The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Seventy-Seven

In today's picture book you are going to meet a dog who is rather unique. Not only does he wanted to be adopted, but he has particular person in mind, and he does everything he can to make sure that she notices him.

Doggie in the window

Elaine Arsenault

Pictures by Fanny

Picture Book

Ages 3 to 5

Groundwood, 2003, 0-88899-619-5

   Doggie is the kind of dog who does not give up without a fight. More than anything he would like Mademoiselle Madeleine from the costume shop next door to adopt him, but he cannot get the lady to even notice him sitting in the pet shop window. He does every cute trick he can think of, but Mademoiselle Madeleine just doesn’t see him, so eager is she to get to her shop and to work.  

   One night Doggie manages to get out of his cage and he finds that there is a hole in the wall between the pet shop and the costume shop next door. Once Mademoiselle Madeleine has gone home, Doggie gets to work with the fabric, sewing machine and other bits and pieces that he finds lying around the shop.

   The next morning, Doggie is dressed up in the outfit he made for himself during the night, and what an outfit it is. He now looks like a cat, complete with a long cat-like tail, pointy ears, and whiskers. It would appear that Doggie is a master costume maker, and he hopes that he will impress Mademoiselle Madeleine enough that she will at last notice him.

   The deliciously funny antics of this loveable dog who wants to be adopted by a seamstress (and who indeed wants to be a seamstress himself) are sure to bring smiles to the face of anyone who reads this book. The illustrator has created flat image paintings in bright colors and she has taken great care to give Doggie, our hero, great personality and vivacity. There is no doubt that this is a dog in a million.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Seventy-Six

Losing something precious can be a very painful experience for a child, but it can also be a very painful experience for the thing that gets lost. In today's picture book you are going to meet a teddy bear who gets lost, but who decides that he is not going to take his situation lying down.

Red Ted and the Lost Things

Michael Rosen

Illustrated by Joel Stewart

Picture Book

Ages 5 to 7

Candlewick Press, 2009, 978-0-7636-4537-3

   One day, Red Ted’s little girl, Stevie, leaves Red Ted on the train by accident. Red Ted ends up in a huge room that is full of things that people have left on trains. He is put on a shelf next to a toy crocodile, and the crocodile explains that they are in the “Place for Lost Things.” The crocodile has been there so long that he no longer remembers the child he once belonged to.

   For a short while, Red Ted cries. What a terrible situation he is in. Then Red Ted decides that he is not going to wait to be found. Instead, he is going to find Stevie for himself. The brave little bear, with the crocodile in tow, makes his way out of the train station. The toys have no idea where to go next, but luckily a friendly cat thinks she may know where Stevie lives. The cat loves cheese, and Red Ted has a cheesy aroma on his fluffy person that smells familiar.

   This heartwarming picture book will surely charm anyone who has been lost, or who has lost something precious. Being lost can be very upsetting, and Michael Rosen captures Red Ted’s feelings and his courage to perfection. Joel Stewart’s mixed media illustrations with their graphic novel format are delightfully unique, perfectly complimenting the text throughout the tale. 

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone!

If you are looking for a few St. Patrick's Day books to share with your children take a look at the TTLG St. Patrick's Day Feature. I hope you have a wonderful day.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Seventy-Five

Today's book is a must for readers of all ages who like dogs. The pictures are delightful, and the ending is surprising and wonderfully amusing.

Dogs

Emily Gravett

Picture Book

Ages 5 to 7

Simon and Schuster, 2010, 978-1-4169-8703-1

   Have you noticed that there are dozens of different kinds of dogs? There are really big ones, and teeny tiny ones. There are dogs that are tough, and others that are total pushovers. There are dogs that bark up a storm, and dogs that are very quiet. There are good dogs who fetch slippers, and there are bad ones that chew slippers to bits. All of these dogs are loved by the narrator of this story, but there is one kind in particular that the narrator likes the best.

    Dog loving readers of all ages are sure to enjoy this amusing and clever picture book. There is a dog for everyone on the pages, and readers will enjoy trying to decide which of all the pooches is their favorite. Just in case readers get too complacent, there is an  unexpected ending that is deliciously funny. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Seventy-Four

Some years ago I started reading the books in the Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. They are such fascinating books that I was delighted to see that Hyperion has published a graphic novel of the first book in the trilogy.

The Amulet of Samarkand: A Bartimaeus Graphic Novel
Jonathan Stroud and Andrew Donkin

Illustrated by Lee Sullivan and Nicolas Chapuis
Graphic Novel
Ages 12 and up
Hyperion, 2010, 978-142311146-7
  Nathaniel, a magician’s apprentice, is furious, and he is determined to have his revenge on Simon Lovelace. Lovelace, a powerful magician who works for the government, has humiliated Nathaniel in the most mortifying way and Nathaniel’s master, Arthur Underwood, did nothing to help his apprentice during the ordeal.

   Far more knowledgeable in the art of magic than he should be for a boy of his age, Nathaniel summons up a powerful 5,000-year-old djinni called Bartimaeus to help him in his quest for revenge. Bartimaeus is not at all pleased to be forced to work for a twelve-year-old boy, but since Nathaniel has cast his spell properly and with care, there is nothing that Bartimaeus can do. Instead, when Nathaniel tells Bartimaeus to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from Lovelace, Bartimaeus reluctantly does as he is told.
  What neither Nathaniel nor Bartimaeus know at this point is that the Lovelace only has the Amulet because he stole it from the British government. Bartimeus – at the behest of his young master – finds out that Lovelace has plans of his own, plans that involve overthrowing the current administration so that he can seize power. When the Amulet is stolen from him, Lovelace puts his considerable powers to work to retrieve the precious magical artifact.
  Set in a modern-day London that is ruled by magicians, this highly entertaining story is told from the point of view of both Bartimaeus and Nathaniel. Bartimaeus’s often sarcastic and scornful observations about the magicians and their world are highly amusing, and the longstanding conflict between the “demons” and the magicians adds a great deal of interest to the story.
  Wonderfully written and packed with full-color art, this is a book that graphic novel fans of all ages will greatly enjoy.

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Seventy-Three

Being a knitter myself, I am drawn to books about knitting. I have reviewed many nonfiction titles that show young people how to knit. Today's picture book is about an owl who gets the knitting bug in a big way. Her passion for the craft is such that she creates some very unusual knitted items.

Annie Hoot and the Knitting Extravaganza

Holly Clifton-Brown

Picture Book

Ages 5 to 8

Andersen Press USA, 2010, 978-0-7613-6444-3

   Annie Hoot is a little owl who has a new craze: knitting. Annie knits colorful sweaters, hats, scarves, socks, and other garments. In fact, her knitted creations are so colorful that the other owls refuse to wear them because they “don’t want to look different from the other owls.”

   Poor Annie decides to leave her home to see if she can find some animals who will want to wear her “nifty knitwear.” She knits herself a hot air balloon and sails across the skies to a rainforest. Quickly Annie sets about knitting umbrellas and boots for the local tropical birds so that they can remain dry during the frequent rain showers. Unfortunately, her creations are not waterproof, and they sag dreadfully. The birds suggest that Annie should go to the African plains. The animals in this part of the world “get chilly at night,” they tell the little owl. So off Annie goes, sailing away in a little wooden boat. Perhaps Africa is the right place for her.

   In this charming picture book, Holly Clifton-Brown tells the story of a little owl whose creative genius is not appreciated. Thankfully, there are some animals who treasure her creations, and when Annie finally goes home, she gets a wonderful surprise.

   With delightful illustrations throughout, this picture book is a tribute to all artists who dare to be true to their muse. 

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Seventy-Two

When my daughter was little, I must have read this book to her at least a thousand times. It is such a unique and funny story, and the main character is so appealing, that I am not at all surprised that she was so fond of it.

The little mouse, the ripe strawberry, and the big hungry bear

Don and Audrey Wood

Illustrated by Don Wood

Picture Book

For infants to age 4

Child’s Play, 1984, 978-0859531825

   Little Mouse is very busy. He has a ladder and he is going into the garden. What is he up to? “Oh I see,” Mouse is going to pick a big ripe strawberry. What a wonderful treat that is going to be.

   But, this is a problem. Out there, somewhere, there is a big hungry bear who loves freshly picked ripe strawberries. In not time at all, he will “tromp through the forest on his big, hairy feet” and he will find that strawberry.  Mouse can hide the strawberry, lock it up, and disguise it, but the bear will know it is there. What should Mouse do?

   Children will love this deliciously funny story. The authors present their tale in a unique way, with an unseen narrator having a conversation with the mouse (though the mouse does not actually say anything). We think that the narrator is trying to be helpful, until we get to the end of the story, when we are able to see that the narrator has an ulterior motive. Bears are not the only ones who like ripe strawberries!

Bookish Event - The Eco-Libris 41 reasons to plant a tree for your book

Publish Books Without Perished Trees

Eco-Libris Celebrates 41st Annual Earth Day with 41 Reasons to Plant a Tree for Your Book

Eco-Libris, a green company that works to make publishing and reading more sustainable, celebrates the 41st Annual Earth Day (April 22) with its new campaign “41 Reasons to Plant a Tree for Your Book.”

For 41 days, from March 13 culminating with Earth Day on April 22, Eco-Libris will publish the 41 best answers on its blog. Readers who enter the contest will have the opportunity to win prizes courtesy of Eco-Libris’ partners, including a $25 gift card for Strand Bookstore, audiobooks from Simon and Schuster Audio (such as The Half Life by Jennifer Weiner, American Assassin by Vince Flynn and Essence of Happiness by the Dalai Lama) and great green books, including books from the Little Green Books series, Planet Home by Jeffrey Hollender, Spit That Out! by Paige Wolf and The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard.

“We have planted 180,000 trees on behalf of readers, authors, and publishers working with Eco-Libris,” says Raz Godelnik, co-founder and CEO of Eco-Libris. “We want to hear what readers think about it and why they believe planting trees for their books is a good idea.”

Reader Aleta from Australia says planting a tree for each book makes sense to her because it contributes to ensuring intergenerational equity by sustaining the planet’s natural environment. “This will allow future generations to continue reading paper books and there's something special about reading from paper that I would love my children to experience,” she says.

Author Kelly Barth says, “Though I believe it's important to preserve the real, physical book, I don't believe it’s right to fell old growth forests to fill my shelves. Also, as an author, I want people to have the option to read my new book in the form that has served humans well for centuries.”

The campaign will begin on Sunday, March 13, 2011. To learn more about the campaign, please go to
http://www.ecolibris.net/41reasons.asp. Founded in 2007, Eco-Libris is a green company working to green up the book industry in the digital age by promoting the adoption of green practices in the book industry, balancing out books by planting trees, and helping to make e-reading greener. To achieve these goals Eco-Libris works with book readers, publishers, authors, bookstores, and others in the book industry worldwide. So far Eco-Libris has balanced out more than 169,000 books, which results in more than 180,000 new trees. For more information, please
go to http://www.ecolibris.net

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration - Book Seventy-One

Being told that it is "time for bed" has to be one of the most trying things young children have to deal with. It is up there with "eat all your food," "brush your teeth," and "pick up your toys." Today's picture book is about four young animals who find a creative way to get around having to go to bed.

The Secret Plan

Julia Sarcone-Roach

Picture Book

For ages 5 to 8

Random House, 2009, 978-0-375-85858-1

   Milo the little elephant and his friends Henry, Hildy, and Harriet are always having their best games and adventures interrupted. Why is it that grownups are forever calling them in for meals or to do chores? Of course, the worst excuse that adults come up with is to tell Milo and his friends that it is bedtime. Bedtime is such a drag.

   Milo and his feline friends decide that the best way to avoid bedtime is to find a place where they can hide. They find all kinds of hiding places and disguises, but they are always found. They try to sneak out but they always get caught. Then Hildy comes up with a new idea. Perhaps they are going about this whole bedtime problem in the wrong way. Perhaps there is another way to extend their playtime, a better way.

   Children who are fed up with being told that it is bedtime will thoroughly enjoy this unique picture book. They will meet a quartet of characters who are instantly appealing and they will appreciate the solution that the young animals come up with.

   With wonderfully unique illustrations and a memorable format, this is a picture book that is perfect for those not-quite-ready-for-bedtime moments.

Poetry Friday - A review of Bugs: Poems about creeping things

When I was a child, I loved to watch insects. I once spent a whole morning watching some ants fix their home. Today's poetry title uses a collection of very creative poems to describe the lives of various kinds of "creeping things."

Bugs: Poems about creeping things

David L. Harrison
Illustrated by Rob Shepperson
Poetry Picture Book
For ages 5 to 8
Front Street, 2007, 978-1590784518
Wherever you go you are likely to run into "creeping things" of some sort or another. A mosquito in your room keeps you awake at night, a cicada sings its song outside your window, a butterfly dances past you on a summer's day. In this delightful little book we get to meet a flea who swallows a giraffe, a grumpy cicada, a dragonfly who is love with a flower, and many more little creatures. The poems are often funny, sometimes lyrical, and they take many forms. Some even call for two people to read them. This format in particular is sure to appeal to children because they can have a friend or a sibling read or recite the poem with them.

This amusing and very unique collection is not only enjoyable to read, but it will also show children that poetry can take many forms. It can rhyme or not, it can tell a story or not, it can be neat on the page or it can dance all over it. Children who fancy trying to write their own poetry will be delighted to discover that poems can be so versatile and creative.