Tag: Luke Flowers

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Books for your Christmas storytime

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

It’s that time: the Christmas storytime! Here are a few good ones to consider.

 

Socks: A Christmas Kid’s Lament, by JD McPherson/Illustrated by Anika Orrock, (Sept. 2024, Walker Books), $15.99, ISBN: 9781536237023

Ages 3-7

Singer-songwriter McPherson’s picture book debut is about a Christmas present kids dread: SOCKS. A young boy creeps down to his Christmas tree early one Christmas morning, fully expecting any number of toys and discovering a dreaded pair of socks. SOCKS! For Christmas! The rhyming story escalates as the boy searches his home and pleads his case: “No ‘Are we there yet?’ in the car! / I ruined no vacations! / A few coins in the swearing jar, / but for impassioned declarations!” Santa flies over towns all over the world as children appear to exclaim the same disdainful refrain in different languages. But is there more to the grand sock distribution? Keep reading, and you’ll notice that other presents do show up, and that Mrs. Claus feels very differently about her socks. A sweet story about appreciating the meaning behind gift-giving, and a chuckle for anyone who’s received a gift they were less than pleased with. Orrock’s retro digital artwork adds a fun sense of play to the story. Scan a QR code to hear McPherson’s song, “Socks” and try out a few lines during storytime.

 

 

Everett Green: The Not-So Christmas Tree, by Freddy Wexler/Illustrated by Fanny Berthiaume, (Oct. 2024, Random House Books for Young Readers), $14.99, ISBN: 9780593567944

Ages 4-8

“Everett Green was a small palm tree with big dreams”. He’s a singing, dancing palm tree that’s tired of being ignored and knows he’s meant for greater things, and then he sees it: the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, featured on the news. With that, Everett’s off to New York! The only problem? Flights are delayed! Everett’s stuck at an airline gate on Christmas Eve! What’s a tree to do? Well… he’s got a captive audience, so Everett seizes the opportunity, grabs a mic, and starts spreading holiday cheer. One by one, the crowd joins in and before anyone knows it, there’s a dancing and a Christmas sing-along, dancing, and good feelings all around. Everett returns to his old digs at The Sandy Straw, where his Christmas act is embraced and lauded. The moral of the story: joy is where you find it, so spread it where you can. It’s a touching and relevant holiday message that carries meaning beyond the holidays. Photoshop illustrations are bold and bright; endpapers feature beribboned pineapples and Christmas ornaments across a bright yellow background. A fun holiday read that has plenty of opportunities for interaction with a group.

 

 

How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? by Mac Barnett/Illustrated by Jon Klassen, (Sept. 2023, Candlewick Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781536223767

Ages 4-8

Easily one of my favorite kidlit powerhouse combos, Barnett and Klassen just make great books. This time, they examine the classic question: How does Santa go down the chimney? They admit there are no easy answers, but there are suggestions that go from innocent – “Does he cinch up his belt?” – to the laugh-out-loud hilarious: “Does Santa ever get stuck partway down and need one of the reindeer to give him a kick?” Kids and adults alike have pondered these very same questions for years! Klassen’s graphite and ink illustrations pair perfectly with Barnett’s text, showing Santa and his reindeer in the funniest of situations, including a peek at Santa’s underwear as he goes down the chimney backside first. Ending on a sweet note and preserving the mystery, this is a perfect readaloud for holiday season.

How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney? has starred reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus, Booklist, and was an Indie Next pick.

 

Santa Yeti, by Matthew Luhn/Illustrated by Luke Flowers, (Oct. 2023, Kane Miller), $15.99, ISBN: 9781684646036

Ages 3-7

What’s more fun than a cute rhyming story? A cute rhyming story about a yeti who’s tired of being cold! Frank is a yeti who dreams to vacationing somewhere warm, like Brazil. He stumbles upon Santa’s toy factory on Christmas Eve, deciding to stow away in a present bound for Brazil, but things go sideways when the box tears and Frank scares Santa right out of the sled! Santa gets dropped into a warm Brazilian pool, and it’s up to Frank to save Christmas. Thankfully, he’s up to the task and gets a nice reward next Christmas: a vacation in Key West. Luke Flowers’s illustrations are adorable, colorful, and filled with fun details. The endpapers feature postcards from warm climates with drawings of Frank taped into the scenery; back endpapers have drawings of Santa, Mrs. Claus, an elf, and a reindeer joining Frank taped into a postcard from… you guessed it, Brazil. The rhyme scheme is bouncy and light, pairing sweetly with the fun illustrations. Perfect for a Christmas read-aloud, this will become a book you’ll reach for every year.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Unicorn Day: All are welcome!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Unicorn Day, by Diana Murray/Illustrated by Luke Flowers, (June 2019, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky), $17.99, ISBN: 9781492667223

Ages 3-7

It’s Unicorn Day! All the unicorns come out to play and show their unicorn pride; they shine up their horns, they fluff up their manes, and they sing the Unicorn Day song as they dance and celebrate. But what happens when a horse tries to fit in with a fake horn on Unicorn Day? Why, the unicorns embrace him and get back to celebrating! Unicorn Day is for everyone!

Sliding down rainbows? Raining cupcakes? A glitter fight? This is the best book ever! Unicorn Day is an adorable tale of fun, celebration, and inclusivity. No mean unicorns here! These unicorns know how to have fun and want everyone around them to feel as happy and loved as they do. The rhyming text has a festive feel, and Luke Flowers’ colorful, vibrant art will get your little readers up and marching. Alligators, octopus, even a yeti parade across the page, all sporting unicorn horns and megawatt smiles. I love the joyful feel of the story, and the positive message about making space for everyone. Author Diana Murray has a free, downloadable activity kit available that has everything you need for your own unicorn party, including tasty recipes, a pin-the-horn on the unicorn game, invitations, and name tags. This Craftiness is Not Optional post also has a cute step-by-step to make your own glittery unicorn horns using scrapbooking paper. Want to make unicorn balloons? Here’s a template from the Minidrops blog; the post is in German, but the pictures are there to guide you.

Slip this into your Pride storytimes, your unicorn storytimes, and your anytime storytimes. It’s feel-good storytelling, and a must-have for your collections!

Seriously, though, check out Diana Murray’s author website. I’ve been a fan for several years now; she’s got goodies attached to most of her book pages, and her books are consistently wonderful. Follow Luke Flowers on Instagram to see more of his adorable artwork, and because he’s a great guy who personalizes books at his signings. (My 7-year-old is still thrilled with his ‘Be T-Rexcellent’ message and drawing on his copy of One More Dino on the Floor.)

Posted in Preschool Reads

Set sail with two picture books in March!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Tough Tug, by Margaret Read MacDonald/Illustrated by Rob McClurkan, (March 2018, Two Lions), $17.99, ISBN: 978-1503950986

Recommended for readers 3-6

Tough Tug is a scrappy tugboat, newly built and ready for action! He’s got his first big job – to pull a barge to Alaska – and learns that being a tug isn’t all about racing and bravado, especially in arctic waters! Based on the true story of an Alaskan tug that cut loose its own barge to rescue a floundering tug, Tough Tug sends positive messages about responsibility and helping others. Repeated phrases on each spread – Slide and Splash, Swirld and Twirl – get exaggerated font sizes and and lend a fun rhythm to storytelling. The digital illustrations personify the boats, giving them wide eyes and facial features, like eyepatches and mustaches. Kids who love movies like Cars will enjoy this fun add to vehicle/transportation picture books. Get your readers up and moving to this story like you would for Helen Oxenbury’s classic, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt: swirling and splashing, painting and priming, using their arms and legs to wade through the story. Endpaper maps illustrate Tough Tug’s journey from construction to Alaska.

 

Ready, Set, Sail!, by Meg Fleming/Illustrated by Luke Flowers, (March 2018, Little Bee), $16.99, ISBN: 978-1-4998-0533-8

Recommended for readers 3-7

Are you ready for a day of fun on the high seas? Join this group of animal friends as they grab their life vests and head out onto open water in this adorable rhyming tale. The group rows out to their ship, sets sail, and drops anchor so everyone can have some island fun diving and exploring. At the end of the day, they head to town to tell their whale of a tale. Luke Fleming’s colorful art, with Meg Fleming’s jaunty rhyme and rhythm, make for rousing storytime reading. Pair this with some fun fish and marine tales, like Lucy Cousins’s Hooray for Fish, Kyle Westaway’s A Whale in the Bathtub, or Steve Light’s board book, Boats Go.

Meg Fleming’s book, Ready, Set, Build! is a rhyming tale about two friends who build a playhouse together; together, these two books could form a nice cooperative themed storytime.