Tag: party

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Bathroom Boogie puts some funk into bathtime!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Bathroom Boogie, by Clare Foges/Illustrated by Al Murphy, (May 2018, Faber & Faber), $16.95, ISBN: 9780571340453

Recommended for readers 3-7

Bathtime becomes funtime in this rhyming companion to 2015’s Kitchen Disco! When we go off to school and work everyday, do we really know what’s going on at home? Bathroom Boogie assures us that there’s a party in the bathroom as DJ Shampoo gets the beats thumping, Toothpaste gets funky, and Mouthwash busts a move. It’s funny, it’s fun, it’s just like one of my kiddo’s favorite books, Food Fight! by Carol Diggory Shields (2002). The toiletries and accessories go wild, make a mess, and clean it all up before we get home – whew!

There’s great rhyme and repetition: “It’s called the BATHROOM BOOGIE/And everyone’s invited!/So blow your whistles/Shake your bristles/Let’s get all excited!” and the drawings a bold, cartoony, and have big googly eyes and silly facial expressions that kids will love. The font looks almost marker-written, with bold, outlined words for emphasis and add to the fun, and the endpapers sport assorted bathroom graffiti (no phone numbers or limericks, this is a family book). This book is hilarious and fun, perfect for storytime reading and rapping – there’s even a book trailer to get kids raring to go:

Perfect fun for storytime reading, bedtime reading, anytime reading. Originally published in the UK, Bathroom Boogie debuts here in the States on May 15th.

Posted in Animal Fiction, Early Reader, Fiction, Humor, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

The Zoo’s about to cut FOOTLOOSE!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

footloose_1Footloose, by Kenny Loggins/Illustrated by Tim Bowers, (Oct. 2016, MoonDance Press), $17.95, ISBN: 9781633221185

Recommended for ages 2-6

Where are my fellow ’80s children at? Kenny Loggins, who basically soundtracked the ’80s, has given new life to Footloose – a song that I will still unabashedly jump off and dance to whenever I hear it (usually to my eldest teen’s mortal terror) – for the little ones! He was inspired to rewrite the song into a fun story for his grandchildren; what we get is a fun rhyming story about what goes down after a zoo closes to the public for the evening.

First things first: Yes, I absolutely did find a karoake version of Footloose on YouTube and played it while I sang this book. In the privacy of my bedroom, sure, but I did it and it was fabulous! The song and story line up nicely, and if that’s your kind of thing, and you have an audience that may be receptive to it, print out a set of the lyrics for the parents and go for it.

This is a fun story for kids about party animals getting down after dark, with Zookeeper Big Jack witness to the whole business. There’s rhyming, there are great illustrations of animals swinging from trees, dancing a tango, and turning it loose – Footloose!

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footloose_4For me, this is a no-brainer add to my shelves – my storytimes include a lot of movement, my little ones love animal books, and I can easily read this, Eric Carle’s From Head to Toe, Lindsay Craig’s Dancing Feet, and Sandra Boynton’s Barnyard Dance to get the kids up, moving, and laughing. If you have animal picture book fans, it’s a great addition to your collections. If you like to sing and dance with your little ones, be it in your own living room or the storytime area in  your library, add this one. And if you want that karaoke link, here’s the backing track (just the music), and here’s one with the lyrics, in case you want to track how your reading goes compared to the pace of the song.

Posted in Fiction, Humor, Middle School, Tween Reads

Book Review: Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So Popular Party Girl by Rachel Renee Russell (Aladdin, 2010)

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Recommended for ages 9-12

Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Popular Party Girl has been hailed as “Wimpy Kid for girls”, and I’m inclined to agree. The book is writtten in similar format – a middle-schooler’s journal – and is complete with illustrations and “OMG!” moments in a pre-teen’s life. Nikki, the protagonist, is not the slacker that Wimpy Kid Greg is, but is definitely not in the cool crowd. She and her friends Chloe and Zoey wish they could be in the CCP (Cute, Cool and Popular) crowd, but Nikki’s nemesis, Mackenzie – a spoiled, rich, mean girl – will do anything and everything to ruin Nikki’s life – including canceling the school Halloween dance just to make Nikki look bad. Nikki and her friends need to pull together to make it happen, and Nikki hopes to get the attention of her crush, Brandon Roberts. The only trouble is, Mackenzie has her sights set on Brandon, too.

The book is fun. Nikki is a vibrant narrator, who speaks fluent middle-school – girls will love her. She writes from a very female point of view, as opposed to the more gender-friendly Wimpy Kid, so I don’t know if boys will get on board with the series (especially as this book has a purple cover). The black and white drawings make you believe you are looking at a ‘tween girl’s diary, as do the script and handwriting fonts. All around, a fun book with a spunky heroine that girls will enjoy – and grown-up girls will laugh along with the more cringe-worthy memories of their own middle school years.

The Dork Diaries website features information on the Dork Diaries books and has a countdown clock for the next book’s release. There is a link to the music inspired by the book, and the Nikki has a blog where she recaps memories (from the books), links fan videos, and features fun contests and printables.