by Stacy
PPBF has returned! Perfect Picture Book Fridays took a summer break and I did too. Now, it’s time to share a few books our family fell in love with over the summer.
LOOK!
Author and Illustrator Édouard Manceau or visit the Publisher’s bio.
Owl kids Books Inc., 2015 (North American)
Published in France under the title Le petit curieux by Editions Milan, 2014
Fiction
Suitable for: ages 3-7
Theme/Topic: Exploration, Concept Book, Interactive
Opening Spread: One day, a curious little kid picked up this book.
Brief Synopsis: (from the back cover) Take a LOOK! And see the world in a new way.
Resources: Use the book. The final spread asks “…What do you see?” Take the book out into the world and write down what you see. Turn to the spread asking you to look through the hole — Look for items that are red, orange, blue, and green? You can also talk about the numbers and letters not mentioned on that page of the book.
Why I Like This Book: I’m so grateful my library carries books by Édouard Manceau (See PPBF posts The Race and Windblown). I found this one while studying recent board books and concept books. Oh, I was delighted. Enzo and I had fun reading this together. The design of the book is fabulous. There is a “viewing hole” where you can see beyond the story when the book is open. The story takes the curious little kid through a series of concepts — colors, location, movement, size, distance, sound, shapes, texture, letters, and numbers. From the first spread to the last spread, LOOK! offers a mash up of concepts, but it isn’t overwhelming.
For more PPBF books, visit Susanna Leonard Hill’s Blog.
While I’m not adding this to PPBF, I wanted to share Enzo’s first library check out.
Enzo enjoyed The Magic Gourd by Baba Wagué Diakité. It’s a fable from Mali. I’m volunteering in his school library and love the selection of books for the kiddos.
by Stacy
Here’s my selection for Perfect Picture Book Friday:
Is there a dog in this book?
Written and Illustrated by Viviane Schwarz
Candlewick Press, 2014
Fiction
Suitable for: ages preschool – Grade 2
Theme/Topic: Dog and Cat relationships, Interactive Adventure
Opening Spread: End papers — There are three cats in this book. They’re on the next page . . . .
“Oh, hello! You opened our book!”
“Come and look at all the pages!”
Sniff! “Wait — is there somebody else in this book?”
Brief Synopsis: From Candlewick’s website:
Can cats and dogs share the same turf? Revisit the age-old dilemma with a hide-and-seek romp among furry friends. Brimming with humor and featuring Viviane Schwarz’s exuberant artwork, here is a lively interactive exploration of the surprising joys of unlikely friendships from the creator of There Are Cats in This Book and There Are No Cats in This Book.
Equal time for canines! Three cats —Tiny, Moonpie, and André — think there might be a dog in this book, but it’s up to the reader to help them find out.
Resources: Dog and Cat Teaching Plan. You can talk about the differences and similarities of cats and dogs. Pretend to be a dog and play hide and seek.
Why I Like This Book: I stumbled on this title at the library. The dust cover doesn’t fully cover the book, because it reveals the cats. The interior holds many surprises too. There are flaps for the reader to lift as the cats seek help in finding the dog. The cats are frightened about the dog, but the reader continues to open pianos, closet doors, and suitcases. Enzo loved the rising tension as the cats keep an eye out for the dog. I love the dog’s thought bubble drawings. They perfectly match the images a child Enzo’s age draws.
This is Schwarz’s third Cats book. The other titles include There Are Cats in This Book and There Are No Cats in This Book.
For more PPBF books, visit Susanna Leonard Hill’s Blog.
It began snowing on Thursday. It’s still spring, even though there are a few snowflakes on the ground. #SpringinColorado
