Picture Book – Page 63 – Unleashing Readers

Blog Tour with Reviews and Giveaway!: Coyote Moon by Maria Gianferrari

July 27, 2016 by Kellee

Nonfiction Wednesday

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and was started to help promote the reading of nonfiction texts. Most Wednesdays, we will be participating and will review a nonfiction text (though it may not always be a picture book).
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other nonfiction books are shared this week!

Coyote Moon
Author: Maria Gianferrari
Illustrator: Bagram Ibatoulline
Published July 19th, 2016 by Roaring Brook Press

Summary: A howl in the night.
A watchful eye in the darkness.
A flutter of movement among the trees.
Coyotes.

In the dark of the night, a mother coyote stalks prey to feed her hungry pups. Her hunt takes her through a suburban town, where she encounters a mouse, a rabbit, a flock of angry geese, and finally an unsuspecting turkey on the library lawn

POUNCE!

Perhaps Coyote’s family won’t go hungry today.

About the Author: Maria writes both fiction and nonfiction picture books from her sunny, book-lined study in northern Virginia, with dog, Becca as her muse. Maria’s debut picture book, Penny & Jelly: The School Show, illustrated by Thyra Heder, was released in July 2015 (HMH Books for Young Readers); a companion book, Penny & Jelly Slumber Under the Stars, was released in mid-June. Her debut nonfiction book, Coyote Moon, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, will be published by Roaring Brook Press in July and is a Junior Library Guild Selection. In October, Aladdin Books for Young Readers will publish another fiction title, Officer Katz & Houndini: A Tale of Two Tails, illustrated by Danny Chatzikonstantinou. Maria has five additional books forthcoming from Roaring Brook Press, Boyds Mills Press and GP Putnam’s Sons. To learn more about Maria, visit her at mariagianferrari.com on Facebook or Instagram.

Kellee’s Review: I love how this piece of narrative nonfiction is told. Although it is in third person (for most of the book), it gets the reader into the head of the coyote. It takes the reader on her nightly hunt for survival, and the suspense of the hunt is palpable. In addition to the fantastic way the story is told, the realistic and beautiful illustrations bring everything to life.

Ricki’s Review: The beautiful cover of this book reflects the mysterious, dark illustrations that will surely lure readers. I loved how the book is written in the narrative nonfiction style. I was learning about coyotes but enjoying this information through a captivating story. This is a book that will most certainly appeal to students. I can imagine a group of kids, listening to this book with wide eyes. I think it will inspire them to want to know even more about this majestic creature.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: There are a few different ways that this text could be considered in the classroom. First, it is an interesting text to discuss point of view choices specifically because this book is told in third AND Second point of view. Also, this book could be the jumping off point for a student who wants to learn more about coyotes. Finally, Coyote Moon would be a perfect writing mentor text. Students could research their own animal then tell their animal’s story in a very detailed and similar way or with a different point of view choice.

Discussion Questions: How do the young coyotes survive while their mother is away?; What are some survival techniques that the prey use to escape from the coyote’s grasp?; What writing choices did the author make to help the reader become more involved in the story?; What point of view is the text in?; Is this text nonfiction or fiction?;

Flagged Passages:

Coyote Moon Spread — From http://us.macmillan.com/coyotemoon-1/mariagianferrari

Read This If You Loved: Frozen Wild: How Animals Survive in the Coldest Places on Earth by Jim Arnosky, Flight of the Honey Bee by Raymond Huber, When Lunch Fights Back: Wickedly Clever Animal Defenses by Rebecca L. Johnson, Eye to Eye: How Animals See the World by Steve Jenkins,

Recommended For:

Giveaway!

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Don’t miss out on the other stops on the COYOTE MOON blog tour!

FRI 7/15:                   Pragmatic Mom
MON 7/18:                 Nonfiction Detectives
TUES 7/19:                Debtastic Reads
WED 7/20:                 Kid Lit Frenzy
THURS 7/21:              Librarian’s Quest
FRI 7/22:                   Kidlit411
MON 7/25:                 The Reading Zone
TUES 7/26:                Bartography
WED 7/27:                 Unleashing Readers

and

**Thank you to Maria for providing copies for review!
And thank you to Roaring Book Press for providing a copy for giveaway!**

Review and Giveaway!: Journey Trilogy by Aaron Becker

July 25, 2016July 22, 2016 by Kellee

Journey Trilogy
Author and Illustrator: Aaron Becker
Journey Published August 6th, 2013
Quest Published August 26th, 2014
Return Published August 2nd, 2016
By Candlewick Press

Journey Summary: Follow a girl on an elaborate flight of fancy in a wondrously illustrated, wordless picture book about self-determination — and unexpected friendship.

A lonely girl draws a magic door on her bedroom wall and through it escapes into a world where wonder, adventure, and danger abound. Red marker in hand, she creates a boat, a balloon, and a flying carpet that carry her on a spectacular journey toward an uncertain destiny. When she is captured by a sinister emperor, only an act of tremendous courage and kindness can set her free. Can it also lead her home and to her heart’s desire? With supple line, luminous color, and nimble flights of fancy, author-illustrator Aaron Becker launches an ordinary child on an extraordinary journey toward her greatest and most exciting adventure of all.

Journey Review: This book is very hard to explain the magic of it. Lorna (@notforlunch) described it the best, I think: “a wonderful mashup of a David Wiesner book and Harold and the Purple Crayon.” I think this is perfect. It has the illustration beauty and magic of a wordless David Wiesner picture book and it is about creativity (and a crayon) like Harold. The beauty of the castle she visited also reminded me of Cathedral by David Macaulay. This book is just full of amazing!

Originally published at: https://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=1765 (10/5/2013)

Quest Summary: A king emerges from a hidden door in a city park, startling two children sheltering from the rain. No sooner does he push a map and some strange objects into their hands than he is captured by hostile forces that whisk him back through the enchanted door. Just like that, the children are caught up in a quest to rescue the king and his kingdom from darkness, while illuminating the farthest reaches of their imagination. Colored markers in hand, they make their own way through the portal, under the sea, through a tropical paradise, over a perilous bridge, and high in the air with the help of a winged friend. Journey lovers will be thrilled to follow its characters on a new adventure threaded with familiar elements, while new fans will be swept into a visually captivating story that is even richer and more exhilarating than the first.

Quest Review: Quest is a beautiful continuation of Journey. Aaron Becker starts where the first book left off, but Quest is as unique as Journey was. The kids we met in the first book are swept into an adventure to save a king who has armed them with the tools to save the kingdom. I read this book over and over again because there are so many different little nuances in this adventure that promotes creativity, imagination, and teamwork. To be honest, I almost like Quest better than journey because the kids work together.

First published at: https://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=4666 (11/12/2014)

Return Summary: Welcome the much-anticipated finale of Caldecott Honoree Aaron Becker’s wordless trilogy—a spectacular, emotionally satisfying story that brings its adventurer home.

Failing to get the attention of her busy father, a lonely girl turns back to a fantastic world for friendship and adventure. It’s her third journey into the enticing realm of kings and emperors, castles and canals, exotic creatures and enchanting landscapes. This time, it will take something truly powerful to persuade her to return home, as a gripping backstory is revealed that will hold readers in its thrall. Caldecott Honor winner Aaron Becker delivers a suspenseful and moving climax to his wordless trilogy, an epic that began with the award-winning Journey and continued with the celebrated follow-up Quest.

Return Review: You will adore the conclusion to the trilogy. Becker does an amazing job of tying the beginning of Journey to the end of Return. To think that all the books happened in a day! The girl had quite an amazing journey, quest, and return in only one day! It is amazing what can go on when magic is involved. I don’t want to give away much else about the finale, but I will say it is as much a must read as the first two.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: In my classroom, the first thing I would do is project the book and just have the students read it with me. No talking; just looking. Then we’d go back and discuss what is going on in the book, talk about some of the smaller parts of the illustrations, relive the journey. If I wanted to include a writing activity, we could add words to the book (although, I think this book’s illustrations stand alone). We could also discuss what we’d do if we had a magic crayon. I think this book would be a great addition to Dot Day and discussing creativity. Finally, I think a discussion of observing your surroundings would be appropriate as what the girl wanted the most was right in front of her at the beginning of the book. (From 10/5/13 post)

Additionally, this trilogy would be a wonderful mentor text to discuss narrative elements because Becker has given us a perfect plot arc filled with conflict, suspense, and resolution. It would also be interesting to talk to students about characterization in a wordless picture book because the characters still have very evident traits though it is through illustration and actions that we have to determine them. Although, I would be careful in taking the magic away from these books. I don’t want to analyze and dig into them too much because they are beautiful pieces of art that should be enjoyed first and foremost.

Journey Trilogy Activity Kit: https://www.scribd.com/document/312916399/Aaron-Becker-s-The-Journey-Trilogy-Activity-Kit

Q&A with Aaron Becker: https://www.scribd.com/document/132634414/Journey-by-Aaron-Becker-Q-A-with-the-Creator

Discussion Questions: What would you do with a magic crayon?; Why did the girl have to turn to a magical land instead of remaining at home?; Were you surprised about who finally saved the day?; What is happening on the final page of Return? How do you feel about this resolution to the story?; How did the story progress through each book?

Return Book Trailer:

Journey Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxUs41jB4Ts

Quest Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO774UmBjQc

Read This If You Loved: Shy by Deborah Freedman, The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles by Michelle Cuevas, The Typewriter by Bill Thomson, The Whisper by Pamela Zagarenski, Float by Daniel Miyares, Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson, Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett, Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson, Blackout by John Rocco, David Weisner wordless picture books, Cathedral by David Macaulay, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, Henri Mouse by George Mendoza, Chalk by Bill Thomson, Art & Max by David Weisner, Weslandia by Paul Fleishman, Narnia (series) by C.S. Lewis

Recommended For:

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**Thank you to Raquel at Candlewick for providing copies for review and giveaway!!**

My Friend Maggie by Hannah E. Harrison

July 21, 2016 by Ricki

My Friend Maggie
Author and Illustrator: Hannah E. Harrison
Anticipated Publication: August 9, 2016 by Dial

Goodreads Summary: A sweet and heart-tugging story about bullying, friendship, and fitting in, perfect for readers of Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon

Paula and Maggie have been friends forever. Paula thinks Maggie is the best—until mean girl Veronica says otherwise. Suddenly, Paula starts to notice that Maggie is big and clumsy, and her clothes are sort of snuggish. Rather than sticking up for Maggie, Paula ignores her old friend and plays with Veronica instead. Luckily, when Veronica turns on Paula, Maggie’s true colors shine through.

This moving friendship story has all the heart and emotion of The Giving Tree and Kevin Henkes’s Chrysanthemum. The gorgeous artwork and important message make this a book to treasure. It’s truly a classic in the making.

Ricki’s Review: I loved this book from the moment I read it, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I read it to some family members, and they had tears in their eyes by the end. It is a very special book that teaches wonderful lessons to children about friendship and bullying. The characters are incredibly endearing, and the illustrations make them come alive. My son asks me to read this book over and over again. I received this book as a galley, but I will be buying it to have a hard cover copy to love forever.

Kellee’s Review: This text deals with such a true issue that is not often touched in picture books: bullying and lack of friends because of being overweight. But anyone who is in schools knows that this type of behavior is happening younger and younger which leaves a large portion of young students feeling excluded from their peers. Maggie’s story gives teachers and parents an opportunity to discuss this issue without it seeming “real” because it is with animals. But this story is more than a bullying story, it is a story about true friends and how they aren’t always who you are looking for.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This would be a fantastic book to share with students on the first day of school. The characters experience problems that are common to most humans as their friendships evolve. It shows the effects of bullying and the power of friendship. Teachers might refer back to this book whenever bullying or friendships seem to be affecting students and/or the classroom environment.

Discussion Questions: What choices does Paula make? Why do you think that she makes these choices? How do they affect her friendship with Maggie?; What kinds of qualities does Maggie portray? Do you think she made the right decision?; How have some of your friendships evolved as you’ve grown up?

Flagged Passage: “This is my friend Maggie. We’ve been friends forever. She’s great at splashing in mud puddles. She helps me reach the reddest apples. She even lifts me up when I can’t see.”

*Make sure to check out the book to see the detailed and perfect illustrations.

Read This If You Loved: You Are (Not) Small by Anna Kang, Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson (Kellee’s Review | Ricki’s Review), Big Bug by Henry Cole, Horns to Toes by Sandra Boynton, Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae, Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea, The Magic of Maxwell and His Tail by Maureen Stolar Kanefield

Recommended For:

and

Modern Immigrant Experience in Fiction Picture Books: Tía Isa Wants a Car by Meg Medina & A Piece of Home by Jeri Watts

July 15, 2016 by Kellee

These two fiction picture books look at modern immigrant experiences from two different lenses; however, they both have one thing in common–search for identity in a new home.

A Piece of Home
Author: Jeri Watts
Illustrator: Hyewon Yum
Published June 14th, 2016 by Candlewick Press

Summary: A child-friendly story about the trials and triumphs of starting over in a new place while keeping family and traditions close.

When Hee Jun’s family moves from Korea to West Virginia, he struggles to adjust to his new home. His eyes are not big and round like his classmates’, and he can’t understand anything the teacher says, even when she speaks s-l-o-w-l-y and loudly at him. As he lies in bed at night, the sky seems smaller and darker. But little by little Hee Jun begins to learn English words and make friends on the playground. And one day he is invited to a classmate’s house, where he sees a flower he knows from his garden in Korea — mugunghwa, or rose of Sharon, as his friend tells him — and Hee Jun is happy to bring a shoot to his grandmother to plant a “piece of home” in their new garden. Lyrical prose and lovely illustrations combine in a gentle, realistic story about finding connections in an unfamiliar world.

My Thoughts: I love the way Hee Jun’s story is told–full of emotions. It is so realistic and a story that so many students will relate to. The story also highlights the struggles and success of all the members of Hee Juns family including his sister and grandmother. And the conclusion of the story will warm your heart!

Tía Isa Wants a Car
Author: Meg Medina
Illustrator: Claudio Muñoz
Published June 14th, 2011 by Candlewick Press

Summary: A little girl pitches in to help her tía save up for a big old car – and take the whole family to the beach – in a story told with warmth and sweetness.

Tía Isa wants a car. A shiny green car the same color as the ocean, with wings like a swooping bird. A car to take the whole family to the beach. But saving is hard when everything goes into two piles – one for here and one for Helping Money, so that family members who live far away might join them someday. While Tía Isa saves, her niece does odd jobs for neighbors so she can add her earnings to the stack. But even with her help, will they ever have enough? Meg Medina’s simple, genuine story about keeping in mind those who are far away is written in lovely, lyrical prose and brought to life through Claudio Muñoz’s charming characters.

My Thoughts: Tía Isa symbolizes all people who move to a new place and have something they want and they go and get it. Even as they save money to send to their family who has yet to join them, Tía Isa and her niece save money for their dream and independence which to them is a car to be able to visit the beach like Tía Isa did at home. This book will touch anyone who has fought financially or without family and have survived!

What other picture books highlight the modern immigrant experience?

**Thank you to Candlewick Press for providing copies of the books!**

Blog Tour, Author Guest Post, and Review!: Ah-Choo! by Lana Wayne Koehler and Gloria G. Adams

July 14, 2016 by Ricki

Ah-Choo!
Authors: Lana Wayne Koehler and Gloria G. Adams
Illustrator: Ken Min
Published: March 1, 2016 by Sterling Books

Goodreads Summary: When hunting for his new best friend, a boy goes through an alphabetical menagerie of animals. From an antelope, to bobolink birds, to wolves and zebras—and of course, a cat and dog, too—he brings them all home. But each creature just makes his sister go AH-CHOO! Will he ever be able to have the perfect pet?

Ricki’s Review: Kellee and I videochatted and read this book together to our boys. It was so fun! This is a book that would make for an excellent read-aloud. I can imagine a whole classroom of kids yelling “ah-choo!” in a fit of giggles. Teachers will find much to talk about with the book–the alphabetical animals, the fact that not all families can have furry/fuzzy pets, the rhyme scheme, the illustrations, the variety across pages, etc. I can even see this book in older classrooms as a guide for students embarking on creative writing. It would be quite inspirational. The illustrations are hysterical, and it is very clear that a lot of work and effort went into making this text as successful as it is.

Kellee’s Review: I love books that have repeating pages yet aren’t repeating all the way through because it allows young readers to be a part of the read aloud while the text is still unique and interesting. This book fits into that category. Kids will love yelling AH CHOO! along with the boy’s sister which will make this such a fun class read aloud. I also loved the variety of animals that were featured in the book. Since the boy goes from A to Z with the animals he chooses, the author had to be quite clever to find animals that rhymed and fit the order. All this fun in addition to the funny illustrations make for one fun-to-read book.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Teachers might ask students to create their own Ah-Choo! books with different animals. It would be fun to see how many animals the students would come up with! As an alternative, kids might think of their own themed text. Students can start with a problem (e.g. not being able to get an animal because a sibling is allergic) and come up with 26 A to Z alternatives!

Passages Flagged:

I asked my mom if I could have
a pet, or even two.

But every time I brought one home,
my sister went

Ah-Choo!

Discussion Questions: How do the authors provide variety in this text? How do they use creative elements successfully to draw in the reader? How does the illustrator appeal to readers?; While this book has humor, what more serious themes does it convey?; How can you reimagine this book with your own problem as the theme?

Read This If You Loved: The Alphabet of Bugs: An ABC Book by Valerie Gates; Which Pet Should I Get? by Dr. Seuss; Alphabet Books

Recommended For:

“A Multi-layered Book Can be a Teaching Tool”

by Gloria G. Adams, co-author, Ah-Choo!

When Lana Koehler and I collaborated on our book Ah-Choo!, we knew we wanted it to be told in rhyme and also to be about allergies. But between the two of us and our wonderful critique group members, we ended up with a book that not only had rhyme and addressed pet allergies, but our interactive read-aloud also offers the alphabet, math, repetition, sibling relationships, rich vocabulary, and even includes a few trips to the zoo!

All of these layers add up to a multi-tiered package that can serve as a teaching tool for young children.

Kids often feel like they are the only ones suffering from allergies. Ah-Choo! is a great vehicle for teaching kids not only more about their allergies, but also the fact that they are not alone and there are many other kids who have the same problem.

Allergies to pets always wreak havoc in households, especially those with children who have siblings who are NOT allergic. In Ah-Choo!, our young protagonist cares so much about his sister that he brings an entire alphabet of animals for her to “test out” in hope of finding one that won’t make her sick. This story can be a great starting point to talk with your children about compromise and empathy; we think our young man is a great role model!

The rhyme and repetition serve as very important pre-reading skills. One is phonemic awareness, which helps break words down into smaller parts. According to one educator, “Repetition and rhyme give way to rhythm, recognition and memorization-all of which can have a huge impact on children learning to read.”

You can use Ah-Choo! in different ways to help your child practice rhyming even more.

Find all the words in the book that rhyme with Ah-Choo.
Search for other words that rhyme, such as “hen” and “then” or “Jack” and “back.”
Have your child choose a name for an animal, then think of a rhyming name. For example, maybe your child names the cat “Sammy.” Other names that rhyme with Sammy are Hammy, Jammy, Lammy, etc.

Building your child’s vocabulary can be an important factor in how well he or she does when school begins. In the pages of Ah-Choo!, you will find not only unusual animals names (Takin, Yaffle, Bobolink), but also longer words, such as “feathered” and “snuggled.” According to read-aloud guru, Jim Trelease, “It’s long established in science and research: the child who comes to school with a large vocabulary does better than the child who comes to school with little familiarity with words and a low vocabulary.”

Using Ah-Choo! is a fun way to teach the alphabet. It can also help with counting; just how many Umbrellabirds ARE there? Are there more than 26 animals? Yes, there are! Our illustrator, Ken Min, even added a surprise animal that isn’t found in the text! Subtract the animals as the brother takes them away when they make his sister sneeze.

A visit to the zoo is always educational. Take along your copy of Ah-Choo! and see how many animals your children can find that are in the book.

Best of all, Ah-Choo! is interactive; children love the repetition of the sneezing. It will make them want to hear it again and again and again…

and

**Thank you to Ardi at Sterling Books for providing copies for review! And thank you to Gloria for her wonderfully insightful guest post!**

Kellee’s Recently Loved Picture Books: The Knowing Book by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Daniel Finds a Poem by Micha Archer, Hoot and Peep by Lita Judge, & A Big Surprise for Little Card by Charise Mericle Harper

July 9, 2016July 8, 2016 by Kellee

Here are three picture books I’ve recently read and loved so much I wanted to share them a bit more in depth than just a IMWAYR post:

The Knowing Book
Author: Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Illustrator: Matthew Cordell
Published February 23rd, 2016 by Boyds Mills Press

Summary: Inspiring and wise, this story begins and ends with the sky that is always above you. In between, a young rabbit travels through the wide world, experiencing joy and sorrow and all the wonder that the world has to offer. Along the way he chooses a path, explores the unknown, and ventures along trails on and off the map. And at the end of the journey, braver and more confident, he returns home, the place he can always count on and will always know. This beautiful celebration of life is the perfect gift to mark any milestone in a child’s life from birth to graduation.

My Thoughts: What an all star team of author/illustrator! This celebration of life and our world will make the reader think about their priorities, choices, identity, and nature. It is definitely going to be a book that is given as a gift or a read aloud to inspire and celebrate.

Daniel Finds a Poem
Author and Illustrator: Micha Archer
Published February 16th, 2016 by Nancy Paulsen Books

Summary: What is poetry? Is it glistening morning dew? Spider thinks so. Is it crisp leaves crunching? That’s what Squirrel says. Could it be a cool pond, sun-warmed sand, or moonlight on the grass? Maybe poetry is all of these things, as it is something special for everyone—you just have to take the time to really look and listen. The magical thing is that poetry is in everyone, and Daniel is on his way to discovering a poem of his own after spending time with his animal friends. What is poetry? If you look and listen, it’s all around you!

My Thoughts: This book is beautiful on so many levels. First, Micha Archer is a brilliant artist. I was lucky enough to receive a packet called “My Collage Techniques” along with a copy of the book. It chronicles the steps that go into making the art found within these pages. It consists of making her own stamps, stamping with cloth and acrylics, screeding (pulling a thin layer of pain across a colored piece of paper), laying tissue paper, punching/cutting holes, painting with water based oils, cutting and adjusting, and finally laying and gluing everything. And voila! A beautiful illustration. Second, I love that it focuses on different aspects of nature. Micha Archer’s artwork shines light on a spider and its web, a squirrel and its tree, chipmunk and its home, and other animals and aspects of nature in Daniel’s park. In addition to the artwork, the poetic words pay homage to all sorts of beauty in nature. Finally, the writing and poetry in the book add to the beauty of the artwork.

Stop by http://artmicha.com/ to view some of the beautiful spreads within the book.

Hoot and Peep
Author and Illustrator: Lita Judge
Published March 1st, 2016 by Dial Books

Summary: In the night skies above Paris, an adorable young owl teaches her older brother about the power of imagination—and the unconditional love between siblings.

Hoot the owl is very excited for his little sister, Peep, to join him on the cathedral rooftops. She’s finally old enough to learn all his big brother owly wisdom: First, owls say hooo. Second, they always say hooo. Lastly, they ONLY say hooo! But why would Peep say hooo when she could say schweeepty peep or dingity dong? Why would she speak when she could sing? As she explores the breathtaking Parisian cityscape, Peep discovers so many inspiring sights and sounds—the ring of cathedral bells, the slap of waves on stone—that she can’t help but be swept up in the magic of it all. Hoot doesn’t understand Peep’s awe, until he takes a pause to listen . . . and realizes that you’re never too old to learn a little something new.

From the beloved author/illustrator of the classic picture book Red Sled, this gorgeous read aloud celebrates the wonder found in little things—and in the hearts of dreamers, young and old.

My Thoughts: I love Lita Judge! She finds a way to focus on the unique and fun parts of a character’s personality and highlight the way that being different makes us all better. This one also specifically looks at sibling rivalry because Hoot is perfect and Peep wants to be just like him, and Hoot wants Peep to be just like him, but she just isn’t. It is important for both of them to realize that it is these differences that make each of them who they are. In addition, the book takes the reader on a journey through Paris which makes the adventure even more fun.

A Big Surprise for Little Card
Author: Charise Mericle Harper
Illustrator: Anna Raff
Published February 9th, 2016 by Candlewick Press

Summary: Fall in love with a disarming picture-book hero in this quirky ode to spirit, identity, and the joy of having (or being) a library card.

In the world of cards, each one has a special job to do. Big Card keeps important papers in order. Tiny Card can be exchanged for a prize in an arcade. Round Card hangs out in a glamorous boutique. But is any card as lucky as Little Card? He’s going to school to become a birthday card — in other words, to sing, play games, eat cake, and be happy all day long. But wait! On the day he’s supposed to take his talents into the world, Long Card tells him there’s been a mix-up and they need to trade jobs. How can Little Card bring his exuberance into a library, a quiet place of books and rules and hushing? Offbeat and utterly endearing, this tale of a little guy who gives it all he’s got is complete with a sweet twist and a surprise ending.

My Thoughts: I wish I had waited to get Trent a library card, so I could read this to him before we went to get his first one! I love that idea of a bunch of cards waiting around to be assigned to their destiny. Little Card is such an excitable character who just wants to know what he was made for. Although the book is about a library card, he could definitely symbolize kids figuring out what they want to be when they grow up and the journey to getting there. I also love the illustrations that are full of character, light in tone but loud in their meaning.

**Thank you to Penguin Young Readers, Candlewick Press, and Boyds Mills Press for providing copies of the books!**

Whose Story Is This, Anyway? by Mike Flaherty

August 18, 2016July 1, 2016 by Kellee

Whose Story Is This, Anyway?
Author: Mike Flaherty
Illustrator: Oriol Vidal
Published May 3rd, 2016 by Sterling Children’s Books

Summary: What’s this book about? That depends on who you ask. Our humble narrator thinks he’s got a great story for you, but he barely begins before he’s interrupted . . . by a scallywag pirate with a thrilling legend of mermaids and sea monsters! Soon an entire cast of colorful characters—including a hungry dinosaur, an alien bent on world domination, and a heroic knight—derails the boy’s saga. Everyone has a tale to tell—but if they can all get on the same page, this might turn out to be the best story ever!

About the Author: Mike Flaherty is an author and occasional hockey coach trying to keep up with his two kids and rather voracious cats. His secret lair is hidden somewhere in New Albany, OH, and he would be the world’s greatest super-villain if he could figure out how to get his Doomsday Device working. Until then, he’ll just keep writing stories.

About the Illustrator: Oriol Vidal is an illustrator and storyboard artist based in Barcelona, Spain. He graduated from UB Barcelona with a degree in Fine Arts. Including illustrating books and magazines, Oriol has worked in animation where he developed character designs and storyboards for clients in the US, France, UK, South Korea, and Spain. He happily works and lives with his little daughter, his wife, his cat, and his rowdy budgie.

Kellee’s Review: This book made me laugh out loud. The characters are zany, the premise is fun, and the outcome is perfect. I also loved the comic-esque layout of the book with dialogue bubbles and colorful illustrations. Trent and I were enthralled with the cast of characters–the author really made sure to include all kids’ favorites.

Ricki’s Review: This is a book that somehow manages to cram in almost all of my son’s favorite things—and in an interesting, humorous way! With each page, my son says, “Ooooh!” because he is so excited by the characters. I particularly like how the narrator has a cat. Too often, male narrators always hold dogs and female narrators always hold cats. My son, who loves cats, is catching on to this, and it frustrates me. The creativity in this book is admirable, and kids will love it.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book will be such a fun addition to the classroom. It can be used for writing activities and for discussions (or as a mentor text) for point of view, voice, dialogue, humor, or narration. First, it would be really fun to rewrite this story from different points of view. Since each character thinks it is their story, their view of how things went down would be very different than the boys. It is also so great how the author gives each character their own voice and personality which would lend it to be a good mentor text for distinguishing voice and using dialogue. Also, students would have so much fun writing their own story about how each character ended up on this particular beach with this boy.

Discussion Questions: Why does the boy change is mind at the end of the book?; Which character would you want a whole story about?; How do you think each character ended up at this beach?; How would you have reacted if you were the boy?

Flagged Passages:

Read This If You Loved: Faraway Friends by Russ Cox, By Mouse & Frog by Deborah Freedman, Little Red Writing by Joan Holub, Nibbles by Emma Yarlett, Journey by Aaron Becker

Recommended For:

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**Thank you to Sterling Publishing for providing copies for review!**