Tag: Kids Can Press

Perfect Picture Book Friday – And I Think About You PLUS A Giveaway!

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Howdy, Pardners!

Now that the summer hiatus is over, we’re back to Perfect Picture Book Fridays! And not a moment too soon! I have about 47 books I wanted to share today 😊 Luckily, other PPBF participants are likely to share some of them.

Which reminds me, if you’re one of the dedicated folks who consistently posted Perfect Picture Books all summer, please feel free to add them all to today’s list. That will be wonderful for everyone!

I have a lovely book to share today, one that seems especially appropriate with school just starting. In the story, the mother is at work thinking of her child, and the child is at school thinking of their mom.

AND, as if a glimpse of this beautiful book weren’t enough, we have a giveaway! One lucky person is going to win a copy of AND I THINK ABOUT YOU! All you have to do is leave a comment in the comment section below between now and Wednesday September 14 at 9PM Eastern and you’ll be in the running to be randomly selected. I will announce the winner next Friday.

Title: And I Think About You

Written By: Rosanne L. Kurstedt

Illustrated By: Ya-Ling Huang

Publisher: Kids Can Press, September 20, 2022, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-6

Themes/Topics: family love (mother/child), being apart, reassurance

Opening: “Together we eat breakfast.
I drink my coffee.
You scoop your milk-soaked cereal.”

Brief Synopsis: A mother bear goes through her work day describing what she’s doing while always thinking about her little one, only to come home and discover that her child has been thinking about her too.

Links To Resources:

Special treat! A craft supplied by the author! Thank you, Rosanne!

Why I Like This Book: This book lovingly shows how a mom at work does her job and simultaneously has her child in mind all day long. Though they may be apart, she is always thinking of her little one. The story flows seamlessly between what the mother is doing and thinking and what the child is doing, showing their parallel activities. As the mom reads her emails, she thinks about reading with her child, and on the page turn, her child is in school reading a story. As the mother eats lunch with a friend, she thinks about eating with her child, and on the page turn the child is eating lunch with school friends. This sweet story will reassure any child that whether mom and dad go out to work or work from home, any time they’re separated during the day they are always in their parents minds and hearts. The soft watercolor art captures the tender mood of the story perfectly. A wonderful choice for any bookshelf!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 😊

Author Rosanne Kurstedt

Rosanne L. Kurstedt, Ph.D., has been an educator for over 20 years, supporting learners of all ages. She is the author of several books for teachers, including Teaching Writing with Picture Books as Models and a series entitled 100+ Growth Mindset Comments. Rosanne loves picture books and anything kid-lit so she volunteers as the Assistant Regional Advisor for the New Jersey chapter of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators. Her first book Karate Kid (Running Press Kids) was released in 2019 and her second book And I Think About You (Kids Can Press) was released in 2022.

She loves sharing her books and expertise with readers of all ages at various author events (e.g., school visits, festivals, teacher professional development, mom’s groups, etc.)

Rosanne is the founder of The Author Experience (www.TheAuthorExperience.org), a 501(c)(3) organization committed to the transformative power of sharing stories. In collaboration with students, families, and educators, TAE provides sustainable literacy-based experiences that build a culture of literacy—one that elevates connections and delivers lasting impact.

Rosanne lives in New Jersey with her family.

Rosanne’s Social Media:

Web: https://www.rlkurstedt.com/
Twitter: @rlkurstedt
Instagram: @rlkurstedt
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/RLKurstedtAuthor

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

PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog 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 – Sloth And Squirrel In A Pickle

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Woo hoo! It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday!

And what could be more perfect on a Perfect Picture Book Friday than the announcement that, although the voting time isn’t quite up yet, it appears the prevailing opinion is that we SHOULD run the Mix ‘n’ Match Mini Writing Challenge again this year! Who knows what Perfect Picture Books that might lead to?!

So I guess I’d better get my thinking cap on and start cogitating on possible challenge prompts! And in the spirit of teamwork, embodied in today’s Perfect Picture Book, anyone who has a great idea for prizes and/or wants to donate one should feel free to email me (you can use the handy-dandy website contact form) and earn my everlasting gratitude 😊 as well of that of the participants who will end up benefiting!

Now, let’s have a look at this delightful book!

Title: Sloth And Squirrel In A Pickle

Written By: Cathy Ballou Mealey

Illustrated By: Kelly Collier

Publisher: Kids Can Press, May 4, 2021, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-7

Themes/Topics: teamwork, perseverance, initiative, friendship

text copyright Cathy Ballou Mealey 2021, illustration copyright Kelly Collier 2021, Kids Can Press

Opening: “‘Sloth, I want a bike,” said Squirrel. “I want a bike just like that. We could go FAST!’
Sloth nodded s-l-o-w-l-y.
‘Let’s go to the store!’ said Squirrel.”

Brief Synopsis: Squirrel wants a bike, but it turns out they cost more than he thought. To earn money, he and Sloth get a job at a pickle packing factory. But that turns out not to be as easy as he thought. When they end their first (and only) day of work at the factory, Sloth uses his money to buy them treats. But that doesn’t work out as well as he thought. Until Squirrel recognizes Sloth’s accidental genius and they finally get their bike. Which turns into something neither of them thought… 😊

text copyright Cathy Ballou Mealey 2021, illustration copyright Kelly Collier 2021, Kids Can Press

Links To Resources: think of something you want – how might you and a friend work together to earn money to buy it? draw a picture or write a story of the item you want and what you’d do to earn it; some games require teamwork – try having a three-legged race or building a marshmallow tower; work together to complete a scavenger hunt – here are 8 Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Kids

Why I Like This Book: The friendship between this unlikely pair of buddies shines out from the first lines of the story. They are a team! They see each others’ good qualities. When they make mistakes, there is no blame – they help each other out. When Sloth, in an act of kindness, unknowingly comes up with an idea that will solve their problem, Squirrel recognizes the possibilities and unselfishly gives him the credit. And when they get what they set out to get, Sloth surprises everyone by by showing he and Squirrel have more in common than it might have at first appeared. This hilarious story will have young readers laughing at Sloth and Squirrel’s antics, and discovering with delight all the little details in the fun and lively (and pickle-juice hued 😊) illustrations. An all-around entertaining story that celebrates friendship, teamwork, and taking the initiative to make things happen!

text copyright Cathy Ballou Mealey 2021, illustration copyright Kelly Collier 2021, Kids Can Press

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 blog 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! 😊