Category: Fiction

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, Humor, Preschool Reads

Good advice: Never Follow a Dinosaur!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

never-followNever Follow a Dinosaur, by Alex Latimer, (Sept. 2016, Peachtree Publishers), $16.95, ISBN: 9781561457045

Recommended for ages 3-8

Siblings Joe and Sally spy a strange set of footprints by their cat’s bowl one morning, setting them off on an investigation. Clearly, it’s a dinosaur. With each spread, they deduce more about the dinosaur: it’s a heavy dinosaur, because the tracks are so deep; it’s a hungry dinosaur, because it’s eaten the cat’s food; footprints in the fish pond clue them in that it’s a dinosaur who likes to swim. Should you follow a dinosaur, though? Especially when it’s a hungry dinosaur? You’ll just have to read to find out!

Never Follow a Dinosaur is a cute book that teaches kids about using clues to figure out more and more about the dinosaur. The spreads are hilarious, as the dinosaur suffers indignity on top of indignity (bumped head, stubbed toe… the humanity!). The layouts give a lot of space to the kids’ imagination as they conjure up visions of their visitor, and the layout the kids come up with to trap the dino are up there with the best Rube Goldberg devices from the old Warner Brothers cartoons (totally dating myself there).

This is a fun storytime read that offers a lot of interactivity and the chance to give the kids’ imaginations a workout. Ask kids to come up with their own dinosaurs, based on the clues in the book, or just have pictures of dinosaurs to color and customize, for younger readers. Pair this with Ed Young’s Seven Blind Mice for a storytime on deduction and investigation, and then turn it on the kids: have them close their eyes and touch a piece of felt, a chair, a book, a plush toy, and use their five senses to investigate and deduce.

 

Posted in Early Reader, Fantasy, Fiction, Fiction, Intermediate, programs, Storytime, Summer Reading

Storytime: Nobody Likes a Goblin, by Ben Hatke

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

nobody-likes-a-goblinNobody Likes a Goblin, by Ben Hatke, (Jun 2016, First Second), $17.99, ISBN: 9781626720817

Recommended for ages 5-10

If you read my stuff enough, you know there are a few authors and illustrators that I adore; Ben Hatke is one of them. From Zita the Spacegirl to Mighty Jack and Little Robot, he creates fun, exciting characters, very human stories, and beautiful art. I am eternally grateful that he has also started sharing the love with picture book readers; first, we had Julia’s House for Lost Creatures, and now, Nobody Likes a Goblin.

It’s the sweetest little book about a homebody goblin who lives in his cozy dungeon and hangs out with his best friend, Skeleton. One day, a gang of dumb old adventurers barges in, loots Goblin’s treasure, and makes off with Skeleton – RUDE. Goblin sets out to rescue his friend despite the oft-repeated cautionary advice, “Nobody likes a goblin.” But Goblin doesn’t care, because he has a friend to save!

goblinImage Source: GoodReads

How cute is this book? It’s got adorable messages about friendship and being brave, not worrying who likes you or not, and just doing what you do. I decided to read this one to some of my slightly younger kids on a preschool-aged summer camp visit a few weeks ago, and they seemed to enjoy it. They kind of “ewwww’d” my poor Goblin at first, but when I told them that he was just a nice little guy and didn’t bother anyone, they were more sympathetic. By the end of the book, they were cheering for him. I encouraged them to hiss and boo the adventurers who were mean and went into poor Goblin’s house, breaking things up and stealing his toys, and was that very nice? NO.

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Blog Tour: Race Car Dreams by Sharon Chriscoe!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

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A race car finishes his race and gets ready for bed in this adorable rhyming bedtime story. Going through his nighttime rituals: he washes his rims, fills his tummy with oil, and heads to the library for a book to snuggle down with for the night. It’s a story that’s just perfect for bedtime, as my 4 year-old will gladly attest to; it’s entered our nightly reading routine, and the gentle rhyme and bright but subdued, kid-friendly art is a lovely transition from go-go-go running around all day to slowing down and getting ready for bed.

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The endpapers bring us into and lead us out of the story with black and white checkered flag; in auto racing, it’s the checkered flag that waves when the winner has crossed the finish line; it’s a fun fact to add to a storytime and it adds both to the beginning and end settings for the story.

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Cars fans, racing fans, boys and girls alike will enjoy this sweet bedtime story. I love that the race car snuggled down on its own with a good book, showing that while snuggle time with Mom or Dad is great, you can also be perfectly content to cuddle up with a night time read all on your own.

Is your little one a fan of “just one more book” at bedtime like mine is? Add Sherri Duskey Rinker’s Steam Train, Dream Train to the reading rotation for another rhyming dream story.

You can pick up a copy of Race Car Dreams for your little racer on September 13th. It’s available via Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or IndieBound. Support your local libraries and borrow it, too! Don’t forget to add it to your GoodReads!

Make sure to visit more stops on the RACE CAR DREAMS blog tour!

9/6 My Word Playground

9/7 MomReadIt

9/8 Unleashing Readers

9/9 Once Upon a Time…

9/10 Stacking Books

9/11 Geo Librarian

9/12 Flowering Minds

9/13 Unpacking the POWER of Picture Books

9/14 Little Crooked Cottage

9/14 MamaBelly

9/15 #kidlit Book of the Day

9/16 Just Kidding

Posted in Animal Fiction, Early Reader, Fiction, Humor, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

The Zoo’s about to cut FOOTLOOSE!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

footloose_1Footloose, by Kenny Loggins/Illustrated by Tim Bowers, (Oct. 2016, MoonDance Press), $17.95, ISBN: 9781633221185

Recommended for ages 2-6

Where are my fellow ’80s children at? Kenny Loggins, who basically soundtracked the ’80s, has given new life to Footloose – a song that I will still unabashedly jump off and dance to whenever I hear it (usually to my eldest teen’s mortal terror) – for the little ones! He was inspired to rewrite the song into a fun story for his grandchildren; what we get is a fun rhyming story about what goes down after a zoo closes to the public for the evening.

First things first: Yes, I absolutely did find a karoake version of Footloose on YouTube and played it while I sang this book. In the privacy of my bedroom, sure, but I did it and it was fabulous! The song and story line up nicely, and if that’s your kind of thing, and you have an audience that may be receptive to it, print out a set of the lyrics for the parents and go for it.

This is a fun story for kids about party animals getting down after dark, with Zookeeper Big Jack witness to the whole business. There’s rhyming, there are great illustrations of animals swinging from trees, dancing a tango, and turning it loose – Footloose!

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footloose_4For me, this is a no-brainer add to my shelves – my storytimes include a lot of movement, my little ones love animal books, and I can easily read this, Eric Carle’s From Head to Toe, Lindsay Craig’s Dancing Feet, and Sandra Boynton’s Barnyard Dance to get the kids up, moving, and laughing. If you have animal picture book fans, it’s a great addition to your collections. If you like to sing and dance with your little ones, be it in your own living room or the storytime area in  your library, add this one. And if you want that karaoke link, here’s the backing track (just the music), and here’s one with the lyrics, in case you want to track how your reading goes compared to the pace of the song.

Posted in Animal Fiction, Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads

Paying it forward: Cara’s Kindness

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

caras kindnessCara’s Kindness, by Kristi Yamaguchi/Illustrated by John Lee (Oct. 2016, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky), $16.99, ISBN: 978-1492616863

Recommended for ages 3-8

Cara the Cat is practicing her ice skating routine and thinking of the perfect song for it when she notices Darby the Dog, who wants to skate, but is afraid to try. She helps Darby overcome his fear, telling him to “pass on the kindness”, setting off a chain of good deeds, with each friend helping someone else and telling them to “pass on the kindness”. The cycle of good deeds comes full circle when a friend creates a song especially for Cara’s performance. The story concentrates on the good feelings of paying it forward – doing a kindness for someone and asking others to do the same – and how karma works like a boomerang; it’s the old adage, “treat others as you would be treated”, brought to life with adorably drawn animal characters in situations that speak to young audiences.

Olympic medalist Kristi Yamaguchi has written children’s books before, featuring Little Pig (It’s a Big World, Little Pig! and Dream Big, Little Pig!), who inspired readers to follow their ambitions and dreams. Maybe Cara and Little Pig will meet up in a future story?

This is a good book to pair with other books on kindness, like Carol  McCloud’s Have You Filled a Bucket Today? (“bucket filling” was huge when my tween was in elementary school), Philip Stead’s A Sick Day for Amos McGee, and the classic fable, The Lion and the Mouse. Encourage kids to pay it forward by doing something nice for someone of their choosing.

 

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Blog Tour: Busy Builders, Busy Week! Interview with Jean Reidy!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis
busy builders_1Busy Builders, Busy Week, by Jean Reidy/Illustrated by Leo Timmers, (June 2016, Bloomsbury), $16.99, ISBN: 978-1619635562

Sunday! Dream day! Study, scribble, scheme day. Map, measure, plan a treasure. Gather up a team day!

The author-illustrator team that brought us All Through My Town – a storytime staple at my library – comes together to bring readers a book about working together! Over the course of a week, animal characters pull together to build a brand new playground in their community. Each day brings new things to do, from planning, to digging, to fixing and planting!

This is such a fun story to read out loud, and has entered regular rotation at home. Kids can practice their days of the week and get lost in the rhyming story, which has the added benefit of showing readers how to group tasks to get things done in the best way. On Sunday, the builders come up with plans for their big job ahead; on Monday, they clear the area. Tuesday is for infrastructure: cement, pipes, boards, fixing fences. On Wednesday, we load everything up and take it on the road. Thursday is for getting the place shaped up: drills, nails, rake and spread. Friday, the plants go in and the final details, like painting and sanding, get the park ready for their big opening on Saturday!

I love Leo Timmers’ bright, bold acrylics here. The bright colors and cartoony animal characters are a perfect accompaniment to Jean Reidy’s bouncy, happy rhyming text. Even the endpapers bring on the fun, with yellow, diamond-shaped construction signs featuring different animals working at different tasks leading readers in and out of the story.

Transportation books have done well at all of my libraries, so this is a no-brainer for my collection. If your readers love books like Good Night, Good Night, Construction Site, by Sherri Duskey Rinker, and Kate and Jim McMullan’s series (I Stink!, I’m Brave!, et al), this is a perfect fit. Busy Builders also lends itself to a days of the week read-aloud, right next to fun books like John Himmelman’s Chickens to the Rescue!,  or Albert Bitterman’s Fortune Cookies.

I was lucky enough to get a few minutes with author Jean Reidy, and we talked about Busy Builders, Busy Week! Read on!

 

MomReadIt (MRI): I love the idea of the characters coming together to create a playground! Did you decide on the idea of building the playground as the best way to talk about the days of the week, or did the story come together separately?

Jean Reidy (JR): A little bit of both, I’d say. When my editors at Bloomsbury asked me to write a days-of-the-week book for their list, I loved the idea. So I brainstormed a variety of approaches that ranged from the mundane to the wildly weird. But that’s the way I like to work, creatively uncensored, putting all the possibilities out there. I’ve always wanted to write a construction trucks book, so when I hit on the notion of a “construction week” the only decision left was, “What can we build in a week that will resonate with a child?” Well, a playground, of course. Even better, a playground designed by illustrator Leo Timmers. And while the premise was fun and uncomplicated, the idea of a community coming together to transform an old, abandoned city lot into something fun and beautiful felt like it added an additional layer of meaning to the essential story. I like that layer. I think it gives readers more to talk about. And Leo did a fabulous job bringing it to life.

MRI: When you were working on the text, did you plot out the different phases of construction to help you group together the tasks the characters undertake each day?

JR: That would have been really smart, eh? But my process was a little looser than that. I tried to keep my free association of the topic going as long as I could before I forced it into any kind of order. I wanted to fully explore all the fun possibilities for structure and language. So, I developed word lists—starting with the days of the week and then all the construction actions, sounds, vehicles and tools I could think of. I played with those lists until I sounded out the bouncy rhythm and rhyme scheme I wanted for my young readers. From there, I made sure that the construction tasks were logically ordered and grouped so that the artwork could then bring sense to the process of building the playground.

MRI: You’ve also written a book called ALL THROUGH MY TOWN that features animals as the main characters. Do you think these two books could take place in the same storytelling universe? Could the kids from All Through My Town come and play at the new playground built in Busy Builders, Busy Week?

JR: Oh my goodness! What a brilliant idea! I love unexpected connections, surprises and meta moments in storytelling. So let’s play that out. ALL THROUGH MY TOWN is loosely modeled after the Chicago suburb in which I grew up—a self-contained town with its own shops, library, gardens, fire department and only thirty miles from Chicago. The Chicago and Northwestern train line—now called the Metra—whistled through multiple times each day, taking commuters to and from the Windy City. BUSY BUILDERS, BUSY WEEK! takes place in an urban area where the characters transform an old empty lot. So yes, let’s have our town characters hop on their train and visit their city friends—all meeting up at that brand new playground. Bloomsbury, how ‘bout it? Readers, toss me a title! Let’s do this!

 

Jean Reidy photoJean Reidy is a two-time winner of the Colorado Book Award. Especially gifted at writing for very young children, Jean is a frequent presenter at national and local literacy, writing, and education conferences and at schools across the country—in person and via Skype. She is a member of the Colorado Council International Reading Association and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and she serves on the board of Reach Out and Read Colorado. Jean writes from her home in Colorado where she lives right across the street from her neighborhood library, which she visits nearly every day. Visit her at www.jeanreidy.com and on Twitter: @JeanReidy.

 

Follow Jean on the BUSY BUILDERS, BUSY WEEK! tour!

Mon, Aug 22 Cracking the Cover
Tues, Aug 23 Literary Hoots
Wed, Aug 24 NC Teacher Stuff
Thurs, Aug 25 Mom Read It
Fri, Aug 26 Unleashing Readers
Sat, Aug 27 Booking Mama
Mon, Aug 29 Bluestocking Thinking
Tues, Aug 30 Jean Little Library
Wed, Aug 31 Geo Librarian
Thurs, Sept 1 Mrs. O Reads Books
Fri, Sept 2 Where Imagination Grows

Click here for a free classroom curriculum guide and storytime kit!

Enter a Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to receive a copy of BUSY BUILDERS, BUSY WEEK! (U.S. addresses, please.)

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, Humor

The Pruwahaha Monster gives kids a little jump!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

pruwahahahaThe Pruwahaha Monster, by Jean-Paul Mulders/Illustrated by Jacques Maes, Lise Braekers (Oct. 2016, Kids Can Press), $15.95, ISBN: 9781771385664

Recommended for ages 5-8

A cute story about a boy and his dad outside enjoying the autumn, The Pruwahaha Monster is a story the father tells his son while the son plays on a swing. It may be a bit high-concept for younger readers – it took me a couple of reads to put it all together – so I’d suggest reading it to school-age (Kindergarten-Grade 2) kids, rather than toddlers or preschoolers.

A dad tells his son a story about the Pruwahaha Monster – a stinky, ugly, terrible monster with a taste for children – but when the monster tracks down a little boy, all he does is laugh! The last picture in the story tells you everything you need to know about the monster and his relationship with the boy.

Originally published in Belgium, this is a sweet story about a father and son, and the joy of storytelling: especially spooky storytelling! A fun additional add to collections where kids are ready for a scary story that ends up being very safe, after all. Teach the kids how to make shadow puppets on a wall when you’re done, and let them make their own monsters!

There’s a lot of visual interest here, with bright orange artwork drawing the reader’s attention to woodland animals and leaves. Spooky monster paws fade into and out of existence. There are beautiful spreads and pages of work against light blue, bright orange, and beige backgrounds. There are so many little elements to look at and notice in each spread – you’ll find something new every time.

Jean-Paul Mulders is a Flemish journalist and writer, and the author of several books for adults; The Pruwahaha Monster is his first book for children.Jacques Maes & Lise Braekers are a graphic design, web design and illustration duo from Belgium. The Pruwahaha Monster is their first book for children.
Posted in Animal Fiction, Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads

Blog Tour: The Adventures of Lovable Lobo: Selfies in the Wild

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Lobo and his raven sidekick discover a trail camera in their neck of the woods, and it attracts the attention of their forest friends. What do animals do when they get hold of a camera in the wild? Take selfies, of course! The images captured by the trail camera have never been sillier or more candid. Just as their wild dispositions are exposed, the photo shoot comes to an unexpected end, leaving them all wondering why. The reason may be obvious to you, though!

Take a look at the book trailer for Selfies in the Wild, and make sure to check out the Lovable Lobo website for more fun!

Make sure to visit these other sites on the Selfies in the Wild blog tour!

selfies_BlogTourSchedule

The Adventures of Lovable Lobo

Website: http://lovablelobo.com

Blog: http://lovablelobo.wordpress.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LovableLobo

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lovable-Lobo/265661023552725

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/murphymess/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+CLMurphyKidLit

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, Realistic Fiction

Blog Tour: What a Beautiful Morning

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

whatABeautifulWhat a Beautiful Morning, by Arthur A. Levine/Illustrated by Katie Kath (Aug. 2016, Running Press), $16.95, ISBN: 978-0-7624-5906-3

“Summer days at Grandpa’s house began with a booming song…”

Noah and Grandpa wake up every morning and sing songs, go exploring, whatever was “on the docket” for the day. One year, though, Noah noticed that Grandpa began to forget things: to ask what was on the docket, how to cut his French toast, and once, even who Noah was. Grandma explains that sometimes, Grandpa gets confused, but still knows and loves Noah. After a little time to think, Noah discovers that he can still reach Grandpa through song. What a Beautiful Morning is the sensitive, touching story of how one family walks “down the road together… for as long as the song would last.”

There is no specific condition mentioned, but it’s something too many families know too well. When a relative, particularly an older relative, like a grandparent, experiences memory loss, it’s a hard thing to bear. I remember seeing it happen when my husband’s grandmother experienced it, and I remember seeing my own children struggle with their emotions when it happened. Arthur Levine, author of What a Beautiful Morning, writes with an empathy borne from understanding. Katie Kath’s uses her line and watercolor art to communicate the emotions in the story, with bright, happy color to emphasize the joy in Noah and his grandparents’ household, fading to shades of gray when Grandpa forgets. When Grandpa’s memory kicks in, she draws the color back to the page subtly and beautifully.

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What a Beautiful Morning is a beautifully written and illustrated book that reaches out to families going through a difficult time. It’s a strong addition to special topics in any collection; school, public, or, if needed, personal.

Arthur Levine was kind enough to write a special note to readers:

Dear Readers,

It’s estimated that 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. But millions more belong to families (many with young children) who have loved ones directly affected by it, and other forms of memory loss.

My dad suffered from Alzheimer’s. My family is one of those families. My son was one of those young children.

My dad was a joyful, vibrant, brilliant man.  It was unbelievably hard to watch those qualities fade before my very eyes. And I kept wondering how my son, just 7 and 8 at the time, was coping with it.

My little guy would be so kind. I quoted him in the book gently showing his grandpa where the fork was. And he would hold his grandpa’s hand, leading him to the bathroom, or to dinner.

Meanwhile friends told us to appreciate what he still had day by day and we tried to do that. But it was difficult when I could no longer even talk to him, really.  But then we discovered that singing was a way we could still connect – My father could reproduce lyrics to entire songs.  And the pleasure on his face when that happened was unmistakable. 

Singing songs like “What a Beautiful Morning” was almost like having a conversation again.

It gave us both pleasure and comfort as I hope this book will do for so many who are experiencing the same thing with a family member or neighbor or friend.

Thank you to all you parents/teachers/librarians and caring family members who are reading this blog.  If you want to know more about how to use my book to open discussions with kids about memory loss please visit http://bit.ly/2a2nIVY.

-Arthur A. Levine

Arthur A. Levine’s Scholastic imprint, Arthur A. Levine Books, publishes the Harry Potter series in the United States. Katie Kath illustrates children’s and middle grade books, including The Nora Notebooks series, and Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer.

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, Preschool Reads

Maggie McGillicuddy’s got an eye for trouble… do you?

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

maggie mcgillicuddyMaggie McGillicuddy’s Eye for Trouble, by Susan Hughes/Illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan, (Oct. 2016, Kids Can Press), $16.95, ISBN: 9781771382915

Recommended for ages 4-8

This fun look at imagination appeals to a kid’s sense of play, but also teaches them to be aware of their surroundings. Maggie McGillicuddy sits on her porch, knitting away, and sees things a little differently. When she sees a shadow on the wall, she just knows it’s a hungry tiger! She clacks her knitting needles and scares that wildcat away. That’s no tree branch behind the pizza delivery girl’s bike, it’s a snake! She whacks her walking stick and scares that slippery snake right off. But when Charlie, her next door neighbor, is about to run into the street while chasing a ball, Maggie springs into action – this is no figment of her imagination!

This is such a great story about imagination and playing little games with yourself, but it makes a point about being aware, too. When Maggie sees that Charlie’s in danger, there’s no clacking of knitting needles or whacking a walking stick, she yells and gets Charlie’s attention – she makes him very aware of his surroundings! And playing games with your imagination is a fun way of being aware of what’s around you, too. Charlie and Maggie bond over their active imaginations, and invite the reader in, with repeated wink and nudge phrases like, “you see it there, don’t you?”

The artwork is rendered in watercolor, pencil crayon, gouache and collage, all coming together to give a light, fun tone to the book. Kids will recognize the places where Maggie’s and Charlie’s imaginations take root: tree roots that become snakes, shadows that become wild animals, herds of elephants out on the horizon and a dinosaur lurking behind a bush. I love the movement in illustrator Brooke Kerrigan’s work, too; Maggie’s scarf sways gently until she jumps to action: then, it swings outward, almost at attention. When all is well, the scarf gently relaxes at Maggie’s feet. Throughout the book, the scarf gets longer until both Maggie and Charlie are wearing it, looped around their necks.

Read this and talk to kids about being safe: from looking both ways before crossing a street to knowing street signs and where you are. Maybe even link this story to a book on community helpers, so kids know who to turn to if they need assistance. Have kids draw pictures of what they see in their imaginations when they look outside and make up a story of their own about what’s in the hallway!

Very good for Pre-K and elementary collections. The fun of imagination is contagious.