Poetry Friday - A review of The Carnival of the Animals

When I was young, one of my favorite pieces of music was The Carnival of Animals by Camille Saint-Saens. I learned how to play the swan piece on my flute, and was thrilled when my school orchestra (with me in it) performed the entire piece for a concert. Admittedly the orchestra wasn't that good, but I felt fantastic playing a piece of music I had loved for so long.

For today's poetry title I have reviewed a book written by Jack Prelutsky. He has written fifteen poems to reflect the musical pictures that Saint-Saens created.for The Carnival of Animals. 

The Carnival of the Animals

Jack Prelutsky

Illustrated by Mary GrandPre

Poetry Picture book and Audio CD
For ages 6 to 9

Random House, 2010, 978-0-375-86458-2

In 1866, Camille Saint-Saens composed a piece of music called The Carnival of the Animals. For the piece, Saint-Saens created fourteen musical profiles of animals, using instruments to capture the essence of their natures. Some of the pieces poke fun, while others are clearly an ode to the beauty of the animals in question.

   For this book, Poet Laureate Jack Prelutsky has created fifteen poems that explore the animals that Saint-Saens portrayed in his famous piece of music. He begins with an introduction, setting the scene if you will for what is to follow. Then we meet the king of beasts, the lion, who “manages to labor less / Than every lovely lioness.”

   Then there are the roosters and hens who “peck peck peck and cluck cluck cluck” as they “scurry scurry scurry.” Other birds appear later in the book. In The Cuckoo we hear about how this wily bird lays its eggs in “Some smaller bird’s abode.” The swan is altogether a different creature. Elegant and “stately” the swan glides upon the water, a graceful creature that is “grand and glorious.”

   With beautifully crafted poems that a rich with imagery, this is a picture book that children will greatly enjoy. To future the reader’s enjoyment of this title, the publishers have included a recording of Jack Prelutsky reading his poems. Saint-Saens’ musical animal portraits follow Jack Prelutsky’s dramatic readings.

   At the back of the book readers will find more information about Saint-Saens and his Carnival of the Animals.

   

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

Every so often I find a book that will appeal to children and adults alike. Today's book is just such a title, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and looking at the art. I imagine this book would make a great gift fore readers who will soon be embarking on a new adventure. 

Reach for the Stars and other advice for Life’s Journey

Serge Bloch

Picture Book

For ages 7 and up

Sterling, 2010, 978-1-4027-7129-3

   Here you are, “You’ve got your whole life ahead of you,” and there are all kinds of adventures lying in your future. Sometimes things will go well, “it’ll be smooth sailing,” but then there will also be those times when things do not go well. Perhaps you will feel small and unimportant, “a small fish in a big pond.” Perhaps you will not succeed in your endeavors at first and you might make some rather big mistakes.

   The important thing to do is not to give up. No matter how many times you “sink like a stone,” don’t be discouraged. If you persevere and “shoot for the stars” you will more likely than not be able to make your dreams come true.

   Using delightfully funny multimedia illustrations, Serge Bloch has created a picture book that will ‘speak’ to readers of all ages. His words of support and encouragement are simple yet powerful.

   This book would be a great gift for anyone who is about to start a new chapter in their lives. 

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

Many children love to have a soothing story read to them at bedtime. I must have read Goodnight Moon to my daughter a thousand times when she was little. Today's book is a perfect last-thing-at-night story to read to a sleepy child. With its musically lyrical text and its dreamlike story, it is perfect for sending a child off into dreamland. 

Starlight Sailor

James Mayhew

Illustrated by Jackie Morris

Picture book

For ages 4 to 6

Barefoot Books, 2009, 978-1-84686-185-7

   It is bedtime and a little boy and his mother are reading together in bed. The little boy sees the first star of the evening shining in the sky and he makes a wish. In dreamland, he wishes he had a little paper boat that he could use to travel to faraway places where “great blue whales leap.” In his little boat he goes to a land where there are children waiting for him, and who invite him to come and play with them.

   Together the children build a castle complete with flags and a moat. They pretend to be knights and kings, and then they go into a cave where they meet a gorgeous dragon who tells them “magic tales of old.” Later they travel “across the starlit sky” on the dragon’s back.

   This magical picture book will take readers on a delightful dreamlike journey where all adventures are grand, and where everyone is kind and welcoming. Gorgeous paintings provide the perfect backdrop for the rhyming text. In the back of the book, readers will find directions for making a little paper boat of their own, just in case they need a dreamland vessel to travel in.

   This title would be a perfect book to read at bedtime, just as the first star is showing itself in the night sky.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and twenty-nine

For some children having a sleepover at a friend's house is a rather frightening prospect. Their parents are far away, they are in a strange bed in a strange room, and they hear noises that are unfamiliar. Today's picture book tells the story of one little boy's sleepover fears and how he overcomes them. I have a feeling that Ben's story might help other children deal with their sleepover worries.

Ben over night

Sarah Ellis

Illustrated by Kim LaFave

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 2005, 1-55041-910-2

   Ben and Peter are neighbors and they are the best of friends. When Ben is over at Peter’s house he can be “almost anything.” He can be a pirate, a musician, a cook, a couch potato who watches TV, and so much more. There is one thing that he cannot be, and that is a “sleepover-nighter.”

   Every time Ben tries to spend the night at Peter’s house he gets homesick and he starts to cry. The only solution then is for Ben’s parents to come and get him. Ben takes a flashlight and a blankey the next time he tries to have a sleepover at Peter’s, but that doesn’t work either. Ben’s big brother Joe offers go with him, but Ben doesn’t want to do that. Perhaps a sleepover at Peter’s house just isn’t going to be possible after all.

   In this clever picture book Sarah Ellis addresses a problem that many children struggle with. It is not easy to spend the night in a strange house when you are a small child, and Sarah Ellis presents Ben’s difficulties with sensitivity and warmth.

   Children experiencing their own version of sleepoveritis are sure to find this story comforting and supportive. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and twenty-eight

Once, when I was a child growing up in a village in Lebanon I saw a snake in the wood pile. I told my mother what I had seen, and her response was to tell me not to be ridiculous. Later she went past the woodpile and almost had a heart attack when the snake came sliding out. I don't remember saying "I told you so," but I have a feeling that I must have done.

Sometimes grownups are not very good at believing what their children tell them. Today's picture book demonstrates this problem very well indeed. Take note adults, sometimes when a child tells you that there is a pirate in the cupboard or a cake-stealing ninja on the loose, they are telling the truth!

The boy who cried ninja

Alex Latimer

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Peachtree Publishers, 2011, 978-1-56145-579-9

  Tim is a little boy who says so many extraordinary things that no one believes him. When his mother asks about the missing last piece of cake, Tim explains that a ninja crept into the house and ate it. When his father asks where the hammer is, Tim tells him that an astronaut landed in the yard and used the hammer to fix his spaceship.

   Tim’s parents punish him for lying, so Tim decides that the best thing to do is to lie. After all, no one believes him when he tells the truth. So, when a pirate jumps out of the cupboard and drinks all the tea, Tim takes responsibility. In fact he takes responsibility for all the bad or strange things that happen around the house, even though he is not responsible for any of them. Despite his efforts to please his family, Tim gets punished for all the supposed bad things he has done. Poor Tim is punished when he tells the truth, and he is punished when he lies. What is the poor boy going to do?

   Children are sure to be amused by this delightfully odd picture book. They will sympathize with Tim’s predicament, and celebrate when he finds a solution. They might even be inspired to tackle the ninja and astronaut who have been causing problems in their lives. Who knows? Perhaps Tim’s solution will work for them too.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book two hundred and twenty-seven

I am one of those people who panics when something happens to my computer or my internet connection. I need these things for work, but I also cannot imagine living without my online newspapers and Wikipedia. The downside, I feel, to all this technology, is the way in which people connect on a personal level less than they used to. We can talk to one another more easily, but do we really reach out in a meaningful way?

Today's picture book beautifully shows how important it is to reach out to others so that they know that we really care and are thinking about them.

Immi’s gift

Karen Littlewood

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Peachtree Publishers, 2010, 978-1-56145-545-4

   Immi lives in a place where the wind is icy and where snow falls. All she ever sees around her is an empty “frozen white world.” One day Immi is fishing through a hole in the ice and instead of catching a fish, she pulls up a small colorful wooden bird. Immi has never seen so many beautiful colors and she ties the little bird onto her necklace, “next to a small white bear.”

   The next day she pulls up a red flower. Then there is an orange starfish, a green leaf, and a purple feather. Soon Immi’s igloo is covered with colorful decorations, and her home is “the brightest thing in the land.” The colors attract many animals to Immi’s home, and soon she is no longer lonely. She has lots of friends who stay to supper and who fill the “long dark nights with stories of faraway lands.” Who sent these gifts to Immi and why?

   All too often we live our lives cut off from others, not seeing their troubles, and not reaching out to them in friendship. This beautiful picture book celebrates the magical moment when we make the effort to connect with another person. It shows us how important it is to reach out to others, even people who live far away. That moment of contact is truly a precious thing.

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

Yesterday I reviewed a book about a child and her mother having a fight. Today I have a book about another familiar family situation, a child's temper tantrum. Parents and other caregivers will laugh out loud when they see how Finn's fit affects the world around him. 

Finn throws a fit!

David Elliott

Illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Candlewick Press, 2009, 978-0-7636-2356-2

Usually Finn likes to eat peaches, but today he doesn’t. In fact, today he doesn’t like anything because he is “cranky.” Finn is in such a terrible mood that he has a full scale, all out tantrum. He “throws a fit,” he cries so much that his house floods. An avalanche, an earthquake, a tidal wave, hurricanes, and blizzards turn Finn’s home into a disaster area. Poor Finn’s parents are beside themselves. When will this terrible fit end?

   Parents of children who have thrown a tantrum will really appreciate this picture book, which perfectly captures how suddenly a tantrum can begin. And end. With expressive multimedia illustrations and a minimal text, this is a picture book that little children are sure to enjoy. 

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

Fights between children and their parents cause a lot of unhappiness. Harsh words are said, feelings are hurt, and often both sides feel that they are in the right, which makes it hard to bring about a reconciliation. In today's picture book, Elissa Haden Guest tells the story of a fight between a mother and her daughter. 

Harriet’s Had Enough

Elissa Haden Guest

Illustrated by Paul Meisel

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Candlewick Press, 2009, 978-0-7636-3454-4

   Harriet is playing with her toys in the living room when her mama comes in. The little raccoon girl has made a real mess of the room and her mama tells her to clean it up. Instead of doing what she is told, Harriet keeps on playing with her train set and then she tells her mother to “Go away – I’m busy!”

   Not surprisingly, Harriet’s mama is not happy that her daughter is being so rude. When Harriet really goes too far, her mother carries her to her room and she tells Harriet that she is “fed up,” and she closes the door “hard behind her.” Harriet decides there and then that she too is “fed up” and she is going to run away. Nothing anyone says is going to change her mind.

   Every so often, parents and their children have a fight and it is a miserable experience for everyone. In this picture book, Elissa Haden Guest presents just such a fight in a sympathetic and sensitive way, showing readers how both parties feel hurt and lonely, and how forgiveness is a large part of repairing a rift between people who love one another.

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

The scenario in today's picture book will be very familiar to grownups who have a child in their lives. I don't want to say more because then I will give away too much. Suffice it to say that today's story is sweet and funny and a must read for teachers, parents, grandparents, and other people who take care of children. 

Owl Howl

Paul Friester

Illustrated by Philippe Goossens

Picture Book

For ages 3 to 6

NorthSouth, 2011, 978-0-7358-4017-1

   One afternoon all the animals in the forest heard a dreadful “Hoo…Hoo…” noise. The little hedgehog bravely ventured out to find out who was making the noise and he found a little owl standing on the ground “howling miserably.” The hedgehog asked the little owl if she had fallen out of her nest, but the youngster shook her head and “kept on howling.”

   One by one the other animals in the forest try to find out what is distressing the little owl. The crow offers to play with her, the squirrel brings her a nut to eat, the mole gives the owl “something nice.” The stag beetle even threatens to “nip” the owl in the bottom because she is being naughty. Not surprisingly, this only makes the owl howl “even louder.” What on earth can be the matter with the little bird?

   Children are sure to love this cleverly crafted picture book, where the narrative keeps them guessing and guessing until, at last, the little owl speaks. What she says is sure to make children and their grownups laugh out loud.

   This title is part of a collection of picture books called Tuff Books that have tear-resistant and easy-to-clean pages so that toddlers can explore them without being able to damage them. 

Poetry Friday - Polar Bear, Arctic Hare: Poems of the Frozen North

One of my favorite children's book writers is Eileen Spinelli. Not only does she write charming picture books, but she is also a gifted poet. For today's poetry title I have a review of one of her books of poetry for young readers.

Polar Bear, Arctic Hare: Poems of the Frozen North

Eileen Spinelli
Illustrator:  Eugenie Fernandes
Poetry Picture Book
For ages 4 to 8
Boyds Mills Press, 2007, 978-1590783443
When polar bear cubs come out their den in the spring,there are so many things to look at and so many places to explore. There are Arctic bumblebees to sniff at and hopefully not get stung by. There are Arctic terns to watch as they wheel "wings unfurled" and "chasing summer" in the blue skies above. As the summer advances, the sun "plays the part of the moon" refusing to go to bed at night and shining gently on the blooming yellow arctic poppies.

   Though this is clearly a place of extremes, all kinds of animals call the arctic their home. There are herds of "thrumming and drumming" caribou racing across the tundra. Tiny lemmings hide in the snow as large smiling beluga whales slide beneath the ice.

   Using a variety of poetic forms Eileen Spinelli beautifully captures in words the splendor and variety of life that can be found in the "frozen north." Readers will find themselves smiling at some of the poems with their lively and colorful rhymes. Some of the  more thought-provoking poems will capture the imagination, and readers may begin to wonder what it would be like to see a summer Arctic sun, or what it would be like to listen to a choir of wolves howling at an Arctic moon.