Perfect Picture Book Friday – Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn

September 23, 2016October 2, 201633 Comments

It’s official!

According to the calendar (if not the 86 degree weather forecast) it is autumn!

Time for foliage that makes even rainy days bright, wooly sweaters, apple crisp, and the tang of woodsmoke in the air 🙂

And little piggies on park benches, apparently!

I was lucky enough to have lunch with my dear friend, the delightful Elaine of Kidlit411 fame, yesterday and outside on the bench was this cutie-pie little piggy. Her name is Missy Lou. She is 4 months old and is a teacup pig so she won’t grow much bigger than this. Infinitely pick-up-and-cuddleable and already litter box trained. Who knew???!!! I think I’m a little in love 🙂

There are no little piggies in my Perfect Picture Book for today (more’s the pity 🙂 ) but I knew you guys would want to see her anyway 🙂

Now then, onto today’s Perfect Picture Book which, in spite of its dearth of little piggies, is a lovely book about welcoming autumn!

goodbye-summer

Title: Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn

Written & Illustrated By: Kenard Pak

Henry Holt & Co, August 2016, fiction based on fact

Suitable For Ages: publisher says 4-7, but I think 3-7 would also work.

Themes/Topics: seasons (summer, autumn), nature

Opening: “Hello, late summer morning.”

Brief Synopsis: A child takes a walk greeting the trees, birds, animals, insects, and even weather as he goes, and each one tells him how it is preparing for autumn.

Links To Resources: brainstorm a list of signs of autumn; take a walk outdoors and look for signs of autumn; press leaves; make leaf collages; animal leaf collage (the few words are in Spanish but it’s a video and everything is demonstrated so you can understand no problem and the animals are cute 🙂 ); go apple or pumpkin picking; make delicious things out of apples and pumpkins :); apple recipes

Why I Like This Book: This is a lovely simple book about observing the way summer melts into autumn and how nature prepares. The child talks to the elements of nature – trees and flowers, animals, birds and insects, even the weather – and they answer back.
“Hello, trees.”
“Hello! Now that the cool winds have come,
we love how our branches sway in the sun.”
The art is lovely – the vivid greens of summer turning into the gold, orange, red and brown of fall with each successive page. A simple pretty book to facilitate discussion and understanding of the changing season.

Text and Illustration Copyright Kenard Pak 2016

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!!! 🙂 Go pick some apples and then come back here and share your favorite apple recipes 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – 1 2 3 Dream

September 16, 2016October 2, 201627 Comments

Darlings!

Do you know what day it is?

If you said “Friday” of course you are right.

If you said “Perfect Picture Book Friday” you are right AND a person of above average intelligence and superior interests 🙂

But it is ALSO (and I know this will really make your day) National Collect Rocks Day!

I am not making this up.

Although I think I could have.

I could have woken up in the still darkness that is once again 5:25 AM (I’m already missing the light at that hour and it’s only September!) and said to myself, hmmm….what ridiculous thing could I come up with to celebrate today? But I didn’t even have to, because, well, it’s National Collect Rocks Day. Need I say more?

But it turns out that is a perfect day for it to be because my Perfect Picture Book for today is all about counting.

And what better to count than a rock collection?!

See how neatly that works? 🙂

But seriously, this is one of the most beautiful books I’ve seen in a while. Really stunning. Have a look!

123-dream

Title: 1 2 3 Dream

Written & Illustrated By: Kim Krans

Random House Children’s Books, September 27 2016, nonfiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-7

Themes/Topics: concept (counting), language (alliteration)

Opening: “1”

Brief Synopsis: A visual celebration of counting alliteration!

Links To Resources: take a walk and find things to count – ROCKS 🙂 or acorns or seashells, cars or houses or fire hydrants, dogs or squirrels or pigeons 🙂 ; think up other examples of alliteration with counting/numbers (e.g. one onion, two tomatoes), or with other word combinations like adjectives and nouns (e.g. purple parrot) or names (e.g. Peter Pan); enjoy with companion book ABC Dream also by Kim Krans; this book itself is a resource with a search and find feature at the back that invites you to pore over the beautifully illustrated pages and find a heart-shaped stone, a spiderweb, a forked tongue, and many more.

Why I Like This Book: One owl. Two turtles. Three thistles. Four foxes… but no written words. Not one! Just the numbers 1-20 and gorgeous detailed illustration after gorgeous detailed illustration that invite you to say what you see and then hear the alliteration your words produce. Seven starfish. Eleven elephants. Fifteen fireflies…. As you know, I’m usually more inclined to choose books on the basis of their words and story, but this one is enjoyable for the illustrations alone. A true feast for the eyes. The pen and ink drawings are exquisite. I’m a writer but words fail me to describe how beautiful this book is! So I’ll show you a couple spreads 🙂

Illustration copyright Kim Krans 2016

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

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

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

(And should you feel an irresistible urge to collect rocks, now you’ll know why 🙂 )

Perfect Picture Book Friday -Ninja Bunny Sister vs. Brother

September 9, 2016October 2, 201638 Comments

Can you believe it?

It seems like only yesterday we were bidding each other happy summer, and now here we are, back at school, and back to Perfect Picture Book Fridays!

As you all well know, I live on Blueberry Hill (i.e. The Back of Beyond, The Boonies, The Middle Of Nowhere, The Untamed Wilderness… you know 🙂 )

Here on Blueberry Hill we have all manner of wild life. Turkeys and Great Blue Herons. Bobcats and Martens. Coyotes and Black Bears. Raccoons and Opossums and Skunks. White-Tailed Deer. Snakes of all kinds. Pretty much every single member of the marmot family 🙂 You get the idea.

But what we haven’t had for years are rabbits.

No idea why.

But this year, for no discernible reason, they have made quite a comeback, proliferating as only rabbits can. Suddenly there are cottontails abounding in every little thicket.

So although none (that I know of!) are ninjas, my fall kick-off PPBF choice is all about bunnies 🙂

ninja-bunny1

Title: Ninja Bunny Sister vs. Brother

Written & Illustrated By: Jennifer Gray Olson

Alfred A. Knopf Books For Young Readers, September 13 2016, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-7

Themes/Topics: sibling rivalry, teamwork

Opening: “Look! It’s the Golden Carrot of Awesomeness! We are the only ones super sneaky enough to find it – and unlock its powers of greatness.”

Brief Synopsis: Ninja Bunny is on a mission to get the Golden Carrot of Awesomeness, assured of success until his little sister insists on tagging along.

Links To Resources: Kid-Friendly Carrot Recipes (including carrot apple salad, creamy carrot rice, and carrot cake pancakes); Rabbit-Themed Activities And Crafts; Rabbit Coloring Pages; Facts About Ninjas; pair with other Ninja titles such as Corey Rosen Schwartz’s Ninja Red Riding Hood, The Three Ninja Pigs and Hensel And Gretel: Ninja Chicks, and Alex Latimer’s The Boy Who Cried Ninja, or with other sneaky bunny books such as Candace Fleming’s Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!

Why I Like This Book: Sweetly humorous, this story perfectly embodies the struggles of older siblings everywhere who have to put up with their little sisters and brothers, and younger siblings everywhere who have to fight to be included. It also lets young readers figure out that sometimes siblings work better together and that everyone has talents, skills or attributes that can be helpful and appreciated. The illustrations are quirky, cute and appealing – a perfect complement to the spare text.

I hope you like it as much as I do 🙂

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

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – 1 Big Salad: A Delicious Counting Book

June 10, 2016October 2, 201619 Comments

It’s Friday! It’s Friday!

And what a week it has been here in Wild Kingdom!

First, there was the teeny frog who accidentally wandered in last Friday (see Wednesday’s post!)

Then on Wednesday a pretty little doe showed up in the front yard toward evening unable to bear any weight on her right front leg. She seemed happy enough nibbling the tender grass, but she was decidedly lame. I have seen her twice since, still not putting that foot down, but learned that she has a fondness for cantaloupe rinds! Did you know white-tailed deer ate those? I had no idea! But apparently they’re quite a delicacy.

And just look at my tiny porch garden! It hasn’t died yet!

Zucchini on the left, tomato on the right 10 days ago

Zucchini on the left, tomato on the right today!

My baby veggies are actually growing! It’s nothing short of miraculous! Of course, I’m waiting for the deer to figure out they can reach up onto the porch… 🙂

Today is the last Perfect Picture Book before our annual summer hiatus, and my not-yet-dead veggies inspired me to choose a book about salad! Which, who would have even thought there would BE a picture book about salad?! It just goes to show, picture book writers, that if you can dream it up someone somewhere will be interested in reading it!

1 Big Salad

Title: 1 Big Salad: A Delicious Counting Book

Written & Illustrated By: Juana Medina

Viking Books For Young Readers, June 2016, Nonfiction

Suitable For Ages: 2-4

Themes/Topics: concept (counting), nonfiction, nutrition/food, imagination

Opening: “1 one Avocado Deer.
2 two Radish Mice.”

Brief Synopsis: “Starting with one avocado deer and working up to 10 clementine kittens, the anthropomorphic fruits and veggies in this counting concept book come together to create one big and appealing salad.” (From the School Library Journal review)

Links To Resources: the book itself is an appealing education in salad items, and the last page includes a simple, healthy recipe for salad dressing; talk about different kinds of salad – green salad, fruit salad, pasta salad, potato salad, etc. What makes a salad? Brainstorm different items you could put in a salad – different lettuces, veggies, nuts, seeds, raisins/dried cranberries/clementine segments etc. What kinds of things do YOU like to put in your salad? Make your own salad! Eat it! 🙂

Why I Like This Book: First of all, what a fun concept for a counting book! Who would have thought salad could be counted? 🙂 Second, the language and illustrations use imagination to dress up vegetables (which some kids might not be so keen on), turning them into animals – cute, entertaining and fun. A regular avocado might not be so interesting, but when it looks like a deer? How fun is that?! The book invites a discussion of what makes a great salad and will encourage kids to try making (and eating!) their own. A great choice for picky eaters, young chefs, or anyone who likes to play with their food 🙂

Text and illustration copyright Juana Medina 2016

I hope you like it as much as I do 🙂

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

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

And even though this was our last Perfect Picture Book Friday until September 9th or 16th (depending when I get back in gear 🙂 ) please keep joining us here for Would You Read It Wednesdays through July – the only complete vacation month around here is August! 🙂

Oh, and by the way, I’m terrible about remembering to tell people about these things, but What’s The Story Cards are now available if you email me. Check them out!

They come in a nice little box.

If you open the lid, you can stand the cards up to make it easy to pick randomly with your eyes closed 🙂

The cards look like this:

And they come with an instruction card that looks like this:

Front

Back

And they’re great for sparking and generating story ideas! Good for writers who need an idea, families on summer road trips (a whole new spin on car/airplane entertainment), or a fun game while roasting marshmallows around the camp fire 🙂 So feel free to holler if you want some 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Frog Song

June 3, 2016October 2, 201624 Comments

Happy Friday, Everyone!

Just a quick note: this is the second to last week of Perfect Picture Books before the annual summer hiatus! Next week will be our last Perfect Picture Book until September. We all need a little break… and maybe this will be the summer I catch up on updating. You never know… it COULD happen! 🙂

As I’m sure you remember from Wednesday’s S’mores, I’ve got summer on the brain! 🙂

I don’t know about you, but when we were kids, summer was a time for wading in the brook (which was always surprisingly cold even when the weather was scorching!) trying (unsuccessfully!) to catch minnows, darting along the edge of the lawn at twilight trying (slightly less unsuccessfully!) to catch fireflies, and squidging through mud at the edge of ponds trying (mostly unsuccessfully!) to catch frogs!

Today’s Perfect Picture Book is all about frogs, although I confess I don’t think I ever saw any of these beauties near any pond I ever frequented! 🙂

Frog Song

Title: Frog Song

Written By: Brenda Z. Guiberson

Illustrated By: Gennady Spirin

Henry Holt & Co, 2013, Nonfiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-8

Themes/Topics: nonfiction, nature, frogs, language fun (onomatopoeia), environmental protection

Opening: “Frogs have a song for trees, bogs, burrows, and logs. When frogs have enough moisture to keep gooey eggs, squirmy tadpoles, and hoppity adults from drying out, they can sing almost anywhere. Croak! Ribbit! Bzzzt! Plonk! Brack! Thrum-rum!”

Brief Synopsis: From the jacket: “Since the time of the dinosaurs, frogs have added their ribbits and bellows to the music of the earth. Frogs are astonishing in their variety and are crucial to ecosystems from Chile to Borneo to Australia. This onomatopoeic text, accompanied by stunning illustrations, introduces young readers to these fascinating creatures.”

Links To Resources: the back of the book contains a bibliography of useful resources, a discussion of “frogs in trouble” (endangered frogs and the ecosystems they depend on), a list of online sources for frog facts, and a beautiful pictorial and informational two-page spread about frogs of the world.

Why I Like This Book: Usually I choose picture books for the story or the language. This one I chose first and foremost for the illustrations. They are absolutely beyond description – unbelievably gorgeous! But in addition, the text is poetic and beautiful, filled with fun onomatopoetic words that kids will enjoy chiming in with and repeating, and the book is full of interesting information about all kinds of frogs all over the world. A great choice for the budding herpetologist in your house or for a classroom or library.

Text copyright Brenda Z. Guiberson 2013, Illustration copyright Gennady Spirin 2013

I hope you like it as much as I do 🙂

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

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Planting The Wild Garden

May 27, 2016October 2, 201610 Comments

My friend Nancie has the most beautiful garden! Nine neat beds constructed of railroad ties, filled with a dark, rich mixture of soil and compost. Tidy rows of sturdy plants, green and healthy-looking against the dark earth. Lettuces and beans, peas and tomatoes, squash and eggplant, not a weed in sight. And the whole kit and kaboodle surrounded by a fence to keep the deer out. It’s a sight to behold and I totally covet it. It makes me long for a garden!

But.

As you all know, I am the Black Thumb of Poughquag. Little plants tremble at my approach, and their lives are at risk whenever I’m in charge! Not intentionally, of course! It’s just an inborn curse or something.

My daughter is pretty good with plants, but she no longer lives at home and is thus unable to provide the kind of supervision I need to be allowed around plants (i.e. constant! 🙂 )

So we have come up with a solution. (Hopefully! 🙂 )

Small scale gardening.

Four tiny planters with one plant each on the back deck where the deer (hopefully) can’t reach them and where (hopefully) they will catch my eye often enough that I’ll remember to water them in between her visits.

Have you noticed how many times the word “hopefully” has appeared already? I’m afraid this does not bode well for my gardening experiment…!

But for better or worse, I have a tomato plant, green beans, mint, and by this weekend I’ll (hopefully – oops, there I go again) have a pea plant.

Think good thoughts and send positive energy to my tiny garden which will undoubtedly need all the help it can get! 🙂

And for today’s Perfect Picture Book, wild gardening that works in spite of black thumbs!

Wild Garden

Title: Planting The Wild Garden

Written By: Kathryn O. Galbraith

Illustrated By: Wendy Anderson Halperin

PeachtreePublishers, 2011, Nonfiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-8

Themes/Topics: nonfiction, nature, seeds, how things grow

Opening: “The farmer and her boy plant their garden. They drop seeds – tiny, fat, round, and oval – into the earth. From these seeds, pumpkins and peas, carrots and cabbages will grow. In the wild meadow garden, many seeds are planted too, but not by farmers’ hands.”

Brief Synopsis: From the publisher: “A farmer and her son plant vegetables in their garden, and the wind carries a few seeds away. Birds and animals may carry some along with them on their travels. Sometimes the rain washes them away to a new and unexpected location. And sometimes something more extraordinary occurs, as in when the pods of the Scotch Broom plant open explosively in the summer heat, scattering seed everywhere like popcorn. Year-round, we all play a role in the dispersal of seeds throughout our landscape, planting the wild garden together.”

Links To Resources: the back of the book contains a bibliography of useful resources; make your own garden: plant seeds in a paper cup or a small pot on the windowsill – flowers or herbs grow quickly and well. If you have space for more, plant some vegetables! See what you can grow. Explore outdoors and see what kind of seeds you find. Dandelions with their delightful cottony fluff that you can make a wish on and blow? Winged maple seeds that you can peel back and stick on your nose? Acorns that you can collect in a bucket and build little houses out of?

Why I Like This Book: In simple language with beautiful illustrations, the author and illustrator team up to share verbal and visual information on how seeds in nature are spread about to propagate. There are plenty of onomatopoetic and action words to make reading the text interesting, lively, and fun. Detailed illustrations show close-ups of different kinds of seeds, nuts and pods along with many species of birds and animals who help spread them around. There is something for everyone in this delightful and informative book. A great choice for the budding gardener in your house or for a classroom or library.

Text Copyright Kathryn Galbraith 2011, Illustration Copyright Wendy Halperin 2011

I hope you like 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 picture book gems you’ve chosen this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Eat Like A Bear

May 20, 2016October 2, 201617 Comments

So there I was, being uber-organized. My post was written and scheduled not just on time, but AHEAD of time! And what should happen?

No idea!

But somehow my entire post disappeared – down to the last comma! – so I had to rewrite the whole thing from scratch this morning after barn chores (which was when I realized wordpress had swallowed it whole and my post had never gone up!) My sincere apologies for the tardiness of this post!

So let’s try again…

It’s May, and on Blueberry Hill, that means the bears are up!

Our bears are black bears – lumbering, relatively peaceful creatures who would just as soon not tangle with people or dogs, but who are more than happy to raid the trash cans in the garage or the bird feeder at every possible opportunity!

We have two regularly-visiting bears in our neck of the woods. One is young, glossy-coated, and healthy-looking – we have watched him saunter across the yard and help himself to ripe apples from our tree in September. The other one is an old curmudgeon, scarred and a little thin and scruffy-looking. His life is much more challenging. He suffered an injury at some point – caught in a trap? 😦 – and as a result is missing a forefoot. He has learned to compensate and gets around all right, but I forgive him for raiding the trash cans if I’m foolish enough to leave the garage door open 🙂 Did you know he loves to lick the chocolate residue from inside the foil chocolate easter egg wrappers? Clearly we are twins separated at birth 🙂

Since I have bears on the brain, today’s Perfect Picture Book is about bears – not black bears, but the threatened brown/grizzly bear that roams the wilds of Alaska and the Rockies and such. I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Eat Like A Bear

Title: Eat Like A Bear

Written By: April Pulley Sayre

Illustrated By: Steve Jenkins

Henry Holt & Co, October 2013, Nonfiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-8

Themes/Topics: nonfiction, animals (bears – brown/grizzly), nature

Opening: “Can you eat like a bear?
Awake in April. Find food.
But where?

Drink like a bear — from a stream.
Leaping trout? None about.
Bushes? Bare. No berries there.
It’s been four long months since fall,
when you were full.”

Brief Synopsis: From the jacket: “Can you eat like a bear? Be a grizzly bear, waking up in spring. What is there to eat in April? In May? Sniff, listen, and look. Paw, claw, and pull. Catch fish, munch berries, and nibble seed-filled pine cones. But be sure to fill up for the long winter ahead…”

Links To Resources: the back matter in the book is a resource in itself, filled with information on brown/grizzly bears, their habits, habitats, diet, threatened status, and current scientific studies.

Why I Like This Book: the text is interesting, simple and accessible, yet written in engaging language that is fun to read aloud, including little repeated patterns like “paw, claw, pull” that young listeners will learn to anticipate and join in on. The information presented is age-appropriate and not overwhelming. The art is a perfect complement for the text – very appealing, making the potentially-scary grizzly bear fairly warm and friendly-looking. My knowledge of artistic technique is virtually non-existent, but Booklist described it thus: “Jenkins fixes the action in the Rocky Mountains with his trademark cut- and torn-paper collage. Using a variety of materials, including handmade Mexican bark paper for the bears, he achieves a remarkable variety of line and texture, as crisp leaves and flowers contrast with fuzzy fur” which I think gives a pretty good idea of what it looks like 🙂 This is a great title for the nonfiction lover in your life, or for a classroom or library!

I hope you like it as much as I do 🙂

Text copyright April Pulley Sayre 2013, Illustration copyright Steve Jenkins 2013

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 you chose for this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – I Hatched!

May 13, 2016October 2, 201619 Comments

It’s Friday! It’s Friday!

And that means two fantastic things!

Perfect Picture Books! What could be better than a whole list of terrific books just in time for the weekend? (Especially today because it’s raining and a perfect time to curl up with a good book!)
I get to go fetch our youngest home from college for the summer 🙂 ❤

There’s nothing like getting one of your children home to make you think of when they were babies… and there’s nothing like May showers bringing June flowers to make you think spring… and there’s nothing like babies and spring to make you think of things hatching…

So you can see how I came up with this book for today 🙂

I LOVE this book! If you haven’t read it, please go out and rectify that as soon as you can – it’s SO cute 🙂

I Hatched

Title: I Hatched!

Written By: Jill Esbaum

Illustrated By: Jen Corace

Dial Books For Young Readers, January 2014, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 2-4 (according to publisher) – I think kids a little older would still like it.

Themes/Topics: being yourself, wonder, learning new things

Opening: “A patch of light!

One final peck.

I give a shove and s-t-r-e-t-c-h my neck.

Then – CRACK!”

Brief Synopsis: A baby killdeer chick comes out of his egg and sees himself and the world around him for the first time. Goofy and sweet and filled with awe, his energy and enthusiasm are delightful to behold.

Links To Resources: HERE are lots of activities related to hatching chicks without having to actually hatch them at home or in the classroom! HERE are a whole bunch of chick crafts (not killdeers but still cute :)) Talk about what baby chicks can do when they’re born? How does that compare with baby cats and dogs? How about with baby horses? And how about with baby humans?

Why I Like This Book: So full of energy and delight I think it’s impossible not to like this book! The newly hatched chick’s boundless joy at seeing the brand new world around him is so contagious. As he learns about himself, he’s so pleased with everything: how fast he can run! how handsome his stripe is! And I don’t think there’s a child who won’t chuckle over the page where he says, “I stop because… look out below!/Something’s falling from my… oh./Here’s a shocker. Please don’t stare,/but take a peek… I’m ORANGE down there!” 🙂 Everyone should have as much confidence and self-esteem as this little guy. And the end of the story has a lovely surprise for him 🙂

I hope you like 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 your favorite picks for this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – A Leaf Can Be PLUS The Giveaway Winner!

May 6, 2016October 2, 201642 Comments

Greetings, favorite folks!

Before we get to our Perfect Picture Book today, I’d like to take a quick second to announce the winner of a signed copy of Sylvia Liu’s Perfect Picture Book from last week – A Morning With Grandpa! Many thanks to all of you who visited and commented, sharing your favorite exercise and/or way to relax. Your names were all randomly randomized in the randomizer, and the winner is:

(drum roll please…!!!)

LESLIE GOODMAN!!!

Congratulations, Leslie! Please email me (susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com) so I can organize with Sylvia to get your book to you!

Now then. I confess life got the better of me this week, so I’m sharing a book today that I’ve shared before… but it’s very appropriate for spring and May and the emerald green all around 🙂

Leaf

Title: A Leaf Can Be

Written By: Laura Purdie Salas

Illustrated By: Violetta Dabija

Millbrook Press, February 2012, Fiction based on fact

Suitable For: ages 3-8

Themes/Topics: nature, seasons, poetry

Opening: “A leaf is a leaf

It bursts out each spring

when sunny days linger

and orioles sing.

A leaf can be a…

soft cradle

water ladle

Sun taker

Food maker…”

Brief Synopsis: a simple rhyming story that shows all the many things a leaf can be.

Links To Resources: the back of the book has lots of facts about leaves, showing how they can be all the things mentioned in the book. There is also a small glossary. Take a walk and see how many different kinds of leaves you can find. What could your leaves be used for? Leaf Activities. What else can you look at in different ways?

Why I Like This Book: The quietness of this book encourages children to really think about all the different things leaves can be and in turn encourages children to stretch their imaginations about how other everyday objects might be used in different ways. The poetry is gentle with pretty images. The information in the back adds a lot to the learning potential of the book. And the art in this book is absolutely luminous. It just glows. It is the perfect art for the text making for an altogether magical reading experience.

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 your inspiring picks for this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – A Morning With Grandpa PLUS A Giveaway!!!

April 29, 2016October 2, 201652 Comments

I am beyond thrilled to be sharing today’s Perfect Picture Book!

First off, it’s a lovely book that celebrates both the loving relationship between a grandfather and his granddaughter and the importance of mindfulness and the mind/body connection.

Second, it was written by my friend, author and illustrator Sylvia Liu,and is her debut picture book as an author, and it is always wonderful when a Perfect Picture Book has been written by a friend!

Third, it comes with special treats! 🙂

Treat #1 is that Sylvia is joining us today to personally provide the “Resource” section of the post. She is going to explain in detail how you can expand on her picture book at home and in the classroom!

Treat #2 is that she is giving away a copy of her book to one lucky winner!

So let’s begin by meeting her! Hi, Sylvia!

Sylvia Liu, author of Morning With Grandpa, also a talented illustrator, and also the co-creator of the not-to-be-missed website Kidlit411 (Photo Credit – Copyright K. Woodard Photography)

Sylvia Liu is an environmental lawyer turned children’s author and illustrator. A MORNING WITH GRANDPA is her debut picture book as an author. She is inspired by oceans, aliens, cephalopods, and more. She lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with her husband and their two daughters. Visit her online at enjoyingplanetearth.com.

And now, it is my great pleasure to introduce you to her Perfect Picture Book: A Morning With Grandpa!

MorningWithGrandpa_cover

Title: A Morning With Grandpa

Written By: Sylvia Liu

Illustrated By: Christina Forshay

Lee & Low Books, April 2016, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 5-8

Themes/Topics: relationships (grandparent/grandchild), mindfulness, tai chi, yoga

Opening: “Mei Mei watched Grandpa dance slowly among the flowers in the garden. He moved like a giant bird stalking through a marsh. His arms swayed like reeds in the wind.

‘What are you doing, Gong Gong?’ asked Mei Mei.

‘I am practicing tai chi,” said gong Gong. “This form is called White Crane Spreading Its Wings.’”

Brief Synopsis: (from the publisher) Mei Mei learns tai chi from Gong Gong and teaches him yoga. While their styles are different, they enjoy their time together.

Links To Resources: Today’s resources are detailed below in a special note from author Sylvia Liu.

The Benefits of Tai Chi and Yoga for Kids By Sylvia Liu

As stressed out and busy adults, we know the value of taking a moment out of our hectic days to calm our minds, meditate, or just breathe. Mindfulness relaxes, de-stresses, builds immunity, and promotes mental and physical health.

Tai chi and yoga are mind-body practices from Asia (tai chi originated in China and yoga in India) that promote health through body movement, breathing, and mindfulness. Meditation and qi gong are others.

When I wrote A MORNING WITH GRANDPA, my goal was to share a fun grandparent and grandchild story involving tai chi or qi gong to introduce children to these lesser known practices. I have since learned that children benefit from these practices in so many ways:

Learning mental stillness helps counteract the sensory overload that comes from 24/7 entertainment, excessive screen time, and over scheduled lives.

Tai chi and yoga instill discipline, concentration, and body awareness.

Tai chi and yoga provide physical exercise and challenges in a non competitive way. Yoga increases strength, flexibility, and coordination.

Both tai chi and yoga are rooted in natural forms and poses. Practicing these disciplines help children connect with nature.

The calming, concentration, discipline, and self-confidence that develop with these practices can reduce symptoms of ADHD.

Purposeful movement and concentration help put children in a learning state of mind.

Teachers and parents, when you read A MORNING WITH GRANDPA with your students and children, here are a few activities you can try that are fun and provide stress relief (for you and the kids):

Belly Breathing

Have you ever noticed a baby breathing? Their bellies go up and down, naturally breathing in a way that provides the most oxygen to their bodies.

Breathing to your diaphragm or belly is an integral part of these practices. For this exercise, sit comfortably. Breathe through your nose and slowly fill up with air, directing the air to your belly. Your belly should expand slightly. As you breathe out, empty your lungs first and then your belly. Do a slow count while breathing in (maybe to 3 at first, but later you can count to 5 or more) and breathe out to the same count.

Touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth as you do this breathing exercise.

Relaxation Breathing

I learned this from yoga: if you exhale for a longer time than you inhale, your body will automatically relax. This is because it causes your vagus nerve to send a signal to your brain to turn up your parasympathetic nervous system, which controls rest, relaxation, and digestion. (If you take a quick, short breath, you generate the opposite response, signaling your sympathetic system to pumps up your heart rate and get your adrenaline going for a “fight or flight” response).

Inhale to a count of two, hold for a count of one, and then exhale gently counting to four, and hold for a count of one.

Try the Poses

Look up tai chi or yoga poses on YouTube or check out the back matter in the book and give some a try.

Thanks, Susanna, for letting me stop by your site as part of the blog tour for A MORNING WITH GRANDPA!

(Thank YOU so much for joining us, Sylvia, and for offering the giveaway!!! 🙂 )

Further Reading:

The Benefits of Yoga for Kids

Say Yes to Yoga for Kids with Attention Deficit

Studies on Tai Chi Show Many Benefits for Children

A Simple Breathing Exercise to Calm the Mind & Body

Why I Like This Book: In today’s busy world where so much of our time is spent indoors staring at screens, a book that celebrates physical movement, mindfulness, and being outdoors in nature is so welcome! And what a wonderful and inspiring role model for young readers! I think many kids will be up on their feet trying out the tai chi forms and yoga poses demonstrated by Gong Gong and Mei Mei 🙂 I like that both adult and child have something to offer the other, something to teach and something to learn, and that they take each other seriously and are willing to try each other’s activities. I also think it’s wonderful that Gong Gong accepts that Mei Mei is trying, even though her exuberance might not be quite the way tai chi is usually performed, and doesn’t chide or discourage her, and that she in turn treats him with the same respect when his older body has a hard time with poses that she is strong and flexible enough to manage easily. The descriptions of the forms are written in lovely, evocative language. The art is also lovely, making the garden look bright and appealing and making the forms and poses look like fun 🙂 This book won the New Voices Award and it’s no mystery why – it’s a delightful book that I hope you’ll enjoy as much as I do!

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

Now for the GIVEAWAY!!! One lucky person will win a copy of A Morning With Grandpa! Just leave us a comment below by Tuesday May 3 at 5 PM EDT telling us about your favorite exercise (no that was not intended to be an oxymoron 🙂 ) and/or way to relax! Names will be tossed in the Randomizer and a random name will be selected at random and announced randomly on Wednesday or Friday 🙂

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 your delightful picks for this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!!

Susanna Leonard Hill

Children's Author

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