Category: picture books

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Wolf learns a valuable lesson in Sheepish

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Sheepish (Wolf Under Cover), by Helen Yoon, (Jan. 2021, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536207323

Ages 3-7

Wolf’s got plans: dress like a sheep, infiltrate the flock, eat all the sheep things. As he follows his own rules, though, he discovers something he didn’t expect – becoming a beloved part of the flock! As Wolf spends day in and day out with the sheep, alongside them, playing with them, doing aerobics with them, and reading stories to them, he realizes the sheep aren’t quite so temptingly tasty anymore. He can’t even imagine trying to make a meal out of one of his friends! Separating himself from temptation, he leaves the community only to learn that just maybe, he wasn’t as crafty as he thought he was and that good friends always show up for one another. Mixed media illustrations tell the real story, and readers will chuckle to see the wily wolf surrounded by sheep who clearly know what’s going on, and will enjoy seeing how each side develops a love for the other, as they spend time together. The lighting in these illustrations is just gorgeous; light from behind Wolf and the sheep on a line create orange-tinged shadows that telegraph Wolf’s long ears and fluffy tail; a dejected Wolf heads home as sunset and a single evening star light up the sky. The light sources are part of the story and bring a warmth to the pages that I just adored with every turn of the page. A sweetly funny, heartwarming book that kids will turn to again and again.

Sheepish has starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Stomp and count with One-Osaurus, ,Two-Osaurus!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

One-osaurus, Two-osaurus, by Kim Norman/Illustrated by Pierre Collet-Derby, (March 2021, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781536201796

Ages 3-7

You know when you discover a book that makes you want to jump up and start a storytime? One-osaurus, Two-osaurus falls firmly into that group. A group of dinosaurs are playing in a child’s room when they decide to start a counting game: “One-osaurus, two-osaurus, three-osaurus, four…” It’s a mash-up of hide-and-seek and counting, as the dinos hide behind large, bold numbers; they tuck tails and necks, waiting in anticipation for number 10, which sounds really, really big. What will it be? You have to read and find out! The addictively playful rhyme scheme will make you want to jump and dance as you read. Hand out number coloring sheets (Mr. Printables and First Palette have good ones) and invite your storytime Kiddos to hide behind them as you read along, and make sure to stomp and roar! Digital illustrations are lively, silly, colorful and incredibly fun, with cartoony, bright dinosaurs twisting themselves into hilarious shapes to pose by and hide behind numbers. Bold, black, oversized numbers make it easy to count along, even for the kiddos sitting in the back of the group! Display and read with other great dino books, including 1, 2, 3 Do the Dinosaur by Michelle Robinson & Rosalind Bearshaw, and some get up and dance stories, like Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson’s Spunky Little Monkey and Sandra Boynton’s Barnyard Dance.

One-osaurus, Two-osaurus has a starred review from Kirkus.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Blue Floats Away explains the water cycle and global warming

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Blue Floats Away, by Travis Jonker/Illustrated by Grant Snider, (March 2021, Abrams Books for Young Readers), $17.99, ISBN: 9781419744235

Ages 4-8

Blue is a little iceberg who floats along with his parents in the North Pole until one day, when he cracks and floats away, surprising the three of them! He’s carried along by the water, noticing new and beautiful things and meeting new friends, when he transforms again, and again! Blue’s gentle little adventure explains the water cycle to young learners in a way that will interest and delight them, as Blue transforms from an iceberg, to a cloud, to a snowflake, as he experiences new and exciting things on his journey. Back matter includes more information about the water cycle and a note about climate change and its affect on polar ice. Blue Floats Away is so  much more than a cute STEM story to read to your Kiddos, though: it’s about growing up, having new experiences, and always having an eye toward home. Blue and his parents have subtly illustrated, gentle faces that I had to read a second time to really discover; Blue’s expressions change throughout his story; at first content, then frightened, unsure, even excited, as his story moves along. Mixed media illustrations remind me of Lois Ehlert in the best of ways. Deep blues dominate the story, with bright colors popping out to keep interest. Spare text makes this a great readaloud choice that you can follow with a torn paper collage craft, inviting kids to create their own Blue story. KidZone has water cycle activity pages for coloring that you can have handy for a storytime or grab and go craft, as does Clever Learner.

Blue Floats Away has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus.

Posted in picture books

Blog Tour and Author Interview: Perdu, by Richard Jones

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Back in February, I wrote about Richard Jones’s latest book, Perdu – his first as an author and illustrator! This book about a little dog who really needs a friend melted my heart, so I’m happy to talk about it again for the book’s blog tour. Peachtree Publishers was wonderful and secured me an interview with author Richard Jones, too!

Perdu, by Richard Jones, (Apr. 2021, Peachtree Publishing),
$17.99, ISBN: 9781682632482
Ages 4-8

Poor Perdu finds himself lost and all alone on a dark rainy night, with nothing of his own except for an old red scarf. Hefollows a tumbling leaf through the countryside to the city, from night to day,in hopes of finding a place of his own. But in the busy city, people rush and shoo Perdu away.Will he ever find a comforting place to rest his aching legs or fill his grumbling tummy?

Your most recent book, Perdu, is also your first as an author! Is this the first story you were moved to write?

Richard Jones: Perdu’s story is very dear to me, but it’s not quite the first! The publishing world is a roly-poly business and projects get moved forward and back all the time. There are one or two other tales that came before this one that are waiting patiently for their time! However, Perdu is the first story of mine to be published and I’ll always think of it fondly.

Perdu’s little red scarf becomes such an emotional part of his story. What inspired it?

Richard Jones: Perdu is a dog with a mysterious past and I wanted him to carry a little piece of it with him as he searches for a place to call home. His scarf is his only possession, so when he loses it after a mix up in a café, he feels entirely lost. When the little girl kindly ties it back on, she’s not only returning to him his possession but also giving him back his self-worth and confidence.

You use color to communicate so many things in your books. I loved that the red of Perdu’s scarf matches the little girl’s knit hat. Can you talk about how you decide what colors to use when you’re working?

Richard Jones: I have pages and pages of sketches for the little girl’s coat and hat, I think I counted over 25 variations! In the end, red seemed the perfect color to use as it contrasted well with his night-black coat and made her stand out in the crowded city streets. I try and have a new palette of colors for each book, picked from photos and paintings I’ve spotted during the early stages of a project. I sometimes wonder if I’m not just a little bit color blind!

Was writing and illustrating Perdu more challenging than illustrating other authors’ work?

Richard Jones: I love reading other people’s stories and imagining how I might illustrate them. It’s one of the best parts of the job! However, working on Perdu felt a little more organic than other projects, as the two strands—the pictures and the words—developed together. As the pages evolved over time, they suggested little changes or shifts in the story that required a re-write or two. That’s something I wouldn’t always expect of another author!

 

Thank you so much!

Visit other stops on the Richard Jones/Perdu blog tour!

Additional resources:

Website with book summary and author bio: https://peachtree-online.com/portfolio-items/perdu/

Author Q&A: https://peachtree-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/QA_JonesR.pdf

Activity Sheets: https://peachtree-online.com/pdfs/Activity_Event/PerduActivitySheets.pdf

Book excerpt: https://peachtree-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/PerduExcerpt.pdf

How to Draw Perdu video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeNUtKJtczA

Richard Jones background about the creation of Perdu: https://www.paintedmouse.com/perdu-blog

 

Posted in picture books, Uncategorized

Tyrone O’Saurus dreams of dancing!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Tyrone O’Saurus Dreams, by James Howe/Illustrated by Randy Cecil, (March 2021, Candlewick Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536210873

Ages 4-8

The companion to James Howe and Randy Cecil’s 2013 Brontorina is here! Tyrone is a T-Rex with big dreams. Dreams of becoming a dancer. But everyone else in his family has dreams for Tyrone, too: a dentist? A lawyer? A professional football player in the Dinosaur Football League? None of these are even close to what Tyrone wants to do with his life, but he doesn’t want to let anyone down, so he tries his hand… er, his small, arms… at football. As much as his brother tries to encourage him, it’s just not working. Luckily for Tyrone,a chance encounter with a dancing dinosaur gives him the courage to admit that his heart (and those tiny arms) are just not in football. His brother is right there with support: a dancer he wants to be, so a dancer he will be! He brings Tyrone to Madame Lucille’s Outdoor Dance Academy for Girls and Boys and Dinosaurs and Cows, where he sees Brontorina – the dino he met earlier – and is welcomed into the dance academy with open arms. James Howe and Randy Cecil inspire readers to defy expectations and chase their dreams. A scene in the gym where Brontorina tells Tyrone that she’s working out to be a better dancer reminds readers that not everything is as easy as it may seem on the outside, and reinforces that hard work and a love of what you do help one succeed. The adorable contrast between the giant dinos and the tiny humans will tickle readers’ funny bones, and dappled artwork gives texture to the pages. It’s been a wonderful return to Madame Lucille’s… I wonder if she’ll be accepting any more students?

Downloadable Teacher Tips at publisher Candlewick’s website give teachers talking points and activity ideas. Author James Howe’s website has a wealth of information for parents, caregivers, and educators, as does illustrator Randy Cecil’s website.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Hello, Rain! is all-weather reading

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Hello, Rain!, by Kyo Maclear/Illustrated by Chris Turnham, (April 2021, Chronicle Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9781452138190

Ages 3-6

A child delights in the before, during, and after of a rain shower in this cheery, colorful story. Kyo Maclear uses all sorts of literary devices to make this a joy to read to little ones, embracing rhyme, alliteration, and onomatopoeia to weave a poetic love letter to a rainy day. Our main character and her canine companion dance, splash, and revel in the rain, Chris Turnham’s providing wonderful visual accompaniment as the raindrops glisten off leaves, splash out at us, and allow us to follow the girl and her cheery, colorful umbrella through the story. Once inside, the two companions shake off the droplets and discover the fun ways to spend time indoors; from board games to blanket forts.  When all is said and done, it’s time to greet the sun. Endpapers lead readers in with a a blue, spotty beginning and an emerging yellow. Delightful. Add to your rainy day collections with favorites like Who Likes Rain? by Wong Herbert Yee, Sam Usher’s Storm, and one of my all-time favorites, Mushroom in the Rain by Mira Ginsburg.

Visit author Kyo Maclear’s website for more information about her kids’ books, and illustrator Chris Turnham’s website for a glimpse at more of his artwork

Hello, Rain! has starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus. 

Posted in picture books

Pizza vs. World: A Pizza With Everything On It

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

A Pizza with Everything on It, by Kyle Scheele/Illustrated by Andy J. Pizza, (April 2021, Chronicle Books), $17.9,9, ISBN: 9781797202815

Ages 4-8

“When your dad owns a pizza shop, you can have whatever kind of pizza you want”: so begins this light-hearted story about a boy, his father, and their quest to make a pizza with everything on it. The story starts off with the usual pizza toppings: four cheese, pepperoni, peppers, even mushrooms, but quickly spirals out of control as they add progressively bigger, wilder things, from a blender and rolling pin to a particle accelerator. The ensuing pizza vortex threatens to destroy the universe: can the boy and his father save the day? A fun afternoon spent with a boy and his dad, and a witty, playful story that readers will love. Mixed media illustrations are colorful, with plenty of pizza-red and yellows, and endpapers show the before- and after-effects of universal pizza domination. I’d add this one to my Pizza Storytime and add flannels: ALL the flannels, as I invite my Kiddos to come up and add whatever they would add to their own pizza with everything on it. You can even create a Food Destroys World storytime with books like Dragons Love Tacos and Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel and Llama Destroys the World and Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse. A great family storytime choice.

A Pizza with Everything on It has a starred review from Booklist.

Posted in Fantasy, picture books

An adventure with Grandmother… We Became Jaguars

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

We Became Jaguars, by Dave Eggers/llustrated by Woodrow White, (March 2021, Chronicle Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781452183930

Ages 5-8

Bestselling author Dave Eggers creates a story about a boy, his grandmother, and the wild world. A young boy’s grandmother comes to visit him, with her long, white hair and her spotted black and yellow coat. When his parents leave the two alone, Grandmother suggests the two become jaguars and explore the night! The two roam the night, having adventures, until the boy decides it’s time to head home. Was it all in good fun? Eggers’s dreamlike storytelling has a childlike feel, as he blends the fantastic – “She laughed like great thunder and I laughed like lesser thunder and we jaguared on” – with the adorably kidlike – “I didn’t want to eat raw rabbit so I said I was allergic” – to create a story that will transport readers to rainforests and the Himalayan mountains. Woodrow White’s mixed media illustration opens up an incredible, exotic world. A gatefold panel begins with the boy and his grandmother transforming into jaguars, and opens to place them, fully “jaguared”, in a wild, nighttime world. The grandmother’s jaguar face looks self-assured; the boy’s, tentative, like he’s never quite sure about this whole experience. When the two drink from a lake, their blurred reflections reveal their human faces. Endpapers show the light and dark of their journey, with vines striping the pages, and bursts of color at the edges. A stunning and playful story.

We Became Jaguars has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and School Library Journal.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Poojo’s Got Wheels! Look at him go!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Poojo’s Got Wheels, by Charrow, (March 2021, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781536210361

Ages 4-8

Poojo is an adorable dog born without back legs, but don’t you feel sorry for him: he’s got wheels! Little Poojo has a big smile and a super-cool wheelchair that lets him zip around, being a good friend to everyone and everything. When he gets a flat at a costume parade, he’s momentarily flummoxed, but Poojo? He’s got it all handled, and he’s got support from all his friends. This adorable can-do story about a pup and his wheelchair is just a feel-good, wonderful story about ability and spirit. Brief text lets emerging readers build their confidence, and lets the illustrations transport the reader into the story to play with Poojo and his friends. Digital and gouache artwork creates colorful illustrations with cute dogs and green spaces for them to frolic within. Poojo has a big smile, a bright red wheelchair, and very cool pockets that fit all his stuff. Green-washed endpapers sport a shower of bones, most likely snacks for Poojo to enjoy after his parade. Don’t miss this one; it’s an upbeat read that your littles will love.

Poojo’s Got Wheels has a starred review from Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Line and Scribble make beautiful art together

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Line and Scribble, by Debora Vogrig/Illustrated by Pia Valentinis, (May 2021, Chronicle Books), $18.99, ISBN: 9781797201870

Ages 3-5

This friendship story stars Line and Scribble, two friends who see things differently, but come together to create beautiful artwork. Where Line sees things in a straightforward way, like a train track, Scribble wanders, like a path of butterflies. Line creates a stick-straight hairdo, while Scribble curls and twirls; Line offers a breadstick, and Scribble wants cotton candy. Each interprets life differently, but together, the two can create a whirling, swirling, storm with lightning and whirlwinds, tornadoes and hurricanes! A fun, creative story about embracing differences and finding common ground, the verse is almost like a poem, each observation quietly sitting on the page and finding voice through black and red line crayon and fountain pen illustrations, which come alive against the ivory background of the paper. There’s joy to be found here. A wonderful choice for an art storytime. Consider displaying with books like When Pencil Met the Markers and Perfect by Max Amato.