Tag: for teachers

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Gabe And Goon

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Guess what today is, everyone?

It is the birthday of my dear friend, talented author/illustrator, Iza Trapani!!!

Happy Birthday, Iza!

And what better way to celebrate than by sharing one of her amazing books with you?!

But first, let’s have some cake 🙂

(And as long as we’re celebrating birthdays with cake, let me take this opportunity to wish Happy Birthday to my Brown Dog who will be 11 tomorrow!)

Isn’t it lovely to have birthdays and cake? 🙂

But now, to Iza’s wonderful book!  Not her newest, which I shared back in the fall, but one of my favorites!

Gabe and Goon

Title: Gabe and Goon

Written & Illustrated By: Iza Trapani

Charlesbridge, July 2016, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-6

Themes/Topics: monsters, friendship, humor, language fun (rhyme)

Opening: “Gabe wasn’t scared of monsters.
He hoped to see one soon.
Well, hiding in his closet
Was a real live monster, Goon.”

Brief Synopsis: Gabe is not afraid of monsters.  In fact, he longs to meet one.  Goon lives in Gabe’s closet, but he is terrified of children!  When they meet, Goon does his best to scare Gabe away but nothing works.  But though he’s unsuccessful as a scary monster, he makes a great friend when something comes along that does scare Gabe.

Links To Resources: draw a monster you would like to meet; write a story about what you would do if you met a monster; 25 Crazy Monster Crafts for Kids; 20 Monster Recipes & Snacks For Kids

Why I Like This Book: this is such a fun twist on the idea of kids being afraid of monsters, since in this story it’s the other way around.  Poor Goon does his best to be scary and all Gabe does is laugh.  Gabe wants to be friends but is unintentionally terrifying Goon with his nose-blowing and sneezing (he has a cold.)  But when Goon realizes that Gabe isn’t so brave about everything, it bolsters his confidence a bit and the two become friends.  The art is warm and cozy and inviting.  Goon is an adorable monster.  There is plenty of humor.  Written in Iza’s trademark engaging rhyme which makes for a great read-aloud, this is a fun read kids will love!

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!!! 🙂

Happy New Year!

46 Comments

Hi Everyone!

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had spectacular holidays!

I was going to have a spectacular pitch pick today – two actually –  but I haven’t heard back from all the pitchers… so I’m either going to post that later or wait until next Wednesday.

Meanwhile, for the sake of filling today’s space (and not because I’ve been pushed into it by a headstrong llama who desperately needs a haircut!) there’s a new llama in town!

llama_needs_haircut_wide_cover

I am so excited about this book!  A lot of you are probably familiar with Daniel’s art from WHEN YOUR LION NEEDS A BATH and WHEN YOUR ELEPHANT HAS THE SNIFFLES, but he gets better with every book.  The art in this one is hilarious!  I just love the llama’s expressions 🙂

I owe this book a little attention, but I felt like I’d blog-toured myself and everyone else out last summer with LION, ELEPHANT and TRUCKS, and following so close on the holidays I didn’t want to impose on your good nature.  So maybe I’ll think up a little something at some point, but for now, I hope you’ll just all get a chance to enjoy the book somewhere!

Here’s a little sneak peek at some of the interior art:

llama 1st page screen shot

Screen Shot 2017-11-21 at 9.20.04 PM

Screen Shot 2017-08-12 at 3.21.09 PM

There’s a GoodReads giveaway for this book if you’re interested… and I think I still have a couple copies available if anyone wants one to read and review on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, their blog, etc…  Email me if you’d like one!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

When Your Llama Needs a Haircut by Susanna Leonard Hill

When Your Llama Needs a Haircut

by Susanna Leonard Hill

Giveaway ends January 23, 2018.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

And now you are all excused to go about your happy Wednesdays!  You’ll be the first to know if I end up posting pitch picks later 🙂

Have a wonderful day! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – We Wish For A Monster Christmas

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Happy December, Folks!

And welcome to a no frills Perfect Picture Book Friday!

No frills because I am out of office… EXTREMELY FAR out of office 🙂

So you’re on your own, boys and girls 🙂

Have fun sharing your books, and I hope you like my pick for the week!

Monster xmas

Title: We Wish For A Monster Christmas

Written By: Sue Fliess

Illustrated By: Claudia Ranucci

SterlingChildren’s Books, October 3 2017, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-8

Themes/Topics: Holidays (Christmas), monsters, unexpected consequences, humor

Opening: “We wish for a furry monster,
a big, hairy, scary monster,
our own stomping, chomping monster, for Christmas this year.”

Brief Synopsis: A brother and sister don’t want the usual toys for Christmas…they want a monster!  Their parents refuse, so they take their request to Santa who, of course, delivers.  But having a monster doesn’t turn out quite as they expected!

Links To Resources: sing along to the Karaoke version! 🙂 ; 50 Monster Crafts for Kids Any Time of Year

Why I Like This Book: I like this book because it’s not your usual Christmas book.  It’s about monsters 🙂  It’s fun, it’s different, and if you know We Wish You A Merry Christmas you can sing the story 🙂  There’s plenty of humor, havoc and mayhem.  A little problem solving is required and then…?  Time to think about what to ask for next Christmas 🙂  The endpapers are covered with monster pictures and descriptions, with the one the kids choose (Furzilla) circled and labeled “THIS ONE!”  The art is bright, engaging, humorous, and a perfect fit for the story.

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 – Mice Skating

11 Comments

Hiya, Folks!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

If you’re like me, it’s not really over yet.  Thanksgiving is always a multiple day affair here on Blueberry Hill, so I’m afraid I’m not really going to be hanging around the blog today.

But I knew some of you dedicated picture book lovers would have perfect picture books to post, and some of you parents dedicated picture book readers need the weekly list of fabulosity to keep the kiddos entertained on the long drive home from Grandma’s to enrich your weekend literary experience 🙂

And I have such a lovely one to share!  Have a look!

Mice Skating

Title: Mice Skating

Written By: Annie Silvestro

Illustrated By: Teagan White

Sterling Children’s Books,  October 2, 2017, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-8

Themes/Topics: being yourself, seasons (winter), friendship

Opening: “During the cold winter months, most field mice take cover. . .
. . . tunneling deep underground, burrowing into farmhouse walls, nesting in hollow logs. But not Lucy.”

Brief Synopsis: Lucy is different from the other mice.  She loves winter!  But it would be much more fun if her friends would come out and join her.  Can she find a way to get them to come try something new?

Links To Resources: make-a-mouse craft (using wooden ice cream “spoon”); mouse crafts and activities for children; winter outdoor games for kids

Why I Like This Book:  This is a lovely, cozy, sweet story of a little mouse who is different from her peers and not afraid to be an individual.  She is comfortable doing her own thing.  But she also values her friends, doesn’t want them to miss out on fun, and knows her own experience would be enhanced by having friends to share it with.  Her bold spirit, ingenuity, and warm-hearted friendship come through beautifully.  The art is warm and cozy and comforting – the perfect pictures to curl up with on a snowy day 🙂

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!

Oh, and by the way, if the people in charge around here manage to tear themselves away from the pie long enough to attend to their job, the Holiday Contest Guidelines will be posted sometime in the next 24 hours or so, so keep a weather eye out! 🙂

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

 

Freaky Friday :)

15 Comments

Darlings!

I am trying desperately to finish the Halloweensie judging!

SUCH a challenge!  You all did an unbelievable job and having to cut anyone from the list is practically impossible.  Vast quantities of chocolate are required for this Herculean task!

I mean seriously!  There were 244 fantastic entries and somehow the other judges and I have to cull them down to a dozen…preferably without doing each other bodily injury! 🙂  I can assure you there is a great deal of hair-tearing, tooth-gnashing, and rending of garments going on around here!

So I’m not posting a Perfect Picture Book today because I’m buried under Halloweensie stories.

But I will put the link list here for those of you who want to Perfect Picture Book Party 🙂

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!

I’m hopinghopinghoping to have the finalist list up by later today… or tomorrow… 🙂  Wish us luck!!!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Dough Knights And Dragons

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Good Morning, fellow picture book peeps!

I don’t know about you, but there are so many books I want to post for Perfect Picture Book Friday lately that there aren’t enough Fridays!  As you well know, by this time next week we’ll be up to our Jack-O-Lantern grins in the Halloweensie Writing Contest, so we’ll have to skip our perfect picture books… but for a very good cause!  I can promise you the stories that will be entered will be so much fun to read that you won’t even notice we’re not doing PPBF 🙂

But for today, I have another delightful book to share!  And just wait til you see the activity kit that goes along with it – I tell you, it made my writerly heart go pitter-pat! 🙂

Dough Knights

Title: Dough Knights And Dragons

Written By: Dee Leone

Illustrated By: George Ermos

Sterling Children’s Books, October 3 2017, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 5-8

Themes/Topics: friendship, creative problem solving, standing for what you believe

Opening: “In a magical kingdom far to the east
lived a very small knight and a very large beast.
One day while collecting fresh herbs in a glen
the young knight discovered a well-hidden den.
It was filled with ingredients he’d not seen before.
The lad couldn’t resist – he just had to explore!”

Brief Synopsis: A young knight and a friendly dragon meet by chance in the woods and become friends when they discover they both love to cook.  But the kingdom has a law that knights and dragons must fight each other.  The friends can’t bear the thought!  Can they cook up a clever way to avoid fighting and put an end to the silly law?

Links To Resources: Fantastic activity kit from the author! Read with A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale by Penny Klostermann and compare and contrast 🙂 (Sorry if I just gave you a ghastly flashback to high school English essays 🙂 )

dough knights int

text copyright Dee Leone 2017, illustration copyright George Ermos 2017

Why I Like This Book: This is such a fun, imaginative story.  I love that the boy and the dragon develop a close friendship over cooking and baking, (something you might not expect of a boy and a dragon 🙂 ) but that there is also a real element of tension because of the law that requires them to fight.  And I love that they stand up for what they believe in and find a creative solution to the problem.  The rhyme is catchy and fun to read aloud, and the art is entertaining, colorful and delightful – a perfect complement to the story!

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!!! 🙂  and come to the NYS Sheep & Wool Festival if you’re in the area!  I’d love to see you!!! 🙂

 

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Old MacDonald Had A… Zoo?

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Psst!  The word on the street is it’s Friday!

This may be a completely unfounded rumor.

After all, due to the holiday last Monday it doesn’t really feel like Friday yet, does it?

But let’s go with popular opinion 🙂

I have a fabulously fun Perfect Picture Book to share with you today.  Get ready to enjoy! 🙂

Old MacDonald

Title: Old MacDonald Had A… Zoo?

Written & Illustrated By: Iza Trapani

Charlesbridge, September 12 2017, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 2-5

Themes/Topics: animals (farm and zoo), nursery rhyme retelling, language (prepositions)

Opening: “Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O,
And on that farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O.
With a moo moo here, and a moo moo there,
Here a moo, there a moo,
Everywhere a moo moo,
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.”

Brief Synopsis: Old MacDonald is tending his farm, milking his cow, minding his own business when along comes a herd of disruption!  What on earth are a bunch of zoo animals doing on Old MacDonald’s farm???!!!

Links To Resources: One Of These Things Is Not Like The Others – think up groups of animals where 3 match in some way (farm, zoo, jungle, aquatic, color, pattern, food preference, feathers, fins, number of legs, tail, etc.) and the 4th doesn’t and get kids to tell you what the 3 have in common and why the 4th doesn’t match; draw your favorite farm animal and tell why it’s your favorite; what animal would YOU invite to Old MacDonald’s farm and how would your song verse go?; play Old MacDonald Says and practice the position words from the story – above, below, near, far, high, low, etc…

Screen Shot 2017-10-12 at 8.12.13 PM

text and illustration copyright Iza Trapani 2017

Why I Like This Book: Everyone knows the familiar story/song of Old MacDonald and his farm…but this version takes it to a whole new level as a bunch of escaped zoo animals wander in and start making themselves at home, much to the surprise of the regular farm inhabitants and to Old MacDonald’s chagrin!  The rhyme is perfect and fun to read aloud, telling a humorous story (and as an added bonus using a lot of positional words (above, below, near, far, high, low, etc.) so kids get practice in understanding the physical relationship of things.)  The art is lively and full of delightful hidden details.  And the facial expressions of both Old MacDonald and the animals are priceless 🙂  An all-around fun tale that will have little ones singing along!

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!!! 🙂

P.S.  You may have noticed that Halloween is right around the corner, and you know what THAT means…  the annual Halloweensie Writing Contest!!!  Stay tuned for details, hopefully coming early next week so you’ll have time to write, polish, and perfect!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Good Night, Little Bot

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What a crazy whirlwind week this has been!  But here we are, happily arrived at Perfect Picture Book Friday!

My mom is recovering from surgery, so I’m going to be very short and sweet today because I’m short on time.  Just remember, my brevity is out of necessity, not because I don’t love you 🙂

I absolutely love today’s book, hot of the presses from my friend Karen Orloff (whom you may know from I Wanna Iguana and other awesome titles!)  Check it out!

robot

Title: Good Night, Little Robot

Written By: Karen Kaufman Orloff

Illustrated By: Kim Smith

Sterling Children’s Books, October 2017, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3 and up

Themes/Topics: robots, bedtime, language fun (rhyme)

Opening: “Little Bot, it’s time for bed.
Let’s get ready, sleepyhead.
Put down the game.
Turn off TV.
It’s almost bedtime,
Can’t you see?
Don’t say ‘NO,’ and don’t protest.
Little robots need their rest.”

Brief Synopsis: It’s bedtime, and Little Bot doesn’t want to power down!  But little robots need to sip warm oil, comb their circuits, brush their bolts, and count robot sheep just like all kids 🙂

Links To Resources: Robot Activities Kids Will Love; Scholastic’s Robot-Themed Activities

Why I Like This Book:  Such a fun twist on robots and bedtime!  All the little robot details are delightful (powering down, sipping warm oil, combing circuits, brushing bolts, etc..)  The story is told in perfectly cadenced rhyme that is fun to read aloud.  And the bold, bright art and cute robots are just right for the story!  Cute and clever, delightful and fun, this is one that kids will demand again and again! 🙂

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 – Rufus Blasts Off

27 Comments

Tra la!  It’s Friday!

There are just some words that make you feel good, aren’t there?  You know, like cupcake and cottage, raindrop and starlight, bakery and bookstore…and Friday! 🙂

I’ve got big plans for a fancy dinner – pizza with my favorite 4 and 6 year old – tiara NOT optional 🙂 – and a library visit for Big Truck Day.  A pretty hard-to-beat weekend, if you ask me! 🙂  I could have gone to the Garlic Festival… but somehow garlic ice cream sounds less appealing to me than chocolate anything.

However, that reminds me that we did have a conversation at Book Club this week about all the local festivals which include the Garlic Festival, and of course the upcoming NYS Sheep and Wool Festival (where Iza Trapani, Nancy Furstinger, Nancy Shaw, and I will all be so I hope you’ll all come visit us and get signed books for Christmas presents 🙂 ), but did you know we also have a Pickle Festival and a UFO Festival?  Seriously!  I am not making that up!

Anyway,  (watch how I pull this off! 🙂 ) speaking of UFOs, let’s have a look at today’s Perfect Picture Book which is about a pig in space: RUFUS BLASTS OFF! 🙂  (It took me years of practice, my friends, but it all paid off in the end.  My tiara says “Segue Queen” on it 🙂 )

Rufus

Title: Rufus Blasts Off

Written By: Kim T. Griswell

Illustrated By: Valeri Gorbachev

Sterling Children’s Books, September 12 2017, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-5

Themes/Topics: pursuing your dreams, space, perseverance, love of reading

Opening: “Rufus Leroy Williams III had a pirate’s chest filled with books.
He loved every one.
And he read each book again anf again…and again.
One day, Captain Wibblyshins wanted a new story.
‘Arrrh!” said Rufus’s pirate mates.  “A new story!’”

Brief Synopsis: In this third adventure of Rufus the pig, he has already been to school and sailed the seven seas with pirates.  Now, fascinated by Mars, he wants to go to space!  But Commander Luna says, “No pigs in space!”  What’s a pig to do?  He’ll just have to show up over and over, ready for blast off, until Commander Luna finally realizes he has the right stuff!

Links To Resources: make constellations out of pretzel sticks and mini marshmallows; Pie Plate Solar System Game; Glow-In-The-Dark Star Mobile; Moon Dust Writing Tray (for practicing letters)

rufus int

text copyright Kim T. Griswell 2017, illustration copyright Valeri Gorbachev 2017

Why I Like This Book:  It’s hard not to love a pig on a pirate ship.  Especially one who is so devoted to his story-loving pirate audience that he’s ready to blast off into space just to get them a new story (and if he gets to explore Mars while he’s at it, so much the better!)  Rufus is a delightfully determined little soul, never daunted by the repeated refusals of Commander Luna to join the crew.  He just keeps coming back…and coming back…and coming back until she realizes that they really can’t go to Mars without him (though I won’t tell you why – you’ll have to read and find out 🙂 )  Rufus is charming, and the art makes him so cute that he’s irresistible 🙂

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 – Maurice The Unbeastly

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Darlings!

Right now this very second while you are reading this, I am winging my way to the Lone Star State for the North Texas SCBWI Conference!

texas
Sing with me!
“The stars at night
are shining bright
deep in the heart of Texas!”

Okay.  I confess that’s all I know.  But I am very excited!  I have only been to Texas once before and that was a drive-thru on a family cross-country trip when I was 12.  My only memory of Texas is of being forced to eat Velveeta sandwiches on white bread whilst we drove.  Yuck!  Seriously, whose idea was THAT?!  So I’m hoping it’s going to be a lot more fun this time… if I survive my presentation… which I have been nailbiting over for weeks already!  If you hear a jackhammering sound, that’s just my teeth chattering with nerves! 🙂

ANYway.

I’m thrilled beyond measure to be sharing this fabulous book today, written by the very talented Amy Dixon.  Such fun!  I love it!  I hope you love it 🙂

Maurice

Title: Maurice The Unbeastly

Written By: Amy Dixon

Illustrated By: Karl James Mountford

Sterling Children’s Books, September 2017, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-7

Themes/Topics: individuality, being true to yourself, monsters, humor

Opening: “Maurice was not like the other beasts.  His voice was as sweet and refreshing as dandelion lemonade on a hot day.”

Brief Synopsis: Maurice the beast is a misfit, about as un-beastly as they come.  His worried parents enroll him in the Abominable Academy For Brutish Beasts, hoping to help their son be more like he should.  But Maurice is just different… and maybe that’s not a bad thing!

Links To Resources: make a collage of pictures that represents who you are; make a list of at least 5 words that describe you; draw a picture of yourself doing something you love to do; write a poem about someone who makes you feel valued; draw a picture of the animal you feel is most like you and make a list of at least 5 words that explain why you are like that animal (e.g. brave, pretty, strong, fast, etc..)

Why I Like This Book: Maurice is delightful!  He is so gloriously and humorously un-beastly, with his melodious voice like “dandelion lemonade on a hot day”, his love for organic kale, and his smile which makes him “ridiculously photogenic”.  And when it comes to “messy meat eating” he asks for “the vegetarian option” 🙂  You’ve got to love a character who is so much himself in spite of how different he is from his peers.  And this is a message so many kids can benefit from, because we should all be true to ourselves.  The art is perfect for the story in shades of muted rust, green, and black with touches of red and white, and includes fun details like the Academy sign with the slogan “Hear us roar.  Hit the floor.  We’re the mighty carnivore!”, and Maurice pictured with birds and flowers.  A humorous, entertaining but also sweet read!

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!!! 🙂

And please wish me luck in Texas!!!!!!!