Tag: Perfect Picture Book

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Teddy, Let’s Go!

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Welcome to Perfect Picture Book Friday, Everyone!

Is it just me, or has this been a crazy, busy week?

Also, an exciting week as just yesterday I got my author copies of ALPHABEDTIME! Want to see? 😊

Violet is so excited to have a new book to read!

For anyone who might be in the area, I will be at Warwick Children’s Book Festival on Saturday along with many other fabulous children’s authors and illustrators! And (fingers crossed!) I will hopefully have copies of ALPHABEDTIME, available before the official release date just for Warwick! I hope you’ll join us if you can!

But now, I have a lovely book to show you. It has been a casualty of supply chain issues and so had its release date pushed back, but that just gives you more time to preorder it 😊

Title: Teddy, Let’s Go!

Written By: Michelle Nott

Illustrated By: Nahid Kazemi

Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books, December 6, 2022, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-7

Themes/Topics: transitional object, new sibling, family, love

Opening: “The wavy-haired woman with love in her eyes pulled me close and whispered in my ear.
Then she wrapped me up. And I floated.”

These are the first words of the story, but it begins earlier with the art, showing Grandma at her sewing machine making Teddy.

text copyright Michelle Nott 2022, illustration copyright Nahid Kazemi 2022, Enchanted Lion Books
text copyright Michelle Nott 2022, illustration copyright Nahid Kazemi 2022, Enchanted Lion Books
text copyright Michelle Nott 2022, illustration copyright Nahid Kazemi 2022, Enchanted Lion Books

Brief Synopsis: My’s beloved Teddy Bear goes with her everywhere. Through her early childhood he is a constant companion and friend. As she grows older, she relies on him less, but he still holds a special place in her heart. So special that when her little brother comes along, she knows just what she must do.

text copyright Michelle Nott 2022, illustration copyright Nahid Kazemi 2022, Enchanted Lion Books

Links To Resources: Make a teddy bear for yourself, a new sibling, a friend, or anyone you love

Why I Like This Book: This is such a sweet story! So many children have transitional objects, those loveys they carry with them everywhere to lend strength and comfort. This little girl has a Teddy who was made with love especially for her by her grandma. From her crib to camp, Teddy goes with her, always listening for her words: “Teddy, let’s go!” And he always goes. As she grows older, he goes less and stays home more. She doesn’t need him all the time, which is as it should be, but she still needs him sometimes. Then things begin to feel different around the house. In the art, preparations are being made. A mom whose shape is changing. A crib with a mobile. And then, one night, a small voice cries, and the girl takes her beloved Teddy to their first bed and tucks him in next to her brand new little brother. (Moms and Dads, I dare you not to tear up 😊) Young readers will relate to this love for a special stuffed animal or blankie, as so many of us have had something like that, to the comfort it brings, and the love with which it is bestowed. And maybe one day some of them will pass their loveys on to a new sibling, too.

text copyright Michelle Nott 2022, illustration copyright Nahid Kazemi 2022, Enchanted Lion Books

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! 😊

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Brown Is Warm, Black Is Bright

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Just a smidge behind with the post this morning (oops! 😊) but woohoo! It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday!

It’s been awhile since I’ve seen a book I thought was gorgeous on this level. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, I highly recommend finding a copy because it is not to be missed!

Let’s have a look, shall we?

Title: Brown Is Warm, Black Is Bright

Written By: Sarah L. Thomson

Illustrated By: Keith Mallett

Publisher: Little Brown Books For Young Readers, August 30, 2022, lyrical fiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-8

Themes/Topics: Brown, Black, natural world, dreams

text copyright Sarah L. Thomson 2022, illustration copyright Keith Mallett 2022, Little Brown

Opening: “Brown is crisp. . .
crunch and crackle,
catch me as I fall.
Black is splash. . .
Spray! Splatter!
to send a puddle flying.”

text copyright Sarah L. Thomson 2022, illustration copyright Keith Mallett 2022, Little Brown

Brief Synopsis: From the publisher: “Have you ever paused to savor the power and beauty of brown and black? Brown is strong as a tree and sweet as honey in tea; black is the hopeful promise of a seed and the grace of a bird in flight… and the quiet space where dreams begin.”

text copyright Sarah L. Thomson 2022, illustration copyright Keith Mallett 2022, Little Brown

Links To Resources: what do Black and Brown (or other colors) mean to you? How do they make you feel? Draw a picture of it, or write a haiku or a poem about it. What do you think of when you think of Black or Brown (or other colors)? Recipes to make? Make them! Flowers or vegetables to plant? Plant them! What is one dream you have? Is it something you’d like to share? Or something to hold in your heart just for you?

text copyright Sarah L. Thomson 2022, illustration copyright Keith Mallett 2022, Little Brown

Why I Like This Book: This book is a perfect example of what picture books should be – a beautiful marriage of text and art. It is a celebration of Black and Brown, but also of love and hope and wonder, strength and dreams and play, warmth and safety, and the beauty of the natural world. The words are lyrical and evocative, and the art is warm and lush and gorgeous. It makes you feel the text. And Keith Mallett’s skill with facial expression is remarkable. A lovely read that will create a feeling of calm and safety and encourage children to explore all that the world has to offer outside, and all the dreams they may have inside.

text copyright Sarah L. Thomson 2022, illustration copyright Keith Mallett 2022, Little Brown
text copyright Sarah L. Thomson 2022, illustration copyright Keith Mallett 2022, Little Brown

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! 😊

Perfect Picture Book Friday – I Cannot Draw A Horse PLUS Giveaway Winner!

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Hi Everyone!

It’s Friday, so you know what that means!

A fabulous list of Perfect Picture Books just in time for the weekend!

But FIRST! I’m happy to announce the randomly selected winner of last week’s giveaway, Rosanne Kurstedt’s beautiful AND I THINK ABOUT YOU!

ANDREA MACK, come on down! YOU are the lucky winner! Congratulations!!! Please email me (you can use the handy contact form in the menu above if you don’t have my email) and let me know your snail mail address so I can send you the book!

Lovely!

Onward!

Today I have a very entertaining book to share called I CANNOT DRAW A HORSE.

Now, I don’t want to brag, but I actually CAN draw a horse.

Look:

I drew that myself – a Susanna Hill original – no artistic training whatsoever!

I know. It’s a gift.

But for those of you who might need a little instruction, (not to mention a fun story) check out this book!

Title: I Cannot Draw A Horse

Written & Illustrated By: Charise Mericle Harper

Publisher: Union Square Kids, October 11, 2022, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-8

Themes/Topics: creativity, imagination, self-belief, art

text and illustration copyright Charise Mericle Harper 2022, Union Square Kids

Opening: “This is my shape.
Hello, shape!
“What am I?” asked the shape.
I am a nothing shape.
You are not a nothing shape.
Look!
I can draw a cat.
I want a horse.

text and illustration copyright Charise Mericle Harper 2022, Union Square Kids

Brief Synopsis: The book has a shape. It can make the shape a cat. The cat wants a horse. The book cannot draw a horse, but it can draw lots of other things to give the cat fun and excitement. But the cat still wants a horse. Can the book find a way to supply one?

Links To Resources: the book itself is a fun art resource. The pages are like graph paper, and all of the images are made from simple, easy-to-copy shapes and lines that kids can have fun trying their hands at. Start by trying the ones from the book, then see what you can make on your own! Topic for discussion: how important is it to believe you can do something? Does believing you can do something make you able to do it? Does believing you can’t make it impossible?

text and illustration copyright Charise Mericle Harper 2022, Union Square Kids

Why I Like This Book: For starters, this book is a clever departure from standard story telling. The book itself plays an important role by creating all the images that appear. It begins with a shape that looks like a gumdrop. When the shape complains it is nothing, the book makes it into a cat. The cat demands a horse, which the book says it cannot draw, but it willingly supplies other friends – a squirrel, a beaver, a bunny, and a dog. It provides fun in the form of a pool for splashing and a skateboard for going fast. The cat, however, will not be happy until it gets a horse. So at last the book grudgingly makes an attempt. I will not give away the ending – you must read it for yourself or it will be spoiled – but it made me laugh out loud! This picture book, which is like an introduction to graphic novels, is sure to have kids giggling, and experimenting with shapes to see what they can draw!

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! 😊 Practice your horse drawing 😊

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 – How You Came To Be

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So… I’m a little behind today… Let’s just pretend it’s Friday morning, shall we? 😊

Welcome to Perfect Picture Book Friday (where it is not 8:33 PM 😊)!

First off, I am thrilled and excited to announce the winner of the Starry Forest giveaway last week!

Congratulations to Andi Chitty! You get to have a 20 minute Zoom meeting with Robert Agis, the president of the publishing company, to ask anything you want about publishing and even have a chance to share some of your own pitches! Thank you so much to Starry Forest Books, Robert Agis, and Amy Dixon for visiting us last week and offering such a wonderful opportunity!

And now, I have such a beautiful book to show you!

Title: How You Came To Be

Written By: Carole Gerber

Illustrated By: Sawsan Chalabi

Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Random House, nonfiction

Suitable For Ages: 2-4 years

Themes/Topics: prenatal development, nonfiction

Opening: “Before you were born,
a wiggly little cell from another
joined with a little round cell from me.
That’s how you came to be.

Together, these two tiny cells formed
one brand-new cell
that would become YOU.”

Brief Synopsis: From the publisher: “A mother lovingly describes the sizes and stages of her baby’s month-by-month development inside the womb, and the amazement of experiencing it from the outside.”

text copyright Carole Gerber, 2022, illustration copyright Sawsan Chalabi, 2022, Rise x Penguin Workshop

Links To Resources: there is some very nice back matter in the book with “Helpful Words To Know”, “What Unborn Babies Do”, and “How Babies Are Born”, as well as a Selected Bibliography. The book itself is a wonderful resource.

text copyright Carole Gerber, 2022, illustration copyright Sawsan Chalabi, 2022, Rise x Penguin Workshop

Why I Like This Book: I love this book. It is so beautifully and lovingly written, in a way that is so perfectly accessible to young readers. Instead of focusing on any of the mechanics of conception, which I think would be pretty hard to make appropriate for very young readers, it shows children, in concrete images they can easily envision, how big they were at 1 month, 2 months, etc. By personalizing growth and development, almost in the form of a love letter to the child, it feels immediate and relatable.
“Every day you doubled in size.
Soon, you were as big as a pea.
Your heart began to develop
and to beat very quickly.“
Children will be captivated by imagining themselves that small, and if they have a sibling on the way, it may help them to feel their soon-to-be-brother-or-sister is more real. If you’re looking for a book that will answer questions about babies without going into the kinds of details you’d like to hold off on until your children are a little older, or if you just want a lovely book that explains a lot about babies in simple, highly appropriate, easy-to-understand words and pictures, this is the perfect choice!

text copyright Carole Gerber, 2022, illustration copyright Sawsan Chalabi, 2022, Rise x Penguin Workshop

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! 😊

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Butterfly Inn

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Welcome to today’s edition of Perfect Picture Book Friday!

I have the most gorgeous book to share!

I love butterflies, and although I’m not nearly as informed and well-organized as the wildlife biologist author of this book or the people in it, I do plant several of the flowers butterflies like, and I am careful never to cut down milkweed!

This book is wonderful both for its showcasing of beautiful butterflies and flowers and for its modeling of what kids can do to encourage butterflies to frequent their yards or windowsills and take care of butterflies so they’ll be around for future generations.

(And I apologize in advance for the picture quality of the interior shots – they look better in real life!😊)

Title: Butterfly Inn

Written & Illustrated By: Nancy Derey Riley

Publisher: Rolling Prairie Publishing, LLC, May 25, 2022

Suitable For Ages: 4-8, though there is a lot of informational back matter that older children will find interesting!

Themes/Topics: butterflies, nature, species protection

Opening: “We hop off the bus, then
we file through the door,
and enter the world
that we’ve come to explore.”

text and illustration copyright Nancy Derey Riley, 2022

Brief Synopsis: From the publisher: “When the class discovers that butterflies need help, they build a butterfly garden at their school. As the butterflies come to the BUTTERFLY INN, the children watch the life cycle of the butterfly from hungry caterpillars through metamorphosis into adults.”

Links To Resources: the book itself is a tremendous resource. The back matter includes a glossary, the sheet music for a song made up of all the text in the book, “Butterfly Basics”, “Butterfly or Moth?”, “Caterpillar Chow”, “Nectar Needs”, “What Makes A Home”, “Do I Stay Or Do I Go?”, “Threats”, “What Can You Do?”, and a selected bibliography and additional resources. If sheet music isn’t your strong suit and you’d like to learn the tune to the song, Nancy has a clip of the first verse on her website HERE!

text and illustration copyright Nancy Derey Riley, 2022

Why I Like This Book: A class field trip to a butterfly pavilion is the impetus behind the class planning and planting their own butterfly garden to help the sustain the butterflies in their part of the world. Extensive back matter gives a wealth of further information for kids who are interested in learning and doing more. The story does a lovely job of introducing young readers to many kinds of butterflies and the plants they need to flourish, the life cycle of the butterfly, and ways to help these beautiful, important creatures who are threatened by pesticides and habitat loss. Written in enjoyable rhyme which is fun to read aloud (and sing to the supplied music!), the text is both informational and entertaining. Much of it is also lovely, for example: “A shimmer of gold/and a glimmer of blue,/a splatter of spots/in a silvery hue.” The art is friendly and beautiful, and the class is nicely diverse. A great choice for home, classroom, and library!

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! 😊

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Spellbound

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Welcome to Perfect Picture Book Friday!

I know I should probably have a Memorial Day book to share today in recognition of this weekend, but as many of you know, I am living in New Baby Land, so I have a magical new sibling story instead 😊

Title: Spellbound

Written By: Jess Townes

Illustrated By: Jennifer Harney

Publisher: Union Square Kids, June 21, 2022, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-5

Themes/Topics: new sibling

text copyright Jess Townes 2022, illustration copyright Jennifer Harney 2022, Union Square Kids

Opening: “Willow loved magic.
And in her home, magic was all around.
It resided in the roots. It lingered in the leaves.
It blossomed on the branches.
And when it was ready, the magic wandered
on warm breezes in search of an apprentice.
Because magic, after all, is meant to be shared.”

Brief Synopsis: (From the publisher): “Willow’s world is perfectly magical, until Rowan is born. When her new baby brother seems to enchant everyone he meets, Willow becomes convinced he is an actual, real-life wizard. Can Willow put a stop to his hocus pocus, or is Rowan’s magic too powerful to resist?”

text copyright Jess Townes 2022, illustration copyright Jennifer Harney 2022, Union Square Kids

Links To Resources: Peek-a-boo, finger play rhymes like Itsy Bitsy Spider and Patty Cake, playing with rattles or musical instruments, singing songs, making funny faces or using silly voices to get baby to laugh – these are all things that children can do with new siblings to engage with them and help build a bond, making the older sibling feel valued, important, and included.

text copyright Jess Townes 2022, illustration copyright Jennifer Harney 2022, Union Square Kids

Why I Like This Book: Willow’s world is full of magic and she is the center of it. She mesmerizes her mom, dazzles her dad, and charms her bunny. But along comes Rowan and suddenly everyone is mesmerized, dazzled, and charmed by him! What kind of magic is this?! Every child who has gotten a new sibling knows the worry of being displaced, the jealousy when parents pay attention to the baby, the fear that maybe now that the newcomer is here, they don’t matter any more. Willow is determined that even if everyone else falls under Rowan’s spell, she won’t! But though she casts a spell on her ears so she won’t hear his laughter, and a charm over her eyes so she won’t see how cute he is, even she can’t resist him when he calls his big sister by her name. A lovely, lively, magical twist on a new sibling story with beautiful art that feels magical, too. A great choice for new big brothers and sisters, and a fun story for anyone 😊

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!

Happy Memorial Day, with gratitude to all who serve and have served! Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! 😊

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Some Daddies

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I’m not quite sure how this week flew by so fast (oh, wait… maybe it was partly because I posted so late last week 😊) but here we are at Perfect Picture Book Friday again!

With Father’s Day just a month away, I have a wonderful, brand new book about Dads of every kind to share with you this week! I think it’s a great book for anytime, but it’s especially appropriate at this time of year.

Title: Some Daddies

Written By: Carol Gordon Ekster

Illustrated By: Javiera Maclean Alvarez

Publisher: Beaming Books, May 17, 2022

Suitable For Ages: 4-7

Themes/Topics: fathers/families

Opening: “Every daddy is different.
Some daddies wake up whistling.
Others need time before they talk.
Some joke around and tell stories.
Others like to listen.”

text copyright Carol Gordon Ekster 2022, illustration copyright Javiera Maclean Alvarez 2022, Beaming Books

Brief Synopsis: a celebration of the incredible diversity of modern fathers with an inclusive cast of characters and a wide array of fathers that will allow readers to catch glimpses of, and feel new appreciation for, their own fathers and father-figures and how they shine in their own unique ways.

Links To Resources: Father’s Day Activities For Kids; Father’s Day Crafts, Activities, Games and Printables

text copyright Carol Gordon Ekster 2022, illustration copyright Javiera Maclean Alvarez 2022, Beaming Books

Why I Like This Book: I love that such a broad view of fatherhood is taken in this book. Fathers of many races, cultures, occupations, and interests, as well as a two-dad family, a single dad, and a stay-at-home dad are pictured so that every child will likely find some representation of their own father or father-figure. I think it’s wonderful for young readers to be introduced to the many kinds of things fathers can do, be like, and participate in so they can understand that not everyone’s father/father-figure is exactly like their own, and get a sense of the possibilities that exist for them someday. This is a lovely book to read around Father’s Day, or any time 😊

text copyright Carol Gordon Ekster 2022, illustration copyright Javiera Maclean Alvarez 2022, Beaming Books

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! 😊

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Pigeon & Cat

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Welcome to Perfect Picture Book Friday, Everyone!

I have such a beautiful book about friendship, community, and learning to open your heart and trust the world around you. It was written and illustrated by Edward Hemingway, youngest grandson of Ernest, (and is a far cry from my 9th grade reading of A Farewell To Arms 😊) It is due out on June 21 and I think it’s a book classrooms and libraries can benefit from as well as home libraries. Have a look!

Title: Pigeon & Cat

Written & Illustrated By: Edward Hemingway

Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books/Little Brown & Co, June 21, 2022

Suitable For Ages: 4-8

Themes/Topics: friendship, community, creativity, personal growth

Opening: “In an abandoned city lot there sits a cardboard box. Inside the box lives Cat.”

text & illustration copyright Edward Hemingway 2022, Christy Ottaviano Books

Brief Synopsis: from the publisher: “In an abandoned city lot, Cat lives alone in a cardboard box. He leaves only to find food. One day, Cat discovers an unbroken egg too beautiful to eat. Soon, out pecks Pigeon, and they become fast friends. Cat is happy to share his box with Pigeon. But when Pigeon flies far away from where they live, Cat must brave the city in order to rescue his friend. This journey will forever transform his understanding of home.

This heartwarming story explores unlikely friendships, the creative spark within us, and how to give comfort and kindness in small, impactful gestures. It is also a celebration of urban community.”

text & illustration copyright Edward Hemingway 2022, Christy Ottaviano Books

Links To Resources: as a parent or teacher, encourage your kids to be part of their communities – family, school, neighborhood. Look at family photos so kids learn who family members are and how important they are to you. Make a family storybook using photos, including birthdays and addresses and relationships so kids gain a solid understanding of their family community. Participate in school activities beyond the classroom – book fairs, sports events, school plays. Get out in the local community with your kids. Are there opportunities for helping with recycling, planting trees or flowers, making cards for seniors at holidays? If not, maybe you can start one 😊

text & illustration copyright Edward Hemingway 2022, Christy Ottaviano Books

Why I Like This Book: It can be easy for anyone who has faced hardship, hurt, or disappointment to wall themselves off from the world as a measure of self protection. So Cat lives his life, staying where he feels safe, never venturing forth, and threatening all he encounters with hisses, teeth, and claws because the world is frightening to him. But along comes Pigeon who has never known anything but love – Cat’s love for her and hers for him – and over the course of the story Cat opens his heart and his mind and comes to realize that the world can be a good and beautiful place to which he has a lot to offer, and maybe, just maybe, it has something to offer him. This book is a sweet and lovely celebration of friendship and community, taking something rough and making it better for everyone. The art is engaging, full of details. I love the places where Cat and Pigeon talk, because Pigeon has her own way of communicating, all in pictures 😊 I can’t imagine anyone not loving this book!

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! 😊

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Little Tiger

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Okay.

So, in my mind I had this plan that I was going to post a Perfect Picture Book (on time!) today.

In reality, I am spending my days helping out with my new granddaughter.

“Helping out” (in case you’re unfamiliar with the term) in addition to actually helping out with baby care and laundry and grocery shopping etc. involves a lot of gazing at the baby and looking at each other and saying, “Isn’t she perfect?” and “Can you believe how perfect she is?”

SO…. not a lot of non-baby related work getting done around here at the moment! 😊

So instead of sharing a new book on time, I am sharing an old book late 😊

I chose Little Tiger because Charlotte, having been born in the Year of the Tiger, is a little tiger, and because I love this whole series by Julie Abery – perfect little books for youngest readers!

Little Tiger Cover

Title: Little Tiger

Written By: Julie Abery

Illustrated By: Suzie Mason

Amicus Ink, March 12 2019, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-5

Themes/Topics: baby jungle adventure, mother/child love, language fun (rhyme)

Opening:
“Little Tiger
waking,
shaking,
in the morning sun.”

Brief Synopsis: a “day-in-the-life” adventure in which Little Tiger romps and plays and experiments… but mama is always close by to watch over and keep him safe.

Links To Resources: Special Resource straight from the author!!!

Hi Susanna.

Thank you so much for inviting Little Tiger to Blueberry Hill. We have been looking forward to visiting you on Perfect Picture Book Friday for such a long time!

We are so happy that you and your granddaughters loved our book sooo much! How about a little painting fun to go with the book.

Little Tiger handprints…

tigerhand

TIGER-ific!

Fun and easy to make, just don’t forget to have a bowl of soapy water to wash those paint-covered hands.

We hope that you enjoyed the Little Tiger craft time.

Thank you so much for taking time to stop by and share these wonderful activities with us, Julie!!!

Why I Like This Books: the story is sweet, engaging, and accessible to youngest readers/listeners.  The rhyme is fun to read aloud, with perfect rhythm and fun internal rhyme as well as end-of-line-rhyme. The story lets us play and explore along with the baby animal, always feeling the safety of mama’s watchful eye and the warmth of her love. A lovely, gentle read, perfect for bedtime or any time!!!

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!!! 😊