Tag: Chris Raschka

Posted in picture books, Toddler Reads

More Books for Babies and Toddlers!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’ve been getting SUCH good book mail for the littlest readers! Here’s another catch-up round of goodies for the wee ones.

Up Cat Down Cat, by Steve Light, (May 2020, Candlewick Press), $7.99, ISBN: 9781536210316

Ages 0-3

This is the second concept board book from Steve “Have You Seen My…” Light and I love it! Up Cat Down Cat is all about opposites, as illustrated by a black cat, a white cat, and a blue mouse. White Cat sprawls out, playing with the mouse, to illustrate long, while Black Cat, curled in front of a mouse hole, demonstrates short; White Cat sits miserably in a tub, soaking wet, while Black Cat sits on the tub edge, nice and dry. In the most cat-like demonstration of up and down, White Cat knocks a vase off a shelf, as Black Cat observes it crash and break. Steve Light’s collage work is eye-catching and colorful, with the Black and White Cats providing a bold contrast.  Up Cat Down Cat is a fun addition to concept board books for your littlest readers.

 

Mama Baby, by Chris Raschka, (May 2020, Candlewick Press), $14.99, ISBN: 9780763690601

Ages 0-3

Caldecott Medalist Chris Raschka creates a book that captures Mama and Baby Playtime! Mama and Baby clap together, make faces together, and play peek-a-boo together. But Mama has to leave for a second, and Baby is confused. Mama? Oh, no! Mama comes back just in time to comfort baby, and all is well. Simple, sweet watercolor artwork focuses exclusively on imaginative play and the relationship between a mother and her child; bright white pages are clean and let the colorful artwork stand out. The perspective shifts between mother and baby, letting little hands turn the book around to explore from different points of view. Mama Baby is sweet, relatable, and perfect for reading and cuddle time.

Mama Baby has starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and The Horn Book.

Bathtime with Ducky Duckling, by Lucy Cousins, (Feb. 2020, Candlewick Press), $7.99, ISBN: 9781536209655
Ages 0-3
This is the cutest bathtime book that you can put in the bath with your little ones! Ducky Duckling is so excited about bathtime! Ducky jumps into the water and splashes with friends, with a fun rhyme that will make bathtime an even more fun time! Lucy Cousins’s art is instantly recognizable; it’s bright and fun, bold and cheery, and the book is SO SQUISHY! With three rhyming spreads and illustrations of bathtime fun, this will make for many fun bathtimes. Invest in some soapy crayons and rubber duckies and enjoy!
Posted in picture books

A tall tale about Mother Goose from Chris Raschka

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Mother Goose of Pudding Lane (A Small Tall Tale), by Chris Raschka/Illustrations by Vladimir Radunsky, (Sept. 2019, Candlewick), $17.99, ISBN: 9780763675233

Ages 4-8

We’ve all grown up with Mother Goose: usually the British vision of a goose wearing a tall black hat, glasses down on her beak, and a shawl; sometimes, it’s a kindly old woman. But was there a real Mother Goose? Caldeott Medalist Chris Raschka and illustrator Vladimar Radunsky introduce the “real” Mother Goose: Elizabeth Foster, who, in 1692, married Isaac Goose – a widower with 10 children – in Boston and became Mother Goose. She sang songs and made up rhymes for her children (she and Isaac Goose went on to have four more children), which were published at a print shop on Pudding Lane in Boston. Although no copies of the original Mother Goose compilation exist today, we’ve all grown up with adaptations and additions to the legend. Here, Chris Raschka and Vladimir Radunksy recreate some of Mother Goose’s best-known, most beloved pieces while creating new poems and illustrations that recreate the life of Elizabeth Foster Goose, the Mother Goose of Pudding Lane.

Vladimir Radunsky’s playful, colorful gouache and pencil illustrations infuse the story with a sense of fun and joy: animals and people in colonial dress act out some of Mother Goose’s best-known rhymes, like “There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe”, “Old King Cole”, and “Baa Baa Black Sheep”. The story of Elizabeth and Isaac Goose is told in rhyme throughout, from their courtship to their old age. Endpapers include sketch art of a young Mother Goose in front, and an alphabet rhyme reprint in back.

A sweetly done fictional biography of a beloved figure in children’s literature.

Mother Goose of Pudding Lane has starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and Booklist.

Posted in Preschool, Storytime, Toddler

Storytime: The Ocean!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

It’s been a while since I posted a storytime, but since I just posted a review for NatGeo’s Ocean Animals: Who’s Who in the Ocean Blue, I thought I’d post the storytime that accompanied it.

The Ocean!

Opening Song: Hello, My Friends!

Hello, my friends, hello!
Hello, my friends, hello!
Hello, my friends, hello, my friends,
Hello, my friends, hello!

Story: Crabby Crab, by Chris Raschka

Rhyme: Five Cranky Crabs
Five cranky crabs were digging on the shore.
One swam into a net and then there were four.
Four cranky crabs were floating in the sea.
One got tangled up in seaweed then there were three.
Three Cranky crabs were wondering what to do.
One dug a deep, deep hole. Then there were two.
Two cranky crabs were warming in the sun.
One got scooped up in a cup. Then there was one.
One cranky crab was smarter than his friends.
He hid between the jagged rocks.
That’s how the story ends.
(from Preschool Education)

Story: Whaley Whale, by Chris Raschka

Song: The Whales (sing to “I’m a Little Teapot”)
I’m a humpback whale
I’m very strong.
I leap about
And sing a song.
I like to eat my fill
In the Northern Sea.
But in the winter,
South I flee.

I am a beluga,
I’m all white.
From head to tail
I’m quite a sight.
You can hear me singing
Way up north,
Playing and swimming
Back and forth.

I’m a mighty orca
Black and white.
In the sea
I’m a beautiful sight.
I’m not very big,
But I am sleek.
I hunt for my food
Cause I have teeth.
(from Preschool Education)

Story: I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean, by Kevin Sherry

Song: Una sardina/Slippery Fish
Una sardina, una sardina,
Nadando en el agua,
Una sardina, una sardina,
Glú, glú, glú

OH, NO! Fue comida por …

Un pulpito, un pulpito,
Nadando en el agua,
Un pulpito, un pulpito,
Glú, glú, glú

OH, NO! Fue comido por …

Un atún, un atún,
Nadando en el agua,
Un atún, un atún,
Glú, glú, glú

OH, NO! Fue comido por …

Un tiburón, un tiburón,
Nadando en el agua,
Un tiburón, un tiburón,
Glú, glú, glú

OH, NO! Fue comido por …

Una ballena, una ballena,
Nadando en el agua,
Una ballena, una ballena,
Glú, glú, glú

¡PERDÓNA ME!

Closing Song: Goodbye, My Friends!

Goodbye, my friends, goodbye!
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye!
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye, my friends,
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye!

I used five cartoon cranky crab picture from Google Images for the Cranky Crab rhyme, and we counted down each time a crab disappeared in the song. I also used Google Images to get cartoon pictures of all the sea life in the Slippery Fish song, which my crowd loves, since I’m actually able to perform it halfway decently in Spanish. You can find lyrics in English and Spanish here.