PICTURE BOOK THURSDAY: DREAM ANIMALS: A BEDTIME JOURNEY

DREAM ANIMALS: A BEDTIME JOURNEY by Emily Winfield Martin: What a sweet, gorgeous picture book destined to be a bedtime classic! Each child's special stuffed animal carries him or her into a magical world of fantastic dreams. Who is your dream animal? the book asks children. The lush, dreamy illustrations are filled with enchanting details. I read this aloud to my six-year-old daughter, and we found it the perfect book to snuggle up with at bedtime.

Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this title courtesy of the publisher.

PICTURE BOOK THURSDAY: DOG LOVES COUNTING

DOG LOVES COUNTING by Louise Yates: Dog cannot fall asleep, though he's tried counting sheep. He decides to try counting other animals, leading to a clever counting adventure (the five-lined skink is the fifth animal he encounters; the nine-banded armadillo the ninth) during which Dog falls asleep and has a fantastic dream about counting. I read this book aloud to my six-year-old daughter, and we found it a sweet and clever bedtime story that doubles as a beginning counting book. Though my daughter is well beyond the learning-to-count age, she was still enchanted by the story. A new classic.

Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this book courtesy of the publisher.

Picture Book Thursday: PENGUIN CHA-CHA

PENGUIN CHA-CHA by Kristi Valiant: A girl named Julia discovers that the penguins at the zoo are brilliant dancers and she dons a penguin disguise in order to join them. They are not fooled, so she tries a different strategy: teaching them the cha-cha. Who can resist the cha-cha? The ending suggests that a future adventure for Julia is in store at the zoo! I read this book aloud to my six-year-old daughter, and we were both cracking up. It's funny and sweet, and Julia's ingenuity and determination are inspiring. The whimsical illustrations capture the grace of...penguins dancing. Highly recommend.

Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this book courtesy of the publisher.

Picture Book Thursday: SQUIRRELS ON SKIS

SQUIRRELS ON SKIS by J. Hamilton Ray, illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre: SQUIRRELS ON SKIS is a new book in the Cat-in-the-Hat-endorsed Beginner Books series and joins the company of Dr. Seuss works. I read this aloud to my six-year-old daughter and we loved it. The rhymes are gentle and effortless for the most part, the illustrations hilarious, and the story both funny and relevant. In a town overrun by squirrels on skis, the mayor calls for extermination. Luckily for the squirrels, reporter Sally Sue Breeze looks deeper, uncovering the cause behind the pandemonium. It offers one of the funniest indictments of corporate greed I've ever read. My daughter and I loved this book. She was cracking up and I was waxing nostalgic for the clever rhymes and humor of the books of my childhood. Highly recommend.

Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this book courtesy of the publisher.

Picture Book Thursday

GOLIATH'S SECRET by Bonnie Feuer: I read this one aloud to my six-year-old daughter and at the end, she sighed and said, "What a delightful story." I can't argue with that. Goliath the frog is silent, and several animals who live nearby try to teach him how to talk. In the end, they discover that everyone has his own way of communicating and our differences make us interesting.

The illustrations in this one are gorgeous. The animals of the West African forest are drawn with gorgeous detail. The illustrations of the Goliath Frog in motion are particularly notable. A lovely story that has the feel of a classic.

Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this title from the publisher.

Picture Book Thursday

THE DAY MY MOM CAME TO KINDERGARTEN by Maureen Fergus, illustrated by Mike Lowery: This would be a great book for a child entering kindergarten! The child's mom comes to kindergarten one day, and she gets it all wrong. She talks when the teacher is talking, makes huffy noises and slams down the scissors when she has trouble in art, and forgets to take off her outside shoes. The child must walk her mother through the basics of kindergarten rules. In the end, Mom decides that she'll go back to doing what she's best at, and leave kindergarten to her child.

For a child nervous about starting school, Mom's introduction to kindergarten rules and activities would be an excellent primer. It walks the child through what to expect in a funny, nonthreatening way. Even when Mom gets it wrong, punishment is not the result; her child teaches her the right way.

Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this title from the publisher.

Picture Book Thursday

SCAREDY SQUIRREL GOES CAMPING by Melanie Watt: Scaredy Squirrel does not think camping is a great idea; there are simply too many hazards, like zippers and penguins and mosquitoes. So he decides to experience camping by watching television shows about camping. The only problem? He must set out on an adventure in order to plug in his extension cord! Along the way, he faces many of his fears and learns the joys of camping.

I read this to my six-year-old daughter, and we are both now Scaredy Squirrel fans. Scaredy Squirrel's charts, maps, and detailed plans are hilarious additions to quirky, fun illustrations. The narrative will appeal to children and adults - my daughter and I were both cracking up. And the lesson, that things are not as scary as they seem, that some things are worth the risk, is hard to argue with. A delightful picture book.

Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this title from the publisher.

Picture Book Thursday

DYLAN'S DAY by Tim Hutchinson: Dylan, a very busy dog, has many things to smell, chase, and do, but his most important tasks involve the big fat cat that lives next door. Lush, multilayered illustrations invite a closer look at Dylan's surroundings, and the charming narrative follows a dog as he goes about his day. Children who love dogs will adore this one. I read it aloud to my six-year-old daughter, and we were both enchanted.

Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this title from the publisher.

Picture Book Thursday

MR. FLUX by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Matte Stevens: Martin and his neighbors live in a place where nothing ever changes, and they like it that way. Until Mr. Flux comes to town...

I read this picture book aloud to my six-year-old daughter, and we were both delighted with the quirky tale and whimsical illustrations. At the end is a discussion about the 1960s art movement Fluxus, and it opened some discussion about what art is. This would be a great book for a child who fears change, or is about to experience a major change. Martin and his neighbors learn that change is not necessarily a bad thing.

Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this title from the publisher.

Picture Book Thursday

WILLOW FINDS A WAY by Lana Button, illustrated by Tania Howells: Kristabelle is a bully. She makes a list of invitees to her fabulous birthday party and then makes demands, crossing names off her list when they fail to act according to her whims. Willow is not immediately the target of Kristabelle's bullying, but she knows she should say something when Kristabelle is mean to her friends. But she's so excited about the birthday party, and she doesn't want her name crossed out! Eventually, Willow finds a creative way to stand up to Kristabelle, who learns an important lesson.

This is a sweet picture book about bullying. Having Willow as a bystander makes for a great discussion with your child about excluding others and standing up when someone else is being bullied. My six-year-old daughter and I both enjoyed this thoughtful look at bullying.

Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this title from the publisher.

Picture Book Thursday

MUMFIE'S QUEST: THE BEGINNING OF THINGS by Britt Allcroft (BRITT ALLCROFT'S MAGIC ADVENTURES OF MUMFIE: BOOK ONE): I read this to my six-year-old daughter and we were both perplexed. Her assessment: "That was weird, and it stopped in the middle of the story." That about sums it up, but I'll add that it seemed an odd mishmash of THE WIZARD OF OZ and ALICE IN WONDERLAND, and Mumfie looks exactly like Dumbo. The premise is fine, with Mumfie coming across a scarecrow and taking him along on an adventure. The two meet up with other animals, helping when needed, until they end up trapped on an island. That's it. It ends with them trapped on the island, with no resolution at all. Apparently, we're supposed to pick up the next book for more of the story. I'm accustomed to series fiction, but each entry needs to be self-contained, and that was not the case here.

Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this title from the publisher.

Picture Book Thursday: The Return

In an attempt to get more organized, I'm taking up Holly's Picture Book Thursday concept. All picture books I review from now on will be on Thursdays. Since not everyone reading this blog is interested in picture books, that will keep the children's posts more contained and avoidable. Likewise, it will be easier for picture book fans to follow our picture book reviews.

WHAT THE SNAKES WROTE by Hazel Hutchins and Tina Holdcroft: I read this aloud to my six-year-old daughter and we both agreed it was one of the best picture books we've read. One day, while the farmer is busy filling in a hole so no one trips and breaks a leg, the dog notices the snakes are behaving very oddly. In fact, they spell out words, asking the dog for help. The dog tries to attract the notice of the farmer, only to find that the words are now unrecognizable. When the snakes try again, dog is able to alert the farmer to the snakes' plight and the farmer comes up with a creative solution that will prevent harm to both snakes and the denizens of the farm. The final page includes interesting facts about snakes and their hibernation.

Does it get better in a children's book than adorable pictures, a positive message of cooperation, empathy, and consideration toward the natural world, and educational material? I can't imagine it does. My daughter and I were both enchanted by this sweet yet practical story. As soon as we finished the page of snake facts, she announced, "That might be the best book ever." I concur.

Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this title from the publisher.

Picture Book Thursday: Hopper and Wilson by Maria van Lieshout

This cute little book showed up on my doorstep earlier this week. My five year old asked to read it right away.

Hopper (the elephant) and Wilson (the mouse) are the best of friends. One day they wonder what they will find at the end of the world. So they set sail in a boat made out of newspaper and all they packed is their red balloon. When they reach the end of the world, they wish to find an endless supply of lemonade and to be able to touch the moon. It is smooth sailing until they run into a storm and end up separated from each other. After searching high and low for each other, they do find one another again and end up "at the end of the world" which is actually right where they began: home.

This is a very cute book with simple text. One you'll be happy to read at bedtime! ;-) My five-year old liked it quite a lot. She was a little concerned in the middle when Hopper and Wilson couldn't find each other, but I assured her that it would be okay by the end. The illustrations are lovely. Hee hee...the only thing I can say that bothered me at all is the choice of Wilson for the mouse's name. All I could think of when Hopper was yelling, "Wilson!" into the middle of the ocean...Tom Hanks in the movie Cast Away yelling for his pet volleyball. But, of course, small children would never think of that. :-)

Source Disclosure: This book was sent to me by The Penguin Group unsolicited in the hope that I would review it.

Picture Book Thursday: Art Project Book Reviews

And now for something slightly different from my normal Picture Book Thursday post (and some shameless promotion besides).....I have started an art project blog to keep track of the projects I do with my girls during the summer months. I may not be able to read a ton of fiction these days or update the book blog often, but I felt like I could commit to updating an art blog weekly for the summer months. :-)

I plan out lesson plans each week by picking an artist, an artistic style, or a theme. I show my kids images of famous paintings that go along with the subject and then they work on an art project related to that.

We also have been making weekly (sometimes even twice a week) trips to the library this summer. And my oldest daughter has been into borrowing "How to draw...." books. So I've visited the 700-750 range in the nonfiction section of the library often. And I've found some GREAT books relating to art and kids. I decided I was going to put up a few reviews of these books on the art blog. Since they were BOOK REVIEWS, I figured why not cross post on the book blog as well. I'm sure there are some mom book bloggers out there who might be interested too! :-)

I found this book, Art in Action(1) by Maja Pitamic this week at the library as well as its counterpart Art in Action(2). Oh my, these are FANTASTIC books relating art and kids' art projects! I will be purchasing them. They break down into chapters by a certain theme like "Color", "Shape", or "Portraits". And then an artwork is profiled that fits within the theme. The artwork page shares interesting yet simple information about the artist or style and then the following pages depict project ideas.

Below shows the artist page for Henri Rousseau's jungle image: Surprised. We actually did a project related to this painting last year. You can see our project here. This page in Art in Action shows a fun collage you could do with the kids' handprints.


The images above show what the artwork page in the book looks like and the finished project.
In the "Nature" chapter of the book (below), you can see an image of Jacopo Zucci's Pergola with Birds and then create the following projects:


You can see from the images I took that the projects come with very visual instructions, also a supply list and most of them are very easy to do. The bird rug project could be applied to other imaginative play as well. Your kids could make rugs for their dolls. My daughter has a kitchen setup for her American Girl doll, this would be a perfect thing for her to make for that too.

What really impresses me about these books are the ease of the projects, the relatively "normal" supplies that can be found around most households easily, and the creativity behind the project ideas. These are things I have not really seen before (at least not all in one book). And I love that I'm interested in more than one project in a book. Sometimes, I find books where only one or two things appeal to me.

This last one is a Cezanne painting and a 3-dimensional box sculpture.

I would love for any of you to head over to Holly's Arts and Crafts Corner and become a follower! I have a few more books I may review of this sort. Please leave a comment and let me know if you might like to see more reviews of this sort here.

Picture Book Thursday: Animal Story Time

First of all, HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! Did you all remember to wear green? Even though it would make more sense for me to feature St. Patty's day books today, I don't have a bunch of those sitting around. So today's topic is: ANIMALS! :-)

Read to Tiger by S. J. Fore is a very cute story of a little boy trying to read a book. His tiger keeps interrupting by chomping his gum, impersonating a bear, practicing karate and more. It's not until the tiger realizes the little boy is reading a book about tigers that he becomes interested in the book. In the end, the little boy finally ends up reading his book to the tiger. This is a great picture book for young readers. There is much repetition and great pictures to help with more difficult words. A nice choice for an older sibling to read to a younger sibling. S. J. Fore previously published Tiger Can't Sleep which I'm sure is just as cute! We'll have to take a look at that one too.

I recently received a board book copy of Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle. This is a new-to-me title. I actually thought it was a newly published Carle book, but realized it's just a new edition. Mister Seahorse was originally published in 2004. A fun book for kids interested in sea life. Another repetitious story showing fish families. This one is unique because it focuses on seahorses, sticklebacks, tilapia, Kurtus nurseryfish, and more. All varieties where the father takes care of the eggs instead of the female. A great way to show the nurturing side of males. The book has acetate overlays on every other page featuring a hide-and-seek camouflage for the fish. As always the bright Carle illustrations are wonderful! I'm sure this would be a delight for toddlers through pre-K.

I've had Brown Rabbit in the City sitting on my shelf for awhile. And I'm happy to finally be able to review it. Such a sweet little tale! This is the sequel to the book Moon Rabbit. In Brown Rabbit in the City, he comes to visit his good friend Little Rabbit. Little Rabbit flits all over the city with Brown Rabbit in tow. They visit her favorite cafe, a tall building, crowded streets, an art gallery and the subway. It's all a little too much for Brown Rabbit and he goes off on his own. All of sudden, Little Rabbit realizes she was too busy showing her friend everything. They didn't really get to visit and enjoy the company of each other. She rushes off to find him and the two enjoy spending the next day together in the park dancing and playing music. A very sweet rabbit story if you're looking for an Easter gift that doesn't scream "Easter".

Source disclosure: I received unsolicited review copies of each of these books from Penguin Young Readers Group.

Picture Book Thursday: How to Raise a Dinosaur by Natasha Wing

I was so excited about this picture book when I opened its envelope! Doesn't the cover just make you want to look inside? My 8-month old will love this as he gets bigger.

Natasha Wing seems to be most known for her "The Night Before" series of books: The Night Before Kindergarten, The Night Before Halloween, The Night Before Valentine's Day, etc. How to Raise a Dinosaur is a very different book from these! And a fabulous entry to her lists of books!

In the beginning, a young boy asks if you're thinking about getting a pet. Then he proceeds to "sell" you on a dinosaur complete with instructions in care, housing, and commands you should teach your dinosaur. On the last page of the book, he even suggests that you "Above all, give your dinosaur lots of love...or it will eat you!" :-)

This is absolutely adorable! And if I saw this laying on a bookstore table, I would snap it up immediately. Even more interesting than the text, the illustrations by Pablo Bernasconi make this fabulous. They are so rich in color and texture, they are sure to keep your child interested as each page is turned. The book also contains various flaps for further entertainment value.

This book is very HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

About the Author:
Natasha Wing has been writing children's stories since 1992 with her first publication, Hippity Hop, Frog on Top. She has also been published in children's magazines such as Highlights, Babybug, and Ladybug. After the first publication of The Night Before Easter in 1999, Wing was asked to make The Night Before into a series. Since then, the series has sold more than one million copies. As a girl, Natasha visited the Peabody Museum of Natural History and was fascinated by the dinosaur exhibits. She doesn't have a dinosaur for a pet, but does have a calico cat, Jemima, who shares a home with Natasha and her husband Dan.

About the Illustrator: Pablo Bernasconi has been published in many newspapers and magazines like the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Rolling Stone and Time. He has published seven children's books that he authored and illustrated, which have been translated into eight different languages.

Source Disclosure: This book was sent to me unsolicited by the publisher Running Press Kids.

Picture Book Thursday: Say Hello! by Rachel Isadora

If you're looking for a picture book that is not only visually interesting but also has a great message showing how diverse our communities can be, take a look at Say Hello by Rachel Isadora.

Carmelita and her mother take their dog, Manny on a walk through their neighborhood. Each person they encounter speaks a different language and Carmelita greets each in their native voice: Spanish, Japanese, French, Italian and many more!

The text of this book is pretty simple and introduces children to many greetings from around the world. The images are wonderful collages and so engaging! There are store-fronts, restaurants, and a parks. You and your child could talk about all the different things you see on each page, and what types of things were used to make the images. You could also get a globe and show your child where each country/greeting is compared to your current location.

Written and Illustrated by Rachel Isadora: She received a Caldecott Honor for Ben's Trumpet and has written and illustrated numerous books for children, including Peekaboo Bedtime, the Lili at the Ballet series, and several classic tales set in Africa. She lives in New York City.

Source disclosure: This book was sent to me from the Penguin Group unsolicited in hopes that it would be reviewed.

Picture Book Thursday: Summer Fun!

With the Fourth of July upon us, I thought it would be fun to feature some books that just scream SUMMER!
I was pleasantly surprised when I opened Hot Diggity Dog by Adrienne Sylver! Even though it is a book about hot dogs, it also provides little fun food facts in general. Such as, July is National Hot Dog Month, but it is also National Ice Cream, Watermelon, Baked Beans and Blueberry Month. And did you know that Americans eat 2 BILLION hot dogs JUST in the month of July! Holy smokes!

There are so many fun facts and lists in this book, such as: what cities eat the most hot dogs (Los Angeles was #1, followed by New York), different types of hot dogs (Chicago Dog, Coney Island Dog, etc), different food contests (not just hot dog eating, but also M&Ms, tamales, grilled cheese and more). The book even has two recipes in the back for Beans and Franks and Hot and Tangy Dogs.

This is a great book showing how the hot dog arrived in America and how it became a stadium food. I think many children will enjoy this book, especially if they are looking for something different from a storybook. It is pretty text-heavy so it might be better for grade school age children.

Ladybug Girl At the Beach is David Soman's third installment of the popular picture book series. Lulu and her family spend the day at the beach. It's her first time visiting the ocean and the waves look a little daunting to her. She finds many other things to do like build sand castles, walk along the beach, get ice cream. But she really thinks the water would be fun even though it looks a bit scary. Not until her favorite pail gets washed away does Lulu finally get into the water as Ladybug Girl! And the rest of the day Ladybug Girl has no fear and enjoys the beach AND the water!

Although my girls and I have enjoyed all the Ladybug Girl books, I think this one is my favorite so far. My younger daughter is definitely less adventurous than our older daughter and the ocean/water makes her very nervous. I think this is a great book to show there are MANY things we can do at the beach even if we are a little scared of the water. And maybe one day, we will decide the water isn't that scary after all and jump right in!

Whatever you do or eat this summer have a fabulous time!!! :-) Happy Fourth of July!

Source Disclosure: Both of these books were sent to me from the Penguin group as part of their summer promotional materials.

Picture Book Thursday: Red Green Blue by Alison Jay

Alison Jay's new book Red Green Blue: A First Book of Colors is a refreshing take on both a color book and nursery rhymes. She combines the two into one book and in a very succinct and fun way.

Each page features a different color and two-sentence paraphrase of popular nursery rhymes. For example, "Little Boy Blue's asleep in the hay. His sheep and his cow have run away." or "This yellow teapot's short and stout. She is the best at pouring out."

The illustrations are the absolute best part of this book. If you look closely, just about each page has a story-within-a story. For example, on the teapot page, there is a framed portrait of Miss Muffet on the wall. The next page of the book features Miss Muffet and the spider. You can also see the Little Boy Blue (on the previous page) in the background outside the window on the teapot page. These continue throughout the book sometimes showing four or five nursery rhyme characters or locations (ie: the pumpkin from Peter, Peter pumpkin eater in the background) in one illustration.

I think a child who is well versed in nursery rhymes would LOVE this book! They would have a great time trying to spot all the different nursery rhymes on the pages. But really anyone can enjoy this one. This book is available on May 13, 2010.

About the Author/Illustrator:
Alison Jay is the celebrated illustrator of many books for children. She studied illustration at the London College of Printing and lives in London, England.

Source disclosure: This book was sent to me unsolicited by the Penguin Group.

Picture Book Thursday: Sleepover at Gramma's House

Yes, I am waaaaay behind on Picture Book Thursday posts! I can't believe how behind I am on those. At least 12 books in the queue to be reviewed. Instead of thinking about how behind I am, I'm just going to get caught up, yes I am! Okay, now that's the right attitude! I'm going to schedule these for every 2-3 weeks and then hopefully, that will help me get caught up and I won't have to remember that it's time for another PBTh book. :-)

So here goes...Book #1: Sleepover at Gramma's House by Barbara Joose, illustrated by Jan Jutte. This book's illustrations remind me a bit (just a bit) of the Babar books. The book starts with a little girl so excited to visit her Gramma's house. She runs around her house packing her "nighty trunk" and saying good-bye to everything and everyone. And then she's off to have fun adventures with Gramma: painting, having fun snacks, telling each other stories and finally good night.

This is a very sweet book that would be wonderful to give to preschoolers before a trip to Grandma's house, especially if they are going for their first overnight! The beginning of the book seems to be ode to Goodnight Moon. After the first few pages the text gets a little long and more sing songy. The illustrations are fun throughout!

This might make a fun book to give to Grandma for Mother's Day from the grandchildren. She could keep it at her house to read to them when they come over. (Edited to add: Just checked the publication date...May 13th. So just misses Mother's Day this year. Maybe for next year though!)
:-)

About the author:
Barbara Joosse is the author of more than thirty books for children, which include Mama, Do You Love Me?, Please Is a Good Word to Say, Love is a Good Thing to Feel and ROAWR!, her first collaboration with Jan Jutte. Sleepover at Gramma's House joins her other major titles as a book that can be, as she says, shared by parents and grandparents and their child inside a hug. Barbara Joosse lives with her husband, sculptor C. T. Whitehouse, and their two dogs in a little stone house in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.

About the Illustrator:
Jan Jutte is one of the Netherlands' most accomplished picture book artists. He has illustrated over one hundred titles and has won many of the country's highest awards, including the Golden Brush and the Golden Plaque. Jan and his wife, Nanouk, live in a very old town in the Netherlands called Zutphen with their son, Melle, and two dogs, Titus and Igor.

Source disclosure: This book was sent to me unsolicited from the Penguin Group.