Good Morning, my friends!
I guess the title of this post should be Perfect Picture Book Sunday since I’m so far behind. I sincerely apologize!
I was waiting on a google form to try out a new way of doing the PPBF links, and then I fell ill… which I REALLY try not to do but occasionally even I can’t avoid it apparently – I thought my magical powers were stronger than that. I must not have had enough chocolate last week 🙂
So anyway, here I am, late, still without the google form, but I’ll add in all the links I know about at the bottom for you, and anyone I’ve missed can try out the linky list for this week. And I thank everyone who so kindly and sweetly emailed or FB messaged me to ask if I was okay. It’s one of the loveliest things about this kidlit community – how genuinely everyone cares! I was really touched ❤
Title: Big Friends
Written By: Linda Sarah
Illustrated By: Benji Davies
Henry Holt & Co, January 2016, Fiction
Suitable For Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: friendship, loneliness, imagination, play
Opening: “Two cardboard boxes, big enough to sit in, hide inside. Birt and Etho take them out each day, climb Sudden Hill, and sit in them.
Sometimes they’re kings, soldiers, astronauts. Sometimes they’re pirates sailing wild seas and skies.”
Brief Synopsis: (From the jacket copy) “Birt and Etho are best friends. Together they play outside in big cardboard boxes. Sometimes they’re kings, soldiers, astronauts. Sometimes they’re pirates sailing wild seas and skies. But always, always they’re Big friends. Then one day a new boy arrives, and he wants to join them. Can two become three?”
Links To Resources: 31 Things To Do With A Cardboard Box (yes it’s a Buzzfeed link, but there are photos and how-to tutorials for all 31 and they’re so much fun!!!); 101 Things To Do With A Cardboard Box (never mind 31! :)); Make Your Own Friendship Bracelets (video tutorial)
Why I Like This Book: This is a lovely book, filled with the friendship and imaginative play of two boys who get along and understand each other… until a third boy shows up and threatens the balance not because he’s difficult or unpleasant – quite the opposite – but because he’s new and changes the dynamic. It’s a story about struggling to incorporate someone new without losing the old. It is not sentimental or sappy in any way, but I promise you will say “Aw!” on the last page 🙂 It’s an important story because integrating new friendships is a skill and a struggle that every child faces at some point. The pull toward someone new and fun that calls to one member of a friendship, the jealously that threatens the other… or sometimes just the fear that things will change, a true friend will be lost, the friendship will not be the same. Don’t miss this one!
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
Here are this week’s links that I know about:
- The Remarkable Story Of George Moses Horton
- The Rooster Prince Of Breslov
- Grandfather Twilight
- The Queen’s Hat
- Maya’s Blanket – La Manta De Maya
- Frankencrayon
- An Insider’s Guide To Football
- Delivering Justice
PPBF bloggers whose links I didn’t have, please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you! If you want to see the list, even if you’re not entering a link of your own, you have to use the “Click Here” button below.
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Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
And, since this post is late, I hope everyone is all ready to go for the Valentiny Contest which opens tomorrow (see HERE for guidelines and HERE for prize list update), and for which I will hopefully get my sample written today!!! I am so excited for this contest. I think it’s going to be tons of fun with all the amazing prizes!
Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone! 🙂
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Oh, Susanna! Feel better! When you didn’t post I assumed I had gotten the time off for the Valentine-y contest wrong. And you know what they say about people who assume things . . .
The review I posted yesterday was for BEATRIX POTTER & the unfortunate tale of a borrowed guinea pig, the only book I’ve seen to talk about when pet care goes wrong. Not for every child perhaps, but an interesting, unique read. http://www.wendygreenley.com/2016/02/beatrix-potter-unfortunate-tale-of_5.html
Thanks, Wendy – I think I’m past danger at this point 🙂 Your book sounds great! I think I saw something about that book somewhere… Can’t wait to read your review, although at this point it may be after the contest before I get around to it!
Susanna, I’m so sorry you’ve been sick. I’m glad you’re feeling better, but don’t over do it. Allow yourself time to rest and recover. Give that magic time to recharge. 🙂
You’re so sweet, Cheryl! I’ll try. I’m not very good at resting 🙂
You know, Susanna…since Friday evening I kept telling myself to message you…your PPBF posts are like clockwork…and I knew something was wrong. Please accept my apology for not being one of those friends who did ask how you were…just know I was thinking about you all yesterday. 🙂
Feel better, dear lady! And thank you so much for plucking my PPBF post and adding it to your list. I’ll grab the URL from this post and add it to mine.
And I love your pick today…friendship books are so important!
AND I am looking forward to the Valentiny Contest…but if you are not feeling well, don’t worry about writing a sample…we will muddle along without it 😉
Don’t give it a second thought, Vivian! How could you possibly know I was unwell?! I so appreciate that you were thinking of me!!! ❤ I'm on the mend, and as you can see by now have written my sample…such as it is…at least this time I can blame its inadequacies on my recent spell of ill health 🙂 Glad you like BIG FRIENDS – it's really cute! – and I can't WAIT to read your contest entry!!!
Susanna, the cover itself pulled me in, it’s full of energy and intrigue. Thanks for sharing this friendship trio, it’ll be interesting to see how all turns out.
Hope you are feeling better, I looked for your post on Friday and wondered where it was. My apologies for not taking that wonder one step farther- with computers there’s this black hole out there and you never can tell when it might be striking.
Glad you like the book, Michelle! It’s a good one! And oh my goodness don’t worry at all about not going a step further! Heavens! Everyone has a billion things to do! And where my computer (and nearly complete lack of internet!) is concerned, the black hole is usually to blame 🙂
So happy your are feeling better. We were all concerned. Enjoyed your PB choice because it encourages imagination and kids to dream!
Thank you so much for your concern, Pat. It really meant so much to me on Friday… and always! I’m glad you like my pick – it’s a really cute story! Can’t wait to read yours!
So sorry you`ve been sick! There is an awful bug going around.
I’m so glad you posted (even if late) because your choice looks like a really good one! I’m going to look for it.
This week I featured the picture book HOPE SPRINGS by Eric Walters, and I really liked the story behind the book. Here’s the link: http://andrea-mack.blogspot.ca/2016/02/learning-from-picture-books-hope-springs.html
Thanks, Andrea! Local experts (me) predict I’ll survive this one 🙂 I’m glad you like my pick for this week. Yours sounds great – can’t wait to check it out!
Good thing you had chocolate to revive you. what a fun cover! What fun with imagination – I definitely need to read this book. I didn’t have anything this week, and I guess I’ll just have to post my PPBF posts after Valen-tiney stories are done… cuz I didn’t know there would be such a fun contest.
Chocolate makes everything better! Read it. Learn it. Live it! 🙂 No worries about a book this week. We all do what we can! And now we have the Valentiny fun to focus on… I hope to see an entry from you, Sue! 🙂
Wish I could have brought you some chicken soup (with dumplings!). Not that I make such a good one, but your tastebuds might not have noticed! And I hope this post means you are feeling better! I put your pick on hold before I finished reading the post. You had me at cardboard box!
I appreciate the sentiment, Jules, though it wouldn’t have done me much good until late yesterday 🙂 I’m on the mend, though, never fear! And I am a huge cardboard box fan myself, yet another reason why we are kindred spirits 🙂
I hope you’re feeling better, Susanna! Today’s pick looks like a winner. I think we need more stories about friendship and it sounds like this one deals with a situation everyone will relate to.
I am super excited for the Valentiny contest!
Gabi
I am better, thanks, Gabi! Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed… or nearly 🙂 Glad you like the pick, and looking forward to your contest entry!!!
Susanna,
This book with the links to cardboard boxes looks like the perfect gift for active kids on a winter day.
Get better and don’t worry we’ll submit Valentiny stories even without your sample. Your directions are perfect.
You’re so sweet! Thank you 🙂 And I know what you mean about the cardboard boxes! 🙂 I’m glad you like them too!
So sorry you’ve been ill! I assumed it was a delay caused by the Valentine-y contest. I’ll add my ppbf post to the linky list. Thanks. Feel Better!!!
http://bookish-ambition.blogspot.com/2016/02/ppbf-stella-queen-of-snow.html
Thanks, Joanne! I’ll look forward to seeing what you chose! 🙂
You know, I knew something wasn’t right with this world. But I couldn’t put my finger on it. Now, it all becomes clear. I’m glad you’re feeling better! I think I’m feeling a little guilty about not having a PPB to enter this week (not because I haven’t read any, but because I haven’t written a post about my favorite) AND because I wrote a Valentine’s story intended for your competition, but it refuses to allow me to cut it down to 214 words. I’m at 382. And of course since it’s a grumpy valentine, I am IN LOVE with it. Smitten. Hook, line and sinkered. Sooooo, aye, there’s the rub. Don’t know if I have it in me to make another attempt at a new story…..
This looks really great! 😀