Thursday, March 12, 2009

Picture Book Thursday: Llama Llama Misses Mama (and Giveaway!!)

A little bit ago, I reviewed Anna Dewdney's book Llama Llama Mad at Mama. While looking up the other Llama Llama books, I realized a new book was coming out in March: Llama Llama Misses Mama. I requested a review copy and Samantha from the Penguin Group was nice enough to send me one (Thanks Samantha)!

When we first met Llama Llama, he wore red pajamas and was a little scared of the dark. He called for his mama and continued to get louder and louder until she came running in the room and said, "Enough of this llama drama." In the second book, Llama Llama gets bored while shopping and further llama drama occurs. Now, in the third book, Llama Llama is off to his first day of preschool.

Llama Llama's day starts off with waking up and getting dressed. Then they are off to school. Mama drops him off and says good-bye. He cannot find anything he wants to do, the kids are loud, and he realizes at lunch time that he really misses his Mama. The teacher takes him aside and assures him that Mama will be back to pick him up when school is through. With this news, he perks right up and starts to have a good time. And when Mama arrives at the end of the day, he realizes he loves his Mama AND school!

This is a delightful addition to Dewdney's Llama Llama series. I just love the rhymes in these books. I also really enjoy the range of emotions Llama Llama feels throughout each story. My girls (especially my three year old) love these books too. I believe they like the illustrations as well as the cadence of the text. And each story is definitely something they can relate to. The books are great for showing a child's point of view in situations where grownups may not think about how children feel. Like how the dark can make you a little scared, and the more you think about it, the scarier it gets; or how boring it can be to shop with Mommy; or how anxious you can get to be taken to a new environment and just left there without anything familiar.

Llama Llama Misses Mama has a great subject and would be perfect to read to children just starting preschool, daycare, or another new situation where they may not know anyone. Lily was very anxious this last fall about going to preschool and this would have been the perfect book to read to her. If you're a fan of the previous books, this one does not disappoint. And you can get your own copy when it is released next Thursday, March 19th!

About the Author
Anna Dewdney (www.annadewdney.com) lives just over a covered bridge in southern Vermont. Her two teenage daughters attend boarding school, so she hopes that they miss her; she misses them! To distract herself, she's been slowly renovating a very old house and goes running with her dogs, Radish and Roscoe.

Here's the GIVEAWAY:
Penguin has offered to give one lucky person a new copy of this book!! If you think your child will love Llama Llama enter this contest! Open until 11:59pm Wednesday, March 18th. I will announce the winner on the 19th, the day the book is available for purchase.

To enter:
1. Leave a comment with your email address saying you'd like to be entered
2. For two extra entries, answer this question: what animal character (from a book) is your child's favorite (or even your favorite)?
3. Subscribe to this blog via Google Reader, or follow us in Blogger and receive 3 extra entries (or let me know you already subscribe).
4. Post about this contest on your blog for one additional entry.

That's a total of 7 possible entries! So go now. Comment away! Pass the word on! Good luck!

52 comments:

amber said...

Pick me! Pick me! :)
abcarroll@sbcglobal.net

Brianna is loving the Arthur books right now (does that count? is he an aardvark? did I spell that
right?)

Of course I subscribe via Google reader!

Happy Thursday!

amber said...

Oh, and I'm posting about your contest...riiiiight now!

Becky W. said...

This sounds great! We have one other Llama book so it would be fun to have this one too!!

My little girl loves Mabel the cow from "Sakes Alive a Cattle Drive." We read that book a lot.

I follow you here!!

kysmom02@hotmail.com

Bridget said...

I've posted this on Win a Book. Don't enter me though

rhapsodyinbooks said...

It looks adorable! Please enter me, thanks!

nbmars AT yahoo DOT com

LuAnn said...

What a sweet book!
My grandson's favorite character is Winnie the Pooh. He loves both the books and the movies. Of course, I have to agree with him!

Unknown said...

I'd love a chance to win this book thanks.

My nieces favorite is curious george, she could look at the pictures in the book all day long. And she's already asked if he can come live with us haha.
unforgetable_dreamer_always (AT)hotmail.com

Lisa said...

Oh enter me! I LOVE the llama llama books. They are so much fun to read out loud.

As a baby, my son loved Doggies by Sandra Boynton. Then he moved on to Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

I already subscribe.

Abbie said...

Oh please pick me!
alenlund@hotmail.com
The book looks great.
My daughter is just turning a year and right now she loves the cow in Moo, Baa, La La La, but I think that is mostly because she likes to hear me say MOO! I love Harriet the Spy. That was my favorite book growing up and I still have a very beat up copy that I pull out every once in a while. But for younger kids books I enjoy Dr. Suess, particularly the Lorax.
I will subscirbe and post about it on my blog!
Heard about you from Amber!!
Thanks.

Melissa said...

My niece loves any book with a monkey in it, as that is her nickname.

Thanks for the great giveaway!

Chantele Sedgwick said...

My son loves Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton. I think that is how you spell the last name... Anyway, great giveaway!
alwayssomething2read(at)gmail(dot)com

Laina said...

Well. I can't resist a giveaway...

Laina1312@gmail.com

My favourite growing up was Buttermilk the Rabbit.

I put a link here: http://bookcontestlinks.blogspot.com/2009/03/more-contests.html

Cricket said...

Please enter me into your sweet giveaway!

JodiMof3 at hotmail dot com

Cricket said...

Shari Lewis' Lambchop is our most favorite little character!

JodiMof3 at hotmail dot com

KR said...

I teach kindergarten. I's love to have the new Llama book!

mj.coward[at]gmail.com

KR said...

We love the pig in Mrs. Wishy Washy!

KR said...

I'm following

The Brunette Librarian said...

Oooh! Pick me!
rachie2004 AT yahoo DOT com :)

My favorite children's book character (animal of course) would have to be the pigeon from "Don't let the pigeon drive the bus" LOVE HIM!! :)

I subscribe to your blog too!! :)

Melissa said...

We would love the book! What a great idea.

Dawn M. said...

Oooo, I love the Llama Llama books. So cute and the rhymes just roll off the tongue. :0)

Rachael has a few favorites: Ruby from the Ruby & Max books, Curious George & Clifford. My favorites are Bear from the Karma Wilson books and Olivia.

I subscribe by Google Reader.

Thanks! :0)
librarygrinch at gmail dot com

Kaye said...

Llama drama! I love it. how cute is that. Well, the favorite in our house was always Winnie the Pooh books, eeyore in particular. I lean a little more towards Paddington Bear but I've been outvoted. Please enter me in the contest
florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Lynn said...

Please enter us; thanks! lmw6600 at g mail . com.

Shelly B said...

This looks like a great one; thanks for the giveaway!

shelcows AT gmail DOT com

Shelly B said...

My favorite animal character is Hedgie the hedgehog in the Jan Brett books.

Lynn said...

It's hard to pin our baby bookworm down to one animal character, but he likes Curious George a lot.

Lynn said...

I'm subscribed to your blog through google reader.

a real librarian said...

I love LOVE the llama books!! Thanks for the chance to win!!


areallibrarian[at]gmail[dot]com

Shelly B said...

I follow you through Google Reader.

Irene said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Irene said...

Oh, I must enter this giveaway...
When my son remarried, my granddaughter Marlee asked what she should call Laurie. "I can't call her Mama Laurie because you're Mama Rene. I said let's think about this for a moment. Suddenly, she said, "I know, I'll call her Llama." Out of the mouths of babes.

cyeates AT nycap DOT rr DOT com

lauren said...

love the llama books! my favorite animal book character is francis.

Staci A said...

These books are adorable, we would love a chance to enter!
mommastaci33(at)yahoo(dot)com

Staci A said...

It's hard to pick just one favorite character, but lately, my 4-year-old is in love with Fluffy from a book called "A Porcupine Named Fluffy."
mommastaci33(at)yahoo(dot)com

Nadi said...

I would LOVE to win this book. We already have "Llama Llama Red Pajama" and "Llama Llama mad at Mama" from the same author, and we'd love to add this one to our collection. My kids love little Llama!

treflea4 at gmail dot com

Nadi said...

My son loves Horton the elephant.

treflea4 at gmail dot com

Nadi said...

I have suscribed to your feed via Google Reader. Thanks!

treflea4 at gmail dot com

YZgirl4 said...

I would love to win this book for my daughter!


yzgirl4[at]verizon[dot]net

YZgirl4 said...

My daughter loves the dinosaurs from the series, How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night, etc...


yzgirl4[at]verizon[dot]net

Unknown said...

This has been our fave book series since day 1! We were given the book with a pair of red pajamas! Fave book character? Max from 'Where the wild Things Are"

Ms. Candice said...

I think my son Jojo would like this book. He loves when book characters have strong emotions (like being "mad" or "sad")

onlycancan ta hotmail tod com

Ms. Candice said...

Jojo likes the Berenstain Bears. He likes the Space Grizzlies in the Bad Dreams book!

onlycancan ta hotmail tod com

Colleen said...

My kids love sitting down and reading books. And I love reading to them when they are crabby ;-)
Or favorite book series are Berenstein bears and Curious George and probably the most read at our house is Where the Wild Things are.
cde4faith@mac.com

Victoria said...

I'd love to win this book! Thanks. utgal2004[at]yahoo[dot]com

Victoria said...

I love the Arthur books. utgal2004[at]yahoo[dot]com

Victoria said...

I follow you in blogger now! utgal2004[at]yahoo[dot]com

Hoarders Extraordinaire said...

sign me up for the giveaway

tbbycatt@ gmail.com

http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com

Hoarders Extraordinaire said...

my kids favorite character were the ninja turtles! lol

tbbycatt@gmail.com

http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com

Hoarders Extraordinaire said...

I subscribed to your feed.

tbbycatt@gmail.com

http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com

Marie said...

My kids would love this, it looks so sweet!

vmlay@artsci.wustl.edu

Marie said...

My daughter's favorite animal is the horse so we read a lot of horse books including chapters from The Black Stallion which although she is only six she loves. My son's favorite animal in books are the bunnies in Max and Ruby :-)

vmlay@artsci.wustl.edu

Laurie said...

My 4 year old daughter would love a Llama Llama book (we've read all the others from the library). Her favorite animal character though has got to be the Bernstein Bears.

Also I have added you to my Google Reader account and mentioned this contest on my blog.

Here's hoping! Thank you.

Debs Desk said...

Please include me in your giveaway. I know my grandson would love this book.
Thanks
Debbie
debdesk9@verizon.net