Category: Perfect Picture Book Fridays

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! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Extraordinary Endangered Animals PLUS The Contest Winners!!!

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Thanks to Joanna over at Miss Marple’s Musings, I realized in the nick of time that today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday coincides with the 8th Annual Endangered Species Day.  So I have chosen a special book.  I hope you will enjoy it.

Title: Extraordinary Endangered Animals
Written By: Sandrine Silhol and Gaelle Guerive
Illustrated By: Marie Doucedame
Abrams Books For Young Readers, November 2011, Non-Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 10 and up

Themes/Topics: endangered species

Opening: “Our lives are closely connected to those of the animals that surround us.  The monkey is our cousin, we’ve domesticated the horse, the now-extinct aurochs has become the ox, the wolf has turned into our dog, the silkworm has given us beautiful clothes, and the maggot protects us from serious infections.  We’ve identified roughly over a million animal species.  Of those numbers, the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List indicates that close to 43,000 are endangered and face possible extinction.”

Brief Synopsis: The book begins with a brief overview of living in harmony with nature, biodiversity, which animals need protection, and how important any effort to help is, as well as a map of the world showing where you would find the animals listed in the book.  (It really is brief – only about 4 pages.)  This is followed by the main part of the book which details 34 species that are endangered (from Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa, and Oceania).

Links To Resources:  The book itself is a resource, full of information on many endangered animals.  It has a glossary in the back along with several sections on how you can help endangered animals.  It could be used in conjunction with study of animals, the environment, science etc.

Why I Like This Book:  Full of large, gorgeous color photographs, this book is appealingly written in fairly small chunks of text that are informative in a fun way with lots of little details about the animals.  I think kids would find it interesting and accessible.  I think the plight of endangered species is an important one to be informed about and to try to help with.  And it’s hard to stop looking at those photographs! 🙂

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

Now.  We have one other item on the agenda today.  Usually I tease you for a while before I tell you what you want to know, but today I’m going to be very mature.

I’m going to get right to the point.

Without wasting a moment, I’m going to just come straight out and tell you that the Can’t Sleep Without Sheep Jingle Contest and the Can’t Sleep Without Sheep Kids’ Drawing Contest have both been clearly and decisively won.

Congratulations to the winners!  Well done!

Have a great weekend, everyone!  See you Monday!  (PPBF Bloggers, please put your post-specific links in the list below so we can all come see your recommendations for this week.)

What?

You’re still here?

Shouldn’t you be off reading everyone’s picture book recommendations?

OH!

You want to know WHO the winners are?

Golly!  You guys are sticklers for details!

Fine.  I’ll be more specific 🙂

The winners are…

both human!

Not good enough, eh?

OK.  The winners both…

used sheep in their winning entries!

No?

Well, how about this:

The winners are both…

under 12 and from the same family!!!

Need I say more?

That’s right!  The popular vote has spoken, and the winner of the Can’t Sleep Without Sheep Jingle Contest is none other than the incredible 11 year-old film wizard himself, ERIK!!!

And the winner of the Can’t Sleep Without Sheep Kids’ Drawing Contest is his sister,  the very talented JOSIE!!!

Apparently talent is genetic 🙂

Hearty congratulations to Erik and Josie for amazing entries, and to all our other contestants who did a truly fabulous job – each and every one of you!  I can’t thank you enough for putting it all out there for Can’t Sleep Without Sheep, even though after all that we are still waiting for the technical glitch to be resolved and the e-book is still not available.  Who cares?  It was tons of fun! 🙂

Oh, and lest I forget, we have one more winner – the winner of the Social Media Love Contest, for FB posting, tweeting, and/or blogging to raise awareness.  That winner, selected by random.org, is Beth Stilborn!  (Apparently random.org really likes Beth! :))

Thanks to everyone for writing, recording, filming, drawing, reading, listening, watching, FB posting, tweeting, blogging, and voting – what a wonderful bunch you are!!! 🙂

Erik, Josie, and Beth – please email me and we’ll talk prizes 🙂

NOW PPBF bloggers leave your post specific links and everyone go have a great weekend! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Tasha Finds Her Forever Friend

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Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, Everyone!

I am excited to share today’s book.  Published by Deborah Hall and Donna Vaquer, both trainers of assistance dogs, not only is it a wonderful story, it’s part of a lovely, child-friendly series about the many ways dogs help people.  A related website, Dogs On Call, has pictures and information about all the dogs featured in the stories as well as many others.  The books are all available from Bunny Bud Books – please visit!  Deborah is very nice 🙂

Title: Tasha Finds Her Forever Friend (Part of The Rainbow Series: Dogs Who Help)
Written By: Deborah J. Hall
Photographs By: “many generous contributors”
Published By: Bunny Bud Books, Non-Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-10

Themes/Topics: therapy animals, special needs, friendship

Opening: “Tasha is a beautiful German Shepherd.  She has very big ears.”

Brief Synopsis:  Tasha learns to be an assistance dog and then longs to find a person she can help.

Links To Resources: From the Bunny Bud website:  BunnyBud Books is offering various coordinating items such as coloring booklets, activity pages, bookmarks, vinyl stickers, various word puzzles, t-shirts, and special packages designed to help you start your own Rainbow Reading Buddies Book Club (posters, display ‘dogs’, etc.). PleaseContact Us for information about these fun additions.

Interesting facts about pet therapy, questions about dogs? contact Dog Chat at the Bunny Bud website, Dogs On Call

Why I Like This Book:  This is a very down-to-earth, easy-to-understand story about how dogs are trained to help people and what a difference they can make in the life of someone who needs assistance.  Numerous photographs show readers the kinds of things dogs can learn to do, and then how a dog and a person (in this case a young girl with cerebral palsy) learn to work together.  But it’s not just about the practicality – the story is also heart-warming as it shows the deep bond that develops between child and dog.  The clear, straightforward text and the lovely photographs are very accessible to young readers and will introduce them to the concept of assistance dogs in a very child-friendly way.

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

Even though I am still waiting for the Can’t Sleep Without Sheep e-book to actually really and truly be available, I am very excited about voting for a jingle winner on Monday!  I hope you will all tune in (ah, I’m such a punster :))

PPBF bloggers, please add your post-specific links to the list below so we can all come visit 🙂

Have a great weekend, everyone! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – A Chocolate Moose For Dinner

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Seriously.

How perfect is this book?

Could there be a better title for me to post?  (Besides Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake, which I LOVE, but it’s already on the PPBF list!)

Title:  A Chocolate Moose For Dinner
Written & Illustrated By: Fred Gwynne
Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, 1976, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 7 and up

Themes/Topics: language, homonyms, idioms, humor

Opening: “Mommy says she had a chocolate moose for dinner last night.  And after dinner she toasted Daddy.”

Brief Synopsis:  This isn’t so much a story as a string of what the girl (who isn’t named) thinks are wild stories her Mommy and Daddy are making up because they mean it one way and she takes it quite another.  For example, Mommy means she ate chocolate mousse for dinner, but the girl thinks she had a moose made out of chocolate over to eat with her 🙂

Links To Resources: I didn’t have much luck finding any fun or interesting links, but here are some activities you could do: have kids draw what they think it looks like when you get up on the wrong side of the bed, or when time flies, or when it’s raining cats and dogs, or when someone has a green thumb – or anything else you think up 🙂  Give kids homophones and see which word they think of immediately and then whether they can think up the other word that sounds like it but means something different, for example ate/eight, bear/bare, cent/scent/sent, dear/deer etc.  Talk about how words can be confusing because they sound the same but mean different things – the way orange is both a color and a fruit.  Other books that can be used in conjunction are the three other titles in this series by Fred Gwynne and the Amelia Bedelia books.

Why I Like This Book:  This book perfectly exemplifies how literal children are, and how often we as adults say things that we understand to mean something quite different from the way a child takes it.  Each page expresses a homonym, idiom, or figure of speech that sounds like an adult would say it, but the picture shows what the child thinks Mommy or Daddy means.  For example, “After dinner she toasted Daddy” – of course we know she means with a glass, but the picture shows Daddy in the toaster 🙂  Although children younger that 7 might enjoy the pictures and understand some of the humor, a lot of the expressions (like toasting) are for older readers.

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

Now then.  Before you all rush off to read all the other fantastic picks for PPBF and onto your weekends, I want to mention 3 things:

1.  Sue Morris over at Kid Lit Reviews very kindly nominated me for the WordPress Family Award!  “The WordPress Family Award is reserved for folks in Cyberspace who are  unceasingly kind, sympathetic, encouraging, and open to laughter—and who keep each other going by sharing, commenting, and making personal connections even though they may actually be virtual strangers.”  I am so honored to have been nominated (sweetly overlooking the fact that technically I’m a blogspotter not a WordPresser)!  Thank you, Sue.  Of course, I’m supposed to pass this along to 10 people I feel are deserving, and you know how bad I am at that.  I’ll have to think on it…  I think you all deserve it!

2.  About that Jingle Contest.  You, the people, have spoken… although not in a way that makes for an easy decision 🙂  Enough people said they wanted to take a crack at writing a jingle that I’m going to leave that part of the contest as is.  And I think there might be a few kids out there who want to do the kids contest, so we’ll leave that as is too.  However, almost as many people said they’d like to just FB post, tweet and/or blog.  So I’m going to add a separate category for that.  With one smaller prize.  And I’ll put that on Monday’s post when the contest goes up.  Sound good?  Hopefully everyone will be happy?  I hope so!

I’ve also got the actual e-book waiting to download to my husband’s iPad, so I’ll get to see it later today!!!  And I’ve been told the links for the different platforms will not be available until Tuesday May 7 when the e-book is officially available, so we’ll just have to wait to add those in!

3.  I’m giving you all a fair-warning heads up.  I’m going to put Perfect Picture Books on hiatus for the summer again.  Our last PPBF post before the summer break will be Friday June 14.  I hope you guys won’t mind too much.  We’ll still do fun stuff.  Maybe Summer Short & Sweets again, or maybe something else I think up.  And there will be a writing contest in early July.  But I need time to catch up and update, and I’m hoping this summer, without all the college visits, I might actually get it done 🙂

Okay.  Class dismissed 🙂  Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and PPBF bloggers, please put your post-specific links on the list below!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Hooray For Amanda And Her Alligator

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Yippee-aye-oh-ky-yay!  It’s Friday!  And you know what that means 🙂

I have a totally fun book to share today.  It reminds me, just in a vague way, of Frog And Toad by Arnold Lobel which are some of my favorite stories ever.

Title: Hooray For Amanda And Her Alligator!
Written & Illustrated By: Mo Willems
Balzer & Bray, April 2011, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-8

Themes/Topics: friendship, reading is fun

Opening: “Amanda was at the library getting books for the week.
Her aligator was not.
He was waiting for Amanda to get back.
I do not like it when Amanda is gone, thought Alligator.  I am no good at waiting.
He paced around the room.
He fiddled with his tail.
When Amanda comes home we will have fun, thought Alligator.
Maybe she will have a surprise for me!
Alligator smiled.“

Brief Synopsis:  Amanda and Alligator are best friends.  They love to surprise each other.  Sometimes the surprises are more surprising than others.  One day Amanda brings home a special surprise that may not be too welcome… and the result is another surprise!

Links To Resources: HERE is a great list of fun friendship activities based on the book; this blog has a quick review of the book, but scroll down a bit and there are some wonderful suggestions for activities.

Why I Like This Book: It’s subtitled “6 1/2 surprising stories about 2 surprising friends.”  It stars a stuffed alligator… who sometimes wears his Old Thinking Cap 🙂  It champions the idea that “books beat boredom.”  It’s by Mo Willems!  Really – what’s not to like? 🙂  Although it is technically a picture book, it is also almost an early reader and thus makes a great transition book – first listen, then read alone.  And the stories are charming and sweet and fun.  For example, when Alligator feels sad because he was in the sale bucket for 7 cents because no one wanted to buy him, Amanda tells him no one wanted to buy him because they knew he was meant to be her best friend 🙂

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

Now then.  After the haircut debacle, some people asked for photos.  I really don’t like photos of myself.  I try not to get within range of a camera if I can possibly think of a reason to be elsewhere.  But I love you.  So here you go.  Just remember that I’m one of those people who is best photographed from a distance… like the moon… but since I had to take the after photo myself I couldn’t get that far away.  Shield your eyes 🙂

I borrowed this from Joanna – that’s me, Emma and her – I’m the shortest one 🙂
That’s the most recent “before” I have

and here’s the after – just GAK on so many levels

I hope you’re happy now!  (And yeah, I may have exaggerated a bit about the earlobe length, but it IS way too short for a ponytail!)

Now.  Let’s put that horror behind us, shall we?  I have something fun to tell you!

But I think it will have to wait for Monday.  Because I’m in the middle of thinking up a hare-brained scheme to go with it.  A kind of a contest maybe, methinks.  Or something.  I’m still pondering… Feel free to make suggestions of what you feel like doing and what prize you’d like to win in the comments!

So see you Monday!

Have a great weekend everyone!

And PPBF bloggers, please add your post-specific links to the list below! 🙂