Picture Book – Page 81 – Unleashing Readers

Blog Tour and Review!: Catch that Cookie! by Hallie Durand

May 2, 2015December 17, 2014 by Kellee

Catch That Cookie!
Author: Hallie Durand
Illustrator: David Small
Published August 14th, 2014 by Dial

Publisher Summary: Gingerbread men can play a mean game of sneaky tag! Don’t believe it? Marshall didn’t either no matter how much his teacher, Ms. Gray, told him. But when the cookies go missing from the oven and the students find clues all around the classroom, Marshall can deny it no longer: Gingerbread men are real and they’re on the run!

From the author of the Dessert First Trilogy and Mitchell books, Hallie Durand, and Caldecott winner and two time honoree illustrator David Small, comes a tantalizing new tale that will have readers racing through the pages, eager to see where the gingerbread men have gone.

My Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book has the potential to not only be a fun, interactive read for kids, but one that could definitely be used in a classroom. Since the reader, along with Mitchell, are given clues throughout the book, the reader can work with Mitchell to try to figure out where the gingerbread men went. It would be so much fun to read this with kids. The clues are rhyming with words left out, so they must use the context clues and rhyming skills to figure out the missing word. Also, to complete track the men down in the end, Mitchell has to make some inferences which would be a great discussion on how he figured it out. So, either in the classroom or at home, this book is definitely going to get some laughs and start good conversations.

Discussion Questions: If your gingerbread man could run, where do you think he would go?; Marshall gave his cookie six raisin eyes! Tell us how you would design your own gingerbread man.

I would make my gingerbread man look like a ninja so that he would be the hardest gingerbread man to find and he would always be where ever you weren’t looking!

Comment below OR share through Twitter using #catchthatcookie!

We Flagged:

Read This If You Loved: Mitchell books by Hallie Durand, Help! We Need a Title by Herve Tullet

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Rachel at Penguin for having us as a stop on the blog tour!**

Noodles & Albie by Eric Bennett

December 11, 2014December 11, 2014 by Kellee

Noodles & Albie
Author: Eric Bennett
Illustrator: Liz Bannish
Published January 1st, 2014 by Small Batch Books

Publisher’s Summary: Noodles, a young penguin, is on his first and very memorable adventure at sea in the mysterious Southern Ocean. When his fun takes a turn and Noodles discovers he is lost, he tries to find his way home before darkness sets in, meeting an
interesting cast of characters along the way. Noodles has nearly given up when he meets a friendly fish named Albie who knows the sea “like the back of my fin.” Together, they begin their journey. Children will go along for the ride while wondering if this duo will make it home to the penguin colony before dark. This charming and imaginative story is set against a backdrop of beautifully intricate watercolor illustrations that help bring it to life.

About the Author: A native of New York City, Eric Bennett’s passion for penguins began as a kid. After graduating Queens College, he opened the world’s first all-penguin shop at South Street Seaport. In time, Bennett began offering his retail rookery online when he launched PenguinGiftShop.com. “Penguin & Fish” was one of the many inspired stories Bennett would recite to entertain his daughters in car rides and at bedtime. Bennett showed the story to his artist friend, Liz Bannish, and soon Noodles & Albie came to be. Eric presently lives in Northampton, Massachusetts with his daughters and a few hundred penguins. This is his first book. Eric Bennett is available for interview. You may find out more about the author here: http://penguingiftshop.com/noodles-albie

About the Illustrator: Liz Bannish was raised in landlocked West Springfield, Massachusetts/Amherst and currently lives in Northampton. Bannish spends her time making art and thinking about her favorite sea creatures. You may find more of the author’s work at www.lizbannish.com.

Kellee’s Review: I love penguins, I love penguin books, and I love when I find a new, good penguin book. The penguin fan in me really loved that this book had the correct setting for penguins and included science about Antartica. The author also included a penguin Q&A at the end of the book which makes this book easily cross-curricular. Then the story goes into a picture book version of a hero’s journey filled with a side kick and lots of adventures. The teacher in me loved the journey, the descriptive language (great verbs and adjectives such as sleepy, cranky, stammered, yawned), and that the dialogue was colored in blue. Then underneath it all, a friendship theme runs deep throughout. Overall, a fun picture book that would be a fantastic read aloud.

Ricki’s Review: When I was a young reader, I remember that as books became more complex, there weren’t any pictures on the page. This was always disappointing to me. I particularly like this book because I think it would make a great transitional text for young readers. There are a lot of words on each page, but the illustrations are filled with just as much fun and adventure as the passages of text. Like Kellee, I loved the possibilities for interdisciplinary connections in the end matter. Kids will be inspired to learn more about penguins after reading this book.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book would be a wonderful tool to use as a reading/science cross-curricular text. For reading, you can focus on the descriptive language, dialogue, and plot arc. Then for science, the book includes great information about penguins and Antarctica.

Discussion Questions: What other animals could Noodles have run into when on his adventure?; What other questions do you have about penguins? What new things did you learn?; Which of the words in the book were adjectives? Verbs?

We Flagged:

“”Hey, little penguin. Why so sad?” a voice called out. As Noodles looked around through the shadows a small fish swam toward him. “Are you lost?” asked the fish.
“I am,” said Noodles.” This is my first day in the ocean and I got separated form my friends and now I’m…I’m…”
“Lost,” the first said, finishing the penguin’s sentence.”

More Information About the Book and Author: You can find articles about the author and his book at Gazettenet and Mass Live.

Read This If You Loved: Penguin series by Salina Yoon, If You Were a Penguin by Florence Minor, Your Personal Penguin by Sandra Boynton, Penguins by Seymour Simon, Tacky series by Helen Lester, A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis

Recommended For:

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**Thank you to Carol for providing copies for review!**

The Lovesick Skunk by Joe Hayes

December 10, 2014December 10, 2014 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book 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!

The Lovesick Skunk
Author: Joe Hayes
Illustrator: Antonio Castro L.
Published November 9th, 2010 by Cinco Puntos Press

Goodreads Summary: Joe Hayes must have had a singular growing up in the Arizona desert because he sure loves to write stories about it. And he tells those stories of his so much to audiences all over the United States that it seems like the stories just get more and more fantastic. I bet you’ve already heard the first tall tale he wrote—The Gum-Chewing Rattler—about a rattlesnake who chewed bubblegum. Yes, it’s true. That scary snake even blew huuuuuge bubbles.

Now Joe has written a new story about his early years in Arizona. Joe, the kid, was a creature of habit. If he decided he liked to do something, he would do it over and over again. Like wear the same T-shirt until it nearly fell apart or use the same pencil until he’d sharpened it down to a nub. He also had a pair of black-and-white high-top sneakers that he loved to wear. He wore them every day. “Get rid of those shoes,” his mother told him one morning. “They smell terrible!”

Did Joe listen? Not until he met the back end of a skunk.

And this wasn’t just an ordinary skunk, but one who was lovesick.

But I’m not going to tell you who she was in love with. You’ll have to find that out for yourself.

About the Author: Joe Hayes is one of America’s premier storytellers, a nationally recognized teller of tales—true and tall—from the Hispanic, Native American, and Anglo cultures of the American Southwest.

My Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: The Lovesick Skunk reminds me of a tall-tale or other traditional literature. The way it is told, with a bit of humor and moral, and even how the book is set up with the whole page illustrations on one page and the text on the other are both reminiscent of traditional tales. I think Hayes’s story is a great introduction to personal narrative about a favorite object as well as writing a story with a moral. It could definitely be used as a mentor text.

Discussion Questions: Do you have anything, like Joe’s shoes, that are your very favorite and if you could wear them every day you would?; Do you think Joe thought about keeping his shoes even after the “Skunk incident?”

We Flagged:

Read This If You Loved: Family Pictures / Cuadros de Familia by Carmen Lomas Garza and other picture book memoirs

Recommended For:

**Thank you to John at Cinco Puntos Press for providing a copy for review**

My Yellow Balloon by Tiffany Papageorge

November 28, 2014 by Kellee

My Yellow Balloon
Author: Tiffany Papageorge
Illustrator: Erwin Madrid
Published October 1st, 2014 by Minoan Moon Publishing

Publisher’s Summary: It all started at the carnival…That’s where Joey makes a new friend: a bright yellow balloon. Joey and his beloved balloon do everything together, until the balloon accidentally slips off Joey’s wrist and flies far, far away. What will Joey do without his special friend?

Tiffany Papageorge has crafted a poignant tale of love, loss, and letting go that will serve as a comforting guide to children who are navigating the complicated emotions of grief. Learn more about Tiffany at her Facebook page or Linkedin.

Kellee’s Review: This book’s illustrations blew my mind. They are beautiful! Before I can talk about anything else, I definitely have to address how impressed I was by them. Luckily, the story is just as good as the illustrations. My Yellow Balloon is about Joey and his yellow balloon and the loss of the balloon he became attached to. This is the second book I’ve read recently about loss and grief. I think it is so important that there are picture books out there for kids dealing with tough situations. I like the way that this book symbolizes the loss by showing that Joey’s world lost color and using a fold out to show perspective as the balloon is lost. It was very well done.

Ricki’s Review: I agree with Kellee that the text features of this book are remarkable. When the color of the illustrations shift, my stomach felt like they were tied in knots, and I felt Joey’s sorrow. The language used to depict the ways Joey comes to terms with his grief are realistic and will be very helpful for children. This book should be a staple in classrooms. Even if students are not experiencing grief at the time of the story, it will help them cope with, unfortunately, the inevitability of this topic.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book could be used to talk about the concept of theme. The theme is quite evident and would inspire great discussions. Loss and grief are something that all children can connect to, and My Yellow Balloon would be a great jumping off point for this discussion.

Discussion Questions: Have you lost anything special to you? How did you feel?; Why did the author take away the colors after Joey lost his balloon?; How is the sun symbolic for Joey? Can the balloon be considered a symbol?

We Flagged:

“The balloon man wrapped the string around Joey’s wrist and said, ‘Here, let me tie you two together.’ From that moment on, they were never apart.”

Read This If You Loved: Knock, Knock by Daniel Beaty, I’ll Always Love You by Hans Wilhem, Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

Recommended For:

and

**Thank you to Christine at New Shelves Distribution for providing copies for review!**

Trent and Kellee’s Favorite Picture Books: Six to Nine Months

February 14, 2021November 21, 2014 by Kellee

I CANNOT believe that my baby boy is already 9 months old (as of yesterday)! He is growing so quickly and is such an awesome little kid. We have continued reading as close to a book a day as possible and we are currently at 230 books! He’s been alive 264 days so if you count rereads we are pretty close to a book a day.

I will say that a 9 month old is much harder to get to sit down and read a book than a 3 month old! Also, over these 3 months, we focused on doing a lot of rereads because I felt we were rushing too much through books and not finding favorites. Because of these factors, we only read 59 different books over these 3 months vs. 91 during 0-3 months and 92 during 3-6 months.

Today, I wanted to share some of our 20 favorite books that we’ve read over the last 3 months. I did not include any rereads on the list because our favorites had already been mentioned on our past lists: 0-3 months & 3-6 months.

1. Your Personal Penguin by Sandra Boynton

This is probably our favorite. It has a song of it sung by Davey Jones, and we follow along as we listen to the song. It is our go-to book right now.

2. Mini Myths by Joan Holub

I love that Joan Holub is turning myths into board books! They aren’t very detailed, but they give basic information about the myth and teach a lesson.

3. Swing! and Waddle! by Rufus Butler Seder

Scanimation illustrations mesmerize Trent, and with the rhyming text, these books are so entertaining to read.

4. Five Black Cats by Patricia Hegarty

Trent really enjoyed this book. I think it is the rhythm of the rhyming prose mixed with the colorful illustrations.
(Fun side note: When we first picked this up to read, Jim said, “Let’s read Five Black Cats.” Then Trent responded with something that sounded very much like “Fie Back Cats.” Probably a coincidence, but it was awesome!)

5. Goodnight, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

I couldn’t believe I’d never read this book before! And I love that my husband pointed out the nuance that is the mouse in the book. He made me love it even more, and the simple story with strong illustrations holds Trent’s attention.

6. You Are My Work of Art by Sue DiCicco

Such a sweet, sweet, sweet message AND it is told using classic works of art. This book is right up our alley!

7. Big Bug by Henry Cole

This is a great book about perspective. This is a tough concept to teach, so Cole’s book will be great to help share it with Trent.

8. Books Always Everywhere by Jane Blatt

Loved the promotion of reading a books with little ones in this book.

9. Up Close by Gay Wegerif

This book teaches shapes, colors, and animals! Win!

10. The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

A classic with such a sweet message about mothers’ true love.

11. Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

I remember reading this book as a child, but I hadn’t remembered how good it was. It is a story of true friendship and perseverance.

12. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

I have found that sometimes when I read a Dr. Seuss book with Trent, it doesn’t live up to my memory of the book; however, this one did! The rhymes and realization at the end are just done so well.

13. Kiss, Kiss Good Night by Ken Kesbitt

A sweet bedtime book with mom animals saying goodnight to their sweet babies.

14. Bob the Dog by Rodrigo Folgueira

Although the lesson at the end of the book was blatant, the illustrations, humor, and crazy characters makes this a new favorite for us.

15. Antic! by Cathi Hepworth

This is an ABC book like no other I’ve ever read. The inclusion of ANT in each word made it so the author had to stretch a bit, but the stretching what made it so the author had to be creative. There are some phenomenal words in this book.

16. This Moose Belongs to Me! by Oliver Jeffers

My husband read this book to Trent and it made us both laugh out loud. Another brilliant book from Oliver Jeffers.

17. Oliver by Birgitta Sif

I love the lesson that is taught in this one. It is one I look forward to reading to Trent when he gets older.

18. Pardon Me! by Daniel Miyares

Um, the ending!

19. The Girl and the Bicycle by Mark Pett

The illustrations are perfection and mixed with the sweet story of a kind girl make me read this to Trent multiple times (and since it didn’t have any words, I was able to change up the story each time!).

20. Thomas the Tank Engine: Shapes and Sizes by Wilbert Awdry

This is one of Trent’s favorite books. It is the one he pulls off the shelf (and usually puts straight in his mouth).

Almost. Baby Beluga by Raffi

I LOVED this song when I was a kid! When I read this to Trent, I pull up a You Tube video of Raffi singing, and we follow along. The book would have made the list, not been honorary, because we like the song and book; however, the ecology just isn’t correct…

What books should Trent read in the next 3 months?

Ricki and Henry’s Favorite Children’s Books (6-12 months)

November 15, 2015November 20, 2014 by Ricki

Every six months, I make an attempt to pick out the top ten picture books that Henry and I read together. This is incredibly difficult because we read so many fantastic books. But I understand, as a mom with a limited budget, that other parents may appreciate a list. We usually plow through library books and buy our favorites. Each of the books listed below is worthy of purchasing! With the holidays near, I recommend each of these. I am excluding my favorite books from our first top ten list (birth to six months). As I described in the first post, Henry, his dad, and I read books together every night, and we are excited to share these great books with all of you! They are in no particular order.

1. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

If you follow this blog, you know it is a tradition in our house to read this book every night. Henry is in love with it. His dad and I have the book memorized, and it has become our favorite. The way he reacts to each page and touches the red balloon and stars makes our hearts swell.

2. Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles

This lyrical book moved me. It is worthy of the praise it has received and may be one of the best picture books I have ever read. I was inspired to read it after A.S. King discussed it in her article of The ALAN Review. This is a wonderful text is for people of all ages. I put it on Henry’s birthday wish list.

3. Once Upon an Alphabet: Short Stories for All the Letters by Oliver Jeffers

Oliver Jeffers is, in my humble opinion, one of the best picture book authors writing today. He breaks the rules and displays his quirky, clever humor in each of his books. This is a great book to teach the alphabet to kids. Each letter has a silly short story, and several of the short stories are connected. This book made me laugh a lot, and Henry seemed to enjoy it, too!

4. Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by H. Joseph Hopkins (Linked to a Review by Kellee)

This nonfiction picture book tells the beautiful story of a remarkable woman, Kate Sessions, who brought trees to San Diego. The book is inspirational, and the illustrations are absolutely stunning. I intend to read many books about powerful women to Henry. 🙂

5. The Noisy Paint Box by Robert Munsch (Linked to a Review by Kellee)

This is a magical picture book that is well worth the hype it is receiving. It teaches about synesthesia and Kandinsky’s childhood. It made me want to get out my paint box to listen to the sounds of the paint. After learning about his life, I will be buying a Kandinsky print!

6. The Magic of Maxwell and His Tail by Maureen Stolar Kanefield

This is precisely the kind of book that I want to read to my son. It teaches him that it is only okay to be different, but that he can use his differences in ways that make him special. I adored this book and will certainly read it to him again and again.

7. Buddy and the Bunnies: Don’t Play with Your Food by Bob Shea

I absolutely adored this silly, fun story of a group of bunnies who fool a monster to prevent him from eating them. Bob Shea is an incredible storyteller, and this book reminded me of the trickster stories my grandfather used to tell me as a child.

8. The Snatchabook by Helen Docherty

I wish I had thought of the idea behind this book! It is a great story for bedtime, and Henry was drawn into the magical illustrations and rhyming language.

9. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

As one of the most censored books, you would expect this to be very controversial (rather than a true story about two penguins). I have always longed to read this book, and after reading it with Henry, I was surprised by how innocent and very well-written it is. I guess people like to challenge…the truth? Either way, censorship aside, this book is an excellent work of nonfiction that I highly recommend. I would use it to teach the value of family, but I guess I am a risk-taker. ::wink:

10. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Months after reading this book, I can still hear the “Whoo-whoo-whoo” of the owl and still feel the brisk, winter air. This text whisked us away into the setting, and it would be a great mentor text for teachers.

What are your favorite children’s books? Henry and I would love to reserve them from the library! Please share!

Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas by Lynne Cox

November 19, 2014November 19, 2014 by Ricki

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas
Author: Lynne Cox
Illustrator: Brian Floca
Published May 13, 2014 by Schwartz & Wade

GoodReads Summary: World-renowned swimmer and bestselling author Lynne Cox and Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator Brian Floca team up to bring us this inspiring story of an elephant seal who knew exactly where she belonged.

Here is the incredible story of Elizabeth, a real-life elephant seal who made her home in the Avon River in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. When Elizabeth decides to stretch out across a two-lane road, the citizens worry she might get hurt or cause traffic accidents, so a group of volunteers tows her out to sea. But Elizabeth swims all the way back to Christchurch. The volunteers catch her again and again—each time towing her farther, even hundreds of miles away—but, still, Elizabeth finds her way back home.

Includes back matter with information about elephant seals.

My Review and Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: I had never heard of this delightful elephant seal, and I was fascinated by this charming story. Lynne Cox excellently depicts this real-life seal who traveled hundreds of miles to return home. Floca’s illustrations are equally engaging, and children will be drawn to the beautiful details in this book. Readers will learn lessons of dogged determination and friendship. They will be spellbound by Elizabeth’s story and will long to learn more about elephant seals and New Zealand after reading this book. It would make a great pairing with a marine unit because of its connections to wildlife. Elizabeth is excellently personified, and children will feel connected to her.

Discussion Questions: How does Elizabeth show determination? How might you show determination in your own lives?; How does the author personify Elizabeth? Did you feel connected to her? How would the story be different if the author allowed Elizabeth to talk? Would you like the story more or less?

We Flagged: “Moving up the shore like a giant inchworm, she’d stretch herself out on the long, cool grass and take a nap in the bright sunshine.”

Read This If You Loved: And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, Ivan: The Remarkable Ture Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate

Recommended For: