Perfect Picture Book Friday – The Baby Blue Cat Who Said No

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My Perfect Picture Book is below – I promise! 🙂 – I just have a little explanation for it first.

As some of you may know, I teach an online picture book writing class.

This week, we got into a discussion about subjectivity.

As a writer, how do you know if your story will appeal to agents, editors, and readers (both the adults who will read your picture book aloud and the children who will listen)?

There are some basic rules of thumb: your story should have a beginning, middle and end (i.e. actually BE a story), it should have an engaging character and/or plot, it should strike an emotional note of some kind, and it’s best not to write about inappropriate subjects, use foul language, glorify violence etc… – pretty much common sense 🙂

But beyond a certain point, there’s really no way to tell for sure who is going to like what.  If it appeals to you, if it touches a chord in your heart, if it highlights a truth in your life, chances are it will do that for other people too.  But there will always be at least one person out there who can find something to criticize.  And I don’t mean that in a bad way. I mean it in a comforting way.  You can’t please everyone, so write the best story you can and likely you’ll please someone.  Probably lots of someones 🙂

My Perfect Picture Book choice for today is a case in point – an older book, beloved by many (me and my children included!) – that received the following review:

“Line drawings that look like doodles of cute kittens in gray, orange, white, and blue cannot save this lame tale of a contrary kitten… This is a story of manipulation at its worst. The language is flat, especially when read aloud. This reviewer says “NO!”” Marianne Pilla, formerly at Allard K. Lowenstein Library of Long Beach, N.Y. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Ouch!

But I don’t find it manipulative.  I find it an endearing and true-to-life example of the way toddlers behave – naughty one moment, full of remorse the next, right back to their own agenda the minute after that, but not mean-spirited or malicious in their intent.

Subjectivity 🙂

I hope you like this book as much as the people in my house do! 🙂

Title: The Baby Blue Cat Who Said No
Written & Illustrated By: Ainslie Pryor
Re-issue March 1988, Viking Juvenile, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-7

Themes/Topics: behavior (contrariness), humor

Opening: “Have you heard the story of the Baby Blue Cat who said No?
Once there was a Mama Cat and her four baby cats.
Baby Orange Cat,
Baby White Cat,
Baby Striped Cat, and
Baby Blue Cat.
Mama Cat loved all of her baby cats very much.“

Brief Synopsis: Baby Orange Cat, Baby White Cat and Baby Striped Cat all behave the way little kittens should, but Baby Blue Cat is feeling ornery.  No matter what his Mama asks, he says, “No!”  But when he pushes his Mama too far, he apologizes and behaves… until his contrariness gets the better of him again 🙂

Links To Resources: Teaching Children A VocabularyFor Emotions; make cards with different emotions pictured and/or written  – e.g. a smiley face and/or HAPPY – and play emotion charades by letting kids pick a card and act out the emotions for the rest of the class or family and see if the observers can guess; talk about behavior – have you ever refused to do something just to be difficult? Do you sometimes do bad things and then feel sorry? Talk about how to say you’re sorry – resource HERE.

Why I Like This Book:  The “flat language” 🙂 is fun to read aloud.  (Years later, we still use the phrase “and here’s your delicious cupcake, YUM YUM” 🙂 )  The “line drawings that look like doodles” 🙂 are cute and engaging (right down to the smile on the fish sandwich :))  But mostly, anyone who has ever spent 3 minutes around a toddler will recognize and appreciate Baby Blue Cat’s desire to have some control, and some opportunity to be independent of his mother and siblings.  As I mentioned above, he’s naughty, but when he goes too far he’s genuinely remorseful.  Mama Cat loves her baby cats very much, and it is clear that Baby Blue Cat loves his Mama Cat too 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you and see your fabulous picks for this week!

Oh, and P.S. The lovely Alayne Christian invited me to be part of her platform building series, so I will have a post on her blog tomorrow if anyone cares to stop by.  She deserves lots of visitors, and there are other (undoubtedly much better :)) posts in the platform building series already published from Julie Hedlund, Miranda Paul, and Tara Lazar, as well as more coming from Katie Davis and I think maybe KidLit411 – so definitely worth checking out the series!

https://alaynekaychristian.wordpress.com

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!!

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In Which Phyllis Bestows Prizes For Her Birthday Bonanza Winners!

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Although it is neither George Washington’s nor Abraham Lincoln’s birthday today, we are nonetheless celebrating President’s Day.

I’m sure this makes sense to someone.

Possibly the person who thought up the plan to celebrate the birthdays of two presidents on a day that was no one’s birthday.

We don’t care though, because around here we’re just always glad of an excuse for a day off from school and/or work, and also of an excuse for cake!

Because I think George and Abe would like us to have some cake in their honor, don’t you?  Phyllis picked this one, very Abe and George!

[okay, so my internet is being very persnickety and won’t upload a photo tonight, so imagine, if you will, a luscious lemon layer cake with blueberry lavender buttercream icing in a vivid shade of purple that would definitely be right up George and Abe’s alley – and if you follow the link below you can see it!  Phyllis and I are thinking Spring!]

Lemon Layer Cake with Blueberry Lavender Buttercream http://thewholesomepursuit.com/2014/04/23/lemon-layer-cake-with-blueberry-lavender-buttercream/

Go ahead!  Dig in!

It is not Phyllis’s birthday either, although she is hoping that when she becomes President her birthday, which is also not on this day, will be included with George’s and Abe’s.  Phyllis feels that a little marmot in the White House would be a good thing, and I can’t disagree 🙂

So even though it is no one’s birthday today, we are having cake and celebrating the selection of the prize winners from Phyllis’s Birthday Bonanza!

Are you ready?

Let me start by saying that it was not easy to choose winners.

For starters, all the entries were amazing and marvelous and enrapturing.  In addition, Phyllis felt strongly that all 19 should receive 1st Prize.

“You can’t give 19 people first prize,” I said.

“Maybe YOU can’t,” said Phyllis, “but I can!”

“No, what I mean is that if you make a 19-way tie for first place then it’s like no one won!”

“No, it’s like 19 people won.”

“19 people can’t win!”

“Yes they CAN!”

“No they CAN’T!”

“I say they can and I’m giving them all the Punxsutawney Phyllis Pancake of Awesomeness!”

“Oh, well who wouldn’t want to win a Pancake of Awesomeness?!”

“No one,” said Phyllis smugly.  “That’s why it’s the perfect prize.”

Therefore let it be known on this 16th Day of February 2015 (which is not anyone’s birthday) that Julie A, Karen, Sarah C, Jilanne, Kathy, Stacy, Catherine, Julie R-Z, Wendy, Michelle, Heather, Erik & Josie, Donna, the Hoeft Family, Linda, Vivian, Suzy, Robyn, Sarah M, and Christie all get a pancake from Phyllis.

I’m not really sure what to say about that.

I hope you like it?!

“Now that we’ve got that pancake business out of the way,” I said to Phyllis, “who were really your favorites?  There must have been some among that talented pack that really stood out to you.”

“Well, now that you mention it,” said Phyllis, “there were a few!”

So, without further ado, here are Phyllis’s selections for top placement in her Birthday Bonanza!  She is uncomfortable labeling them 1st, 2nd, etc. because she loved them all so much!

The Hoeft Family – for their beautifully written, illustrated, performed, and videoed Happy Birthday Wish.

Stacy – for her amazing quilling which Phyllis had never heard of before but thinks made her look beautiful and also was fabulously videoed.

Robyn – because Mr. Ed said, “you mean the world to me Phyll” in such an endearing way and had a whole Phyllis wall of wonder in his stall – what’s not to love about a video with a horse in it?!

Julie A – for her amazing poem that included not only Phyllis but all her literary brothers and sisters… and trains and airplanes.

Erik & Josie – for their awesome video which included singing AND costumes and was just an all-out funkadellic performance – and Phyllis wants it to be known that she is Super Funky!

So Bekah, Stacy, Robyn, Julie A, and Erik & Josie, please Email Me to sort out your prizes.

Up for grabs are:

 – a generously donated signed copy of SUBSTITUTE GROUNDHOG by Pat Miller along with an audio recording!

 – a signed copy of PUNXSUTAWNEY PHYLLIS (should there happen to be anyone among you who wants one and doesn’t already have one)

 – any picture book of your choice (recent titles I have enjoyed and would recommend include Blue On Blue, The Most Magnificent Thing, and Gaston.)

 – any MG or YA book of your choice should you happen to be a winner who would find something more at your reading and interest level more to your liking 🙂

Congratulations to all our entrants!  You all did such a wonderful job, and Phyllis and I enjoyed your efforts SO MUCH!!!  Thank you ALL for making Phyllis’s birthday and 10th Anniversary SO MUCH FUN!!!

Have a marvelous Monday, everyone!  And those of you who have the day off – celebrate like no one’s watching! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #161 – Son Of Boogie (PB)

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In case you are wondering (now that it’s February 11) I have NOT forgotten about picking winners for Phyllis’s Birthday Bonanza!

I’ve just been highly distracted from work by people in this house having snow days – which is absolutely lovely! – but allows me to watch back-to-back episodes of Say Yes To The Dress and/or the entire Star Wars saga out of the corner of my eye when I’m supposed to be focusing on whose Ode To Phyllis is the best.

Phyllis thinks everyone should win because she loved them all.

I also loved them all, but I said that if everyone won then no one would FEEL like they won.

Phyllis said that was horsehockey and didn’t even make sense and was I going to eat the last strawberry pancake or could she have it?

So you can see it was a very productive conversation.

The easy route would be to make YOU guys pick.  But I’m always making you vote for things, and I still don’t have an “I Voted” sticker to tempt you with, so I don’t know if that would be asking too much.  Do you guys want to vote?  Or do you want Phyllis me to pick?  Let me know in the comments along with your thoughts for today’s pitcher and then, weather depending :), we’ll try to get around to one or the other before Spring actually arrives 🙂

Oh!  And before we get to today’s pitch, we have a winner for the December/January Pitch Pick from last week!

Drum roll please….. rata-tat-tata-tat-rata-tat-tata-tat-etc….

The winner is MICHELE! with her pitch for Hoot & Holly!!!

Congratulations, Michele!  Your pitch has been sent to editor Erin Molta for her comments, and I’m sure you’ll hear from her soon.

And congratulations to all our other fine and brave pitchers!  You all did an excellent job – it was a tough choice! – and I hope you all feel good about bravely putting yourselves out there to test your pitches and that you found the feedback from our wonderful and generous readers helpful and constructive!

Now, then, onto today’s Would You Read It!

I love that today’s pitcher volunteered her own Something Chocolate… and boy does it look good!  Can I offer you a cup of coffee or a glass of milk to go with that?

Kusina Master Recipe’s Peanut Butter Fudge Cake
Recipe HERE (feel free not to watch the shocking presentation
on how to remove dark spots from your hands :))

I also REALLY love that today’s pitcher is using Would You Read It in a way I hoped people would (at least some of the time) but which seldom happens.  She’s using her pitch, and your feedback, to help her figure out her story! (as you’ll read below.)

So without further ado, today’s pitch comes to us from Kathy.  Kathy Halsey has been writing picture books and nonfiction stories for two years. In a prior life she taught English and served as a K-12 school librarian. Since she has an agent, Jodell Sadler at Sadler Children’s Literary, the purpose of her pitch is to guide her plot and focus her manuscript.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Son Of Boogie
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Conquering the boards–skateboards, surf boards snowboards­–that’s Lil Boogie’s dream. He and his Pops head off the Half Pipe Park to skate, but his flips flop. Lil Boogie heads for the beach, but the waves bury him. And on the snowboard, an ice storm stops him cold. Back at the ski lodge, he finds his board–the CHESS BOARD. Lil Boogie rules and rocks this board like a king. SON OF BOOGIE is a 453 word picture book for PreK-2nd grade that champions perseverance and the father-son bond.

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Kathy improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in July so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Kathy is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to writing a new story. I don’t know when it will happen – I haven’t had an idea I feel really excited about in a while – but it could be today!  Why not?! 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Lost Cat

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Well, I don’t know where the week went, but here we are at Friday again!

Friday is a really excellent day.  It means we’re about to get a weekend, and it means a list of Perfect Picture Books to enjoy over that weekend – an unbeatable combination!  All we need to make it true perfection is a nice chocolatey snack to go along with our picture books and our weekend 🙂

I had another book in mind for today.  Based on the jacket copy I thought I’d love it.  But when I read it my reaction could only be described as meh (not what you want for a Perfect Picture Book!) and then I read this one and loved it start to finish, so there was really no contest.  Preconceived idea out, awesome surprise book in 🙂  I hope you like it too 🙂

Title: Lost Cat
Written & Illustrated By: C. Roger Mader
Houghton Mifflin Books For Children, October 2013, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-8

Themes/Topics: journey, pets, love (person/pet)

Opening: “Ever since Slipper was a tiny kitten, she’d lived with a little old lady in a little old house in a little old town.”

Brief Synopsis: Slipper has always lived happily with Mrs. Fluffy Slippers, but when Mrs. Fluffy Slippers moves, Slipper accidentally gets left behind in the commotion.  Slippers searches for a new home, but not just any home will do – it has to be the right one.  Will she find a new family she can adopt?

Links To Resources: Washington Children’s Choice Award Activities (scroll about 1/2 way down the pdf); Fun Facts About Cats; How To Draw A Cat video; learn to draw a cat step-by-step guide.

Why I Like This Book: First and foremost, I love the art!  Soft pastels that render that beautiful kitty so life-like!  Her expressions are perfect, especially her fright at High Tops, her polite pleading with Miss Shiny Shoes, and her bliss on the last two pages.  And the cat’s-eye-view perspective is wonderful.  The story is a sweet one with both humorous and poignant moments.  I love that all the people in the story are named for their footwear – which is what Slippers sees of them first 🙂  And most of all, I love that this lost cat story has a happy ending 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you and see what wonderful books you’ve chosen this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Very Inspiring Blogger – Who Me?!

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Look at me, sneakily sliding in a blog post on a Thursday afternoon!

Probably no one will see it, but I really had to post this.  I’ve let too much time go by already!

Anyone who has spent much time around my blog knows that I am full of ideas and hare-brained schemes and always busy with about 47 more things than I actually have time for because there are just always so many interesting things to do!

This would work out fine if I was one of those hyper-organized types, but alas, I am not.

In my case, creativity comes with chaos 🙂

And although I can generally pretty much manage the chaos, occasionally things (and when I say things I mean my horrifying email inbox) get the better of me, and something slips through the cracks.

I was going through said horrifying inbox and discovered these lovely gems in the cracks!

In the past month or so, I was very kindly nominated for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award by Rachel Tey over at Reading Rachel, Dayne Sislen at Dayne Sislen Designs, and Linda Eve Diamond at The Beauty Of The Picture Book!  Imagine that!  ME!  A Very Inspiring Blogger!

I am so touched!  And I thank you all so much!  It means a great deal to me that you would bestow such an award on me.

One of the nicest things is that these lovely people have been reading (and apparently enjoying) my blog very quietly in the background and I didn’t even know it!  Now I’ve had the opportunity to meet 3 bloggers I didn’t know before 🙂

Of course as always with these awards there are all kinds of rules.  I’m supposed to tell 7 facts, and nominate 15 more bloggers, and you all know how I feel about that: I can never think of 7 interesting things to say, and I never like to single out just 15 of the many, many bloggers I know and love because I feel like everyone deserves the award.  So if you want it, please help yourself and know that I find you all Very Inspiring!

As for the 7 facts, hmmm….

How about some current stuff?  I don’t promise to be interesting 🙂

1.  I am currently reading Just One Evil Act by Elizabeth George.  It is good, but very long, and I never have enough time to read, so it’s taking me a while to get through.  Next on my list is First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen.

2.  My brother gave me a year of Audible for Christmas (awesome present!!!), and the first book I listened to in the car (no trouble finding time for THAT because I am ALWAYS in the car!) was The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy which I loved and highly recommend.  I especially loved the narrator because she did all the voices and accents so well.  If I’d read the book to myself, I would have gotten the names of all those German baked goods completely wrong! 🙂

3.  I recently discovered that I like avocados – not necessarily plain, but in stuff.  Who knew?

4.  I should never be put in charge of taking care of house plants.  They are way too quiet and fail to tell me when they need attention… which spells their imminent demise.  (And yes, this is unfortunately current.  There’s some kind of plant with pink flowers next to the kitchen table which is not looking at all well.  But since it happened to catch my eye, I did just water it.  Maybe I have brought it back from the brink.  There’s always hope :))

5.  The most recent movie I watched was Non-Stop starring Liam Neeson.  On DVD of course because it’s probably ancient by now.  I literally cannot remember the last time I went to a movie.  It may have been July when I saw The 100 Foot Journey, which I really liked.

6.  I haven’t written a new manuscript I like enough to call finished in way too long.

7.  I am ready for Spring.  Right now.  Today! Maybe because the temperature is dropping steadily and is expected to be between -5 and -10 by tonight 🙂

7.5  Because I just thought of this… 🙂  I’ve got a couple of ideas in the works which I’m hoping to share with you all soon… maybe by the end of February?  But one never knows… 🙂

Many, many thanks to Rachel, Dayne, and Linda for the awards, and to all of you who show up and read faithfully, whether you comment or not.  Knowing you’re out there reading makes it all worth while and I appreciate each and every one of you!

Have a happy rest of Thursday, and if you live in my neck of the woods, STAY WARM! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #160 – Finley VS The Fly (PB) PLUS The December/January Pitch Pick!

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Wowee!  What a busy week it’s been so far and it’s only Wednesday!

Monday was Phyllis’s big day, and boy did we ever get a lot of AMAZING poetry, videography, art, photography, etc to celebrate!  If you didn’t get a chance to see/read, you really won’t want to miss it (and everything is very short and un-time-consuming so you should totally check it out! :))  Go HERE.

One item that didn’t make it in time for Monday’s post, and didn’t get posted yesterday because I was away at a school visit, is Dana Atnip’s totally fun depiction of everyone’s favorite weather-hog!

illustration copyright Dana Atnip 2015
please visit her website HERE

I’ll add it to Monday’s post, but I didn’t want anyone to miss it! 🙂

We will figure out some winners from Phyllis’s celebration, I just haven’t had time because, as I mentioned, I was “out of the office” 🙂

Phyllis and I had a LOVELY school visit yesterday!  There were balloons and cake and wonderful students and teachers!  I’m hoping to have pictures to share at some point, but my photo stream won’t update… because I am a technopoop!… so maybe next time!

Now then!  Onward to today’s business!

First, we have the December/January Pitch Pick!

Here are last month’s wonderful pitches, newly tweaked and polished thanks to your helpful advice.

#1 Marla – Froggy Went A Courtin’ (PB ages 4-8)
Froggy Went a Courtin’ is an updated version of the traditional song. Missy Mousey has agreed to marry Froggy. But an old tom cat crashes their wedding and wants to eat the bride. It’s up to the strong and independent Missy Mousey to save herself, Froggy, and the day.

#2 Jeff – Stormy With A Chance Of Pizza (PB ages 3-7)
Grandpa’s creative problem solving saves the day (or at least their dinner) when ‘can do’ perseverance triumphs over challenges of a new recipe and Mother Nature’s threats, showing  his storytelling grandchild the value of self reliance.

#3 Bekah – The Penguin And The Pelican (PB ages 4-8)

After being turned away by graceful dancers at a dance hall, a penguin and a pelican try to fix their awkwardness on land by taking lessons from graceful but greedy dance teachers.  When the birds discover that dance lessons have not cured their clumsy gaits, new friends help the pair to keep dancing joyfully and find their natural gracefulness. 

#4 Michele – Hoot And Holly (PB ages 4-8)

When Holly finds the orphaned owlet Hoot in a windswept field near home, she knows he won’t survive without her help. With clues from Hoot and a bit of creativity, Holly teaches Hoot to hunt and fly. And when he is ready, they say goodbye.    

#5 Maria – The Trouble With Homework (PB ages 6-9)

“Demonstrations Speeches Today” is written in large letters on the board. OH NO! What’s a kid to do when he’s totally forgotten about his homework? Sometimes, you just have to improvise!
Join Ms. Noble’s 3rd grade class as they deliver their first-ever speeches. Ethan’s folding napkins. Ella’s frosting cake. Jillian’s crying great, big tears ’cause her cookies didn’t bake! But what about Conor? He’s come to school unprepared so he’ll just have to make his up as he goes along. Don’t be surprised if he has to “let the cat out of the bag.”
Do you have anything to demonstrate to others? Let Conor’s presentation inspire you to create your own speech and show off the skills and talents you have. A speech outline is included to get you started.
Disclaimer: No snails or house cats were harmed in the making of this book! 

Please vote for the one you think is best and deserves a read by editor Erin Molta by Sunday February 8 at 5 PM EDT and I will announce the winner next week.

Now dearies, I know you’re pooped out after all that reading and voting, so how about  quick pick-you-up?  Something Chocolate always does it for me 🙂 and I’m in a brownie mood today so…

YUM!

Feel better?

Good!

Today’s pitch comes to us from Kirsten.  Kirsten W. Larson used to work for NASA but now writes about rocket science — and just about any science — for kids. She is the author of SCIENCE FAIR SUCCESS! and USING THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD (Rourke), as well as more than a dozen children’s magazine articles. Find her at kirsten-w-larson.com

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Finley VS The Fly
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages
The Pitch: On the verge of losing his favorite sandwich to a pesky fly, Finley strikes back with a vacuum, the sink sprayer and more creating chaos in the kitchen. But when he finally wallops the fly, he learns to be careful what he wishes for.

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Kirsten improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in June so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Kirsten is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to catching up on whatever I missed yesterday, and getting to meet an online friend in real life later – all the way from Indiana!!!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂

Punxsutawney Phyllis’s 10th Anniversary Birthday Bonanza!!!

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WOO HOO!

It’s Groundhog Day!

And you know what that means, right?

First of all, it means we have an announcement to make!

And that is that Punxsutawney Phyllis, Sage of Sages, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinaire did set forth from her burrow on Blueberry Hill this Monday February 2, 2015 at 7:25 AM and declare, “Six more weeks of winter!”

Obviously with the howling winds and heavy, blowing snow there was no possibility of seeing her shadow, but Phyllis’s weather sense (possibly motivated by her desire to get right back in the burrow!) saw no signs of an early spring.  We are disappointed because we are tired of winter, but we are eating strawberries to make us think of warm summer days 🙂

Second, that means it’s my little Phyllis’s 10th Anniversary Birthday Bonanza!!!

illustration copyright Jeff Ebbeler 2005

“We’re having a party!  We’re having a party!” [That’s Phyllis.  She’s a little excited.]  “We need CAKE!!!” [She’s a girl after my own heart :)]

I said, “How about cupcakes?”

Phyllis said, “Something BIGGER!”

So I said, “How about this?”

Phyllis said, “But there’s no ICING!”

So we settled on this:

and in case you are wondering, those little brown things are
groundhog graham crackers… which makes this a Groundhog Day Cake 🙂

“Now we need festive balloons!” said Phyllis.

“Here!” said I.

 “You’re kidding, of course,” said Phyllis.

“What?  It’s blue!  It’s pretty!”

“It’s only ONE!” said Phyllis.  “ONE is not festive!”

“Fine,” I said, ever accommodating.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t see that,” said Phyllis.  “Otherwise I might regurgitate my recently ingested natal day pancakes.  What do the words GROUNDHOG and BIRTHDAY mean to you?”

“You’re being just a tad demanding, Phyllis,” I said patiently.  “But I’ll humor you.  Will these do?”

“At last!” said Phyllis.  “And now, for the most important part…  my POEM!”

“Uh, yeah, about that… I’m not quite done yet.”

“WHAT???!!!”

“I want it to be perfect,” I explained.  “After all, it’s for you.  It can’t be just any old thrown together thing!”

“That’s true,” agreed Phyllis.

“But I’ve got to finish it quick.  Everyone’s going to be here soon.”

“Also true,” said Phyllis.

“So it would be helpful,” I said pointedly, “if you would be quiet and let me concentrate.”

“Okay,” whispered Phyllis.

I tapped my pen against the table top.

AN ODE TO PHYLLIS

I wrote across the top of the paper.

“Good start!” said Phyllis.

“Thank you.”

I tapped some more.

There once was a groundhog named Phyllis

“Stop,” said Phyllis.

“What do you mean, stop?”

“Nothing rhymes with Phyllis.  Believe me.  I know.  That’s a nonstarter.”

“How about There once was a groundhog named Phyllis/Who made so much noise that her poem will never get written?“

“That doesn’t rhyme,” sniffed Phyllis.  But she stopped talking.

tap tap tap tap tap

In the hollow of old Punxsutawney
Lived Phyllis, whose fur was so . . .

“STOP!” said Phyllis.

“What now?”

“What is it with you and these impossible words?  NOTHING rhymes with Punxsutawney!  You’re supposed to be writing me a poem!  Poems are supposed to RHYME!”

“For your information, Miss Smarty Pants, I was going to say ‘whose fur was so tawny‘, but forget it.”

“Yeah, well, that’s pretty much cheating.  Punxsutawney and tawny – it’s practically rhyming the same word with itself.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be outside looking for your shadow or something?”

“It’s too early,” said Phyllis comfortably, helping herself to a strawberry.

I sighed.

tap tap tap tap tap tap tap

Oh, Phyllis, you forecasting marmot

“Er.  Ahem.  I don’t mean to interrupt, but seriously, marmot?  Where can you possibly go with that?”

“Harm it?!” I suggested.

“No…” said Phyllis, oblivious.  “I don’t think so.  And I don’t think you’re quite getting the sense of an ode.  You’re supposed to be praising me.  You have to set the mood.”

“I’ll set a mood all right.”

Phyllis ignored me and gazed out the window.  “Maybe something like:

Phyllis, your fur is so fine
Your eyes sparkle like finest wine…”

“Hacksputtercough! I’m sorry.  I just had to gag a little there.”

“It’s better than yours!”

“How do you know?  You won’t let me get past the first line!”

“Here’s what we’ll do,” said Phyllis.  “I’LL write a poem and YOU write a poem and then we’ll see whose is better.”

“You’re going to write an ode to yourself?”

“Who better?  I know me and love me well!”

“Fine!”

“Fine!”

tap tap tap tap tap tap tap

“Stop tapping your pen!”

“Stop talking!”

Hmmpphh!

*     *     *     *     *     denotes passage of time     *     *     *     *     *

“I’ve got one,” said Phyllis.  She cleared her throat and read,

Roses are red
Violets are blue
I can write poems
Way better than you!

“Well in that case,” I shot back,

Two poems diverged in a snowy wood
And I,
I chose the better one…
Which was not yours!

“Hmm…” Phyllis said primly.  “I don’t think we’re there yet.  Ready, set, write another one!”

*     *     *     *     *     denotes passage of time     *     *     *     *     *

“How about this?” said Phyllis.
so much depends
upon
a brown groundhog
seeking shadows
beside a green
pine tree
“Hey, that’s not bad!” I said.
“Let’s hear yours,” said Phyllis.
Phyllis is the thing without feathers (I began)
“What kind of thing is that to say?” demanded Phyllis.  “I’m a groundhog!  Of COURSE I don’t have FEATHERS!”
“You’re interrupting!” I grumped.  “Are you going to let me read it or not?”
“Fine.  Read. But I don’t think there’s much hope for this one.”  She snickered.
I glared, and started again:
Phyllis is the thing without feathers
That perches in the burrow
And searches the air with her nose
for signs of spring.
Phyllis patted my hand.  “It’s okay that you’re not very good at this.  You’re trying.  That’s what’s important.”  She stuffed a strawberry in my mouth.  “Let’s keep practicing.  Maybe you’ll get better.”
*     *     *     *     *     denotes passage of time     *     *     *     *     *

“Done!” I said.

“I was done first three times in a row,” said Phyllis.  “That means you have to read first.”

Really, it is hard to follow groundhog logic.  Actually, groundhog logic is probably an oxymoron.

I sighed.  “Okay.  But let me read the whole thing.  Don’t interrupt.”

“I would never do that,” said Phyllis sweetly.  She sat up on her haunches and prepared to listen attentively.

AN ODE TO PHYLLIS
by Susanna

Beauty, wit, charm, grace
Fuzzy little marmot face
Unsurpassed intelligence
Never-equaled weather sense
Even though you’re not a boy
You’re Punxsutawney’s pride and joy
My furry friend, you know it’s true
There’s no one else on earth like you!

Phyllis jumped in my lap and gave me a hug.  “See?  I KNEW you could do it!  Now I’ll read mine.”

ODE TO PHYLLIS
by Phyllis

Lavender’s blue dilly dilly lavender’s green
It’s really true dilly dilly I should be queen
Lavender’s green dilly dilly lavender’s blue
I’m a Punxsutawney dream-come-true.

“Ye-ah…,” I said.  “You should have quit while you were ahead.”

“Yeah, probably,” said Phyllis.  “But never mind.  Happy birthday to me!”

Happy Birthday, dear Phyllis,
Happy Birthday to you!!!

And now, Phyllis and I are looking forward with GREAT anticipation to reading YOUR poems for Phyllis, and hopefully seeing some videos too (no pressure, Erik) since we totally failed on that score!

If you wrote a poem for Phyllis, and/or have photographs, drawings, videos, or other fun feature accompaniments, please add your post-specific blog link to the list below, or post your poem etc in the comments, or Email it to me and I’ll post it for you so that we can all enjoy everyone’s creativity!

Maybe Phyllis and I will pick some top finishers, or maybe we’ll have a vote later in the week, but either way, some people will win a signed copy of PUNXSUTAWNEY PHYLLIS (if there’s anyone left on earth who doesn’t already have one or who wants another for someone), a signed copy of Pat Miller’s wonderful SUBSTITUTE GROUNDHOG along with audio CD!, and there will be some other non-groundhog-day-related picture books up for grabs too.

Happy Groundhog Day to everyone!  May spring come early in your hearts, even if the weather outside fails to comply! 🙂

Have a marvelous Monday! 🙂

And please don’t miss Julie’s amazing and clever poem in the comments! HERE
And Karen’s delightful poem HERE
And Sarah’s wonderful ode HERE
And Jilanne’s terrific limerick HERE

Perfect Picture Book Friday – The Name Jar

55 Comments

Happy Friday, Everyone!

What a crazy week, huh?  All I can say is, no one in my neck of the woods is going to pay any attention to whatever the weather person says next!

But they better listen up to the Weather Hog!

That’s right!  Only 3 more days until GROUNDHOG DAY!  And you know what THAT means, right?

PHYLLICELEBRATION!!!

Some awesome Phyllis-lovers have already put together their poems for Phyllis, ready for Monday’s special post, but if you haven’t heard about it and want to join in, hop over HERE.

And now, for today’s Perfect Picture Book which has nothing whatsoever to do with Groundhog Day, winter, snowpocalypses, etc. but is still an excellent book which I highly recommend! 🙂

Title: The Name Jar
Written & Illustrated By: Yangsook Choi
Dragonfly Books, 2001, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-7

Themes/Topics: acceptance/tolerance, fitting in, feeling different, multicultural diversity (Korean-American), being the new kid, names

Opening: “Through the school bus window, Unhei looked out at the strange buildings and houses on the way to her new school.  It was her first day, and she was both nervous and excited.“

Brief Synopsis: Unhei’s (pronounced Yoon-hye) first encounter with her American schoolmates leaves her feeling uncertain about her name, and different from everyone else.  Her name is difficult to pronounce.  Kids make fun of it.  It sets her apart.  How much easier to be Amanda, Laura, or Suzy!  So when she enters her new classroom, she tells the teacher she hasn’t chosen her name yet – she’ll let him know next week.  All through the week, her classmates fill a name jar with suggestions they think she might like.  But in the end, she is not Amanda, Laura or Suzy.  She is Unhei.  And she comes to realize just how special that is.

Links To Resources: Classroom Activities for The Name Jar; teaching tolerance with The Name Jar; more teaching resources for The Name Jar; make your own Name Jar.

Why I Like This Book:  This book is beautifully written, clearly communicating Unhei’s acute agony over having a name that’s different from everyone else’s which is just the tip of the iceberg of being and feeling different.  She just wants to fit in.  But she also loves her Korean family, the Korean market that feels like a little piece of home in this strange new world, and her Korean heritage.  She knows the history of her name – how her grandmother and mother went to a name master specially to get the perfect name for her – Unhei, which means “grace.”  She doesn’t want to let go of that.  It takes a special friend to help her see that Unhei is who she is and should be.  A great choice for any child who is having trouble fitting in, or to help children have more understanding of a friend or classmate who might feel that way.

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you!

Have a great weekend, everyone, and GET READY FOR GROUNDHOG DAY!  WOO HOO! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #159 – The Trouble With Homework (PB) PLUS Straight From The Editor x 2

98 Comments

Wait til you hear how forethoughtful I’m being!

Seriously.  You are NOT going to believe it.

It’s Sunday night.  SUNDAY.  And I am putting the finishing touches on this post which isn’t due to go up until Wednesday!

Wednesday is like 2 1/2 entire days from now!

I don’t think this has ever happened before in the history of my blog!

Don’t worry.

You’re in the right place.

I have not been possessed by aliens or anything.  (Of course, I would probably say that if I had been, wouldn’t I? Because they’d make me… But I’m pretty sure I haven’t!)

It’s just that the weatherperson in these parts seems pretty convinced that we’re going to be getting heavy snow – at least a foot – maybe 3 – and that means, in all probability, that I will have no internet.  So my usual operating procedure of finishing my Wednesday post 37 seconds before it’s due to go up may not pan out well.  And I don’t want today’s pitcher to miss her day!

PLUS!  We have not one, but TWO Straight From The Editors to share – always educational AND fun – so I wouldn’t want you to miss that either.  Or the most important part of the post… Something Chocolate 🙂

Black Magic Cake

Yummmmm!  Scrumptious!!

I know how you all count the hours until Wednesday for your chocolate treat, so far be it from me to deprive you! 🙂  I would never want it to be said that I don’t take good care of you!

Alrighty!  Now that we’re fortified, let’s see what the editor has to say!

Straight From The Editor for October:

You will recall Michelle’s winning pitch:

Miss Knaffle and her second graders all just want to have fun at school. But when her students take theiridea of fun too far—conducting a farting symphony during reading time, smuggling coffee beans to the class hamster, and using their desks for a bubblegum sculpture contest—Miss Knaffle decides that only a field trip to the zoo will avert classroom disaster. Once there, the canny teacher enlists irritable zoo animals to her cause. When Fátima tangles with a snake and Mario ends up on the wrong side of a baboon, the students quickly come to appreciate the zoo rules—and their teacher—in a whole new way.

Here are editor Erin Molta’s comments:

This is so cute! My only suggestion is to be more specific about the zoo incidents like Fatima tangles with a snake because she did what? You are specific about the farting symphony (hilarious!) and the coffee beans to the hamster so we need to see the zoo side, too—at least one. I’d omit the bubblegum sculpture contest to fit in more specific zoo incidents.

Straight From The Editor for November:

Here is Heather’s winning pitch:

The harpsichord is dusted, the tea is poured, the vases are arranged on doily laces, and Hubert the pug is settled calmly on the rug. Lottie Dobson is ready for her fancy luncheon party. But when the members of the Grandview Rose Society arrive with even more blooms, poor Hubert’s allergies kick in. What happens next is a riot of mishaps that gets him banned from the room. But when a wily rat sneaks in, steals the cheese, and dangles from the chandelier, it sends the proper party guests on a crazy chase–with a sneezing Hubert in the lead. One big sneeze will save the day! Too bad for Hubert, the sneezing doesn’t end there. 

And here are Erin’s comments:

Cute! The only problem I saw with it was that why wouldn’t Hubert be allergic to the roses that are already there? Would more make that much of a difference? I think Hubert’s allergies should be a new issue—a surprise, so to speak. And then be specific about at least one of the mishaps. Otherwise, it’s very fun and sounds like a delight!

As always, I find Erin’s comments insightful and helpful!  I hope they help you in your mission to create the perfect pitch!

Today’s pitch comes to us from Maria.  Maria is an educator with the best job in the world – she works as a Fire & Life Safety Educator for a municipal fire department! When she isn’t teaching others how to be safe, she can be found writing under a pecan tree, playing with her dogs and cats, or cruising around town with the top down searching for inspirational ideas or the next big story.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The Trouble With Homework
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 6-9)
The Pitch: What’s a kid to do when he’s waited until the lastminute to do his homework? Sometimes, you just have to improvise!

Join Connor along with his zany classmates as they prepare (some more than others) for their first-ever demonstration speeches.  Follow Connor’s speech outline and you, too, can show others what skills and talents you have.

Disclaimer: No snails or house cats were harmed in the making of this book! 

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Maria improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in June so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Maria is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to getting my internet back so I can catch up on everything I’ve missed!  It should be back this morning, but we shall see… (Of course, I’m just assuming… because it’s SUNDAY! so I don’t know yet what will happen!)

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone, and for everyone who lives on the East Coast, I hope you all weathered the storm okay!!!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Snoozefest

64 Comments

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, everyone!

I have a delightful book to share with you today which is not about a groundhog.  But speaking of groundhogs (did you see how smoothly I slipped that in there? :)) if you missed yesterday’s Special Edition Post (which you easily might have because I almost never post on Thursdays so why would you think to check?) about Phyllis’s Birthday Bonanza (which you definitely will NOT want to miss!), hop on over and check it out HERE!  Join the fun and spread the word! 🙂

Now then.  Today’s book.  Which is not about a groundhog.  But IS about a sloth 🙂

Title: Snoozefest
Written By: Samantha Berger
Illustrated By: Kristyna Litten
Dial, January 2015, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-5

Themes/Topics: bedtime, sleep, animals (sloths), language fun (rhyme and inventive vocabulary)

Opening: “In the center of Snoozeville, dwells the wee one, the sleepiest sloth, Snuggleford Cuddlebun.  Now, that sloth can sleep, for a month at a go. The few times she rises, she moves in slo-mo.”

Brief Synopsis:  It’s time for the annual Snoozefest at the Nuzzledome, an arena festival that celebrates sleep.  All the best sleepers attend.  Snuggleford Cuddlebun settles into a hammock with her blanket and pillow, her favorite stuffed animal and her best bedtime book, and a snack of milk and honey, ready to enjoy the show.  But will she?

Links To Resources: the author makes up some wonderful words in this story – what kind of words can you make up that sound just right to describe something you like to do (like sleeping, sledding, riding a bicycle, or any other activity)?; have your own snoozefest – make your room super comfy for sleeping, choose bedtimes stories, music, snacks, stuffed animals, pajamas and anything else that makes bedtime cozy for you.  You can even write up and decorate your own snoozefest program.  Have a lullaby sing-along and your own pajama fashion show!

Why I Like This Book:  How can you not love a book about a snoozefest that takes place at the Nuzzledome?  The text is full of delightful made-up words like “snoozillions” and “wumphiest” (as in “wumphiest, comfiest, coziest things” :))  There are designer pajamas by Diane Von Firstinbed and Louis Futon.  The snack vendors sell milk and honey.  The bands, with names like Chamomile Rage and the Nocturnal Nesters, play lullabies!  And everyone brings their nightlight from home 🙂  Adult readers will enjoy the spoof of music festivals.  The whole over-the-top celebration of bedtime is just flat out fun!  But you’ll have to read it to find out what Snuggleford’s experience of the show is 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you and see what kind of amazingly wonderful entertaining books you chose this week.  It’s supposed to snow… a good weekend to stock up on library books and spend the day reading 🙂

Have a great weekend, everyone!!! 🙂