Poetry Friday - A review of Cat Poems

When I come home, my three dogs always give me an enthusiastic welcome, even if I have only been gone for ten minutes. My two cats have a different approach. First their feign indifference. Then then come over and give me a look as if to say "and where were you may I ask?" Only after they have made it clear that I really am not worthy of their notice will they condescend to say hello. Such is the way of cats. 

Today's poetry picture book perfectly captures the quirky personalities of cats. 

Cat Poems

Dave Crawley

Illustrated by Tamara Petrosino

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 to 10

Boyds Mills Press, 2005, 1-59078-287-9

   Anyone who has spent a decent amount of time with a cat knows that cats are singular creatures that cannot be forced to do things that they do not want to do. If you think that you have the upper hand, you will soon discover that you have been had, and that the feline is the one who has won the battle. Don’t believe me? Well, take a look at this book, and you will see what I am talking about.

   The author begins by telling us about Malabar. Malabar was a beautiful cat who was chosen to be the new spokescat for Fluffyfood, a brand of cat food. After being groomed, stroked, and combed by a team of people, Malabar was offered two cans of food. One was Fluffyfood, and one was “another brand.” While the cameras rolled and “watchers clapped,” Malabar began to eat the food. The problem was that he chose to eat the rival brand of food instead of the sample of Fluffyfood.

  Then there is the story about the cat who cannot read, “To think he could would be absurd.” Though words on a page are beyond him, this cat does seem to know how to read minds. I say this, because whenever his mistress tries to read a book, the cat “stops and flops on chapter one” making it impossible for the girl to do her homework. The cat clearly knows that the girl “didn’t want to work,” and he makes it easy for her to avoid doing so.

   Unlike dogs, cats are not really interested in pleasing their people. They will not do tricks, and rarely respond to efforts to train them. The truth is that cats are far too intelligent to chase sticks, to sit on command, or to come when they are called. Why should they when they know all too well that we humans will feed them and play with them no matter what they do. It would seem that cats are adept people trainers.

   In this book, Dave Crawley’s delightful poems are paired with Tamara Petrosino’s illustrations to give cat lovers of all ages a special cat-centric bookish experience. Cat owners will nod as they read about the felines in his poems, recognizing attitudes and behaviors. They will laugh at the cat antics described, and will appreciate that Dave Crawley is clearly an unrepentant cat fan.

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

When you first become a parent, you imagine that your job is - among other things - to teach him or her right from wrong. You are the one who knows what is appropriate, and you are the one who lays down the law and who is always right. Wrong! The truth is that sometimes we parents make mistakes too, and when our children see these mistakes we have to have the courage to admit that we messed up.

In today's picture book you will meet a father who, like everyone on this planet, is not perfect. He has a habit that adversely affects the members of his family, and he has to learn how to say sorry and change his behavior.

Bravo!

Philip Waechter

Illustrated by Moni Port

Translated by Sally-Ann Spencer

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Gecko Press, 2011, 978-1-877467-71-4

   Helena lives in a little house by a stream with her mother, her father, and little brother. She has a wonderful life, playing her trumpet for her encouraging mother and patient brother. There is only one thing that spoils her happy existence, but it is a big thing. Helena’s father is a shouter, and Helena finds his shouting intolerable.

   In fact, she finds it so intolerable that one morning she packs her bag and she leaves home. Helena’s father comes from a long line of shouters, and Helena is determined that she is not going to become one too.

   Helena finds a kind woman to take her in, but back at home her parents are very upset. They go looking for Helen, asking people if anyone has seen their daughter. Helena’s father finally realizes that his shouting drove his daughter away. He starts talking softly and promises never to shout again if “only she’ll come home,” but he has no idea where Helena is.

   In this very special picture book young readers will meet a father who has to learn an important lesson, and a daughter who has to make a very difficult decision. Sometimes we forget that our actions can impact the people around us, but this book reminds up of this very important fact in an elegant and memorable way.

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

Bedtime rituals are very important to little children, and they often get very upset if we try to change the way things are done. They need that soothing lullaby, the story time, and the kisses and hugs before the light goes out. Of course, there are those times when the they don't feel like going to sleep, and that is when the bedtime rituals become a way in which to postpone bedtime as long as possible. Countless times I was subjected to the ever popular bedtime ploy of lets-trick-Mama-into-reading-me-five-books-instead-of-two.

In today's picture book you will meet a little hippo who is a master when it comes to avoiding bedtime.

Bertie at bedtime

Marcus Pfister

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

NorthSouth, 2008, 978-0-7358-2313-6

   It is time for Bertie, the little hippo, to go to bed. Just like so many other little children, Bertie would much rather play than get ready for bed. His father promises that they will play together after dinner and after Bertie has brushed his teeth, which they do.

   After playing a rousing game of catch, Bertie has his bath and then he and his father play hide-and-seek. Daddy then tells Bertie that it is time for bed, but Bertie reminds his parent that first it is story time. After sharing three stories, Bertie and Daddy have to have a little dance. After this, Bertie has a drink, and then he goes to the potty. Even after all this activity, Bertie is not tired, and he wants Daddy to sing him a song. Poor Daddy, on the other hand, is getting quite worn out.

   Adults who have young children in their lives are sure to recognize many of the scenes in this charming picture book. Children all over the world find creative ways to draw out their bedtime as long as possible, just as Bertie does.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book two hundred and ninety-two

There are many things that I love about being a parent. When my daughter was younger, my husband and I made up all kinds of stories about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. Sharing in her belief of these childhood friends was an unexpected gift. Now she is eleven, and though she appreciates the spirit of Christmas magic, she does not believe it comes in the form of an bunny bearing gifts, a fairy who likes teeth, or a gent wearing a fur trimmed red suit. Sigh. However, I have discovered that her new tween maturity does not preclude her from enjoying stories about her childhood companions. She and I both greatly enjoyed reading and looking at today's picture book, a title created by William Joyce.

The Man in the Moon

William Joyce

Picture book

For ages 5 to 8

Simon and Schuster, 2011, 978-1-4424-3041-9

   There are several personalities who are collectively known as the Guardians of Childhood. They include Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Man in the Moon. The Man in the Moon was the very first of the Guardians, and he began his journey during the Golden Age, which was “a glorious time of hope and happiness and dreams that could come true.”

   When he was a baby, the Man in the Moon lived with his parents on a ship called the Moon Clipper, and together they sailed from one planet to another with their Moonbot crew, giant Glowworms, Moonmice, and Nighlight, who was the baby’s “devoted little friend.” Every night the Moon Clipper transformed into a moon, and every night Nighlight watched over the baby, making sure that he never had a nightmare.

   Then a terrible “darkness came to the Gold Age.” A being called Pitch, the King of Nightmares, could not bear the fact that baby Man in the Moon had never had to endure a nightmare, and he decided that he would kidnap the baby. Though the baby’s parents tried to protect their son by taking him to a distant place near a planet called Earth, Pitch found them and there was a terrible battle.

   When the battle was over, the Man in the Moon’s parents had disappeared, the ship had been destroyed, and all that was left was a moon. Nightlight had vanquished Pitch, and they were both gone. Poor little Man in the Moon was all alone except for the Moonbots, the Moonmice, and the Glowworms.

   When he was old enough to read his mother’s Primer of Planets, the Man in the Moon discovered that there were children on Earth, children who had hopes and dreams. As a grown up, the Man in the Moon set about trying to make these children as happy as he could, but there was one problem that he did not know how to solve.

   With stunningly beautiful illustrations and a magical story that will charm children and their grownups, this picture book is a title that children will treasure for years to come. It is the first of what promises to be a memorable series of picture books.  

Teen Read Week 2011

It is Teen Read Week and I want to share some information about this celebration of YA literature with you. According to the ALA website...

"Teen Read Week is held each year during the third week of October. In 2011, it will be celebrated Oct. 16-22.

Teen Read Week is an national literacy initiative of the  Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association. It's aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, educators, booksellers and other concerned adults.

Teen Read Week's theme is Read For The Fun Of It. Each year, YALSA offers a new sub-theme to serve as a basis for developing programs in schools, public libraries, and bookstores. The 2011 sub-theme is Picture It @ your library, which encourages teens to read graphic novels and other illustrated materials, seek out creative books, or imagine the world through literature, just for the fun of it. The event offers librarians and educators a chance to encourage teens to read for pleasure and to visit their libraries for free reading materials. If you have a recommendation for a theme for 2012, please send it to yalsa@ala.org.

Teen Read Week 2011 will be celebrated at thousands of public and school libraries, classrooms, and bookstores across the country. Although teens realize the importance of reading, they have a huge menu of activities to choose from when deciding how to spend their free time, and reading gets lost in the shuffle. Reading skills get rusty when they are not used. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reports that over the last 20 years there have been only modest gains in reading achievement. And although there are many active literacy campaigns, very few efforts focus on teenagers."

The YALSA Teens Top Ten titles for 2011 are:

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (Simon & Schuster)

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick (Simon & Schuster)

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (HarperCollins)

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (Harlequin)

Matched by Ally Condie (Penguin)

Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel by James Patterson (Little, Brown & Company)

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (HarperCollins)

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (HarperCollins)

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (Penguin)

These "teens choice" titles were chosen by teens who are members of book groups in sixteen school and public libraries around the United States. You can see all the 2011 nominated titles here. 

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

When I was a young girl, all the girls in my class were keen to become the next Margot Fonteyn. There were no soccer teams for girls where we lived and ballet was what little girls did. Not surprisingly, most of us really weren't suited to becoming ballet dancers, but how we tried. I can remember having sore feet, and dreading those hours of barre practice. Thankfully I discovered long distance running and my ballet days ended. 

It is not easy finding the courage to be who you are. Some of us are made to be ballet dancers, but most of us are not. We have some other gift that we need to find, and then embrace. Today's book is about a little girl who takes this very important journey. 

Naughty Toes

Ann Bonwill

Illustrated by Teresa Murfin

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Tiger Tales, 2011, 978-1-58925-103-8

   Chloe’s big sister Belinda loves ballet, and now she and Chloe are going to take ballet lessons. At Dana’s Dance Shop Belinda picks pink dancing slippers, a pink leotard, and a white skirt. Belinda wants something that “has style,” so she picks red slippers and a green and purple leotard.

   At her first ballet class, Chloe begins to think that perhaps her choice of clothes was not such a good idea because she is the only one who is not wearing the more traditional pink dance outfit. To make matters worse, when the students are asked to point their toes Chloe’s toes refuse to cooperate, and Madame Mina says that Chloe has “Naughty toes.” Then, when the students practice dancing to the beat of the music, Chloe somehow ends up counting four beats instead of three.

   Unfortunately, for Chloe this is just the beginning. Her hair refuses to form a nice and tidy bun, she cannot flutter like a butterfly, and when she is supposed to “Float like clouds” Chloe spins around the classroom and collides with one of the other students. Chloe cannot help being “a cloud with gusto,” but it is not what Madame Mina is looking for.

   Many children desperately want to fit in, and sometimes this is hard to do because we are all different. How can be all be the same when we don’t all have the same gifts and abilities?

   In this clever and meaningful picture book, Ann Bonwill shows her readers that it is important to march to your own drumbeat and to celebrate the gifts that you have, rather than trying to force yourself into a role that simply doesn’t suit you. It is so much better to be who you are and to let yourself shine!

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

When my daughter was in the fifth grade, she and her classmates had to raise a lot of money for their class field trip. Of course parents got involved, but the kids worked very hard and their labors paid off. For today's picture book I have a title by Eileen Spinelli featuring Miss Fox and her class. In this title, Miss Fox's students discover that raising money for a field trip can be quite challenging. 

Miss Fox’s Class earns a field trip

Eileen Spinelli

Illustrated by Anne Kennedy

Picture book

For ages 5 to 7

Albert Whitman, 2010, 978-0-8075-5169-1

   The kids in Miss Fox’s class very much want to go to Roller Coaster Planet for their next field trip. Miss Fox explains that it is going to coast $135 for the trip, and that the students are going to have to earn the money themselves.

   When she hears about the field trip fund, Ms. Owl gives Miss Fox’s students a job. All they need to do to earn $20 is to clean Ms. Owl’s car so that it is spic and span when she has to drive the visiting author, Percy P. Possum, home.

   Cleaning the car presents no problems for the students, but when the job is finished, the children accidentally get Mr. Possum wet. Twice! After they have paid for Mr. Possum’s cleaning bill the children only have $5 in their field trip fund. How very discouraging.

   Then Young Bear suggests that the children should put on a play. With the help of family members, the children put on a splendid play and they raise $60. At the end of the performance Mr. Possum comes backstage to congratulate the cast. He slips on Raccoon’s costume and one of the lenses in his glasses breaks. That little slip ends up costing Miss Fox’s students $25 to repair Mr. Possum’s glasses. At this rate, the students are going to be all grown up before they have enough money to go on a field trip!

   In this delightful Miss Fox title, Eileen Spinelli gives her readers a meaningful story about the trials and tribulations of fundraising. It takes tenacity and determination to raise money for a good cause, and sometimes it is not at all easy. With a sprinkling of math and loveable characters, this is a story that children are sure to appreciate. 

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

Most of us, at one time or another, wish we had superpowers. How much easier life would be if we could do our chores at warp speed, and therefore have time to do all the fun stuff that we want to do. How much easier travel would be if we could fly, and wouldn't it be cool if we could climb the walls like Spiderman?

In today's picture book you will met a duck who likes to pretend that he is a superhero. Though the duck has the heart of a superhero, he does not have the powers that make superheros successful in their endeavors. This singular lack of superhero abilities does not deter the duck though, as you will see. 

Super Duck

Jez Alborough

Picture book

For ages 5 to 7

Kane/Miller, 2009, 978-1-933605-89-0

  One day Frog and Sheep come to Goat’s house, but they cannot find him. Then Goat calls out from his shed and he shows his friends the colorful kite he has made. Eagerly the three friends head out to try the kite. Who can throw the kite “really high” Goat wonders.

   Which is when Duck, or rather Super Duck, arrives on the scene. Duck throws the kite as hard as he can, but the kite soon comes back to earth. Next, Duck tries running and pulling the kite to get it up into the air. This does not work either. Even attaching the kite to Duck’s truck does not have the desired effect. What can the three friends do to get Goat’s kite to do what kites are supposed to do?

   Children will find it hard not to laugh out loud when they see what Duck, and his long suffering friends, get up to in this amusing picture book. Pairing clever rhymes with his delightfully expressive and funny illustrations, Jez Alborough gives children a picture book that all superhero fans will appreciate. 

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

Trying to convince a child that sharing is a good idea can be challenging. In fact, sometimes a battle ensures, with the child insisting that everything is "MINE!" Today's picture book tells the story of just such a child who claims all the toys are his, until he makes a very important discovery.

Mine!

Shutta Crum

Illustrated by Patrice Barton

For ages 3 to 5

Random House, 2011, 978-0-375-86711-8

   One day a toddler and a baby are set up on the floor with a pile of toys to play with. The little toddler decides that a small stuffed giraffe is “Mine!” and he picks it up. The blue and white star, the red ball, the toy plane, and everything else is also “Mine!” Soon the only thing that is left on the floor is a little yellow toy, which the baby picks up.

   Seeing the baby holding the yellow toy is more than the toddler can stand. “MINE!” he shouts, casting aside all the other toys to get the coveted yellow toy.

   The little dog sees a green and white ball bouncing across the floor and he picks it up. This is not acceptable to the toddler who sets about retrieving the ball saying “Mine!” While the toddler is occupied with the dog, the baby throws the yellow toy into the dog bowl.

   One would think that this would be a catastrophe, but it isn’t. Instead, it is the beginning of a wonderful, wet, and slobbery game that the toddler, baby, and dog all share.

   Trying to show young children that sharing is a good thing can be rather challenging. How can sharing something with another child be better than having that something all to oneself? With no real text (beyond the word “Mine!”) this picture book shows to great effect how sharing some toys with others can be wonderful fun. 

Poetry Friday - A review of Where I live

Some people embrace change, they like to try new things and see new places. For others, getting used to change is a trial, and it can even be painful. In today's book of poetry, Eileen Spinelli uses a series of short poems to tell the story of a young girl who has to leave the home and best friend she loves. The book is a gem, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. 

Where I Live

Eileen Spinelli

Illustrated by Matt Phelan

Poetry and fiction

For ages 9 to 12

Penguin, 2007, 978-0803731226

Diana loves her home. She loves the fact that a wren is nesting in the wreath on the front door. Diana also loves her best friend Rose. Rose and Diana fit together like vanilla ice cream and fudge sauce. Rose never complains when Diana starts talking about stars, and when Diana works on her poems. Rose is always there when Diana needs someone to talk to.

   Then something happens that turns Diana's world upside down; her father loses his job. Diana's parents are going to have a hard time paying for their home without Dad's wages. After Mom goes to visit her father, she comes home to announce that they are all going to move in with Grandpa. Mom and Dad won't have to pay a mortgage if they move, and Grandpa will have someone to share his large, lonely house. They are going to move away from the yellow house and from Rose.

Diana is heartbroken. She will never have another friend like Rose. She will never have a house like the yellow house that she lives in and loves. She will never be happy again.

Written in the form of a series of poems, this warm, touching, and evocative story will resonate with readers of all ages. Because of her father's bad luck, Diana is forced into a new situation, and in the process, she learns that change is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes it can even make life richer and more interesting.