Category: Perfect Picture Book Fridays

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Turkey Trouble AND Announcing The 3rd Annual Holiday Writing Contest!!!

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So many great things to share today!

First, a Perfect Picture Book just right for this week!

Title: Turkey Trouble
Written By: Wendi Silvano
Illustrated By: Lee Harper
Amazon Children’s Publishing/Two Lions, Oct. 2009, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-8

Themes/Topics: problem solving, holidays, animals

Opening: “Turkey was in trouble.  Bad trouble.  The kind of trouble where it’s almost Thanksgiving… and you’re the main course.  But Turkey had an idea…“

Brief Synopsis: In an attempt not to be Thanksgiving dinner, Turkey tries to disguise himself as another animal.  After all, “Farmer Jake wouldn’t eat a horse for Thanksgiving…”  But for one reason or another, no disguise is quite right.  Will Turkey be dinner after all?

Links To Resources: Children can think up or draw their own disguises for Turkey.  Children can think up what would make a good Thanksgiving dinner besides turkey.  Turkey contemplates disguising himself as Rooster and rejects the idea – discuss how are Turkey and Rooster alike?  How are they different?  Here’s a great Activity Guide recommended by the author, Wendi Silvano.  Very fun activity HERE.

Why I Like This Book: The concept of this book is fun.  Haven’t we all imagined turkeys trying to come up with a way to escape being Thanksgiving dinner?  Turkey has a plan.  And when Plan A… and B… and C… don’t work, he proves that he’s resourceful by coming up with a backup plan that does the trick.  For now…  But the art is what puts this cute story over the top.  You have GOT to see Turkey in his various disguises!  It would be a pretty tough audience who wouldn’t at least chuckle over Turkey dressed up as a horse, cow, etc.  The short simple text is perfect for a wide range of ages, and kids will have fun guessing, at least the first time through, what Turkey’s going to think up next 🙂  And after this, you’re probably going to want to read Turkey Claus 🙂

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

Now then!  As per approximately half of your requests from Monday’s informal poll, may I present

The 3rd Annual Holiday Contest!!!


The Contest:  Write a children’s story about a Holiday Mishap, mix-up, miscommunication, mistake, or potential disaster (a la Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer :)).  Your story may be poetry or prose, silly or serious or sweet, religious or not, based on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or whatever you celebrate, but is not to exceed 350 words (aren’t I being generous?! 🙂  It can be as short as you like, but no more than 350!)  Did the dog knock over the Christmas Tree?  Did little Johnny’s costume get grape juice all over it moments before the holiday pageant?  Did the menorah go missing?  Did travel arrangements get snarled or miscommunicated?  Did Santa’s sleigh have to make an emergency landing?  The field is wide open!  Have fun!  And I’m adding, because so many people have mentioned this, the story does not have to be funny!  You can have a holiday mishap that is serious or sweet or mysterious…  Please don’t feel that you have to go the humor route!

Post:  Your entry should be posted on your blog between Monday December 9 and Friday December 13 at 11:59 PM EST (no WYRI or PPBF that week), and your post-specific link should be added to the link list on the official holiday contest post which will go up on my blog on Monday December 9 and remain up through Sunday December 15.  If you don’t have a blog but would like to enter, please copy and paste your entry into the comments on my December 9th post.  (If anyone has trouble commenting, which unfortunately happens, please email me and I’ll post your entry for you!)
The Judging:  My lovely assistant(s) and I will narrow down the entrants to 6-12 finalists (depending on the number of entries) which will be posted here on Monday December 16 for you to vote on for a winner.  The vote will be closed on Wednesday December 18 at 5 PM EST and the winners will be announced on Thursday December 19.  Whoever gets the most votes will be first and so on down to sixth place.  Remember, judging criteria will be kid appeal/friendliness, suitability of mishap, quality of story, and quality of writing.
The Prizes!:  Well, I hope these prizes are going to knock your socks off!!!  In the spirit of the holidays, winners will be named for 1st – 6th place.  In addition to the incredible fame of being able to say you won (or placed in) the Pretty Much World Famous 3rd Annual Holiday Contest, the following AMAZING prizes will be awarded:

 – A Picture Book Manuscript Read and Written Critique by Karen Boss, Editor at Charlesbridge!!! (Priceless!)  Karen Boss is the editorial assistant at Charlesbridge Publishing in Watertown, MA. She has a master’s degree in children’s literature from Simmons College and is currently editing projects that range from picture books for younger readers to picture books for older readers to middle-grade novels, both fiction and nonfiction. (But let’s face it, folks!  You’re getting YOUR picture book manuscript in front of an actual editor at a highly regarded publishing house!  Who knows where that could lead?)

 – A Gold Membership to Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 in 2014 (a $100 value)
    Little GOLDen Book Membership includes:

  • Full access (view and post) to the Main 12 x 12 Forum and Critique Connect (where you can find critique partners)
  • Access to the members-only 12 x 12 Facebook Group
  • Ability to view the Events, Member Books, Videos/Trailers and Help An Author Out (HAAO) sections of the 12 x 12 Forum
  • Opportunity to win craft-related prizes from the monthly featured authors
  • Full (view and post) access to the Events, Member Books, Video/Trailers and HAAO sections of the 12 x 12 Forum
  • FULL (view and post) access to these additional sections of the 12 x 12 Forum: Query Corner (get feedback on your query letters), Pitch Perfect (get feedback on loglines and pitches), and Manuscript Makeover (get feedback on the first 250 words of your ms)
  • Access to the Submission Station section of the 12 x 12 Forum, which will provide information about that month’s agent or editor and instructions on how to submit to him or her.

 – 2 signed Picture Books by Linda Ashman – RAIN! and PEACE, BABY! (Keep for yourself or give as a holiday gift to a little person in your life :)) AND
    a $25 Amazon Gift Card

 – A Picture Book Manuscript Critique by Erin Molta Erin is an experienced senior editor of picture book, early readers, chapter, middle grade, and YA books, as well as novelty and licensed titles. She has been in childrens publishing for more than twenty years and has a keen understanding of early reader through YA audiences. She has an excellent reputation with established authors, illustrators, and agents.

 – Enrollment in the Online Writing course Making Picture Book Magic in the month of your choice (a $99 value)

 – A signed copy of TUGBOAT by Michael Garland (not even released yet!) AND
    a signed copy of A TROOP IS A GROUP OF MONKEYS by Julie Hedlund (Keep for yourself or give as a holiday gift to a little person in your life :))  AND
    a $25 Amazon Gift Card

 – A Picture Book Manuscript Critique from author/illustrator Sarah Frances Hardy, author and illustrator of PUZZLED BY PINK (Viking Juvenile, April 2012) and the forthcoming PAINT ME!. A great choice for someone who is both an author and an illustrator – and I know we have quite a few of those here 🙂

 – 2014 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market by Chuck Sambuchino (your choice of paperback or Kindle edition)

 – The Crock Of Charms Anthology – a three volume collection of stories for readers of all ages from writers all over the world including some you probably know 🙂  Robyn Campbell, Cheryl Secomb, Clarike Bowman-Jahn, Theresa Milstein, Lenny Lee, and me, to name a few 🙂

(Run your mouse over the prizes, books, authors, etc… most of them are links)

The Contest Winner will have first choice of the prizes.  2nd place will have next choice of what’s left and so on.  (I’m doing it this way in the hopes that no one will get something they already have – for example, if you’ve already signed on for Julie’s 12×12 or taken Making Picture Book Magic or own RAIN! and PEACE, BABY! etc. and also because I think all the prizes are fabulous and I wouldn’t want to make anyone feel less valued by giving them as 6th place as opposed to 1st.)

Wow!  I hope you think everything on that list would be worth getting!  Plus bragging rights!  So put on your thinking caps!  Sharpen your pencils!  Fire up your imagination!  And start writing those holiday stories 🙂  You’ve got 2 whole weeks! (plus a couple extra days thanks to the people who wanted a little more time 🙂  Actually, if you were to post on Friday December 13 you have 3 weeks from today!)

AND, as if all that Perfect Picture Book and Holiday Contest Excitement weren’t enough, tune in Monday for my official Holiday Gift-Giving Guide For Writers (a link you’re going to want to give everyone you know so they’ll get you the right presents this holiday season! :))

You’ve probably forgotten all about PPBF by now, so let me remind all you lovely PPBF bloggers to please leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you! (assuming we’re not so giddy at the prospect of those prizes that we can’t concentrate on anything but starting our Holiday Contest stories! :))

Have a great weekend everyone! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!

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Mornin’ folks!

What’s new and exciting in your lives?

I spent a fair part of the last two days at the Get Read online conference.  It was very well run and interesting, but now I’m feeling behind in my work (for a change :)) so I’m going to put on my Succintness Hat and try to be brief and to the point today.  (And you all know how THAT’S likely to go… :))

First, here is my Perfect Picture Book:

Title: Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!
Written & Illuatrated By: Bob Barner
Chronicle Books, 1999, Non-Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 2-6

Themes/Topics: Bugs

Opening: “Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!  I want to see bugs!  Butterflies that flutter in the sky.  Spotted ladybugs that go creeping by.”  (This is actually the first three spreads.)

Brief Synopsis: Simple facts about familiar bugs in a rhyme.

Links To Resources:  One back page of the book includes a display of actual-sized bugs so young readers can see how big they are in real life and how they compare with each other.  Another back page compares facts about all the insects mentioned in the book: can it fly, where does it live, etc.  Here are a few activities, and here are a bunch of coloring pages.

Why I Like This Book: This book is delightfully simple.  Easy enough for youngest readers to enjoy, but with enough information in the back to interest slightly older children.  The pictures are bright, colorful, and engaging and do a great job of making bugs look friendly and non-threatening.  I’m not really much of a bug person, but I find this book very appealing 🙂  This is also an interesting example for writers to study.  The author gets across information in a fun way in only 76 words!

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

Before we go, a few housekeeping details:

On Monday, I will announce who won the October Pitch Pick, who won the giveaway of SARAH GIVES THANKS by Mike Allegra, and who won the giveaways from Faith The Heroic Pony’s special Would You Read It post on Wednesday.

The wonderful and delightful Vivian Kirkfield has invited me to her blog where I will be a guest on her Will Write For Cookies series tomorrow (Saturday Nov. 16), so please go visit her!

Anyone who would like to submit to the Linda Ashman Rhyme Clinic which will take place here on Monday December 2, you still have a few days.  Linda has extended the deadline to Wednesday Nov. 20.  Complete details HERE.  (But the gist is, submit the first 20 lines of your rhyming picture book manuscript to susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com with Rhyme Clinic in the subject heading and Linda will help out with whatever rhyme troubles you’re having.  She has asked that writers submit their complete ms to her so she can see how well the beginning fits the whole story, but only the first 20 or so lines will be used for the clinic.)

Finally, I would like to announce a couple of scheduling things.  There will be NO Perfect Picture Books on Friday November 29.  It’s the day after Thanksgiving, and I’m assuming most of you will be busy with family.  (And I am trying to take the hint from my family that there are some days when I should not be on the computer :))

Likewise, I think I’m going to take the last two weeks of December off from blogging since that is also a busy family time.  The Holiday Contest will run from approximately December 9 -18 so that we can all enjoy it and still have time for holiday related madness (a whole week left before Christmas.)  We WILL have Perfect Picture Books on Friday December 20 (so we can sneak in a few more of everyone’s favorite holiday titles… unless everyone wants more of a break… please let me know!) and after that I think we’ll just all have a little rest over here so we can start up fresh and revitalized in January!  (Which means there will be NO Perfect Picture Books Friday December 13 or 27, and we can skip the 20th too if you guys want – let me know, and NO Would You Read It December 11, 18, or 25.)  So mark your calendars (and I’ll try to remember to remind you! :))

So.  How’d I do?  Not SO bad on the succinctness given how much we covered (and given that it’s me), don’t you think? 🙂

PPBF bloggers, please leave your post-specific links in the list below so we can all come visit you and see what terrific books you’ve chosen this week!

Have a great weekend, everyone! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Balloons Over Broadway AND The Linda Ashman Rhyme Clinic Announcement

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Wow!  Aren’t we all so glad it’s Friday?  Not only is the weekend so close you can taste it, we get a whole stack of Perfect Picture Books to start it off right!

I have a great book to share today, which I think is just perfect given that the Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City is only 3 weeks away.  And yes, those of you who have been here from Perfect Picture Books’ inception will know that I am totally cheating and recycling a perfect picture book that I already did on December 2, 2011 .  Here’s my excuse:

1. I did this for the 2nd week of PPBF back when only 9 of you were involved… so I’m hoping guessing a lot of you haven’t seen it 🙂

2. I just plain ran out of time this week.  Got my finger in too many pies or something, apparently 🙂  And I am doing a Young Writer’s Workshop on Sunday which I’m not done preparing for, so I needed every second I could snatch.

So, my apologies if you’ve seen this before, but if you haven’t I think you’ll love it and my advice is get thee to a library lickety-split so you can see the whole thing for yourself because it’s really great!

Title: Balloons Over Broadway
Written and Illustrated By: Melissa Sweet
Houghton Mifflin Books For Children, November, 2011, Non-Fiction Biography/History

Suitable For: ages 4-8

Themes/Topics:  art, puppeteering, pursuing a dream, non-fiction, biography

Opening and brief synopsis:  “From the time he was a little boy, Tony Sarg loved to figure out how to make things move.  He once said he became a marionette man when he was only six years old.”  Melissa Sweet tells the true story of Tony Sarg, inventor of the huge balloons that are the trademark and centerpiece of the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade in New York City.

Links to resources:  this story is perfect for a curriculum section that covers art, history, biography, or Thanksgiving, or just as a good story for children interested in where things come from and how they work.  Balloons Over Broadway Activity Kit.  (Please be patient – the activity kit loads slowly because of all the art but it’s well worth the wait!)  There is also a spread of interesting and helpful back matter at the end of the book to expand your lesson.

Why I like this book: this book is interesting, entertaining and educational.  Tony Sarg is an inspiration because he had little or no formal art education and yet he went on to pursue his dreams and become world-renowned for his work.  One of his apprentices, Bil Baird, created the “Lonely Goatherd” marionettes for The Sound Of Music, and one of Bil Baird’s apprentices was Jim Henson who invented The Muppets!

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

Now, just one more quick thing before you head off to read everyone’s perfect picks for this week.

The Linda Ashman Rhyme Clinic!

As I mentioned somewhere at some point 🙂 the one and only Linda Ashman will be HERE!!! on Monday December 2 conducting a Rhyme Clinic!!!

The purpose of the Rhyme Clinic is to help writers with those pesky rhyming difficulties that snarl up our perfectly good works-in-progress!  Writers who have picture book manuscripts written in rhyme who feel that the rhyme is perhaps not working as well as they’d like are encouraged to submit samples and questions.

Any writer who would like Linda’s help may email the first 20 lines of their rhyming picture book manuscript along with any specific questions to susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com with “Rhyme Clinic Submission” in the subject line between now and Monday November 18.

I will forward the submissions on to Linda.

Linda’s reasoning for requesting the first 20 lines is that:  “Submitting the first stanzas of their story, up to 20 (or so) lines, I think works better than sending only problem stanzas because it gives me a decent sense of their story and allows me to comment on how well the stanzas work as a beginning in addition to how well they work as rhyme.”

Submissions will NOT be chosen on a first-come first-served basis.  Instead, Linda will look over the submissions and choose as wide a variety as possible in order to address as many types of problems as she can, and therefore hopefully help the greatest number of readers.

Linda will go over the chosen manuscripts in detail, examining what works well and what needs work and explaining how to correct problems in rhyme.

In the interest of keeping the Rhyme Clinic post to a manageable length, we will probably choose about 5 submissions.  If we get a lot of submissions, we will run another day or two of the clinic as  our schedules permit.

This promises to be a VERY interesting and informative learning experience.  It’s a chance to get expert guidance from one of the best in the business at no cost!

So dig out those troublesome rhyming manuscripts and send them forth on the double!

Enjoy this week’s crop of Perfect Picture Books, everyone!  PPBF bloggers, please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you!

Have a great weekend!!!

Oh, and P.S.  Great post with everyone’s favorite writerfella Mike Allegra on Monday, same Bat Time, same Bat Channel!  See you then! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Alice And Greta

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OMG!  SUCH exciting news!  The lovely Wendy who blogs over at Noodling With Words submitted #PPBF to WriterUnboxed and they accepted it for sharing!  Look!

Aren’t we so official now?  Our little hashtag mentioned by Writer Unboxed!  Do you feel famous?  I do! 🙂

I am embarrassingly bad at twitter, although I’m really trying to get better at it, but now I must really make an effort to remember to use our PPBF hashtag!

Phew!  That was a lot of excitement!  But now it’s time for today’s Perfect Picture Book, a sort of Halloween-y choice since it’s about witches 🙂

Title: Alice And Greta
Written By: Steven J. Simmons
Illustrated By: Cyd Moore
Charlesbridge, July 1999, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 5-8

Themes/Topics: consequences, behavior (listening, what goes around comes around), perspective, good vs. bad

Opening: “Once, a long time ago, two witches lived on top of a mountain.  Although they looked out at the same view, they saw things differently.”

Brief Synopsis: Alice and Greta are two young witches who use their power in opposite ways.  Alice helps people.  Greta makes mischief.  But it’s important to watch out for “the Brewmerang Principle: Whatever you chant, whatever you brew, sooner or later comes back to you!”

Links To Resources: Alice And Greta Coloring Page, Alice And Greta Mystery Maze, The Master Magic Wand Maker’s Guide To Creating Wonderful Wands, Classroom Guide (from the Picture Book, Teacher’s Edition.)

Why I Like This Book:  This book has a fun story about two little witches, and a nice message about reaping what you sow 🙂  It’s full of spells and enchantments and mischief.  But it’s the delightful art that takes it over the top for me.  The drawings are full of fun details that kids can spend lots of time looking at and that bring the story so appealingly to life.

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

Before we all head off to read everyone’s amazing picks for today and then on to our weekends, I just have to say that I’m so excited for the Halloweensie Contest which opens MONDAY!!!  If you haven’t written your entry yet, you still have the weekend and a lot of next week – the deadline isn’t until midnight on Halloween (so appropriate, no? :))  This is one of the most fun contests we do because the entries are short, so I hope you’ll all participate!  (If you haven’t seen the rules, mosey on over HERE.)

First Prize is a PB Critique from the amazing Corey Rosen Schwartz, author of The Three Ninja Pigs, Hop! Plop!, and the forthcoming Goldirocks, Ninja Red, and What About Moose? AND a copy of Linda Ashman’s new Nuts And Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books (your choice of e-book or PDF)!

Second prize is a PB manuscript and query letter critique from talented author Heather Ayris Burnell, author of Bedtime Monster.

Third prize is a set of personalized signed picture books just in time for the holidays – Charlotte Gunnufson‘s Halloween Hustle, Tiffany Haber’s The Monster Who Lost His Mean, and Amy Dixon’s Marathon Mouse (perfect timing because NYC Marathon Sunday is next weekend!)

Please join me in thanking these very generous authors for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books for holiday purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N or anywhere else if you like them, or supporting them in any other way you can dream up 🙂

And now, off to read everyone’s fabulous choices!  PPBF bloggers, please put your post-specific link in the list below, and then tweet with #PPBF to your hearts’ content! 🙂

Have a great weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

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!