Category: Perfect Picture Book Fridays

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Tap The Magic Tree

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I’m so excited it’s Friday because I have the best book to share with you today!

It’s one of those “man-I-wish-I’d-thought-of-that!!!” books 🙂

Are you ready?

Title: Tap The Magic Tree
Written & Illustrated By: Christie Matheson
Greenwillow Books, August 2013, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-8 (according to pub. – I think kids as young as 3 would love it.)

Themes/Topics: following directions/listening, magic, seasons, nature

Opening: “There’s magic in this bare brown tree.  Tap it once.  Turn the page to see.”

Brief Synopsis: The seasons change as if by magic, all at the reader’s touch!  From spring, to summer, to autumn and winter, with a lovely little surprise at the end 🙂

Links To Resources: Classroom activities, draw pictures of different kinds of trees – apple trees, pine trees, what else can you think of and how can you make them look different from each other?  Talk about what trees wear in different seasons (and how some trees (deciduous) lose all their “clothes” and others (conifers) don’t) and compare to what you wear in different seasons.  Project Plant It: Trees For Kids And Their Communities.

Why I Like This Book:  Who needs an app for interactivity?  This book has it all.  Tap the tree to make the leaves come out.  Rub the tree to make it warm so it blossoms.  Jiggle the tree and wiggle your fingers to make a rain of petals.  Brush the petals away and blow the tree a kiss to make apples form.  The reader is in charge and gets to do all the activities.  So clever and fun!

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

I hope everyone is hard at work on their Halloweensie Contest entries and that you’re all doing better than I am (since I haven’t yet had time to start!)  It’s so exciting!  I can’t wait to read what everyone comes up with.

Oh, and that reminds me, I think we’re going to skip PPBF on Friday November 1 because all the Halloweensie Contest entries will be up (hopefully… assuming anyone actually enters…I’m feeling a little anxious on that score…!) and I want everyone to have time to read them.  I apologize if that’s too last minute a change for anyone’s schedule.  I just got to thinking that since we’ll be in the middle of the contest it would be nice to leave the link list up over the weekend so people who might not have gotten a chance to read yet can do so easily.  Feel free to voice your opinion on this in the comments.  I’m willing to negotiate if anyone feels strongly 🙂

Have a great weekend, everyone!  And PPBF bloggers, please leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – The Runaway Pumpkin

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What a perfect day for Perfect Picture Books!

It’s gray and rainy out, still pretty with all the fall foliage, but a nice to day to curl up with a good picture book 🙂

Since it’s October and I’ve got pumpkins on the brain, today’s choice is a tons-of-fun pumpkin real-aloud!

Title: The Runaway Pumpkin
Written By: Kevin Lewis
Illustrated By: S.D. Schindler
Orchard Books, 2003, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-6

Themes/Topics: thinking ahead, consequences, language fun

Opening: “Once upon a hill,
when the wind blew with a chill
wandered Buck and Billy Baxter
with their baby sister, Lil.
And there, upon that hillside, 
growing orange, fat, and fine,
the budding Baxters found a pumpkin
on a twisty, twirly vine.”

Brief Synopsis: One Halloween, Buck, Billy and Lil Baxter find an enormous pumpkin.  The boys take one look and have to have it.  Without thinking about how they’ll get it home safely, they cut the pumpkin from its vine.  Off it goes, gathering speed, busting through fences, scattering farm animals, with the Baxters right behind it.  How will they stop it, and what will they do with all that pumpkin?

Links To Resources: plant a pumpkin seed and grow a pumpkin of your own!, bake pumpkin seeds, take a trip to a pumpkin patch, try out some pumpkin recipes – pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, Creative Kid-Friendly Pumpkin Recipes, Healthy Pumpkin Dessert Recipes, Classroom Activities for The Runaway Pumpkin, draw a picture or make a collage of a jack-o-lantern, make up a story about another over-sized vegetable or fruit that gets away.

Why I Like This Book: This story does carry a message about the consequences of not thinking ahead, but mostly I like it because it’s flat out fun 🙂  Haven’t we all been captivated by something which causes us to leap before we look? 🙂  The pumpkin is impressively gigantic.  It takes off down the hill with the little Baxters in its wake.  As it wreaks havoc on the countryside, the text bounces along in fun rhyme that kids love to join in on: “‘Round and ’round/across the ground/makin’ a thumpin’ bumpin’ sound/came that thumpety/bumpety/thumpin’/bumpin’/round and roll-y/RUNAWAY PUMPKIN!”  See?  Fun! 🙂  Also a good pick for Halloween 🙂

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

Have a great weekend, everyone!  And PPBF bloggers, please leave your post-specific links in the list below so we can all come visit you! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Alexander And The Dragon

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Goodness, the weeks are flying by!  Here we are at Perfect Picture Book Friday again already!  Having spent half my week washing the dogs I am feeling a bit behind (see Wednesday’s post if you missed it and are wondering why).  The result?  I will be admirably succinct!

I have an oldie but a goodie to share today 🙂

Title: Alexander And The Dragon
Written By: Katherine Holabird
Illustrated By: Helen Craig
Clarkson N. Potter, Inc, November 1988, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-8

Themes/Topics: fear (of the dark), friendship

Opening: “Alexander was quite small, but he was very, very brave.  He wasn’t afraid of dogs or thunderstorms; he liked riding on roller coasters and swimming underwater.  The only thing that really frightened Alexander was the dark.”

Brief Synopsis: Alexander does not like the dark.  Especially when he discovers a dragon under his bed.  “There are only two things you can do with a dragon,” says his father.  “You’ve either got to scare it off or make friends with it.”  So Alexander dons his armor…

Links To Resources: Dragon coloring pages, printables and crafts, dream catcher craft for kids (not exactly fear of the dark – more nightmares – but same general area :)), talk about fears with kids – what are they afraid of? what are some things they could do to scare those fears away?

Why I Like This Book: This is a sweet story told and illustrated in a comforting way.  Alexander’s parents are kind and understanding, but they leave it up to him to face his fear.  He does, learning a valuable lesson in the process: if he is brave enough to face a dragon, he can handle the dark.  What’s great about this book is that, should you happen to be reading it to several children at once (for example, your own at bedtime :)), it’s a soothing story for one who is afraid of the dark while still a fun story about a boy and a dragon for everyone else.

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

Now, everyone, off you go to enjoy all the other books on today’s list.  I told you I was going to be admirably succinct!  (And yes, it’s really me, not an impostor :))  I was going to wax poetic about something I want to share with you, but it will have to wait until I have time to do it justice… maybe Monday 🙂  Also, keep a weather eye out for the upcoming Halloweensie Contest Announcement!!!

PPBF bloggers, please leave your post-specific link in the list below.

Have a great weekend, everyone! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Little Red Writing

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Well, would you look at that?  It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday again!

Wowee! did last week disappear fast!

I have a tons-of-fun, 3 day old book to share with you today.  I hope you like it!

Title: Little Red Writing
Written By: Joan Holub
Illustrated By: Melissa Sweet
Chronicle Books, September 2013, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 5-8

Themes/Topics: Fairy Tale retelling, writing, bravery

Opening: “Once upon a time in pencil school, a teacher named Ms. 2 told her class, “Today we’re going to write a story!”
“Yippee!” said the birthday pencil.
“Slammin’,” siad the basketball pencil.
“Sharp!” said Little Red.”

Brief Synopsis: Ms. 2 sets her pupils on the story path and let’s them loose to write their very own stories.  The other pencils stick to what they know about, but Little Red wants to write “a story about bravery because red is the color of courage.”  With a basket of 15 red words from Ms. 2 to use in case she runs into trouble, Little Red sets out to find adventure.

Links To Resources: The obvious resource here is the book itself accompanied by giving kids the opportunity to write their own story!  If they need a little help getting started, supply some story starters.  They can base their story on a well-known fairy tale – like Little Red Riding Hood 🙂  You can give them a “basket” with 3-5 words that they must include in their story.  You can give them an opening line and let them continue, for example, “Once upon a time there was a lonely princess whose best friend was a bear…” or “The night I threw pizza on the roof Mom got really mad…”  For younger kids, you could make up the story together.  There is a classroom guide aligned to common core HERE but be forewarned it took awhile to load.  Hang in there, though.  It shows up eventually 🙂

Why I Like This Book:  I love fractured fairy tales.  I love clever.  And I love books that show kids the fun in writing and teach them a little something about how to do it in the process.  In this story, Ms. 2 (the teacher) writes “The Story Path” on the blackboard: “1. Idea, characters, setting  2. Trouble  3. Even bigger trouble  4. Fix the trouble.”  She gives Little Red a basket of emergency nouns.  As Little Red travels her story path she discovers that action verbs are better than boring ones, adjectives may overwhelm your story and need to be cut down, conjunctions can get you in trouble with run on sentences, adverbs can be helpful (“We deliver speedily!”), that the right word in the right place can make all the difference, and that it takes courage to follow your story through to the end… but it’s worth it when you share it with a rapt audience 🙂  Melissa Sweet’s art (which I love – if you haven’t seen Balloons Over Broadway check it out immediately! :)) is the perfect accompaniment for this story as Little Red wends her way through the forest of adjectives and has to face down the Wolf 3000!  (Can you guess what that is??? :))  I also love the little extra touches, like the fact that they attend the Pencilvania School, and the cover page admonition to “Write often and carry a big notebook” 🙂

This book would pair well with Aunt Isabel Tells A Good One.

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

Before we all head off to read all the other Perfect Picture Books, I’d just like to let you know that on Monday we’ll be having a special guest!  She’s pretty entertaining, so you won’t want to miss her debut appearance!

Have a great weekend, everyone!  And PPBF bloggers, please be sure to leave your post-specific links in the list below so we can all come visit!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – The Day The Crayons Quit PLUS A Giveaway Winner!

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Yay!  It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday!

I have a FANTASTIC book to share with you today, and I know I usually try to put the book at the very top of the post for people who visit later just to see the book, but today I have to squeeze one little housekeeping detail in first.  (And a mention to please read to the end for the announcement of who won Erik’s book from Monday!)

As you know I intended (ahem) to catch up on the updating of the PPBF list over the summer.  Well, that was a ridiculous fantasy.  I can never seem to remember that I have LESS time in the summer, not MORE.  Needless to say, I haven’t done it yet.  But, I am doing it now!  Yes I am!  And I have a new plan.  Which I hope is going to work and make it much more user-friendly for everyone!  (It’s only a little bit hare-brained :))

But I need to ask you guys one little favor.

Well.  Two.

Er.  Three.

1. Can you please be sure to put the intended age range on your post.
2. Can you please say if it’s fiction or nonfiction.  I usually assume fiction if it doesn’t say, but sometimes it’s just not clear.
3.  Can you please just list the 3 or so most prevalent themes.  It’s a time-consuming job to update the list, and adding a book to 1- 4 theme groups is manageable, but 12 makes me want to crawl in a hole 🙂 And if I haven’t read the book it makes it very hard for me to know which 3 or 4 I should pick.

I promise to reveal the whole scheme when it’s a little closer to completion, but I’m still in the early stages of working on it and have a LONG way to go, so bear with me 🙂

Oh, and one other thing.  Penny very kindly let me know this week that the old Perfect Picture Book link was no longer working.  Aarrgghh!  Somewhere along the line the URL for Perfect Picture Books changed.  I have no idea how.  But Beth was able to ascertain that it happened last January.  I, of course, was oblivious.  So, could you all please check that the link back to PPBF that you’re adding is the correct one from here on out?  It should be:  http://susannahill.blogspot.com/p/perfect-picture-books.html

Alrighty!  Now onto this book which you are going to LOVE! 🙂

Title: The Day The Crayons Quit
Written By: Drew Daywalt
Illustrated By: Oliver Jeffers
Philomel Books, June 2013, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-7

Themes/Topics: colors, emotions, getting along, humor

Opening: “One day in class, Duncan went to take out his crayons and found a stack of letters with his name on them.
Hey Duncan,
It’s me, RED crayon.  We need to talk…“

Brief Synopsis: One day when Duncan wants to color, he opens his crayon box to discover that the crayons have quit.  RED needs a rest.  PURPLE wants Duncan to be neater.  BEIGE is tired of feeling less important than BROWN.  What’s a boy to do?  Luckily Duncan comes up with the perfect solution!

The green page from The Day The Crayons Quit
copyright 2013 Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers

Links To Resources:  In this book, Duncan’s crayons write to him to express their feelings about the way he uses them.  Try writing a letter back to one or more of the crayons.  Write a letter that you imagine one of your toys might write to you.  Why would the toy be happy or sad or jealous or angry or any other emotion you can think of?  Classroom activities, writing activities

Why I Like This Book:  This book is imaginative and clever and fun!  The letters are laugh-out-loud funny.  The drawings are perfectly and believably child-like (and all done in crayon!)  It’s a perfect marriage of text and pictures which is what picture books are all about 🙂  And because the crayons all behave like kids, there are plenty of feelings and behavior that kids can understand – jealousy, competition, feeling unappreciated, etc. – all things that everyone struggles with from time to time.

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

Now, before you all go off to read each other’s PPBF selections and then onto your weekends,  I’d like to announce that the winner of Erik’s book from Monday’s giveaway (as randomly chosen by random.org) is…

 Robyn!!!

Yay for lucky Robyn!!!  (Who, very fittingly, claimed that the vegetable she was most like was chocolate.  My heart over-floweth!  Someone besides me is finally counting chocolate as a vegetable!  After all, it does come from a BEAN! :))  Congratulations, Robyn!  Please email me so we can work out how to get your signed copy of The Adventures Of Tomato And Pea, Book 1: A Bad Idea to you!!!

Have a great weekend, everyone!  And PPBF bloggers, make sure to add your links below!

Perfect Picture Book Fridays Are Back! – With A Giveaway! – Little Miss Muffet

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Let the joyous news be spread!

Perfect Picture Book Fridays are back!!

And we’re starting off with tons of fun!!!  A great book and a giveaway!

Today, I am thrilled to be sharing this hot-off-the-presses new book from the one and only Iza Trapani!

Title: Little Miss Muffet
Written & Illustrated By: Iza Trapani
Sky Pony Press, September 10, 2013, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-7

Themes/Topics: bravery, positional and directional words

Opening:
“Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet
Eating her curds and whey.
Along came a spider
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away.

All through the room,
She zipped and she zoomed
And looked for a place to hide.
A mouse came to find her;
It scurried behind her.
The dainty Miss bolted outside.“

Brief Synopsis:  Poor Miss Muffet is frightened by a spider.  But as she rushes to find a place to hide, she’s frightened by a mouse!  Running from the mouse she is frightened by a frog!  No matter where she runs, she seems to find something to be afraid of.  What is the poor girl to do?

Just for fun, here’s an interior page:)

copyright Iza Trapani 2013 all rights reserved

Links To Resources:  Iza has created many wonderful resources for this book which I’m sure will be available soon on her website, but for now you can get them my emailing her at iza[at]izatrapani[dot]com and asking for them.  (I had hoped to include them here, but blogger won’t allow uploads of PDFs!  I will refrain from sharing my feelings about blogger since this is a kid-friendly blog :))  The resources include a Miss Muffet Coloring Page, a Miss Muffet Hidden Animals challenge, a Miss Muffet Maze, and a page that allows you to make bookmarks.  The book also includes many positional and directional words which makes it excellent for preschool!  Please enjoy the book trailer HERE.  And Iza writes a wonderful blog which you can visit HERE.

Why I Like This Book: If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading Iza’s books, I can’t recommend them highly enough.  Most of them are based on familiar, beloved songs – the kind all children and parents love to sing together – including Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Row Row Row Your Boat, I’m A Little Teapot, Jingle Bells,  Itsy Bitsy Spider (celebrating it’s 20th anniversary this year having sold over a million copies!) and many more.  Iza takes the basic verses and spins them into delightful, original stories that are a joy to read (and sing :)) aloud.  Her accompanying art is warm and inviting, a safe-haven for young children, full of comfort, perfect for bedtime or anytime.  Miss Muffet is another brilliant addition to her list and a must-have!

If you’d care to purchase a copy, here is a helpful link: Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Little-Miss-Muffet-Iza-Trapani/dp/1620879867/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378415299&sr=1-1&keywords=little+miss+muffet

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

Today, since we are celebrating the release of Iza’s book, she has been kind enough to offer a signed copy as a giveaway!!!  One lucky commenter is going to be a winner 🙂  All you have to do to qualify is leave a comment in which you share your choice of the following things:

1. Name something that YOU are very afraid of!
2. Tell us your favorite Iza Trapani title and why you love it!
3. If you’re feeling writerly and inspired, write your own verse of Miss Muffet in which she is afraid of something besides the traditional spider!

You may do one of them or all of them, whatever you like!

Please leave your comment by Sunday September 15 at 5 PM EDT.  At that time, a winner will be selected randomly by random.org.  The winner will be announced Monday along with a very special post!  Which you’ll just have to wonder about.  All weekend 🙂

PPBF bloggers, please add your post-specific link to the list below.  I can’t wait to come and visit you all after our long summer hiatus!

Have a terrific weekend, everyone!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Baby Bear Discovers The World

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I just want you all to know that whilst you’re going about your business like normal people, I am babysitting the Wild Kingdom.  Just look what’s been in our yard this week!

First, an enterprising Snapping Turtle came to the foot of our back porch steps, made her nest, and laid her eggs!

So of course now I’m guarding the nest from raccoons and skunks… and my dogs!  I want those baby turtles to hatch!  Then I think I’ll have to escort them down to the water… which is not very near at all… I don’t know what their mama was thinking!… because I don’t want them to get picked off by predators on their journey, and apparently everything thinks baby snapping turtle is tasty!  Approximately 9 weeks ’til Hatchday according to some site we googled 🙂

Then, our friend the bear came strolling by to see if perhaps we had carelessly left the bird feeder hanging around (we had not! because although it’s lovely to see him from inside the house, we don’t really like to encourage him to hang around.)

Yes, that is our back porch railing.  Sorry the picture is a little blurry – I took it through the glass because the dogs were barking their heads off and hurling themselves at the French door and I thought it best if they didn’t tangle with Blackie 🙂

So given the theme of the week, I decided to celebrate the last day of Perfect Picture Books before summer with an appropriate title.  I was torn between 2 books, both by Marion Dane Bauer.  I chose Baby Bear Discovers The World for obvious reasons, but The Cutest Critter is equally good if you care to check it out!

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.

I’m sad that this is our last week of PPBF for the summer, but I think we can all use a little break to refresh and refuel and come back better than ever in the fall.  I haven’t yet decided what I might put in in place of PPBF… I may not put anything.  I could use a little more writing time, so perhaps for the summer I will blog twice a week… I don’t know – we’ll see 🙂

Meanwhile, if anyone is looking at any spare time this weekend, let me remind you all of the upcoming 4th Of July Secret Mystery Writing Contest!  First prize is a picture book manuscript critique from the one and only Simone Kaplan, so start knocking those ideas around! 🙂

Have a great weekend, everyone!  PPBF bloggers, please leave your last *sniff* post-specific link for the summer *sniff* so we can all round out our summer reading lists!  (Here’s hoping the Simply Linked List will work this week! :))

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Mrs. Armitage Queen Of The Road

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I know it’s Perfect Picture Book Friday and I’m supposed to lead off with that, but two quick things first.

1. Just a reminder that next Friday, June 14, will be our last PPBF until September, as we go on summer hiatus.  I will miss it, but I need the time to update, and also to do some other things… like write!… and finish cleaning out my basement! 🙂

2.  It’s NATIONAL DONUT DAY!!!!!!!  So have one on me, even though I don’t usually serve snacks on Fridays 🙂

Now then.  My Perfect Picture Book for the day:

Title: Mrs. Armitage Queen Of The Road
Written & Illustrated By: Quentin Blake
Peachtree, September 2003, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 5-8

Themes/Topics: fun, friendship, making the best of things

Opening: “One morning, Mrs. Armitage came downstairs and found a letter on the doormat.  She read it to her faithful dog Breakspear.
Dear Anastasia,
Because I am buying a new motorcycle,
I won’t need my old car anymore.  I would like
you to have it as a present.  It’s parked outside.
Here are the keys.
With love,
Your Uncle Cosmo“

Brief Synopsis:  When Mrs. Armitage receives an old jalopy as a present it doesn’t look particularly exciting, but she is ready to give it a try.  She sets off with her faithful dog.  Mrs. Armitage has her own style of driving, however, and before long the old jalopy is dropping parts left and right.  What to do?  Nothing stops Mrs. Armitage!

Links To Resources: I didn’t find any actual links, but here are a few activity suggestions:

  • discuss what it means to be queen of something, like “queen of the road” then have kids think up what they’d like to be queen (or king) of.  Why would they like to do that?  What special clothes might they wear?  What special accessories might they have?  What special things might they do?
  • Write your own story, individually or as a group, in which someone is the queen (or king) of something.  Illustrate it.
  • Mrs. Armitage’s car loses part after part after part until, though it maintains its function, it looks very different than it stared out.  Choose a vehicle and draw it the way it’s supposed to look.  Then draw it again seeing how much you can take away so that it can still do it’s job but it looks entirely different.
  • Read the other Mrs. Armitage books, all equally entertaining 🙂

Why I Like This Book: LOVE Quentin Blake’s delightful illustrations and sense of humor and fun!  Mrs. Armitage is a delightfully quirky character who just makes you wonder what she’ll do next.  Just wait until you see who she meets up with and what her car looks like by the end 🙂

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

Have a great weekend, everyone!  And tune in Monday for the July Contest announcement and the revelation of the fabulous prize! 🙂  (Wish me luck thinking up the contest parameters over the weekend and feel free to share ideas in the comments if you have any :))  PPBF bloggers be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – The Three Little Pigs And The Somewhat Bad Wolf

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Good Morning Everyone!  Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday!

I’m a big fan of fractured fairy tales, and the three little pigs is one of my favorites, so I’m excited to share today’s selection 🙂

Title: The Three Little Pigs And The Somewhat Bad Wolf
Written & Illustrated By: Mark Teague
Orchard Books, April 2013, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-7

Themes/Topics: fractured fairy tale, humor, responsibility, girl power

Opening: “Once there were three little pigs.  They lived on a farm, as most pigs do, and were happy, as most pigs are.  Then one day the farmer told them that he and his wife were moving to Florida.  He paid the pigs for their good work and sent them on their way.
“Let’s buy potato chips,” said the first pig.
“Let’s buy sody-pop,” said the second pig.
“Let’s buy building supplies,” said the third pig, who was altogether un-pig-like.“

Brief Synopsis: Three little pigs set off to find a new place to live.  One is more interested in potato chips and hanging about in a hammock than building.  Another is more interested in sody-pop and mud-bathing than building.  Only the third pig (who is also the only girl in the group!) is smart enough to use her money for building supplies and her time for building.  Then, along comes the big, somewhat bad wolf… 🙂

Links To Resources: I think it would be fun to read the original Three Little Pigs, and then a bunch of other versions including Corey Schwartz’s The Three Ninja Pigs, Jon Scieszka’s The True Story Of The Three Little Pigs, Eugene Trivizas’s The Three Little Wolves And The Big Bad Pig, and any others you might come across and compare how the stories are alike and different and which elements the author chose to change or twist and how that affects the story.  Here is a link to a lesson plan for the original Three Little Pigs.

Why I Like This Book:  I love fractured fairy tales, and I love Mark Teague’s sense of humor.  This is an entertaining twist on the familiar tale, in which the only girl pig is the one who builds a strong house, eats healthy food, and comes up with a solution for the wolf.  I love the details in Mr. Teague’s art.  My favorite page is the one where the wolf tries to get something to eat at the donut shop, the hot dog stand, and the pizza parlor 🙂

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

PPBF bloggers, please add your post-specific link to the list below so we can all come see what you picked this week!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – The Complete Adventures Of Big Dog And Little Dog

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Woo-hoo!  It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday!

I’m sure you’ll all be thrilled to know that I’m in a mad rush today, which means I shall attempt brevity (stop laughing – I can hear you!), which means a quicker than usual read for you 🙂

Title: The Complete Adventures Of Big Dog And Little Dog
Written & Illustrated By: Dav Pilkey
Harcourt, June 2003, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: publisher says 4-8, I’d say 3-6

Themes/Topics: friendship, humor

Opening: “Big Dog and Little Dog are hungry.  Big Dog and Little Dog want food.”

Brief Synopsis: (from the jacket) “Big Dog is ready for some fun!  Little Dog is ready too.  Join these irresistible puppy pals on five zippy adventures, together for the first time in one cozy picture book collection.”

Links To Resources: activities to help teach opposites, opposites worksheets, friendship activities

Why I Like This Book: You may be familiar with Dav Pilkey from The Stupids or Captain Underpants.  This is a different side of him – simple and sweet with gentle humor.  These two dog friends do everything together (including get in trouble!) and always look out for each other.  These five stories were originally published separately but are now all together in one book which gives them the feel of George And Martha or Frog And Toad, but with a lot less text.  Simple and fun, I know from experience that these stories appeal to very young readers.  And also, as many of you may have figured out, I like dogs 🙂

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

So there you have it!  Wasn’t that the shortest post ever?

Oh, except, due to a blog comment yesterday I’m all worried about my comment system.  I’m going to try replying differently.  I would be EXTREMELY grateful if you guys could let me know if you’re receiving my replies to your inbox or not today!

Have a great, safe and happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone!  And PPBF bloggers, please be sure to leave your post-specific link on the list below so we can all come see what you have to share! 🙂