A funny, one-word-at-a-time story, about cavemen, dinosaurs, and the alphabet.
Add a CommentViewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: Janee Trasler, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 7 of 7
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Reluctant Readers, ABC's, Dinosaurs, featured, Books for Boys, Alphabet Books, Picture Books For Children, Janee Trasler, Sterling Children's Books, Cavemen Books, Ages 0-3, Ages 4-8, Alphabet, Picture Books, Humor, Add a tag
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Samantha Berger, Amy Cartwright, Parenting Books, Valeria Petrone, Potty Training Books, Health, Ages 0-3, Picture Books, Book Lists, featured, Board Books, Books for Boys, Books for Girls, Hope Vestergaard, Etiquette, Janee Trasler, Add a tag
And then there's potty training. It's a world unto itself, with special videos, portable potties, stickers, colorful underwear, and, of course, books. But the pay-off is huge: a diaper-free existence. We're big readers in our household, so why not read about it, too?
Add a CommentBlog: Jen Robinson (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: going potty, unconventional family structures, Reviews, bedtime, families, Newsletter, toddlers, Board Books, preschoolers, janee trasler, chicks, Add a tag
Books: Pottytime for Chickies and Bedtime for Chickies
Author: Janee Trasler
Pages: 24 each
Age Range: 2-4 (padded board books)
Pottytime for Chickies and Bedtime for Chickies, both by Janee Trasler, are part of a new series of padded board books focused on issues of interest to toddlers and early preschoolers (upcoming titles discuss the arrival of a new chick, and the development of table manners). Both books feature three little round chicks, apparently parented by three farm animals (Pig, Cow, and Sheep). The parent figures all look male to me, though this isn't completely, which makes for a nice, subtle message about varied types of families.
In Pottytime for Chickies, the chicks are, as you might suspect, learning how to use the toilet. They have their own ideas about what the potty is for, however, and when left to their own devices they do things like swim in the potty (ick!), and use the toilet paper like a trapeze. Each time, one of the parents returns, passes out hugs or kisses, and tries to get them onto the right track. So, for example, we have:
"Pottytime, Chickies.
Just two things.
First wipe your tail feathers,
then wash your wings.
Goodbye, Sheep.
Shut the door.
We know what the potty's for."
Followed by jumping off the back of the potty onto a pile of towels, followed by hugs and gentle redirection from Sheep. And in the space of a few short pages, the chicks figure out what to do. So, no, not the most realistic potty training book that parents can add to their arsenals. But it is pretty fun! My already potty-trained daughter pealed with laughter over the chicks in the potty.
Bedtime for Chickies tackles another common issue - the ways that kids will delay going to bed. Even as the adults are settling into their own beds, the chick are thirsty, have to go potty, and need a story, to the increasing chagrin of the three tired adults. Eventually, each chick ends up falling asleep in the lap of a similarly sleeping grown up animal (a more realistic ending than the first book).
One thing I liked about Bedtime for Chickies was the way the author teased kids, by making them think that a rhyme was coming when it wasn't. Like this:
It's bedtime for chickies.
It's bedtime for sheep.
It's bedtime for pig and cow.
Let's all go to ..."
My four-year-old immediately chimed in with "sleep." But in face, on the next page the text is:
"cheep, cheep, cheep.
We can't sleep.
We have to go potty."
The disruption in the text mirrors that disruption in the actual bedtime process. Nice.
Trasler's illustrations aren't realistic, of course, but the three round chicks are cute and kid-friendly, and the adult animals are quirky (and wear clothes). The adults come across as more nurturing in the potty book, vs. just exhausted in the bedtime book (both of which seem appropriate to me). The colors are soothing - not to bright, and the energy of the chicks is apparent on nearly every page.
I think this is a nice addition to the ranks of toddler-focused board books. These take a very light tone, and focus more on the universal humor of things kids do than on "teaching" a certain behavior. And I do love that the adult caregivers are apparently male and of different species than the kids. Not only does this make the book more visually interesting, it quietly tosses stereotypes aside (an usual thing in the board book world). Recommended new baby gifts or first through third birthdays. I look forward to seeing the other books in this fun new series.
Publisher: Harper (@HarperChildrens)
Publication Date: January 28, 2014
Source of Book: Review copies from the publisher
FTC Required Disclosure:
This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).
© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.
Blog: The Children's Book Review (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Ages 0-3, Chickens, Book Trailer, Board Books, Bedtime Books, Janee Trasler, Animal Books, Featured Videos, Chickies, Add a tag
Grow up with the Chickies in this adorable board book series! Cheep cheep cheep! What does it take to get the Chickies to sleep?
Add a CommentBlog: Tara Lazar (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: CAVEMAN A B.C. STORY, Picture Books, Creative Process, Janee Trasler, PiBoIdMo 2011, Add a tag
Generating ideas comes easily for me. I am participating in my own private PiBoIdMo every day of the year. I jot down ideas on napkins; I write them on my hand; I email them to myself; I leave myself idea voice mails. I’ve got no problem with ideas.
It’s getting those ideas out of my head and onto paper I struggle with.
You’ve probably met people who get an idea on Monday and by Wednesday, have a polished, publishable, picture book manuscript ready to send, right? I’m in a critique group with those people.
I am not one of them.
My process looks something like this.
- Get brilliant idea.
- Decide that I am a genius.
- Jot down a few notes.
- Let idea brew.
- Critique way too early in process.
- Decide that I am not a genius.
- Decide, in fact, that I suck.
- Stuff notes in deepest, darkest corner of drawer.
- Get sudden inspiration while washing dishes.
- Pull notes out of drawer.
- Reread notes.
- Decide that I am genius after all.
- Jot down new inspiration.
- Let brew.
- Make storyboard.
- Revise storyboard 42 times.
- Write first draft.
- Send to critique group.
- Wait for them to confirm genius.
- Get feedback from critique group.
- Decide that critique group doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
- Stew.
- Decide that critique group is genius after all.
- Revise.
- Send to agent.
- Wait for her to confirm genius.
I could probably trim a lot of self bashing and praising from my process, but the other parts, the brewing, story boarding, and revising are really important for me. I get an idea and actively brainstorm it for a bit, but then I need to put it away and let my subconscious work on it.
It gives my idea time to grow. It allows me to make connections I might not have otherwise made.
I used to think of this as a bad thing. I compared myself to the idea-on-Monday-polished-draft-on-Wednesday people and felt lesser, but then realized it’s just the way I work. The time I spend brewing my idea, they often spend looking for one.
The other part of my process that I’d be loath to lose is the storyboarding phase. I get a lot of the kinks worked out here before it ever goes to draft form. I number a piece of paper 1 through 15 to represent picture book spreads. I tentatively write the exposition on the first line and the resolution on line 14. I pace out the major plot points on lines 2 through 13 and the wrap up on line 15.
As I’m playing with the storyboard, I know I’ve got the half-title spread to steal if I really need an extra spread to complete my arc.
I find it so much easier to revise the storyboard than a draft, that I will try things here that I might not try if I went straight from notes to writing. There’s a lot less risk to trying something at this stage.
I congratulate you all for participating in PiBoIdMo, and whether it’s ready next Wednesday or three years from now, I look forward to adding your picture books to my collection!
Janee Trasler has illustrated 19 books and written/illustrated four of her own. Her latest book,
Blog: Eric Orchard (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: picture books, pencil, sketchbook, Janee Trasler, Add a tag
Links: Janee Trasler's website and blog.
Love this! And Caveman looks too funny. Off to hunt for it!
Haha, this is a brilliant post. I LOVE these suggestions, will totally try them, and also love the affirmation of all of us brewers out there! I’ve always called it ‘percolating.’
It is so refreshing to hear that this kind of a process is OK! It seems more natural and appropriate than so many I’ve heard about. I thought I was alone in this! Maybe we need an online critique group for folks like us – since there aren’t any in my area at all, and if there was one, I’m sure I’d be standing on an island in my process!!!!! Thank you
No doubt about it. You ARE a genius!
Janee!! Loved your post, and your genius process! : )
a : )
It is very interesting that there are so many ways to get to the same place in writing picture books. Love it. I just thought I am slow, but I am a brewer!
Thank you for affirming me.
Oh, I love your process, Janee–it’s suspiciously like my own. Except that I’m more of a “This is BRILLIANT!/ This totally STINKS” girl.
And that you are, in fact, genius!
Lovely process you have there! Love that book trailer! It looks like a super fun read! I myself have a few ABC stories I am working on. I’m going to have to read Caveman A.B.C. Story now!
I love it. Thanks!
Love seeing your comic strip of your process. Very funny. I think we all recognize ourselves in that numbered list– it’s a bumpy ride.
Thanks for a great post. Fun trailer too.