Perfect Picture Book Friday – Asleep At The Switch

October 18, 2019October 17, 20198 Comments

Darlings!

What a week!

All good things, but SO. BUSY!!! Just back from a New Jersey Booksellers Conference and let me tell you there’s nothing like driving through a Nor’easter made of rain, where your GPS starts by telling you you’ll arrive at 5:54 PM. . . and you actually arrive at 8PM. . . while she gleefully reports from time to time that, “Traffic is getting worse! You will now arrive at 6:24!” “There is a 27 minute slow down. You are still on the fastest route.” “Traffic is getting worse! You will now arrive at 7:43!” etc 🙂

I believe traveling by upside down umbrella would have been faster 🙂

Christopher-Robin-Rainy-Day-Winnie-the-Pooh

Now I’m off to Sheep & Wool for the whole weekend with CAN’T SLEEP and LLAMA, those wooly upholders of fiber arts (as well as MOON and DEAR SANTA just because 🙂 ) where we will do our wooly hair up fancy and admire all the hand-knitted and crocheted sweaters and scarves and mittens and hats and even dresses parading past our little table while the tantalizing scent of apple crisp floats over from the building next door!

I’m putting up this post with the list for all of you to add your books to, but I am literally falling asleep on the keyboard, so I’m going to have to add my book in tomorrow if I have time.

If I don’t that will just be more time for you to read each other’s books! 🙂

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 wild and wooly weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – The Spooky Wheels On The Bus

October 11, 2019October 10, 20199 Comments

It’s Friday! It’s Friday! The weekend awaits! 🙂

So what are y’all doing this weekend?

Apple picking? Visiting Granny? Washing the dog? Baking pumpkin-related items? Agonizing over costumes as Halloween approaches way too quickly for your busy schedule? Making sure every flavor in the bag of fun-size candy is as delicious as the manufacturers purports them to be before you decide what to hand out to trick-or-treaters in a couple weeks?

That was a test!

The correct answer is “writing my Halloweensie Contest entry!” (Because in case any of you didn’t happen to notice, the rules for this year’s contest went up yesterday!!!)

Anyone who answered correctly may have one of these 🙂 You have earned it! (And you’ll need it to give yourself time to write 🙂 )

The other acceptable answer to the question of what you are doing this weekend is, “Going to the Warwick Children’s Book Festival to see Susanna and many other writing friends!” And you can have a get-out-of-housework free card for that too 🙂

Now! Since we’re warming up for Halloween, onto today’s Perfect Picture Book! 🙂

Title: The Spooky Wheels On The Bus

Written By: J. Elizabeth Mills

Illustrated By: Ben Mantle

Cartwheel Books, July 2010, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-5

Themes/Topics: holidays (halloween), concepts (counting)

Opening: “One spooky bus goes RATTLE and SHAKE,
RATTLE and SHAKE, RATTLE and SHAKE.
One spooky bus goes RATTLE and SHAKE
All through the town.”

Brief Synopsis: (From Amazon) “Count from One Spooky Bus up to Ten Goofy Ghosts as this Halloween ride races through town picking up a few unsuspecting passengers along the way.”

Links To Resources: Kids’ Halloween Crafts of all kinds!; Kid-friendly Halloween recipes; make up your own Wheels On The Bus song about Halloween, your birthday, or any other holiday!

Why I Like This Book: You can’t really go wrong with a fun Halloween-themed version of this popular song. Kids can enjoy it as a story, or sing along with it. In addition to being a story/song with an entertaining cast of Halloween characters, it is a counting book – great for youngest picture book enthusiasts. The art is bright and warm, colorful and inviting, showing witches and ghosts and spiders in a way that is friendly and engaging and not at all scary. The town looks like a cozy place to go trick-or-treating. All-around Halloween fun!

text copyright J. Elizabeth Mills 2010, illustration copyright Ben Mantle 2010

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

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

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – 1-2-3 My Feelings And Me

October 4, 2019October 3, 20198 Comments

It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday, and now that we’re about a month into school, today seems like a good time to talk about feelings.

While many kids will have adjusted smoothly to their new classrooms, classmates, teachers, and daily routines, others will not have had such an easy time. And all children – those who take most things in stride and those who struggle a bit more – have a wide range of emotions they need to learn to manage.

The book I’ve chosen today should be helpful in that process!

Title: 1-2-3 My Feelings And Me

Written By: Goldie Millar and Lisa A. Berger

Illustrated By: Priscilla Burris

Free Spirit Publishing, November 12 2019, nonfiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-8

Themes/Topics: identifying and coping with emotions

Opening: “Everyone everywhere has all kinds of feelings – just like me.
And me!
What about you?
There are many different feelings and many things to know about them.
Let’s count our way through the 1-2-3’s of feelings together!”

Brief Synopsis: This nonfiction look at feelings helps children learn to identify and cope with a wide range of emotions while reassuring them that while some feelings are more pleasant than others, all feelings are okay, and everyone has them.

Links To Resources: the whole book is a resource, from the explanations provided within the text to the “Letter To Caring Adults” at the beginning to the extensive back matter which includes a lengthy guide to Talking About Feelings And What To Do With Them with discussion topics and activities.

text copyright Goldie Millar & Lisa A. Berger 2019, illustration copyright Priscilla Burris 2019 Free Spirit Publishing

Why I Like This Book: Emotions can be difficult for children. (Let’s be honest – they can be difficult for adults! 🙂 ) This straightforward approach to describing feelings both in terms of how they make our minds feel as well as the affect they can have on the body (making you feel hot or shaky etc.) along with the reassurance that everything a child feels is normal and experienced by everyone will be very useful in helping children learn to understand and manage their emotions. With it’s warm, friendly art and cast of diverse characters, every child will find it relatable. Although it’s not a story, it’s a book that will come in very handy for lots and lots of children, especially those who may struggle with emotional equilibrium.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

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

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone – hopefully a HAPPY one!!! 🙂

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

September 27, 2019September 26, 201926 Comments

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.”

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

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

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 🙂

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.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle: How Animals Get Ready For Winter

September 20, 2019September 19, 201926 Comments

Howdy, folks, and welcome to Perfect Picture Book Friday!

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the first day of autumn 2019 is Monday September 23…which is in a couple days. I am not in ANY way trying to hurry the onset of winter with today’s selection! I love autumn. And autumn is the time when animals prepare for winter. So even though today’s book has a wintry-looking cover, think of it as a celebration of autumn rather than a harbinger of cold and snow! 🙂

Title: Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle: How Animals Get Ready For Winter

Written By: Laura Purdie Salas

Illustrated By: Claudine Gevry

Millbrook Press, September 3, 2019, nonfiction

Suitable For Ages: 5-9 (I think younger kids will enjoy it too!)

Themes/Topics: nature, animals, preparing for winter

Opening: “Soak up the sun, breathe in the breeze,
Munch crunchy apples that fall from the trees.
Enjoy every morsel you feast on today:
the banquet of autumn will soon fade away.

So plump up or burrow or journey before
frosty winds rattle and batter your door.
Snowstorms and dark nights are next to arrive.
Here comes winter!
PREPARE.
SURVIVE!”

text copyright Laura Purdie Salas 2019, illustration copyright Claudine Gevry 2019 Millbrook Press

Brief Synopsis: From the publisher: “There is more than one way for animals to prepare for winter. Some, such as mice, foxes, and moose, simply tolerate the cold. Of course black bears hibernate, but chipmunks, wood frogs, and garter snakes do too. And then there are the creatures that migrate, including hummingbirds, blue whales, and even earthworms! This rhyming nonfiction picture book by Laura Purdie Salas tells you all about how animals survive chilly weather.”

Links To Resources: the book itself is a resource, full of facts about toleration, hibernation, and migration. There are several pages of back matter about survival strategies, survivors, and a glossary. Hibernation activities; Hibernation Migration activities

Why I Like This Book: the rhyming text is engaging and fun to read aloud and provides a lyrical aspect to the nonfiction content. It is accompanied by simply stated facts that children will find accessible. And the text is beautifully complemented by the colorful art which is both eye-catching and warm and appealing. The whole book is a gem that you and your little animal enthusiasts will love!

text copyright Laura Purdie Salas 2019, illustration copyright Claudine Gevry 2019 Millbrook Press

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

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

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday Returns! – Two Tough Trucks

September 13, 2019September 12, 201924 Comments

Welcome back to Perfect Picture Book Friday, everyone!

A week later than I intended, but, you know, stuff happens… and better late than never 🙂

You all know I like rhyming truck books, having written a couple myself and shared more than one of Little Blue Truck’s adventures here. Today I’m thrilled to be sharing one written by two of my very talented friends. I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Title: Two Tough Trucks

Written By: Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca Gomez

Illustrated By: Hilary Leung

Orchard Books, September 17 2019, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-5

Themes/Topics: cooperation, compromise, working together, friendship

Opening: “One Mack, revved up and ready to go.
One Rig, a wreck, unsteady and slow.
Two trucks off to school for their first day of class.
One riding the brakes. One hitting the gas.
VROOM! ZOOM!
A beep-beep goodbye.
A Rig holding back, a Mack saying “Hi!””

Brief Synopsis: (from the jacket) “Mack and Rig couldn’t be more different.
One loves the fast lane. The other, the off-ramp. But when they’re forced to pair up on their first day of school, can Mack and Rig figure out a way to get along and learn what it really means to be a tough truck?”

text copyright Corey Rosen Schwartz & Rebecca Gomez 2019, illustration copyright Hilary Leung 2019

Links To Resources: Transportation Same & Different Cards; Monster Truck Car Wash Song (video); Truck Coloring Pages; make truck-shaped snacks (truck shape made of pancake or cut out of waffle with banana round wheels; sandwich cut in shapes that can be assembled to look like a truck with cucumber round wheels)

Why I Like This Book: this delightful book brings the concept of learning to get along into the world of trucks. What could be more fun? 🙂 Mack and Rig are as different in their skills and personalities as they can be, and at first it seems there’s no hope for them to accomplish anything together. But they learn what we all need to learn: that our differences complement each other and working together is always better than going it alone. The story is engaging with fun to read-aloud rhyme, and the art is warm, bright and appealing. A great choice for little truck-lovers and for kids who need a little encouragement to give potential friends a chance.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

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

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Mowing

June 14, 2019June 13, 201913 Comments

How awesome is it that it’s Friday?! 😊

Before I share my perfect picture book for today, I’d like to take this opportunity to announce that this will be the last official Perfect Picture Book Friday until September. As you all know, I put PPBF on hiatus for the summer. Between my own unpredictable schedule and the fact that many of you spend less time online in the summer, it just seems to make sense to take a break. But for those of you who are dedicated (and there is a core group of you – you are wonderful!) I look forward to seeing what you’ll share. You are welcome to add your summer books to today’s link list or to the first one I put up in September.

Would You Read It Wednesday will continue through June and July (I usually take a complete blogging break in August because really… how much of me do you all really want to have to pay attention to?! 😊 … but this year we have a couple of Tuesday Debuts on July 30 and August 6), and you never know what other high jinx I might get up to if I get a hair brained scheme out of the blue…

Anyway, onto today’s choice! Maybe my favorite summer book 😊

Mowing 1

Mowing
Written By: Jessie Haas
Illustrated By: Jos. A. Smith
Greenwillow Books, 1994, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 4-8

Themes/Topics: farms, grandparents, generations, modernization, respect for wildlife, vehicles

Opening: “Early in the morning Gramp and Nora go to the field to mow. They hear the cry of the bobolink, the swish of the tall grass, the thud of the horses’ hooves.
At the edge of the field Gramp lowers the cutter bar.
“Hop off, Nora,” he says. “You’ll be safer on the ground.” Gramp speaks softly to the horses. “Giddap!” They walk, and the mowing machine begins to clatter.”

fullsizeoutput_1974

Brief Synopsis: Just as morning is peeking over the horizon, Gramp and Nora head out to mow the hay. Gramp drives an old-fashioned sickle bar mower with Nora in his lap holding the reins. When they reach the field, it’s Nora’s job to hop down and keep an eye out for any little animal that might be injured by the horses or the cutter blades. What does she see? (I’m betting you can guess one thing she sees! :)) When the mowing is done, two tall islands of grass still stand. Gramp says some would call that a bad job of mowing, but he and Nora know better. They know they have taken care to leave the animals safe and protected.

fullsizeoutput_1975

fullsizeoutput_1976

Links To Resources: Fawn Coloring Page 1, Fawn Coloring Page 2, Fawn Facts, National Geographic Groundhog Facts, National Geographic Killdeer Facts. Talk about the difference in the way hay is mowed today. Talk about other situations where you might want to be respectful of wildlife.

fullsizeoutput_1977

Why I Like This Book: This is the kind of sweet, quiet book that I absolutely love. My kids loved it too, and we read it over and over and over. The language is gentle, the story is simple with that nostalgic feel of hearkening back to a different time, and the message of caring for all the creatures who share our world is lovely. On top of that, the art is just beautiful, particularly the way the artist captured the changing light, from dawn through late afternoon, and the different perspectives he uses. It’s a wonderful book for nap time, bedtime, or anytime kids need to unwind.

fullsizeoutput_1979

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

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

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – You Are Home: An Ode To National Parks

June 7, 201917 Comments

Hey, everyone! Sorry I’m late with the post this morning!

I want to take this moment to say that next Friday (June 14) will be the last official Perfect Picture Book Friday until September, but I know many of you carry on throughout the summer. Please feel free to continue adding your books to next week’s PPBF list (June 14), or add them in September to the first list that goes up then!

Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy today’s breathtaking selection!

You Are Home

Title: You Are Home: An Ode To National Parks

Written & Illustrated By: Evan Turk

Atheneum Books For Young Readers, June 4, 2019, nonfiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-8 (though anyone can enjoy the gorgeous illustrations and language!)

Themes/Topics: nature, respect and appreciation of the land and all that inhabit it

Opening: “To the chipmunk in her burrow, sleeping beneath the leaves to keep warm; to the resilient bison in the steaming oases of an endless winter: you are home. to the wildflowers painting the warming hillsides; to the pronghorn chewing the grass of her first spring: you are home.”

Brief Synopsis: (From the jacket): “From the rugged coast of Maine to the fiery volcanoes of Hawai’i, Evan Turk’s stirring ode to nature and the nation reminds us that every animal, plant and person is an integral part of what makes this land a brilliant, beautiful sanctuary of life.

antelope

Links To Resources: the book itself is a resource, picturing approximately 27 National Parks and the flora, fauna, geographic formations, and people that exist (or have existed) there; the back of the book includes A Note From The Author which gives a lot of information about the National Parks and the author’s connection to them and purpose in making the book; the back of the book also includes a map of the United States showing the locations of all the National Parks (not just the ones pictured in this book) and additional information about the parks and animals in the book. If you have the opportunity to visit one or more National Parks, take advantage of it! 😊

bobcat

Why I Like This Book: the book is a celebration of the United States, a gorgeous tour in pictures and language of this amazing and beautiful country. The art is full of light and dappled shadow and velvet darkness, rocky crags, lush forest, grassy plains, the animals that inhabit the parks and the people who visit – it brings to life the concept of “America the beautiful from sea to shining sea.” And the language matches the art:

“Beneath the soaring doorways of stone,
and peaks that pierce the ceiling of clouds,
from every river, star, and stone
comes the eternal refrain:
you are home.”

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

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

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Butterflies On The First Day Of School

May 31, 2019May 30, 201911 Comments

Hurray! It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday and tomorrow is June!

What could be better?

I have a wonderful book to share today, and yes, it’s true that perhaps a book about the first day of school when we’re nearing the last day of school is a little out of order… 😊

But this book is too special not to be on Perfect Picture Books right now while I’m thinking about it! So get ready to enjoy!

Title: Butterflies On The First Day Of School

Written By: Annie Silvestro

Illustrated By: Dream Chen

Sterling Children’s Books, May 7, 2019, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-8

Themes/Topics: first day of school, nerves/anxiety

Opening: “A month before school, Rosie picked out her very first backpack. It was covered with flowers, and she loved it with all her heart.
She paraded around proudly. ‘Don’t worry,’ she told her sister, Emily. ‘Someday you’ll be big enough to go to school like me.’ ”

Brief Synopsis: Rosie can’t wait for her very first day of school, but when the big day arrives, she’s suddenly unsure. “Maybe I’d better stay home,” she tells her mom. But with gentle encouragement from her parents, she heads off to school and discovers that she is not the only one with butterflies in her tummy.

Links To Resources: Butterfly Activities for Preschoolers; 5 Circle Time Lessons About Emotion; pair with First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg and/or The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn and/or Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney

Why I Like This Book: This sweet story is one every young reader can relate to. Even if they don’t suffer a moment’s trepidation about going off to school, they are bound to have butterflies in their stomachs at some point about something! Grown-ups too 😊 I particularly loved how the butterflies were released, one or two at a time, as Rosie (and other characters in the story) bravely tried new things, their success allowing the butterflies to fly away. I won’t give away the lovely ending – you have to read it because it’s so perfect! I dare any mom not to get a little teary! 😊

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

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

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – If You Had Your Birthday Party On The Moon

May 24, 2019May 23, 201910 Comments

Wow! Somehow it’s Perfect Picture Book Friday again!

Wasn’t it just here???!!! 😊

I seem to have moon books on the brain – maybe because I have one of my own coming out in less than two weeks 😊 – so would you care to join me for a birthday party in a venue that beats Chuck E. Cheese hands down??? 😆

Title: If You Had Your Birthday Party On The Moon

Written By: Joyce Lapin

Illustrated By: Simona Ceccarelli

Sterling Children’s Books, April 23 2019, nonfiction

Suitable For Ages: 7 and up

Themes/Topics: the Moon

Opening: “How amazing would it be to have your birthday party on the Moon?
Of course, everyone would want to come. Not just because it’s the Moon – but who wouldn’t want to ride to a party in a rocket?
You’ll get to fly 40 times faster than a plane. And for most of the trip, you’ll also get to. . .”

Brief Synopsis: In the context of imagining a birthday party on the Moon, young readers will learn all kinds of amazing facts about life without gravity, air, or atmosphere, and about the Moon itself.

Links To Resources: the book itself is a resource, nonfiction with sidebars on almost every page that add even more interesting facts. The back of the book includes a glossary, selected bibliography, suggestions for further reading, sources for videos of astronauts moonwalking, and a link to NASA Kids’ Club. Falling For Gravity activity; Moon crafts and activities for kids

Why I Like This Book: This book imparts all kinds of interesting information in a conversational tone. Did you know that Pizza Hut delivered Pizza to the International Space Station? Or that astronaut Alan Shepherd snuck two golf balls onto Apollo 14 and became the first person to play golf on the moon? I didn’t! 😊 And there are all kinds of birthday party related details that would work differently: candles wouldn’t light, balloons wouldn’t float, and you wouldn’t be able to hear the music of the Happy Birthday song. Young readers will learn lots of fun facts in an entertaining way. A great choice for budding astronauts, astronomers, and scientists… and anyone who has a birthday! 😊

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

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

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! And enjoy the Waning Gibbous Moon! 😊

Susanna Leonard Hill

Children's Author

Tag: for writers

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Asleep At The Switch

Perfect Picture Book Friday – The Spooky Wheels On The Bus

Perfect Picture Book Friday – 1-2-3 My Feelings And Me

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

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle: How Animals Get Ready For Winter

Perfect Picture Book Friday Returns! – Two Tough Trucks

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Mowing

Perfect Picture Book Friday – You Are Home: An Ode To National Parks

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Butterflies On The First Day Of School

Perfect Picture Book Friday – If You Had Your Birthday Party On The Moon