You know, I just LOVE Perfect Picture Book Friday! All week I’ve been downright tingly with excitement because I’m going to share arguably one of the best love stories ever. Are you ready? It involves slugs. What’s not to love? 🙂
Slugs In Love
Written By: Susan Pearson
Illustrated By: Kevin O’Malley
Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books, November 2006, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 4-8
Themes/Topics: love, friendship, perseverance, humor, Valentines Day
Opening: “Marylou loved everything about Herbie – how his slime trail glistened in the dark, how he could stretch himself thin to squeeze inside the cellar window, how he always found the juiciest tomato. Though she never spoke a single word to him – she was too shy – she thought about Herbie every morning and every night and most of the hours in between.
On Monday, while she grazed in the strawberry patch, Herbie filled her mind and a love poem filled her heart. She wrote it in slime on the watering can.”
Brief Synopsis: (From Publishers Weekly) “Herbie keeps finding Marylou’s poems, etched in slug slime and full of devotion, but Marylou keeps missing the longing letters he writes in return. While she watches his every move, he can’t find anyone who knows where she is so he can meet her.” How will the “slime-crossed” lovers ever meet?
Links To Resources: Cool Facts About Slugs, Doorknob Valentine, Finger Puppet Valentine – (and with a little ingenuity, the last two could incorporate slugs! :)) Kids could make up their own poems like Herbie and Marylou.
Why I Like This Book: It’s sweet and it’s funny. It’s maybe not technically a Valentines Day book (as in, it’s not about Valentines Day) it is about love/friendship on a level that I think kids can relate to. Because Marylou and Herbie can’t seem to connect, there’s the added fun of rooting for the heroes. And the art complements the story perfectly. It’s so wonderful – really, I think it takes a genius to make slugs look so expressive 🙂
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
Now then. I hope you’re all geared up for our Valentines Day Contest which opens tomorrow! Having spent some time (I’m not saying days, but, seriously, days!) trying to come up with my sample entry, I am deeply regretting setting the 150 word limit. Kudos to any of you who pull it off! After extensive MERCILESS cutting mine is only down to 178. I realize that I tend to the verbose, so maybe no one else is having a problem. But if you’re struggling, I’ve decided to up the word limit to 200. Because it’s Valentines Day and all about sharing the love, right? 🙂 So a little recap on the contest guidelines:
A children’s story, poetry or prose, maximum 200 words, about unlikely Valentines, posted on your blog (or in the comment section of mine) between Saturday February 11 and Monday February 13 at 5 PM EST. Add your entry-specific link to the link list on my blog so we can all come read your entries! There will be no new post on Monday so the link list will stay up. Instead, I will have a hitherto unheard of Tuesday post to celebrate Valentines Day, and that post will list 3 finalists (or possibly a couple more – you know how bad I am at choosing :)) for you all to vote on. The winner will be announced on Friday February 17 and will receive his/her choice of a copy of Ann Whitford Paul’s Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation To Publication or a picture book ms critique from yours truly.
See you tomorrow with Valentines stories. I can’t wait to read yours and I sincerely hope there will be more than one entry 🙂
And now, since I forgot last night – SO SORRY everyone, please blame the fever 🙂 – here is the link list for this weeks Perfect Picture Books.
Susanna Leonard Hill 
You know, I think there's really something for everyone in this book – slugs, slime, poetry, love, friendship, vegetables, farm equipment, and cute little slug babies… It's a winner! 🙂
If you haven't read it, Loni, I think you'll like it 🙂 Also, as an illustrator I think you'll appreciate it because the art is really terrific!
I confess that in real life I am the opposite of a slug lover, but in this book they're so adorable, how can you not love them? 🙂 And my son was grateful for a little slime on Valentines 🙂
I don't know how that happens, but it really does! Don't worry. My sample entry is so deeply abysmal it will make ANYthing else shine by comparison 🙂 And I'm guessing there's some room for cactus in an unlikely valentine 🙂
It's just not every day that you see a book about slugs in love 🙂
It does! (Cute little slug babies :))
Clar, that's awesome! Anyone who comes in at 150 or under should get bonus points 🙂 Mine is suffering from cutting even at 178. So add if you want, or don't – whatever you like. I'll see what comes in. If you're the only one at 150 I'll give you an extra prize 🙂
I confess it was originally the title that got me too! (I have a son :)) But the story lives up to the title – well worth the read!
I know! I didn't even think of that when i made up the contest!
So excited you're entering!!! And no, you weren't missing it – it wasn't there 😦 I put yours on.
What a cute book! It's a perfect Valentines Day gift for my nieces and nephews. Hope you have a great weekend, Susanna!
Thanks, Laura! You, too 🙂
Susanna, can't open Picture a Tree. It just brings up a wordpress page nonrelated.
When I was in college I rented a house with some other girls and we had a slug infestation. We would go to sleep at night and wake up in the morning to find slug trails on the floors, and actual slugs in the sinks. Let's just say that we didn't have the best landlord in the world. So I never thought that I would use the word “cute” and “slug” in the same sentence but…
This book looks sooo cute!
OMG, AMY! I don't think i could ever even think about slugs again after that without my skin crawling (which is pretty much how I feel anyway but really, yuck!) so you are brave and open-minded to say these are cute (although they are!)
That book sounds adorable. Too bad my kids have outgrown PBs. Maybe I should start writing them so I have an excuse to buy them. 😀
The sidewalk in front of school is teeming with slugs. The boys will love this one. I find it difficult to pry them away from the slithery slugs and, as a result, we are often late to school
Thanks for letting me know, Pat. It's fixed now 🙂
I know. There's something about them that seems to fascinate the boys I know, whilst I myself find them quite icky 🙂
Go for it, Stina! You'd probably be brilliant at it! I certainly hope you'd have better luck than I have lately 🙂
Hee Hee (shiver)
This book sounds totally adorable. So creative! Thanks for introducing it to us. 🙂
Cally! Hi! So glad to hear from you – I thought you were lost in novel land or something 🙂 Glad you liked the selection 🙂
Who knew slugs could fall in love 🙂
Awww! Love your book choice and so excited about the contest. I have been running myself ragged at the LTUE conference, so I will do what I can. I'm crossing my fingers, I can write something up, but… if not – I'm still checking out everyone else's. 🙂 Can't wait!
Love comes in all shapes and sizes 🙂
Sorry if someone already mentioned it but there is a book out there called Slugs in Love, Susan Pearson and David Slonim. I only know their next one: How to Teach a Slug to read!
Ooops! Okay , I'll write this again:there is a book called Slugs in Love, by Susan Pearson and David Slonim. I have only read their follow-up: How to Teach a Slug to Read.
Susanna,
I'm afraid of drop offs: heights or even roads out in the marshlands. The what if's begin: What if I lose control of the car and run off the road? What if I lose my footing and fall, etc.
That is the occupational hazard of being a writer with a good imagination, Linda 🙂 The what-ifs…! 🙂
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