Picture Book Saturday

Before we get down to our regularly scheduled business, do you know what yesterday was? Well, Valentine's Day, of course, but that also means it was Cybils Day! In case you missed it, go here to find the winners. I participated as a second round judge in the Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction category, and I'm very excited about our winner. Look for my reviews of all our finalists in the coming months!


I Am Cat
By Jackie Morris
Published 2013 by Frances Lincoln Children's Books
I really wanted to like this one, with the big orange kitty face on the cover, but I just didn't. I don't know. It was a little more cerebral and out there than I like my picture books to be. I have a really hard time imagining an audience of children enjoying this one as well. The illustrations are exquisitely lovely, but I just didn't like the story very much.




Musk Ox Counts
By Erin Cabatingan, illustrated by Matthew Myers
Published 2013 by Roaring Brook Press
Yay! Musk Ox is back and this time, he's taking on counting! I love Musk Ox so much because he is just like a four-year-old. He wants things to be all about him and he wants them a certain way and he's not afraid to let you know. I love that this book has an interactive element to it, making it instantly more appealing for a young audience. It's a hard book for a storytime crowd because there is a lot going on, but it's just so much fun. Love it!



You Were the First
By Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
Published 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Oh, this book is so sweet. This is the perfect book to share with your oldest child just before or after you add a new child to the family. This will remind that child that they will always be special because they were the first. It's just such a sweet book and the illustrations are perfectly suited - they are lovely and soft and they just feel so well-matched to the text. A beautiful book.

Picture Book Saturday

Things that Are Most in the World
By Judi Barrett, illustrated by John Nickle
Published 2001 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
I don't know how anyone can resist a Judi Barrett book; I don't even bother to try. This one, which just showed up new at our library, is no exception. This is not really a story; Barrett instead provides us with some of the things that are most in the world - the stickiest, the quietest, etc. Of course, in typical Barrett fashion, none of these things are quite what you would have expected. I think this would be a really fun book to tie to non-fiction as you actually look up things that hold records for being the most at something. Definitely a great read.

Ghost in the House
By Ammi-Joan Paquette, illustrated by Adam Record
Published 2013 by Candlewick Press
I like spooky and scary things and I'm pretty sure any kid I have is going to grow up obsessed with Halloween. That being said, this ghoulishly themed counting book is definitely appealing to me. A little ghost wanders through his house, discovering spooky surprises around every corner. The illustration style is really friendly, so even though this book is filled with ghastly creatures, I can't imagine any kid being frightened by them. A simple but fun book.

Little Owl's Night
By Divya Srinivasan
Published 2011 by Viking Juvenile
I love, love the illustrations here, probably the main reason why I picked this book up in the first place. This is a really interesting take on the bedtime story, as Little Owl journeys through the night (owls are nocturnal, after all) and observes all the amazing things that happen when the sun is down. I think this might actually help kids who are afraid of the dark or night-time. They could learn about what is happening while they are sleeping. Very cute, with lovely illustrations.

Picture Book Saturday

Count the Monkeys
By Mac Barnett, illustrated by Kevin Cornell
Published 2013 by Disney-Hyperion
Barnett is definitely an author to watch. He writes both picture books and chapter books and seems to do well with both (although I haven't found time yet to read one of his chapter books, they're popular in my library). When I spotted his new picture book, I picked it up immediately. This is a storytime dream book - incredibly fun and interactive. It will definitely keep your audience's attention. The illustrations are perfect for the story, making this an even more awesome book. I definitely recommend this one and will be adding it to my storytime repertoire.

The Matchbox Diary
By Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
Published 2013 by Candlewick Press
This is a quiet but lovely book for which some Caldecott buzz has been building. To be sure, the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous - detailed and longing to be explored in depth. The story is of a little girl who asks her great-grandfather to tell her the story of an old cigar box filled with matchboxes. This would be a great book for a kindergarten/early elementary storytime or program - extension activities are really easy and I seem to remember starting my interest in family history in early elementary school. Very lovely.



Otter and Odder: A Love Story
By James Howe, illustrated by Chris Raschka
Published 2012 by Candlewick Press
Odd is exactly the word I would use to describe this story of an otter who falls in love with a fish. I think it is supposed to be whimsical and heartening and probably have a big lesson in it, but mostly I found it strange. Additionally (and I still hate to admit this), I do not enjoy Raschka's illustration style. It makes me feel unsophisticated or something whenever I say that, but I just think it looks messy and irritating. This was not a book for me.

Picture Book Saturday

Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur: A First Book of Manners
By Judy Sierra, illustrated by Tim Bowers
Published 2012 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
This is the kind of "lessons" book that I like to see - it teaches its lesson without being boring or preachy. I mean, most kids love dinosaurs, so why not use them to teach kids manners? The book is told in a fun way, perfect for storytime, with bright and interesting illustrations. Kids can shout out the answers to each etiquette situation and have fun with this one. Really charming.

My Dog Thinks I'm a Genius
By Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Barroux
Published 2011 by Blue Apple Books
This was our community read book for the youngest audience, so I saw a lot of this book over the last few months. It's a cute story about a boy who loves to paint and show off his work to his dog, Louie. Then Louie tries creating a masterpiece of his own. It's just a fun story about art and works well with the storytime crowd.




The House of 12 Bunnies
By Caroline Stills & Sarcia Stills-Blott, illustrated by Judith Rossell
Published 2012 by Holiday House
This is a cute book about a mother bunny who has lost something and is looking for it as the house prepares for bedtime. What is she missing? Will she find it? This story would work best one-on-one, as there is plenty to see and talk about on every page spread. It's a good opportunity to practice counting, as well. Very cute illustrations - perfect for the target age group.

Wolf Won't Bite!
By Emily Gravett
Published 2011 by MacMillan Children's Books
I'm a big fan of Emily Gravett's books - she always does something really unique and interesting with them, and they often work fantastically for practicing early literacy skills. In this one, Gravett offers a different take on the three little pigs story, where the pigs are absolutely certain that the wolf won't really bite. Are they right? Kids will love the suspense as the read about the pigs' antics and discover if the title is true.

Picture Book Saturday

Zoo Girl
By Rebecca Elliott
Published 2012 by Lion UK
This has a bit of dark beginning, with the titular girl an orphan all alone in the world. But it moves on to happier things, with simple text and lovely illustrations. I liked the simplicity of the story, though it might be a bit jarring for young readers, especially with the gloomy start. I think it's a cute book, but you definitely have to know your audience when sharing this one.

There Was a Tree

By Rachel Isadora

Published 2012 by Nancy Paulsen Books

A new picture book version of a favorite children's song, I adored this book. I quite enjoy the song (though I know it as "The Green Grass Grows All Around") and I loved seeing it in picture book form. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful - Isadora has transported the song to Africa and the illustrations evoke the African countryside perfectly. The colors are just lovely to look at and the style is simple but lush. Isadora has transformed the text slightly, making it into a rebus. I think this is really well done, and I like the additional layer it adds to the text.

Creature Count: A Prehistoric Rhyme

By Brenda Huante, illustrated by Vincent Nguyen

Published 2012 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Very cute and sure to be very popular, this simple picture book combines counting with dinosaurs in a rhyming text. This would be perfect in storytime, though some of the pronunciations would be tricky (and there is no helpful guide at the end). If this were trying a little harder, this could be considered a non-fiction book as well, but a note at the end points out that the creatures depicted didn't all live during the same time periods, despite being shown alongside each other. However, kids will likely not notice this (though some dinosaur fanatics will be eager to point that out) and will definitely enjoy the pictures and rhythm of this book.

Bailey at the Museum

By Harry Bliss

Published 2012 by Scholastic

This is an adorable story of Bailey, who accompanies his class to the Museum of Natural History. He's very excited about it. I liked the simple joy depicted through Bailey as he does what many schoolchildren love to do - go on a field trip! Though maybe museums weren't always at the top of everyone's list, there is usually something for everyone there. I liked the little friendship that develops between Bailey and the museum security guard. This is just a sweet little book.

Picture Book Saturday (36)

The Insomniacs
By Karina Wolf, illustrated by the Brothers Hilts
Published 2012 by Putnam Juvenile
I remember hearing about this picture book way back in January at ALA Midwinter, so I was definitely looking forward to seeing it for myself. Unfortunately, the book didn't quite live up to my expectations. The illustrations are lovely and I definitely think the Brothers Hilts are people to keep your eyes on. But the story itself didn't really strike me. I suppose, looking back on it, I like it more than I did when I first read it. I think it would be an enjoyable bedtime story but might prove problematic with getting kids to actually sleep (it is about a family who likes to stay up all night, after all).

Guinea Pig Party
By Holly Surplice
Published 2012 by Nosy Crow
I'm not particularly enthralled by guinea pigs but the ones on the cover are just so stinking cute that I had to pick this book up and find out what a guinea pig party looks like. The answer - ADORABLE. This is a concept book that practices counting sweet little guinea pigs as they celebrate - maybe a little too much. I definitely wouldn't mind going to a guinea pig party if it was as sweet and fun as this one!

Bang! Boom! Roar! A Busy Crew of Dinosaurs
By Nate Evans and Stephanie Gwyn Brown, illustrated by Christopher Santoro
Published 2012 by Harper
Unfortunately, this book came in just after we finished out construction theme storytimes, which was a real shame. This is definitely a kid-friendly and appealing book and would have been a huge hit at construction storytime. After all, it combines construction with dinosaurs - two things little kids (perhaps especially little boys) love. And, not only does this combine those two wonderful and popular subjects, but this book is also an alphabet book! Absolutely wonderful! I really liked this one with its vibrant and entertaining illustrations and the excellent vocabulary it will introduce.

The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau
By Michelle Markel, illustrated by Amanda Hall
Published 2012 by Eerdmans Books
This is a beautiful and inspiring picture book biography of the artist Henri Rousseau. I admit that, though the name sounded familiar, I couldn't place him within the art world. But that didn't detract from my enjoyment of this lovely book. Kids learn that Henri wanted to be an artist even though he had never learned and no one had ever told him he was any good and he was already in his forties (which, to kids, will be exceptionally old). But Henri wanted to try anyway, so he entered an art exhibit. Henri's perseverance is a great lesson for kids who are scared to try new things. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful. This is a wonderful new biography for young readers.

Program: Family Storytime

Another session of family storytime this fall - here's what we did!

Welcome - this is where I say hello to everyone in storytime, introduce myself and provide some gentle reminders (turn off your phones, keep out of our floor-to-ceiling blinds, and have fun!).

Opening rhyme: "My Hands" - I remembered it still! Yay! I like this one much better than Open Shut Them.

Book: Lots of Dots by Craig Frazier - our theme this week was spots and stripes, so I thought this book was a perfect introduction to seeing all the different things that are made of spots or dots. The kids enjoyed naming the different things the dots made, though not as enthusiastically as they usually do. I think we were having a quiet week this time around.

Flipbook: Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni - I actually find this book kind of creepy and made my colleagues laugh by providing an alternate narration while I was flipping through it to decide if I wanted to use it in storytime. I ended up including it because any alternate format to a traditional book is usually a big hit with the kids, so I thought they'd really enjoy this. Like I said, I think we were having a quiet week, so it wasn't as much of a thrill as it might have been normally.

Book: It's a Tiger! by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Jeremy Tankard - I have a review of this book coming up on the blog, but I chose it for storytime today because tigers have stripes. Plus, that striped tail is the clue to finding the tiger on every spread. This was probably the biggest hit of the day.

Song: "List of Dances" by Jim Gill - as you can probably tell by now, I get sick of music and rhymes much more quickly than I get sick of books. The Hap Palmer CD is still MIA and I didn't really want to have a "Silly Dance Contest" this week, so I went with this one. The kids seem to do better with the dancing part if they have specific kinds of dancing to do rather than just free dancing. This would have worked better if I actually made a list of the dances in the song so we would know what was coming next.

Book: The Very Lazy Ladybug by Isobel Finn, illustrated by Jack Tickle - I wanted to use this one because it's just so darn cute and has lots of opportunity for interaction. Plus, our first book showed a ladybug as an example of small dots, so I didn't expect the kids to make the connection, but it was still there. This is a really cute story about a ladybug who is too lazy to learn how to fly so she hitches a ride on a bunch of different animals. But none of the rides suit her very well...until she hops on the elephant. Could this be the answer? The kids liked the end of this one.

Flannel: Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd - my aversion to flannels notwithstanding, this is a cute little book in any format. It is a fantastic concept book, which wasn't as important for my family storytime, but is essential for toddlers. This flannel tells of Dog's colorful day, as she gets many different colored spots on her. Kids can practice colors and counting, plus Dog is adorable.

Closing: "Wave Goodbye" by Rob Reid - okay, after my brief brush with full memorization, I had to look at my paper this time. SIGH. Will I ever get it all?

And that was our spots and stripes storytime! What books would you share?

Picture Book Saturday (34)

The Monster Who Lost His Mean
By Tiffany Strelitz Haber, illustrated by Kirstie Edmunds
Published 2012 by MacMillan
This book starts off by telling readers just what exactly each letter of the word "monster" stands for. Of course, the "M" stands for "mean" - but what happens when one monster loses him "M"? This delightful story of an Onster and his optimism in the face of adversity (yes, heady words for a picture book, I know) was absolutely fun to read. The pictures are perfectly suited to the story and I think kids will really cheer for this one.

1 2 3 Peas
By Keith Baker
Published 2012 by Beach Lane Books
To accompany his LMNO Peas, Baker now introduces readers to a group of peas that love counting. The illustrations are bright and fun and kids will love counting along with these crazy peas. This is sure to be a popular new concept book.

Rocket Writes a Story
By Tad Hills
Published 2012 by Scwartz & Wade
The lovable and curious Rocket is back! After learning to read with his patient teacher, the little yellow bird, Rocket now has the courage to decide he wants to write a story of his own. But what will his story be about? With a little help from a new friend, Rocket finds his perfect story. This is such a feel-good book - I definitely felt all warm and fuzzy inside after finishing it! Rocket is a great character, sure to have huge appeal to kids. My only complaint is that these stories are too long for storytime - otherwise I would be sharing them whenever I could!

Bear in Love
By Daniel Pinkwater, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
Published 2012 by Candlewick Press
This is a sweet story of Bear, who awakes one morning to find a delicious surprise waiting for him. From that day on, the surprises get sweeter and sweeter until Bear thinks he just might be in love with whoever is leaving these treats for him. So Bear leaves a present of his own. Will friendship blossom? I think we all know the answer to this, but the story is a delight to read. The illustrations are soft and beautiful, perfectly evoking the feeling of this story. I adored this book.

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Silly Doggy!
By Adam Stower
Published 2012 by Scholastic
Lily finds an adorable lost dog out her window - the problem is that it isn't really a dog; it's a bear! But Lily will not be deterred. She will make this work. Unfortunately, Lily's mommy tells her that someone else is probably missing their lost "doggy," so she makes a found poster. This story is really adorable with sweet illustrations and a surprise ending that will surely please the kids. This would be perfect in a storytime.

Soup for One

By Ethan Long

Published 2012 by Running Press

This is a cute concept book about counting, using flies enjoying some soup. Long's signature illustration style seems particularly well-suited to drawing insects. Kids will enjoy counting the bugs because they are just the right mix of silly and gross. The ending is sure to be a hit as well.

Dog in Charge

By K.L. Going, illustrated by Dan Santat
Published 2012 by Penguin Group USA
Santat has become, for me, an illustrator who I won't miss. I will read every book that's got his name attached to it. How could I resist this one with that lovely cover, promising dog and cat-filled hijinks? Dog loves his owners and tries to be the best dog he can be. But when they leave him in charge of 5 restless cats who can't seem to listen, will Dog's reputation be ruined? Absolutely charming and sure to be enjoyed by kids, this would be a lot of fun in a pet storytime.

Eggs 1 2 3: Who Will the Babies Be?
By Janet Halfmann, illustrated by Betsy Thompson
Published 2012 by Blue Apple Books
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. At first glance, it seems to be a simple counting book for young kids, but it's actually a little science lesson. The eggs counted in the book belong to a variety of animals and we learn a bit about them as we count the eggs. Readers are invited to guess what kind of animal each egg belongs to, which will surely delight kids, and they will learn new words in a context that makes them easy to understand. Lovely illustrations as well.