Perfect Picture Book Friday – What About Moose?

Leave a comment

Well, dearies, here we are again, about to wade into summer!

And you know what that means.

It means Perfect Picture Books will go on hiatus until September.

I know.  It’s sad.  But luckily we have a big list of books to tide us over (if I ever finish updating it, it will be REALLY big!)  And a little break is good for us.  It means we’ll come back refreshed and filled with renewed enthusiasm 🙂

For the last PPBF before summer hiatus, I have a fantastically fun book to share!  You will probably all want to rush out and read it immediately 🙂

Title: What About Moose?
Written By: Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez
Illustrated By: Keika Yamaguchi
Atheneum Books For Young Readers, June 2015, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-8

Themes/Topics: teamwork, behavior (bossiness), language fun (rhyme), forgiveness

Opening: “Fox met her friends with her toolbox in hand.
‘Time to start building!  Now here’s what I’ve planned.’
She divvied up jobs and then Moose trotted in.
‘I’m HERE!’ he announced.  ‘Let construction begin!’“

Brief Synopsis: The forest animals are working together to build a tree house… all except Moose who is so busy being in charge that he fails to perceive exactly what’s happening.  When he finds himself in a tight situation, his kind-hearted friends help him out in spite of his previous bossiness.

Links To Resources: Team Building Games; design your own treehouse – draw the kind of treehouse you’d love to have, including amenities :); moose coloring pages; recipes for lemonade (to drink while you’re building or playing in your treehouse :))

Why I Like This Book: As you’ve probably all gathered by now (due to the fact that I’m always adding her books to Perfect Picture Books list :)) I am a die-hard Corey Rosen Schwartz fan.  Her books are always clever and fun with fabulous rhyme that is a pleasure to read aloud.  This new addition is no exception.  Moose is delightful in his bossiness, hollering commands through a megaphone, oblivious to the predicament he’s getting himself into.  His friends are forgiving, willing to help him out even though he’s been a pain in the backside.  The illustrations are appealing and engaging.  The story is light-hearted and fun while still getting the message across that it’s best to work together – one all ages will enjoy!

Here’s the trailer:


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

I know we will all be reading picture books throughout the summer, but with so many wonderful outdoor things to do (and the kids all home from school :)), our time for writing posts, reading reviews, and visiting one another’s blogs will be limited.  And summer is all about spending time with our families.  So go forth and enjoy – we’ll be here when you get back to start up PPBF again on Friday September 11!

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

Have a wonderful summer, everyone, and those of you who only visit for PPBF, we’ll see you in September!  Everyone else, we’ll still be here with Would You Read It Wednesdays, the pitch picks, and Straight From The Editor, the upcoming Children’s Illustration Contest to be followed by some other high jinx for writers, and maybe a few surprises… depending on whether I manage to get things done 🙂  I’ve got at least three new things I’m hoping to share soon 🙂

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!  And I hope to see some of you in New Jersey! 🙂

http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=046a216d-44be-4c28-979a-0f0b16aebdd2

Would You Read It Wednesday # 178 – The Sunflower Traveler (PB) PLUS The May Pitch Pick Winner!

Leave a comment

Happy National Corn On The Cob Day!

Really!

I’m not making this up!

I think it’s a great idea for a holiday.  I love corn on the cob.  It is so delicious and summery!

I’m sure it’s a completely genuine holiday and definitely not an elaborate ruse thought up by Oral B or Johnson&Johnson to increase sales of dental floss! 🙂

But here’s what I’m thinking: the Tooth Fairy ought to cash in on this day.  Seriously, the number of teeth under pillows must skyrocket on a day when the world’s 6 year olds are all eating corn on the cob 🙂

What, you may ask, does this have to do with Would You Read It?

Well… as I see it… absolutely nothing 🙂  But I still think it’s important that you know the historic significance of the day!

Now then, if you could all kindly stop comparing corn on the cob recipes and arguing over the exact number of seconds required to perfectly cook corn on the cob, we could get down to the business at hand!

First, I’m thrilled to announce that the winner of the May Pitch Pick was Jason with his pitch for Barnabas Is NOT A Ninja!!!  Congratulations, Jason!  Your pitch has been sent to editor Erin Molta for her comments!

And congratulations to our other brave pitchers who took the time to write, polish and perfect their pitches and summoned the nerve to put them out there for commentary.  You are all winners in my book!  Even if you didn’t win the pitch pick, you should still all have pitches that are worthy of telling famous editors you happen to meet in elevators.

I think a little pick-me-up is in order before we tackle today’s pitch and I have the perfect thing for our  Something Chocolate.  Get ready for it…

YES!  It IS chocolate-dipped corn on the cob!!!

If you google it, ye shall find it!  Chocolate-dipped corn on the cob!  Who (besides me) would have thought of such a thing?  Obviously someone!  I believe I even see chocolate sprinkles on there!  I have no idea how it tastes, but I’m game to try.  And think how healthy we’re being, eating vegetables for breakfast!  Our moms will all be so proud 🙂

And now that we’re all fortified with brain food, today’s pitch comes to us from Michelle who says, “My idea for The Sunflower Traveler began a long time ago via my love of gardening and growing sunflowers. I’m an artist, writer and art instructor. The majority of my writing and art involves nature, critters, endangered species, and our environment. I enjoy including a bit of fantasy to draw my viewers in. I’m an active member of SCBWI. You can find my art and poetry at my blog: http://www.moreart4all.wordpress.com, art at my website: http://www.michellekogan.com, and in my Etsy shop http://www.MichelleKoganFineArt.etsy.com. Thanks for reviewing my pitch!”

Here is her pitch: 

Working Title: The Sunflower Traveler
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 6-10)
The Pitch: Ten-year-old Rhea’s growing sunflowers for Petal Path’s Magazine Contest. Her Dad lost his job, and the prize money would help her family.  But to win she’s got to find something new to share about her sunflowers.  A goldfinch thinks he can help. Together they mysteriously time-travel through one of her sunflowers. They eventually arrive in Past Times, where a new gardener needs help with his own garden woes. There she also has to conquer squirrel antics and deal with a rambunctious raven. Will she solve her sunflower problem, or get back home in time to enter the contest and help her family?


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 Michelle 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 October 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!

Michelle is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to sampling some chocolate-dipped corn on the cob 🙂  Just for kicks, we should take an informal poll: would YOU be willing to try chocolate-dipped corn on the cob?

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – My Side Of The Car

Leave a comment

Happy 2nd-to-last Perfect Picture Book Friday before the summer hiatus, everyone!

Princess Blue Kitty and I have been spending A LOT of quality time together.

(You all remember Princess Blue, right?)
Sorry she has her back to you.  She’s a little camera shy 🙂

Seriously.

I can’t seem to get out of the car.

Every time I think, “Okay, maybe this week I’ll do a little less driving,” I turn out to be wrong!

Today, Princess Blue and I are heading north, and in honor of yet another 5+hours-in-the-car day (at least the third this week) I have chosen a book I love that has a car on the cover, in the title, and as the setting for the story… even though it’s not specifically Princess Blue Kitty… and actually not even blue 🙂

Ready?  Fasten your seat belts because here we go! 🙂

My Side Of The Car
Written By: Kate Feiffer
Illustrated By: Jules Feiffer
Candlewick, April 2011, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 4-8

Themes/Topics: patience, imagination, father-daughter love, optimism

Opening:  “My dad and I are going to the zoo.  We’ve tried to go to the zoo before.  But we never get there.  Something always happens.”

Brief Synopsis:  Sadie and her dad are going to the zoo.  Their plans have been thwarted three previous times, but this time they’re really going.  Except… on the way… it starts to rain.  They can’t go to the zoo in the rain.  But Sadie’s not about to let the fact that her dad sees rain deter her.  “I look out my window, and the sun is shining on my side of the car. People are putting on their sunglasses and heading to zoos all over the world on my side of the car.” While her dad sees nothing but rain, Sadie sees people mowing their laws and eating ice cream.  Is it raining or not?  Will Sadie and her dad get to the zoo this time or will they have to wait for another day?

Links To Resources:  Fun Zoo-Related Activities, Zoo Lessons And Activities, a page in the back of the book tells the true story of what happened (which is always fun :))

Why I Like This Book:  Anyone who has lived with kids knows that their perception of reality is not necessarily the same as yours… especially when they really want something! 🙂  What’s wonderful about this book is both Sadie’s determined optimism and her father’s patience and his loving understanding of how she needs to cope with her disappointment.  This book is also delightful because it’s written and illustrated by a father-daughter team about an incident that actually happened.  I’m not going to tell you whether they get to the zoo or not, though.  You’ll have to go read the book 🙂

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 super-fantastic weekend, everyone!!!  And feel free to share in the comments how much quality time you’ll be spending with YOUR cars 🙂

http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=ce874f76-3db6-48a0-84e2-86d788e442ae

Would You Read It Wednesday #177 – The Sun, The Moon, And Eve (PB) PLUS The May Pitch Pick!

Leave a comment

Now that the Illustration Contest has been announced, I’m all excited to see what our talented illustrator friends are going to come up with!  How, oh how!, will we wait 3+ whole weeks?

But they don’t call me Clever Sus for nothing!  Nosireebob!  I am a master of distraction technique!

For starters, we can distract ourselves by voting for our favorite pitches in the May Pitch Pick.

Our intrepid pitchers have taken all your good advice to heart and reworked their pitches so that I fear you’re going to have quite a job picking a favorite to vote for!

Here they are:

#1 Zainab – A Case Of Cane-Syrupy-Sugar-A-Bitus (PB ages 4-8)

Samantha’s dream of becoming THE pirouetting star of the school talent show may be shattered when she contracts a case of cane-syrup-a-bitus (a.k.a. the Sugar Bug). Will Samantha be able to rid herself of this high fructose bug or will she be sent home and miss her moment on stage?

#2 Linda – Poindexter’s Particular Procedure For Cold Feet (PB ages )

Poindexter’s Particular Procedure for Cold Feet.  This play on the letter “P” pops the story along as it addresses two-year-old Evan’s problem of cold feet.  Evan is befuddled as his mother puts his socks on, yet no shoes.  Of course he promptly takes the socks off.  Only after consulting Poindexter’s Purple Book of Particular Procedures for Peculiar Problems does the mysterious solution produce toasty warm feet.

#3 Kirk – When Your Best Friend Wants To Be Your Girlfriend and Other Horror Stories (MG)

12-year-old Jared Hoover and Cassie Arnold have been friends since they ate sand together. They’ve attended the same schools, shared family camping trips and even visited Disneyland. Inseparable friends forever, right? Maybe not when Cassie begins experiencing “changes” Jared doesn’t understand. Jared can’t figure out if she hates his guts or (gulp) might actually “like” him in a weird way. Who knew girls were so complicated?

#4 Jason – Barnabas Is NOT A Ninja (PB ages 4-8)

Barnabas is not a ninja.  He wears buccaneer boots, sings sea shanties, and shouts “avast!” at passing strangers. So when his parents enroll him in Ninjagarten, he must contend with a shushing sensei, 19 know it all ninjalings, and an uncontrollable urge to raise a ruckus.  After recruiting the other students to join his pirate crew, Barnabas leads them in a mutiny.  Either he will conquer the classroom, or his first day of Ninjagarten will be his last.

Please vote for the pitch you think most deserves a read by editor Erin Molta in the poll below by Sunday June 7 at 5 PM EDT.  Many thanks!


Next, we can indulge in Something Chocolate which will surely take our minds off the Illustration Contest at least while our mouths are full…!  Since it’s breakfast time, and breakfast is the most important meal of the day, how about some chocolate waffles???!!!

Mmmm!  Great idea!  Not only chocolate!  Not only delicious!  But we’ve got the basic food groups covered: chocolate, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and fruit (for you breakfast purists out there :)).  Yum-MY!

And now, we can focus on today’s pitch which comes to us from Lavanya whom you will remember from last July with her pitch for Sophie vs. The Monster.  She says, “I’m a software engineer by day, and an avid reader of fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and literature by night. I’m also mother to a young girl who has just discovered the magical ability to make meaning out of the printed word. I started putting my own words down on paper last November, and when I went to my regional SCBWI conference in April, I confirmed a suspicion that I had long harbored – writers are the nicest people in the world, and I want to be one of them. :-)”

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The Sun, The Moon, And Eve
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: In the dawn of the world, a child called Eve sings out her love for her siblings, the Sun and the Moon. But when Eve’s songs reveal her favorite, the Sun and the Moon unleash their fury. Eve must dispel the terrible shadow that follows, and restore their harmony.

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 Lavanya 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 October 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!

Lavanya is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to the Illustration Contest!  Aarrgghh!  There I go undoing all that fabulous distraction, putting the contest right back in your minds!  Oops! 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!!! 🙂

And Now, That Announcement You’ve All Been Waiting For…!

Leave a comment

Hi there, everyone!  Happy Monday!

Look at us: throwing routine to the dogs and showing up here on a Monday when (thanks to this crazy busy year) I no longer post hardly EVer!  We are such rebels! 🙂

I know why you’re here.  It’s because I told you on Friday I had something to tell you…

And I do!

And just wait until you hear what it is, because it’s SO AMAZING!

Are you ready?

You must be.

I feel like life has fallen into monotony and we’re all just going through the motions.  We need something to shake things up!  And I have just the thing. . .

Wait for it . . .

I’m considering getting my hair trimmed.

I know!  Earth-shattering, right?

It’s true.

After two plus (2+!) years of avoiding all institutions where shampoo and scissors coexist after the Great Hair Debacle of 2013, I’m thinking that maybe the situation is getting just a wee bit out of hand and I may require an eensy weensy teeny tiny little itty bitty bit off the bottom.

Just a smidge.

Nothing too drastic.

Nothing to recall the horror of April 2013!  *shudder*

But something.

Aren’t you glad you all came over here?  I mean, it’s not every day that news like this hits the world wide web!

Thanks for taking time out of your busy Monday to stop by and hear about my possible hair plans – the drama, the dilemma, the dream!  And hey!  This takes hair-brained scheme to a whole new level!

So really, thanks for stopping by.

Oh, and by the way, before you leave?

WE’RE HAVING A CONTEST!!!!!!!  Because it’s been ages and it’s high time we had some high jinx and shenanigans around here! 🙂

The 2nd Annual Pretty Much World Famous
Illustration Contest for Children’s Illustrators!

Yes!  It’s true!  We had so much fun with it last year, running the Illustration Contest on the back of the Writing Contest, that we’re doing it again!  Only this time, because we in the picture book world love, admire, and depend on our illustrators, we’re doing it the other way around – the illustrator’s are up first! 🙂

The Contest: Draw/Paint/Create a children’s picture book illustration (no text required – art only) the topic for which shall be

discovery


Above all things, these illustrations are meant to evoke story, so it is crucial that they present at least one character, a setting, and ideally hint at/suggest some kind of plot or conflict idea.


Illustrations should be 8×10, horizontal or vertical, any medium, posted in jpg at least 72 px.  Illustrators may enter more than one entry if they’re feeling ambitious 🙂
Post:  Your entry should be posted on your blog between Monday June 22 and Friday June 26 at 9 PM EDT (contest deadline!)  You will be able to add your post-specific link to the link list on my Monday June 22 post which will remain up all week so that people will be able to come visit and enjoy your amazing artwork.  If you don’t have a blog but would like to enter, you will be able to copy and paste your entry into the comments below.  (If anyone has trouble commenting, which unfortunately happens, you may email me and I’ll post your entry for you!)

Judging:  entries will be judged by multi-talented, award-winning author/illustrators Iza Trapani, author and illustrator of over 20 gorgeous picture books, and Lisa Thiesing, author and illustrator of 40 beautiful and fun picture books and early readers!   Judging criteria to include:


 – does the illustration evoke a sense of story,
 – is the picture readable to a young audience,
 – how well does it show the character(s) and
 – is/are the character(s) appealing (character development),
 – originality,
 – skill.


They will narrow down the entrants to 6 finalists (or possibly a couple more or less depending on the number of entries :)) which will be posted here on Monday June 29 for you to vote on for a winner.  The vote will be closed at 5PM EST on Thursday July 2 and the winner will be announced on Friday July 3… along with something for the writers in our audience, so stay tuned! 🙂


The Prizes!:  There will definitely be a 1st prize.  Whether we give prizes for 1st only, 1st-3rd, or 1st-6th will depend on how many entries we get.  We need at least 12 entries to place through 3rd, and at least 20 to place through 6th.

We’ve got some great prizes lined up (and are still working on them…) including a chance to take Mark Mitchell’s fantastic Make Your Marks And Splashes Online Children’s Book Illustration Class (a $249 value, but really priceless!)  This class is packed with video lessons on the topics of drawing, painting and children’s book illustration and video interviews with children’s illustrators. It also includes three months of online group critique sessions (2 sessions per month, at this point) with Mark and guest instructors, so the winner could also get the equivalent of a portfolio critique if she/he participated in all six of the sessions.  You can read all about it here: http://howtobeachildrensbookillustrator.com/NewCoursehome2/

http://howtobeachildrensbookillustrator.com/NewCoursehome2/

Additional prizes will include:

 – a $50 gift certificate to Dick Blick Art Materials (which is online)

 – choices of the following books:
      – Writing With Pictures by Uri Shulevitz

  – a Canson sketch pad and a small set of Derwent or Faber Castell colored pencils

and of course the bragging rights to having won or placed in a Pretty Much World Famous Contest! 🙂

So artists, get out your pencils, paints, brushes, crayons, collage materials, magic markers – whatever it is you create with! – and see what you can dream up!  We will all be waiting with great anticipation for the fruits of your talent – to admire, share, and enjoy!  You’ve got 3 whole weeks – almost 4 if you post on the last day – so ready, set, draw/paint/create! 🙂

Have a marvelous Monday, everyone!

(Oh, and P.S. – if anyone feels like sharing this around to spread the word, that would be great.  I want to be sure illustrators hear about it so they can join the fun and be in the winning for fabulous prizes!  Many thanks in advance!)


Perfect Picture Book Friday – Baby Bear Discovers The World

Leave a comment

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday!

It’s May on Blueberry Hill, and you know what that means:

Baby goslings.

Baby foxes.

Baby snakes.

Baby rabbits.

Baby groundhogs.

And given the black bears wandering around, I’m betting there are some baby bears even though I haven’t seen any… which is probably just as well because where there’s a baby bear there’s a protective mama bear not too far away! 🙂

In the spirit of baby animals, I have chosen this very delightful book for today.  I dare you and your young reading companions not to love the pictures 🙂

Title: Baby Bear Discovers The World
Written By: Marion Dane Bauer
Photography By: Stan Tekiela
Adventure Publications Inc, 2006, Factual Fiction with great photos

Suitable For Ages: 3 and up

Themes/Topics: wild animals, growing up, independence, nature

Opening: One fine spring morning Baby Bear said to his mama, “Mama, I’m a big bear now.  It’s time for me to go out and discover the world.  Then he kissed his mama so she would know he meant business.”

Brief Synopsis: From the jacket: “Follow Baby Bear’s excursion into the big world as he tries to prove his independence, wandering closer and closer to places he doesn’t belong.  Using twin cubs and the assistance of a handler, Stan [the photographer] succeeded in getting all the photos for this book from the cubs’ natural reactions to their surroundings.  His ability to capture everything from their inquisitive faces to actually tumbling from a log is delightfully documented.”

Links To Resources:  Everything you need is right here!  The back of the book has a section on bear facts – characteristics, activity, diet, cubs, and hibernation.  It also has a section on how the book was photographed, and another section of “outtakes and bloopers” photos – SO CUTE! 🙂  You can also go for a walk and look for signs of animals – paw prints, nests, etc.  City or country, you’re likely to discover some fun things, just like Baby Bear 🙂

Why I Like This Book:  I just absolutely adore wildlife photography.  This book combines a fun story about learning independence with exquisite photography of lots of animals besides the bears along with the surrounding flora.  It’s fun just to look at the pictures 🙂  The outtakes and bloopers photos are also tons of fun and make the experience of the book even better.  Wait until you see the picture of Baby Bear licking a mouse 🙂

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!

Oh, and just a quick heads up: June 12 (two weeks from now) will be our last PPBF before summer hiatus… just so you know for planning purposes.

Now then, I am off at an all day school visit, so I will see you all later or over the weekend, but stay tuned for a special post on Monday… it’s about time we had some high jinx and shenanigans around here! 🙂

Have a great weekend, everyone!

http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=f07ba013-9cbd-4f47-98de-b56877b92389

Would You Read It Wednesday #176 – Barnabas The Noisy Ninja (PB)

Leave a comment

Avast, me hearties!

We’ve got a piratically fun pitch up today.  But first, a word from our sponsors…

For anyone who is interested (well, and I guess even if you’re not interested… :)), Graduation Weekend was a success.  Everyone from our family who was supposed to graduate did – quite impressively, I might add 🙂  And some family members were in attendance in all necessary locations.  We took “divide and conquer” to a new level.  After all that planning, agonizing, traveling, etc, I can’t believe it’s over!

In other news, I’m heartbroken to report I found out yesterday that Punxsutawney Phyllis is going out of print 😦  After a ten year run, apparently her time is up 😦  I will have to horde as many copies as I can find!

I most definitely feel the need for Something Chocolate after such news, as I’m sure you all do too!   And I have recently heard (much to my delight) that eating chocolate cake for breakfast can help you maintain (or regain) a healthy weight.  I don’t know who thought this plan up, but I’m all for it!  I have long suspected this to be the case.  So let’s have cake!

I feel slimmer and healthier already, don’t you? 🙂

Today’s pitch comes to us from Jason who says, “My inspiration came in part from the many students with Autism I have taught during my 14 years as a special education teacher. I am a member of SCBWI along with a few critique groups out here in Western Massachusetts, where I live with my wife and 5 year old daughter.  When it’s not below freezing outside, I love to grill.  (My new favorite is bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, which is as incredible as it sounds.)”   

Here is his pitch:

Working Title: Barnabas The Noisy Ninja
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Barnabas has pirate fever.  He loves to wear buccaneer boots, sing sea shanties, and shout avast at passing strangers.  Unfortunately, he lives in Ninjaville, where silence is golden and pirates are most certainly not welcome.  Exasperated by his piratical nature, his parents enroll him in Ninjagarten, hoping Sensei can tame his ruckus raising ways.  Barnabas, however, has other plans.  After enlisting his fellow ninjalings during recess, Barnabas leads them in a mutiny.  But when the things get out of hand, Barnabas must reign in his ruckus crew.

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 Jason improve his 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 October 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!

Jason is looking forward to your thoughts on his pitch!  I am looking forward to seeing how that chocolate cake eating plan works and figuring out how many copies of Phyllis I can grab before they’re gone forever!  For which I will no doubt need chocolate sustenance.  It’s the Circle of Chocolate.  A lot like the Circle of Life, but yummier 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – A Special Occasion

Leave a comment

Today is a special day, so I’m going to depart slightly from my usual Perfect Picture Book post and tell you a (very condensed :)) story.

Once upon a time, I had a house full of babies – diaper-clad, chubby-limbed, crawling, walking, running, climbing, lap-snuggling, bedtime-reading, dressing-up, imagining, adventuring, singing, dancing, laughing, mile-a-minute children – 5 amazing kids who filled our home with energy, love, and joy.

And they did what kids will do if you are blessed.

In what feels like a heart beat, they grew up.

This weekend, we will celebrate not one, but two graduations.

While they mark wonderful new beginnings – excitement, adventure, opportunity – they also mark the end of an era, and it’s making me a wee bit nostalgic.

So I want to share a special Perfect Picture Book Collection – a round-up of the family favorites that made up so many happy hours of reading at nap time and bedtime, on rainy afternoons or long car drives, with parents, grandparents, and older siblings, from babyhood until the move up to chapter books – a little glimpse of those golden childhood years which seem to have flown by far too quickly.

(Many have been reviewed for Perfect Picture Books and link to their reviews on the blogs of the wonderful PPBF bloggers who shared them.  And a few I realized, had been reviewed at one time, but the links are no longer active – so they could be done again :))

Goodnight Moon

Dear Zoo

Each Peach Pear Plum

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

The Cat In The Hat

The Cat In The Hat Comes Back

Green Eggs And Ham

Go, Dog, Go! (was reviewed but link is no longer active)

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Make Way For Ducklings (was reviewed but link is no longer active)

Blueberries For Sal (was reviewed but link is no longer active)

Harry The Dirty Dog

Bedtime For Frances (whole series)

Madeline (whole series) (has been reviewed twice but don’t have links on hand)

Curious George

All The Places To Love

The Camel Who Took A Walk

Mike Mulligan And His Steam Shovel

George And Martha (whole series)

The Story Of Ferdinand

Flap Your Wings

Contrary Bear

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon (has been reviewed but don’t have link on hand)

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse

Julius The Baby Of The World

Mowing

Cowgirl Rosie And Her Five Baby Bison

The Giant Jam Sandwich

The King, The Mice, And The Cheese

The Best Nest

The House On East 88th Street (whole series)

Mole Music

Of course there were many others, but those are some of the tried-and-true, beloved by all the kids regardless of age, stage, or gender, that were read over and over so often that I used to be able to recite many of them by heart.  If you’re looking for a list of best books to give as a baby gift, or just want a field-tested group of favorites, I highly recommend all of the above 🙂

Today’s picture-book-aged kids likely have a different set of favorites, but I’m curious: how many of these are on your list of family favorites?

This weekend’s graduations are scheduled for the same day… same time… different states, which means neither child will have her whole family in attendance, and none of us will be able to attend both milestone moments (which, as you can imagine, is causing a great deal of heart wrenching.)  It also means that in order to attend at least part of each child’s momentous occasion, there will be a lot of traveling, so please forgive me if I fail miserably to visit your blogs and read your choices this weekend.  I will try to catch up next week!

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 wonderful Memorial Day Weekend, and enjoy whatever events you may have planned, or just happy time with your families!

Happy beginning of summer 🙂

http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=FA5032D6-E998-46E0-9CBF-871352FFF4E7

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Sheep Go To Sleep

Leave a comment

My goodness what a busy week it has been!  I feel like I keep saying that! 🙂

I already know next week is going to be WAY busier so. . . donations of chocolate will be gratefully accepted 🙂  (A girl needs fuel!)

(Phyllis says groundhogs also need fuel and she will accept donations of strawberries.)

(And Woolliam (aka Baab) says sheep… oh, never mind, he’s asleep.)

As you all know, I am very fond of books about sheep :), and I have the most marvelous new one to share with you today!  It’s as perfect as only a Perfect Picture Book can be! 🙂

Title: Sheep Go To Sleep
Written By: Nancy Shaw
Illustrated By: Margot Apple
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, May, 2015, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-8

Themes/Topics: bedtime, counting, animals, language fun (rhyme)

Opening: “Winking fireflies light the way,
as sheep stroll home to hit the hay.
Five sheep settle in their shed,
using straw to make the bed.“

Brief Synopsis: It’s time for bed, but the sheep are having a little trouble settling down.  Fortunately a trusty collie knows just what to do to get them all happy and cozy for the night.

Links To Resources: talk about what things you need to go to sleep – are there some things everyone likes to have at bedtime and other things that are more individual?; Sheep Crafts & Activities; 30 Cute Lamb & Sheep Crafts for Kids & Adults; Marshmallow Sheep Recipes

Why I Like This Book: Delightful rhyme, a sweet, fun story, and adorable art – what’s not to love? 🙂  Just like a lot of children I know, the sheep hear some scary noises and feel a little too worried to fall asleep.  Their friend the collie is as wise and understanding as any parent.  He gives one a hug, one a drink, one a blanket until at last everyone is tucked in safe and cozy, sound asleep.  And in the morning, when the sheep wake up, where do you think the collie has gone?  (I’m not telling. You’ll have to read to find out :))  A lovely, comforting story (which incorporates some counting along the way for an added bonus :)) that is a perfect addition to any bedtime bookshelf.

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 wonderful weekend everyone!

http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=cb6d9cb9-6645-476e-a450-a065bf3caedc

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Double Feature! – Sophie’s Animal Parade AND Dress Me!

Leave a comment

Well, what do you know!

It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday again!

And I’m about to something unprecedented…

I’m reviewing two picture books today!

I know!

Unheard of!

But here’s why:

Two of my dear writer friends had books release this week on the SAME DAY from the SAME PRESS!  What are the odds?  And both books are too wonderful to pass up, and I couldn’t possibly choose one over the other in their book birthday week, so there you have it – two for the price of one 🙂

I hope you enjoy them both! (And in case you’re wondering, they are genuine Perfect Picture Books, not just here because they were written by friends!  That is just a happy coincidence :))

Title: Sophie’s Animal Parade
Written By: Amy Dixon
Illustrated By: Katia Wish
May 2015, Sky Pony Press, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-5

Themes/Topics: imagination, loneliness, friendship, animals

Opening: “Everything Sophie drew came to life.  Mama called it Sophie’s imagination.  Sophie called it magic.
When Sophie felt hungry, she drew something scrumptious to eat.
When Sophie felt sleepy, she drew somewhere cozy to rest.
And when Sophie felt cold, she drew something snuggly to wear.“

Brief Synopsis:  Sophie’s drawings have the magical ability to come to life.  One day, feeling lonely, Sophie draws a friend.  And then another… and another…  Sophie’s room isn’t quite the place for any of them, and accommodating their needs makes them impossible to play with (the polar bear can’t reach the scones and jam from inside his igloo; the duck can’t play hide-n-seek in a wading pool with nowhere to hide etc.)  But in the end, Sophie finds a friend – no pencils or paper required 🙂

Links To Resources: if your drawings could come to life, what would you draw? Someone to be friends with, like Sophie? (animal, human, alien, unicorn, fairy etc.???)  Someplace you’d like to visit (a castle, a beach, an enchanted forest, etc.???) Something you’d like to do (perform on Broadway, compete at the Olympics, explore the jungle etc,???)  Now draw it!; discuss how you know if something is real or imaginary; why might an imaginary friend be better than a real friend?  why might a real friend be better than an imaginary friend? Sophie Coloring Pages

Why I Like This Book:  The concept of drawings coming to life is so engaging and fun – what child wouldn’t want to have that ability?!  And hasn’t every child felt lonely at some point and longed for a friend?  This is an endearing story with delightful animal-antic-filled illustrations, and the sweet message that as fun as imagination is, real friends are what matter.  The page where Sophie meets Luke and checks to make sure she hasn’t drawn him (no pencils!) is perfect, as is the very real friendship between two imaginative animal lovers 🙂

Title: Dress Me!
Written & Illustrated By: Sarah-Frances Hardy
May 2015, Sky Pony Press, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 2-5

Themes/Topics: careers, being yourself, exploration, self-expression

Opening: “Dress me!
Tutu me!
Dancer me!“

Brief Synopsis: A little girl tries outfit after outfit, exploring the many possibilities of what she can be- dancer, artist, teacher, lawyer etc until she finds just the right one.

Links To Resources: think up 3 careers you’d like to try.  Do any of them require special outfits or equipment? If so, what is required?  See if you can find or make some items so you can dress up like the people in those careers.  Play charades and act out a job/career you’d like to try – fireman, doctor, plumber, lawyer, carpenter, teacher, minister, etc.

Why I Like This Book:  With simple text (the word count is 44!) and adorable illustrations, a little girl tries out being a dancer, an artist, a monster, a doctor, a plumber, and many other things.  In each case, her little dog is right alongside her, joining in the fun and often sporting his own accessories.  This is a wonderful story that makes exploration, self-discovery, the freedom to choose who you are and what you want to be accessible to youngest readers.  Sweet and fun.

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

If anyone would care to visit Amy Dixon or Sarah Frances Hardy, they are both very talented and have wonderful sites!   Please visit Amy HERE and Sarah Frances HERE.  Should you be interested, their sites include links to purchase their delightful books! (Actually, I’m not sure Amy’s does, but you can find her books in all the usual places :))

PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you!  I can’t wait to see this week’s bounty of books!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!  And Happy Mother’s Day to everyone who is a mother, or has a mother, or knows a mother!!!  🙂

http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=8a8976fd-224b-497a-b75d-dfdf70dcb29c