The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Thirty

Every so often I read and review a picture book that I think has universal appeal, a book children and adults alike should read. Today's book is just such a title. I can honestly say that this book made me stop and think. I read it several times, and marveled that the author was able to say so much using so few words. 

The Flower

John Light

Illustrated by Lisa Evans

Picture Book

Ages 6 and up

Child’s Play, 2006, 978-1-84643-072-5

   There once was a boy called Brigg, who lived in a small grey room in a big grey city. Every day he walked to the library, which is where he worked. “Dangerous books” were stored in the library, and one day Brigg found some books that were labeled “Do not read.” Brigg was curious, so he took one of the books home with him, and when he opened it he saw that it was full of pictures of beautiful colorful things called flowers. Brigg had never seen a real flower, and he searched the city, trying to find one. All he was able to find was a picture of a flower in an old junk shop.

   Briggs bought the picture, and when he went home, he discovered that his picture contained seeds. He followed the directions written on the back of the picture, and something wonderful happened.

   In this evocative picture book, John Light takes us to a world where there are no flowers or green things. Everything is grey and grim and ugly. Brigg’s discovery that flowers once existed, and his subsequent adventure is full of hope. Readers will have a wonderful time imagining what happens next in the story.

   The marriage of the text and the art in this book is perfect, and readers of all ages will moved by the powerful images that they see, and the thought-provoking ideas that the book explores. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Twenty-Nine

Many children love reading about farms and farm animals, and Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin have created a delightful collection of picture books about a group of farm animals that are led by a very intelligent and sneaky duck. Duck is always finding ways to get the better of humans, and in today's picture book, he once again has the last laugh. I have reviewed several of the other books in this collection including Click Clack Moo, Dooby Dooby Moo, Duck for President, and Thump, Quack Moo. Most of these titles are available as picture books and board books.

Giggle, giggle, quack

Doreen Cronin

Illustrated by Betsy Lewin

Picture Book

Ages 4 to 7

Simon and Schuster, 2002, 978-1416903499

   Farmer Brown is going on a vacation, and his brother Bob is going to take care of the farm animals while Farmer Brown is gone. Farmer Brown tells his brother that he has written instructions for him, and he warns Bob “to keep an eye on Duck. He’s trouble.”

   When Bob goes into the house, he finds a note that tells him that “Tuesday night is pizza night.” Being the kind of fellow who believes what he reads, Bob has twenty-nine pizzas delivered, and the farm animals have a feast.

   The next day Bob finds a note saying that Wednesday is “bath day for the pigs.” Thinking that the note is from his brother, Bob gives the pigs a wonderful bath. On Thursday, there is another note telling Bob that Thursday night is movie night and that “it’s the cows turn to pick.” Bob should be keeping a sharp eye on Duck, as his brother recommended, because he is being taken for a ride.

   Readers who like to have a good laugh, will find that this book is just what they need. Readers will love the way the farm animals manipulate the humans in their lives. Using their wits, they find ways to get what they want, on their terms. You can help cheering Duck and his friends on.

   Readers who enjoy this book should take a look at the other books in this collection.

Poetry Friday - A review of Other Goose by Barbara Wyn Klunder

For today's Poetry Friday title I have a book of poetry that I found extremely entertaining. Imagine what it would be like if Mother Goose was a character living in the present day. What would her poems be about? If she is the kind of person who likes to shake people up a little, she might write poems very much like the ones in this book. 

Other Goose: Recycled Rhymes for our fragile times

Barbara Wyn Klunder

Poetry

For ages 12 and up

Groundwood, 2007, 978-0-88899-829-3

   For generations, parents have been reading Mother Goose rhymes to their children. Again and again the spider has scared Little Miss Muffet, the baby has fallen from the tree “cradle and all,” and this little piggy has gone squealing “all the way home.” These rhymes are truly timeless, and will be enjoyed by young children and their families for years to come, but now Barbara Wyn Klunder has created some new versions of these rhymes that address some of the issues that exist in our world today. Her rhymes are not for the very young, instead they are suit older children and even adults, and they are both funny, and thought provoking.

   The collection begins with Little Miss Muffet who is not sitting eating her curds and whey. Instead, she is trying her best, along with the spider, not to choke on second-hand smoke. That famous baby in the tree top is asking for “All this logging to stop.” After all, “trees breathe in / What we breathe out. /That’s what Nature / is all about.”

   Further on in the book there is poor Humpty Dumpty who is once again in a pickle. This time he is not falling off a wall though. This time the big egg is trying to avoid the water of a lake, which is full of “All the king’s chemicals, /All the king’s waste.”

   Without a doubt, this collection of poems will make readers laugh. They will also make readers think, because they look at problems that are of real concern to people. The poems look at environmental issues, social issues, and much more, and they dare to be controversial and, in some ways, subversive.

   

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Twenty-Eight

Being an only child, I never had to share a room with siblings, but I still sometimes had a hard time finding a place where I could have some peace and quiet. People imagine that children want to be busy all the time, but often they enjoy having a little down time in their own company. In this amusing picture book, we meet a girl who has to go to extremes to have a little quiet time on her own.

Clarice Bean, That’s me

Lauren Child

Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Candlewick, 1999, 0-7636-0961-7

   Clarice Bean would like to have “peace and quiet,” but this is very hard to find in her house because it is full of people. Clarice has to share her room with her little brother Minal Cricket, and you can just imagine what that must be like.

   Then there is Clarice’s sister Marcie. She has a room of her own, which means that she can have “peace and quiet whenever she wants.”  Clarice’s brother Kurt also has a room of his own. According to Mom, Kurt is “in the dark tunnel of adolescence,” which means that he hardly ever speaks, and he stays in his room a lot with the door shut.

   Dad is really lucky because he can be alone when he goes to work. If he doesn’t want to be disturbed, Dad tells Ms Egglington to tell everyone that he is in a meeting. Clarice is sure that Dad is actually eating rocky road ice cream and listening to Frank Sinatra on the stereo.

  Even Mom is able to get a little peace and quiet when she needs it. She goes into her bedroom and “balances on one leg,” or she has a bath.

   Clarice tries to get some peace and quiet in the yard, but the boy who lives next door is always calling over the wall in a very loud voice. He is so very annoying.

   Finally Clarice snaps, all hell breaks loose, and Clarice finds out that there is one thing she can do that will guarantee that she gets that precious peace and quiet she is looking for.

   Anyone who shares a house with lots of people and who wishes for a little space and quiet will immediately sympathize with Clarice Bean and her problems. With wonderful multimedia collage art on every double page spread, and a deliciously quirky text, this is a picture book that children will come back to again and again. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Twenty-Seven

When I was a little girl, the counting books I used were, to be honest, horribly boring. They were bland, totally uninteresting, and I learned to count as quickly as I could so that I wouldn't have to use them any more. Thankfully, authors and illustrators have since come up with wonderfully creative ways to help children practice their counting. In today's picture book, Marion Dane Bauer gives children a story to enjoy, and she helps them practice their counting skills as well.

One Brown Bunny

Marion Dane Bauer

Illustrated by Ivan Bates

Picture Book

Ages 4 to 6

Scholastic, 2009, 978-0-439-68010-3

   One sunny day, a little brown bunny goes outside to find a friend to play with. He invites two red birds to fly down from their tree to “Come play with me,” but the birds fly away. Next, the little bunny came across three bears who “crunched their lunch.” Bunny asks if he can join them, but the bears growl at him and walk off. Later still, the bunny sees five little mice playing hide-and-seek. The bunny so much wants to join their game, but the mice are not interested in playing with the bunny. Will no one play with a lonely little bunny?

   Little children will immediately sympathize with the little rabbit in this story. They know what it feels like when no one will play with you. Thankfully, this little story has a happy ending. The story has an engaging rhyming text and cunning illustrations, and it also helps children to practice their counting. 

A Book Give Away from Random House - A signed copy of When you reach me

I have a treat for you today. The folks at Random House will give one of my lucky readers a SIGNED copy of When you reach me by Rebbeca Stead. This book won the 2008 Newbery Medal and the Horn Book Award. It  is also a New York Times Notable Book, and a New York Times bestseller. Please email me to be entered in the drawing for this giveaway.  Good Luck!

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Twenty-Six

Every so often a person needs to read something that is outrageously and ridiculously funny. The book I reviewed for today is just such a book. If you have not encountered Steven Kellogg's illustrations before, then you are in for a treat.

Jimmy’s Boa and the Bungee Jump Slam Dunk

Trinka Hakes Noble

Illustrated by Steven Kellogg

Picture Book

Ages 4 to 7

Penguin, 2005, 0-14-240453-5

   Meggie and her rest of her team are supposed to be having basketball practice, but there is a problem; Miss Peachtree has taken over the gym for her dance school, and she plans on teaching the children how to tango. Her plans don’t work out as planned though because Jimmy has brought his pet boa, and the boa is not a very good tangled…er tango partner. To put things simply, all the children end up on the floor tangled up in the boa’s coils. Miss Peachtree is not best pleased. In fact, she is so annoyed that she says something that really upsets Jimmy’s boa, and the large snake takes refuge in the basketball basket.

   Jimmy tries to get his boa to come down by throwing a basketball at the basket, and then a number of very extraordinary things happen. Could it be that Meggie and her team are going to be able to have their practice after all, and could it be that Jimmy’s boa might be an asset to the team?

   Young readers are sure to love this deliciously ridiculous tale, which gets more and more outrageous as the story unfolds. Who knew that a dance lesson could go so horribly wrong, and yet turn out to be so wonderfully right at the same time?

   Throughout the book Steven Kelloggs’ delightful illustrations perfectly compliment Trina Hakes Nobel’s entertaining story. 

Stella and Sam are now on the television

A few years ago I started to review the Stella and Sam books, which are written and illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay. The series is one of my favorites, and I was delighted to hear that Stella and Sam now have their own television show. Here is some information about the show:

Astral’s Playhouse Disney premiered the new animated series Stella and Sam on Sunday, January 9 at 10:30 a.m. ET. The new series, based on the internationally best-selling Groundwood books by Canadian author and illustrator Marie-Louise Gay, follows the backyard adventures of four-year-old Sam and his older sister Stella.Gay has written and illustrated eight books in the Stella and Sam series to date. They have been translated into fifteen languages and sold more than one million copies worldwide.

Children can now venture further into the world of Stella and Sam with interactive adventures designed for children and their families to explore online at www.playhousedisney.ca. Families can learn more about show's characters, play Stella and Sam games and download printable activities.

New episodes of the show will premiere on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. ET with episodes also airing on Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m. ET as well as Saturday and Sunday evenings at 8 p.m. ET.

Groundwood will be publishing new paperback editions of Good Morning, Sam and Good Night, Sam in February 2011, followed by When Stella Was Very, Very Small and What Are You Doing, Sam? in the same format this August. All books can be purchased from booksellers nationwide or the Groundwood Books website.

Here is a little video about the series, with an interview with Marie-Louise Gay

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Twenty-Five

Every so often I encounter a situation that makes me wish I was someone or something else. As I try to cajole my body to open up for my yoga practice, I wish I was one of those yoga teachers who look as if every limb and joint is made of rubber. As I try to do everything that needs to be done, I wish I was the cat who can sleep the day away in the sun. Today's picture book is about some children who wish "just for one day" that they could be something else.

For just one Day

Laura Leuck

Illustrations by Marc Boutavant

Picture Book

Ages 4 to 7

Chronicle Books, 2009, 978-0-8118-5610-2

   Most of us have those moments when we wish we were someone or something else. As we try to look over tall grass in a field we wish we were a giraffe, as we puff and pant our way along during a race we wish we were a cheetah. In this book, we meet some children who dream, “just for one day,” that they could be something else.

   As she draws a picture of a flower, a little girl wishes she could be a bee, and as he waits to cross a road on a wet day, a little boy wishes he could be a crocodile that has “the sharpest, snapping smile.” As she struggles with her snarled hair, a girl wishes she could be a porcupine. How much better a “coat of needles” would be, than a head of hair. Then there is a boy whose brother is laughing at him. He would like to be a big bear who’d “give my brother quite a scare.”

   Young children will have no problem connecting with the children in this book. They know exactly what it is like to wish one was a bear, or a whale, a chimpanzee, or a snake. They will be especially delighted when they come to the surprise ending. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Twenty-Four

Several years ago I started reading and reviewing the Artemis Fowl books by Eoin Colfer, and in no time I was hooked. Just like so many other readers from around the world, I eagerly waited for the next title in the series to come out. I am delighted to tell you that Hyperion is now publishing graphic novel versions of the books. Here is the first Artemis Fowl story in graphic novel form.

Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel

Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin

Illustrated by Giovanni Rigano and Pailo Lamanna

Graphic Novel

Ages 10 and up

Hyperion, 2007, 07884881-2

   There can be no doubt that Artemis Fowl, though only twelve years old, is a force to be reckoned with. Brilliant, ruthless, and the heir to a criminal empire, Artemis has decided that the family coffers are in need of a healthy influx of gold. Does Artemis try to rob a bank or break into Fort Knox? Indeed he does not, for Artemis is above such mundane crimes. Instead Artemis is going to separate the People from their gold. That’s right, Artemis is going to steal from the fairy folk.

   Artemis has been doing a lot of research about these magical creatures, and when he manages to acquire the Book, the fairy bible if you will, he is fully equipped to deal with anything that the fairies throw at him. With the help of his bodyguard and aide, Butler, Artemis kidnaps Captain Holly Short, a fairy who is an officer in Recon, an elite fairy police force. If the fairies want Captain Short back, they are going to have to relinquish a sizeable amount of their gold reserves.

   Of course, the Book does not prepare Artemis for the determination of the Recon commander, Commander Root, nor does it warn him about Mulch Diggums, a kleptomaniac dwarf who can dig himself in and out of almost anywhere. With Mulch’s help, Commander Root sets about trying to free Captain Holly. Who is going to prevail in this battle of wills and wits? Will Artemis’ actions bring humans and the People to the point of war?

   This fascinating and gripping graphic novel, will give older readers a very unique look at the fairy world. The fairies in this graphic novel are not ethereal delicate-winged creatures who sip from spring flowers. These are tough, well-armed characters who are centuries ahead of humans when it comes to technology, and who have no patience for us humans. Readers will be interested to see how the characters change as the adventure unfolds. They will find that Artemis Fowl has a soft side to his character, and there is even some hope that he might not be as evil as he believes himself to be.