Tag: Dial Books For Young Readers

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend!

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It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday, once again, and I have such a lovely book to share today.

It comes from Cori Doerrfeld, the talented author/illustrator who brought us The Rabbit Listened (which you all know I totally loved and raved over in a PPBF post a while back!)  It’s perfect for the beginning of a new school year as well as for many other occasions.

goodbye hello

Title: Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend!

Written & Illustrated By: Cori Doerrfeld

Dial Books For Young Readers, July 2019, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-7

Themes/Topics: friendship, balance of life, coping with change

Opening: “Bye, Mom.
Every goodbye…
…leads to a hello.
Hi, I’m Charlie!
Goodbye to sitting alone…
…is hello to sitting together.”

goodbye hello 1

text and illustration copyright Cori Doerrfeld 2019 Dial Books For Young Readers

goodbye hello 2

text and illustration copyright Cori Doerrfeld 2019 Dial Books For Young Readers

goodbye hello 3

text and illustration copyright Cori Doerrfeld 2019 Dial Books For Young Readers

Brief Synopsis:  Transitions are hard, but two best friends help each other through changes big and small.  When one experience ends, it opens the door for another to begin.

Links To Resources: draw a picture of someone or something that was hard to say goodbye to; write a letter to someone you love; tell a story about a time it was hard when something ended or a time when you were excited about something beginning; grow butterflies at home or in the classroom so children can see how saying goodbye to a caterpillar allows you to say hello to a butterfly; butterfly life cycle coloring page; bake cookies so you can say goodbye to dough and hello to cookies 🙂

Why I Like This Book: this is a sweet story about coping with change which helps young readers to see that letting go of one thing, though it may be difficult, can give us the opportunity for something new and also wonderful. It covers the ground from the matter-of-fact (the snowmen of winter giving way to the puddles of spring, the sun giving way to the stars) to the harder changes of having to say goodbye to someone we love.  The book will help children to view change with positivity and optimism.  The text is gentle, sweet, and poignant.  Cori is a master of getting to the heart of things with exquisite simplicity.  And the art is warm, engaging, and appealing.  A great choice for every child.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

goodbye hello 4

text and illustration copyright Cori Doerrfeld 2019 Dial Books For Young Readers

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

PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have A Horse

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Phyllis was kind enough to remind me just now (and I use the term “kind” loosely! 🙂 ) that this is the last Perfect Picture Book Friday before April Fools Day.  In her considered opinion, the featured book here today should be APRIL FOOL, PHYLLIS!

But I had already picked out this book which I really want to share, so I kindly reminded her back that the lovely Beth Stilborn already reviewed APRIL FOOL, PHYLLIS! for PPBF and anyone who wants to can go read about it there! (with the added bonus that they get to go to Beth’s! 🙂 ). Phyllis was not completely convinced this was okay, so to make her happy I put the link to Beth’s in here Five Times! 🙂

And now we will get to the book I picked!

Adrian Simcox

Title: Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have A Horse

Written By: Marcy Campbell

Illustrated By: Corinna Luyken

Dial Books, August 2018, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-5 (publisher’s suggestion) – I think 6-7 would like it too 🙂

Themes/Topics: kindness, understanding, friendship, imagination

Opening: “Adrian Simcox sits all by himself, probably daydreaming again.”

Brief Synopsis: Adrian Simcox tells anyone who will listen that he has the best and most beautiful horse in the world.  Chloe knows he is lying! His house is tiny – he has no room for a horse! His shoes have holes – he has no money for a horse! His lies make her angry. Chloe complains about Adrian to her mother, but instead of vindication, she gets marched over to Adrian’s house where her eyes and her heart are opened to something new.

Links To Resources: from author’s website: Random Acts Of Kindness sheet; Give Adrian A Horse drawing page; Draw Something You’ve Always Dreamed Of activity page

Screen Shot 2019-03-28 at 8.16.54 PM

Why I Like This Book: We have all had experiences where imagination helps lift us out of difficult situations or circumstances.  In this poignant, tender story.  Adrian doesn’t have much.  He lives in a tiny, falling-down house.  He has holes in his shoes, and he gets the free lunch at school.  But Adrian is a dreamer and he has the most beautiful horse in the world.  Chloe lives in a nice house and takes it for granted.  She has what she needs, materially.  But she has no imagination…and she isn’t always very nice.  Adrian helps her to see that it is nicer to be kind than cruel, that understanding someone is better than judging them, and that friendship is something to be treasured.  And in the end, Adrian is not the only one with a beautiful horse 🙂 The art is amazing, with the white horse with the golden mane always shown in negative space so she doesn’t necessarily catch your eye immediately, making you wonder if you really see her – a little like imagination itself!  A  beautiful book all around!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

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

PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – The Rabbit Listened

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So…

On Wednesday you’ll recall I was waxing poetic about March and Spring…

…and apparently we’re supposed to get 8 inches of snow today!

In like a lion, right? 🙂  I guess March is trying to live up to its reputation!

Grab a cup of hot chocolate and forget the snow for a minute, though, because oh my goodness, do I have a book for you today!

By definition, I love every book I post for Perfect Picture Books, but every once in a while one comes along that is truly special.  And when that special book is written and illustrated by a friend, that’s even more wonderful!  If you haven’t read this one yet, you owe it to yourself and your kids to take a trip to the library or the bookstore this weekend!

Rabbit

Title: The Rabbit Listened

Written & Illustrated By: Cori Doerrfeld

Dial Books For Young Readers, February 2018, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-5 (but seriously, this book speaks to all ages!)

Themes/Topics: empathy, emotions/coping with emotions, friendship

Opening: “One day, Taylor decided to build something.
Something new.
Something special.”

Brief Synopsis: When something happens to upset Taylor, all the animals try to help.  But none has the right approach until the rabbit, who knows just how to help Taylor feel better.

rabbit 3

text and illustration copyright Cori Doerrfeld 2018

Links To Resources: 5 Circle Time Lessons About Emotions (with activities); Scholastic: My Mini Book Of Feelings (downloadable pdf); talk about how different situations make you feel; talk about how you might help someone who felt angry, sad, or scared, or how you might join in someone’s happiness or excitement; draw pictures of what different emotions mean to you – what does anger look like? or happiness?  or surprise?

Why I Like This Book: Oh my goodness!  What is there not to like – nay, love! – about this wonderful book!  A sweet, simple story told in spare text, with illustrations that shine with emotion, and a situation every child, every person, can relate to.  We have all been upset.  We have all been the recipients of people’s attempts to make us feel better, and we have all done our share of trying to make others feel better.  But how do we know what will help?  Sometimes all someone really needs is quiet friendship and understanding – someone to just listen.  That’s something we can all learn from.  This is definitely one of those “wish I wrote that!” books!  Kudos to Cori for a truly special book!

rabbit 1

text and illustration copyright Cori Doerrfeld 2018

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

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

PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Here Comes Valentine Cat

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Hurray!  It’s Friday!

That means Perfect Picture Books AND…

…that the Valentiny Writing Contest opens tomorrow!!!

I know we all have tons to do (er… it’s possible some of us may not have even given a moment’s thought to their sample entry yet! 🙂 ), so let’s get right to today’s pick!  I’m sure it’s been done before, but I love it so I’m doing it too 🙂

Valentine Cat

Title: Here Comes Valentine Cat

Written By: Deborah Underwood

Illustrated By: Claudia Rueda

Dial Books for Young Readers, December 2015, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-6

Themes/Topics: holidays (Valentines Day), misunderstanding, friendship, humor

Opening: “Hey, Cat!
Any Valentine’s Day plans?”

Brief Synopsis: Cat does NOT like Valentine’s Day. It’s much too mushy, and no way is he making anyone a valentine—especially not his new neighbor, Dog who clearly has no understanding of how to behave!  But maybe it’s Cat who is misunderstanding Dog’s intent!

Links To Resources: make Valentines! 🙂  Use colored construction paper, stickers, glitter and glue, markers and paint, fancy doilies too!  Anything goes!  Write a Valentine poem!  Try starting with “Roses are red, violets are blue” if you need a nudge 🙂

Why I Like This Book:  I love all of Deborah Underwood’s Cat books – they are so funny!  I love Cat’s grumpy personality and sly humor.  And I love Claudia Rueda’s art – especially her skill with facial expression.  This is a story kids will relate to well.  Many kids feel as Cat does that Valentine’s Day is way too mushy 🙂  And haven’t we all been in situations where we misunderstood the actions of others, or had our own behaviors misunderstood?  Cat resolves the problem in this story… but he doesn’t go mushy!  He gets the last word as always 🙂

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

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

PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

See you tomorrow for the Valentiny Writing Contest!!!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – I Hatched!

19 Comments

It’s Friday!  It’s Friday!

And that means two fantastic things!

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

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

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

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

I Hatched

Title: I Hatched!

Written By: Jill Esbaum

Illustrated By: Jen Corace

Dial Books For Young Readers, January 2014, Fiction

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

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

Opening: “A patch of light!

One final peck.

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

Then – CRACK!”

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

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

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

I hope you like it as much as I do 🙂

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

PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see your favorite picks for this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂