picture books – Page 2 – Peaceful Reader

Three Unique Picture Books You'll Enjoy!

In between chapter books Groovy Girl and I have had the chance to explore three very cool books. She is fascinated with Russia and chose to do a report on the country for school. She brought this book home from her school library:

Russian Girl; Life in an Old Russian Town (1994) by Russ Kendall. Meet 9-year-old Olga Surikovain in this nonfiction picture book and share a little of what her day is like. Her family lives in the small town of Suzdal-150 miles east of Moscow. The photos are lovely and Groovy Girl poured over them, trying to fully understand Olga’s life. Even though this title is “older” the information is worthwhile and shares a time in Russia’s history. My paternal grandfather came from a small town on the Russian/Polish border and I love to see my girl explore these interesting roots. The back of the book includes two recipes, an alphabet of Russian letters,and a good list of Russian words and names.

Running with the Horses (2009) by Alison Lester. This is a fictionalized version of an event that occurred during WWII; the rescue of the Lipizzaner stallions from the famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Nina, a fictional young girl, works with her father, the stable master. The academy has closed and the war comes closer every day. Eventually her father and another stable hand, Karl, decide to take the horses across the border to her deceased mother’s parent’s farm. The story is beautifully told and the illustrations are a gorgeous mix of pencil drawings and what look like photographs but may actually be paintings.

An Edible Alphabet; 26 Reasons to Love the Farm (2011) by Carol Watterson and Michela Sorrentino. I LOVE this book. Every page stands for something I believe in with all my heart. It is a kid-friendly manifest of why we need to be eating locally from farms and our own backyards. It has snippets of healthy information swirled into beautiful illustrations. I’ve already ordered it for my school library collection. On a personal note I have an organic kid’s book on my computer with this same title-no kidding. Guess I better get busy and finish it before some else writes the book.

happy reading!

Girl Power picture books

Groovy Girl read all these picture books the first two days we had the bag home from the library. Me, well, it has taken me over two weeks to read all of them and I had to renew them once in order to write about a few of them.

1. The Queen of France by Tim Wadham, ill. by Kady Macdonald Denton (2011); Rose wakes up and “feels royal” so she plays dress up and goes to look for her mother dressed regally. Using her imagination her parents play along as Rose changes from the queen to Rose and back again. A seemingly simple tale of love and acceptance, Rose demonstrates one can be a girl with many sides. Denton draws Rose with a Ramona-like haircut in amazing watercolor illustrations. Click here for an interview with Tim Wadham. Hooray for first time author Wadham, a fellow librarian, with this picture book.

2. Not All Princesses Dress In Pink by the mother/daughter writers Jane Yolen & Heidi E.Y. Stemple; ill. by Anne-Sophie Languestin (2010); Similar message in this one with quirky digital illustrations. Each page shares how princesses can play soccer, baseball, wrestle with a dog, dance in the rain, break their nails while planting a garden of pumpkins (of course), and my favorite, escape a stony tower using all their cool girl power, using a ladder like monkey bars. I like Denton’s illustrations better but the message of this one is equally strong: whatever you choose to be you can still wear your sparkly crown!

Happy Sunday and wear your crown with pride!

Imaginary Friends

As my Groovy Girl emerges as a stronger chapter book reader we pick out less and less from the picture book section of the library. Luckily, she is her mama’s girl ‘cuz last week at the library she went right to the NEW section and picked out a bag’s worth of books.

Here’s the catch though; she no longer wants me to read her picture books (it’s degrading somehow?) so she reads them and pulls the ones she thinks are “peaceful reader”-worthy!

Here are her first three picks:

Dotty

Erica S. Perl; Julia Denos

2010

Little Ida, who wears the cutest outfits to school, takes her space lunch box and her best/beast friend, Dotty. Dotty is a large cow-like creature with big pinkish-red polka-dots led by a blue string. Others in the classroom have imaginary friend animals with them as well but as the school days progress these students start leaving their “pets” at home. Ida can’t give up her friend Dotty and Dotty won’t let Ida give her up either. Just as Ida’s about to lose faith she finds out a very special secret about her teacher, Ms. Raymond! Dotty would make a wonderful read-aloud to students at school or home. Extra points for the polka-dot end papers!

Nobody

Liz Rosenberg; Julie Downing

2010

“When George awoke early one Sunday morning, Nobody was up and about.” This simple play on words will have children smiling as George and Nobody make a mess here and there around the house as they make a very funny “feast” in the kitchen. George’s parents wake up and he acknowledges that “nobody” has been at work helping him. Cute illustrations that will help kids understand this funny word twist.

Everything but the Horse;

A Childhood Memory by

Holly Hobbie

2010

Love this book. Love her illustrations. Sweet Holly recounts how her parents purchase a run-down old farmhouse and how exciting it was to live there with a wild array of animals. She envies the older neighbor girls as they ride their horses down the gravel lane. Holly creates an imaginary horse friend to share the barn. When her birthday rolls around her mom tells her to run to the barn to find her gift, which she is able to ride right out of the barn! Great memories and one that will have girls panting for their own ponies.

What picture books have caught your eye this week?

Library Loot

I had a lovely weekend cooking idea all about my attempt to bring less packaging into our home. The project is actually going quite well and I had photos to share but I cannot find our camera anywhere in the house!?! While I attempt to think back, back, backwards in my brain until the last moment I remember touching the tiny camera bag that post will just have to wait. We are a one camera family and my phone does take pictures but that is where they stay…on my phone…because I don’t have a connecting cable.

Instead we have Library Loot as we did make it to the library yesterday with Groovy Girl in tow and we found lots of amazing books and DVDs.

Sister’s Gimm Books #’s 3 and 4. We read 1, 2 and up to Chapter 5 of 3 but had to return it to her school library but they cut us off and she had to return it on Friday. (of course I get this as I’m a school librarian as well but it still felt a little like getting a book ripped out of my hands) Have you read this series yet? I tried a few years back and didn’t get into it on my own but reading it with her has made all the difference.

Newsgirl by Liza Ketchum. (2009) This one’s been getting a lot of press but I was drawn to it just from reading the flap. My dad was a newspaper man and I love historical fiction making this a great combination. Sadly, this morning while updating my status on Goodreads I read quite a few ho-hum reviews on this title. How much do other reviews influence your take on a book? I can’t say for sure but I feel a little less excitement over this book. I’ll forge ahead and form my own opinion.

Groovy Girl’s picks from the “NEW” shelf in the library:

Welcome to Italy by Mary Berendes. (2008)

Welcome to Russia by Elma Schemenauer (2008).

Brava, Mimi! by Helga Bansch (2010)

Hide and Squeak by Heather Vogel Frederick. (2011)

Dotty by Erica S. Pearl (2010)

Everything but the Horse by Holly Hobbie(2010)

I can easily do a personality profile on Groovy Girl just by her library picks! What do you think? A girl who loves travel, learning, animals and bright covers!

Friday Feature; Celebrating Multicultural Mamas

There are many, many beautiful books about the women who tend to us. This is a short list of books featuring mother’s and their struggles.

1) Hair for Mama by Kelly A. Tinkham; ill. by Amy June Bates (2007).

Marcus tells the story of his mother’s cancer and how it affects their annual picture day. Mama doesn’t want to be in the picture if she doesn’t have any hair and Marcus searches for the perfect solution. Sweet, Sweet story.

2) Mama’s Saris by Pooja Makhijani; ill. by Elena Gomez (2007).

A young girl admires her mother’s sari collection, kept in an old suitcase under the bed, as her mother chooses one to wear for a special occasion. The little girl desperately wants to wear one so she can feel just like her mama. The illustrations are filled with gorgeous colors of the saris as they remember special occasions.

3) A Chair For My Mother by Vera B. Williams (1982).

A fire destroyed their belongings so a young girl, mama and grandma save change in a jar in hopes of one day buying a beautiful new chair. They find an apartment to live in and the neighborhood pitches and shares furniture with them but the young girl wants so much to purchase a big, comfy chair for her mother to sit in after a long day of waiting tables.

What books are in your collection that celebrate mothers?

I don’t know what’s planned for me on Sunday but I do know I’ll be happy, surrounded by my children. My two wishes: great weather and a little time to read.

Friday Feature from the Fair; part 2

Here is a quick list of fantastic picture books from our Scholastic Book Fair!! Think great stories + illustrations of beauty!

My Forever Dress by Harriet Ziefert (2009). “My grandma is magic!” [Love that sentence!] “She takes an old dress and makes it new with a snip here, a stitch there, some buttons and bows, and loving care. I call it my forever dress, because it will last forever, and ever, and ever. I think that’s magic, don’t you?” The relationship between the grandmother and granddaughter is one of shared love and respect as they work to create different outfits using the same dress. Perfect for burgeoning eco-friendly fashionistas as well a good example in reduce, reuse, recycle!

Chalk by Bill Thompson(2010). Simple sidewalk chalk is the key element in this magical wordless book when three children venture out on a rainy day to the park. Discovering a bag of chalk hanging from a jumping playground dinosaur each child in turn creates a visual masterpiece that comes alive, right up out of the sidewalk. I loved sharing this with classes from Kinder-second grade and watching their faces light up as the first girl’s drawing of a sun becomes real. The illustrations are so well done my students were able to tell the story as we paged through it. Many had never experienced sidewalk chalk before but they knew it was chalk. So now I know when the weather warms up we will be decorating our school sidewalks…

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown(2009). Liam, on one of his many walks through his dreary city, finds a patch of a color up by the abandoned railroad tracks. He transforms himself into a gardener as the plants happily respond, flourishing under his care. Students loved watching the city come to life with living things- plants, and flowers as well as other gardeners. The first picture of the “dreary” city makes a great comparison when you flip to the second to last page-same view, better place to live. It brought the meaning of the word “dreary” to LIFE!!

I’m always shocked when almost a whole week has gone by without blogging. My Lenten plan is to be more authentic with my family-to be there. Even as I go through my day blogging ideas zing and ping through my brain. Plus…I’ve had a busy week and it is (or will be in one hour)Spring Break! I am heading to Little Rock to see my friend, V as she steps out for her directorial debut for the play, For Colored Girls Who’ve Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange. (my review of this choreopoem) I am so excited to be there and we have so many other fun things to do and I am hoping and praying it will be warm-I need a little sunshine. Everyone could use a little more sunshine…

Namaste…

What Really Happened to Humpty?

[from the files of a hard-boiled detective]

by Joe Dumpty as told to Jeanie Franz Ransom

Illustrated by Stephen Axelsen

(2009)

Kids will love the humor in this book. It begins: “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. Humpty Dumpty was pushed.” At least I think so. Who am I? I’m Joe Dumpty, Humpty’s younger brother.

Joe, the P.I., goes on to explain his case as to why he thinks his brother was pushed off the wall and step-by-step the mystery of Humpty is solved. The book is a cross between a regular picture book and a comic book, using a whole slew of fairy tale characters to retell the story. Groovy Girl loved identifying her favorite fairy tale characters in a different light. Low carb diets, power walks, binoculars and cell phones give this tale a modern, fresh snap.

By the way…the culprits… Little Miss Muffet and the Big Bad Wolf -the wolf says “I’m bad. It’s my middle name.” That pretty much says it all. I can’t wait to use this book when we talk about fairy tales. This would be a perfect look at how to fracture the story and make it into something new. We checked this out from the public library.

Jeanie Franz Ranson’s website.
The Reading Tub review

Fanny would make a great gift!

Fanny and Annabelle
by Holly Hobbie
(2009)

We loved Fanny after our friend, V introduced us to the book awhile back. With all the hoopla on expensive and more-is-better, Fanny was like a breath of fresh air. This next one makes us love Holly Hobbie even more as she makes Fanny a writer girl, willing to tell her own story. The story unfolds:

Saturday was drizzly and dreary, so Fanny decided it was an excellent day to make her very own picture book.

At the top of the first page she wrote Annabelle’s Adventure. Annabelle was Fanny’s favorite doll. Fanny had made her, after all. She didn’t know what the adventure was yet. She only knew Annabelle was going to have one.

“Here goes,” she said.

The illustrations are a mix of Holly Hobbie’s and Fanny’s as they discover an adventure just waiting around the corner from Ted’s Deli and like most, very unexpected. This has just enough moral dilemna without being too didactic~just a pinch of honesty thrown in to the mix as Fanny finds an envelope with money in it on the sidewalk and must debate just what to do with her find. Fanny is a well-drawn and likeable character and her mother is filled with soft, good sense advice.
We enjoy Fancy Nancy’s escapades but Fanny just seems more our style. Thank you Holly Hobbie! Groovy Girl and I highly recommended both books for a young lady on your gift list at this special time of year.

This copy is from our very own public library.
Great review by Energizer Bunny’s Mommy.
Read my review of sorts of Fanny.

Books that make you teary…

Story time tonight we read The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco. I am always amazed at the stories Polacco has to tell. She had difficulties during her childhood and she shares these stories through her books so others, young and old, can, I don’t know, feel represented out there in the big world. Each time I read some of her titles I get teary. Betty Doll did it to me. Thank You, Mr. Falker did it to me. Pink and Say did it to me. Add The Junkyard Wonders to the list-Books that make me cry.

Polacco tells the story of the year she stayed in Michigan for school and was placed in the junk class of misfits. Mrs. Peterson, her new teacher, is one of those amazing individuals who see her students as unique and worthwhile.The class bonds and work together to create some special hands-on projects. Mrs. Peterson’s brilliant teaching is reason enough to read the book but there’s more. If you haven’t checked out Patricia Polacco’s latest book I highly recommend it to all.

What books are on your tear up list?

GTC reviews it at Books For Kids.

While I haven’t had a chance to download my Halloween photos I did make this over the weekend…Watch my Skater Girl video-she is learning to spin! I should have added music-I’m a novice-and the best moment is at the end. She is awfully cute.

Tomorrow stop back to read about Buying Time by Pamela Samuels Young.

10 for 10

Visiting one of my favorite blogs, Literate Lives this morning I discovered a list of 10 favorite picture books and as I love lists and picture books I decided to jump squarely on the bandwagon and pick my 10 favs! The post is part of August 10 for 10: A Picture Book Event hosted by Cathy at Reflect and Refine. In her post she asks what 10 books are a must-have for the classroom. The lists are fantastic and definetely worth stopping over and taking a look. I had to stop reading them in order to write about my own (i’m going to try and not duplicate any books) even though each list includes some of my personal favorites!

Without further ado…

1. Bella and Bean by Rebecca Kai Dotlich; illustrated by Aileen Leijten. I loved sharing this book with students, love how it leads into poetry and I could simply live in Leijten’s illustrations. I reviewed it here.

2. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. I’ve loved this book for years and then some and love that kids get it is about imagination. I still have my poster book of his art from my college years. My husband has given me a collection of the Wild Things over the years for various anniversarys and birthdays. The kids in my story teepee loved it this year.

3. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. Lots of kindergarten students haven’t heard this book (well, at my school they haven’t) It is a great read-aloud and I feel the same about Green Eggs and Ham but am not going to repeat authors.

4. The Water Hole by Graeme Base. This one offers surprises and kids love the tactileness of the actual circle in the book plus Base’s illustrations pull them in and hold them.

5. Black and White by David Macaulay. I love the elements of this book and after reading it to older students they always want me to read it again. A great thinking book.

6. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. A classic love story and it is wonderful to read it to prek, kindergarten and 1st grade students for the first time. My own little ones always mimicked the little bunnies actions.

7. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. I love sharing this one for same reasons as above with little ones. We take for granted reading to our own little ones because we are literature-minded but many parents don’t read at home and these are two must reads to little ones. You’ll wish you had a rocker and could just pull them up one by one for a snuggle.

8. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. I read an article long ago that explained how young children feel a deep sense of comfort while listening to Eric Carle books. I do a Carle unit early in the year for kindergarten students and for the rest of the year they say “I’m going to read you a book by…” invariable two or three students will pipe up with “Eric Carle!??” It’ s so cute and proves to me how much he sticks to them.

9. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell. Boys and girls alike adore her spunky and positive attitude. She is as sassy as The Recess Queen and The Ladybug Girl. Great book to show how important it is to simply be nice to each other.

10. Yoko by Rosemary Wells. Love what this book does for diversity and trying new experiences. Kids love to tell me the odd things they like to eat after I read this one.

Oh, there are so many runners-up-worthy of another post sometime. Many of these would be on my own favorites list but I tried to stay focused on what students like in my reading teepee. Now I’m ready to go back and explore more of other’s 10 on 10 lists.