The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book one hundred and forty-five

When people are lonely, they often try to build a family for themselves to fill the void. Sometimes they find people who become their family, and sometimes they have animals who fulfill that role. In today's picture book you will meet a lady who adopts a wild bird, who grows to love it, and who makes an important discovery.

Loveykins

Quentin Blake

Picture Book

Ages 5 and up

Peachtree, 2002, 1-56145-282-3

One morning, just after a fierce wind storm, Angela Bowling sets off for the village. In addition to the usual fallen branches and leaves, Angela finds out that the wind has brought down a baby bird. Being a kind and softhearted woman, Angela decides that the little bird needs someone to look after it and she takes on the job.

   Soon little “Augustus” is wrapped up in a shawl and a sweater and is being fed all sorts of food. One cannot help wondering whether the food Angela gives Augustus is suitable for a baby bird, but nevertheless, the bird seems to thrive on it. Angela gets a stroller to move her precious cargo about the village, and she buys him the best food available.

    All this “best things to eat” business soon makes Augustus a very large bird indeed, and Angela has to build him a shed to live in. Moving him around in a stroller becomes a thing of the past. Then there is another big storm and something happens to Augustus that makes poor Angela Bowling realize that her precious “Loveykins” has changed a great deal.

   In this funny and delightful book, Quentin Blake gives us a wonderful look at the simple and giving nature of a woman who is probably lonely and who needs someone to look after. He also shows us that we cannot keep a wild animal locked up forever, how it has to be free. 

Travel Guides for young readers, a great series from Arcadia Publishing

With summer vacation on the horizon and many families preparing to hit the road, kids can amuse themselves with Arcadia’s Cool Stuff Every Kid Should Know series – now featuring books about 22 U.S. cities. Grownups appreciate that the books are fun and educational. Kids know what really matters is having the inside scoop. In these books, young readers will discover the sights, sounds, and spirit that define the cities and states that make up our great nation. Families can collect multiple volumes, giving kids a head start on getting to know the U.S.

Each book includes sixteen pages of entertaining facts about the city, plus 32 pages about the state. Sections like “Strange But True,” “Marvelous Monikers,” and “Dramatic Days” spotlight each city’s unique landmarks, geography, special events, and more. The handy paperbacks are perfect for popping into a backpack or tossing into the back seat, where kids can quiz each other—and their parents—on fun trivia such as:

• Which city drops a 1,250 pound acorn on New Year’s Eve? (Raleigh)

• Where can you see a 45-foot tall sculpture of a clothespin? (Philadelphia)

• In which city’s zoo are the baboons named after different types of olives? (Rochester)

Kids learn best when learning is fun, and the easy-to-read books in the Cool Stuff series by Kate Boehm Jerome are full of fun facts that kids will want to share with parents, grandparents, and caregivers. Cities profiled in the new books include Columbus, OH; Austin, San Antonio, Columbia, SC; Savannah, Jacksonville, Rochester, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Charlotte, Richmond, Boston, and Chicago. Also available are books on Atlanta, Orlando, Tampa, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Houston, Dallas, and Charleston, SC.

Kids “will find tons to celebrate about their hometowns or travel destinations, since Jerome's to-go titles are exciting and educational,” writes Creators News Service. “The literacy-promoting author makes sure to hook kids with appealing artwork that combines vivid and glossy photography with maps and bold text.”

The publisher is offering a special 20% discount for consumers who purchase the Arcadia Kids books at the Arcadia site, http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/arcadiakids. Visit the site and enter the code, "COOL" at checkout to receive the discount. Additionally, Arcadia Kids books purchased from the Arcadia site come with a money-back guarantee! 

Established in 1993, Arcadia is a leading publisher of local and regional historical books. Arcadia Publishing has more than 6,500 titles in print. Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.

Cool Stuff Every Kid Should Know

Written by Kate Boehm Jerome • Published by Arcadia Publishing

Ages 7-11 • Pages 48 • $9.95 paperback

Columbus, OH ISBN: 9781439600870          
Austin ISBN: 9781439600993

San Antonio ISBN: 9781439600894             
Columbia, SC ISBN: 9781439600900

Savannah ISBN: 9781439600917                
Jacksonville ISBN: 9781439600887

Rochester ISBN: 9781439600931                 
Philadelphia ISBN: 9781439600948

Pittsburgh ISBN: 9781439600955                 
Raleigh ISBN: 9781439600962
Charlotte ISBN: 9781439600979                    

Richmond ISBN: 9781439600986

Boston ISBN: 9781439600993                      
Chicago ISBN: ISBN: 9781439601006

And here is a letter from Kate Boehm Jerome, the author of this series.

Setting the Stage

One summer more than 40 years ago, my parents braved a 200-mile road trip to Columbus, Ohio. Four kids in a station wagon. No air conditioning. Game on.

I sat in the back seat strategically positioned between two brothers. The conversation was predictable (“Mom! He’s touching me” punctuated by “I’m bored” and “Are we there yet?”). It did not bode well for the memorable trip my parents were hoping to create.

However, my savvy mother had a secret weapon.

Ignoring the backseat bickering, she calmly began to read from brochures she had collected about our destination. Dad played along.  So Columbus really is named after the famous explorer, eh?

Despite our best efforts to remain aloof, we soon just had to join in. (Are you kidding? I can’t believe you think the Olentangy is a type of citrus fruit!) The next few hours of temporary captivity flew by with yuks and giggles instead of tears and tantrums. My mother’s preparation had saved the day.

Exploring new places with your kids is a terrific way to jumpstart conversations! Kids love trivia and their perspectives are often hilarious and insightful. However, sometimes it’s helpful to set the stage. So it’s my hope that each book in the Cool Stuff series will help you sweep away the conversational cobwebs—and inspire new discussions. And who knows? That trip to your state capital might turn out to be the memory of a lifetime!  

Award-winning author Kate Boehm Jerome is a thirty-year veteran of educational book publishing, and her series have received multiple teachers’ choice awards. She is also an active campaigner for child and adult literacy. Learn more at www.katejerome.com.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book one hundred and forty-four

I must confess that I wouldn't mind being one of the dogs in my house. They have a pretty comfortable life with premium food, brushings, walks, beds to sleep on, and lots of attention. They don't even have to deal with being alone during the day because my office is in my home. The dogs who you will meet in today's book all have problems that are upsetting them very much indeed. They have humans who just don't understand what it means to be a dog.

Help me, Mr. Mutt! Expert Answers for dogs with people problems

Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel

Illustrated by Janet Stevens

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 8

Harcourt, 2008, 978-0-15-204628-6

   If you are dog who is having problems with your humans (and the family cat) don’t panic. Help is at hand. All you have to do is to write to Mr. Mutt, who is a canine counselor. Mr. Mutt will answer your questions with care, and help you to reach your deserved “TOP DOG!” status.

  Mr. Mutts has helped countless dogs deal with all kinds of problems. For example, Overdressed from Oklahoma wrote to Mr. Mutts to complain about the way in which his humans are always dressing him up in humiliating outfits. They put bunny ears on him at Easter, and dress him in a halo and wings at Christmas time. The poor dog is “the laughingstock of the block” and he desperately needs Mr. Mutt to tell him what to do. Thankfully, Mr. Mutt has some stellar advice for Overdressed. In fact, he has great advice for all the dogs who write to him, but his less than complimentary comments about cats are upsetting The Queen, the cat who lives with him. He had better watch out, because The Queen is getting very annoyed indeed.

   Children (and older readers) are sure to enjoy reading and looking at the illustrations in this hilarious picture book. Many of the commonplace problems experienced by dogs are explored, and readers are sure to find the building confrontation between Mr. Mutt and The Queen very amusing.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book one hundred and forty-three

Isn't it odd how sometimes bad things that happen end up being good things in the long run. In my case I got sick around fifteen years ago and I could no longer manage a nine to five job, so I set about trying to create some kind of job that I could do from home. This is how TTLG and CBWS came into being.

In today's picture book you will meet three animals who are galvanized into having a disagreement that could shatter their friendship. The funny thing is that somehow this turns out to be a good thing.

Three by the Sea

Mini Grey

Picture book

For ages 6 to 9

Random House, 2011, 978-0-375-86784-2

  In a beach hut by the sea, a cat, a dog, and a mouse live together peacefully. The dog tends the garden (planting bones), the cat cleans the hut, and the mouse does all the cooking (cheese fondue is his specialty). Then one night a Stranger from the Winds of Change Trading Company arrives at their doorstep. The Stranger tells the cat, dog, and mouse that they are the “Lucky Winners” of a free visit from his company.

   The next day the Stranger points out to Mouse that Dog only plants bones. Why doesn’t he plant anything else? Then the stranger gives Mouse a selection of cookbooks as a gift. Later, the Stranger shows Dog that Cat is sleeping instead of cleaning, and he gives Dog a new collar. Before dinner is served, the Stranger seeks out Cat and he asks Cat if he minds eating cheese fondue at every meal, and he gives Cat some cans of fish to eat.

   At dinner, Cat, Mouse, and Dog have a terrible argument. Cat complains about the food, Dog complains that Cat is lazy, Cat complains about the gardening, and so it goes. Poor Mouse is so upset that he packs up his things and he leaves. Without any warning, the three animals find themselves facing a terrible test.

   This thought-provoking book delves into the nature of true friendship, and it explores the idea that sometimes things have to go wrong so that everyone can see that something needs to be fixed. Children will be drawn back to this book again and again. Is the mysterious Stranger who causes so much trouble a troublemaker, or is he actually doing something good?

   With a wonderful story and unique multimedia illustrations, this memorable picture book is sure to become a favorite with young and older readers alike.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book one hundred and forty-two

When you are young (and not so young) it can be hard to find a group of people who will accept you as you are. All too often people try to change who they are so that they can  fit in. In today's picture book you will meet a little monster who does not always behave in a monsterish way, and who has to find her place in her world without giving up part of herself in the process. 

Mostly Monsterly

Tammi Sauer

Illustrated by Scott Magoon

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 7

Simon and Schuster, 2010, 978-1-4169-6110-9

On the outside, Bernadette the monster is suitably monstrous, having a tail, two toes on each foot, fangs, and the other features that monsters are supposed to have. She usually behaves in an appropriately monstrous manner, lurching around, growling, and causing “mayhem of all kinds.” What no one knows is that Bernadette has a closely guarded secret. Sometimes, when no one else is around, Bernadette does things that are that cannot, under any circumstances, be considered monstrous. She picks flowers, pets kittens, and bakes. In short, Bernadette is “just a little too sweet.”

   When Bernadette starts to go to school it soon becomes clear that all is not well. During Creepy Noises Class Bernadette sings a love song. In Monster Mayhem Class Bernadette builds something when she should be busy destroying things. Poor Bernadette is desperate to find a way to fit in with her classmates, but what should she do?

   This clever picture book explores the idea that one can be true to oneself and fit in with others at the same time. With a humorous text and wonderful illustrations throughout, this is a picture book that will resonate with children of all kinds.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book one hundred and forty-one

If we are lucky, some of us encounter people who help us to better understand the world we live in. They help us to appreciate what we have, and thanks to them we see and understand things in a new and more meaningful way. I have met several people who have given me the gift of better understanding, and today's book is about a boy who meets a very odd girl who helps him to see the world in a whole new way.

Earth to Audrey

Susan Hughes

Illustrations by Stephane Poulin

Picture Book

Ages 6 to 10

Kids Can Press, 2005, 978-1554531653

   Ray is having a very boring and lonely time this summer. His best friends have gone to camp, and he doesn’t have anyone to do things with. Then he meets Audrey, and his whole life changes. Ray is convinced that Audrey is an alien. Not only do her pigtails look like antenna, but Audrey doesn’t think about or see things the way he does. She likes to do things that are a little odd, like training grasshoppers and lying on the ground to look up into the sky. Thanks to Audrey, Ray finds out things about his planet that he never knew, and he comes to see it in a whole new light. In fact, Ray comes to realize how truly extraordinary and special his planet is.

   In this wonderful picture book with its evocative pictures, two children share their thoughts about the wonders of the universe. They also share something else that is powerful and special – friendship. Readers can rejoice in Ray’s imaginings about aliens, spaceships, and laser guns. Though we may think that Audrey is just an ordinary little girl who is feeling lonely, we cannot help wondering if she is in fact more than what she seems. In the end, Audrey gives Ray something more precious than gold, and she makes a believer of him.

Poetry Friday - A review of Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats

Happy Friday everyone. For today's poetry book I have a title that is perfect for people who have cats in their lives. Though the book originally came out in the 1930's, it still delights readers of all ages today. The poems in this book were the inspiration for the musical Cats, which I was lucky enough to see on stage in London when I was a child.

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats

T.S. Eliot

Illustrated by Axel Scheffler

Poetry

For ages 6 to 10

Harcourt, 2009, 978-0-547-24827-1

   Every person who is privileged enough to share their life and home with a cat knows that cats are very singular animals. Unlike dogs, they do not ‘belong’ to humans. Instead, humans belong to their cats. Many humans do not fully appreciate the remarkable nature of cats. Luckily for us, the poet T.S. Eliot was privy to some of their secret ways. In the 1930’s he wrote a collection of poems about cats, which he included in letters to his godchildren. The poems were then collected and published in 1939, and they are still entertaining and enlightening readers of all ages today.

   Eliot begins his exploration into the world of cats by telling us that cats have three names. There is the one that the family uses daily. Then there is the name “that’s peculiar, and more dignified.” It is a name that “never belongs to more than one cat.” Jellylorum, Mankustrap, and Coricopat are good examples of this second kind of name. Finally, there is the name that only the cat knows. I cannot give you any examples of these names because they are a closely guarded secret.

   Eliot then goes on to tell us the stories of various cats, all of whom are very extraordinary creatures. There is Jennyanydots, who is a Gumbie Cat, and who is “deeply concerned with the ways of the mice.” In fact, she is so concerned that she has secretly taken on the job of improving their behavior and manners, and feeding them a good diet. This extraordinary cat even goes so far as to provide cockroaches with “employment” to keep them from being lazy and destructive.

   Rum Tum Tugger is nothing like Jennyanydots. He is a contrary kind of cat who always wants the opposite of what he has. If he is outside, all he wants to do is to come in, and if he is in, all he wants to do is to go out. He refuses to be cuddled when it suits you, but if you are sitting and sewing, he insists on jumping on your lap, which of course makes a “horrible muddle.”

   Just to make sure that you are suitably equipped to deal with a cat, Eliot explains, in great detail, how to “ad-dress a Cat.” You must NEVER treat a cat the way you would a dog. For the most part a dog is a “simple soul,” whereas a cat is a much more complex creature who must be treated with respect.

   In this wonderful edition of T.S. Eliot’s famous cat poems, the poems are paired with Axel Scheffler’s wonderful illustrations. Children and adults alike will enjoy dipping into the pages for poems that are entertaining, amusing, and enlightening.

   

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book one hundred and forty

On this day in 1932 a small red plane took off from an airfield in Newfoundland. The plane was being piloted by an amazingly brave woman, and it was the beginning of  a long solo flight that would be grueling in the extreme.

In today's picture book, you can read the story of this flight and experience what Amelia Earhart experienced during those lonely hours flying above the waves.

Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic

Robert Burleigh

Illustrated by Wendell Minor

Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Simon and Schuster, 2011, 978-1-4169-6733-0

   It is 7:12 in the morning on a May 20^th 1932, and Amelia Earhart is sitting in her red Vega airplane waiting to take off from an airfield in Newfoundland. At last, the time is right and the plane “rolls down the runway.” At last, the moment she has been waiting for is here, and she can “follow the wide horizon that never ends!”

   Amelia has achieved a great deal already, and now she is trying to be the first woman to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean. She wants to do this because it has never been done before, and because Amelia wants to show the world that women are just as brave and determined as men.

   Amelia thinks that this flight will be like so many others that she has made, but it isn’t. At around midnight, Amelia flies into a storm that tosses her little red plane all over the place. Her altimeter breaks so that she has no idea how high she is. Amelia tries to fly above the storm, but ice starts to build up on the wings and the little plane gets “sluggish.” Weighed down by the ice, the plane becomes almost impossible to control.

   In this beautifully written and gorgeously illustrated picture book, the author and illustrator take the reader on a terrifying fifteen-hour flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Readers will get a very real sense of what it was like to be Amelia Earhart during that journey, and they will come to appreciate how courageous and resolute she was.

   At the back of the book, the author provides readers with further information about Amelia Earhart, and the illustrator tells us a little about Amelia’s plane.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book one hundred and thirty-nine

Just a few days ago my daughter and I opened a box of books that Random House sent me, and when we saw the cover of this book we both said "awwww!" It is a really sweet title, and would make a wonderful book to read at bedtime or nap time.

Buglette the messy sleeper

Bethanie Deeney Murguia

Picture Book

For ages

Random House, 2011, 978-1-58246-375-9

   Buglette is a very tidy little insect. During the day, she sweeps and scrubs, tidies and arranges. Her leaf is always immaculate. However, at night Buglette is so restless that in the morning her leaf is always a mess. Her bedclothes end up in a disordered pile, and her books and pillow are akimbo. Mama Bug wishes fervently that Buglette was more like her siblings who are “such neat little sleepers.”

   After a particularly bad night, Mama Bug worries that Buglette’s “messy sleeping” will attract the attention of the crow. The idea that such a thing might happen greatly frightens Buglette’s siblings, who decide that the solution to the problem is to “put a lid on Buglette’s messy sleeping.” Which is what they do, quite literally. They never imagine that their actions could backfire in a dreadful way.

   With a truly delightful main character, and an engaging story, this tale about a restless sleeper is sure to charm young readers. Even readers who normally don’t like insects will find it impossible not to be captivated by Bugette with her purple hat, purple antenna ribbons and purple shoes.

   

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book one hundred and thirty-eight

Love is a peculiar thing. It can make you feel on top of the world, turn you into a morose lump of misery, or make you act like a crazy nutcase. It can bring out the best or the worst in a person. In today's picture book, love changes the life of an old bandicoot and it gives his existence new meaning.


Hunwick’s Egg

Mem Fox

Illustrated by Pamela Lofts

Picture Book

Ages 3 to 6

Harcourt, 2005,0-15-216318-2

   One day there is a ferocious storm, and once the clouds had cleared away, Hunwick the old bandicoot finds that a large egg is lying next to the entrance to his burrow. None of the other animals know whose egg it is, and after Cockatoo says that the egg “needs a home,” kind hearted Hunwick decides that he will be the one to take in the “lost” egg.

   All the animals wait and wait for the egg to hatch, but it doesn’t. Hunwick in the meantime talks to the egg, tells it his life story, takes care of it, cuddles it, and in general, grows to love it, but the egg still does not hatch. After a time, the other animals decide that the egg isn’t going to hatch after all, and they all feel sorry for Hunwick. Little do they know that Hunwick is not unhappy at all. Quite the contrary. The egg is his, it is a great companion, and Hunwick loves it no matter what.

   This pure, uncomplicated little story about an undemanding and true love is beautifully illustrated to show Hunwick’s spectacular Australian homeland with its plants, animals, and landscapes. On the one hand, we cannot help smiling as the story unfolds, and on the other, we have to admire Hunwick’s ability to give love.