Dzoo dzoo-doo dzoo dzoo dzoo dzooooo!!!
(That’s me playing my kazoo in celebration. You didn’t know I was a kazoo virtuoso, did you? Just another of my many talents. I am also a whiz at removing toothpaste “mints” from the sink :))
Welcome back to another year of Perfect Picture Book Fridays!
I am so looking forward to all the new picture books we’re going to share!
Parents, teachers, readers, and writers take note! There will be something for everyone to enjoy and learn from 🙂
I am thrilled to be presenting a wonderful book for the 2014-2015 PPBF kick-off, written by none other than your friend and mine, Laura Sassi. Since this is part of her blog tour, we are fortunate to have her here with us today, sharing her thoughts on the illustrations and how parents and teachers can engage their kids through them. She and her publisher, Zonderkidz, are also generously offering a giveaway, so one lucky reader will win a copy of this delightful book! (U.S. residents only – street address, no P.O. box – publisher’s stipulation.) Laura’s thoughts and the giveaway will appear below the book listing.
Title: Goodnight, Ark
Written By: Laura Sassi
Illustrated By: Jane Chapman
Zonderkidz, August 2014, Fiction
Suitable For Ages: 4-8 (according to publisher, but I think ages 2-3 would enjoy it too :))
Themes/Topics: animals, bedtime, fear (of thunderstorms), language fun (rhyme, onomatopoeia)
Opening: “Beds are ready.
Food is stored.
Noah hollers,
“All aboard!”
Guests rush forward.
Furry, scaled,
woolly, feathered,
swishy-tailed.”
Brief Synopsis: Two by two, the animals board Noah’s ark. They’re supposed to settle down and go to sleep… but the heavy rain, thunder and lightning frighten them, so two by two they climb in bed with Noah! How much can one bed take? And will anybody get any sleep?
Links To Resources: talk about onomatopoetic words – what onomatopoetic words can kids think up? Words for eating sounds? Engine noises? Musical sounds?; Noah’s Ark coloring page #1, Noah’s Ark coloring page #2; talk about the bible story of Noah’s ark – how is it like GOODNIGHT, ARK and how is it different?; talk about fears – is anyone afraid of storms? What other things are frightening? What can you do to feel safe and secure when you’re frightened?; the animals are described as “furry, scaled, woolly, feathered, swishy-tailed” – what animals can you think of that are furry? scaled? etc.; please see Laura’s thoughts below on ways to use the illustrations; here’s the link to book trailer (in case it doesn’t load properly here :)) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRsc-pKmKwM
 |
| Author Laura Sassi Visit her Blog Like her on FB Follow her on Twitter |
And now for the giveaway! All you have to do to be entered is leave a comment telling us something funny about bedtime: a favorite trick for getting kids to bed? an unusual bedtime routine? something kids won’t sleep without? some clever way kids try to get out of bedtime? Anything fun and bedtime-related. Bonus point if it includes an animal in some way 🙂
My example (which does not include animals except as occasional topics of discussion) is that when my son was little, he was never ready for sleep when he got in bed. Instead, he had what he called his “thinking time” which inevitably (Every. Night!) involved him getting up numerous times and coming to ask me such can’t-wait questions as, “How much is infinity?”, “Where does wind come from?”, “How many teeth does a tyrannosaurus rex have?”, and “Why is it called the Milky Way?” To which I would respond knowledgeably, “Uh…….” 🙂
Please leave your comment by Sunday September 14 at 5 PM EDT. A winner will be chosen at random and announced next week. One note: the publisher stipulates that the winner must reside in the U.S. and have a street address, not a PO box, so please let us know if you’re commenting just for fun and are not eligible.
PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you! Hurray! Can’t wait!!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Susanna Leonard Hill 
It's very cute, Kristi! I hope you'll get a chance to see it!
Don't you just love that, Dee? And don't you remember doing the same thing when you were little? Actually, I admit I still do it… give me a good Jack Reacher novel and I'll stay up WAY past my bedtime 🙂
Isn't it funny how particular we are when it comes to sleeping arrangements? I had a whole crew of stuffed animals I wouldn't sleep without. And My step-daughter used to have a rotating system so each of hers got a turn to sleep next to her 🙂 No worries about the link-up! We need readers just as much as reviewers, and we all know there are only so many hours in the day!
I can totally relate! I had about 15 I slept with when I was little 🙂
Aw! I can just picture that! And it makes me miss the days when my kids were little and did those things. Loved your book, too, Penny – another bedtime book – great minds think alike? 🙂
So glad to see you back on your PPBF pony, Vivian 🙂 It is fun for us all to be together again, isn't it? Although I confess, it was a little too nice having a blog vacation 🙂 I hope you enjoy Laura's book. If you love it now, you'll REALLY love it when you can see the whole thing. And we have our baby blankets tucked away too 🙂
SO nice to see you again, Jarmila! 🙂 And you must take care of yourself and go to bed on time – if necessary you must be quite stern and remind yourself that you will be tired in the morning if you don't go to sleep 🙂
I know you “went it alone” – such a trooper! Loved your pick this week, and I agree – so fun to have all the PB junkies together again 🙂
You're welcome, Barb! Hope you get a chance to see the actual book – it's charming!
I know, Teresa! I love hearing those how-the-book-came-to-be stories too! We promise not to tell you son you told 🙂 And I could tell you a similar story, but I might get in trouble since my kids occasionally come over here and read 🙂 Have a great weekend!
I hope you enjoy it, Amy!
That's so cute, Kirsten! I love that you go on a bear hunt every night 🙂 And my daughter has a Winnie too – one that has had the fur loved off him 🙂
It's a process, isn't it, Robin? 🙂 And boy do they know how to drag it out! Still, I have to say that now mine are all too old for any real bedtime routine I miss it – especially the reading stories part 🙂
Hahaha! I love that Wendy! It makes me think of BEDTIME FOR FRANCES when it says she was so quiet she was the quietest thing in the room and Father woke up HUMPPHH! because that happened to me SO MANY times! 🙂
So glad to see you, Barbara! Hope you had a lovely summer! I'm glad my kazoo playing brought back good memories (and didn't make you cover your ears :)) And I like Joshua's ingenuity in hiding his blankie 🙂
It's a very cute book, Iza – you will like it because it's a little reminiscent of your work. And I love that you and Jambo snuck around behind Rob's back 🙂 I will be happy to play my kazoo for you the next time we have lunch… if I can find it 🙂
Catherine! You're commenting! How did you manage! Yay! I'm sorry you can't be in the giveaway (not my rules 😦 ), but I hope you get to see the book because it's so cute!
Aw! I love that, Nancy! Both that he found a way to stall bedtime so cutely, and that the phrase continues today 🙂
It's not hard, Rosanne – if I can do it, anyone can. Really! 🙂 And yes! Definitely look closely at the illustrations, especially the skunks 🙂
Yes, we just have one child. And you do get used to keeping a mental record during the day. Perhaps I should be using those braincells for other things, though. 😀
Hey, if the system ain't broke, don't fix it! 🙂
This book looks wonderful – thanks for the peek at it, Susanna. I don't know if I have a funny story about bedtime… but one “fun” thing we started when my daughter was three or four was telling “fairy stories.” Basically, I'd lie in bed with her and make up lots of stories about the adventures my daughter would get into, often featuring fairies or squirrels or another animal. Sometimes I'd tell them, but often I'd encourage my daughter to make one up. She's 10 now, and still asks for “fairy stories” once in a while.
Oh, that's lovely, Sandy! What a nice tradition! 🙂
;-}
Tonight's bear hunt: the Winnies turned up in the pantry next to the syrup. Go figure.
I've been following this book tour and it's on my list. I look forward to getting my hand on a copy. Thanks for sharing and so happy MPBM is back! Looking forward to reading through the list and the adding more great reads to my library list.
You and Enzo will love it, Stacy 🙂 Hope you had fun at the whole foods shin dig 🙂
This sounds like a wonderful book! I imagine it was hard for all the animals to get comfortable on the ark, especially the first night.
My husband used to make up Johnny stories for our daughter when she went to bed. I wish I had sat outside her room with a tape player recording them. When I tucked her in she wanted the night she was born story. I guess I should be grateful that she either phones us or texts us goodnight now that she is off in college.
Thanks again, for having me, Susanna! I love how these wonderful bedtime routine stories keep rolling in.
I know! Me too! The last comment reminded me of how my dad used to make up stories for me and my sister on Saturday nights – about Ruanna and Suecca who floated down the river in a dresser drawer 🙂 (My sister's name is Rebecca, so you can see where the names came from :))
It was especially difficult for them to get comfortable in Noah's bed 🙂 And thanks so much for sharing your bedtime story. I was telling Laura above that it reminded me of my dad telling made up stories to me and my sister, and oh how I wish I had those!
I like a new take on the old story that Laura Sassi's written.
My bedtime routine is partially borrowed from Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. I made a tune to go with, “I love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be.” I still sing it each night.
Aw, that's so nice, Theresa 🙂
Wow, what a wonderful way to share Noah's story. Love the illustrations and the video was wonderful. And Laura's opening lines grabbed my attention. 🙂
Glad you liked it, Tracy! It's such a cute book!
You know, I looked for this at my Barnes right after its release, the computer SAID it was in the store, but it wasn't on the shelf! I'm hoping someone pulled it off the shelf to buy 🙂 I STILL haven't been able to read it! *sigh* Can't wait! lol
You will love it 🙂