Category: Perfect Picture Book Fridays

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Shark Vs. Train And A Few Extras! (Including A New Contest!)

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WOW do I have lots to share with you today!  I’m going to try very hard to be concise… we’ll see how I do 🙂  Let’s start with the Perfect Picture Book! (But definitely read to the bottom because there’s good stuff down there!!!)

As I mentioned briefly in Wednesday’s post, I’m very interested in adding another category to the Perfect Picture Book List – Best Books For Boys – because of the amount of discussion I’ve been involved with recently over getting boys engaged in reading.  So I bumped another book so I could post this one today:)

Shark Vs. Train
Written By: Chris Barton
Illustrated By: Tom Lichtenheld
Little Brown Books For Young Readers, April 2010, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 4-8
Topics/Themes: Humor, Imagination, Play
Opening: “Who will win?  Well, that depends on if they’re… in the ocean… or on railroad tracks.”
Brief Synopsis: (from SLJ starred review) “When a boy with a toy shark faces a train-wielding companion, it sets off a series of imaginative and very funny contests between fish and machine.  The result of each battle depends on the setting.”

Links To Resources:  Downloadable Shark Vs. Train poster and activity sheets, Shark Vs. Train Activity Guide.  Challenge kids to pull out their own two toys for a competition and see who they think will win at what.

Why I Like This Book:  It’s fun!  The reader sees two boys pulling toys from a toy chest before there are even any words.  One gets a shark, the other, a train.  This leads to the imaginary world of who will win? in a variety of ridiculous situations where sometimes the shark has the upper hand (as in high diving), sometimes the train is favored (as in the burping contest) and sometimes neither one is cut out for the job (as in their scoreless video game where they say, “It sure would help if we had thumbs!”)  The pictures are hilarious, as are the scenarios in which the shark and train compete.  I think any child would enjoy this book, and it may be one that is especially appealing to boys, even those who aren’t big on reading, because the text is very short but the imagination (and potential for play) can run on long after the story is over!

I hope you all enjoy Shark Vs. Train as much as I do!

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

OK.  Now onto a couple other important things…

Yesterday, Phyllis and I went on a school visit for Groundhog Day.  (If I get a picture I’ll insert it, but as of this writing I don’t have any yet 😦 )  Anyway, one of the kids asked Phyllis, “What is your middle name?”

Well.

I had never thought about it!

Shocking, I know.

But of course Phyllis must have a middle name.

So I had some ideas…  and so did they…  and so I now present you with Phyllis’ full name.  Are you ready?

Punxsutawney Phyllis Princess Snowy Sunshine Macaroni Hotwheels Groundhog Hill!

How’s that for fancy?

Phyllis and I LOVE it!!!

We are going to say it as many times every day as we can possibly think up excuses for.  As in, “Would you be so kind as to pass the maple syrup, Punxsutawney Phyllis Princess Snowy Sunshine Macaroni Hotwheels Groundhog Hill?”

In other news, we have a winner for the December/January Pitch Pick!  It was a tough choice, as always, and as usual I wish everyone could win, but since it can only be one, the voters have spoken.  This month’s winner, whose pitch will be sent to editor Erin Molta for review and critique, is

Margaret!!!!!

Congratulations, Margaret!  Your pitch is winging it’s way through cyberspace as we speak.  Actually, I hope it’s already there because I sent it last night right after I wrote this 🙂  To everyone else, thank you all so much for submitting your pitches.  I know how hard it is to put your work out for others to see and critique, so you’re very brave.  And we all learn so much from every pitch, so thank you all!

And now, last but not least – definitely not least! – it’s contest time again!!!

Valentines Day Contest
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Having skipped January, I really couldn’t pass up February because, as we all know, it has way better holidays than March for contest fodder 🙂  SO. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to write a children’s story, poetry or prose, 150 words maximum, about unlikely Valentines.

You must post it on your blog, (or in the comment section of this blog if you don’t have a blog), between Saturday February 11 and Monday February 13, and add your entry-specific link to the link list that I will put up on Saturday February 11.  (There will be no new post on Monday February 13 so that the contest post and link list can stay up.)  Entries must be posted by 5 PM EST Monday February 13.  Three finalists (which, judging by my track record probably means anywhere between 3 and 6 :)) will be chosen and posted in a special Valentines Day post on Tuesday February 14 for you all to vote on for a winner.  The winner will receive their choice of either a copy of Ann Whitford Paul’s Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation To Publication, or  a picture book manuscript critique from me.  For all you 12X12ers out there, look on this as a chance to get your February story written along with potential for a prize!!!

OK.  That’s it.  I’m done.  How’d I do on brevity? 🙂

Perfect Picture Book bloggers, please remember to add your links below!  Have a great weekend, everyone, and start dreaming up those unlikely Valentine stories – only 150 words – you can do it! 🙂

(P.S.  I apologize in advance for the fact that I will be late visiting everyone’s blogs today as I have 9 hours of driving to do starting at 7 AM followed by my husband’s birthday party when I get home… but I’ll get there eventually :))

Would You Read It Wednesday – The 25th Pitch

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Oh, joy!  It’s Wednesday!  That means grab Something Chocolate and settle in for Would You Read It 🙂

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(Mmmm!  Excellent choice!  (And yes, that is too a perfectly healthy breakfast!  Look!  There’s fruit!  Also something green!))

First, though, I’d like to remind anyone who hasn’t voted for the December/January Pitch Pick to please go here and vote.  The winner will be announced Friday!!!

Second, as you know, I like to sweeten the pie a little (tee hee) by offering a random prize each month to one of our dedicated Perfect Picture Book bloggers.  You get one chance for every book you posted in the month.  (There were 96 books posted in January – not counting mine which makes an even 100!!! – not too shabby, eh?)  I enter them all (except mine) into random.org and voila! we get a winner.  November’s was Stacy, December’s was Clar, and January’s duhn duhn-duhn duhn-duhn duhn DUHN! is Miranda!!

Miranda, come on down!  This month’s bag o’ goodies (which changes every month depending what I’ve got kicking around :)) contains hardcover copies of Red Sings From Treetops, The Busy Life Of Ernestine Buckmeister, and April Fool, Phyllis! and a paperback copy of Jean Auel’s The Land Of Painted Caves (which is not for kids, but I just happen to have a brand new spare copy!)  Please select one and Email Me (see that handy button over there?) with your choice and it shall be yours 🙂  All you other PPB bloggers, thank you SO MUCH for the wonderful job you do every week!  We are growing such a great resource!  The next thing I want to add to it is Best Books for Boys (since it seems many people have a harder time engaging boys with reading) so please let me know if you have found any of the titles already on the list especially engaging for boys, and if you add a title that fits that category, please be sure to bring it to my attention!  And who knows?  Next month YOU could be the lucky winner!

And now – got your Something Chocolate? – it’s time for Would You Read It!

Today’s pitch comes to us from Dede who says she quit writing more times than she can remember. She stashed her drafts and turned her attention to more practical pursuits – her day job, the ever-present laundry pile, the bills. Despite her lack of attention, characters kept nudging until she gave in and finished writing their stories. Here’s one of them. The others can be found on her website.


Ready?

Working Title: Summer of ’71
Age/Genre: MG
The Pitch:  When eleven-year old Fiona peered through the broken slat of the caretaker’s shed at the back corner of the West End Cemetery, the last thing she expected to see was a girl about her own age, asleep on the dirt floor. Thus begins an unlikely friendship that carries them through a summer of bullies, a best friend’s betrayal, and a life-changing tragedy. 

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Dede improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  Pitches are currently queued through April 4, but there are lots of openings after that, so send your pitch for a chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Dede is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – The Busy Life Of Ernestine Buckmeister

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Hurray!  It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday!  (And, right after the book, we’ll find out who won the Michael Garland giveaway!!!)

Today’s choice is as much for parents and teachers as it is for kids!

The Busy Life Of Ernestine Buckmeister
Written By: Linda Ravin Lodding
Illustrated By: Suzanne Beaky
Flashlight Press, October 2011, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 5 and up
Themes/Topics: the importance of play, over-scheduling
Opening: “Each morning, while Ernestine ate breakfast and Nanny O’Dear prepared lunch, Ernestine’s father zoomed out to work and called, ‘Live life to the fullest, Ern!’  And each morning Ernestine’s mother zipped out to catch the bus and said, ‘Make every moment count, E!‘”

Brief synopsis: Ernestine’s parents want her to have every experience she can, so they pack her days with sculpting and tuba,  yoga and yodeling.  It takes Ernestine to show them that one thing she absolutely shouldn’t miss is having time to just play.

Links to resources:  What I really should say here is, “No resources!  Just go play!”  But here are some resources that are also playing 🙂  Coloring Page, and for activities, try making a daisy crown (or any kind of outdoorsy crown), or make clouds out of cotton or shaving cream and see what shapes you see in them, or build a fort out of sticks, or blocks, or an empty cardboard box.  Use you imagination!

Why I Like This Book:  Kids will enjoy Ernestine’s ridiculous schedule, her amusing list of lessons, her teachers’ funny names, the bold bright colors of the pictures, and Ernestine’s inspired solution to her problem.  As a grown-up, I appreciate Ernestine’s message that while organized activities arranged and taught by adults have their place, so too does the unstructured time to be a child and simply play.

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

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, when I announce…  that I will be vacuuming this afternoon!

Nah!  I’m just foolin’ with ya!

(I know you don’t care whether I vacuum.  Although there are others who feel differently… :))

The winner of a Michael Garland book is none other than our delightful Robyn!!! Wahoo!  Yay Robyn!

So Robyn, please Email Me and let me know if you’d like Icarus Swinebuckle, Miss Smith’s Incredible Storybook, or Grandpa’s Tractor (which was added by popular demand :))

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and join us back here Monday for the first Oh Susanna and the December/January Pitch Pick which will have to share a post unless I boot Oh Susanna for another week.  You may feel free to share your opinion on the matter in the comments – I’m happy either way 🙂

Also, if you have a few free minutes over the weekend, please pop round to some of the wonderful bloggers who have been so kind as to interview me and Phyllis this week 🙂  I’ll copy and paste the list from Wednesday to here for your convenience:

(From Tuesday Jan. 24):  Clarbojahn’s Blog: Part 2 of our interview and a giveaway of a hard cover copy of Punxsutawney Phyllis.
From Wed. Jan. 25):  Sylvia Ramsey’s Blog, Thoughtful Reflections.  This one I’m not too familiar with. I wrote the interview for her at the beginning of September so it will be all new to me too! 🙂
(From Thurs. Jan. 26): Corey Schwartz’s Blog, Thing 1 and Thing 2.  This one is all about where the idea for Phyllis came from and will be in two parts.  I’m not sure yet when part 2 will be.
Friday Jan. 27:  Leigh Covington’s Blog.  This one is a (brief!) interview with Phyllis herself!  She emerged from her burrow just because she likes Leigh.  There will be a giveaway of a hard cover copy of Punxsutawney Phyllis here too!
Sat. Jan. 28: Iza Trapani’s Blog, In And Out Of My Studio.  A chat with one of my favorite author/illustrators who may or may not be appearing on this blog soon (I could tell you, but then it wouldn’t be a secret :))  There will be a giveaway of a hardcover copy of Punxsutawney Phyllis on this one, too!

Perfect Picture Book bloggers, please remember to post your links in the list below so everyone can come see the wonderful books you’ve chosen this week!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Red Sings From Treetops

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Fasten your seat belts, everyone!  It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday!  And if last week is anything to judge by we’re in for quite a ride!

I’m REALLY excited to share today’s book with you.  It is so incredibly beautiful.  Beautiful art, and even more beautiful language.  There, now see?  I’m getting ahead of myself telling you why I like it before I’ve even told you what it is!  But get ready, because this one is really special!

Red Sings From Treetops: A Year In Colors
Written By: Joyce Sidman
Illustrated By: Pamela Zagarenski
Houghton Mifflin Books For Children, April 2009, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 5 and up
Themes: Colors, Seasons, Poetry
Opening:
“In SPRING,
Red sings from treetops:
cheer-cheer-cheer,
each note dropping
like a cherry
into my ear.


Red turns
the maples feathery,
sprouts in rhubarb spears;
Red squirms on the road after rain.”


(Don’t you just love that?  Can’t you just hear that cardinal singing and see the worms wiggling on the pavement?)


Brief Synopsis:  From the jacket: “Color comes alive in this whimsical, innovative book.”  That pretty much sums it up!


Links To Resources: Junior Library Guild Activity Guide, Poem Starters, Readers Guide


Why I Like This Book:  I love the lyrical language of this book.  The author was so creative in her thinking – the way she describes the colors makes you see, feel, hear, touch, and taste Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.  The art is exquisite and perfectly suited to the poetry.  How can you not love lines like,
“Green waits
in the hearts of trees,
feeling
the earth
turn.”

I hope you’ll get a chance to read this book, linger over the language, enjoy the images it evokes, maybe challenge yourself or your children to come up with your own descriptions!

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

As a special and related note, for parents who might be interested, I wanted to share something from Vivian over at Positive Parental Participation.  Vivian is encouraging parents to read with their children via her 2012 Challenge.  She describes it as follows:

The 2012 Positive Parental Participation Challenge
This is a challenge to read a book with your child every day and participate with your child in other activities like a craft project that might relate to the story.  To take part, just post a comment on my blog and tell us what book you read and what activity you did.
At the end of each month, we will randomly choose one comment to win the picture book prize.  In addition, everyone who comments is eligible to receive a $5 discount on my Show Me How book.  Please join in the fun…you will be helping build your child’s self-esteem and literacy skills and it will be great to see what other parents are reading and doing…we can all use fresh ideas!

It might be a fun way to interact with other parents, share your reading choices and experiences, and win some books 🙂

I also want to say a special thanks to Penny who totally baled me out of my posting time quagmire.  Several of you (subscribers) commented that you weren’t getting posts until very late at night or even the next day.  I can relate to this, as I have the same problem with several of your blogs, but I had no idea how to fix it.  Penny, bless her heart, worked google magic and found a link with step-by-step instructions that even I could follow 🙂  A little experimentation may be necessary but I’m hoping the problem is fixed.  Thank you, Penny 🙂

PPB Bloggers, please remember to add your link below – if you don’t I can’t promise I’ll find you!  And it helps me tremendously to have the ages and themes listed on the post – it makes the archiving much easier!  Thank you all so much!  Our list is coming along beautifully.  We’re up to 140 books covering 95 categories, posted by 29 devoted bloggers – you guys are awesome!  Can’t wait to see what gets added today!

And don’t forget to tune in specially on Sunday for our interview with Michael Garland, and Monday for our first installment of Oh Susanna!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Officer Buckle And Gloria

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My Perfect Picture Book is really here, I promise, and if you’re in a hurry you can scroll down, but remember that special celebration I mentioned Wednesday?  Well, today is a special day so I have to digress for one second!

Not only is today Perfect Picture Book Friday, it also happens to be my Brown Dog’s birthday!  She is 5 today – a very nice age if you ask her 🙂  so please join me in a rousing chorus of

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, dear Scout-y!
Happy Birthday to you!

You are all invited for yellow cake with vanilla icing (which dogs are allowed to have a small piece of on their birthdays) after the post 🙂  (In case you hadn’t noticed, we’ll pretty much take any excuse for cake around here :))

And so you can see just how wonderful she is, here is a picture of her when we first met her:

how could anyone this cute have needed to be rescued?

And here she is in her mature beauty 🙂

Best Brown Dog Ever!

And now, in honor of Scout’s birthday (and because this is one of my all-time favorite picture books in the whole world) today’s selection will be Officer Buckle And Gloria.  In case you were wondering, Gloria is a Brown Dog too 🙂

Officer Buckle And Gloria
Written and Illustrated By: Peggy Rathmann
Putnam Juvenile, September 1995, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 4-8
Themes/Topics: friendship, safety, being sensitive to others’ feelings
Opening:  “Officer Buckle knew more safety tips than anyone else in Napville.  Every time he thought of a new one, he thumbtacked it to his bulletin board.  Safety Tip #77 NEVER stand on a SWIVEL CHAIR.”


Brief Synopsis:  Officer Buckle gives the most boring safety speeches ever until Gloria comes along.  All of a sudden, the students sit up and take notice.  When Officer Buckle realizes what’s going on, his feelings are hurt.  “No more speeches,” he says.  But Gloria is no better without him than he was without her.  In the end, they both learn the most important tip of all – “always stick with your buddy.” 🙂

Links To Resources: Classroom Activity, More Classroom Activities, Safety Tip Poster Activity, Captioned Media Program, Home School Lesson Plan


Why I Like This Book:  This book is a touching and delightful story about friendship.  The illustrations are hilarious, bringing Gloria’s outrageous antics to life.  The safety tips are true and a good lesson, but presented in such an amusing way that kids won’t feel like they’re being taught or preached at.  The same is true for the message about friendship and being sensitive to the feelings of others.  This is a book you will be happy to read again and again 🙂

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

Also, another note about Perfect Picture Books.  Our list is growing so beautifully that it’s getting harder to search.  I’m working on adding an alphabetical listing by book title (so it will be easy for you to see at a glance what’s already been done) and by blogger (in case you love someone’s particular style!)  If anyone finds any errors, please let me know!  Just so you know, before today’s posts are even up, we have about 110 books on the list in about 75 categories, from about 24 devoted bloggers!  And that’s after only 8 weeks!

And now- because I wouldn’t be me if I wasn’t teasing you about something 🙂 – tune in Monday for the announcement of a brand new feature!!!  It’s going to be a good one (I think!), but I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until Monday to find out what it is 🙂

PPB bloggers, don’t forget to add your link to the list below!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse

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Hurray!  It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday!  And today’s Perfect Picture Book is one of my all time favorites.  (So is next week’s and really I wish I could have put them both up in one day but all in good time…!)  Assuming even 9 people besides me post books today, our archive list will be over 100 books already – isn’t that great?!  It’s becoming a real resource! 🙂  Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who is participating!

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
Written and Illustrated By:  Kevin Henkes
Greenwillow Books, 1996, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 4-8
Topics/Themes: following the rules, consequences
Opening:  “Lilly loved school.  Lilly loved the privacy of her very own desk.  She loved the fishsticks and chocolate milk every Friday in the lunchroom.  And, most of all, she loved her teacher, Mr. Slinger.”


Brief Synopsis:  (From Amazon.com Review)  Lilly loves everything about school, especially her teacher, Mr. Slinger–until he takes away her musical purse because she can’t stop playing with it in class. Lilly decides to get revenge with a nasty drawing of “Big Fat Mean Mr. Stealing Teacher!” but when she finds the kind note he put in her purse, she’s filled with remorse and has to find a way to make things right again.


Links To Resources: Lilly Classroom Activites, Color Lilly, Lilly Maze, Lilly Dot-to-Dot, Make Your Own Purse & other activities, more Lilly activities (please scroll down past Chrysanthemum)

Why I Like This Book:  Kevin Henkes perfectly captures the excitement of having something new and treasured to share with friends and the overwhelming difficulty of staying within the rules on such an occasion.  Lilly’s exuberance feels so perfectly real.  Without preaching or moralizing this story shows the importance of behaving properly, that actions have consequences, and that it is within a child’s own power to correct a mistake – that just because she didn’t handle a situation quite right the first time doesn’t mean she can’t do it better tomorrow.

I love Lilly… 🙂

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

(And if you posted a Perfect Picture Book, please don’t forget to add your link to the list below!)

Now, then, onto a couple other things.

First, the results of the contest poll have shown conclusively that you are inconclusive 🙂  Only “No thank you I’m too busy” got only 1 vote 🙂  Since everything else was pretty evenly split across the options, including the easy-going types who were willing to do whatever worked for everyone else, I think we’ll do a contest every 2nd or 3rd month.  We’ll skip January to give everyone a rest, and then do one in February (Groundhog Day and Valentine’s Day leap instantly to mind :)) and see where we go from there.  Sound good?

Second, when I started my blog last year, I did a few author/illustrator/author-illustrator interviews along with book giveaways that people seemed to like.  (Karen Orloff, Cori Doerffeld, Ryan Sias…)  I’d like to get back to doing some of those because I always like meeting the creative minds behind the picture books we all love and we can learn so much from them!  So once a month on Saturdays we’ll have someone awesome over to chat.  Of course there will be delicious breakfast items on offer (aren’t there always?)

If there are any particular questions you’d like answered by our visiting authors or illustrators, please be sure to let me know!  What are the things you secretly wonder about while browsing through the bookstore?  I want everyone to get the most they can out of the interviews, so please don’t be shy – shout your questions right out! 🙂

Have a great weekend, everyone!  (And don’t forget to post your Perfect Picture Book Link below if you have one!)

Happy 2012!

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Happy New Year Everyone!

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I hope you all had as wild a party as we did New Year’s Eve to ring in 2012!  Want to hear how wild it was?

Alright, then, I’ll tell you, but you might want to sit down first.  When we go wild on Blueberry Hill we pull out all the stops.

Okay.  Ready?

We played dominoes, Scrabble, and hearts in the glow of the fire and the Christmas tree lights.  We ate homemade brownies (not at the table!) and got crumbs on the rug.  At midnight we popped open a bottle of bubbly (Sparkling Cider – Stop & Shop’s Finest!) and toasted the New Year and each other.  Then we all went to bed.  The dogs slept through the entire thing.

Wild.  Times.

I told you 🙂

I hope 2012 will be full of all good things for all of you!

Now then.  Even though you are probably still recovering from your much-wilder-than-mine celebrating, I have four things of import to mention today.  I will try to be brief, but you know me…

First, I want to thank Saba for bestowing the Superstar Blog Award upon me.  I was so honored to receive this lovely award for the first time!  In addition to thanking Saba, I am also supposed to pass the award along to 5 other deserving bloggers.  But you are all so amazing and wonderful and deserving that I can’t possibly pick just 5!!!  So my New Year’s present to you is that you may take this award if you feel it fits you as long as you pass it along to other deserving bloggers.  Look how pretty 🙂

Second, I have a very important question.  I’d love a show of hands on this.  In the form of please vote below 🙂

Here’s the question:  I’ve been having so much fun with the writing contests, getting to know everyone and reading all your awesome work.  Would you like to continue with writing contests once a month as we have done for October, November and December?  If so, I would be happy to run them!  But if that sounds like more work than fun and you don’t want to do it so often or at all, it’s best if I know 🙂  So please let your voice be heard below:


<a href=”http://polldaddy.com/poll/5804602/”>Contests? Yes Or No?</a>

I will leave this poll up until Wednesday or Thursday, depending on response time, so I can tell you Wednesday or Friday whether there will be a contest this month or not 🙂

Third, I am participating in Julie Hedlund’s 12X12 in 2012 Challenge.  (Note the gorgeous new badge in the sidebar!)  I know quite a few of you are doing this as well, and I’m very excited about being part of such an enthusiastic, supportive community.  Here’s hoping we all accomplish great things in 2012!

Last but not least, as you know, anyone who posts Perfect Picture Books is eligible for the random (and when I say random, I do mean random – you never know what might end up in the goody bag!) end-of-the-month drawing for a prize.  You get one entry for every book you post during the month (so in December, some people got 4 or 5 entries!)  I load all the entries into random.org and let it pick the winner.  Last month (November) it was Stacy.  December’s winner is Clar!!!  Clar, please contact me and let me know which prize you’d like.  This month’s goody bag contains a $10 Amazon gift certificate, a signed copy of Freight Train Trip by Yours Truly, a paperback copy of The Land Of Painted Caves by Jean Auel (which has nothing to do with children’s books but I received one for Christmas and I already have the hardcover so it’s up for grabs :)) and a hardcover copy of Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel – you may take your pick of one of those lovely items!  The rest of you, who knows what will be in the goody bag for January?  You could be the lucky winner just by posting excellent Perfect Picture Books on Fridays!  Thank you all so much for participating!

Okay.  Those are my four things of import.  Happy New Year Everyone, and see you Wednesday as we get back on track with Would You Read It!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Four Feet, Two Sandals AND The Holiday Contest Winner!

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I know.  Things have gotten just a tad out of hand this week.  Monday’s post barely made it in under the wire, and I skipped Wednesday’s altogether to give everyone more time to vote during this busy week when lots of people are off their normal schedule.  But now it’s Friday and we’re back on track with Perfect Picture Books!

(Oh.  And by the way, in case you’re interested, we’ll get around to the winner of the Holiday Contest too! :))

But no skipping ahead!  Or at least, if you do, please come back, because this is a wonderful book and I don’t want you to miss it!

Four Feet, Two Sandals
Written By:  Karen Lynn Williams & Khadra Mohammed
Illustrated By:  Doug Chayka
Eerdmans Books For Young Readers, September 2007, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 7-10
Themes/Topics:  Friendship, Sharing, Refugees, Loss, Separation

Opening:  “Lina raced barefoot to the camp entrance where relief workers threw used clothing off the back of a truck.   Everyone pushed and fought for the best clothes.  Lina squatted and reached, grabbing what she could.”

Brief Synopsis:  In a place where people have very little, two girls each get one of a pair of sandals.  They could have fought, but instead they share the sandals.  As they go about their routines, waiting and hoping for their names to appear on the list for a new home, the sandals remind them that friendship is the most important thing.  And when one girl gets the chance to live in a new land, the bond of their friendship remains.

Links To Resources:  Teacher’s Guide, Discussion Guide, author’s note at back of book adds extra information.

Why I Like This Book:  This story gives children a glimpse of a very different kind of life.  For children who are fortunate, this book may help them not to take things for granted so much.  For children who are less fortunate, this book may help them see that they are not alone.  Told gently and with hope so that it is appropriate for children, this book nonetheless opens the way to important discussions about refugees, having and not having, war and peace, loss, and separation.  But the underlying message is one of love and friendship, something all children understand and can relate to.

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
(For those of you also posting a Perfect Picture Book today, please remember to put your link on the list below.)
Okay, so I’ll see you all on Monday.
Oh, wait.
Hang on.
I guess a few of you are wondering who won the Holiday Contest 🙂
(You didn’t really think I’d leave you hanging, did you? :))
As you all know, the entries were outstanding.  There were several – I’d go so far as to say at least 6 (since that’s what I put in the finals :)) – that could have won.  I’m glad I didn’t have to make the ultimate decision!  But the voters have spoken clearly.  And the winner is…
DDRRRRUUUUUUMMMMMMMRRRRRRROOOOOOOOLLLLLLL!!!!!!
MIRANDA 
with ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas: Rudolph Goes Green!!!
Congratulations, Miranda!  And congratulations to all who entered!  (And Miranda, please email me and let me know if you’d prefer the gift card or the childrens writer’s market guide!)
Because we had so many amazing entries, I will mention that second place went to Penny for ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas On Mars, and third place went to Joanna for The Plight Before Christmas.
Thanks to everyone who entered.  You are all so talented, and you made the contest so much fun.  I think everyone had a great time hopping from blog to blog reading the stories (I know I did!) and everyone was so supportive of everyone else.  Maybe you made some new friends in the process too!
Happy New Year, Everyone!  I wish you all the very best in 2012 – love, health, happiness, peace, and great writing!  See you next year! 🙂
(PPB posters – don’t forget the link below!)

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated The World

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This is one of my favorite things about the holidays: getting up in the dark and turning on the Christmas tree lights, then sitting with a book (or in this case my computer as I write my blog :)), the dogs, and a cup of coffee, enjoying the beauty and peace while the rest of the house is still asleep.  There’s something lovely about having a tree in the living room 🙂

I’m going to be brief (for me :)) today, because visiting family is here, and I’m way behind on baking and wrapping, and I’m guessing you all have important people and things to get to also.  So first, my Perfect Picture Book and then just one other little thing 🙂

Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated The World
Written (Told) By: Juliana, Isabella, and Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Gerald R. Uhlich
Photographs By: Peter Griesbach, Andre Schule, Sean Gallup,  Rainer Jensen and others.
Scholastic Press, November 2007
Suitable For: ages 5 and up
Themes/Topics: animals, endangered animals, caring, environmentalism
Opening:  “One December afternoon, in a cozy, dark enclosure in a zoo in Berlin, Germany, a polar bear cub was born.”
Brief Synopsis:  This is the true story of Knut, a newborn polar bear whose mother was unable to care for him.  Thomas Dorflein, a bear keeper at the zoo, became Knut’s “foster father” – bottle feeding him, bathing him, sleeping beside him and teaching him to play and swim.  Knut was loved the world over, and helped bring recognition to the plight of polar bears, endangered by the potential loss of their habitat.

Links to resources:  Knut Teaching Resources.  This link has subsequent links to activities, video clips, articles, and other animals-against-adversity stories.  The back of the book also has lots of information about polar bears, how they are threatened, and how you can help.

Why I Like This Book:  It’s a true story, and a deeply touching one, that is also educational and informative.  The photographs are gorgeous and very appealing.  It shows that there are people in the world who care enough to sacrifice a great deal to help someone else – even if that someone else happens to be a baby polar bear.  The book brings attention to ecological concerns, the environment, and caring for all species, and lists ways kids can help.

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

(For those of you also posting a Perfect Picture Book today, please remember to put your link on the list below.)

And now, for the one other little thing.

The Holiday Contest is officially closed with a grand total of 29 fabulous entries (28 on the link list and one in the comment section.)  I will post finalists on Monday (and yes, Penny and Cathy, I will probably be needing some of that Red Bull because I was very ambitious thinking I was going to have time for this on top of all the other Christmas activities!!)  Of course, I’ve read them all already, but making decisions about which are best is going to be VERY hard. You guys have cut my work out for me 🙂

And now, Happy Holidays to everyone!  I wish you all love, health, peace and joy 🙂

The Holiday Contest Is Here!

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Grab your mug of hot chocolate and settle in for some serious fun!  The week we’ve all been waiting for is finally here 🙂
Yes, Hanukah and Christmas of course, but also the world famous Holiday Contest!!!  (Or, if it isn’t world famous yet it soon will be!)

The First Annual Holiday Contest is officially open!  Post your own version of Clement C. Moore’s traditional poem ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas.  Your entry must be at least 12 lines/3 stanzas, not to exceed 40 lines/10 stanzas.  Entries may refer to any winter holiday you celebrate (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc.) or to any combination of winter holidays, or no holiday – just a good winter-time story if you’re not comfortable with a holiday.  And if the idea of writing in rhyme strikes fear and loathing into your heart, you may write a prose version not to exceed 350 words (and if anyone dares suggest you’re wimping out well then you just tell them to talk to me!)

Entries must be posted on your blogs or, if you don’t have a blog, copied and pasted into the comments on my blog between now and Thursday December 22 at 11:59 PM EST.  Once your entry is posted, please add the direct link of your post to the link list below.  There will be no Would You Read It, and hence no new Wednesday post this week, so this post with any entries in the comments and the link list will remain up for the duration of the contest, making it easy for everyone to read all the entries!

And the prize, lest you may have forgotten?  My lovely assistant judge and I will choose 3 finalists for you to vote on Monday December 26 (so you’ll still have something to look forward to even after you’ve opened your presents :))  The winner will receive their choice of a $15 Amazon gift card (to buy themselves whatever book they really wanted and didn’t get as a holiday gift :)) or the 2012 Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market!

We got 21 entries for the Thanksgiving Contest which was SO much fun!  Let’s see if we can beat that!

As an aside, before I post my just-for-fun sample entry, I just have to tell you that any mention of ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas automatically makes me think of Larry The Cable Guy’s “‘Twas The Night Before A Non-Denominational Winter Holiday” – the supposedly  PC version of this holiday tale.  If you haven’t seen it, you owe it to yourself to check it out, but I can’t in good conscience link to it here on my child-friendly blog because it is a bit off color 🙂  (Still, if you’ve seen it or if you watch it, let me know what you think!  I confess it causes me to ROTFL :))

Okay then, boys and girls, I hope you’re ready for some truly epic poetry 🙂

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas
by Susanna

‘Twas the night before Christmas and at the North Pole
The workshop was totally out of control.
And what do you think had come out of the blue
To cause all this riotous hullaballoo?
A phone call delivering notification –
The reindeer had won a Hawaiian vacation!
“Pack up your suitcases!  Do not delay!
Your splendid vacation begins right away!”
“Hawaii!” the reindeer cried out in delight.
“Palm trees and sand, not a snowflake in sight!
It’s the chance of a lifetime, dear Santa,” they said.
“That may be,” replied Santa, “but who’ll pull my sled?
All ‘round the world there are good girls and boys
Who are counting on us to deliver their toys.
We can’t let them down just so you can have fun
Swimming and surfing and soaking up sun.”
“You’re right, “said the reindeer.  “Of course we must stay.
Forget the vacation.  We’ll hitch up the sleigh.”
The reindeer went off to their work looking sad
And Santa was left feeling pretty darn bad.
“Poor Dasher and Dancer and all the reindeer.
They deserve a vacation.  They’re good every year!”
“I know!” said his wife with a smile on her face.
“Perhaps someone else could go out in their place!
But who could we get to come out right away?
Who would be able to pull that huge sleigh?”
“Great Scott!” hollered Santa, “I’ve got just the scheme!
Cousin Ira’s Alaskan Iditarod team!”
Santa knew his last minute request would be iffy
But Ira was ready to help in a jiffy.
When Santa was packed, set to be on his way,
Eight eager huskies were hitched to the sleigh.
“On Putter!  On Pookie!  On Piggy and Pup!
Good heavens!” said Santa, “who thought these names up?
And how in the world do you make these dogs go?”
“You just have to use a command that they know.
Mush, puppies! Mush!” Ira spoke to his crew.
Then up in the air and away they all flew.
And Santa exclaimed ere they drove out of reach,
“Merry Christmas, dear reindeer, have fun at the beach!” 

Now then, if that doesn’t cause fear and loathing of rhyme I don’t know what will! 🙂

I literally CANNOT WAIT! to read all your entries!  They will surely be better than that one!

So.  To the entries!  Please post the direct link to your holiday contest post in the list below or paste your entry in the comments!  Let the fun begin!!!

P.S. Although we won’t be having Would You Read It this week, we will still be having Perfect Picture Books on Friday so be sure to stop back for that!