Hurray! It’s Friday!
Every Perfect Picture Book Friday is fun because I get to share a book I really like with all of you and see what books you’re all loving this week.
But PPBF is especially fun when I get to share a book I love that happens to have been written by a friend! (A friend who, coincidentally, I got to have coffee and blueberry muffins and a lovely chat with yesterday morning 🙂 )
As this book involves a garden, you could work it into any seasonal discussion or classroom unit (spring planting, summer growing, winter dormant) but since it’s harvest time, why not read it and share it right now? 🙂
Title: Garden Party: A Counting Adventure Book
Written By: Tania Guarino
Illustrated By: Emma Allen
Spork (Clear Fork Publishing), September 2018, fiction
Suitable For Ages: 3-6
Themes/Topics: concept (counting), animals, language fun (rhyme), nature/gardens
Opening: “One (1) bunny in a burrow on Farmer Dale’s trail,
wakes with a shake and a wiggle of her tail.
She starts with a hop by an old tin pail,
wiggle, hop, wiggle…down Farmer Dale’s trail.”
Brief Synopsis: One after another, the woodland friends join the group heading down Farmer Dale’s trail, following the bunny who may be the only one with a plan 🙂
Links To Resources: author’s website coloring pages and activities; 10 different animals are mentioned in the story. What other animals can you think of who could join the garden party? Draw one (or more!), and describe how they would move or sound (e.g. “swishy swoosh swoosh”); which of the animals mentioned in the book do you think Farmer Dale would be most unhappy about having in his garden? Why? Which ones might he be glad to have? Why? Easy Recipe for Carrot Cake
Why I Like This Book: There are so many things to love about this book! Where to start? At the beginning, I guess :). The bunny who sets the whole adventure in motion clearly has a plan (the illustration shows the stockpile of carrots she has already gathered in her burrow.). She heads off toward the garden for more and is joined by 2 skunks, 3 fawns, 4 foxes, etc on her counting adventure. Midway through the story, the rollicking rhythm of the adventure is beautifully paused by the arrival of the 5 snails, who bring the whole crew to a screeching halt. But before you know it they’re all on their way again, the snails hitching a ride on the faster animals 🙂 I won’t give away the ending – you’ll have to read the book! The rhyming story is nicely written and fun to read aloud. Kids will enjoy the different sounds and movements used to describe the animals’ way of going (e.g. “wiggle, hop, wiggle” and “swishy, swoosh, swoosh”) and being able to chime in on the anticipated repetition of “down Farmer Dale’s trail!”. The art is bright, colorful, and lively, and young readers will have a great time searching the illustrations to find all the snails!
text copyright Tania Guarino 2018, illustration copyright Emma Allen 2018
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Great! I was looking for a good counting book for my great niece! I like the humor and the beautiful illustrations! So will she.
It’s very cute and fun to read, Pat. And as a childhood fan of searching for Goldbug in Richard Scarry, I loved trying to locate the snails 🙂
Sounds like a fun read-aloud with even the littlest listeners!
It totally is, Patricia! So cute!
Oh -this looks fun! I love the idea of snails bringing things to a halt… can’t wait to read it. Garden, counting – who would want more?
It is fun and cute, Sue! I hope you get to read it!
Those devious rabbits! I can’t wait to see the shannanigans this one gets up to. Sounds so fun. I have a nephew would will love tracking the snails.
Just wait til you see the last two pages, Maria 🙂
Rabbits!!! So, so tricky. I’ve been suspicious of them ever since Peter crossed my path. This sounds like a fun, engaging read. Gotta check it out! So good to be back hanging out with the PPBF peeps! Cheers!
I believe the term is “wascally wabbits” 🙂 and it is a cute, fin story. Hope you get to read it Jilanne. And glad to be back hanging with you, too! 🙂
I think I’d do great on Farmer Dale’s trail. I like carrots. And bunnies. And probably skunks….
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Take it from Scout and Jemma, Cupcake – skunks are best left to themselves! :). Happy weekend 🙂
This sounds like a perfect one for storytime!
I think it would work great for that, Jules! Try it out on your little crew and let Tania know 🙂
Love love love this one, Susanna…such a sweet story and wonderful illustrations!!
Glad you like it, too, Vivian! 🙂
Oh, I already love the language! Gardens are my thing, and the animals! Can’t wait to read it! Yay!
I think you’ll enjoy it, Angie! 🙂