As I child, I understood the poetic magic of origami even before I knew the name of the art. One of my great-great aunt's many skills was paper-folding. She could swiftly make an origami bow tie appear out of a paper scrap. That fascinating talent was as magical ability as anything I'd ever witnessed, and it was always an honor to receive one of her tidy, crisp bow ties.

Since it's National Poetry Month, the kids and I picked up a few new poetry books at the library.  One picture book we particularly like has an origami theme  -- Fold Me a Poem by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Lauren Stinger.

The summary on the copyright page states that the book is "a collection of poems about origami animals."  In reality, the Fold Me a Poem is much more than a collection.  The poems, read together in succession, collectively tell a story about an imaginative boy who plays with his origami creations all day long, from the moment he wakes up in the morning until he falls asleep in his bed at night. The short poems are rather like private thoughts as he brings the origami animals to life, folding them into splendid creatures and playing with them afterward: "Forty bright sheets / of colored paper, / a world of animals. / Who will be next?" The animals race each other, hide, and get into trouble. Even the boy's cat joins in the fun, by attacking and injuring a poor pink ostrich during a "wind storm" produced by a fan.  The cleverly designed square book  has end papers that look like origami paper. In total, the book contains 32 original poems; it does not include instructions for creating origami animals -- however, the illustrator in her end note mentions various book resources.

This poetry book provides wonderful inspiration for showing children how to capture their own thoughts in poetry form on paper! All children need to do to write their own poems is describe their own play.  O'Connell's poems are written in many different forms including haiku, apostrophe (poems of address), mask or persona poems, and process poems, making the book a useful springboard for teaching these styles.  Lauren Stringer's painted illustrations beautifully accompany the poems and are instrumental in helping the reader visualize the poems.  Stringer skillfully captures the origami creatures -- folding origami is hard enough, but painting all the shadows, showing the folds through illustration takes real talent indeed!

As for favorite poems, I adore "Night," a poem that tells how the boy adds his own star to the night sky.  My son likes the poem "Tub" mostly because the illustrations for the poem show many of the origami creations waiting for a ride on an origami boat, including a bandaged ostrich. My daughter especially likes "Mystery" because it fully captures the wonder and joy of creating your own origami. Anything, yes, anything is possible with a little imagination.

Fold Me a Poem by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Lauren Stringer. Harcourt (April 2005); ISBN 9780152025014; 32 pages
Book Source: Borrowed from our local library

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.) 

Related Links:
Kristine O'Connell George - Author Website
Lauren Stringer - Illustrator Website
Teacher's Guide - Fold Me A Poem


Today is Poem in Your Pocket Day!  When thinking about combining origami and poetry, we chanced upon a verse by the brilliant children's poet, Aileen Fisher. The poem "Baby Chick" questions how a chick knows its way out of the egg.  We've created a neat origami project to go along with the poem (plus the paper egg shell makes a neat, handy pocket to tuck the poem into!)

The directions to fold the chick and egg origami can be found at http://www.kutchuk.com.  The design is made from a single piece of paper. This is an easy, beginner origami project for kids.  I created a pdf template with folding guides to make it even easier to fold your own origami if you'd prefer to use that instead.  One is full color and the other can be colored-in by a child.  Make sure to print with page scaling set to "none" or unclick "fit to page" so that it doesn't resize the document. Click on the google doc links below to print your own copy (clicking on the image won't work).

To extend the poetry in a pocket idea and fold a poem, you could have your child write the poem on the paper before folding it into the chick/egg shape!  Or, if your child can't write, print out the poem and tuck it into the pocket formed by the folded egg shell.

Display Comments Add a Comment

As I child, I understood the poetic magic of origami even before I knew the name of the art. One of my great-great aunt's many skills was paper-folding. She could swiftly make an origami bow tie appear out of a paper scrap. That fascinating talent was as magical ability as anything I'd ever witnessed, and it was always an honor to receive one of her tidy, crisp bow ties.

Since it's National Poetry Month, the kids and I picked up a few new poetry books at the library.  One picture book we particularly like has an origami theme  -- Fold Me a Poem by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Lauren Stringer.

The summary on the copyright page states that the book is "a collection of poems about origami animals."  In reality, the Fold Me a Poem is much more than a collection.  The poems, read together in succession, collectively tell a story about an imaginative boy who plays with his origami creations all day long, from the moment he wakes up in the morning until he falls asleep in his bed at night. The short poems are rather like private thoughts as he brings the origami animals to life, folding them into splendid creatures and playing with them afterward: "Forty bright sheets / of colored paper, / a world of animals. / Who will be next?" The animals race each other, hide, and get into trouble. Even the boy's cat joins in the fun, by attacking and injuring a poor pink ostrich during a "wind storm" produced by a fan.  The cleverly designed square book  has end papers that look like origami paper. In total, the book contains 32 original poems. It does not include instructions for creating origami animals -- however, the illustrator in her end note mentions various book resources.

This poetry book provides wonderful inspiration for showing children how to capture their own thoughts in poetry form on paper! All children need to do to write their own poems is describe their own play.  O'Connell's poems are written in many different forms including haiku, apostrophe (poems of address), mask or persona poems, and process poems, making the book a useful springboard for teaching these styles.  Lauren Stringer's painted illustrations beautifully accompany the poems and are instrumental in helping the reader visualize the poems.  Stringer skillfully captures the origami creatures -- folding origami is hard enough, but painting all the shadows, showing the folds through illustration takes real talent indeed!

As for favorite poems, I adore "Night," a poem that tells how the boy adds his own star to the night sky.  My son likes the poem "Tub" mostly because the illustrations for the poem show many of the origami creations  (including a bandaged ostrich) waiting for a ride on an origami boat. My daughter especially likes "Mystery" because it fully captures the wonder and joy of creating your own origami. Anything, yes, anything is possible with a little imagination.

Fold Me a Poem by Kristine O'Connell George, illustrated by Lauren Stringer. Harcourt (April 2005); ISBN 9780152025014; 32 pages
Book Source: Borrowed from our local library

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.) 

Related Links:
Kristine O'Connell George - Author Website
Lauren Stringer - Illustrator Website
Teacher's Guide - Fold Me A Poem


Today is Poem in Your Pocket Day!  When thinking about combining origami and poetry, we chanced upon a verse by the brilliant children's poet, Aileen Fisher. The poem "Baby Chick" questions how a chick knows its way out of the egg.  We've created a neat origami project to go along with the poem (plus the paper egg shell makes a neat, handy pocket to tuck the poem into!)

The directions to fold the chick and egg origami can be found at http://www.kutchuk.com.  The design is made from a single piece of paper. This is an easy, beginner origami project for kids.  I created a pdf template with folding guides to make it even easier to fold your own origami if you'd prefer to use that instead.  One is full color and the other can be colored-in by a child.  Make sure to print with page scaling set to "none" or unclick "fit to page" so that it doesn't resize the document. Click on the google doc links below to print your own copy (clicking on the image won't work).

To extend the poetry in a pocket idea and fold a poem, you could have your child write the poem on the paper before folding it into the chick/egg shape!  Or, if your child can't write, print out the poem and tuck it into the pocket formed by the folded egg shell.

Add a Comment

Did you know April is National Poetry Month?  It's the perfect time to pull down those dusty poetry volumes from your bookshelves and read a few verses with your kids. Better yet, why not start off this month with a goal of reading a poem a day together?

Travis at 100 Scope Notes always kicks off poetry month by compiling Book Spine Poems.  He's currently inviting others to submit their best compositions.  Our family has participated in the book spine poetry challenge before with a spine poem titled, The Runaway Bunny.  This year we scoured our home for books that would fit in with a tree/bird theme and came up with this little ditty:

Display Comments Add a Comment

Did you know April is National Poetry Month?  It's the perfect time to pull down those dusty poetry volumes from your bookshelves and read a few verses with your kids. Better yet, why not start off this month with a goal of reading a poem a day together?

Travis at 100 Scope Notes always kicks off poetry month by compiling Book Spine Poems.  He's currently inviting others to submit their best compositions.  Our family has participated in the book spine poetry challenge before with a spine poem titled, The Runaway Bunny.  This year we scoured our home for books that would fit in with a tree/bird theme and came up with this little ditty:

Add a Comment

The golden egg is missing! Wendy Wax and Dave Garbot's newest picture puzzle book tells of an egg-straordinary egg-mergency. Someone in Easterville has nabbed the Easter Bunny's special golden egg, and the Easter Bunny is on the Loose searching everywhere for clues to discover who took his golden egg. To help solve the mystery, readers must search the detailed, double-page spreads (reminiscent of the Where's Waldo books) to locate the Easter Bunny in the scenes and find important evidence left by an egg-snatching suspect.  As each of the clues are located, the possible suspects (pictured in the beginning of the book) can be eliminated one by one until a culprit emerges.

My kids enjoy solve-it-yourself mystery books as well as seek and finds. This fun, Easter-themed Seek and Solve Mystery kept them happily entertained for quite awhile.  Even after they solved the mystery they continued to pour over the busy, comic-style illustrations, looking at all the silly sights in Easterville (An Eggcellent Place to Live). Besides eggs, chicks, and the usual Easter fare, there are bunnies, bunnies everywhere -- bunny ballet, a carrot concession stand and a gigantic chocolate bunny. There's also a green frog hiding in every scene, though we have no idea why he'd be interested in living in Easterville unless he's looking for some hopping lessons.

Do you have a little reading detective in your home?  Easter Bunny on the Loose! A Seek and Solve Mystery makes a colorful, amusing addition to any child's spring-themed library. Also it's a good fit for kids that enjoy Where's Waldo or I Spy style books. Other "On the Loose" series books include Monsters on the Loose! and Santa on the Loose!

Easter Bunny on the Loose!: A Seek and Solve Mystery! by Wendy Wax, illustrated by Dave Garbot. HarperCollins (January 2013); ISBN 9780062237095; 32 pages
Source: Review copy provided by publisher

Related links:
Wendy Wax - Author Website
Dave Garbot - Illustrator Website





For more lesson plans, books and activity ideas involving mystery books for young readers view the Ingredients of a Mystery unit plan at Scholastic.  There's even a blank suspect list you can print out for free!


I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)  

Add a Comment

The golden egg is missing! Wendy Wax and Dave Garbot's newest picture puzzle book tells of an egg-straordinary egg-mergency. Someone in Easterville has nabbed the Easter Bunny's special golden egg, and the Easter Bunny is on the Loose searching everywhere for clues to discover who took his golden egg. To help solve the mystery, readers must search the detailed, double-page spreads (reminiscent of the Where's Waldo books) to locate the Easter Bunny in the scenes and find important evidence left by an egg-snatching suspect.  As each of the clues are located, the possible suspects (pictured in the beginning of the book) can be eliminated one by one until a culprit emerges.

My kids enjoy solve-it-yourself mystery books as well as seek and finds so we were happy to receive this book for review from HarperCollins. The fun, Easter-themed Seek and Solve Mystery kept them happily entertained for quite awhile.  Even after they solved the mystery they continued to pour over the busy, comic-style illustrations, looking at all the silly sights in Easterville (An Eggcellent Place to Live). Besides eggs, chicks, and the usual Easter fare, there are bunnies, bunnies everywhere -- bunny ballet, a carrot concession stand and a gigantic chocolate bunny. There's also a green frog hiding in every scene, though we have no idea why he'd be interested in living in Easterville unless he's looking for some hopping lessons.

Do you have a little reading detective in your home?  Easter Bunny on the Loose! A Seek and Solve Mystery makes a colorful, amusing addition to any child's spring-themed library. Also it's a good fit for kids that enjoy Where's Waldo or I Spy style books. Other "On the Loose" series books include Monsters on the Loose! and Santa on the Loose!

Easter Bunny on the Loose!: A Seek and Solve Mystery! by Wendy Wax, illustrated by Dave Garbot. HarperCollins (January 2013); ISBN 9780062237095; 32 pages
Source: Review copy provided by publisher

Related links:
Wendy Wax - Author Website
Dave Garbot - Illustrator Website





For more lesson plans, books and activity ideas involving mystery books for young readers view the Ingredients of a Mystery unit plan at Scholastic.  There's even a blank suspect list you can print out for free!

Add a Comment

In a few hours the ALA will announce the 2013 Youth Media Awards.  Here in the Brimful home we have considered our picture book favorites from 2012 and are pleased to announce our predictions for the Caldecott Award.

Add a Comment

In a few hours the ALA will announce the 2013 Youth Media Awards.  Here in the Brimful home we have considered our picture book favorites from 2012 and are pleased to announce our predictions for the Caldecott Award.

Add a Comment

Tiny Tot -Waiting to perform in the Nutcracker

We've been living and breathing Nutcracker these past few weeks and months. My daughter performs the part of a Party Girl and a Mirliton in our local Nutcracker production this December.  My son plays a smaller role, but he's super cute nonetheless as a Tiny Tot in the party scene.  They've both spent a lot of time both back stage, below stage and on stage during rehearsals. Now that the performances have started, we've been spending even more quality time at the theater.

Participating in the Nutcracker production has provided both of my kids with a valuable opportunity to witness first hand all that goes on behind the scenes during a live performance.  Most audience members remain blissfully unaware of hustle and bustle of activity back stage.  Make-up and hair, costumes, props and set, lighting, warm-up - the magic begins long before the curtain opens.

As I was researching Nutcracker themed children's books, I came across a wonderful picture book title by Rachel Isadora that provides a unique look at the Nutcracker ballet from a performer's point of view.  Lili on Stage follows a young girl named Lili as she gets ready to perform as a party girl in Act I of a Nutcracker production.  She and her friends warm-up, put on their make-up and costumes and wait in the wings until finally they walk on stage and join the fabulous party scene, watching as Drosselmeyer gives the gift of a nutcracker. Off stage, as she heads back to the changing room, Lili sees all the dancers who will perform in Act II - Marzipan, Dew Drop, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and more - dressed and ready to dance.

Isadora beautifully captures all the preparation, awe and excitement a young dancer experiences when getting ready to perform in a ballet production.  Her lovely watercolor illustrations suit the theme particularly well, realistically and expressively illustrating the dancers. Both boy and girl dancers are portrayed, and Isadora also shows racial diversity of the cast in her depiction of the performers. Isadora herself was a professional dancer before she began a career in children's books.  Her first-hand knowledge of ballet and the dancer's life is evident in every single page of this book.  Ballet instructors may want to read the story aloud to students before a performance because the book offers plenty of helpful advice for performers: no speaking on stage, hold your head high, don't eat or drink while in costume.  Isadora provides readers with a short summary of the Nutcracker story in the beginning of the book.

Mirliton - Dance of the Reed Flutes

My daughter loves this book because it shows all of the different character dancers in Act II of the Nutcracker ballet.  She performs as a Mirliton (a.k.a. Marzipan or Shepardess) during the Dance of the Reed Flutes, and surprisingly we've had a hard time finding this particular piece depicted in Nutcracker children's books. Luckily, Isadora included the divertissements, although she uses some different terms for the characters than we are used to -- the Russian (Trepak) I believe is depicted as Candycane?!

Lili on Stage is part of Isadora's "Lili" series, a picture book series perfectly suited for young ballerinas.  The book is currently out-of-print, but can be found at a reasonable cost used. Other books in the series include: Lili at Ballet and Lili Backstage.

Lili on Stage by Rachel Isadora. Putnam (October 1995); ISBN 9780399226373; 32 pages
Book Source: Personal copy

Related links:
Rachel Isadora - Website

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)  

Display Comments Add a Comment

Tiny Tot -Waiting to perform in the Nutcracker

We've been living and breathing Nutcracker these past few weeks and months. My daughter performs the part of a Party Girl and a Mirliton in our local Nutcracker production this December.  My son plays a smaller role, but he's super cute nonetheless as a Tiny Tot in the party scene.  They've both spent a lot of time both back stage, below stage and on stage during rehearsals. Now that the performances have started, we've been spending even more quality time at the theater.

Participating in the Nutcracker production has provided both of my kids with a valuable opportunity to witness first hand all that goes on behind the scenes during a live performance.  Most audience members remain blissfully unaware of the hustle and bustle of activity back stage.  Make-up and hair, costumes, props and set, lighting, warm-up - the magic begins long before the curtain opens.

As I was researching Nutcracker themed children's books, I came across a wonderful picture book title by Rachel Isadora that provides a unique look at the Nutcracker ballet from a performer's point of view.  Lili on Stage follows a young girl named Lili as she gets ready to perform as a party girl in Act I of a Nutcracker production.  She and her friends warm-up, put on their make-up and costumes and wait in the wings until finally they walk on stage and join the fabulous party scene, watching as Drosselmeyer gives the gift of a nutcracker. Off stage, as she heads back to the changing room, Lili sees all the dancers who will perform in Act II - Marzipan, Dew Drop, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and more - dressed and ready to dance.

Isadora beautifully captures all the preparation, awe and excitement a young dancer experiences when getting ready to perform in a ballet production.  Her lovely watercolor illustrations suit the theme particularly well, realistically and expressively illustrating the dancers. Both boy and girl dancers are portrayed, and Isadora also shows racial diversity of the cast in her depiction of the performers. Isadora herself was a professional dancer before she began a career in children's books.  Her first-hand knowledge of ballet and the dancer's life is evident in every single page of this book.  Ballet instructors may want to read the story aloud to students before a performance because the book offers plenty of helpful advice for performers: no speaking on stage, hold your head high, don't eat or drink while in costume.  Isadora provides readers with a short summary of the Nutcracker story in the beginning of the book.

Mirliton - Dance of the Reed Flutes

My daughter loves this book because it shows all of the different character dancers in Act II of the Nutcracker ballet.  She performs as a Mirliton (a.k.a. Marzipan or Shepardess) during the Dance of the Reed Flutes, and surprisingly we've had a hard time finding this particular piece depicted in Nutcracker children's books. Luckily, Isadora included the divertissements, although she uses some different terms for the characters than we are used to -- the Russian (Trepak) I believe is depicted as Candycane?!

Lili on Stage is part of Isadora's "Lili" series, a picture book series perfectly suited for young ballerinas.  The book is currently out-of-print, but can be found at a reasonable cost used. Other books in the series include: Lili at Ballet and Lili Backstage.

Lili on Stage by Rachel Isadora. Putnam (October 1995); ISBN 9780399226373; 32 pages
Book Source: Personal copy

Related links:
Rachel Isadora - Website

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)  

Add a Comment

This December I plan on reviewing several different versions of E. T. A. Hoffman's The Nutcracker.  Before I start with the book reviews, I've decided to highlight something a little different, an awesome Nutcracker storybook app that happens to be available for free today on Apple itunes! If you're a fan of the Nutcracker ballet and enjoy the music and the story, this is an app you must absolutely download!

The Nutcracker Musical Storybook is an animated, interactive app based on the ballet version of the Nutcracker.  This app by Mouse King Media combines excerpts of Tchaikovsky's music with a short, picture book format story featuring artwork by Yoko Tanaka. The app can be played as either a storybook or movie version.

Illustrator Tanka channels some of the Sugar Plum fairy's magic and beautifully captures the fantasy elements of the Nutcracker in her lovely, enchanting illustrations. It's a splendid treat to interact with this app -- Clara, the Nutcracker, the seven-headed Mouse King and all the dancers magically to spring to life right on the screen.  The scenes in The Land of Sweets are incredible, particularly the Russian Dancers scene.  The story is not narrated, like other storybook apps, so children will need to read the words themselves or have an adult read aloud the story.

I purchased The Nutcracker Musical Storybook on Amazon for our Kindle Fire last month. Since both my kids are performing in the Nutcracker this holiday season, I thought they might enjoy an interactive version. I highly recommend this app. Even if you can't get it free, it's still a bargain at $2.99. The app provides a nice introduction to both the music of the Nutcracker and also the basic storyline. 

The app is available for ipad, Android, Amazon Appstore, and also Nook.


I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)  

Display Comments Add a Comment

This December I plan on reviewing several different versions of E. T. A. Hoffman's The Nutcracker.  Before I start with the book reviews, I've decided to highlight something a little different, an awesome Nutcracker storybook app that happens to be available for free today on Apple itunes! If you're a fan of the Nutcracker ballet and enjoy the music and the story, this is an app you must absolutely download!

The Nutcracker Musical Storybook is an animated, interactive app based on the ballet version of the Nutcracker.  This app by Mouse King Media combines excerpts of Tchaikovsky's music with a short, picture book format story featuring artwork by Yoko Tanaka. The app can be played as either a storybook or movie version.

Illustrator Tanka channels some of the Sugar Plum fairy's magic and beautifully captures the fantasy elements of the Nutcracker in her lovely, enchanting illustrations. It's a splendid treat to interact with this app -- Clara, the Nutcracker, the seven-headed Mouse King and all the dancers magically to spring to life right on the screen.  The scenes in The Land of Sweets are incredible, particularly the Russian Dancers scene.  The story is not narrated, like other storybook apps, so children will need to read the words themselves or have an adult read aloud the story.

I purchased The Nutcracker Musical Storybook on Amazon for our Kindle Fire last month. Since both my kids are performing in the Nutcracker this holiday season, I thought they might enjoy an interactive version. I highly recommend this app. Even if you can't get it free, it's still a bargain at $2.99. The app provides a nice introduction to both the music of the Nutcracker and also the basic storyline. 

The app is available for ipad, Android, Amazon Appstore, and also Nook.


I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)  

Add a Comment

If you've read books together with a preschooler or early elementary aged child I imagine you've seen Mercer Mayer's popular Little Critter books.  But if you are like us, you might not be familiar with another of Mercer Mayer's fabulously cute characters -- Little Monster.

Little Monster has pointy ears and teeth, wings and a spiky tail. He's a not-to-scary, overall-wearing, dragon kind of monster that spends his days doing the ordinary things all children do: going to school, spending time with his family and trying to stay out of trouble.  The Little Monster series books were first published in the late 1970s, and the bestselling books continue to be popular with young kids today. However, many of the books are now long out-of-print. 

FastPencil is helping to bring back the Little Monster books for a new generation to read. The company has released a fantastic Mercer Mayer Classic Collectible four-book series. The books feature Mayer's “Little Monster” character.  My family recently had the chance to read one of the books in the series: Mercer Mayer's Little Monster Home School and Work Book.

Though it's printed with different formatting, Mercer Mayer's Little Monster Home, School and Work Book is actually a compilation of three of Mayer's original picture books: Little Monster at Home, Little Monster at School and Little Monster at Work. As collections tend to be, this hardcover book is larger-sized, 92 pages long in all.  Each of the stories are treated like separate chapters within the book and a table of content in front indicates page numbers.  The book is also available as an e-book download (we received the hardcover copy version to review).

Young kids can easily identify with Little Monster -- after all, even though he's dragon-like, he acts like a normal kid, not a monster! The illustrations in the book are very similar to those in the Little Critter series, packed full of imaginative, action-filled scenes and interesting characters.

My kids especially appreciate how Mayer includes little humorous scenarios within the illustrations including aliens at the airport and a spider inching down from a bathroom sink right in front of a monster cat.  In fact, the illustrations are so fun to look at, you'll want to spend a little extra time pouring over the pages while reading to make sure you don't miss anything in the book.  Both my kids found the book engaging and enjoyable. It's a good read aloud for preschoolers and also is challenging and interesting enough for early readers.  I'd recommend it for ages preschool-2nd grade.

Little Monster gives a tour of his house in Little Monster at Home. He starts with the cellar, a rather  unusual choice. (Who starts a home tour with the cellar? - I guess monsters do!)  Mayer provides readers with a fun glimpse into the life of the Little Monster family. They take baths and do the laundry just like the rest of us.  Little Monster's pet Kerploppus sleeps on the couch, "even though he is not supposed to."  The book also details what the family does around the house during the various seasons. I adore the winter illustrations.  Little Monster mentions Christmas and likes his house best in wintertime because "it's so very snuggly and warm." 

In Little Monster at School, a student named Yally doesn't seem to like school much at all. He gets frustrated easily and wants to be the best at everything. Little Monster shows how to be a good friend and helps brings out the best in Yally by boosting Yally's self-confidence with some well-deserved praise. [In related news, earlier this year Wanderful, Inc. released a Little Monster at School iPad storybook app.]

My son's favorite section of the book is the Little Monster at Work part. The busy illustrations and focus on vocabulary building in this Little Monster story remind me of Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day. Little Monster follows his grandfather to various places and learns about different occupations.  Together they visit a road construction site, car shop, T.V. station, circus, newspaper business, medical center, campsite,  marina, the moon, a diner, home construction site, airport, farmer's market, the Olympics, craft fair, town square, and also learn about jobs in science.  There's not much explanation in the text as to what the various jobs entail, but the illustrations offer unlimited discussion possibilities.

Little Monster Home School and Work Book by Mercer Mayer. FastPencil Premiere (October 2012); ISBN 9781607469452; 92 pages
Book Source: Review copy provided by publisher

Other books in the Mercer Mayer Classic Collectible series include: Little Monster Word Book with Mother Goose; Little Monster Fun and Learn Book and Professor Wormbog In Search for the Zipperump-a-Zoo 

Related Links
http://www.mercermayer.com/
http://www.littlecritter.com

The book ends with a question from Little Monster, "Did you see anything in my book that you would like to be?" I asked my son what he wanted to be when he grows up and he replied, "a fixer."  That's not entirely surprising considering both of his grandfathers are retired mechanics. We talked about the different tools mechanics use, and I asked him to identify a few common tools.  He knew a few but it became quickly apparent that his basic tool vocabulary is lacking.

We were on a vocabulary kick after reading the word heavy "At Work" section of Mayer's book, so I decided to further the educational lessons and make some tool flashcards and a paper tool box envelope to hold the flashcards for my son. Now he knows correct tool terminology and can call the tools by their proper names (both grandpas will be so proud). We've played with the cards in a variety of ways including putting the tools in alphabetical order. I'm considering printing out a second set so we can play Go Fish--tool style.




Hand Tools Activities and Worksheets for Kids
Tool Coloring Pages and Writing Practice - Twisty Noodle
Handy Manny Toolbox Printable - Family.com
T is for Toolbelt Craft - Brilliant Beginnings Preschool
Matching Tools Printable (Pre-K - 1st) - TeacherVision
Tools Printouts - EnchantedLearning.com
Webelos Craftsman Activity Badge Worksheets - Boy Scout Trail
Felt Tools and Toolbox Templates - Serving Pink Lemonade

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)  

Display Comments Add a Comment

If you've read books together with a preschooler or early elementary aged child I imagine you've seen Mercer Mayer's popular Little Critter books.  But if you are like us, you might not be familiar with another of Mercer Mayer's fabulously cute characters -- Little Monster.

Little Monster has pointy ears and teeth, wings and a spiky tail. He's a not-to-scary, overall-wearing, dragon kind of monster that spends his days doing the ordinary things all children do: going to school, spending time with his family and trying to stay out of trouble.  The Little Monster series books were first published in the late 1970s, and the bestselling books continue to be popular with young kids today. However, many of the books are now long out-of-print. 

FastPencil is helping to bring back the Little Monster books for a new generation to read. The company has released a fantastic Mercer Mayer Classic Collectible four-book series. The books feature Mayer's “Little Monster” character.  My family recently had the chance to read one of the books in the series: Mercer Mayer's Little Monster Home School and Work Book.

Though it's printed with different formatting, Mercer Mayer's Little Monster Home, School and Work Book is actually a compilation of three of Mayer's original picture books: Little Monster at Home, Little Monster at School and Little Monster at Work. As collections tend to be, this hardcover book is larger-sized, 92 pages long in all.  Each of the stories are treated like separate chapters within the book and a table of content in front indicates page numbers.  The book is also available as an e-book download (we received the hardcover copy version to review).

Young kids can easily identify with Little Monster -- after all, even though he's dragon-like, he acts like a normal kid, not a monster! The illustrations in the book are very similar to those in the Little Critter series, packed full of imaginative, action-filled scenes and interesting characters.

My kids especially appreciate how Mayer includes little humorous scenarios within the illustrations including aliens at the airport and a spider inching down from a bathroom sink right in front of a monster cat.  In fact, the illustrations are so fun to look at, you'll want to spend a little extra time pouring over the pages while reading to make sure you don't miss anything in the book.  Both my kids found the book engaging and enjoyable. It's a good read aloud for preschoolers and also is challenging and interesting enough for early readers.  I'd recommend it for ages preschool-2nd grade.

Little Monster gives a tour of his house in Little Monster at Home. He starts with the cellar, a rather  unusual choice. (Who starts a home tour with the cellar? - I guess monsters do!)  Mayer provides readers with a fun glimpse into the life of the Little Monster family. They take baths and do the laundry just like the rest of us.  Little Monster's pet Kerploppus sleeps on the couch, "even though he is not supposed to."  The book also details what the family does around the house during the various seasons. I adore the winter illustrations.  Little Monster mentions Christmas and likes his house best in wintertime because "it's so very snuggly and warm." 

In Little Monster at School, a student named Yally doesn't seem to like school much at all. He gets frustrated easily and wants to be the best at everything. Little Monster shows how to be a good friend and helps brings out the best in Yally by boosting Yally's self-confidence with some well-deserved praise. [In related news, earlier this year Wanderful, Inc. released a Little Monster at School iPad storybook app.]

My son's favorite section of the book is the Little Monster at Work part. The busy illustrations and focus on vocabulary building in this Little Monster story remind me of Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day. Little Monster follows his grandfather to various places and learns about different occupations.  Together they visit a road construction site, car shop, T.V. station, circus, newspaper business, medical center, campsite,  marina, the moon, a diner, home construction site, airport, farmer's market, the Olympics, craft fair, town square, and also learn about jobs in science.  There's not much explanation in the text as to what the various jobs entail, but the illustrations offer unlimited discussion possibilities.

Little Monster Home School and Work Book by Mercer Mayer. FastPencil Premiere (October 2012); ISBN 9781607469452; 92 pages
Book Source: Review copy provided by publisher

Other books in the Mercer Mayer Classic Collectible series include: Little Monster Word Book with Mother Goose; Little Monster Fun and Learn Book and Professor Wormbog In Search for the Zipperump-a-Zoo 

Related Links
http://www.mercermayer.com/
http://www.littlecritter.com

The book ends with a question from Little Monster, "Did you see anything in my book that you would like to be?" I asked my son what he wanted to be when he grows up and he replied, "a fixer."  That's not entirely surprising considering both of his grandfathers are retired mechanics. We talked about the different tools mechanics use, and I asked him to identify a few common tools.  He knew a few but it became quickly apparent that his basic tool vocabulary is lacking.

We were on a vocabulary kick after reading the word heavy "At Work" section of Mayer's book, so I decided to further the educational lessons and make some tool flashcards and a paper tool box envelope to hold the flashcards for my son. Now he knows correct tool terminology and can call the tools by their proper names (both grandpas will be so proud). We've played with the cards in a variety of ways including putting the tools in alphabetical order. I'm considering printing out a second set so we can play Go Fish--tool style.




Hand Tools Activities and Worksheets for Kids
Tool Coloring Pages and Writing Practice - Twisty Noodle
Handy Manny Toolbox Printable - Family.com
T is for Toolbelt Craft - Brilliant Beginnings Preschool
Matching Tools Printable (Pre-K - 1st) - TeacherVision
Tools Printouts - EnchantedLearning.com
Webelos Craftsman Activity Badge Worksheets - Boy Scout Trail
Felt Tools and Toolbox Templates - Serving Pink Lemonade

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)  

Add a Comment

Display Comments Add a Comment

Add a Comment

The Halloween costumes are ready for a night of trick-or-treating.  My daughter is dressing up as a Prairie Girl and my son's costume is a Bald Eagle (both hand sewn by me with a little help from my mom).  I'm a big fan of homemade costumes because I think they make Halloween just a little more personal and special.

One of my absolute favorite things about Halloween is seeing all the creative costumes. And one of the best things about children's Halloween picture books is the varied illustrations of creative costumes!  But sometimes those costumes and the outdoor sights and sounds can be a little too scary ... then what?

        Just Say BOO!


Jed Henry's fantastic watercolor illustrations in the new Halloween book Just Say Boo! show trick-or-treaters dressed as a bat, shark, witch and more, posed and ready to say "BOO!" to ward off everything scary. Spooky ghost decorations, howling wind in the trees, grim jack-o'lanterns -- kids can make them all less frightening by shouting BOO!  Henry's charming illustrations, combined with Susan Hood's playful text, show young children how to dispel their Halloween fears by making trick-or-treat time fun and silly. The call and answer format of the text makes the book a lively read-aloud and elicits numerous shouts of "BOO!"

Going trick-or-treating tonight?  This is the perfect book to read beforehand.

Just Say Boo! by Susan Hood, illustrated by Jed Henry.  HarperCollins Children's Books (July 2012); ISBN 9780062010292; 32 pages
Book Source: Review copy provided by publisher

Related links:
Susan Hood - Author Website
Jed Henry - Illustrator Website
Just Say Boo! Printable Halloween Cards and Masks
 

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.) 

Add a Comment

The Halloween costumes are ready for a night of trick-or-treating.  My daughter is dressing up as a Prairie Girl and my son's costume is a Bald Eagle (both hand sewn by me with a little help from my mom).  I'm a big fan of homemade costumes because I think they make Halloween just a little more personal and special.

One of my absolute favorite things about Halloween is seeing all the creative costumes. And one of the best things about children's Halloween picture books is the varied illustrations of creative costumes!  But sometimes those costumes and the outdoor sights and sounds can be a little too scary ... then what?

        Just Say BOO!


Jed Henry's fantastic watercolor illustrations in the new Halloween book Just Say Boo! show trick-or-treaters dressed as a bat, shark, witch and more, posed and ready to say "BOO!" to ward off everything scary. Spooky ghost decorations, howling wind in the trees, grim jack-o'lanterns -- kids can make them all less frightening by shouting BOO!  Henry's charming illustrations, combined with Susan Hood's playful text, show young children how to dispel their Halloween fears by making trick-or-treat time fun and silly. The call and answer format of the text makes the book a lively read-aloud and elicits numerous shouts of "BOO!"

Going trick-or-treating tonight?  This is the perfect book to read beforehand.

Just Say Boo! by Susan Hood, illustrated by Jed Henry.  HarperCollins Children's Books (July 2012); ISBN 9780062010292; 32 pages
Book Source: Review copy provided by publisher

Related links:
Susan Hood - Author Website
Jed Henry - Illustrator Website
Just Say Boo! Printable Halloween Cards and Masks
 

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.) 

Add a Comment

If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call?  GHOSTBUSTERS - right? Maybe not, if there's a certain ghost-catching little girl who lives nearby.

Ghosts in the House, a cute picture book my kids love to read every Halloween, introduces a little girl who is the ULTIMATE Ghostbuster.  She moves into a house filled with ghosts but remains unfazed because she knows exactly how to catch ghosts.  With help from her black cat friend she puts her bewitching skills to work. And after she catches all the ghosts she puts them into her washing machine!

Kazuno Kohara published this bright orange book only a few years ago in 2008, but the story deserves recognition as a classic Halloween tale. Perfect for preschoolers and early elementary kids, it's sure to remain a Halloween favorite of young kids for many years to come.  The ghosts in the book aren't scary at all, and the amusing storyline elicits a few giggles with each reading.  Best of all are the unique linocut illustrations.  Using a limited palette of orange and black, Kohara creates bold, cleanly designed haunted house images.  She superimposes white see-through ghosts over the orange background and black lines. The effect is stunning -- the ghosts look like magical tissue paper apparitions!

Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara.  Roaring Brook Press / Macmillan (August 2008); ISBN 9781596434271; 32 pages
Book Source: Copy from our personal library

The kids liked the idea of having a house filled with friendly ghosts, so we made a few translucent ghosts for our window out of freezer paper. Our ghosts look exactly like the ghost waving out of the window of the house on the front cover of Ghosts in the House (you can sort of see the window grid pattern through our ghosts, too). The freezer paper ghosts are a cheap and easy last minute Halloween decoration that the kids can help with. We colored in the eyes and mouth with a black permanent marker. Now our house is haunted but with cute ghosts, not spooky ones!






I wasn't the first to come up with this fabulous Halloween decorating idea -- I saw it on ... where else? ... a Pinterest pin from My Material Life.

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.) 

Add a Comment

If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call?  GHOSTBUSTERS - right? Maybe not, if there's a certain ghost-catching little girl who lives nearby.

Ghosts in the House, a cute picture book my kids love to read every Halloween, introduces a little girl who is the ULTIMATE Ghostbuster.  She moves into a house filled with ghosts but remains unfazed because she knows exactly how to catch ghosts.  With help from her black cat friend she puts her bewitching skills to work. And after she catches all the ghosts she puts them into her washing machine!

Kazuno Kohara published this bright orange book only a few years ago in 2008, but the story deserves recognition as a classic Halloween tale. Perfect for preschoolers and early elementary kids, it's sure to remain a Halloween favorite of young kids for many years to come.  The ghosts in the book aren't scary at all, and the amusing storyline elicits a few giggles with each reading.  Best of all are the unique linocut illustrations.  Using a limited palette of orange and black, Kohara creates bold, cleanly designed haunted house images.  She superimposes white see-through ghosts over the orange background and black lines. The effect is stunning -- the ghosts look like magical tissue paper apparitions!

Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara.  Roaring Brook Press / Macmillan (August 2008); ISBN 9781596434271; 32 pages
Book Source: Copy from our personal library

The kids liked the idea of having a house filled with friendly ghosts, so we made a few translucent ghosts for our window out of freezer paper. Our ghosts look exactly like the ghost waving out of the window of the house on the front cover of Ghosts in the House (you can sort of see the window grid pattern through our ghosts, too). The freezer paper ghosts are a cheap and easy last minute Halloween decoration that the kids can help with. We colored in the eyes and mouth with a black permanent marker. Now our house is haunted but with cute ghosts, not spooky ones!






I wasn't the first to come up with this fabulous Halloween decorating idea -- I saw it on ... where else? ... a Pinterest pin from My Material Life.

I am an Amazon affiliate and may receive a very small commission for products purchased through my Amazon links. (View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.) 

Add a Comment

Welcome to the October Carnival of Children's Literature!  What's brewing in the blog world of children's books?  The cauldron is bubbling over!  Read on to find oodles of books and posts on a multitude of topics.

For those not familiar with the Carnival of Children's Literature, it is a monthly round-up of submitted blog posts about children's literature.  The carnival is hosted at a different blog every month.  Find out more and/or participate in the carnival at Anastasia Suen's Booktalking.

Wondering about the cute cauldron pictured over to the right? -- It contains my family's collection of Halloween books.  I borrowed the book cauldron idea from Obseussed after seeing it on Pinterest.   

Beware! BOOks
Since it's the spooky time of the year, let's start off the Carnival with:

 
Halloween themed books

The Picture Book Review introduces the picture book, Asiago by Adam McHeffey.
Tiffa, a fellow stay-at-home mom recently enjoyed the book with her son and says, "Asiago is a great book for young children.  It has a vampire theme that will mesh well with Halloween without being all about Halloween.  This book deserves more attention and more readers."  

Storied Cities recommends a picture book she discovered by accident, The Trip by Ezra Jack Keats.
According to Erica, "This is one of the few Halloween picture books with an urban setting. It's also one of Keats' lesser known titles (or so I believe)."

The Adventures in Writing & Publishing featured a series of posts in October called 13 Lucky Days of Halloween Reviews. There's a wide assortment of spooky, fun books for a range of ages. One of Lisa's posts is about a non-fiction book by Capstone Press, How to Carve Freakishly Cool Pumpkins by Sarah L. Schuette.

The Cath in the Hat reminds us that Halloween is just around the corner with her review of an enticing short chapter book (also a CYBILS nominee), Maybelle and the Haunted Cupcake by Katie Speck, illustrated by Paul Ratz de Tagyos. 



Early Literacy/Picture Books

Monkey Poop is back to blogging with a review of Ugly Fish by Kara LeReau; illustrated by Scott Magoon. It's a "kooky picture book" that her 2.5 year old finds hilarious.

Flowering Minds offers a must-read for inquisitive minds -- The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers. Darshana says this picture book is, "a quirky, imaginative introduction to the “whodunit” genre for young readers with a message of conservation, recycling, and forgiveness."

Stacey Localzo changed her mind about books containing speech bubbles after reading a book perfect for early readers or a reader who has yet to discover they love reading -- A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse by Frank Viva. "The simple text, picture support and graphic style all make for a winning selection."

True Tales & a Cherry on Top reviews Magritte's Marvelous HAT by D. B. Johnson.  Jeanne comments, "The book is inspired by a real person -- the surrealist artist Rene Magritte and the author imagines Rene Magritte as a dog in his surreal world. Author, D.B. Johnson says, 'You try on a hat that floats in the air and leads you to a place where anything is possible and everything is impossible.' And how impossibly wonderful is that?!"

NC Teacher Stuff reviews a neat-looking new book, Infinity and Me by Kate Hosford; illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska. Jeff sums it up -- "Infinity and Me is a terrific fiction picture book about a girl who ponders the concept of infinity. The text and the artwork will help students better understand this concept."

Brimful Curiosities introduces a fantastic robot book, BOY + BOT by Ame Dyckman; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. "Simply and perfectly told with bold, eye-pleasing illustrations, this is quite possibly the best robot picture book we've ever read (and believe me, we've read several)." Plus, Janelle and son show off their stellar robot building skills by constructing a BOT out of LEGOs.
 
Little Hearts/Gentle Parenting Resources provides a list of 25 Must-Have Books for Preschooler Bookworms.  Her list includes many favorites including Go Away, Big Green Monster, Harold and the Purple Crayon, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and some more unusual recommendations like Light Up the Night (a book my own preschooler enjoyed this summer). 

Horribly Humorous History for Kids presents an intriguing post this month discussing 19th century alphabet books for kids. "ABC books can be a snapshot of the kinds of pictureable objects that would have been familiar to kids in times past, and some of the pictured objects are, well, shocking to our modern eye." Sarah's post titled, N is for Nylghau, also shows how ABC authors handled the letter X, in the era before X rays were invented.



Non-Fiction

Wrapped in Foil shares a book for little architects -- Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building by Christy Hale. This is a new, nonfiction picture book that "pairs illustrations of children building with common materials and an intriguing shape poem about the process with amazing photographs of actual structures from around the world."  

SimplyScience Blog reviews Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed the Seas by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm, a "lovely book explains ocean food chains and the source of energy that runs them--phytoplankton."



Chapter Books / Middle Grade / Fiction

Playing by the Book shares a modern-day fairy story, Operation Bunny by Sally Gardner, illustrated by David Roberts. Zoe writes, "Operation Bunny is a beautifully written and very funny book for fluent young readers about fairies, detectives and a talking cat. We also made our own miniature fairy wings to go with the story."
 
Literary Lunchbox is a panelist for the CYBILS, and she is enjoying judging middle grade fiction, her greatest literary love.  Ali reviews three "well-written and wonderfully readable books." [The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook by Joanne Rocklin, The Humming Room by Ellen Potter and The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine]

Shelf-employed reviews a middle-grade graphic novel, Drama by Raina Telgemeier. The book is "written in “acts” rather than chapters" and "Telgemeier breaks new ground in introducing gay characters to a novel for younger readers (ages 10 and up)."

Book Aunt's entry is about the "Super Middle Grade" with reviews of four recent middle grade books about secret societies, super powers, conspiracies, and super villains.  [Capture the Flag by Kate Messner; Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities by Mike Jung, The Cloak Society by Jeremy Kraatz and The Secret Prophecy by Herbie Brennan]

Geo Librarian reviews an amusing and touching middle grade book,  Ungifted by Gordon Korman. The author "demonstrates that while not all students have academic talents, everyone has something to add to the school environment."

Boys Rule Boys Read! shares some good fiction about the early days of baseball. [Bill Penant, Babe Ruth, and Me by Timothy Tocher; Mudville by Kurtis Scaletta; Lucky: Maris, Mantle and My Best Year Ever by Wes Tooke; and the Sluggers series by Phil Bilden and Loren Long]

Yellow Brick Reads reviews Philip Pullman's much-anticipated adaptation, Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version. To mark the 200th anniversary of the publication of Children's and Household Tales by the Brothers Grimm, Pullman has rewritten 50 out of the original 211 tales. 


Teens/Young Adult

Great Kid Books reviews Every Day by David Levithan.  Mary Ann writes, "I was absolutely fascinated by David Levithan's new book EVERY DAY. It raises questions about identity, memory, relationships in a way that will appeal to teens. I call this realistic fantasy - it is definitely fantasy, but one that will appeal to teens who like realistic fiction."
  
Poetry

No Water River welcomes everyone to Poet-a-Palooza. Join in a celebration of the publication of Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong's important classroom poetry resource, The Poetry Friday Anthology. The post includes an interview with Janet and Sylvia as well as poetry videos by Jane Yolen, Ken Slesarik, Stephanie Calmenson, and Michael J. Rosen.


Book Projects

Teaching Authors -- April Halprin Wayland, talks about her struggles finishing a novel she's been working on for 14 years. She also shares her related original poem, "Patience."


Interviews

Barbies on Fire interviews children's book author Darcy Pattison and reviews her latest book, Desert Baths. "The book explores the unusual bathing rituals of many animals living in the American Southwest.  It's a great book filled with continuing education resources for those curious about desert critters."

Booktalking goes behind the scenes and talks to Margaret Quinlin, editor (and publisher) of Carmen Agra Deedy's lastest book, Return of the Library Dragon.

Picture Books & Pirouettes interviews picture book author Sarah Lynn. The interview highlights Lynn's publications experiences, which range from iPhone Apps to traditionally published books, and offers advice for aspiring authors. Sarah Lynn's newest book is 1-2-3 Va-Va-Vroom! A Counting Book.

Add a Comment

Welcome to the October Carnival of Children's Literature!  What's brewing in the blog world of children's books?  The cauldron is bubbling over!  Read on to find oodles of books and posts on a multitude of topics.

For those not familiar with the Carnival of Children's Literature, it is a monthly round-up of submitted blog posts about children's literature.  The carnival is hosted at a different blog every month.  Find out more and/or participate in the carnival at Anastasia Suen's Booktalking.

Wondering about the cute cauldron pictured over to the right? -- It contains my family's collection of Halloween books.  I borrowed the book cauldron idea from Obseussed after seeing it on Pinterest.   

Beware! BOOks
Since it's the spooky time of the year, let's start off the Carnival with:

 
Halloween themed books

The Picture Book Review introduces the picture book, Asiago by Adam McHeffey.
Tiffa, a fellow stay-at-home mom recently enjoyed the book with her son and says, "Asiago is a great book for young children.  It has a vampire theme that will mesh well with Halloween without being all about Halloween.  This book deserves more attention and more readers."  

Storied Cities recommends a picture book she discovered by accident, The Trip by Ezra Jack Keats.
According to Erica, "This is one of the few Halloween picture books with an urban setting. It's also one of Keats' lesser known titles (or so I believe)."

The Adventures in Writing & Publishing featured a series of posts in October called 13 Lucky Days of Halloween Reviews. There's a wide assortment of spooky, fun books for a range of ages. One of Lisa's posts is about a non-fiction book by Capstone Press, How to Carve Freakishly Cool Pumpkins by Sarah L. Schuette.

The Cath in the Hat reminds us that Halloween is just around the corner with her review of an enticing short chapter book (also a CYBILS nominee), Maybelle and the Haunted Cupcake by Katie Speck, illustrated by Paul Ratz de Tagyos. 



Early Literacy/Picture Books

Monkey Poop is back to blogging with a review of Ugly Fish by Kara LeReau; illustrated by Scott Magoon. It's a "kooky picture book" that her 2.5 year old finds hilarious.

Flowering Minds offers a must-read for inquisitive minds -- The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers. Darshana says this picture book is, "a quirky, imaginative introduction to the “whodunit” genre for young readers with a message of conservation, recycling, and forgiveness."

Stacey Localzo changed her mind about books containing speech bubbles after reading a book perfect for early readers or a reader who has yet to discover they love reading -- A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse by Frank Viva. "The simple text, picture support and graphic style all make for a winning selection."

True Tales & a Cherry on Top reviews Magritte's Marvelous HAT by D. B. Johnson.  Jeanne comments, "The book is inspired by a real person -- the surrealist artist Rene Magritte and the author imagines Rene Magritte as a dog in his surreal world. Author, D.B. Johnson says, 'You try on a hat that floats in the air and leads you to a place where anything is possible and everything is impossible.' And how impossibly wonderful is that?!"

NC Teacher Stuff reviews a neat-looking new book, Infinity and Me by Kate Hosford; illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska. Jeff sums it up -- "Infinity and Me is a terrific fiction picture book about a girl who ponders the concept of infinity. The text and the artwork will help students better understand this concept."

Brimful Curiosities introduces a fantastic robot book, BOY + BOT by Ame Dyckman; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. "Simply and perfectly told with bold, eye-pleasing illustrations, this is quite possibly the best robot picture book we've ever read (and believe me, we've read several)." Plus, Janelle and son show off their stellar robot building skills by constructing a BOT out of LEGOs.
 
Little Hearts/Gentle Parenting Resources provides a list of 25 Must-Have Books for Preschooler Bookworms.  Her list includes many favorites including Go Away, Big Green Monster, Harold and the Purple Crayon, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and some more unusual recommendations like Light Up the Night (a book my own preschooler enjoyed this summer). 

Horribly Humorous History for Kids presents an intriguing post this month discussing 19th century alphabet books for kids. "ABC books can be a snapshot of the kinds of pictureable objects that would have been familiar to kids in times past, and some of the pictured objects are, well, shocking to our modern eye." Sarah's post titled, N is for Nylghau, also shows how ABC authors handled the letter X, in the era before X rays were invented.



Non-Fiction

Wrapped in Foil shares a book for little architects -- Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building by Christy Hale. This is a new, nonfiction picture book that "pairs illustrations of children building with common materials and an intriguing shape poem about the process with amazing photographs of actual structures from around the world."  

SimplyScience Blog reviews Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed the Seas by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm, a "lovely book explains ocean food chains and the source of energy that runs them--phytoplankton."



Chapter Books / Middle Grade / Fiction

Playing by the Book shares a modern-day fairy story, Operation Bunny by Sally Gardner, illustrated by David Roberts. Zoe writes, "Operation Bunny is a beautifully written and very funny book for fluent young readers about fairies, detectives and a talking cat. We also made our own miniature fairy wings to go with the story."
 
Literary Lunchbox is a panelist for the CYBILS, and she is enjoying judging middle grade fiction, her greatest literary love.  Ali reviews three "well-written and wonderfully readable books." [The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook by Joanne Rocklin, The Humming Room by Ellen Potter and The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine]

Shelf-employed reviews a middle-grade graphic novel, Drama by Raina Telgemeier. The book is "written in “acts” rather than chapters" and "Telgemeier breaks new ground in introducing gay characters to a novel for younger readers (ages 10 and up)."

Book Aunt's entry is about the "Super Middle Grade" with reviews of four recent middle grade books about secret societies, super powers, conspiracies, and super villains.  [Capture the Flag by Kate Messner; Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities by Mike Jung, The Cloak Society by Jeremy Kraatz and The Secret Prophecy by Herbie Brennan]

Geo Librarian reviews an amusing and touching middle grade book,  Ungifted by Gordon Korman. The author "demonstrates that while not all students have academic talents, everyone has something to add to the school environment."

Boys Rule Boys Read! shares some good fiction about the early days of baseball. [Bill Penant, Babe Ruth, and Me by Timothy Tocher; Mudville by Kurtis Scaletta; Lucky: Maris, Mantle and My Best Year Ever by Wes Tooke; and the Sluggers series by Phil Bilden and Loren Long]

Yellow Brick Reads reviews Philip Pullman's much-anticipated adaptation, Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm: A New English Version. To mark the 200th anniversary of the publication of Children's and Household Tales by the Brothers Grimm, Pullman has rewritten 50 out of the original 211 tales. 


Teens/Young Adult

Great Kid Books reviews Every Day by David Levithan.  Mary Ann writes, "I was absolutely fascinated by David Levithan's new book EVERY DAY. It raises questions about identity, memory, relationships in a way that will appeal to teens. I call this realistic fantasy - it is definitely fantasy, but one that will appeal to teens who like realistic fiction."
  
Poetry

No Water River welcomes everyone to Poet-a-Palooza. Join in a celebration of the publication of Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong's important classroom poetry resource, The Poetry Friday Anthology. The post includes an interview with Janet and Sylvia as well as poetry videos by Jane Yolen, Ken Slesarik, Stephanie Calmenson, and Michael J. Rosen.


Book Projects

Teaching Authors -- April Halprin Wayland, talks about her struggles finishing a novel she's been working on for 14 years. She also shares her related original poem, "Patience."


Interviews

Barbies on Fire interviews children's book author Darcy Pattison and reviews her latest book, Desert Baths. "The book explores the unusual bathing rituals of many animals living in the American Southwest.  It's a great book filled with continuing education resources for those curious about desert critters."

Booktalking goes behind the scenes and talks to Margaret Quinlin, editor (and publisher) of Carmen Agra Deedy's lastest book, Return of the Library Dragon.

Picture Books & Pirouettes interviews picture book author Sarah Lynn. The interview highlights Lynn's publications experiences, which range from iPhone Apps to traditionally published books, and offers advice for aspiring authors. Sarah Lynn's newest book is 1-2-3 Va-Va-Vroom! A Counting Book.

Add a Comment

I've traipsed through many a wood and have collected my share of pinecones, but never, never on any of my adventures have I come across a friendly, mechanized, working robot.  I must be walking through the wrong kind of woods, because in Ame Dyckman's picture book world this scenario is entirely possible.

Simply and perfectly told with bold, eye-pleasing illustrations by robot-lover Dan Yaccarino, BOY + BOT is quite possibly the best robot picture book we've ever read (and believe me, we've read several).  The story-line goes like this: Boy walks through the woods.  Boy meets a big, red robot.  Boy and robot problem-solve. Robot and boy become BFF.  Now obviously there's more to it than that, like for instance both boy and bot have similar "misunderstood malfunctions" and need fixing, but to say any more would spoil the fun.  Read the robot parts aloud in your best robot voice. Remark on all the fun things the robot and boy do together like swimming, apple-picking and rock-skipping.  And remember, little boys do not need oiling, and never, ever feed your robot applesauce.

This book deservedly received starred review from Kirkus, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly. Take our word for it (and theirs), if you have a young, robot-loving child, BOY + BOT is for them and worth purchasing.

Fun fact: If you look closely at the illustrations in BOY + BOT you'll discover one of Yaccarino's creative additions to the story -- a light-bulb shaped, one-eyed robot that Ame Dyckman calls "Watt."  Not surprisingly, illustrator Dan Yaccarino has a self-described "slight penchant for robots."  He is also the author/illustrator of another robot picture book, If I Had a Robot, a story about a boy who dreams about all the things he could or wouldn't have to do if he had a robot.  His robot illustrations have a retro, vintage look reminiscent of those tin wind-up robot toys from the past. 

Related links: 
Ame Dyckman - Author Website 
Dan Yaccarino - Illustrator Website

BOY + BOT by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino.  Alfred A. Knopf / Random House (April 2012); ISBN 9780375867569; 32 pages
Book Source: copy from our personal library

Sadly we have not discovered our own robot friend in the woods, so my son and I did the next best thing ... made our own robot out of LEGOs. Our LEGO collection is large and diverse enough to provide ample parts for robot building.   We have eyes, connecting parts to make arms that swing and plenty of multi-sized, red blocks.



My son insisted that our BOT robot have a power switch in the back. Pair the LEGO bot with a boy mini-figure and let the book play-acting begin!  

Display Comments Add a Comment

I've traipsed through many a wood and have collected my share of pinecones, but never, never on any of my adventures have I come across a friendly, mechanized, working robot.  I must be walking through the wrong kind of woods, because in Ame Dyckman's picture book world this scenario is entirely possible.

Simply and perfectly told with bold, eye-pleasing illustrations by robot-lover Dan Yaccarino, BOY + BOT is quite possibly the best robot picture book we've ever read (and believe me, we've read several).  The story-line goes like this: Boy walks through the woods.  Boy meets a big, red robot.  Boy and robot problem-solve. Robot and boy become BFF.  Now obviously there's more to it than that, like for instance both boy and bot have similar "misunderstood malfunctions" and need fixing, but to say any more would spoil the fun.  Read the robot parts aloud in your best robot voice. Remark on all the fun things the robot and boy do together like swimming, apple-picking and rock-skipping.  And remember, little boys do not need oiling, and never, ever feed your robot applesauce.

This book deservedly received starred review from Kirkus, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly. Take our word for it (and theirs), if you have a young, robot-loving child, BOY + BOT is for them and worth purchasing.

Fun fact: If you look closely at the illustrations in BOY + BOT you'll discover one of Yaccarino's creative additions to the story -- a light-bulb shaped, one-eyed robot that Ame Dyckman calls "Watt."  Not surprisingly, illustrator Dan Yaccarino has a self-described "slight penchant for robots."  He is also the author/illustrator of another robot picture book, If I Had a Robot, a story about a boy who dreams about all the things he could or wouldn't have to do if he had a robot.  His robot illustrations have a retro, vintage look reminiscent of those tin wind-up robot toys from the past. 

Related links: 
Ame Dyckman - Author Website 
Dan Yaccarino - Illustrator Website

BOY + BOT by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino.  Alfred A. Knopf / Random House (April 2012); ISBN 9780375867569; 32 pages
Book Source: copy from our personal library

Sadly we have not discovered our own robot friend in the woods, so my son and I did the next best thing ... made our own robot out of LEGOs. Our LEGO collection is large and diverse enough to provide ample parts for robot building.   We have eyes, connecting parts to make arms that swing and plenty of multi-sized, red blocks.



My son insisted that our BOT robot have a power switch in the back. Pair the LEGO bot with a boy mini-figure and let the book play-acting begin!  

Add a Comment

While waiting for the school bus to arrive, my son and I gathered some items from nature and practiced writing the first letters of the alphabet. I find it hard to believe that autumn is in full swing and the leaves are already changing colors and falling to the ground. Our summer passed by quickly and despite the fact that I didn't blog about our activities, our days were full of fun activities and plenty of books. The ABC game also provides me a good way to remark on my blogging hiatus.

Display Comments Add a Comment