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

Learning how to do something new almost always is a challenge. Very rarely are we able to do this new thing properly the very first time we try it. Recently I started learning how to play the violin, and I have learned that I need to have two things: patience and a willingness to practice.

In today's picture book you will meet a very small penguin who has to learn a similar lesson. He is not going to be a good swimmer the very first time he tries.

Penguin Pete

Marcus Pfister

Translated by Anthea Bell

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

NorthSouth, 1994, 978-1558583566

   Pete lives in a colony of penguins in the Antarctic, and he is the smallest of the young penguins. He is eager to grow up so that he can go swimming in the sea with the sleek and elegant adult penguins. He soon notices that on land all penguins waddle, even the adults. They are no better than he is at getting about on the snow and ice.

   Pete decides that he is going to find a way to move about on land that is more graceful. He practices flipper skating on the ice, and though he looks good, he often ends up landing “on the ground with a thump.” Then Pete meets Steve, a little bird, and he discovers that there is something else he cannot do. He cannot fly.

   Children will immediately identify with Pete, a “pint-sized” penguin who is a “good loser.” They will see that there are many things in life that take practice to make perfect, and that it is perfectly all right not to be good at something when you first start doing it.

   This is the first in a series of books about Penguin Pete. 

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

There are certain things that parents don't consider. For example, becasue they were once children, they have a pretty good idea of what their children are doing when they are in school or playing at a friend's house. They know what it is like to be a child. Children on the other hand have no idea what it is like to be a parents or a grownup. What do their grownups do all day? What kinds of things do grownups do for fun?

In today's picture book we go inside the imagination of a little boy who shows us  what he thinks his parents do when he goes away for a night.

What do parents do? (…when you’re not home)

Jeanie Franz Ransom

Illustrated by Cyd Moore

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Peachtree Publishers, 2007, 978-1-56145-409-9

   A boy and his little sister are going to spend the night at their grandparent’s house, and as they leave home, they ask their parents, “What are you going to do?” As they drive away, the boy starts to imagine what his parents are doing at home at that moment, and his imagination runs wild!

   First Mom and Dad will jump on the bed with their shoes on. In short, they will do what they are always telling their children “not to do.” Then they go sledding down the stairs on pillows, which is not very good for the pillows. After all this rambunctiousness, they sit and watch the TV “for ages.” They watch all kinds of junk and they sit far too close to the TV screen too.

   While the little boy is drinking lemonade at Grandma’s house, he imagines that his parents are pigging out on waffles, ice cream, and Kool-Aid. In fact, while he and his sister are pursuing wholesome activities with Grandma and Grandpa, Mom and Dad are going crazy!

   It is hard for young children to imagine what their parents do when they are not around. In fact, it is something of a mystery. Now, at last, all is revealed, and children will find out that the truth is just as terribly decadent (and naughty) as they thought it would be.

   Cyd Moore’s lively and amusing illustrations perfectly compliment the text in this delightful story. 

Poetry Friday - A review of In the Spin of things.

The world is full of motion. Everywhere you look things are moving in some way. A cat's whisker is twitching, a branch is swaying, a fly is zipping around the room. In today's poetry book, Rebecca Kai Dotlich explores and celebrates some of the everyday sounds that fill our lives.

In the spin of things: Poetry of Motion

Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Illustrations by Karen Dugan

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 to 9

Wordsong, 2010, 978-1-59078-828-8

We live in a world that is full of movement. Leaves on trees shiver, birds fly through the sky, cars whizz down roads. Most of the time we barely notice what is going on around us because we are so busy being in motion ourselves.

   In this clever collection of poems, the author explores everyday moments when something is in motion. She begins by looking at the way in which cereal bobs in a bowl of milk. There are “flagging flakes,” “soft moons” and even cereal stars that do “the butterfly stroke” in the milk. Then there is the pepper shaker that gets busy sprinkling “a million / midnight dots” on hash browns and scrambled eggs. When it’s work is done, the shaker is back on its base “hot dots settle / into place.”

   In the classroom the pencil sharpener “nibbles” away at pencils, and a pair of scissors “slides open, / squeezes shut.” The globe spins around “a swirl of blue / a whirl of brown” as oceans and continents going flying by.

   Later in the book, we explore the movement a “crumpled” empty soda can makes as it tumbles across a sidewalk. We watch wind chimes dancing like “tin ballerinas” on their strings in the wind, and we see the flame of a candle with its “curvy wave” flickering before it is blown out.

   With wonderful word pictures and a clever use of rhyming and non-rhyming verse, Rebecca Kai Dotlich turns the ordinary into something extraordinary. 

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

Being different when you are an adult can make things complicated. Being different when you are child can make your life downright miserable. If you don't do ballet, or play soccer, or have the newest brand of shoes, you are given a unflattering label that follows you wherever you go.

Today's picture beautifully explores the idea that people who are different can be incredibly interesting and yes, they can also be very cool.

Marshall Armstrong is new to our school

David Macintosh

Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Abrams, 2011, 978-1-4197-0036-1

   Marshall Armstrong is the new boy in class and he looks different. He wears a tie and a straw hat and glasses that have the words Ray Ban written on them. He has also brought a ton of stuff to school with him, stuff that his desk partner does not have, like a protractor, various kinds of rulers, a pencil case, and all kinds of fancy pens. Then at lunchtime everyone sees that Marshall Armstrong “doesn’t eat normal food.” Everything he has comes in labeled silver wrappers. At recess he doesn’t play. Instead, he reads a book. All this adds up to one thing; Marshall Armstrong “doesn’t fit” in the school.

   Then Marshall Armstrong invites everyone to his birthday party. His desk partner is told that he has to go. He convinces himself that he, and all the other guests, are going to have a terrible time. After all, a boy like Marshall Armstrong cannot possibly give a decent birthday party. Right?

   This wonderful picture book, with its quirky illustrations, and its humorous narrative, shows to great effect that there are times when really interesting people come in rather strange wrappings. It is easy to judge them by how they look and behave, but you cannot really understand what they like until you get to know them properly.

   This book not only conveys a message that children need to hear, but it also serves as a tribute to all those wonderful and unique people out there who do not fit into a commonly accepted mold.

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

Ever single person I know has had days when they wish they could give away a member of their family. A brother, sister, mother, or father does something that is infuriating and an ugly scene ensues. In today's picture you will meet a little girl rodent whose little sister finally goes too far, and who ends up being given to a neighbor "for free."

Rosie and Buttercup

Chieri Uegaki

Illustrated by Stephane Jorisch

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Kids Can Press, 2008, 978-1-55337-997-3

   Rosie is an extremely lucky rodent girl because she has everything she could ever want. She has parents who love her, two pet crickets, dance lessons, music lessons, and a bag of sun-dried dandelion puffs. Then Buttercup is born and Rosie is thrilled with her little sister. Rosie sings to Buttercup and she lets her little sister join her backyard ballet sessions.

   After a time, Rosie starts to realize that Buttercup is rather annoying sometimes. She starts to think that it might be nice if Buttercup was not around to bother her. At first, Rosie resists this idea, but then Buttercup ties to open the cricket’s cage and Rosie gets veryupset. There is only one thing to do and Rosie does it. She gives her little sister away to a neighbor. Ahhh. Now at last Rosie’s life can go “back to the way they used to be.” Or maybe not.

   There is no doubt that little brothers and sisters can be annoying at times. With humor and a delicate touch, Chieri Uegaki tells a sympathetic story that readers of all ages will be able to identify with. 

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

Not long ago I lived in a lovely little house here in Ashland. We were renting the house until we could find a place of our own, and we were there for more than a year. Though the house was charming and very homey, it did not come to feel like home because we knew that we would not be staying there, and because one of our number, my husband, was gone so much of the time for work. Without him around something was missing. 

In today's picture book readers will meet four animals who learn what a home really is.

Home

Alex T. Smith

Picture book

For ages 5 to 7

Tiger Tales, 2010, 978-1-58925-088-8

   There once were four friends (One, Two, Three, and Four) who lived in a house together. The house was their home, and they were very happy with the way things were. Then one day One suggested that they should all go and live on a ship and become pirates. No one else liked this idea at all. Two thought that it would be grand to “live at the top of a mountain and learn to yodel.” No one likes this idea either. Three wanted to move into an underground cave, while Four wanted to move to a big city so that they could “go to parties and boogie-woogie all night long.”

   The four friends talked, argued, and then fought about what they wanted to do. Then each of them marched off taking a part of the house with them. At first, the “not-at-all-best friends” were happy with their new lives, but soon they realized that their houses were not homes. Something was missing.

   In this funny and sweet picture book, the author explores the idea that a home is a lot more than four walls, a roof, windows, doors, floors, and furniture. A house has to mean something special to the person or people who live in it before it feels like a real home.

   With unique multimedia illustrations throughout and delightfully quirky characters, this is a picture book that children will appreciate and enjoy.

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

Learning how to get along with others is one of those big lessons that we have to learn as we grow up, and it is complicated. There are confusing dynamics when there are three people in a friendship rather than two. If one person is more pushy, then everyone else gets steamrollered into doing things they don't want to.

In today's book Tad Hills uses his Duck and Goose characters to explore what a good friendship should be.

Duck, Duck, Goose

Tad Hills

Picture Book

For ages 4 to 6

Random House, 2007, 978-0-375-84068-5

   Goose is excited because he has a butterfly sitting on his head. He cannot wait for Duck to see him. When Duck arrives on the scene, he is not alone; he has another duck called Thistle with him and Thistle is, well…to be blunt, Thistle is a showoff. She appears to be good at everything that she does, and she turns everything she does into a contest or a challenge.

   It isn’t long before Goose has had enough. He does not want to race up a hill or stand on his head or walk across a log. He does not want to compete with Thistle all the time. In fact, sometimes he just wants to look for butterflies or listen to the river. Eventually, Goose goes off by himself because Duck and Thistle have no interest in doing any of the things that he likes to do. In short, three’s a crowd and Goose is the odd one out.

   Most of the time it is wonderful to make new friends. A new friend can introduce you to new activities, ideas, and perspectives. Bringing a new friend into the mix can also cause problems. In this book, Tad Hills takes a look at these problems and present them in a way that children will understand and appreciate.

    

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

When I was living on the island of Cyprus, going to the beach was one of my favorite summer activities.Since then I have always lived in a place that did not lend itself to regular beach trips. Either the sea or ocean was too far, or the water was too cold. So, for now at least I have to enjoy my summer beach days through books, and today I have a really charming beach book for you.

I love Vacations

Anna Walker

Picture Book

For ages 2 to 5

Simon and Schuster, 2011, 978-1-4169-8321-7

   Ollie the zebra loves vacations, and he and Fred are going to the seaside.  When they get there, Ollie picks up shells and splashes in the waves. He goes out into a little boat and gazes up into the sky as the boat floats on the water. Ollie swims in the sea, he plays in the sand, and he eats ice cream. What could be better than doing all these wonderful things.

   In this charming Ollie title, Ollie and his dog Fred have a wonderful seaside vacation together. The simple rhyming text is beautifully paired with Anna Walker’s minimal watercolor art to give young readers a delightful picture book reading experience.

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

I am lucky because I live in a town where people care about issues that affect they lives. They are willing to do what they can to safeguard what they hold dear, speaking out and even paying up when necessary. When our town library was closed because of a lack of funding, the people in my town decided that we would raise our taxes so that we could reopen the library's doors. 

Today's picture book is about a similar group of characters who decide they they need to step up to protect their local beach.

Ballyhoo Bay

Judy Sierra

Illustrated by Derek Anderson

For ages 5 to 7

Simon and Schuster, 2009, 978-1-4169-5888-8

   Every Saturday morning Mira Bella, an artist, gives art lessons on the beach. The great thing is that she teaches all kinds of er…individuals. She teaches kids and grannies how to etch and sketch, she teaches swordfish and squids how to sculpt (underwater), and the gulls create the most amazing “trash-art sensations.” Even the sea squirts get in on the act, creating “dyed T-shirts by spitting on stencils.”

   Everyone is looking forward to the first of June which is when Mira Bella is planning to have the Ballyhoo Art Fair and Recycled Art-Cycle Race. You can only imagine how devastated Mira Bella and her friends and students are when they discover that builders are planning on putting an apartment complex with a “crystal casino as high as a cloud” on their beloved beach. The children and critters are all ready to pack up and give up, but Mira Bella is made of sterner stuff. If they want to save their beach, they are going to have to speak up!

   In this wonderfully empowering picture book, Judy Sierra celebrates the joy that making art brings to all kinds of people, and she shows her readers how important it is to defend the things that you value and hold dear. If someone is threatening something you care about, you have to take a stand, and speak out. Even if you are a squid or a whale.

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

Summer days were made for ice cream, and since it is now summer it seems very appropriate that I should review a book about a child who imagines that he is an ice cream king living in an ice cream castle that has an ice cream fountain in the garden.

The Ice Cream King

Steve Metzger

Illustrated by Julie Downing

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 7

Tiger Tales, 2011, 978-1-58925-096-3

   It is a hot day in July, and Teddy Jones is in town with his mother when he sees that a new ice cream shop called Thrill Chill has opened up. Not surprisingly, Teddy asks his mother if they can go into the ice cream shop.

   Soon Teddy and his mother are sitting inside Thrill Chill and Teddy is trying to decide what he would like to eat. Then the server puts a paper crown on Teddy’s head and the little boy starts to imagine what it would be like if he were “the Ice Cream King.”

   Why, if he were the king he would live in an ice cream kingdom full of ice cream treats that are “all for me.” He would live in an ice cream castle, climb Ice Cream Mountain, and “blast off in my spaceship / up to the ice cream moon.” Everything would be wonderful and splendid except for one thing.

   In this clever picture book, the author and illustrator help young readers to see that even the most wonderful of imaginary worlds are not much fun if one is alone. Could it be that some pleasures are best when they are shared?

   The author and illustrator take readers into Teddy’s imaginary world by shifting from the minimal illustrations and prose of his normal life to brightly colored pictures and verse for his imaginings. The effect is magical and memorable.