comments from “anonymous,” so delighted to visit the blog and add a link for some odd product.
This Blogger post on Prevent unwanted comments and comment spam doesn’t give me a new game plan on how to deal with them. Most of the comments are flagged and don’t get published. The ones that do are deleted.
I’m not a fan of the word verification or comment moderation, so I’ll just keep trucking along for now. Perhaps there’s a picture book idea here: “Goodnight Password,” how an ordinary Password goes to heroic lengths to challenge the Spambot bully threatening his friends.
Have a great weekend.
I love that you are the hippo house now, so fun! What a great sounding book. You’re funny about spam. I’m just grateful WordPress catches it all, they are getting sly.
Yes. We’re the hippo house. Blogger catches about 90 percent. The spammers are persistent.
I love the sound of this book, Stacy! I’ve read quite a few that focus on why you shouldn’t lie, but none that I can think of that focus on how you might feel if you were the victim of someone’s lie, so I’m happy to be adding this to the list. Plus, it’s about hippos 🙂 Have you read Hurty Feelings? I’m sorry if PPBF is attracting spam to you. I haven’t had that problem (luckily) and I don’t have any advice 🙁
I need to find Hurty Feelings. Kiddo hasn’t figured it out yet, but one of the neighborhood kids doesn’t like him. Toy battles and all. 🙂
This looks like a great book about telling the truth! I like it! 😀 Sorry about your problems… I don’t think I have a spam problem…
I hope you don’t have a spam problem!
A hippo who fibs! How cute. I love the cover.
It is very cute artwork throughout.
Love the sound of the Hoppo Hippo book, Stacy! This sounds like it has a lesson in there somewhere without the dreaded preaching. I’ll look for it in my library. Sounds like a good one for that age group as I remember some of them like to fib.
So sorry to hear about the spam. I love that I don’t have to jump through hoops when I comment on your blog with Captchas and stuff but if it gets too hard for you it may be best. Since I blog at WordPress I don’t have that problem but I do have to moderate the first time commenters and ones where there are links. Good luck with that. 🙂
Not preachy at all. In fact, it’s from a Christian publishing house. I want to avoid Captchas. I’m still working on my own website. Once that’s complete I’ll be on WordPress anyway and I’ll keep your setting – moderate first time commenters and links – in mind.
Hippo month, eh? Don’t forget to rent Fantasia, then!
Ah, yes Fantasia. There are several Disney Jr. cartoons with hippos, too.
I don’t think I’ve read too many books with a hippo as the main character before. Very cute!
As for spam….ugh, I must get between 20-50 of those Anonymous comments a day. They don’t go through my Disqus comments system that I’ve installed on Blogger, but they still appear in my mailbox and I have to expend mental energy and delete them. I’ve even started a blog post about it…haven’t queued it up yet.
I was surprised at how many books we were able to find. I guess that’s a good tip about researching story ideas/characters/titles. — you really don’t know until you look. Some of them aren’t list worthy either. But, we tried them all. I’ll look for your blog post. on that spammy subject.
I love the front cover AND the rhyme. Hippos make great PB protagonists IMHO!
I like hippos too, but a big yes to Goodnight Password!! 🙂
Have a great weekend Stacy!
As soon as I think “hippo” and “picture book” Sandra Boynton pops into my head. Well, not literally, but the idea of her books does!
Happy hippo days!
I love watching the books you choose for Enzo and what interests him at the moment. Great cover. And, I like the lying theme — have reviewed some in the past before we started PPB. I think they are great couched in stories about animals.
I’m sick of the spam box. Thank heaven’s Askimet catches most. You wouldn’t believe the number of credible comments I received from attorneys after I published the “Divorce” book. Frustrating. Fortunately, I have the last say.
This sounds like one that I MUST have on my Books That Teach list AND in my library! Thanks for the lead on another book about honesty.
Barbara
Stacy, the book sounds e-NORMOUSLY fun. I also usually get 3-5 robo-spam mails a week – but wordpress’ filter has caught them for me. Our church’s paid website had a guest book with a password to type in but it still got full of spam trash and filth. I contacted the provider who said it was our responsibility to use a spam filter. I switched us to blogger (free) and haven’t had a problem. I like your possible book idea…I think it’s unique. We need to work on a costume and theme song!
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Oh, oh, oh – I’ll have to get this one. I have a growing affinity for hipppos in picture books! Try this one: http://365picturebooks.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/theres-a-hippopotamus-on-our-roof-eating-cake/comment-page-1/#comment-106
Sounds like a cute book. Nice cover. Looking forward to hearing about other hippo books this month. : )
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