The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book three hundred and thirty-five

When I first saw the title of this book, my first thought was, who on earth would write a book about a stick? I could not imagine that such a book could be interesting. Then I got intrigued, opened the book, and began to read. I don't want to give away too much here, but I do want you to know that this is a marvelous book, and it is one that grownups will appreciate too. 

The Clever Stick

John Lechner

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 8

Candlewick Press, 2009, 978-0-7636-3950-1

   There once was a stick who was very intelligent. He would “sit in the sand and think up all sorts of clever things.” He would make up poetry, and contemplate the beauty of nature. Though the stick could think about so much, there was one thing that he couldn’t do. The stick could not speak, and therefore he could not share his thoughts, ideas, and poems with anyone else. It was a very frustrating situation.

   One day the stick tried to say hello “to all the animals, insects, and flowers” by bowing, but he ended up tripping on a pebble instead. What made things even worse was that no even noticed that the stick had fallen over. Feeling utterly dejected, the stick “dragged himself all the way home,” which is when he discovered something that would change his life forever.

   One would not usually think of a stick as being an engaging children’s book character, but the stick in this story is not your average stick. With his wonderful expressive illustrations and minimal text, John Lechner tells a story that will resonate with anyone who has doubted him or herself. The stick shows us that we should never give up hope, and that all of us have greatness in us. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book three hundred and thirty-four

Though we like to think that we know what we should or should not do, there are times when our good judgement fails us. We make poor choices, and as a result, we get into unfortunate situations.

In today's picture book, you will meet a pair of sheep who consistently make bad decisions, and you will also meet a sheep dog who is regularly forced to save them from themselves.

Sneaky Sheep

Chris Monroe

Picture Book

For ages

Lerner, 2010, 978-0-7613-5615-8

Rocky and Blossom are a pair of sheep who live in a mountain meadow along with one hundred and forty-seven other sheep and a sheep dog. The dog is called Murphy, and he knows all to well that Rocky and Blossom are a pair of troublemakers. Therefore, when the two sheep tell Murphy that they want to go to the high meadow on the mountain, he informs them that they need to stay where they are. Murphy knows that the mountain is a place that is full of dangers.

   Not surprisingly, considering their track record of making “bad decisions,” Rocky and Blossom do not listen to Murphy, and as soon as they get the opportunity, they sneak off. Murphy catches up with them and brings them home. Every time they sneak off, the dog finds them. Then, one day, the two naughty sheep finally manage to give Murphy the slip, and they find out for themselves that it really is not wise to ignore the advice of a sensible sheepdog.

   Many of us like to think that we know what is best for us, and we resent it when someone tells us that something that we really want to do is a bad idea. After all, what do they know?

   In this laugh-out-loud funny picture book, Chris Monroe uses his sheep characters to show to great effect what can happen when we don’t listen to words of caution. Children will love to see the predicaments the sheep get themselves into, and they will enjoy looking at the interesting formats used in the story that include frames and speech bubbles.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book three hundred and thirty-three

I was lucky enough to grow up with a wonderful sheepdog called Balloo. Her mother was a working dog, so Balloo had very strong instincts to take care of baby animals, including me. When I was around two or three, my parents got a Siamese kitten, and they named him T.S. T.S. was not a strong kitten, and soon after he arrived Balloo adopted him. She washed him and he would sleep curled up against her side. Even when T.S. was a large middle aged cat, he would go to Balloo when he was upset or sick, and she would care for him.  T.S did not care that Balloo was a dog. As far as he was concerned she was his mother.

Seeing the love between the very large fluffy white dog and the skinny Siamese cat made me realize early on that love and family connections can cross all kinds of boundaries. Today's book is about another pair of animals that create a family, despite the fact that they are nothing alike. 

The Little Green Goose

Adele Sansone

Illustrated by Anke Faust

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

NorthSouth, 2010, 978-0-7358-2292-4

   Mr. Goose lives on a farm with a collection of other animals, and he enjoys spending time with the chicks, reading them stories or taking them for a swim. The truth is that Mr. Goose would love to have a chick of his own. He would love to have a baby to care for “who would call him Daddy.”

   Mr. Goose asks the chickens if one of them would give him one of their eggs, and they make it clear that they are not interested in helping out a poor goose like him. Then Daisy the dog finds a very large egg, and she gives it to Mr. Goose, who faithfully sits on it to keep it warm.

   Then one day the eggs cracks and the most peculiar little chick hatches out. Instead of a beak and feathers, this chick has shiny scales and a long tail. It is a rather strange little goose, but Mr. Goose does not care. The baby calls him “Daddy” and Mr. Goose sets about caring for his offspring with love and tender care.

   Then one day the rooster tells the little green goose and he is not a goose at all, and that Mr. Goose cannot possibly be his daddy. The poor little green goose is distraught, and he sets off to find his real daddy.

   Families come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes parents and their children look nothing alike, but the love that connects them is a bond that cannot and should not be broken.

   In this charming picture book, Adele Sansone shows to great effect how love is what makes a family, not a blood tie, or even a species tie. Anke Faust’s delightful multimedia artwork perfectly compliments the heartwarming story. 

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

I have recently been shown, once again, how precious true friends are. They are there in good times and bad, and they help make those scary moments in life a little less scary. I know for a fact that I would climb mountains for these people if I needed to. In today's picture book, you will meet four lawn ornaments who find the courage to do something very frightening so that they can be reunited with the little girl who is their dearest friend. Having read this book, and I will never look at a lawn ornament the same way again. 

Lawn to Lawn

Dan Yaccarino

Picture book

For ages 5 to 7

Random House, 2010, 978-0-375-85574-0

   Pearl is a little girl who is best friends with the lawn ornaments who live in the yard in front of her house. One day Pearl tells Betty the deer, Flo the flamingo, Norm the garden gnome, and Jack the jockey that she and her family are moving to a new house. Pearl is excited, but the garden ornaments are not so sure because they have “never left the lawn before,” but they love Pearl and want to be with her no matter what.

   On moving day, the car is loaded up and Pearl and her family drive away. Without the lawn ornaments. Betty, Flo, Jack, and Norm are appalled. What is going to happen to them? If they stay put, they might end up on the curb and everyone knows what happens if you are put on the curb. A garbage truck takes you away and you are never seen again.

   Determined to find Pearl, and to avoid garbage trucks, the lawn ornaments set off. They have a map to guide them, but they have a long way to go, and who knows what they are going to have to deal with on their journey.

   In this heartwarming book, Dan Yaccarino uses his very unique cast of characters to explore what it means to truly value friendship. The lawn ornaments are not ideally suited to travelling across long distances, but they don’t give up, and we cannot help admiring them for their courage and determination.

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

Most of us like to think that we are fair people. When we see someone living on the street we try not to assume the worst about that person. When we see someone who looks different in some way, we try not to place a label on them. We try, but we do not always succeed, and sometimes we make assumptions that we shouldn't make about the people around us. 

Today's picture book shows to great effect how dangerous it is to make assumptions on this kind. 

Meena

Sine van Mol

Illustrated by Carianne Wijffels

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 8

Eerdmans, 2011, 978-0-8028-5394-3

   Meena is a large woman who lives on Fly Street, and the children who live on that street are terrified of her. They have decided that Meena is a witch who is dangerous, and when they see that a little girl is visiting Meena, they get into a panic. Meena has taken a prisoner!

   Wanting to do something for the little girl, Christa, Klaas, and Thomas write WITCH on the street, and they also draw an arrow that points to Meena’s house. Their hope is that once everyone knows what Meena is, the old lady will move away.

   One day the little girl who visits Meena reads the words on the street. Christa, Klaas, and Thomas talk to her and find out that her name is Anna. They are appalled when Anna explains that Meena is her grandmother. They are convinced that Meena has put a spell on Anna. Anna is equally appalled (and angry) when the three children refuse to believe that Meena is a not a witch.

   Even when we are being very careful, many of us judge people without knowing anything about them. Something about their appearance or behavior makes us decide that they are weird, creepy, dorky, geeky, or uncool.

   In this picture book, Sine van Mol and Carianne Wijffels address this issue head on, showing to great effect how hurtful and cruel snap judgments can be. Children will see for themselves that Christa, Klaas, and Thomas are persecuting Meena, even though they have never actually met her or talked to her. 

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

Most of us have had to deal with a visitor or a house guest who likes to boss everyone around. They criticize the food, table arrangements, or decor, and then proceed to do things "properly" their way. If the guest is a child, he or she rearranges all the stuffed animals, takes apart the Lego city, reorganizes the tree house, or insists on hosting the doll tea party. There is no stopping people like this because they just don't get it that their interference is unwanted. 

Today's picture book will resonate with everyone who has suffered at the hands of a bossy person like this.

Uncle Rabbit’s Busy Visit

Christa Kempter

Illustrated by Frauke Weldin

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

NorthSouth, 2010, 978-0-7358-2320-4

   Wally the rabbit is out in his garden counting the carrots, when his friend Mae brings him a letter. Wally is dismayed when he reads the letter and learns that his Uncle Rabbit is coming to visit that very day. He and Mae are going to have to hurry up if they hope to have the house neat and tidy in time.

   When Uncle Rabbit arrives, he quickly makes friends with Mae, who is delighted to have someone new around to talk to. He just as quickly sets about giving Wally’s house a makeover. He makes new curtains and cushions, moves furniture around, and puts a weather vane on the roof of Wally’s house. Mae thinks that Uncle Rabbit is delightful, but poor Wally feels left out, and he also resents the way in which Uncle Rabbit is changing everything without consulting him. What is poor Wally to do?

   As they read this story, children are going to fall in love with Wally and his large bear friend. Who can resist Mae with her sticky honey-covered paws, and her rabbit friend who just wants things to stay the same.

   With sensitivity and humor, Christa Kempter and Frauke Weldin take a look at what it feels like to be bossed around and ignored. Children will appreciate that Wally has been put in a difficult position, and they will surely sympathize with him. 

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

When I was growing up, I was not allowed to read comics. Unless they were in Greek or French because they helped me "to develop my reading skills" in those languages. This does not mean that I didn't read comics. I did. I just had to do so on the sly. 

Thankfully there are now hundreds of fantastic comics/graphic novels being published that are not only beautifully drawn, but that are wonderfully written as well. These are books even my book snob of a father would have approved of!

For today's review I have the first title in a series of graphic novels that are about three very different individuals who share adventures. Though they don't always agree on things, when it matters, they help each other out. 

Tower of Treasure

Scott Chantler

Graphic Novel

For ages 9 to 12

Kids Can Press, 2010, 978-1-55453-414-2

   When Dessa was just a little girl, a tall man with a dark beard came and visited the home that she shared with her mother and twin brother. Dessa and her twin were hiding under the floor, but when the man threatened their mother, Dessa’s brother told her to run and that he would “take care of it.” To this day Dessa has no idea what happened to her brother, but she does know that her mother died when their home was set on fire that night.

   Now Dessa is part of a travelling circus. She performs as an acrobat, and she is very good at what she does, but her life is hard and she does not particularly enjoy being browbeaten by her boss, Hugo.

   When the circus gets to Kingsbridge, Hugo is hopeful that they will make lots of money in the big town. While she is performing, Dessa sees someone who looks like the tall man with the beard who destroyed her family. Unable to contain her fury, Dessa accosts the man, only to find out that she has made a mistake.

   Hugo is furious with Dessa and her friends Fisk and Topper for wrecking the show, and he demands that they either find money or food. He never imagines that Topper is going to try to rob the Queen’s treasury, or that Dessa is actually going to meet the man who killed her mother and kidnapped her brother.

   This is the first book in what promises to be a thrilling graphic novel series. The tale is packed with colorful characters, and there are plenty of action scenes throughout the story. In addition, we are given clues in this first book about who Dessa’s enemy is, and we can look forward to following Dessa’s adventures as she pursues this enemy and tries to find her brother.

Poetry Friday - A review of Behind Museum Doors

When I was a child, I loved going to museums. On the island of Cyprus, where I grew up, the museum is arranged in such a way so that visitors can take a chronological journey through Cyprus' history. Then my parents took me to the British Museum in London, and I happily spent hours admiring mummies, dinosaurs and other wonders. I could not believe how huge the place was, and how much there was to see.

Today's poetry title looks at a few of the amazing things that children can experience when they go to a museum.

Behind the museum door: Poems to celebrate the wonders of museums

Edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Illustrated by Stacey Dressen McQueen

Poetry Picture book

For ages 7 to 10

Abrams, 2007, 978-0-8109-1204-5

   Museums are extraordinary places; they are places that allow us to travel into the past and to better understand what the world was like long ago. For children, museums are also places where they can learn so much without having to be in a classroom.

   For this wonderful poetry collection, Lee Bennett Hopkins has selected poems that explore museum related topics. In the first poem, we see a little girl looking up at a suit of armor. When she knocks on the armor, there is an “Echo of air” because it is empty, but the little girl cannot help felling that the echo is a voice from the past that is “drifting through / The lonely centuries.”

   Then there are the two children who are contemplating and having a chat with the bones of a brontosaurus. They wonder if the huge animal was ever “in a dither / When your head and distant tail / Went different ways.” They have so many questions, but they realize after a while that having a conversation with a collection of bones is “hard.”

   Another group of children discover that the tapestries on display in a museum give them a picture of the past. Carefully created by people who are long gone, the tapestries show “Tales of chivalry, cruelty, battles” and other scenes that connect the viewer with long ago human stories and experiences.

   This splendid collection serves as a fitting tribute to the museums whose displays delight the eye, challenge the mind, and tickle ones curiosity. On these pages poems written by Jane Yolen, J. Patrick Lewis, Marilyn Singer and others give young readers a delicious taste of what awaits them behind museum doors. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

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

Today people all over America (and Americans in other parts of the world) will spend the day cooking, eating, and recovering for their overeating. For many of these people, the piece de resistance of the meal will be a roasted turkey. The turkeys that Americans eat during Thanksgiving are domesticated birds, but there are still many of their wild cousins roaming around. In fact, I saw a large troop of them just the other day, walking across the road so that they could visit one of the local parks. It seems appropriate somehow to share a book about turkeys with you on this special day.

Gobble Gobble

Cathryn Falwell

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Dawn Publications, 2011, 978-1-58469-149-5

   It is spring, and Jenny is in the woods exploring when she sees strange prints in the mud and some feathers on the ground. She hears a “funny gobbling sound,” and when she peers around a tree, she sees a flock of turkeys looking for “seeds to eat.” Some days later, she sees the tom turkeys strutting around with their tail feathers fanned out, and the hens are scraping at the ground to make shallow nests.

   In the summer, the turkeys’ eggs hatch, and Jenny sees the hens leading their babies around. Then in the fall, the turkeys roost in trees to get away from the frozen, cold, and often slippery, ground. In winter, will the turkeys slide down the snowy hill as Jenny and her friends do?

   In this fact filled picture book, Cathryn Falwell shows children what wild turkeys are like, using a bouncy rhyming text to tell the story of turkey behavior from season to season. At the back of the book readers will find Jenny’s turkey journal. Here she provides readers with further information about wild turkey history, conservation, and biology. Jenny also suggests three activities that children can try that will help them to better appreciate the natural world around them.