The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and six

I, like so many other people, bought expensive and hard to find gifts for my daughter when she was little. Then, when the great day arrived, she was more interested in the gift's box or the ribbon than she was in the gift itself. It was very humbling to finally come to the realization that sometimes a simple gift is better than an expensive one.

Today's picture book celebrates the fact that sometimes the best gifts are the simplest of things. 

The birthday box

Leslie Patricelli

Picture Book

For ages 2 to 4

Candlewick Press, 2007, 978-0763628253

   Today a little boy is celebrating his birthday, and his Grandma has given him a present. Happily the little boy unwraps his present and discovers that there is a big box under all the brightly colored wrapping paper. The little boy is delighted with his box. When he stands on it he is “taller than a tree” and it is big enough that he can hide behind it. Then he discovers that there is a hole in the box. Could it be that there is something inside it?

   When the little boy manages to get the box open he discovers that it contains a loveable stuffed animal. Without wasting any time, the little boy names his toy dog Oscar and then the two of them get inside the box. The two friends have places to go and adventures to enjoy.

    Though presents are wonderful things, sometimes the boxes that they come in are almost as wonderful, or even more wonderful. This board book celebrates the fact that sometimes the best gifts of all are the simplest ones. With brightly colored minimal paintings and an endearing main character, this board book is sure to appeal to little children.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and five

Losing something precious can be a very upsetting experience. Losing a much loved stuffed animal can be devastating for a child, and today we are going to read about a little girl whose favorite stuffed animal, Loopy, is missing

Loopy

Aurore Jesset

Illustrated by Barbara Korthues

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

NorthSouth, 2008, 978-0-7358-2175-0

   A little girl is distraught because she has left her favorite stuffed animal, Loopy, at the doctor’s office. Her mother says that it is too late to retrieve Lootpy and the little girl should “sleep with another toy tonight.” The problem is that another toy simply will not do because another toy is not Loopy.

   Miserably the little girl imagines what Loopy might be experiencing right now. What if a mean child has found Loopy and is twirling him too hard, pulling his ears, or taking him home? What if this child throws Loopy into the garbage and the stuffed animal is eaten by the garbage truck? What if Loopy has not been found and he “has to spend all night alone in the dark with the doctor’s office ghosts?” The child is determined to save her precious Loopy, but how is she to do it?

   Readers of all ages will appreciate this sweet book with it imaginative main character who is bereft when she finds out that she has left her favorite stuffed animal somewhere. Aurore Jesset’s simple text perfectly captures the child’s voice and her fears, and it is beautifully paired with Barbara Korthues’ spare illustrations. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and four

Learning new words can be a lot of fun for young children, especially if their grownups turn the adventure into a game that is enjoyable. In this clever picture book, children will meet a parrot who loves to collect words and turn them into songs. Perhaps his story will inspire young readers to create their own word songs.

Pepi Sings a New Song

Laura Ljungkvist

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Simon and Schuster, 2010, 978-1-4169-9138-0

   Pepi the parrot lives with Peter, who loves to explore space through his telescope. Every night Pepi sings Peter a song that is full of words that have something to do with space. He sings about “Satellite, planet, galaxy, Mars” and “Comet Venus, telescope.”

   One day Pepi comes to the conclusion that Peter is a little bored with the space centric song he is singing, so the white parrot decides to go off to “find some new things to sing about.”

   First he visits Manuel’s Bakery where he collects a tasty selection of words like “cupcakes” and “cookie cutter.” In Clive’s music studio he finds words like “flute” and “violin.” “Masterpiece” and “clay” float around Aurora’s art studio, his next stop. After visiting Malcolm’s market and Cynthia’s dog park, Pepi heads home, his head bursting with words. Is he going to be able to make up a song that Peter will like?

   In this delightful and very unique picture book Laura Ljunkvist pairs a simple text with her digitally rendered art to give young children a wonderful word filled adventure that has a perfect ending. 

Poetry Friday - A review of Poetry for young people by William Blake

When I was in school, we unfortunately didn't study much poetry, but my father enjoyed sharing his favorite poems with me. One of these was a poem by William Blake. Today I have a collection of William Blake's poems to share with you. 

Poetry for Young People

William Blake

Edited by John Maynard

Illustrated by Alessandra Cimatoribus

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 10 and up

Sterling, 2006, 978-0-8069-3647-5

   William Blake was one of the world’s great artistic personalities. He was an artist and a poet who liked to combine his illustrations with his poems to give readers a special experience as they explored his work. A strong, wise, and simple man, he scrutinized the world around him, trying to better understand and appreciate what he saw.

   For this book, the editor has selected poems from Blake’s collections, Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. He has also taken excerpts from some of Blake’s more complex writings to share with readers. For each of the poems, the editor gives readers background information in a short introduction, and for each there is a glossary to explain some of the words that might be unfamiliar.

   In the Songs of Innocence section, there is a poem about a shepherd who follows “his sheep all the day” and “is watchful while they are in peace.” There is the poem that captures the voices of a nursemaid and her charges. She tells them that it is time to come home because “the sun is gone down,” and they respond by asking her to let them play a little longer “for it is yet day.”

   Further on in the book, readers will find the Songs of Experience poems. Here is they will come across the well known poem about the tiger who walks through the “forests of the night.”

   This is an extraordinary collection of poems that will not only introduce readers to William Blake’s poetry, but it will also help readers to better understand the poet, his art, and his world.

  

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and three

When I was eight or so I started to take horse riding lessons and I loved them. Then one of the horses decided to roll on his back when I was riding on him and I nearly got squished. Though I got back on his back after this event, I lost my nerve and stopped riding for a while. 

Getting your nerve back after an unnerving experience is never easy, no matter how old you are. In today's picture book you will meet a famous spider who almost gives up something she loves to do because gets frightened. 

The Eensy Weensy Spider Freaks Out! (Big time!)

Troy Cummings

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Random House, 2010, 978-0-375-86582-4

   The Eensy Weensy spider has been washed out of the waterspout and she is not happy. Actually, that is an understatement. She was “freaked out” by her experience and she is not going to climb anything again.

   Eensy’s story is soon all over the Internet, and feeling embarrassed by all the fuss, she stays “holed up in her garden apartment” for a few days. Then her friend Polly, who is a ladybug, comes and visits her. Polly refuses to accept that Eensy’s climbing days are over, and she encourages her friend to “start with something small and work your way up.”

   Eensy carefully climbs a potted plant, and though it wasn’t easy, she is pleased when she finds herself at the top. As she admires the view, Polly congratulates Eensy and suggests that she should climb a fire plug next. At first Eensy is appalled at the idea, but then she gives it a try. Could this be a new beginning for Eensy?

   Most children know the rhyme about the Eensy Weensy spider who has the misfortune to be washed out of a waterspout. Now they can find out how this dreadful sounding event affected the spider and how she had to work very hard to regain her courage and her love of climbing.

   With a loveable main character and a meaningful message that is beautifully and amusingly presented, this is a picture book that children and their grownups are sure to enjoy.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and two

Everybody has something that they are good at, but is isn't always easy to figure out what that something is. Today's picture book tells a delightful story about a stuffed animal who finds out what his special gift is.

A very special hug

Steve Smallman

Illustarted by Tim Warnes

Picture book

For ages 4 to 

Tiger Tales, 2008, 978-1-58925-410-7

   There is a new toy in bedroom and his name is Bumbletum. The other toys welcome him and then they ask him what he does. Bumbletum is sure that he does something good, what he doesn’t know what it is yet. The toys decide to help Bumbletum to figure out this puzzling matter.

   Milly the mouse squeaks when her tummy is squeezed, but Bumbletum’s tummy is squeakless. Teddy can growl when he stands on his front paws, but Bumbletum is growless. He cannot wag his tail like Puppy, or wet the floor like Baby Drink and Wet. Could it be that Bumbletum is a “doesn’t do anything kind of toy?”

   Sometimes it is hard to find out what your special gift its. You have one, but you don’t know how to find it. In this charming picture book, we join a group of toys who do their best to help a rather strange stuffed animal find out what his métier is.

   With charming characters and a sweet story, this is a book that every child should read. It will put a smile on a face, and give a heart a warm “soft and snuggly” feeling.

Bookish Calendar: The anniversary of the first Moon Landing

On this day in 1969, human beings walked on the moon for the first time. As millions of people watched, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon and took those first incredible steps. Over the years I have been lucky enough to review some wonderful books about the moon landing and you can see my reviews on the Through the Looking Glass Book Review website in the Man goes to the Moon feature. There are some wonderful titles in this collection, and I hope you find a title or two that you would like add to your library.

Here is a video of that famous landing. Enjoy!

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

Search-and-find books can be a lot of fun. Some authors create incredible photographic scenes for children to explore, and some create illustrations that are full of details that are interesting and often amusing. Today's book is a stunning example of an illustrated search-and-find title.

Look! A Book!

Bob Staake

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 10

Little Brown, 2011, 978-0-316-11862-0

   Most of take the world around us for granted. We don’t take the time to really look at the little details, the cool stuff that is happening right under our noses. In this book, Bob Staake invites us to explore some truly bizarre worlds full of incredible animals, people, robots, aliens, and otherworldly creatures. He challenges us to really look and see.

   There are very few words to read in the book, most of the words being rhyming invitations to “Look!” and to find certain things in the artwork that he shows us through die-cuts on the pages.

   For example, our first seek-and-find challenge is to “Look!” to find “A book! A hook! A cowboy cook!” When we turn the page, we are presented with a double page spread showing “Weird and kooky things that go!” Which is an understatement. In the artwork, (among other things) we can see a zebra flying a biplane, a tiger flying a very strange looking flying machine, a bear riding a peculiar looking green bicycle, and a bird driving a truck that delivers escargot.

   On subsequent pages, we are presented with scenes showing escaped museum creatures, an underwater landscape, a fun park, a haunted house, a robot land, and a treetop town. He ends the book but challenging us to go back to the beginning to find the things on a list that he has put together for us. He hopes that the book will help his readers “to SEE the world anew.” 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred!

Today is the 200th day in this picture book celebration. Thank you all for sharing picture books with me for these two hundred days.

Today I have a graphic novel for you that is funny, often silly, and yet that also looks at problems and issues that are very real for many children. Using humor and colorful characters, Jimmy Gownley gives his readers an entertaining AND thoughtful book to read.

Amelia Rules: The Whole world’s crazy

Jimmy Gownley

Graphic Novel

For ages 9 to 12

Simon and Schuster, 2006, 978-1-4169-8604-1

   Two months ago, Amelia’s mother and father split up. Amelia and her mother now live with Aunt Tanner, and Amelia still hasn’t unpacked her stuff. She has a new friend called Reggie and a new enemy called Rhoda who likes (yes in that way) Reggie, and who therefore considers Amelia to be a threat.

   Amelia is inclined to think that everyone in her life is crazy. She is the only sane person around. Reggie is obsessed with superheroes and he likes everyone to dress up as a superheroes. One day Amelia, Reggie, Rhoda, and Reggie’s friend Pajamaman meet in the G.A.S.P (Gathering of Awesome Super Pals) headquarters and Reggie proposes that they should do something about two bullies who have been terrorizing the neighborhood for years. For some reason he is convinced that his cape will protect him when he confronts the two. Actually, his cape is no help at all, but his allergies are!

   On the first day of school, Amelia walks to school with Reggie, Rhoda (who still hates her) and Pajamaman. She soon identifies the cliques in the school, and all of them are familiar. The only one that she does see are the “nerds.” Where are they she asks. Which is when she finds out that Reggie, Rhoda, and Pajamaman are the nerds in the school. Amelia is a nerd “by association.” Fantastic. In no time at all Amelia ends up in the principal’s office for being “disruptive.” Surely her first day in school cannot possible get worse. Ah, but it can because there is gym class ahead.

   There is no doubt that young readers who enjoy graphic novels are going to love this book. Though Amelia’s adventures are outrageously funny, there is a thread of true-to-life-experiences running through the book that young readers will quickly pick up on. Amelia is having a hard time adjusting to her new life, and she feel helpless because she has so little control over what happens to her. This is surely a feeling everyone can identify with.

   This is a first in a series of graphic novels about Amelia and her friends.

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

For many people adjusting to a change can be very difficult. We don't want to have to get used to a new person or a new situation. What is wrong with things just as they are?

In today's picture book you will see how one cat struggles when a change is brought into his life.

Bandit’s surprise

Karen Rostoker-Gruber

Illustrated by Vincent Nguyen

Picture book

For ages 5 to 7

Marshall Cavendish, 2010, 978-0-7614-5623-0

   One day Bandit the cat’s owner, Michelle, takes his cat carrier out to the car telling him that she will be back soon “with a surprise.” Naturally, Bandit is keen to find out what kind of surprise is in store for him. Will it be a new toy or a tasty treat?

   When Michelle comes home, Bandit finds out that Michelle has brought home a kitten called Mitzy. Bandit is not at all happy about the new arrival. No one asked him if he wanted a new kitten! Mitzi eats Bandit’s food, drinks his water, uses his little box, and then she commits the ultimate sin; she starts to play with his toy mouse. This is more that Bandit can stand, and he swipes at then kitten who starts to cry. Michelle scolds Bandit for scaring the kitten, which is when Bandit decides that he is not going to stay in a house where he is not wanted. Out the window he goes.

   Though this amusing and sensitive story is clearly about a cat, it is very relevant to  young humans who have to adjust to having a newcomer in the midst. Getting used to change is not easy for cats or humans, and reading Bandit’s story will help children to understand that their feelings regarding a new sibling or a new adult in their life are perfectly normal.

   Told from Bandit’s point of view (using speech bubbles) and in the third person, and using comic book style art, this second story about Bandit is sure to be a firm favorite with young readers and their adults.