Title: Nine Months Before a Baby is Born
Author: Miranda Paul
Illustrator: Jason Chin
Publisher: Neal Porter Books, 2019
I chose this book because I have a friend who is having a baby. I am so excited for the whole family. She announced to the world that her life is changing and they are preparing for another boy to join the family. As scientists and parents, I believe this book will be a great addition to their family discussions about the new baby.
The story is written in simple poetry describing in simple terms what is happening inside mommies belly.
On the left-hand spreads, we see illustrations of the baby from fertilized egg to the moment it's time for mom and dad to head to the hospital. Each illustration of the baby's formation and growth is actual size.
On the right-hand spread, the illustrations take you through the life of a family of three as they prepare for the arrival of the new baby.
The illustrations are created with watercolor and gauche. The family images are bright and show the changes of the seasons to help set up time passing. The illustrations of the baby in the belly are set on a deep blue background and the number of weeks that have past are included.
The book back-matter adds more in depth information about babies and how they grow. There are little snippets about things babies can do before they're born, comparisons of the gestation periods of humans vs. animals, and a section called what if? This section talks about multiple births, premature births, and miscarriage.
Why I like this book:
So often children grow up knowing that babies happen, but they are not shown a more in-depth look. I feel like this book opens the door to conversations about how babies grow and what to expect about a new baby coming into the family.
I really like the side-by-side between the growth of the baby and the family preparing for that a new life to come home.
The simple text and beautiful illustrations can be read as a family or the child can spend time looking and discovering on his/her own.
Activities and Resources
There is an excellent exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Check out the link for an online experience.
Check out the bibliography at the back of the book for more reading.
I won this wonderful book with my Fall Frenzy writing contest submission.
What?! Flamingo hugs aren't for everyone? No way! Who wouldn't want a hug from a flamingo?
Title: Flamingo Hugs Aren't For Everyone
Author: Ciara O'Neal
Illustrated by: Alicia Young
Publisher: (Ciara did it herself. Yes, that right, this is a self-published picture book), 2019. You can find it on Amazon.
Opening Lines: While most flamingos dreamed of dancing and dining on delicacies, Flaminga hoped for a hug. Day after day, she watched as the zoo's ponies were petted. The calves were cuddled. Even llamas were loved. Have you ever met a llama? They're grumps! But no one EVER wanted Flaminga's hugs.
Themes:
Hugs, Flamingos, clumsiness
Why I like this book:
1. Flaminga is sooooo cute.
2. Hugs are wonderful.
3. Pair Flaminga and hugs, and it's just downright cuterful. Yep. I made that word up. This book is cuterful. Maybe it's wondercute. Either way, it's a fun and funny story with bright and cheerful illustrations.
Flaminga is a bit clumsy and in her attempts to give and receive hugs, things don't always go well. We've all been there. In our excitement, we move too fast, miss a step or two and Splash, Crash, we go tumbling. But that doesn't stop Flaminga from getting up and trying again and again to find somebody to hug. Join her as she attempts to wrap her bright pick wings around all the zoo visitors.
This would make a great gift book for Valentine's Day.
Activities and Resources:
At the back of the book you will discover some fun flaming facts and a coloring page.
Two things I have learned about flamingos over the years.
1. Flamingos need to get a running start to take flight.
2. Most flamingos in the US are domesticated. The wild flamingos were hunted out of existence. But, they are making a comeback.
Here are a few bonus photos of flamingos. The first two were taken in the Camargue in the South of France. The last one has become one of my Halloween decorations.
I see one ready for a hug.
Did you know they run?
Yep, a skeleton riding a skeleton flamingo. That's the way I roll.
This remix of the classic Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a a little creepy, a little gruesome, and full of heart.
Why I love this book:
There are not many books out there that include adoption as a topic. This one sets you up from the beginning that this family has room for one more. Something every adopted child wants to feel is that there is room for them and they are wanted.
I love Halloween and our local schools no longer celebrate the holiday. This book isn't a Halloween story, so it makes for a great book to read this time of year. You don't have to break any rules, but you get to have some spooky creepy fun.
Illustrations:
One of the things that I love about the end papers is that there is the black space at the bottom right corner. At first glance it seems like there was an odd choice in layout, but when you know the story, you realize it's black because it is waiting to be filled.
Activities and Resources:
You could pair this book with Sterling, Best Dog Ever by Aidan Cassie to talk about adoption and finding a home.
Or
You could pair this book with Zombies Don't Eat Veggies by Jorge and Megan Lacera and have a non-Halloween at Halloweenie storytime. You could even add in Zombies in Love by Kate DiPuccio for a Zombie Trifecta.
You can read more about her journey in making this book here.
I have always loved mysteries all the way back to the kittens who lost their mittens. I loved Encyclopedia Brown and The Bobbsey Twins. Scoobey Doo was my favorite cartoon. So Tara Lazar's Private I books are right up my dark and dangerous alley.
Her first book in the series got me with the title:
A couple of years ago, I was assisting a class of second graders as they were starting a math lesson. That day's assignment was on page 789. I let out a kind of snorty laugh and one of the kids looked at me like I was an alien. She had never heard the joke. Jokes are hard to explain to second graders. The humor gets lost when you are trying to explain a Homonym and how it makes for a funny joke. But, when the joke is laid out in front of you in a story, kids can get it all on their own.
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago and the second grade class I was subbing for were getting a little squirrely with their math and language studies. I pulled out my special copy of 7 Ate 9 and we had a math and language lesson all in one. Don't worry, I just read the book and didn't tell them they were putting their lessons to work. They already knew the story, but were happy to read the book again. They love being in on the jokes and the mystery. Thank you Tara for signing the book. It is now in the school library and the kids can read it again and again.
On to Perfect Picture Book Friday:
Title: THE UPPER CASE: TROUBLE IN CAPITAL CITY
Author: Tara Lazar
Illustrator: Ross McDonald
Publisher: Disney Hyperion, 2019
Now, before we get started, put on your best Humphrey Bogart voice and read this out loud . . .
Opening lines:
I was dozing in my chair when Question Mark barged into my office. He looked bent out of shape.
"What's the matter, Mark?" I asked.
The problem, you ask. All the uppercase letters are missing! But Private I is on the case and he's taking you along to talk to Little b, and all the punctuation to solve this mystery.
Why I love this book:
A mystery as noted at the beginning of this post.
Tara has a wonderful ability to bring language and number humor alive.
Throughout the story readers learn about punctuation in a fun way.
You get to use your Humphrey Bogart voice and create many more voices for all the characters.
I love how Ross McDonald brings all the letters and punctuation to life. Those little legs and big shoes . . . adorable.
Activities and Resources:
Practice your best Humphrey Bogart voice. Here's a little video to get you started.
I was going to add some "Fun ways to teach capitalization and punctuation." But so far I haven't found any that are as fun as this book. If you have fun ways to play with these lessons, please share them in the comments.
Title: Give Me Back My Bones!
Author: Kim Norman
Illustrator: Bob Kolar
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2019
Themes: Bone Structure, Pirates, Poetry, Halloween, Skeletons
First Lines:
A stormy Night has passed here
and toppled every mast here.
The ocean, flowing fast here,
has scattered all my bones!
Why I love this book:
A fun way to teach a child the names of the bones in our bodies.
A Pirate story!
Poetry
Kim uses Anadiplosis (not a dinosaur) but the repetition of the last word in each of the lines of poetry.
In the first three lines of each page/poem, her meter matches and ends of the lines use the same word. Then as she is showing us which bone the skeleton is seeking, the meter and last word change. The first three lines skip along at a fast fun beat. The fourth line is shorter yet takes longer to say making the name of the bone sticky and memorable.
Beautiful under water illustrations.
I am always curious to figure out how illustrations are made. It was a challenge for this book. I was pretty sure it was digital art, but that was a guess and I wanted to be sure. I found a sentence on a Pinterest post that says his work is created with Adobe Illustrator. Bob Kolar has a way of making the images cartoony yet realistic.
I guess what I mean by that is there is a playfulness to the illustrations and yet, you can tell there was research and an understanding of the subject. The fish are recognizable as real fish you could see in the ocean. The bones are simplified, yet you know what they are.
I love the way he uses texture to create depth and dimensionality.
The color scheme with the dark background and bright foreground is engaging.
Activities and Resources:
Don't wait until Talk Like A Pirate Day to share this book. It would be fun now around Halloween. If you are talking about the human body and want to teach the names of the skeletal bones, share the book. Share it in a poetry unit to teach the meter and anadiplosis style of poetry.
This past summer I met Daria Peoples-Riley at Highlights Foundation Summer Camp. On our last night, we all headed over to the Executive Director's family farm for a cookout. Daria, Matthew Winner, and I were in the same van for the trip. Daria pulled out her copy of her about to be released picture book, I Got Next. It's the sequel to her book This is It.
Title: I Got Next
Author and Illustrator: Daria People-Riley
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2019
When I got home, I ordered both books. There are so many kids I would love to share these books with. They are inspiring, encouraging, and filled with rhythm, poetry, and joy.
In the van, Daria mentioned that she wished there was a way to teach people how to read the books with the rhythm, poetry, and joy that is infused throughout. You see there are some videos of people reading the book. The readers do a beautiful job of enunciating and reading each page slowly for someone looking will be able to linger over the images. The problem with that is these books are more like music and when you read the story without the music, you leave part of that story in the book. (my thoughts.)
To give you a sense of the rhythm, here is the flap cover text:
It's Game day!
Time to put
your game face on.
Shake shake 'em.
Playground play, 'em.
Work hard.
Don't quit.
And leave your heart
on the court
because
YOU
GOT
NEXT!
I emailed Daria and asked if I could interview her for this post. She graciously agreed and a I sent her a few questions.
What would you tell readers to help them get the rhythm?
I think in order for readers to understand the rhythm and rhyming in THIS IS IT and I GOT NEXT they should research the rhetorical devices deeply rooted in African traditions. One of the stylistic devices I use in my books, through voice and structure, both in text and visually is call and response. Call and response is the foundation for many African American oral traditions. It is a dialogue between the speaker and the audience, the author and the reader.
Some stories have an obvious tune based on a song that we know. Others are like these two books where the text size, the punctuation, the images provide clues to the voice of the story. This is a part of why we fall in love with a story and want to share it with the world. As librarians, parents, and teachers, we should have the courage to give each story we read the energy it deserves. It helps children become engaged with the story, and encourages them to want to read even more stories.
The end pages in I Got Next are beautiful and filled with symbols and portraits. Why did you choose this for the end pages? There is so much there to look at and wonder about.
I’m happy to hear this. I think this is exactly the purpose of public art, to make us pause, reflect and wonder, and maybe even wander into our own imagination. I chose to create a mural for the end pages because I imagined it would exist in the neighborhood where my hero lives, a reminder to him of the heroes and heroines whose lives he should use as mentor texts. Their stories of resilience and contribution should inspire him to put his game face on and use his gifts and abilities to work hard and to be a leader on the court, and in extension, in his community.
Would you share a little bit about your illustration style and process?
My illustration style is a result of me learning to work with the materials and knowledge I gain as I grow as an artist through my life experiences and through trial and error.
When I began, I enjoyed painting, but lacked the education of traditional art school training. I didn’t know things like how to prepare paper for a painting or the elements of composition or really the “right” way to do anything. Pretty much everything I learned about illustration was more or less a result of playing and experimenting with mediums and various processes.
My introduction to art was photography, so I learned Photoshop as a result and used it as apart of my process. Because of Photoshop, I think about the composition of an illustration in layers which is the way Photoshop is structured.
I begin by painting individual layers, scan, or photograph the layers, and then composite them in Photoshop, from the background to foreground. If I mess up, it’s no big deal because I can just paint the layer over again until it can be added to the composition in Photoshop.
I used this process for both THIS IS IT and I GOT NEXT. I paint in watercolor, gouache, and ink. For the portraits in I GOT NEXT, I drew those using charcoal.
Many people ask me if I call my style collage. I guess it is in a non-traditional way, but as I grow as an artist, I find myself moving away from Photoshop, primarily because I don’t really like using the computer as much these days. I do, however, like the idea of collage, so I’m experimenting with ways to retain my style while using a new process that doesn’t always include Photoshop or drastically limits my use of it.
How did these stories come to you; through words or images first?
All of my stories (up to this point) come through the inspiration of a protagonist who wants me to tell his or her story. When I sit down to tell it, some spreads come as words, others as images and after it’s gone through the revision process, both words and images tell the whole story.
More Questions?
I could have asked her many more questions, but a book, once released into the world, is a partnership of the author, illustrator, and reader. We as the readers get to make our own interpretations and bring our individuality into each story we read.
Why I love these books:
For their poetry, their encouragement, and because I can easily see myself sharing them with loads of kids.
I love that the characters in these picture books are older. I love reading picture books to school aged children. They have the ability to see the layers within the stories and use their own imaginations to create art and stories of their own.
Daria uses a shadow person as the other character in the book. I have thought a lot about that. The shadow looks like the character, but it could also be the shadow of an important person in the child's life. Our shadows can be uplifting and our shadows have the potential of trying to tear us down. I believe this comes from who we have in our lives and how they talk to us each day. As adults and parents who connect with children, it is our opportunity to help each child we encounter develop their positive uplifting shadow.
Activities and Resources:
Check out the trailer for this is it. A celebration of individuality, self-expression and dance.
I had to laugh when I opened my email for the latest episode of The Children's Book Podcast and saw that it is an interview with Daria Peoples-Riley on the same week that I was working on my Perfect Picture Book Friday post of her books. I guess connections made at Highlights Foundation are really strong.
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.
Title: When Aidan Becomes a Brother
Author: Kyle Lukoff
Illustrator: Kaylani Juanita
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, 2019
This is another book that I learned about from Matthew Winner while I was out at Highlights Foundation Summer Camp. I love that Matthew strives to share books for underrepresented groups. You can listen to the podcast here.
Opening Lines: When Aidan was born, everyone thought he was a girl. His parents gave him a pretty name. His room looked like a girl's room.
Why I love this book:
Aidan's story is not just about his getting a new sibling, but about how everyone thought Aidan was a girl when he was born, but he felt and knew that he was a boy. His parents came to terms with this realization and accepted him for who he is. When Aidan finds out he is going to become a brother, he wants to make sure that the new baby is welcome and given the opportunity to figure out who they will be.
I believe that all children should feel comfortable in their own skin. OK, I believe everyone should feel comfortable in their own skin and that works best when it starts early. This book is all about a family feeling comfortable in their skin. Life is not perfect, but when we recognize our mistakes and take steps to fix them, we make the world a better place; a more comfortable place for everyone to live happy full lives.
I like that this story is specifically about a child recognizing his gender doesn't match his body. There are many books about boys who want to wear dresses and they are wonderful for all children to see that it's OK to dress in girls clothes if you are a boy and boys clothes if you are a girl. Those books tell a child it's OK to be who you are and to discover yourself through dress-up and play. This book is about knowing who you are and being accepted for being that person.
I admit that I never wondered who I was in terms of gender. I'm a girl with a bunch of what would have been considered tomboy tendencies. (I like science and nature. I loved climbing trees and learning how to use the chain saw and help with cutting down dead trees to use as fire wood.) But I am a girl/woman. I also know that in my life, there were times when others said things that made me feel less than whole. I was teased for my red hair. I didn't find out I was adopted until I was 13 years old and even after that it was a family secret. So while I always felt like my gender matched my physical body, I often struggled to feel accepted in the world.
If you know someone who feels unaccepted for who they are, hug them, and let them know that they are perfect, loved, and they belong. Share this book with them.
With kids:
Have a conversation about the things that make the child not feel like they fit in. Talk about what would make the child feel accepted.
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.
Title:The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown Author: Mac Barnett Illustrated by: Sarah Jacoby Publisher: Balzar and Bray, 2019
I was so fortunate to hear Mac Barnett read this book at the Anderson Bookstore Children's Literature Breakfast way back in February. I fell in love. This is an important book.
It is a little bit biography of Margaret Wise Brown. You will learn bits and pieces of her life as you read. It is a little bit biography of Anne Carroll Moore who doesn't even appear in the book until page 20. A little bit about censorship. A little bit about life and death. A little bit about being strange and being yourself. Yes, it is an important book that tells you important things about Margaret Wise Brown and important things about life and death.
The First page: "It did not seem important that anyone wrote these stories. They were true. And it still doesn't seem important! All this emphasis today on who writes what seems silly to me as far as children are concerned." -- Margaret Wise Brown.
The first lines of the story: (I say story because while this is a biography, it is also a story.)
"Margaret Wise Brown lived for 42 years. This book is 42 pages long. You can't fit somebody's life into 42 pages, so I am just going to tell you some important thing."
Man, he had me at Hello.
Most picture books are not paginated. But this one is. Mac refers to the page we are on several times in the book just as he tells us how many pages the book is. We learn about Margaret as a child, as an author, and as an adult. We get tidbits of her life surrounded by the world around her and how she interacts with it. He tells us her books are strange, she is strange, and yet, she is compelling and exciting. I love people who are all of those things.
And then there are the illustrations. Sarah Jacoby brings Margaret Wise Brown to life in vivid colors and movement. Throughout she slips in book covers of Margaret's books and uses the characters from her stories to show the action within the biography. Be sure to check out the cover under the paper cover. It is lovely. Look closely at the illustrations. It's more than just Margaret's books (I think I missed that until I took a close-up photo of the page) So many details!
Activities:
Play Seek and Find throughout the book. What book covers do you see? Have you read those books? Check them out and keep the reading going. What other details do you notice? Are illustrations used in tiny spots from larger illustrations in the book? Count the rabbits.
Pick a bouquet of flowers and set them on your table. Enjoy the fleeting moments of flowers.
Read books by Margaret Wise Brown
Teachers and Librarians: This would make a great read for Banned Book Week. Or maybe the week before Banned Book Week. A door to open up to conversations about Banned Books. "Because every good book is at least a little bit strange, and there are some people who do not like strange things in their worlds." I hope today, libraries are less restrictive in their selection policies. I believe for the most part that they are. But, I also believe that we can ALWAYS do better. Whether that is buying more Indie published books that maybe didn't get reviewed in the major journals, seeking out more diversity in books by own voices authors, offering controversial programming, speaking up for all people, and being the place that communities can rely of for opening our minds and allowing us to learn and release our biases.
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.
Books for Babies and Toddlers! Celebrating the beginnings of independence. These books would make lovely gifts for newborns and first birthdays.
Title: Peekity Boo What You Can Do!
Author: Heidi Bee Roemer
Illustrated By: Mike Wohnoutka Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books Henry Holt and Company, 2019
First three pages: Peekity Boo! Look what baby can do . . . There's a shirt to slip off. Socks to kick off. Splishity splash! Here's a Baby's bath.
Themes: Bedtime, independence
Heidi creates wonderful poetry for young children. This story is an illustrated bedtime poem perfect for any toddler getting ready for bed.
The repetition of end words is a wonderful way to help a child build their language skills. It won't take may times of reading this book and toddler will be saying it along with you.
Why I love this book:
First I must admit that I had the privilege of taking a poetry writing class from Heidi. I may not have caught this book if not for that as I tend to read an look for books for an older age group.
This is a wonderful book for toddlers who are starting do do things on their own. It encourages them to try it themselves while at the same time, it is about family and the whole bedtime experience.
This book would make a wonderful gift for a child's first or second birthday.
Activities:
Turn getting ready for bed into a fun activity encouraging your toddler to do each activity in the story.
Play with the lovely Onomatopoeia words, Peekity Boo, Splishity Splash. Make up more words that sound like the activity you are doing.
Play Bath Games.
Title: Hooray for Babies!
Author: Susan Meyers
Illustrated by: Sue Cornelison Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2019
Themes: Babies, activities, self-understanding
Gently rhyming, these babies discover the world in many different scenarios from looking in the mirror, to visiting the beach, playing in a pool, and taking a nap.
Opening Line: I'm glad that I'm a baby. I love my baby face.
Why I Like this Book:
This is a cute book for babies (6 months +). It's a full size picture book with a board book feel. Heavy paper for easier page turns. Toddlers will see all kinds of babies in this story as they experience the day. The babies are realistically painted, reminiscent of the old Gerber Baby Food campaigns with added diversity.
Title: Baby Day
Authors: Jane Godwin & Davina Bell
Pictures by: Freya Blackwood Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2018 Themes: birthday, babies, activities and emotions
First lines: Today is baby's birthday. There's going to be a party. Happy baby! Here come baby's friends. Hello!
Description and Why I like this book:
This is a cute day in the life of a baby book set on a first birthday when lots of other babies come for the party. The sparse descriptive language with the illustrations, show all the emotions and activities that can happen during a birthday party. This is great for language building and associating words with emotions and activities.
I read in the CIP notes that the "illustrations are rendered in line work and watercolor on paper, with digitally composited oil paint lino-block prints." Freya's sketchy style creates movement throughout the story. It's like she was the outsider watching the birthday party and capturing all the little moments, good and bad.
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.
Activities:
Eat ice cream.
Play with baby.
Spend time at the park.
Title: Pocket Full of Colors: The magical world of Mary Blair, Disney artist extraordinaire
Authors: Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville
Illustrated by: Brigette Barrager Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2017
Ages: 6 and up
Themes: Biography, Artists, Women
First page: Under a wide blue sky, on a red dirt road,in a lemon-yellow house, there lived a girl named Mary. Other children collected marbles or dolls, but Mary collected colors of every shade and hue.
Why I love this book:
I am sorry to admit that until Vanessa Brantley Newton talked about the art and style of Mary Blair in my character design class, I didn't know who she was. But, it's never too late to learn.
Over the past couple of years, I have taken a much closer look at who the artists and illustrators are in picture books. I try to figure out their medium and style. Vanessa talks about the little feet that Mary Blair incorporated into her drawings of people. I realized, I needed to put a face to those little feet. I looked her up and came across this picture book biography.
It is a beautiful book which takes you through Mary's life and ties it all together with her love of color and her unique and daring style of art.
As you can see, Brigette Barrager used the bright swirls of color throughout Mary's life to show her never ending love of color. In the last image above, you get a glimpse of the men she was working with at Disney. The are all in brown and white. While Walt Disney loved her colors and vibrant style, the other men's ideas and acceptance of Mary's style paled in comparison. Mary never gave up her dreams. She went off and created illustrations for many books with Little Golden Books.
When I was 10, our family went to Disney World. I fell in love with the "It's a Small World" exhibit/ride. Little did I know, that this was the work of Mary Blair. I wanted to go through that ride over and over again. Today, it would be kind of boring compared to the glitz and glamour of rides today, but back then, when the world felt so big, before everything was on the internet, when we hardly talked about all the cultures of the world, the It's a Small World, boat ride through tunnels and animated characters from around the world, inspired my love of people, color, and art. If Mary Blair were alive today, the ride would likely be bigger and brighter, and even more exotic, but it would have her same flair.
So I love this book because it tells me the story of a courageous artist who didn't give up, when others wanted her to be different. She persevered and created exciting art for her time inspiring artists to create and experiment with their own style and flair.
Create a Color Bingo game to collect colors when you travel.
Find your color. A friend posted this video of Sam Adams skin colorcomedy routine on Facebook, and it feels so appropriate here. It's good clean comedy. I am currently three colors: Indulgent Peach (sun tan/burn), Provincial peach (where the sun hasn't shined), and my freckles are Reindeer Herd according to Sherwin Williams color charts. What's your color/colors?
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:
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.
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.
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.
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..
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.
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.
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.
You probably know that milkweed is very important to monarch butterflies because that's where they lay their eggs and then the caterpillars eat the leaves to grow big and strong so they can become butterflies. When it comes to quenching a butterflies thirst, they enjoy the nectar of many different types of flowers. Flower Talk: How Plants Use Color to Communicate
Author: Sara Levine (www.saralevinebooks.com) Illustrated by: Masha D'Yans (www.masha.com)
Published by: Millbrook Press, 2019
Themes: STEM, Flowers, Nature, pollination
Ages: 6 - 11
Synopsis: A grouchy cantankerous cactus (prickly pear variety) tells the audience about how flowers use their colors, shapes, and scents to attract insects, birds, and and even mammals to help them make their seeds.
First Lines: "Hey, you! Pssst! Down Here! That's right -- I'm a plant, and I'm talking to you! But don't get too used to it. We don't make a habit of talking to humans."
Why I love this book: Pollinators are all the rage these days. We do need to save the bees and butterflies so it's a good thing we are talking about it! This books looks at the ecosystem and food web from the point of view of the flower and the symbiotic relationship between flowers and pollinators. It helps us understand the role that flowers and plants play in in the food web. This non-fiction story that will make you look at flowers in a new way.
Masha's watercolor illustrations are bright and exciting. The cactus narrator's prickly personality comes through on each page.
Excellent backmatter about flower pollination.
And really, talking to plants is fun. We should do it more often. You never know what you will discover.
Play with watercolors. I found this little Nature Sketchbook that is easy to take with me and works well with all types of art mediums. Great for making art on the go or as a nature journal. I love this little watercolor set because it's easy to take with you and has lots of colors. A watercolor brush that holds water makes painting on the go super easy.
Make your own pollinator garden or participate in a local community garden.
A pollinator garden can be as small as a pot of native plants on your balcony or front porch. Make sure that you choose flowers that are native to where you live. Those flowers will provide the best food sources for native insects and birds.
And . . . 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.
It has felt like a crazy route to finally getting this post completed. I had planned to post it last Friday, but we got a new dog from a shelter who is just beginning to adjust to life in a real home.
Ginger our new family member
Last Friday, I went into my office to finish this post, but got distracted by some emails. Then a call from my husband suggesting we take the dog to the dog park so she could run free for a while provided another distraction. I figured I would come back and finish after our trip to the park. Instead, at the dog park I was running with Ginger and took a slow-motion flight through the air landing with my arm smashing into my rib cage. (The good news is that I did not fall into the dog poop that had been left by other dog owners and I did not fall on my dog.) Breath knocked from me, searing pain, and great embarrassment. I tried to shake it off just like my other past clumsy experiences. A couple hours later, the pain was getting worse so we spent a couple more hours in the ER to find that I had managed to crack a rib in my spectacular fall. Suffice it to say that between the pain medication and the day turning to night, my blog post was abandoned but not forgotten.
So without further ado, I present to you:
Just Like Rube Goldberg: The Incredible True Story of the Man Behind the Machine
Written by: Sarah Aronson
Illustrated by: Robert Neubecker
Published by: Beach Lane Books an imprint of Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing Division
Synopsis: From Amazon: Discover how Rube Goldberg followed his dreams to become an award-winning cartoonist, inventor, and even an adjective in the dictionary in this inspiring and funny biographical picture book.
First Line:"Question: How do you become a successful award-winning artist and famous inventor without ever inventing anything at all? (This is not a trick question.)"
Why I love this book:
Beginning with the cover of the book, you see Rube Goldberg machine designs in action. Even if you have never heard the phrase, Rube Goldberg Machine, you have most likely seen a drawing of one or even created one of your own. But, this book is not really about the machine, it is about the man.
His name is Rube Goldberg. He loved drawing and cartooning from a young age. When his parents discouraged him from becoming an artist and cartoonist, he persisted. Sarah Aronson takes you on a journey with Goldberg and makes you a part of the story.
The illustrations are filled with wonderful details and lots of humor. The style is bright with details yet hearkens to the half-tone dot printing of newspapers.
This book has three hooks: It's a biography of a cool person, it's about following your dreams, and it's a story that encourages artistic endeavors.
I am also excited to share this book because I get to highlight an Illinois author. Check out her website.
