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

For today's picture book I have a graphic novel that is outrageously funny and enormously entertaining. Best of all, there are more titles in this series to enjoy. I won't tell you anything more about this book because I don't want to give too much away.

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute

Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Graphic Novel

For ages 7 to 10

Random House, 2009, 978-0-375-84683-0

   One day, during breakfast at school, Hector, Terrence, and Dee wonder what their school lunch lady does when she is not working in the school kitchen. Then Milmoe, the school bully, comes over and starts trying the shake the children down for their lunch money. Milmoe’s threats and intimidation are brought to an abrupt end when Mr. Pasteur, the new substitute teacher, turns up.

   After Mr. Pasteur leaves the lunch room, Lunch Lady and her friend Betty (who is another lunch lady) have a little chat. Lunch Lady has a feeling that something is not quite right about Mr. Pasteur and his presence in the school. Mr. O’Connell, the math teacher Mr. Pasteur is replacing, hasn’t been sick in twenty years. Why is he sick today? Also, Lunch Lady cannot help feeling that Mr. Pasteur’s name is somehow familiar.

   Soon Lunch Lady and Betty are in their secret laboratory in the Boiler Room. What no one knows is that Lunch Lady and Betty not only serve lunch at the school, they also do their best to keep the peace in their town by foiling the dastardly plans of villains.

   Betty the gadget making wiz and Lunch Lady use their spy cameras around the school to see what the teachers are up to. When Mr. Pasteur goes to the teacher’s lounge, Lunch Lady does a little snooping in his classroom, and what she finds is rather odd.

   When Mr. Pasteur leaves school that day, Lunch Lady follows him, and in her wake are Hector, Terrence and Dee, who still want to know what Lunch Lady does when she isn’t working at the school. The children have no idea that what lies ahead of them will rock their world.

   This is the first in what promises to be a hugely entertaining series of graphic novels. Readers will be amused to discover that this particular lunch lady has a very exciting secret life, and they will love the names of the secret gadgets that her sidekick Betty creates for her.

   Readers who enjoy graphic novels are sure to enjoy reading and collecting the Lunch Lady titles. 

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

Being an only child, I could always count on receiving my parent's love and attention. I never had to share them with anyone else. I cannot imagine what I would have done if my parents had announced that they were going to have another child. I probably would have thrown a fit. Today you will see how Little Pip the young penguin copes when his mother lays an egg. Only children dealing with the impending arrival of a new sibling are sure to find this story comforting. 

What’s in the Egg, Little Pip?

Karma Wilson

Illustrated by Jane Chapman

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Simon and Schuster, 2010, 978-1-4169-4204-7

   Little Pip’s mother has a large egg resting on her feet, which means that Little Pip can no longer sleep under her mother’s “soft, warm belly.” Since the arrival of the Egg, Pip’s parents have been making a huge fuss over it. They talk about how a little brother or sister for “sweet Little Pip” will make their family “just right.” Pip cannot see how the egg can make her family any more right than it is already.

   When Mama goes to sea to fish, Papa takes on the job of taking care of the Egg. This means that he cannot slide on the ice with Pip, and his poor daughter feels very ignored. Why did the Egg have to come along to spoil everything? Then a storm blows in and Pip does what she can to help her Papa take care of the Egg. After all, her Mama said that Pip is big enough to help take care of the Egg.

   Getting used to the idea that there is going to be a new person in the family is never easy for an only child. They cannot help feeling a little rejected and lonely. Reading about Little Pip’s struggles will surely help just such a child to understand that having a sibling will only add to the love in the family.

   This third Little Pip title will delight little children who have become fond of the little penguin, and who have enjoyed her adventures thus far.

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

Ideally every child should be happy, and every child should have lots of friends to spend time with. In the real world this is not, alas, how things work. There are many children who "do not fit in" and who sit on the fringes, lonely and left out. Cherry, the little girl in today's picture book, is just such a child. Cherry's best friends are her books until she meet a little dog who is lonely and in need of a friend. 

Cherry and Olive

Benjamin Lacombe

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Walker, 2007, 978-0-8027-9707-0

   Cherry is a lonely little girl who lives in an apartment with her father. From her apartment, Cherry can see the neighborhood children playing together, and she often wishes that she could have someone to play with too. Being shy, she finds herself unable to reach out to other children, so she buries her head in books. “Books are definitely more interesting than those kids,” she tells herself.

   In the afternoons after school, Cherry helps her father out by cleaning the cages in the animal shelter where he works. One day she sees a very lonely little dog sitting quietly in its cage. The dog is “adorable” and “wrinkly,” and Cherry quickly makes friends with her. Cherry even gives the dog a name, Olive, and she takes her for walks. Every day Cherry lives with the fear that Olive’s owners will come and claim her. What will Cherry do if someone takes Olive away from her?

   In this moving and heartwarming story, children will meet two characters who badly need each other. They will see how the love of a dog starts to change Cherry, and how Olive, bless her sweet wrinkly face, gives Cherry a very special and priceless gift.

   Throughout the book atmospheric illustrations are perfectly paired with the author’s sensitively written text.

Poetry Friday - A review of the Owl and the Pussycat

The Owl and the Pussycat is one of my favorite poems. I cannot explain why this is so, but there is something about the language that appeals to me. For today's poetry title, I have a review of a very unique version of Edward's Lear's famous poem.

The Owl and the Pussycat

Edward Lear
Illustrated by Stephane Jorisch
Poetry Picture Book
For ages 8 and up
Kids Can Press, 2007, 978-1553378280
An owl and pussycat are in love but they live in a place where owls and pussycats are not supposed to consort with one another. And so, the lovers decide to run away together. They get into a pea-green boat and after deciding that they will get married, they sail "away for a year and a day?" until they get to the island where the bong tree grows.

   Here the lovers meet a pig who has a ring in its nose. Being a kind and friendly creature the pig agrees to sell them its ring for a shilling. Then the pair are finally able to get married. Best of all, in this wonderful land they are surrounded by other couples like themselves, mixed couples who are together because they love one another and who do not need to fear that they will be persecuted in any way.

   In this unique book, Stephane Jorisch has created some extraordinary illustrations for Edward Lear's famous and much loved poem. He presents the voyage of the owl and the pussycat as being a special journey not just of lovers going to be married, but also of lovers seeking a place where they can live together in peace, a place where they won't have to worry about what others will say or do.

   Jorisch's quirky illustrations offer readers plenty to look at and to think about, and one cannot help feeling that Edward Lear would heartily approve of this new twist on his classic little love story.

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

Some children like to have adventure-filled and lively stories read to them before their naps or at bedtime. Others like to be soothed by soft words and pretty illustrations. Today's picture book is of the latter variety and it is a perfect title to read just before a nap or bedtime. The text is simple, the art is lovely, and children will  be charmed by the ending. 

Where to sleep

Kandy Radzinski

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Sleeping Bear Press, 978-1-58536-436-7

   Imagine that you are a kitten living in the country. Where would you sleep when the shadows are getting long, and when the time for playing and exploring is over? This little kitten considers sleeping in the vegetable patch, but she knows she will end up chasing bunnies instead of sleeping. She could sleep in the henhouse with the chickens, but everyone knows that the hens “stay up late and talk, talk, talk.” The porch swing is too covered with “toys and things,” and the soft brown shoe is far too small to accommodate a kitten. Surely there must be someplace that is just right for a cozy kitten nap.

   As they look through this book, little children will enjoy seeing where the little kitten goes and what she does as she tries to find the perfect sleeping place. With its simple and minimal text and its sweetly expressive illustrations, this book would be a perfect title to share with a child before nap time or last thing at night.

Unusual Heroes Blog Book Tour - The Warrior Sheep go west

Today I am participating in the Unusual Heroes blog book tour. The tour (set up by the publisher Sourcebooks) is promoting two new books, and in both of them the heroes of the stories are...well...rather unusual. Today I have a review of The Warrior Sheep go West. The review is followed by a letter from one of the main characters. Her name is Jaycey, and she is a sheep.


 The Warrior Sheep go West

Christine and Christopher Russell

Fiction

For ages 9 to 11

Sourcebooks, 2011, 978-1-4022-5925-8

   It has been raining for several days, and Ida White’s five rare breed sheep are taking shelter in the barn with the chickens and Ida’s laptop. Ida likes to provide her chickens with music, and while the sheep are listening to a download on the laptop a pop-up appears on the screen showing a big red tongue. A voice says, “you Rams and Ewes and Lambs. This message is for you. We’re gonna slaughter you. We’re on our way. Red Tongue! Remember the name!”

   Sal remembers that the Songs of the Fleece, the sheep verses that had been handed down from ewe to lamb for centuries, refers to this threat. It is up to her and her friends to stop the dreaded Red Tongue from killing helpless sheep and they must go west to a place where “the sun scorches and the hottest winds blow.” Since there are no hot winds in Wales, the sheep are going to have to go much further west, to America.

   What the sheep don’t know is that Holly, a crackpot American scientist’s wife, has decided that the five sheep, who are famous, are perfect specimens to be used in her husband’s big project. Being a very rich person, Holly quickly arranges to have the sheep flown to America, along with Ida White and her grandson Tod.    

   Before they quite have the time to think things through, Ida and Todd are on American soil and their sheep are destined to be used for nefarious purposes by Holly’s mad spouse. Holly knows the sheep are smart, but she does not know that these five animals have an uncanny ability for getting in, and then out, of unfortunate situations. Holly may have plans for the sheep, but they are bent on stopping Red Tongue before it is too late, and nothing is going to stop them.

   Readers who enjoyed the first Warrior Sheep title are sure to enjoy this new adventure. Once again the sheep set out to save sheepkind at great risk to their wooly selves. Chases across a desert, a mad scientist, a Wild West ghost town, and five loveable main characters makes this a winning title for young readers.

A letter from Jaycey, a sheep who has a keen fashion sense.

Dear Marya,

Ohmygrass….Did I actually say that? I’m a sheep. Well, actually I’m a Jacob sheep and as everyone knows, Jacobs are the prettiest sheep in the Universe. I have the cutest little horns and a super soft black and white fleece. Sal, the ewe I share a field with, says I shouldn’t be so vain. Not after the trouble I got us into in Las Vegas! And I suppose she’s right. I very nearly got chopped up by a crazy stage magician. Really! It was sooo scary! Ohmygrass…I’ve gone all wobbly on my dainty hooves just thinking about it. If it hadn’t been for my friends Wills and Sal and Links and Oxo I wouldn’t be here now enjoying a rainy day in England. Actually, I’m not totally enjoying it because the rain makes my fleece frizzy.

   Wills and Sal and Links and Oxo are Rare Breed sheep like myself – though obviously not so pretty. TBH Sal’s got a rather fat bottom and Oxo eats all the time and Links, who fancies himself as a rap musician, can hardly see through his curly fleece and Wills is a really skinny lamb. But you know all that.

   What you probably don’t know is why we went to America in the first place. Well, it was because Sal told us about Red Tongue, an evil monster who wanted to kill all the sheep in the world. Starting in the West! That’s where you live, I guess, but you don’t have to worry. We tracked him down and finally got rid of him. He was baaarking mad and got the end he deserved. Huh! He learned not to mess with us Rare Breed sheep!

Ohmygrass...Ida, the farmer who owns us has just tipped a great heap of cauliflowers into our field. I’d better go and snaffle one before Oxo eats the lot!

It’s been sooooo nice talking to you.

Love and kisses from Jaycey


Join me on September 5th for another Unusual Heroes Blog Tour Post, which will be about a book called Sally's Bones. To say that this book is unusual is an understatement.

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

For many children a new school year is just around the corner. Backpacks have been packed up, new school clothes are ready and waiting, and children are trying to adjust to the idea that soon they will not be able to sleep in every morning.
   For today's picture book  title I have a charming little picture book about two little chicks who go to school for the first time.      

Two little chicks go to school

Valeri Gorbachev

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

NorthSouth, 2011, 978-0-7358-4027-0

   Two little chicks are going to school for the first time, and not surprisingly they are feeling rather scared. They tell their new teacher, Mrs. Heron, that they “don’t know anyone,” and she reassures them that they “will make friends quickly.”

   Unfortunately, every time the two little chicks try to make friends with someone, the person they are trying to befriend tells them to “Shhhhhhh.” Beaver, Rabbit, and Frog are all too busy doing something else to pay attention to the two little newcomers. At snack time, the two little chicks sit all by themselves. Their first day of school is turning out to be rather a disappointment.

   Children who are going to the school for the first time will be very reassured by this story. They will see that sometimes it takes a little time to makes friends, and that school is not something to be afraid of.

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

For the last week, my daughter and her friends have been working very hard on enjoying their last free week of summer before school starts. We have gone to the lake, bought ice cream cones, she has had sleepovers, and she had gone bike riding. For today's picture book review I have my last summer title of the year to share with you.

Lily and Trooper’s Summer

Jung-Hee Spetter

Picture Book

For ages 3 to 5

Front Street/Lemniscaat, 1998, 1-886910-37-5

It is summer, and Lily and Trooper have to decide what they are going to do with their day. They look out of their window and soon after they are on their way to the beach. The sun is wonderfully warm, but the water is rather cold. Of course, this doesn’t stop Lily and her canine friend from going for a swim.

   When it is time to head home, Lily and Trooper take a souvenir with them, a little fish, which they put in a fish bowl. The little girl and the dog want to make their new friend feel welcome, so they go outside to pick some flowers for him. The fish seems to like his gift, but then so do some bees!

   In this charming Lily and Trooper title, we get to share a delightful summer day with the little redheaded girl and her best friend. The author captures the essence of summer in her story, and her illustrations are vibrant with bright summery colors. 

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

I used to live in a part of the world where they have two seasons: summer and not summer. Now I get to enjoy four seasons, and I love all of them. I also love books that explore the seasons in interesting ways. Today's book is just such a title.

Seasons

Anna Crausaz

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Kane/Miller, 2010, 978-1-61067-006-7

   Everything is green outside, and the little girl knows that it must be springtime. She can smell blossoms and the green grass, and she can hear the blackbirds “singing about their favorite season.”

   When she sees fireflies sitting on the plants and sending their little messages of light into the night, the little girl knows that summer has arrived. There are tomatoes to gather and she can smell the basil, verbena, and mint plants. At the beach she plays in the sand and she thinks that “Sometimes summer is the taste of sand in your mouth!”

   Autumn has come, and little ants are getting lifts on dandelion seed parachutes that are carried on the breeze. The forest “smells of moss, mushrooms and wet ground,” and the little girl plays in the fallen leaves.

   In winter the little girl loves to smell the wood fire smoke. She listens to the “silence of the snow” and tastes snowflakes on her tongue.

   In this book, Anna Crausaz pairs her truly lovely illustrations with a simple lyrical text that captures the sounds, smells, sights, and tastes of spring, summer, fall, and winter. The simplicity of the art and text combine to give the reader a reading experience that is beautiful and sensory.

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

Earlier in the year I reviewed a book called The Big Wicked Toddlah. I am delighted to be able to tell you that Kevin Hawkes has created another title about the overly large toddler that is just as amusing as the first one was. This time the ginormous toddler goes to New York City for a vacation where he has some rather dramatic adventures. 

The Wicked Big Toddlah Goes to New York

Kevin Hawkes

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Random House, 2011, 978-0-375-86188-8

   Toddie the enormous (and I do mean ENORMOUS) toddler is going New York City to get “a little culture.” Toddie’s mother warns her enormous child not to touch anything, and his father explains that “the trick to bein’ a tourist is to blend in with the locals.” This is a very noble sentiment to be sure but one cannot help wondering how they are going to blend in when they have a huge toddler with them.

   The family begins their big city adventure by going to a baseball game, and Toddie has a grand time watching the game, cheering, and doing the wave. After the game is over, Toddie’s parents travel on the train, and Toddie follows the vehicle across the city because he is too big to fit inside. At one of the train stops Toddie gets distracted, and before he realizes what is going on he finds himself all alone.

   For a while Toddie is upset, but then he meets a dog who leads the big child to a park where there are lots of other children. He has a grand time playing all kinds of “toddlah” games, and then some of Toddie’s new friends invite him to go to the Museum of Natural History with them. Toddie’s big city adventure is turning out to be a great deal of fun.

   Readers who have a little brother or sister of their own will have a grand time reading about Toddie and his adventures. They are sure to love the funny ending, and to see how Toddie, despite his enormous size, manages to keep some things secret from his family.

   This is the second book about the Wicked Big Toddlah that Kevin Hawkes has created.