friendship – Page 53

Retro Review: Nick Jr’s Oswald’s A Nice Quiet Picnic/The Big Parade

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Oswald (A Nice Quiet Picnic/The Big Parade). Directed by Ken Kessel. NickJr, 24 minutes. HIT Entertainment PLC, Nicktoons Productions. 2001

Toddlers and Preschoolers will love the early 2000’s cartoon, Oswald, based on the series of books by Dan Yaccarino. The show ran on Nicktoons from 2001-2003; parents can still find the show on the NickJr channel. Yaccarino served as producer on the show, assuring that the look and feel of the books carried over. Each episode runs approximately 24 minutes and contains two episodes that run about 12 minutes each.

The show follows the adventures of Oswald, an octopus, and his friends in the city of Big. Each episode contains the same characters: Oswald (voiced by Fred Savage), his dachshund, Weenie, who looks like an actual hot dog (voiced by Debi Derryberry), and his friend, Henry, a penguin (voiced by David L. Lander) appear in every episode. Other friends show up from time to time. In the episode A Nice Quiet Picnic, Oswald, Henry and Weenie go on a picnic; as more friends show up, the group tries to figure out how to feed everyone when there are only three sandwiches. The episode highlights the value of sharing, as Oswald continues to invite friends to the picnic as he encounters them in the park, despite Henry’s protests that there is not enough food to feed everyone; it also focuses on teamwork, as the group of friends comes together to feed everyone at the picnic. There are repetitive phrases and counting exercises throughout for toddler and preschool audiences, and simple songs round out the episode.

In The Big Parade, Oswald hears parade music from his window and is excited, believing that a parade is coming to town. He and Weenie fetch Henry and their friend, Daisy (voiced by Crystal Scales) – an actual Daisy flower – and find a spot to wait for the parade to pass, talking excitedly about their favorite parade performers; in particular, the acrobats, the jugglers, and the Grand Marshall. When they learn that there is no parade, and that the music was coming from a friend’s radio, they decide to make their own parade, each character assuming their favorite role. As with A Nice Quiet Picnic, there is a great deal of repetition, this time, reinforcing the roles of the parade performers. The episode teaches children to deal with disappointment, as the group does when they realize that there is no parade – they turn a letdown into a positive situation.

The artwork is the same as the artwork from the Oswald book series, with bright, vibrant color against a calm backdrop of City. The skies are blue, the grass is a calming green, and even Oswald’s apartment building is an inviting backdrop of light color, all assuring that the main characters will stand out. The characters speak calmly, in quiet, soothing voices.

The series is not very interactive, but it does provide good storytelling with characters that may be known to young audiences; it also serves, for those audiences that are unfamiliar with Oswald, as a bridge to reading the books. It may be a fun idea to have an Oswald day where audiences can view a two-story episode and talk about the themes of teamwork and what to do when you feel sad. Have Oswald books available and on display for parents and children to read and take out after the read-aloud. There are Oswald board books available for younger audiences. The Oswald mini-site on the NickJr. webpage offers printables that attendees could color.

NickToons and the now-defunct Noggin network also ran episodes of Maurice Sendak’s series, Little Bear and Bil Cosby’s Little Bill; these shows were based on series of books and could also be of interest to younger viewers and readers.

The Oswald series of books by Dan Yaccarino includes early readers, board books, and 8×8 books. Titles include Oswald’s Camping Trip; Counting with Oswald; Colors with Oswald and Henry’s First Haircut.

Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Tween Reads

Jellaby: The Lost Monster – a story of friendship, in graphic form, from Kean Soo and Capstone

Posted on February 17, 2014February 18, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Capstone is bringing Kean Soon’s Jellaby back to print, and I couldn’t be happier. I came across the book on NetGalley, and am so happy that Capstone gave me the chance to read it. Jellaby: The Lost Monster is the first volume in the Jellaby series. The all-ages story about friendship also tackles some big issues within a safe space for kids.

Read the rest of my review over at WhatchaReading!

Fiction, Tween Reads

Blank Slater, the Boy with the Dry-Erase Face – a WhatchaReading Review!

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

You may or may not know this, but I review comics and graphic novels for the comics and comic culture site, WhatchaReading. Recently, Chuck over at WhatchaReading gave me the opportunity to review Blank Slater: The Boy with the Dry-Erase Face, written by Matt Bergin and illustrated by Zach Wideman. I was so impressed by this book, which provides a creative way to teach kids about self-esteem, emotions and feelings, and discovering who they are.

When this book hit WhatchaReading’s inbox, I got a chuckle out of the cute cover and figured I’d give it a shot – sounds like it could be fun, a kid with a Dry-Erase face, right? Draw silly faces and stuff? And then I dug in, and realized that there is so much more to this story than that.

Blank Slater is a kid born with a Dry-Erase face. He’s a blank slate (see what they did there?), and he goes through life pretty miserable – wouldn’t you? – until the day where he wanders away and discovers someone just like him! Nada Trace is a girl with a Dry-Erase face, but she isn’t wallowing at all – she grabbed some markers, pencil, and glitter, and made a face of her own! She helps Blank try on different faces, but nothing fits quite right until one day, Blank discovers his own face – and more important, a friend.

For the rest of the review, head on over to WhatchaReading!

Fiction, Graphic Novels, Humor, Tween Reads

Frank and His Friend: A Pre-Calvin and Hobbes Cartoon About Friendship

Posted on January 17, 2014August 24, 2019 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Book Review: Frank and His Friend: Special Collector’s Edition, by Clarence “Otis” Dooley (Curio & Co, 2013)

Recommended for ages 8+

I’m trying something new and fun with this blog, and creating more interesting (I hope!) titles for the reviews. I’ll still note the book title and bibliographic info at the top, as you see above, but I’m hoping that the review titles give you a little more information to draw eyes to the reviews and the great books I write about here.

This time around, I’ve read a trade paperback of a 1970s-era serial comic strip, Frank and His Friend. The premise will remind readers of Calvin and Hobbes, a favorite of mine: a young boy and his stuffed toy, Frank, go on adventures and experience life through a child’s eyes. While Frank doesn’t speak, as Hobbes does, readers will still get some pretty serious life advice from his pairing with his “friend” as they spend time in nature, playing, embracing chocolate chip cookies and avoiding broccoli.

The black and white artwork is simple and elegant, and gets the point of each short story across. There are a mix of panels and full pages in the book, and adults and kids alike will enjoy Frank and His Friend’s stories, which encourages readers to use their imaginations. One on page, the boy clings tightly to Frank with one hand, a balloon clutched in the other, and says, “Hang on tight. You don’t want to get lost in the ether of space.”

The stories invoke some thoughtful moments. When fighting their advancing enemy who suddenly becomes invisible, the boy looks at Frank and sighs, “Typical Monday.” The boy tries on a pair of eyeglasses, presumably belonging to a parent, and declares that he’d “rather look at the world through my own eyes.”

The book is a good idea to give to kids who are surrounded by the chaos of electronics, school, and extracurricular moments, to introduce them to the quiet, peaceful moments of childhood. And adults will enjoy returning to that peaceful time.

Frank and His Friend: Special Collector’s Edition

Writer and Artist: Clarence “Otis” Dooley
Price: $19.95
Pages: 128
Pub Date: December 11, 2013
ISBN: 9783950296631
Diamond Order Code: OCT131033

Fantasy, Preschool Reads

Book Review: Doug Unplugged, by Dan Yaccarino (Knopf, 2013)

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 4-8

This fun, retro story by Dan Yaccarino tells the story of a little robot boy who decides to “unplug” one day and explore the world. Little Doug is a robot boy whose parents plug him in every day so that he can learn while they head to work. One day, while learning about the city, Doug spies a pigeon at his window, and he’s fascinated. He unplugs himself and heads off on a day of exploration where he rides the train, scales a skyscraper, and makes a friend. After reuniting his friend with his parents, Doug decides to head home and tell his parents about his exciting day.

The story is sweet and packs a powerful message in our highly technological society. When most of our kids spend their days behind their iPads and computer screens, this simple message – unplug and learn by getting outside and doing – is a welcome sigh of relief. Packed with Yaccarino’s fun, adorable retro-futuristic artwork, Doug is a little boy on a big adventure that kids will enjoy living through vicariously. He may be a robot, but he’s easily distracted – there are many kids who can relate to the excitement of a pigeon landing on the windowsill at school or while doing homework at home. He spends a day exploring the city, yet manages to find a friend, and knows that he must go home at the end of the day. The art consists primarily of blues, greens and yellows, with other colors showing up to punch up the landscape. I read the digital version of this book, but encourage adult readers to use the physical storybook, which has smaller black font (it’s a great read-aloud book), usually at the bottom of the page or individual pictures so as not to detract from the artwork. There are whole spreads and chunked panels throughout the book, giving a fully-fleshed-out feeling to this story.

This would be a fun addition to a storytime on robots and would provide a more human perspective on a robot read-aloud. There are many robot printables and crafts online, and the author’s website offers information about his books, blog, social media, and speaking engagements.

mythology, Preschool Reads

Book Review: Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth by Sanjay Patel & Emily Haynes/Illus. by Sanjay Patel (Chronicle, 2013)

Posted on January 15, 2014January 30, 2026 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 4-8

This adorable story puts a new spin on the Hindu myth that tells the story of how Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, came to help write the epic poem, The Mahabharata. Young Ganesha has a sweet tooth and particularly loves laddoos – a kind of jawbreaker candy – until one day, he breaks a tusk on one! What’s a young godling to do? He meets the poet, Vyasa, who offers a surprising way to make the best of the situation.

I can’t say enough about this book. The art is stunning. Sanjay Patel is an animator at Pixar Studios, and the look and feel of the overall story definitely has a fun quality to it that Pixar fans will appreciate and everyone will enjoy. The colors and Indian-influenced artwork are breathtaking. This is artwork I would hang in my kids’ room, it’s so beautiful. It’s colorful and exciting, and introduces children to Indian-influenced art, which many will likely never have seen before.

At the same time, the artwork is adorable. Children will adore Little Ganesha and his best friend Mouse and relate to them. What child wouldn’t want to sit and eat candy all day long? What child doesn’t believe he or she is invincible, as Ganesha does? When Ganesha breaks his tooth, he is worried about his appearance and becomes angry and frustrated, throwing his tusk at the moon. He loses his temper, like any other child would in a frustrating situation, and there is a friendly adult, in the person of Vyasa, to deflect Ganesha’s anger and channel it into something productive.

There are good lessons to be learned in this story, including making the best of a bad situation and how sharing is important, as illustrated between Ganesha, Mouse, and their other friends. I read the digital version of the book, but encourage adults to read the actual storybook, as the font is playful, round, and fun, attracting young readers’ eyes and directing them to the action and flow of the story. The artwork will keep little eyes busy – there is so much to see! – and the story lends itself to great post-storytime discussions about sharing, listening to your friends, and seeing the good in every situation.

Preschool Reads

Book Review: Bears on Chairs, by Shirley Parentau/illus. by David Walker (Candlewick Press, 2009)

Posted on August 18, 2013 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 2-5

In this story about sharing, compassion, and teamwork, four little bears sit comfortably on four little chairs until Big Brown Bear shows up and wants to sit down. The four little bears work together to find a seating arrangement that works for all five bears. The brief text offers a rhythm that makes it a good story time candidate, and David Walker’s acrylic illustrations use soothing pastel hues that allows readers to focus on the story.

There are many story time ideas here: we can create a teddy bear story time, with songs like Teddy Bear’s Picnic and Elvis Presley’s “Teddy Bear”, which will get children and adults alike up and moving. Children can bring their favorite teddy bear to cuddle during the story time, and we can incorporate fingerplays including Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear. Other story time ideas include a sharing and friendship-themed story times, with songs and fingerplays about sharing like “If You’re Friendly and You Know It” (to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”).

Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads, Uncategorized

Book Review: Thank You Bear, by Greg Foley (Viking, 2007)

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 2-4

Bear finds a box that he cannot wait to share with his best friend, Mouse. On his way to Mouse, he meets other friends – a Monkey, an Owl, a Fox, an Elephant, a Squirrel and a Bunny – who criticize Bear’s gift as being too small, too ordinary, or even a better gift for someone else. Dejected, Bear is unsure whether or not his gift is worth giving, until Mouse shows him that friendship is all about gratitude. Preschoolers will appreciate this simple book on friendship and gratitude, and the joy that even the simplest gifts can bring to another. The font is a spare, typewriter-like print, and the pastel watercolor artwork, outlined with strong black lines, bring simplicity to a story that may diverge from more brightly colored books, but will stand out because of it.

This would be a great addition to a storytime on friendship and gratitude. There is the potential for a wonderful discussion about friends and giving – Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree would be a great companion story to this book – and the importance of saying “thank you”. Friendship is a popular storytime theme, with many songs available on children’s CDs. DLTK’s website has a friendship wreath craft made with traced handprints that can be prepared in advance and ready for attendees to assemble with help from their parents/guardians.

The author’s website has downloadable designs for Bear stationery and computer wallpaper, in addition to links to other books. Mr. Foley’s “Bear” series includes Make a Wish Bear; I Miss You Mouse; Good Luck Bear and Don’t Worry Bear, which also features his friend, Mouse.

The book received the Charlotte Zolotow Award in 2008 and was a nominee for Iowa’s Goldfinch Book Award (2011).

Toddler Reads

Book Review: We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt, by Steve Metzger/illus. by Miki Sakamoto (Scholastic, 2008)

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 2-5

A group of friends goes on a leaf hunt, which leads them on adventures over a mountain, through a forest, around a waterfall, and across a lake.

I have a special place in my heart for this book; it was one of my son’s favorite books, because of its repetitive interactivity. The story follows a group of friends on a leaf hunt. They state their beginning intention – “We’re going on a leaf hunt. We’re going right away. Let’s find colorful leaves. It’s a wonderful day!”. The group’s arrival at each point – a mountain, a forest, a waterfall, and a lake – comes is accompanied by a repetitive phrase (“climb, climb, huff puff. We made it!”). They collect leaves from a different tree at each spot, and when they return, they revisit these areas, arriving home ready to jump and play. It makes for a fun read-aloud, where children can echo the repeated phrase and act out the group’s actions (climbing a mountain, crossing a lake).

The artwork appears to be watercolor, with lively reds, browns and yellows to create a beautiful fall day. The story font is mostly brown and bold, but words with emphasis receive a different treatment: the world “colorful” is spelled out with different fall colors; the names of the trees are bright orange, and water-related words are blue.

There are many websites available that offer printouts of different leaves that children can color for a fun, seasonal craft. There are also many seasonal and Fall-related songs and fingerplays.

The author’s website offers links to all of his books, with printables related to some of his books.

Fantasy, Tween Reads

Book Review; Breadcrumbs, by Anne Ursu (Erin McGuire, ill.) (Walden Pond Press, 2011)

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 9-12

Fifth graders Hazel and Jack are best friends until the day Jack decides he wants to be around boys more than a girl. Hazel is miserable at the loss of her friend, but when Jack disappears, she is the only one who ventures into the mysterious woods to find him, and get him back from the White Queen – whether or not he wants to come home.

Breadcrumbs is a trip through fairy tales and middle-grade stories that many readers will be familiar with, all surrounding a retelling of the classic tale of the Snow Queen. The characters are fifth graders who actually act their age; they are fully fleshed out with backgrounds that touch on issues that many readers will be familiar with – multiculturalism, adoption, divorce and remarriage, depression, and the pain of loss and how to move past it. There is a little bit of magic in every world, and Breadcrumbs brings that to life in the form of the main characters’ imaginations and in the more literal, magical forest sense. Erin McGuire’s black and white illustrations bring the chill of the cold forest, particularly the Snow Queen, to life and enhance the text. Compulsively readable, the book also provides numerous opportunities to enhance classroom discussions on topical issues or on a fairy tale unit.

Breadcrumbs is a 2011 Cybils award nominee for Middle Grade Science Fiction/Fantasy. Author Anne Ursu’s webpage offers information about Breadcrumbs and all of Ms. Ursu’s books, plus updated news and appearance information and links to social media.