The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Thirteen

As the mother of a daughter, I am always looking for books that have strong female characters who are intelligent, and who serve as a good bookish role model. Today's picture book is about a little girl who happily walks in the footsteps of great women from history.

My name is not Isabella

Jennifer Fosberry

Illustrated by Mike Litwin

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Sourcebooks, 2010, 978-1-4022-4390-0

   When Isabella wakes up one morning, she decides that her name is not Isabella. She tells her mother that she is Sally, “the greatest toughest astronaut who ever was!” The little girl’s mother goes along with this, inviting “Sally” to don her spacesuit and to come downstairs for breakfast.

   At the breakfast table, Sally explains that her name is not Sally at all. Now she is Annie, “The greatest, fastest sharpshooter who ever was.” Being the kind of mother who understands a young girl’s thought processes, the ever patient mother invites “Annie” to come to eat the “fine vittles” that are waiting on the table. Who will Isabella/Sally/Annie become next?

   In this clever and meaningful picture book, we meet a little girl who imagines what it would be like to be great women from history. She also has a little surprise up her sleeve for “the greatest, sweetest mother who ever was.” Young readers will see how this one little girl aspires to be an important person when she grows up, and how the women she pretends to be teach her what it means to be a sweet, kind, smart, brave, fast, tough, and great person.

   To compliment the message in the story, the author provides her readers with information about the five famous women from history who are part of Isabella’s story. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Twelve

This week we heard that one of the books illustrated by Brian Floca and published in 2010 - Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring - received a Sibert Honor. While I wait for this book to arrive, I thought I would review another of Brian's books. This one he both wrote and illustrated, and it won a Sibert Honor in 2008.

Lightship

Brian Floca

Picture Book

Ages 5 to 7

Simon and Schuster, 2007, 978-1-4169-2463-4

   There was a time when many lightships waited at anchor along America’s coastline to warn ships about underwater hazards. Unlike other ships, lightships did not “sail from port to port,” nor did they “carry passengers or mail or packages.” These ships stayed in one place, and there they waited.

   The Ambrose was one of these ships, and she held her place day after day. No matter how much the ship rocked, her crew took care of her light, they manned and cared for her engines, and they made sure that she did move from her position. It was not an easy life for the crewmembers because their quarters were tight, comforts were few, and dangers had to be anticipated. No matter what happened, the Ambrose’s light had to be ready to guide ships to safety during storms and fog.

   In this unique picture book, Brian Floca pays tribute to the lightships and their crews whose service saved countless ships from having potentially disastrous accidents. Floca gives us a picture of what life on one of the lightships must have been like using a lyrical text and wonderfully atmospheric illustrations.

   At the back of the book, the author provides the reader with further information about lightships.

   This title was one of the books chosen to receive a 2008 Robert F. Siebert Honor. The award is given yearly to the authors and illustrators who create the most meaningful informational book published in English during the preceding year. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Eleven

Being an only child, I never had to share my room or my home with siblings, and for the most part I liked having my own space. When I first moved to the States I had to share a house with five other people, and after a while I honestly thought I was going to lose my marbles. The only space I could call my own was a minuscule attic room that was boiling in summer and freezing in winter.

For today's picture book I have a story about a little rabbit who is thoroughly fed up with having to share his home with numerous brothers and sisters.

A Long Way from home

Elizabeth Baguley

Illustrated by Jane Chapman

Picture Book

Ages 3 to 6

Tiger Tales, 2008, 1-58925-074-5

   Noah is a little rabbit, and every night he has to sleep in the family burrow with his many siblings. Every night he is “squished and squashed,” and every night his sister Ella holds him as if he were her teddy bear. One night Noah decides that he has had enough, and he goes outside into the fresh air.

   Outside the burrow, Noah meets Albatross. He tells the sympathetic bird about his problems, and to make him feel a little less glum, the big bird tells Noah about “the land of the North Star.” When Noah expresses an interest in seeing a place where there are “no rabbits,” Albatross agrees to take him to see what the frozen North looks like. Neither one of them expects that this journey will help Noah to see his home life in a completely new way.

   Children who are tired of not having their own space will immediately identify with Noah and his situation. With a heartwarming and thought-provoking story, and Jane Chapman’s wonderful illustrations, this is a picture book that will resonate with people of all kinds, big and small. 

2011 ALA Youth Media Awards are announced

American Library Association announces youth media award winners

SAN DIEGO - The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, video and audiobooks for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its Midwinter Meeting in San Diego.

A list of all the 2011 award winners follows:

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature

“Moon over Manifest,” written by Clare Vanderpool, is the 2011 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Four Newbery Honor Books also were named: “Turtle in Paradise,” by Jennifer L. Holm and published by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.; “Heart of a Samurai,” written by Margi Preus and published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS; “Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night,” written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen and published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; and “One Crazy Summer,” by Rita Williams-Garcia and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children

“A Sick Day for Amos McGee,” illustrated by Erin E. Stead, is the 2011 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was written by Philip C. Stead, and is a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing.

Two Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave,” illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; and “Interrupting Chicken,” written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein and published by Candlewick Press.

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults

“Ship Breaker,” written by Paolo Bacigalupi, is the 2011 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Four Printz Honor Books also were named: “Stolen,” by Lucy Christopher and published by Chicken House, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.; “Please Ignore Vera Dietz,” by A.S. King and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.; “Revolver,” by Marcus Sedgwick and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of the Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group; and “Nothing,” by Janne Teller and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author of outstanding books for children and young adults

“One Crazy Summer,” written by Rita Williams-Garcia is the 2011 King Author Book winner. The book is published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Three King Author Honor Books were selected: “Lockdown,” by Walter Dean Myers and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “Ninth Ward,” by Jewell Parker Rhodes and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; and “Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty,” written by G. Neri, illustrated by Randy DuBurke and published by Lee & Low Books Inc.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award recognizing an African American illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults

“Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave,” illustrated by Bryan Collier, is the 2011 King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Laban Carrick Hill and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. One King Illustrator Honor Book was selected: “Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix,” illustrated by Javaka Steptoe, written by Gary Golio and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent (Author) Award

“Zora and Me,” written by Victoria Bond and T. R. Simon, is the 2011 Steptoe author winner. The book is published by Candlewick Press.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent (Illustrator) Award
“Seeds of Change,” illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler, is the 2011 Steptoe illustrator winner. The book is written by Jen Cullerton Johnson and published by Lee & Low Books Inc.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Practitioner Award for Lifetime Achievement

Dr. Henrietta Mays Smith is the winner of the 2011 Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Practitioner Award for Lifetime achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton’s contributions through her literature and advocacy for children and youth.

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience.

“The Pirate of Kindergarten,” written by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Lynne Avril and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, wins the award for children ages 0 to 10. “After Ever After,” written by Jordan Sonnenblick and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., is the winner of the middle-school (ages 11-13).

The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is “Five Flavors of Dumb,” written by Antony John and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences.

“The Reapers Are the Angels: A Novel,” by Alden Bell, published by Holt Paperbacks, a division of Henry Holt and Company, LLC “The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake: A Novel,” by Aimee Bender, published by Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.“The House of Tomorrow,” by Peter Bognanni, published by Amy Einhorn Books, an imprint of G.P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of the Penguin Group “Room: A Novel,” by Emma Donoghue, published by Little, Brown and Company a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. “The Vanishing of Katharina Linden: A Novel,” by Helen Grant, published by Delacorte, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. “The Radleys,” by Matt Haig, published by Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. “The Lock Artist,” by Steve Hamilton, published by Thomas Dunne Books for Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press “Girl in Translation,” by Jean Kwok, published by Riverhead Books, an imprint of the Penguin Group “Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard,” by Liz Murray, published by Hyperion “The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep and Never Had To,” by DC Pierson, published by Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children’s video

Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard of Weston Woods, producers of “The Curious Garden,” are the Carnegie Medal winners. The video is based on the book of the same name, written and illustrated by Peter Brown, and is narrated by Katherine Kellgren, with music by David Mansfield. 

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children. The 2011 winner is Tomie dePaola, author and illustrator of over 200 books, including: “26 Fairmont Avenue” (Putnam, 1999), “The Legend of the Poinsettia” (Putnam, 1994), “Oliver Button Is a Sissy” (Harcourt, 1979) and “Strega Nona” (Prentice-Hall, 1975).

Margaret A. Edwards Award honors an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. 

Sir Terry Pratchett is the 2011 Edwards Award winner. His books include: “The amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents,” “The Wee Free Men,” and “A Hat Full of Sky” published by HarperCollins Children’s Books; and “The Color of Magic,” “Guards! Guards!,” “Equal Rites,” “Going Postal,” “Small Gods,” and “Mort” all published by HarperCollins Publishers.

 

May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children’s literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site

Peter Sís will deliver the 2012 lecture. Born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, in 1949, Sís attended the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague and the Royal College of Art in London. He has lived in the United States since 1982. Sís was awarded the 2008 Robert F. Sibert Medal and has illustrated three Caldecott Honor books. Sís’ work is admired throughout the world, and in 2003 he was named MacArthur Fellow, an honor bestowed by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book translated from a language other than English and subsequently published in the United States.

“A Time of Miracles” is the 2011 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in French in 2009 as “Le Temps des Miracles,” the book was written by Anne-Laure Bondoux, translated by Y. Maudet, and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Two Batchelder Honor Books also were selected: “Departure Time,” published by Namelos, written by Truus Matti and translated by Nancy Forest-Flier; and “Nothing,” published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, written by Janne Teller and translated by Martin Aitken.

Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States

“The True Meaning of Smekday,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of Random House Audio Publishing Group, is the 2011 Odyssey Award winner. The book is written by Adam Rex and narrated by Bahni Turpin.

Four Odyssey Honor Recordings also were selected: “Alchemy and Meggy Swann,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Karen Cushman and narrated by Katherine Kellgren; “The Knife of Never Letting Go,” produced by Candlewick on Brilliance Audio, an imprint of Brilliance Audio, written by Patrick Ness and narrated by Nick Podehl; “Revolution,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Jennifer Donnelly and narrated by Emily Janice Card and Emma Bering; and “will grayson, will grayson,” produced by Brilliance Audio, written by John Green and David Levithan, and narrated by MacLeod Andrews and Nick Podehl.

Pura Belpré (Author) Award honoring a Latino writer whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.

“The Dreamer,” written by Pam Muñoz Ryan, is the 2011 Belpré Author Award winner. The book is illustrated by Peter Sís and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Three BelpréAuthor Honor Books were named: “¡Olé! Flamenco,” written and illustrated by George Ancona and published by Lee &Low Books Inc.; “The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette’s Journey to Cuba,” written by Margarita Engle and published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC; and “90 Miles to Havana,” written by Enrique Flores-Galbis and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing.

Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.

“Grandma’s Gift,” illustrated and written by Eric Velasquez, is the 2011 Belpré Illustrator Award winner. The book is published by Walker Publishing Company, Inc., a division of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.

            Three BelpréIllustrator Honor Books for illustration were selected: “Fiesta Babies,” illustrated by Amy Córdova, written by Carmen Tafolla and published by Tricycle Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.; “Me, Frida,” illustrated by David Diaz, written by Amy Novesky and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS; “Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin,” illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS. 

Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children.

“Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World’s Strangest Parrot,” written by Sy Montgomery, is the 2011 Sibert Award winner. The book features photographs by Nic Bishop and is published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Two Sibert Honor Books were named: “Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring,” written by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca, a Neal Porter Book, published by Flash Point, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing; “Lafayette and the American Revolution,” written by Russell Freedman and published by Holiday House.

Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award

“Almost Perfect,” written by Brian Katcher, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc. is the winner of the 2011 Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award. The award is given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered experience.

Four honor books were selected: “will grayson, will grayson,” written by John Green and David Levithan and published by Dutton Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.; “Love Drugged,” written by James Klise and published by Flux, an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.; “Freaks and Revelations,” written by Davida Willis Hurwin and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; and “The Boy in the Dress,” written by David Walliams, illustrated by Quentin Blake and published by Penguin Young Readers Group. 

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book.

“Bink and Gollie,” written by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee and illustrated by Tony Fucile is the 2011 Seuss Award winner. The book is published by Candlewick Press.

Two Geisel Honor Books were named: “Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same!” written and illustrated by Grace Lin and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; and “We Are in a Book!” written and illustrated by Mo Willems and published by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group.

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens.

“The Freak Observer,” written by Blythe Woolston is the 2011 Morris Award winner. The book is published by Carolrhoda Lab, an imprint of Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group.

Four other books were finalists for the award: “Hush,” by Eishes Chayil and published by Walker Publishing Company, a division of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc.; “Guardian of the Dead,” by Karen Healey and published by Little, Brown and Company/Hachette Book Group; “Hold Me Closer, Necromancer,” by Lish McBride and published by Henry Holt; and “Crossing the Tracks,” by Barbara Stuber and published by Margaret McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year.

“Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing,” written by Ann Angel, is the 2011 Excellence winner. The book is published by Amulet/Abrams. 

Four other books were finalists for the award:“They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group,” by Susan Campbell Bartoletti and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; “Spies of Mississippi:  The True Story of the Spy Network that Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement,” by Rick Bowers and published by National Geographic Society; “The Dark Game: True Spy Stories,” by Paul Janeczko and published by Candlewick Press; and “Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates,” by Jill Rubalcaba and Peter Robertshaw and published by Charlesbridge.

Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth.  Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children’s and young adult experts, the awards encourage original and creative work.  For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit the ALAwebsite at www.ala.org.

In Memoriam - Dick King-Smith

Ronald Gordon King-Smith OBE (27 March 1922 – 4 January 2011), better known by his pen name Dick King-Smith, was a prolific English children's author, best known for writing The Sheep-Pig, retitled in the United States as Babe the Gallant Pig, on which the movie Babe was based. He was awarded an Honorary Master of Education degree by the University of the West of England in 1999 and appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.

King-Smith was a soldier in World War II and a farmer for 20 years before he became a teacher and author. King-Smith's first book was The Fox Busters, published in 1978. He was one of Britain's most prolific authors and wrote over a hundred books, which have been translated into twelve languages. In later life he lived in Queen Charlton, a small farming village near Bristol, contributing to the maintenance and conservation of the local area as the vice-president of the Avon Wildlife Trust. He married his first wife, Myrle, in 1943. They had 3 children and 14 grandchildren. Myrle died in 2000, and King-Smith subsequently married Zona Bedding, a family friend.

He had many pets including rats, mice, ornamental pheasants, dachshunds, geese and guinea fowl, and bred guinea pigs and English rabbits.

He presented a feature on animals on TV-AM's children's programme Rub a Dub Dub.

King-Smith died on 4 January 2011 at the age of 88. You can find out more about Dick King-Smith and his books by visiting the the Dick King-Smith page on the Puffin Books website. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Ten

Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman have created several wonderful picture books for young children. They have given us the Bear books - an enormously popular series of books that have charmed readers of all ages - and also the books about a penguin who is called Little Pip. Here is one of the Little Pip books.

Don’t be afraid, Little Pip?

Karma Wilson

Illustrated by Jane Chapman

Picture book

Ages 4 to 6

Simon and Schuster, 2008, 978-0-689-85987-8

   Today is a big day for Little Pip and all the other young penguins. Today is the day when they are going to have their first swimming lesson. Little Pip thinks that the ocean looks “awfully dark and deep,” whereas the sky looks “bright and cheerful.” Surely, as she is a bird, she should be learning how to fly and not how to swim?

   Little Pip’s parents reassure her. “Penguins don’t fly, they swim. That’s what makes us special,” they say. Little Pip is not convinced, and while the other little penguins are embarking on their first swimming lesson, Little Pip decides that she is going to learn how to fly. All she needs to do is to find someone who can teach her how to do it. After all, she has wings and feathers, so why can’t she fly like the other birds?

   In this sweet picture book Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman bring back the little penguin who has delighted so many young penguin fans. Children will see that there are times when you just have to conquer your fears. When you do, you might just discover all kinds of new and wondrous things.

   With a meaningful story and wonderful illustrations, this is a picture book that children will appreciate and enjoy. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Nine

Many of us spend our lives constantly on the run. We are always doing something, and rarely take the time to be still and enjoy a moment of quiet. This splendid picture book explores the idea that quiet moments are good moments.

The Quiet Book

Deborah Underwood

Illustrated by Renata Liwska

Picture Book

Ages 5 to 7

Houghton Mifflin, 2010, 978-0-547-21567-9

As you go about your day, there are times when all the hustle and bustle around you seems to fade away. There are quiet moments when you can take in the world around you, enjoy the peace, or contemplate what is coming.

   This very special picture book looks at all the different kinds of quiet that a collection of animal children experience during a normal day. The little rabbit begins its day with the quiet that you experience when you are the “first one awake.” In school, a little bear enjoys that “coloring in the lines quiet” that children enjoy. The little moose experiences an altogether different sort of quiet when someone discovers the drawing on the wall that he created. The little mouse shares a moment of quiet with the rabbit when they suck on lollipops. Later the rabbit takes a quiet moment while he contemplates whether or not Aunt Tillie’s iguana is the kind of animal who might bite.

   With beautifully atmospheric pictures throughout, this book perfectly captures those moments when there is a pause in the day, and when little people (and big people) are able to experience a little scrap of quietness. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Eight

Chris Wormell is an author and illustrator whom I am particularly fond of. Here is one of his newest books. 

Scruffy Bear and the six white mice

Chris Wormell

Picture Book

Ages 4 to 6

Random House UK, 2011, 978-0-224-08394-2

One evening a small and rather scruffy bear is out walking when he comes to the edge of a “dark and gloomy” wood. Scruffy Bear is just about to begin walking around the wood, when he hears a squeaking noise that suggests that there are animals in distress somewhere in the wood. Into the wood the bear goes, and sure enough in the middle of the wood he encounters six terrified white mice that are lost. They beg Scruffy Bear to help them because they are sure that “now that night is coming we’ll be gobbled up by owls – or foxes – or snakes for certain.”

   No sooner have they said these words, than Scruffy Bear and the mice hear the hoot of an owl. They have to do something before the six mice end up inside the owl’s stomach. With no time to lose, Scruffy bear tells the mice to “curl up tight” and “tuck in your tails.” Scruffy Bear has an idea that might just work.

   With his wonderful illustrations and charming characters, Chris Wormell honors everyone who has had to be brave and quick thinking under difficult circumstances. Though Scruffy Bear is not very big or strong, he uses his wits to help animals that are small and defenseless. 

Poetry Friday - A review of Zombies! Evacuate the school

Here is a poetry book that is not only full of funny poems, but that also will help young readers to write their own poems. 

Zombies! Evacuate the school

Sara Holbrook

Illustrated by Karen Sandstrom

Poetry

For ages 8 to 11

Boyds Mills Press, 2010, 978-1-59078-820-2

   Do you remember reading sing songy poems in an old Mother Goose book? Perhaps you had a copy of Robert Louis Stevenson’s A child’s garden of verses? I am willing to guess that you think writing poetry is easy. Sure it is, all you have to do is to make words rhyme. Actually, it is not easy at all, which is what Sara Holbrook discovered when one of her middle school teachers told her to write a poem. Not knowing how to even begin to write a poem, Sara ‘borrowed’ a poem from a book of poetry that she had at home. Needless to say, she was “busted” and told to write her own poem.

   Thankfully, Sara has come a long way since she was in middle school. For this book, she explores school days and experiences using various poetry forms. What makes this book unique is that she is determined to help would-be poets to find their own voice. Mixed in with the poems are tips to help writers who want to try writing poems of their own. Prompts, questions, and suggestions will help readers to begin their own journey into poetry writing.

   The third poem in the book is about a journey on a big yellow school bus. Full of onomatopoeic words, it perfectly captures the noise and discomfort that comes with riding on a bumpy school bus. A note next to the poem talks about how Sara Holbrook used her own remembered bus rides to “write this bumpin,’ thumpin,’ omopatopeia-jumpin’” poem.

   Later on in the book, she shows readers how imagery and “sensory details” can be used to great effect. In Oh No! a child sees two girls carrying a tray of delicious cupcakes walking by. Of course, the child hopes that he or she will get to taste the delicious treats, but unfortunately, the birthday party is in another class.

   In this book, Sara Holbrook uses humor, sensitivity, and creativity to help readers to appreciate poetry on a new level. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Seven

Many years ago I read a series of books about a little girl who frequently gets into trouble, and who has all kinds of delightful little adventures. These My Naughty Little Sister books became some of my favorite books, and when my daughter was little I bought a set of the books for her. The illustrator of these books is Shirley Hughes, a talented artist and storyteller in her own right. Shirley Hughes has created a lovely set of picture books about a little boy called Alfie and his little sister Annie Rose. Here is one of the Alfie titles. 

An evening at Alfie’s

Shirley Hughes

Picture Book and Audio CD (Series)

For ages 3 to 6

Random House UK, 2010, 978-1-862-30991-3

   Alfie’s mum and dad are going out for the evening, and Maureen, who is a neighbor, is going to babysit Alfie and his little sister Annie Rose. The evening begins very well. Maureen reads Alfie a story, she tucks him into bed, and then Alfie lies in bed and looks at “the patch of light on the ceiling.

   Then Alfie hears a noise on the landing, a “drip-drip” sound, and he goes to investigate. He is very surprised when he sees that water is splashing down from the ceiling and there is a puddle on the landing floor. Alfie tells Maureen all about the drip, and when she comes to investigate, the dipping is worse then ever. Maureen and Alfie put buckets and bowls under the drips, and then they call Maureen’s mother. Hopefully she can help.

   Shirley Hughes is the queen of creating picture books in which everyday events are described in an engaging and interesting way. Children will be delighted to watch the way things become more and more chaotic in Alfie’s house as more and more water drips down from the ceiling.