The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Nineteen

Many years ago, when my husband and I lived on a farm in Virginia, we got a pot-bellied piglet. Gracie was an incredibly sweet little animal. She was very affectionate, funny, and intelligent. She was also incredibly stubborn. If Gracie did not want to do something, there was very little that you could do to force her to do so. She would scream - which was deafening - and she would kick her little hooves. Having had this first-hand pig experience, I was eager to read the book I have reviewed today, and I am so glad that I did. 

A Pig Parade is a terrible idea

Michael Ian Black

Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

Picture Book

Ages 5 to 9

Simon and Schuster, 2010, 978-1-4169-7922-7

   Most of us love parades. We love the music, the floats, the bands, and the giant balloons that float above the street. What’s not to love? Now, imagine a different sort of parade, imagine what it might be like to attend a parade whose participants are all pigs. Can you see those porcine wonders marching down the street tootling their horns and oompa pa-ing their sousaphones? Can you see them in their red and white majorette uniforms with bright brass buttons on their coats and white plumes on their hats?

   Perhaps you can imagine all these wonders, but let me tell you that a pig parade “is a terrible idea.” Pigs hate to march, being partial to snuffling instead. They walk around with their noses to the ground looking for tidbits to eat. This might be a fine thing to do in a farmyard, but “snuffling is simply an inappropriate way to conduct yourself along a parade route.”

   If you think pigs will fancy those majorette uniforms you had better think again. Pigs hate uniforms, and trying to get them to wear them will be neigh on impossible, and this is just the beginning; there is a veritable litany of reasons why a pig parade is a terrible idea.

   Readers will be hard pressed not to laugh out loud when they read this book and look at the artwork. Michael Ian Black’s deliciously funny words are perfectly paired with Kevin Hawkes’ illustrations to give readers a picture book experience that is truly one of a kind. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Eighteen

I consider myself very lucky because I live in a place where we have four seasons. My family and I are able to enjoy the snow in the winter, lovely flower-filled springs, hot and sunny summers, and beautiful red, yellow, and gold falls. For today's picture book I have a seek-and-find title that explores the joys that every month brings.

Skip through the seasons

Stella Blackstone

Illustrated by Maria Carluccio

Picture Book

Ages 3 to 6

Barefoot Books, 2007, 1-905236-71-9

   Let as take a tour of the year, looking at one scene for every month. We will see what people do during that month, and will discover what the world looks like at that time. We will go from the white landscapes of January and February, to a freshly green - and wet - one in April. There are picnics in June, a fair in July, the beginning of school in September, and blowing leaves in November. In a whirl of color and action, the year unfolds before our eyes.

   Collage illustrations that combine paper art and paintings give this picture book a unique look. A simple rhyming text is enhanced by the question "what can you see?" Found on every double page spread, this seek-and-find feature gives the book another dimension. Words at the bottom of the pages can be used to find items in the illustrations, and they will give beginner readers something to challenge and entertain them.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Seventeen

I have never been camping in a place where there were bears, though my husband and his sister have. They have described how they had to hang their food in a tree to discourage bear visits, though they did not tell me what they would have done to scare off a bear if one had come sniffing around. Just in case you ever need to scare a bear, here is a book that might help.

Scare a Bear

Kathy-jo Wargin

Illustrated by John Bendall-Brunello

Picture Book

Ages 4 to 6

Sleeping Bear Press, 2010,

   Staying in little cabins in the woods during the summer vacation is something many children enjoy doing. There are so many activities to try, and adventures to have. There is one problem though. What should one do if a bear comes into camp? How do you scare a bear?

   Will the bear go away if you bang pots and pans, if you yell, or if you ring a “loud bell?” What if a bear isn’t easy to scare? What if loud noises and “big scary” poses have no effect on the bear at all. What if the bear decides to stay in the camp to swim, to fish, to have dinner, to sit by the campfire, and even – what a thought – to spend the night!

   This delightful picture book with its rhyming text and its amusing illustrations, will charm young readers who have an active imagination and who enjoy a good laugh.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Sixteen

Children often have a very hard time staying in bed - or at least staying quiet - when they are sick. When they read today's picture book, children will see how one sick rabbit child finds a way to make staying in bed interesting. 

Stay in bed, Davy

Brigitte Weninger

Illustrated by Eve Tharlet

Translated by Marianne Martens

Picture Book

Ages 6 to 9

North-South books, 2006, 978-0-7358-2048-7

   One day Davy comes up to his mother and he is in tears. He feels horribly sick, and there is nothing for it but for him to go to bed. Davy’s illness has come at a very bad time, because the Rabbit family were planning on going to visit Grandma. Worse still, she is making her “famous” blackberry pies, which are truly delicious.

   Thankfully, Davy’s friend Eddie and his cousin Kiki arrive. Eddie and Kiki offer to stay with Davy so that the rest of the Rabbit family can go to grandma’s house. If Davy has any problems, Eddie can “run home to get his mother.” Mr. and Mrs. Rabbit agree to the plan, though Mrs. Rabbit makes Davy promise that he will “stay in bed.”

   Soon after the family leaves, Davy comes up with an idea. Though his mother said that he had to stay in bed, she did not say “where the bed had to stay.” Without further ado, Kiki and Eddie drag Davy’s bed outside. Davy feels so much better in the fresh air and he begins to wish that they could play down by the stream. Then again, perhaps he can play by the steam after all.

   Sick children stuck in bed will surely enjoy reading about Davy’s bed-bound adventures. They will laugh when they see how Davy keeps his word to his mother and has fun at the same time.

   Eve Tharlet’s delightful illustrations perfectly capture Davy’s sun filled world.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Fifteen

Many years ago, we lived next to a family who had a large Rottweiler. Henry was on of the sweetest, gentlest and silliest dogs I have ever met. The dog in today's picture book is a lot like Henry. He is a great with children, and he and his little girl share a special bond

Follow Carl

Alexandra Day

Wordless Picture Book

Ages 4 to 7

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998, 0-7374-3480-2

   Carl and his little girl have just woken up from a nap. There is a group of children outside their window, and they want Carl and his little girl to play Follow the Leader with them. They even offer Carl the job of being the leader. In a jiffy, Carl and his little girl are outside, and the game begins with a big stretch, which is what Carl likes to do after a nap.

   Next Carl hops onto a wall and he walks along it, with his little girl on his back and five small children following in his wake. This is then followed by a squirrel chase and then, in town, Carl and the children sit outside the local bakery and beg for a treat, which they get!

   In this wonderful picture book, Alexandra Day tells a charming story using only pictures (except for the two sentences that appear on the first page). She captures Carl’s patience, his good humor, and his love of life. This is a warming picture book that non-readers and readers alike will enjoy exploring.                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Poetry Friday - A review of Holiday Stew

For today's Poetry Friday title, I have a collection of poems that is quite unique. In fact, I dipped into the book over a period of several days. It is the kind of book one can enjoy all year round.

Holiday Stew: A kid’s portion of holiday and seasonal poems

Jenny Whitehead

Poetry

For ages 6 to 9

Henry Holt, 2007, 0-8050-7715-4

   The year is full of memorable moments and great holidays. There is the day when the first flower blooms in the garden in spring, the day when the family goes to the beach in the summer, the day when Halloween pumpkins are carved, and the day when it is so cold outside that summer “Seems far away.”

   This book of poetry takes young readers through a full year of seasonal and holiday poems. The author begins by looking at spring, and she opens the season with a short and humorous poem about a child who is sneezing. He wonders if he has the flu or some kind of “Spring fever.” Then, it occurs to him that what ails him is very simple, he has allergies! Later in the spring section, there is a poem about St. Patrick’s Day where we are encouraged to dress in green, to bake soda bread, and to share an Irish toast when we raise our glasses of green milk.

   In the summer section there are poems about baseball games, sleepovers with friends, and there are five poetical coupons for Dad (for father’s day), one of which is for a “musical tribute for you.” There is a poem about camping, and one about fishing, and there is a poem about a flower party that has the names of eighteen flowers hidden in the text.

   For fall, the author looks at the last leaf to fall off the tree, what it is like to go on a hayride, and she gives her readers some ideas for what they should do with their leftover Halloween candy. There is even a poetic Thanksgiving Day Quiz to try.

   For the last season of the year, we begin by looking at winter in Australia (upside down) and what winter in the south would be like from the point of view of a child who is from the north. Don’t forget the five letters to Santa, once of which asks Santa to give the writer a lift in his sleigh.

   Throughout this book, wonderful rhymes that come in many forms are paired with delightful illustrations to give children a wonderful poetry experience. This celebration of seasonal doings and holidays is the kind of book you can dip into throughout the year.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Fourteen

When I was a child many of us, children and adults alike, eagerly waited for the next James Bond film to come out. A big group of us would go down to the local cinema theater to cheer on James Bond as he tackled and defeated bad guys. Later, as an adult, I read many of Ian Fleming's James Bond books. Now there is a series of books for young readers that are about the young James Bond. Today I have a review of the graphic novel version of the first Young Bond book. I know some of you will think that a graphic novel does not qualify as a picture book, but I thought I would bend the strict definition a little so that I could include some 'picture books' for older readers. 

Silverfin: The Graphic Novel

Charlie Higson

Illustrated by Kev Walker

Graphic Novel

Ages 10 and up

Hyperion, 2008, 978-142313022-2

   James Bond is not sure about being at Eton. It is a different world there and the rules and customs are rather irksome. Then there is the fact that one boy, an American by the name of George Hellebore, seems to be determined to make James’s life at school as miserable as possible. Every time they meet the two boys clash, and when James beats George in a cross-country race, the situation is only made worse.

   When he heads off for Scotland to spend the Easter holidays with his aunt Charmian and his ailing uncle Max, James hopes that he won’t have to think about George and their rivalry for a while. Unfortunately, he soon finds out that George’s father, Lord Hellebore, owns a castle not far from where James is going to be staying, and George is there. James can only hope that they will not have to meet at all.

   Soon after he arrives in Scotland, James joins Kelly, a London boy, in the search for a missing Scottish boy called Alfie. Their investigations lead them to the castle of Lord Hellebore next to Lake Silverfin. James has already encountered Lord Hellebore at Eton and he does not like the man. When James breaks into the castle one night he finds that his instincts about the Lord were on the mark. The man is definitely dangerous, and possibly quite mad as well. Lord Hellebore has a truly evil plan in the works, and James knows that he has to do everything he can to stop the plan from proceeding.

   Based on Charlie Higson’s first novel about the young James Bond, the story in this graphic novel is exciting and full of surprises. Readers will be intrigued to find out that James’ father and his uncle were both spies. Though his uncle warns James not to become a spy, it would appear that the boy has a knack for getting to the bottom of interesting puzzles. 

Out of Shadows wins the Costa Children's Book Award

OUT OF SHADOWS by Jason Wallace

wins the Costa Children's Book Award*

one of the UK's most prestigious national literary awards!

OUT OF SHADOWS by debut author Jason Wallace has been awarded the prestigious Costa Children's Book Award (previously known as the Whitbread Literary Award) and will be published in the United States by Holiday House this spring. The judges declared the book an "extraordinary debut novel" and "unanimous winner," saying: "This compelling portrayal of a nation in crisis gripped us from start to finish and has stayed with us since."

OUT OF SHADOWS will hit the ground running when it is published in the United States after also being nominated for the Booktrust Teenage Prize and the Carnegie Medal and receiving many rave reviews in the UK. The Telegraph called it "a powerful coming of age story," and Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief, said: "Sometimes a book takes you somewhere and keeps you there. Honest, brave, and devastating-OUT OF SHADOWS is more than just memorable. It's impossible to look away."

Set in 1980s newly independent Zimbabwe, under the rule of Robert Mugabe, OUT OF SHADOWS tells the powerful and compelling story of twelve-year-old Robert Jacklin, who comes face-to-face with bigotry, racism, and brutality when he is uprooted from England and moves to Zimbabwe with his family during the aftermath of Zimbabwe's war for independence. Robert, enrolled in one of the country's most elite boarding schools, must make careful alliances in a newly integrated school that has become a microcosm of the horrible problems the country now faces.

In this extraordinary first novel, Jason Wallace takes a recent period in history and opens a window into a gut-wrenching, firsthand experience that will be illuminating both for those who are just learning about the repercussions of the war in Zimbabwe and for those others who knew of the events but could not comprehend their magnitude until taking this closer look at the devastation and heartbreak of the time. 

* From the Costa website: "The Costa Book Awards is one of the most prestigious and popular literary prizes in the UK and recognizes some of the most enjoyable books of the year by writers based in the UK and Ireland." "Previous winners of [this award] include J. K. Rowling in 1999 for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Philip Pullman for The Amber Spyglass in 2001." (The Independent) For more information, go to www.costabookawards.com.

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.