Happy 2nd-to-last Perfect Picture Book Friday before the summer hiatus, everyone!
Princess Blue Kitty and I have been spending A LOT of quality time together.
(You all remember Princess Blue, right?)
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| Sorry she has her back to you. She's a little camera shy :) |
Seriously.
I can't seem to get out of the car.
Every time I think, "Okay, maybe this week I'll do a little less driving," I turn out to be wrong!
Today, Princess Blue and I are heading north, and in honor of yet another 5+hours-in-the-car day (at least the third this week) I have chosen a book I love that has a car on the cover, in the title, and as the setting for the story... even though it's not specifically Princess Blue Kitty... and actually not even blue :)
Ready? Fasten your seat belts because here we go! :)
My Side Of The CarWritten By: Kate Feiffer
Illustrated By: Jules Feiffer
Candlewick, April 2011, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 4-8
Themes/Topics: patience, imagination, father-daughter love, optimism
Opening: "
My dad and I are going to the zoo. We've tried to go to the zoo before. But we never get there. Something always happens."
Brief Synopsis: Sadie and her dad are going to the zoo. Their plans have been thwarted three previous times, but this time they're really going. Except... on the way... it starts to rain. They can't go to the zoo in the rain. But Sadie's not about to let the fact that her dad sees rain deter her.
"I look out my window, and the sun is shining on my side of the car. People are putting on their sunglasses and heading to zoos all over the world on my side of the car." While her dad sees nothing but rain, Sadie sees people mowing their laws and eating ice cream. Is it raining or not? Will Sadie and her dad get to the zoo this time or will they have to wait for another day?
Links To Resources:
Fun Zoo-Related Activities,
Zoo Lessons And Activities, a page in the back of the book tells the true story of what happened (which is always fun :))
Why I Like This Book: Anyone who has lived with kids knows that their perception of reality is not necessarily the same as yours... especially when they really want something! :) What's wonderful about this book is both Sadie's determined optimism and her father's patience and his loving understanding of how she needs to cope with her disappointment. This book is also delightful because it's written and illustrated by a father-daughter team about an incident that actually happened. I'm not going to tell you whether they get to the zoo or not, though. You'll have to go read the book :)
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Have a super-fantastic weekend, everyone!!! And feel free to share in the comments how much quality time you'll be spending with YOUR cars :)
My Side of the Car
By Kate Feiffer
Illustrated by Jules Feiffer
Candlewick Press
$16.99
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4405-5
Ages 4-8
On shelves April 26th.
Reality is subjective. You learn this when you have children of your own. What may be glaringly obvious to a parent will pass right over a six-year-old’s head (and vice-versa). To a certain extent, children and parents live in entirely different worlds. I’ve been trying to come up with a list of children’s books that acknowledge this fact, and it’s tough. So many picture books are of the didactic let’s-teach-kids-not-to-lie variety that the ones where kids come up with their own imaginative stories and live to tell the tale are few and far between. I mean, can you think of any books where a child stretches the truth because they truly believe what they’re saying, straight in the face of parental obliviousness? Aside from Calvin and Hobbes it’s a toughie, but that’s just one of the many reasons why I am so very fond of the father/daughter creation that is My Side of the Car. A brilliant example of willful ignorance (or is it?) Kate and Jules Feiffer tap into those times in a kid’s life when the line between what’s true and what they hope is true blur.
You don’t understand. Sadie isn’t just excited that she’s going to the zoo today. She’s excited because she’s FINALLY going to the zoo today. If you ask her, she can come up with three previous times when she was supposed to go to the zoo and ended up having to do something else instead. But today’s different. She and her dad are in the car and nothing could possibly stop them . . . until it starts to rain. Sadie’s dad is understandably worried and has to inform his daughter that rain means they can’t go to the zoo. However, Sadie (ever the optimist) informs him in no uncertain terms that while it may be pouring on his side of the car, there’s nothing but sunshine, and zoo-going folks, and people watering their lawns, and ice cream eaters on her side of the car. That is until they actually get to the zoo. Then it’s up to Sadie to determine what it is they do next.
I’ve always liked Kate Feiffer’s books but until now I hadn’t found one that killed with the cadences like this one does. Repetition works in books when it’s used well and in the service of the story. That’s part of what I love about what Kate has done here. Right from the start Sadie starts in on the different days when she was supposed to go to the zoo. Listen to how beautifully Ms. Feiffer recounts these. “One day when we were supposed to go to the zoo, my mom tripped over a toy fire engine. So we went to the hospital instead of the zoo. Another day when we were supposed to go to the zoo, my dog, Pasha, got lost. So we spent the day looking for him instead of going to the zoo. Another day when we were supposed to go to the zoo, my grandparents showed up for a surprise visit. And they don’t like the zoo. So we went to the museum instead of the zoo.” First off, she gets 100 points for not beginning the third example with the word “and” (example: “And a
Random books from the shelves this week folks! Enjoy!
My Mom is Trying to Ruin My Life is written by Kate Feiffer and illustrated by Diane Goode. This is one of those books that all librarians should have on-hand for a read aloud. Seriously hilarious stuff here!
A young girl describes exactly the way her mother (and then her father) try their best to ruin her life... and then what they would do if she ran away. As she rants and raves, the girl suddenly has a pretty eye-opening look into what life would be like if she didn't have parents at all!
Laugh-out-loud funny and great for a read aloud, especially if you can do sarcasm well. A perfect choice for older-kid story times and for home shelves. The illustrations are really cute and I love the pink and green color scheme. Highly recommended by moi!
My Mom is Trying to Ruin My Life
Kate Feiffer
32 pages
Picture book
Simon & Schuster
9781416941002
March 2009
Hello My Name is Bob, written and illustrated by Linas Alsenas is another great "sarcasm-ish" read aloud. Bob is a hilarious character that just made me giggle from page one (and the hubby really liked him too!), with his slow way of living and his love of all things quiet.
Bob and Jack are very different friends. Bob is quiet, Jack is not. Bob loves his quiet time, Jack does not. Bob really enjoys sitting, counting toothpicks...and more sitting. Jack likes to surf, explore...and be wild! Though the pair is totally different, Bob explains how they can be great friends by sharing their interests and time together.
Bob is written SO well! When reading this aloud I used a dull, mono-tone voice for him and a faster paced voice for describing Jack, which made my husband laugh...I'm sure if he laughed, kids will too! Very nice for teaching about different kinds of friends and that there is no right or wrong way to personalities. I definitely enjoyed this one.
Great for libraries and as a read aloud!
Hello My Name is Bob
Linas Alsenas
32 pages
Picture Book
Scholastic
9780545052443
February 2009
Finally, we have the charming A Walk in New York, written and illustrated by Salvatore Rubbino. Filled with fun facts about New York City, as well as a nice story, this would be a nice choice for those thinking of traveling with the family to the city and wanting to give their kiddos an introduction.
A father and son act as our tour guides, as they see the sights around New York City. Each destination includes a child-like description of the location and has a smattering of facts all around the page. Educational, yet simplistic enough for the little ones. We see the Empire State Building, the New York Public Library, Macy's, Broadway, and many other places, as the pair enjoys their trip into the city.
I loved that this was a learning experience within a picture book. Not so much that it would be called non-fiction, but there was still a bit more "meat" than a typical picture book. Very enjoyable and highly recommended for libraries.
A Walk in New York
Salvatore Rubbino
40 pages
Picture Book
Candlewick
9780763638559
April 2009
To learn more or to purchase click on any book cover above to link to Amazon.
Have a great Saturday!
Sounds terrific. I ordered copies several weeks ago, and can’t wait for them to hit the shelves!
Awesome job Kate & dad… can’t wait to read it!!
re: kids stretching the truth: Olivia Saves the Circus?
She might not quite believe her story, but she believes in the truth value of it enough to stick by her guns with both her teacher (“is that true?” “pretty true” “all true?” “pretty all true”) and her mom (“who do you think you are, queen of the trampoline?” “Maybe.”)
I’m also thinking this might happen more in middle grade book (Roald Dahl, eg) than picture books. Time to go home and examine the shelves.
Re: Bark George – agreed. Hearing my daughter say “Hello.” at the end of that book makes me laugh every single time.
And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street?