animal fiction – Page 2

Max the Brave is FEARLESS!

Posted on August 25, 2015August 23, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Max the Brave, by Ed Vere (Sept 2015, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky), $15.95, ISBN: 978-1-4926-1651-1

Recommended for ages 2-6

Max is a fearless kitten. He is a brave kitten. He does not like being dressed up in cutesy bows. He is a kitten who catches mice… or, he would, if he knew what a mouse looked like. He sets off in search of a mouse, politely asking several animals along the way if they are mice. Somewhere along the way, though, it looks like someone told Max a fib…

This book is adorable. The cartoony artwork will grab little readers and storytime attendees right away. Max is bold and black, with big yellow eyes. The animals he encounters are largely bold and black, set against bright background pages. The minimalist artwork makes it easy for younger readers to follow along, and the plain black text makes for an easy read for storytime.

The story reinforces manners – even though Max is brave and fearless, he’s always polite when asking for directions to Mouse. The story’s end will make parents giggle along with their children, and they will cheer for Max on his quest. There’s just enough repetition on Max’s search to keep kids engaged and interactive with the story.

I read this story to preschoolers and toddlers, and each time, they LOVED it. There was a fantastic amount of interaction, with kids calling out the names of the animals Max encounters and calling out advice to Max. The toddlers giggled and clapped and asked me to read it again – so I did!

Bottom line: Put this one on your Fall reading lists. The kiddies love it. There are great activities available as a free download from the publisher, and there’s also a free Common Core educator’s guide.

Watch this space – there’s going to be a Rafflecopter giveaway on this blog shortly!

Preschool Reads, Uncategorized

Bug in a Vacuum takes an interesting look at the five stages of grief

Posted on July 29, 2015July 28, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Bug in a Vacuum, by Mélanie Watt (Aug. 2015, Tundra), $21.99, ISBN: 9781770496453

Recommended for ages 4-8

A bug flies through a window and through a house. He settles on a globe, only to be sucked into a vacuum cleaner! He moves through the five stages of grief, as postulated by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross: denial, bargaining, anger, despair, and eventually, acceptance. In a parallel story, we follow the family dog, whose stuffed toy has also become trapped in the vacuum cleaner; the dog moves through its own stages of grief.

I have to admit, at first, I was a little confused by the book’s message – it’s adorable, and the material is presented in fun manner – but the content is about moving through grief, so how would I position this to kids? After a second reading, I realized that it’s not necessarily about death – it’s about loss, and what better than a lost toy, or a bug’s exaggerated reactions, to explain that to children? My toddler goes through the five stages of grief every night when it’s bedtime, so I really need to open up my thinking when I approach new material.

This is an interesting way of explaining the blues, the grief process, however you term it, to young children. The mixed media artwork gives the art texture and depth, really drawing the reader into the story. Retro advertisements for household products introduce each new stage. The bug’s word balloons and gestures equal the intensity of each stage – anger is big and bold; acceptance is smaller, thinner.

This would provide an interesting read-aloud. Let the kids tell you what’s going on and how they think the bug and the dog are feeling. Ask the kids, when did you feel sad? What made you feel that way? What makes you angry? Phrase each stage as a chance for exploring feelings. This would pair really well with a book on feelings or emotions.

Melanie Watt is the author of the award-winning children’s book series, Scaredy Squirrel, which is also a television show on Cartoon Network.

Animal Fiction, Early Reader, Fiction

Ballet Cat is a great new Easy Reader series!

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Ballet Cat: The Totally Secret Secret, by Bob Shea (2015, Hyperion) $9.99, ISBN: 9781484713785

Recommended for ages 4-7

The creator of the hilarious and adorable Dinosaur Vs. series debuts his new Easy Reader series, Ballet Cat, starring the title character and her best friend, Sparkles the Pony. Storytelling moves in similar fashion to Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie series, with the two characters engaging in fun dialogue while reaching a conclusion that works for both characters.

Ballet Cat and Sparkles are trying to figure out what to play, but everything Sparkles suggests – crafts, checkers, selling lemonade – doesn’t work with all the leaps and twirls that Ballet Cat wants to do. When Ballet Cat asks Sparkles why he looks so sad, we find out that Sparkles has a totally secret secret – but then again, so does Ballet Cat.

The artwork is adorable and kid-friendly, with bright colors and bold lines that will catch the reader’s eye and draw them in. The story helps kids understand and maybe resolve playtime conflict, when friends find themselves split along the lines of what to do, especially when one friend always seems to get his or her way. The friends learn that talking, not moping, gets friends working together and makes things better for everyone.

This book works great for storytime, too- make sure to put on your best funny voices and practice your twirls!

Get a peek at Bob Shea’s other books and learn more at his author website.

Early Reader, Fiction

Connah Brecon’s Frank is always late… but he’s got a good reason!

Posted on August 20, 2014August 19, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Frank! by Connah Brecon, (Sept. 2014, Running Press). $16.95, ISBN: 978-0-7624-5423-5

Recommended for ages 4-7

Frank is a sweet bear who’s always late for school – but he’s got a good reason every time! Whether he’s helping a cat stuck in an ill-tempered tree, dancing in a charity dance-off, or saving a family of bunnies from a bullying ogre, Frank is there to lend a hand, even if it makes him late for school. But when he saves his classmates by calling for teamwork, everyone learns a valuable lesson – being thoughtful and friendly will always win in the end.

Frank! is a sweet book about a kind-hearted bear who can’t pass up the chance to help someone out, but his time management skills need a little work. He shows up at school after the school day is over on the first day and improves a little bit every day from there. The message here may be perceived as mixed – it’s okay to be habitually late, as long as you’ve been doing good deeds – but I see it as appealing to young audiences who can relate to a shorter attention span. Who could resist helping a family of bunnies out, right? The book communicates to children, and it’s all about big imaginations and wild excuses. Children will connect with Frank and his desire to do good.

The art is adorably cartoony, with a large, black typewriter font narrating most of the story. The pictures are bright and cheery, with both spreads and single pages chock-full of art and balloon dialogue to attract readers. This works as a storytime book and as an individual read for more confident readers.

Added note: My 2 year-old gives this book an enthusiastic, “I like this book!” and demands his own zombie lizard king.

Frank! hits stores on September 30, but you can get your pre-orders in now!