Perfect Picture Book Friday -- Frida Kahlo

Happy Friday to you! Kids are heading into summer vacation mode with time to play, read, and make art on their own terms. If you haven't read this wonderful biography of Frida Kahlo, this summer would be wonderful time to meet the artist and her many beloved animals.

Title: Frida Kahlo and her Animalitos
Written by: Monica Brown
Illustrated by: John Parra
Publisher: North South Books, 2017
Pura Belpre Honor Book

Themes: art, biography, imagination, pets

About the book: This picture book biography of the artist Frida Kahlo is the story of her life as seen through her relationship with her many beloved pets.

Why I love this book: I too love animals. Frida's pets were grand and varied. I wonder what it would be like to have monkey's as pets?

Animals and art were therapy for Frida. This would be a wonderful introduction for children who have health problems or may be struggling emotionally. It tells a child she/he is not alone and gives them ways to move through the difficult times.

Art is so important. As they say, "Earth without art is Eh." This book is a double dose of art. First the story of an artist and secondly, the artwork created by John Parra.  I had the opportunity to listen and watch as he showed us how he creates his illustrations. Each illustration is many many layers of paint with cutting and masking of sections, building up to the final piece. You can learn more about his process here.

We need more art. Kids need to make art and be exposed to art. This book does that in spades!

A couple articles on the importance of making art which Arree Chung posted on his Facebook page and I share with you here:

https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2019/arts-teaching-become-important-maths-tech-based-future-education-expert

https://www.edutopia.org/video/powerful-effects-drawing-learning

Activities:

• Color a picture of Frida Kahlo
• Draw a self-portrait. What are your your favorite features? Who would be in the portrait with you?
• Experiment with different art styles.
• Visit an art museum, gallery, and/or local artists group to see what types of art other people are making. In my town, our art league shows their artwork at two local libraries throughout the year and offers a day of art for kids at a summer event.
• Learn more about Frida Kahlo
• Find out about the Pura Belpre Award
• Learn more about the Illustrator, John Parra
• Learn more about the author, Monica Brown
• Take some time to understand the meaning of the Spanish words in the book. You may even want to begin learning the language. Many public libraries offer access to online language learning programs. If you are taking a trip with lots of travel time, you could all learn together. Be sure to join the Summer Reading Program too. You and your kids will be more prepared than ever to head back to a new school year in the fall.

Be sure to check out Susanna Hill's Blog where you can look for reviews by book, title, and by themes. And you can check out her weekly #PPBF post along with links to many more wonderful posts here. 

Perfect Picture Book Friday -- Cricket in the Thicket

Tomorrow is my birthday. I wanted to find just the right book that I would want to read on my birthday. One might think I would choose a book about birthdays, or a book about Memorial Day, but if you have gotten to know me through my posts, you already realize that the book I would choose would be about nature or art or both. I have three books waiting in these categories and it was hard to to pick which one to share this week. All three were discovered during the Marvelous Midwest SCBWI Conference. When I walked through the conference book store, this book caught my eye and I was smitten with the cover.

Title: Cricket in the Thicket: Poems about Bugs
Author: Carol Murray
Illustrated by: Melissa Sweet
Publisher: Christy Octavia Books, Henry Holt and Company, 2017

First Line:  Cricket in the thicket, cricket.

A poem from the book: 
Grasshopper Green
Grasshopper green is a munching machine,
he is built with precision and flair.

His hind legs are long and exceedingly strong,
like two springs as he zings through the air.

Four wings let him fly, let him zip through the sky,
he has jaws that are perfect for crunching.

With ears near his knees and five eyes, sure to please,
he spends most of his time simply munching.

A Very Short Description: This is a book of rhyming poems about a variety of insects.

Why I love this book: 
💚Poems about insects.
💚 Each poem is fun and observational.
💚I fell in love with the cover and then again with every illustration.
💚 I don't like all insects and there are a few in this book that I still don't like, but I enjoy knowing just a little more about each. Just because I don't like them, doesn't mean I should ignore them and not understand them. So kudos to Carol for writing about tics and mites.
💚Each page includes a poem and a fact about the insect. At the back of the book, each insect is listed with additional facts shared.
💚 This book is a Kansas State Library Notable book for 2018.
💚I had the opportunity to test a few poems out with some second graders yesterday during time in the garden. Each poem elicited discussion and sharing of previous knowledge. These second graders had monarch caterpillars in their classrooms last fall (9 months ago) to learn about the monarch caterpillar life cycle. They were sharing things they remember about the experience. Two of my favorites:  Some said, "J". It took a moment to connect the dots, but they were remembering when the caterpillar had finished eating and was getting ready to shed its skin and reveal its chrysalis. They also remembered that the newly hatched caterpillar turns around and eats its egg and may even eat its instar each time it sheds its skin. Being able to introduce insects to children through real life experience, poetry and art, helps to develop a deep understanding and appreciation of these living creatures.

Activities:
Wander around your yard, park, or neighborhood and see what bugs you can find. Then do some first hand research by asking questions and seeing if you can discover the answers. You may want to carry a nature journal to make drawing and take notes about your discoveries. I notice, I wonder, and it reminds me of.

Here are a few more questions to keep you going:
What is the big doing?
How many wings does it have?
Does it make a sound?
Did you hear it before you saw it?
What does it look like?
Where are its ears?
How close can you get?

Did you research leave you with more questions than answers? Learn more about each of the insects by checking out books from your local library.

Play Insect Bingo

Use the observations from your insect discoveries to write poems.
Information on writing rhyming couplets

Learn about the illustrator Melissa Sweet

Make your own Mixed Media Collage: A few links:
Beginner's Guide
From Meri Cherry
Mixed Media Flower Craft

Be sure to check out Susanna Hill's Blog where you can look for reviews by book, title, and by themes.

And now for something completely different. Since it's my birthday blog post, I share with you a recipe for fudge that my mother passed down to me. I made it a couple of weeks ago as frosting for my sister's birthday cupcakes. Yum! and easy to make. Think of it as nectar for humans.

Baked Fudge
1 LB. Confectioner Sugar
1/2 Cup (1 stick) Butter
1/3 Cup Cocoa
1/4 Cup Milk (I used Cashew Milk)
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional)
1 TBS. Vanilla

Combine sugar, butter, cocoa & milk in an ovenproof bowl
Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees
Add nuts and vanilla
Beat until it stats to thicken. Pour into an 11" x 7" x 2" pan or frost cooled cake or cupcakes. Let cool and enjoy.

Perfect Picture Book Friday -- Grumpy Monkey

It is Perfect Picture Book Friday time. No matter what mood you are in, I hope have enjoy this book.  

Title: Grumpy Monkey
Author:  Suzanne Lang
Illustrated by: Max Lang
Publisher: Random House, 2018


First Lines: One wonderful day Jim Panzee woke to discover that nothing was right. The sun was too bright, the sky was too blue, and the bananas were too sweet.

Themes: Emotions, Grumpiness, self-awareness, self-expression

Synopsis and Why I love this book:

Sometimes you wake up and you are grumpy. No secret reason. Just grumpy. Jim Panzee wakes up grumpy one morning and everyone tries to help him enjoy the wonderful day. It doesn't help. Read Grumpy Monkey to find out how Jim deals with his grumpy mood.

The illustrations and characters make me think of Rudyard Kiplings The Elephant's Child. Which would pair well with this book if you were going on a theme of African animals, problem solving, and fun stories.

It also reminds me of the animated movie The Jungle Book (Again by Rudyard Kipling).

Fun emotive characters that any child can relate to.

Did you catch the name? Jim Panzee! How clever is that?

Activities:

The more we talk about and understand emotions and their transience, the better off we are in dealing with them when they occur. Have conversations about emotions. Discuss where the emotions are coming from. How does it feel? What does the child's face look like in the midst of the emotions? Provide acceptance for all of the emotions. The happy ones too..

Parenting tips of dealing with negative emotions.

Transient emotions and how to navigate through them.

Expressing Emotions Activities


Finally, if you want to find more cool picture books check out Susanna Hill's Blog where you can look for reviews by book, title, and by themes.

Perfect Picture Book Friday -- Leaflets three . . .

This week it's back to nature. Spring is here in the Midwest. Trees are leafing out, the grass is green, flowers are growing, the summer birds are arriving, finding mates, and preparing nests. Bees and butterflies are flittering and searching for food. We are getting loads of rain and still have cooler temperatures, but nature and wildlife continue unabated including the plant discussed in this week's Perfect Picture Book. . .

Title: Leaflets Three, Let it Be! the story of poison ivy
Author: Anita Sanchez
Illustrated by: Robin Brickman
Publisher: Boyd Mills Press, 2014

Opening Lines: Winter woods are dark. Bare branches rattle in the icy wind. A thick brown vine creeps up a tree. Shaggy rootlets help it cling to the bark.

Themes: Nature, plants, STEM, food webs, 3-D art,

Description and Why I love this book:
An ode to poison ivy. This is one of those books that provides you with an understanding of a plant beyond our narrow itchy world of the plant. It helps a person of any age understand that while the oil in the plant may give humans a rash and make us itch, the plant itself provides food and protection for many animals.

I will admit, that just thinking about coming into contact with poison ivy makes me feel itchy, but I also know that the more I know about it the better I can protect myself from ending up with the itchy rash. The only thing that would have made this book better would have been to provide a pronunciation of the word urushiol. (That's the oil that causes a rash on humans.) That is being really nit picky and in no way takes away from the book and below, you can hear how it is pronounced.

This book takes you through a full year cycle of the plant to learn how it benefits wildlife while at the same time showing you all of its parts and colors, shapes, and sizes so that you can let it be. The back matter is written in a Q &A format and answers the burning questions you may have when you actually end up with a rash and blisters.

On the very last page, there is an artist's not about how Robin Brickman created the incredible life-like artwork for this book. So much loving attention to the plant and wildlife.

As I was putting the last touches on this post, it hit me that the title has a double meaning. "Let it be." Don't touch it because you don't want the itchy rash. Also, don't touch it because it is a beneficial plant in nature. You may not want it growing in your home garden and may need to get rid of it in places where people spend time, but allow it to grow as in natural areas so animals, birds and insects have access to its benefits.

I first learned about this book reading Melissa Stewart's Celebrate Science blog and a post by Anita Sanchez. A great post and a wonderful blog to follow if you like science and/or writing non-fiction.

Every nature center and earth science program should have a copy of this book. Then they should have a program on poison ivy and food webs.


Finally, if you want to find more cool picture books check out Susanna Hill's Blog where you can look for reviews by book, title, and by themes.

Perfect Picture Book Friday -- Sam & Eva

Today begins the SCBWI Marvelous Midwest Writers and illustrators conference. I am so excited to have Debbie as a guest and presenter at the conference. If you haven't seen her books (the two she wrote and illustrated and all the ones she has illustrated, be sure to check them out. There's a link to her website at the end of this post.

Title: Sam & Eva
Author and illustrator: Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2017

Opening Lines: Sam had just begun to draw when Eva arrived. "I like your pony," Eva said. "It's a velociraptor," said Sam.

Themes: Drawing, imagination, friendship, collaboration

About the book:
Sam wants to draw alone, but Eva wants to join him. The drawings takes on a life of their own as Sam and Eva's imaginary worlds collide. When Eva decides it isn't fun anymore and leaves, Sam realizes that something is missing from the experience.

Why I love this book:
I love books that show kids making art and using their imaginations.

This book about friendship and collaboration starts off on the wrong foot. Not an uncommon occurrence for kids (I won't mention adults). It's interesting to think about what shifts during the interaction to turn the relationship to something good and special? In this book, there are no adults. The answer to the problem in this story is not dramatic. It's just letting things happen and allowing a relationship to take its course. I think this is an important lesson for kids to learn. We don't always need someone to tell us how to fix and build relationships.

I love that the Sam and Eva are drawn in black and white and all the color is in the drawings they create.

Some Activities:

Make a Dry Erase/Magnetic  Board Wall : This is just one video of how to make a the wall. But Wouldn't it be fun to be able to draw on the walls and not get in trouble?

Debbie's Cool Website filled with activities, downloadables, and cool stuff about her and her work.

Team Building Exercises

As always, to find more cool picture books check out Susanna Hill's Blog where you can look for reviews by book, title, and by themes.