Archive for Picture book

Groundhog’s Day Off

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Written by Robb Pearlman
Illustrated by Brett Helquist

Everyone deserves a day off. Especially when no one appreciates you personally. All they care about is the job you do for them. That’s exactly what Groundhog decides. He packs up all his stuff, including his shadow, and heads off to the spa.

Helquist’s illustrations perfectly capture the expressions experienced by all involved. Especially groundhog’s surprise at hearing the televised news broadcast report stating that while many other animals have applied for the job, none could fulfill groundhog’s role. It seems his audience does love and miss him.

All readers will giggle at the antics of other animals as they audition for the job.

Pearlman ends with a humorous, if expected twist about another disgruntled holiday mascot.

Literacy and social studies core curriculum standards, as related to holidays, will be supported by usage of this delightful book. Teachers and librarians may use it as a springboard for students to write notes of appreciation to oft overlooked caregivers and school employees so they feel appreciated and loved.

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  • Groundhogs Day OffTitle: Groundhog’s Day Off
  • Author: Robb Pearlman
  • Illustrator: Brett Helquist
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury, 2015
  • Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
  • Format: Hardcover, 40 pages
  • ISBN: 978-1-61963-289-9
  • Genre: Picture Book, Fiction, Holiday
  • Grade level: PreK to 1
Posted in 2015, Fiction, Holiday, Picture book tagged with ,

Surf’s Up

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Written by Kwame Alexander
Illustrated by Daniel Miyares

The sparse text in this delightful picture book partly serves to reinforce the wonderful illustrations. The reader meets two frogs enjoying fantastic weather and surfing conditions at the beach. But first, one friend has to finish the book he’s reading. And the book is anything but boring. But try convincing the other friend of that. The book is about a man searching for a giant whale. “Wowie Kazowie!” Kids will be drawn in by the reading frog’s enthusiasm and his vivid imagination of what the book scenes look like. The other frog learns of another way to spend a day at the beach.

This is a great book for first graders to read independently for increasing literacy skills or for a teacher or parent to read aloud with a group. Reading activities could include learning more about whales and which ones are the largest and most aggressive. Of course, kids can also learn about literature and Moby Dick, about whaling in the nineteenth century, and about why whaling is no longer a common practice.

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  • Surfs UpTitle: Surf’s Up
  • Author: Kwame Alexander
  • Illustrator: Daniel Miyares
  • Published: NorthSouth, February, 2016
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • Grade Level: PreK to 2
  • Genre: Picture book
  • ISBN: 978-0-7358-4220-5
Posted in 2016, Fiction, Humor, Picture book tagged with , , ,

Cork & Fuzz Merry Merry Holly Holly

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Written by Dori Chaconas
Illustrated by Lisa McCue

Special days are celebrated with good friends in a beautiful place. But sometimes it takes some searching to find the perfect spot. Someplace where birds aren’t squawking at you and squirrels aren’t throwing acorns down on your head.

This delightful book will have young listeners giggling and then singing along. Beautiful illustrations take readers along on the trip to find a quiet thinking tree and plant ideas about what it is making this day so special. The word Christmas is never used which makes the book universal for all winter holidays. Finding a tree with lights on it outside is unusual, but shouldn’t bother readers as there is a fence nearby suggesting a house nearby.

Teachers, librarians, and parents will want to add this wonderful book to the pile of winter holidays. Besides all the fun it offers, this book will also fulfill core curriculum standards in the area of literacy skills as teachers can use Cork and Fuzz as excellent examples of real life characters by listing their character traits. Understanding picture clues and predicting outcomes are also skills easily strengthened for grade one and grade two readers.  So fun!

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  • Cork & FuzzTitle:  Cork & Fuzz Merry Merry Holly Holly
  • Author:  Dori Chaconas
  • Illustrator:  Lisa McCue
  • Publisher:  Viking, 2015
  • Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
  • Format:  Hardcover, 32 pages
  • ISBN:  978-0-451-47501-5
  • Genre: Picture Book
  • Grade level: PreK to 1
Posted in 2015, Fiction, Holiday, Picture book tagged with , ,

Stanley’s Diner

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Written and Illustrated by William Bee

What is Stanley up to now? Cooking for hungry customers and teaching youngsters about food and food preparation. Hattie writes the menu on the blackboard and takes the orders, while Stanley cooks meals in the well-stocked kitchen. Charlie, the customer enjoys putting lots of syrup on his pancakes. Later, Stanley goes to the store and makes a special cake for Little Woo’s birthday. Then he cleans up and goes home.

For the very young, this would be a great read aloud for discussion of components and the pictures. Kids can even count the number of slices of toast Stanley’s toaster makes (eight). And they can read the names on the ingredients, such as flour, sugar, and butter. First graders can practice the literacy skills they’re already gaining by spotting the many simple elements in the fun illustrations.

Who knows what Stanley will come up with next.

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  • Stanleys DinerTitle: Stanley’s Diner
  • Author/Illustrator: William Bee
  • Published: Peachtree Publishers, 2015
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • Grade Level: PreK to 2
  • Genre: Food, Culture
  • ISBN: 978-156145-802-8

 

Posted in 2015, Culture, Fiction, Food, Picture book tagged with , ,

The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas

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Written by Laura Murray
Illustrated by Mike Lowery

Good deeds and sweet treats for any neighbors you meet is the teacher’s plan. The gingerbread man, who is part of the class, sets out to do his own random deeds of kindness when the sudden snow storm sends the rest of the class back to school. The plot twist is fresh and unexpected. Characters are realistic and illustrations are detailed and entertaining.

Rhyming and rhythm, plus fun fonts and graphics will have grade two readers and grade one listeners wanting to start this new holiday book over and over again. Teachers, librarians and parents will enjoy this new holiday book capable of fulfilling literacy core curriculum standards while providing Gingerbread fun. Other books with the same main character are available: The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Firetruck, and The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School.

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  • Gingerbread ManTitle: The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas
  • Author: Laura Murray
  • Illustrator: Mike Lowery
  • Publisher: G.P.Putnam’s Sons, 2015
  • Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-399-16866-6
  • Genre: Picture Book
  • Grade level: 2
Posted in 2015, Holiday, Picture book tagged with ,

The Nonsense Show

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Written and Illustrated by Eric Carle

Surrealism or nonsense? A little bit of both can be found in this new book by Eric Carle. Most nursery rhymes contain such nonsense and are actually what make them fun.

The nonsense show brings to mind the reality shows of today that point out some of the silliness of our lives. Each page says or shows something impossible, ridiculous, laughable, and silly. A snake who lost his tail? A bird coming out of a banana peel? An upside down man eating cake?

Eric Carle once again uses his specially made paper and collage with painting illustrations. Grade one readers will be able to read most of the book on their own, just being challenged with the array of multi-syllabic words on the last double-paged spread. Teachers, librarians and parents will most likely read this book aloud at least at the beginning.

Core curriculum standards in literacy can be met in the teaching of picture clues, fiction versus nonfiction, rhyming words as well as other isolated skills.

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  • Nonsense ShowTitle: The Nonsense Show
  • Author/Illustrator: Eric Carle
  • Publisher: Philomel Books, 2015
  • Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
  • Format: Hardcover, 40 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-399-17687-6
  • Genre: picture book
  • Grade level: PreK to 2
Posted in 2015, Picture book tagged with ,

I Am Henry Finch

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Written by Alexis Deacon
Illustrated by Viviane Schwarz

Henry is a finch. And he acts like a finch. Up in the morning with the flock. Says “Good morning” with all the finches. “Good afternoon,” “Good evening,” and “Good night” too. The only change in the routine is when the Beast shows up. The finches fly to a tree. Then Henry has a thought about being great. A thought that gets him swallowed by the Beast. Eventually, he plants a thought in the Beast’s head. “Open.” The Beast opens its mouth and out flies Henry. Safe again, Henry invites the other finches to have thoughts.

The wonderful illustrations in this entertaining book make up a good deal of the story. When inside the Beast, where it’s dark, the pages are black and the images are jumbled.

The book may be silly, but first graders will learn a lot about following their talents and about being a leader. As a read aloud, it’s a great tool for teachers and parents to interact with the kids.

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  • Henry FinchTitle: I Am Henry Finch
  • Author: Alexis Deacon
  • Illustrator: Viviane Schwarz
  • Published: Candlewick, 2015
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 40 pages
  • Grade Level: K to 3
  • Genre: Picture book
  • ISBN: 978-0-7636-7812-8
Posted in 2015, Fiction, Picture book tagged with ,

Maple & Willow Apart

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Written and Illustrated by Lori Nichols

Friends can be found just about anywhere, including your imagination. When Maple heads off to big girl school, Willow is lonely and bored for a little while. Then she makes up an imaginary friend based on the acorns she and Maple played with before school started. As Maple comes home with exciting stories about kindergarten, Willow has stories of her own about adventures with Pip.

The pencil drawn, digitally colored illustrations clearly show each emotion experienced by siblings as one heads off to school. Parents, librarians and teachers will find this text useful in helping the youngest students cope with the separation. First grade readers will recognize the signs of fall, and younger children will love the illustrations as this story is read aloud. Teachers can meet core standards of science while also addressing the feelings of those brothers and sisters left at home. Stories like this help us all understand each other a little bit better.

Art teachers of older students can use this as an excellent example of color blending, as well as the intricacies of showing emotion with the simplest of pencil strokes.

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  • Maple & WillowTitle: Maple & Willow Apart
  • Author/Illustrator: Lori Nichols
  • Publisher: Nancy Paulsen /Penguin, 2015
  • Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-399-16753-9
  • Genre: Picture Book
  • Grade level: PreK to 1
Posted in 2015, Art, Fiction, Picture book tagged with ,

Clothesline Clues to Sports People Play

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Written by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook
Illustrated by Andy Robert Davies

Kids love sports, riddles, and colorful pictures. This new book combines them all. Readers are given a four line, rhyming riddle about the pictures on the double page spread showing uniform pieces on a clothesline. The appropriate other pieces of sports equipment are on the ground. The following page gives the answer to the riddle and shows the particular game in progress.

Children will love guessing from picture clues and looking to see if the category of sports uniforms and equipment are complete. Core curriculum standards of literacy will be met using this book in preschool, kindergarten, first grade, or in ESL classes. Teachers, librarians and daycare providers will want to add this book to their collection. Surely, kids will return to this book time and time again. Second grade readers will enjoy reading these riddles to younger siblings at home.

The characters represent a diverse group of children and the sports represented include common, as well as uncommon, sports and will broaden children’s understandings of unfamiliar sports.

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  • ClotheslineTitle: Clothesline Clues to Sports People Play
  • Author: Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook
  • Illustrator: Andy Robert Davies
  • Publisher: Charlesbridge, 2015
  • Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • ISBN: 978-1-58089-602-4
  • Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
  • Grade level: PreK to 1
Posted in 2015, Nonfiction, Picture book tagged with

Mango, Abuela, and Me

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Written by Meg Medina
Illustrated by Angela Daminguez

Grandma moves from a far-away island to join Mia’s family so she won’t be alone anymore. But she can’t read or speak English. And Mia can’t read or speak Spanish. With their beds lined up side by side in their shared room, it is supposed to be a chance to get to know each other. Instead it is a frustrated time of quiet.

As the story continues, Abuela waits for Mia to come home from school and takes her for walks to feed the birds even though they can’t visit. Abuela is sad. She misses her island home, her birds, her husband. Mia is sad. She wants to tell about her day at school.

One afternoon as she is making an after school snack, she says the name of each ingredient in English. Abuela says its name in Spanish. Then Mia gets the idea to label every item in the living room with its English name. Mia and her Mom get a parrot at the pet store.

By the end of this touching book, they are understanding each other and even sharing a bedtime storybook.

Teachers, librarians and parents will enjoy using this read aloud to young students, while second grade readers will read it independently. It is a basic introduction to bilingual families and will give some English students a touch of Spanish.

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  • MangoTitle: Mango, Abuela, and Me
  • Author: Meg Medina
  • Illustrator: Angela Daminguez
  • Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2015
  • Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
  • Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-7636-6900-3
  • Genre: Picture Book
  • Grade level: PreK to 2
Posted in 2015, Culture, Family, Fiction, Picture book tagged with , ,
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