It’s Friday, so here’s my choice for Perfect Picture Book Fridays:
The Tumbleweed Came Back
Written by Carmela LaVigna Coyle
Illustrated by Kevin Rechin
Rio Chico, an imprint of Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2013
Fiction
Suitable for ages: 3 and up
Themes/Topics: Rhyme, family, tumbleweeds
Opening line:
A mighty wind blew in
as we sat to eat our lunch.
It plopped a tiny tumbleweed
into our jug of punch.
My granny shouted,
“EEK, oh my!
A prickly, wicked weed!”
So we flicked it back into the breeze
before it dropped a seed.”
Synopsis from the author’s website: When a pesky tumbleweed drops in for lunch one day, hilarity ensures. What starts out as a small problem, turns into a giant conundrum as one tumbleweed turns into thousands! The story’s infectious rhythm is brought to life by colorful, funny illustrations. The combination makes for a rollicking read aloud book for parents and grandparents, teachers and caregivers! She also mentions on her website that “the catchy rhythm, loosely based on the folksong — ‘The Cat Came Back’ …”
Link to resources: This Squido post has some useful information and a link on where to buy your own seeds. I found this sharing how a community makes snowmen from tumbleweeds. If you live near tumbleweeds (like I do), you can walk around and play a counting game with them. The book offers many creative ways to get rid of tumbleweeds. Have a discussion about how you would get rid of tumbleweeds at your house. Want to play The Cat Came Back on your harmonica? Here it is (thank you Internet) Update: There is a lesson plan for the book too.
Why I like this book: Carmela held this book in her arms in the registration line at the Rocky Mountain Chapter SCBWI conferencein September. All I saw was the back cover with a rocket ship. And, I thought, “I must have this” as we are in a rocket-ship phase in our house.
When she showed me the cover, all I saw was tumbleweed and realized “I MUST HAVE THIS!” Long story on why I needed this book. We’ve enjoyed it multiple times before bed.
Just so kiddo knows this one is my book.
Not that he really pays attention, but one day he will be able to read!
Find more Perfect Picture Books on Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog. Hope you have a great weekend. It’s a busy one around here filled with fairs, festivals, and friends.
I marked one item off my “to do” list this week. I signed up for Picture Book Idea Month over at author Tara Lazar’s website. This will be my third year as a participant! Did you sign up?
This looks a hoot! You are so lucky to get a signed one. Both covers look awesome. To read list for sure.
It’s great rhyme and a fun story. Beautiful and fun illustrations too!
Seems like a perfect PB for the season. . .another fun offering. Thanks, Stacy. And I love your new cover photo!
It’s fun for any season Jarm.
Tumble weeds sounds fun,But I feel sad that you have no grass around just tumble weeds. Another diversity lesson. Here in Northern VA there is grass and trees everywhere and I can’t imagine living in a desert with tumble weeds. Husband says there were no tumble weeds before eighteen hundreds and that they are an invasive species from Russia.
So much for my rambling on.
Glad you found this important book for Enzo, Stacy. Looks like a find. 🙂
He’s right! Russian Thistle is the tumbleweed culprit.
We do have grass that’s been planted. We’re in the eastern plains, so tumbleweeds are part of the mix. They even find their way in shopping center parking lots too. For the record, I didn’t see them in Texas. Just in Colorado.
The title says it all… and immediately brought to mind “The Cat Came Back”. Wondering why not the “tumbling tumbleweeds” song? This book sounds like fun. [Oh those darned tumbleweeds.] – thanks for sharing! And yes, I signed up for PiBoIdMo again – year 4 I think (I found an old notebook from 2010)
Good luck with PiBoIdMo! I hope you can find a copy. This is a fun one.
I’m itching to find out how the rocket fits into this story! Thanks for sharing this title, Stacy.
There are many creative ways to dispose of the tumbleweeds. This is one of the many reasons I LOVE this book! See you never know what treasures you will find while standing in line!
This looks hilarious! Thanks for posting!
It is! Thanks for stopping by.
We’ve all had that experience at a conference, and the kids and I are certain to squabble about whose books are whose. All in all fun and fab. Now I wish I knew how to play the harmonica!
Joanne, I’m sure there’s a book for that! For the record, Enzo received A Troop is a Group of Monkeys by Julie Hedlund and The Night Santa Got Lost How Norad Saved Christmas by Michael Keene (Illustrated and signed by the wonderful Michael Garland). We live near the NORAD operations, so I HAD to have that one for him this Christmas.
Love the autograph “To Mommy…” Sounds like a fun book. I am curious how the rocket fits into the story. I may have seen a tumbleweed as a child traveling west, but I don’t remember. In Ohio, it’s grass, trees and corn and soybean fields. Great choice.
See I was intrigued when I saw the rocket! Then, loved how it fits into the efforts to rid the family of the tumbleweeds! I mentioned earlier. I never saw them in Texas, but live among them in Colorado.
Weeeeeee… thank you Stacy for reviewing my TUMBLEWEED book for PPBF. Such a nice surprise. I loved signing this book for you with your unique “mommy” request– some you never forget. That will be one of them. 🙂
An old trunk, a rocket ship and time machine . . . it’s all about getting creative when posed with a problem. Thank you Stacy!!
And, it’s a very creative book. Thanks for stopping by Carmela.
I started laughing when I saw the cover! And I love infectious Rhythm! We don’t have tumbleweeds, but we have a lot of other pesky weeds so I can relate. I’ll have to find this book. And I wish I could play a harmonica!
Yes the illustrations are fun.
This looks like a whole lotta fun!
Yes it is.
I love it when rhyme is this good! Yes!
It is very good.
I particularly identify with tumbleweeds now that I live in CO. I’d follow their paths in the wind… I like the tumbleweedy hair the lady on the cover possess. Sure looks like a funny book. The rhyming makes it extra fun for the reader and the audience. 🙂
I know. The tumbleweed hair is great!
Sue – Just forwarded Stacy’s review to our Wzly Stacey from Ohio per her FB post about not getting used to tumbleweeds blowing down the highway. You CO transplants are in sync!
LOVE the cover and the opening. I MUST read this book. I won a critique from Carmela in 12 x 12 and she is just delightful!
Yes you MUST Penny. Very cool that you received a critique from Carmela.
I signed up for PiBoIdMo! 😀
I think the cover illustration of this book is hilarious! The opening rhyme is terrific! Now I have to find my harmonica…
Lots of fun,Stacy…love the book and the whole concept of a tumbleweed invading their luncheon. Great rhyme…I’ll have to get a copy and study it.:)
I’m all signed up for PiBoIdMo…it will be my 2nd year. And don’t forget about Picture Idea Month as well.:) November gives us lots of excuses to be reading picture books!
This certainly looks a fun book. Love the rhyme. Thanks Stacy!