Author Sue Fliess selects "Five Family Favorites" to share with readers ... Read the rest of this post
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Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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In looking at the list, the common themes seem to be naughtiness and humor—especially of the silly, slapstick variety. So here goes:
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Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant, creators of That's (Not) Mine!, selected these five family favorite picture books.
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JENNIFER GRAY OLSON is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton, where she earned her bachelor of arts degree in art education. She is a glassblower and sculptor. In addition to writing and illustrating ... Read the rest of this post
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I've found that the best of these books spoke to my kids when they were pre-readers, but still continue to draw them back again and again, as they uncover more in the multilayered stories. So without further ado, here are the Fitzgerald family's Top 5 Wordless Books.
Add a CommentBlog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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#40 Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann (1994)
41 points
This book provides so many moments of glee: the gorilla unlocking the various cages, the animals following the zookeeper into his house, the darkness being filled with a chorus of “good nights”…this is one of those books that appeals to 6-month-olds and three-year-olds alike (and probably older, too, but we only know up to 3 1/2!). – Amy Johnson
Are you surprised? I was. A little. In this kind of list you expect the top books to be made up of the old old classics. Your Blueberries for Sal or your Millions of Cats. But this intrepid little 1994 upstart not only managed to get into the Top 100, it make it to the Top 50. I call that chutzpah.
Children’s Literature described the plot as, “In this nearly wordless book young children will have a good laugh as they watch the zookeeper making his rounds and wishing the animals all goodnight. The clever gorilla has swiped the zookeeper’s keys and as he visits each cage, he opens it and lets the animal out. As the keeper heads for home, the animals all follow along and join him and his wife for a good night’s sleep. Or so it seems until the zookeeper’s wife realizes that something has gone wrong when she hears a chorus of goodnights. She takes the animals back to the zoo, but our crafty gorilla is not one to be outdone.”
Every year the American booksellers pronounce their Cuffie Awards in categories of every shape and form. Kudos to them then for giving Good Night, Gorilla the 1994 Cuffie for “Most Likely to Succeed in Years Ahead”. Now THAT is foresight.
Good Night, Gorilla began its life as a picture book, but as the years have gone by it has seen quite a lot of popularity in its board book form. Good Night, Gorilla has adapted to the board book format beautifully, in that it is virtually wordless and its pictures are bright enough and colorful enough to stand out on those thick little pages. Indeed in Roger Sutton and Martha Parravano’s A Family of Readers: The Book Lover’s Guide to Children’s and Young Adult Literature, Martha holds up this book as one of the few very fine picture book to board book transformations. As she says, “Peggy Rathmann’s Good Night, Gorilla makes the transition with great success. (Note how the cover makes an immediate connection between the mischievous gorilla and the child audience – an irresistible invitation to young readers.)”
In the biography portion of her website, we learn that Ms. Rathmann began life in Minnesota and eventually went to the University of Minnesota where she changed her major several times. “I wanted to teach sign language to gorillas, but after taking a class in signing, I realized what I’d rather do was draw pictures of gorillas.” About this book in particular the site has this to say:
“A homework assignment produced an almost wordless story, Good Night, Gorilla, inspired by a childhood memory. ‘When I wa
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Blog: A Fuse #8 Production (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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#59 Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann (1995)
31 points
And still we wait for the inevitable return of the Rathmann. We sit and we wait and we hope that maybe, just maybe, she’ll write another picture book. It’s not THAT crazy a notion, is it? But for years not a new Rathmann has graced our shelves. It’s like Waiting for Godot over here. Her website hasn’t even been updated since 2004. So where is she? All we know is that according to her site, “Ms. Rathmann lives and works in Nicasio, CA on a ranch she shares with her husband, John Wick, and a very funny bunch of birds.” I’ve asked about and yes, that does appear to be where she is. She’s happy there. Happy but not making any books. *sigh*
As the Amazon.com summary of this book put it: “Officer Buckle is a roly-poly bloke, dedicated to teaching schoolchildren important safety tips, such as never put anything in your ear and never stand on a swivel chair. The problem is, Officer Buckle’s school assemblies are dull, dull, dull, and the children of Napville just sleep, sleep, sleep. That is, until Gloria the police dog is invited along! Stealthily pantomiming each safety tip behind Officer Buckle’s back, Gloria wins the children’s hearts. Meanwhile Officer Buckle assumes the cheers and laughter are all for him.”
Fun Fact: The year that Officer Buckle and Gloria won the Caldecott the New York Public Library employees would still regularly dress up as the winning book when attending the yearly Newbery/Caldecott banquet. For a long time a policeman’s cap sporting a pair of brown ears lived in the Central Children’s Room. It now resides in Long Island in a box waiting to be cataloged.
Additional Fun Fact: Though this is their only official book, Officer Buckle and Gloria have appeared in at least one other Rathmann title (albeit briefly). Can you name the book?
Publisher’s Weekly said of it, “Rathmann (Good Night, Gorilla) brings a lighter-than-air comic touch to this outstanding, solid-as-a-brick picture book.”
School Library Journal: “A five-star performance.”
And BookList summed it all up with: “Like Officer Buckle and Gloria, the deadpan humor of the text and slapstick wit of the illustrations make a terrific combination. Large, expressive line drawings illustrate the characters with finesse, and the Kool-Aid-bright washes add energy and pizzazz.”
Blog: Picture Book Junkies (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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This is the perfect book for bed time. My husband and I got a lot of mileage out of this book when our nephew was wee. We discovered what a truly classic and timeless book this really is, because I think we read it to Nicolas about 100 times. He never got bored with it and always enjoyed it. On deeper investigation, many decisions in the creation of the book were so well-thought out to make this a perfect bed-time book.
The concept is so much fun-- lively but still quiet and perfect for child's bed time reading. The art is vibrant and energizing but not manic. Nice organic line work is perfect to interest but not excite. And some nice panoramic spreads are not too busy but also are also not too sparse-- allowing the viewers' eyes to relax while still being active. The story actually ends at bed-time, which could not be more fitting.
One of the most enduring bed-time books ever published. Good night!
Blog: Just One More Book Children's Book Podcast (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Author: Peggy Rathmann
Illustrator: Peggy Rathmann
Published: 1991 Scholastic (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0590474235
Spare, natural dialogue, carefully chosen details and keenly expressive illustrations keep us alternately giggling and cringing at the delicate shifts of sentiment from uncertainty and admiration through flattery, imitation, loss of self and then frustration in this celebration of selfhood found.
Other books mentioned:
Thank for these good comments about this book!
I still haven't a grandson or a granddaughter but later i follow your advices...
This book is on my must-buy list for my daughter when she gets a bit older like in a few months. She's only 3 months now, but already loves books.
I love hilarious books with minimal text and in which the pictures really do tell part of the story.
I concur Kathy! Miles loves this book, and I still enjoy it after many reads. It works from a very young age on up since there are all those layers to look for (following the balloon, noticing the neighbors in the window, animal naming, etc.) I love how few words are needed to tell the story too.
We still have our copy! I can never part with a great book!
This was one of our son's favorites for months. It's a subtle work of inspired genius. So many visual details to discover, even on the Nth re-read.
Colors, characterization, the balloon, the photos on the wall of the Zoo keepers house (they're holding a baby gorilla - back story!), it really packs a ton of information into a simple story.
I love it. Picture book creators should study it.