picture book – Page 10

Daredevil Duck Blog Tour! Author interview and contest!

Posted on May 14, 2015May 5, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Daredevil Duck, by Charlie Alder (May 2015, Running Press) $16.95, ISBN: 9780762458929

Recommended for ages 3-7

Daredevil Duck wants to be brave. He really does, but there are so many scary things out in the world: fluttery things, the dark, heights – what’s a wannabe daredevil to do? One day, Daredevil Duck is called on to help a friendly Mole save his balloon, stuck up in a tree. This is Daredevil Duck’s big moment: can he face his fears and save the day?

This is a great story for the preschool and Kindergarten set. It addresses common fears, and tells a sweet story of how one young duck faced and overcame those fears in order to help someone. If that’s not great motivation, what is? It also addresses bullying, which is so important to tackle in these early years, when kids are forming their social patterns.

Most of all, Daredevil Duck is just fun. The book has interesting die cuts and flaps that kids will love exploring, and it adds great interest to a read-aloud. I love keeping the kids in suspense for a second or two before opening a flap and giving them an exciting reveal, and they love the delicious anticipation. The cartoony artwork, with bright primary colors inside a thick black outline, gives a child-friendly welcome to the story. Emphasized moments and text will catch readers’ attention and keep them giggling.

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this book for review, and read it to my preschooler storytime classes, where it went over very well. The kids loved the reveals under the flaps and gatefolds, and they loved going on Daredevil Duck’s brave journey with him. A fun read-aloud to add to the collection.

I was thrilled to get Daredevil Duck‘s author, Charlie Alder to answer a couple of questions. Read on for more!

MomReadIt: Would you call Daredevil Duck an accidental superhero?
Charlie Alder: That’s a good question! Well, Daredevil Duck wants to be a superhero, but his fears get the better of him every time. It’s only when he’s really determined to help a new friend, and his fears have to be put to one side, that he realizes anything is possible! This realization is totally accidental to him, so I guess he really is an accidental superhero!

MRI: Is Daredevil Duck based on anyone you know?
CA: I would say Daredevil Duck is very similar to my little boy at age 4 or 5! Initially, when I first started coming up with story ideas and character sketches he was very much his own character, but as the story started to progress, I realized he had taken on many of the traits, hopes and fears of my little boy, and indeed many of his friends.

MRI: What advice would you have for anyone who wants to be a superhero, daredevil, or just sleep without a night light? How can someone channel Daredevil Duck in his or her own life?
CA: Well, being brave can take many different forms, from trying a new sport, making new friends or eating a new vegetable! Throughout the story Daredevil Duck kept telling himself he couldn’t do things, that he was too scared, but he never really tried! When he really tried to rescue the yellow balloon he surprised himself! The only way you’ll really know if you can do something or not is to try it, it doesn’t matter if you fail, at least you have tried… and you never know, you may surprise yourself too!

You can follow Charlie Alder on Twitter @chuckie346, or visit her author website for more information. Thanks, Charlie!

Win your own copy of Daredevil Duck with this a Rafflecopter giveaway
-good luck!

TAKE THE DAREDEVIL DUCK BLOG TOUR!

DAREDEVIL DUCK
By Charlie Alder
Blog Tour Schedule
>>>>
5/4 Wife Hat, Mom Hat
5/5 Geo Librarian
5/6 In The Pages
5/7 Stacking Books
5/9 Bea’s Book Nook
5/10 ReaderKidz
5/11 Coffee for the Brain
5/12 The Picture Book Review
5/13 Mrs. Brown Loves Bookworms
5/14 Mom Read It
5/15 Unpacking the POWER of
Picture Books
5/16 Cheryl Rainfield
5/17 Unleashing Readers

Preschool

This is Sadie gives us a little girl with a big imagination

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

This is Sadie, by Sara O’Leary/illus. by Julie Morstad (May 2015, Tundra Books), $17.99, ISBN: 9781770495326

Recommended for ages 4-8

Sadie is a little girl whose friends sometimes live in the pages of books. She makes worlds and kingdoms out of cushions and boxes and anything around her. She has wings that bring her wherever she wants to go, and get her home safely. She can do anything, be anything, with her imagination. She’s Alice in Wonderland, she’s Mowgli, she’s anyone she wants to be.

The whole book is an invitation to all readers to get lost in their imaginations. Sadie is the focal point for the story, but boys and girls alike will recognize their own adventures, whether it’s sailing in a cardboard box boat or talking to birds and trees. Sadie’s creativity will spark children to create their own adventures – storytime and a pillow fort building activity would go great together for this book!

The art itself is dreamlike, with soft, bright yet relaxed colors on the pages. The simple black font is unintrusive and is perfect for storytime reading.

Kids will love this book, and grown-ups will love reading it. Read together, and go on an adventure.

Preschool

Butterfly Park by Elly MacKay is a gorgeous book about new beginnings and friendship!

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Butterfly Park, by Elly MacKay (2015, Running Press), $16.95, ISBN: 978-0762453399

Recommended for ages 3-8

A young girl moves from her home, surrounded by green and butterflies, to a new house, where she hears horns and sirens, and everything looks the same. Until she finds the gates to a park next door, that read “Butterfly Park”. Thrilled, she drops in – but there are no butterflies to be found in the park! She sets to work with her neighbors to create a place that the butterflies will return to again and again.

This book delivers such positive messages in a beautiful setting. Created with collage and diorama, the art seemingly takes on an extra dimension, inviting the reader to join in the quest to bring the butterflies to Butterfly Park. The characters, known only as The Girl and The Boy, facilitate this by easily allowing any child reading the book to become The Girl or The Boy, chasing butterflies and planting flowers with nectar that the butterflies will love. The entire neighborhood comes together to help The Girl create the garden, illustrating the value and the fun in teamwork. The girl’s determination to make the best of her move and her new surroundings will resonate with anyone who’s had to move and start over.

The book’s cover folds out into a poster featuring plants that attract butterflies, and the final pages fold out into a beautiful panorama of a community butterfly garden. Kids will likely want to get some seeds and tools and plant their own gardens after reading this book – and they should! It’s springtime! Show kids they can create a garden anywhere – container gardens and houseplants are just as much fun to work with as outdoor gardens.

Join #TheButterflyTrail at Running Press’ Butterfly Park site and learn more about the book and the author.

Preschool Reads

Mahalia Jackson: Walking with Kings and Queens is a beautiful biography for young readers

Posted on April 22, 2015April 22, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Mahalia Jackson: Walking with Kings and Queens, by Nina Nolan/illus. by John Holyfield (2015, Amistad/HarperCollins),$17.99, ISBN: 978-0-06-087944-0

Recommended for ages 6-10

Mahalia Jackson had a voice that could make the world stop. I’m only familiar with her through my mom’s records and Ms. Jackson’s enduring performance as a choir soloist in the movie Imitation of Life, but once you’ve heard her sing, her voice is with you forever.

Walking with Kings and Queens is Mahalia’s story, from her New Orleans childhood to her performance at the March on Washington. It’s a story of determination and endurance, of her faith, and her talent. Orphaned at a young age, she lived with her aunts, forced to drop in and out of school as other duties made themselves known. She always had her singing, though. As a child, it made her feel like a peacock, spreading his feathers, and as she grew, it was a source of strength and comfort to her. She drove to churches that would pay her to sing, and was finally noticed by someone from Decca Records. From there, her gospel was heard far and wide. Her aunt once told her she would “walk with kings and queens” one day, but she never counted on being a queen herself – the queen of gospel.

This book is gorgeous, with beautiful acrylic paintings bringing out the true joy that singing brought Mahalia Jackson. Her face is always tilted upward, illustrating her relationship with God and her music, a beatific smile lighting up her face. The story emphasizes Mahalia’s determination not only to keep singing, but her determination to continue her education. There are positive messages to be found through this whole story, and I’m hoping it finds a place on library and classroom shelves to introduce a new generation of listeners to Mahalia Jackson and her amazing voice.

Early Reader, Preschool Reads

Snow White and the 77 Dwarfs is a laugh-out-loud retelling (that every mom will love)!

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Snow White and the 77 Dwarfs, by Davide Cali (April 2015, Tundra Books) $17.99, ISBN: 9781770497634

Recommended for ages 3-8

In this hilarious retelling of the classic fairy tale, Snow White escapes the Evil Queen, and ends up at a house that belongs to 77 dwarfs. They let her stay on the proviso that she helps with the chores. For 77 little men. Not only does she have to remember everyone’s name, but she’s got to do their laundry, help with their grooming, tell every single one of them their own, personal bedtime story, referee all the quibbling – is being on the run really worth this, Snow?

Every mother will appreciate this, whether she’s wrangling multiple children, hosting a playdate, or acting as class mom. I’ve got three kids, and on some days, I swear there are 77. Snow White, I’m right there with you.

This book is adorable, with bright, cartoony illustrations that kids and grownups alike will enjoy. Snow White’s expressions are priceless (and oh, so recognizable), and the multitude of dwarfs, with all their word balloons, will strike a chord with any parent whose found themselves surrounded by children.

Look at me, I’m reviewing this book for parents. But we’re the ones who read them first, so why not? Kids will love this book because it’s flat-out funny, with eye-catching art. They’re most likely already familiar with the story of Snow White, so they’ll have a good frame of reference for Snow White and the 77 Dwarfs. And if you read this book as dramatically as I plan to? You’re going to have a lot of giggles and cries of, “Again! Again!” This is going into my bedtime rotation and my storytime rotation. Don’t miss this book.

Early Reader, Toddler Reads, Uncategorized

Time Together: Me and Grandpa evokes sweet memories for kids and grandparents

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Time Together: Me and Grandpa, by Maria Catherine/illus. by Pascal Campion (Mar. 2015, Capstone) $8.95, ISBN: 9781479557967

Recommended for ages 3-7

Morning reading time. Whispery fish time. Ultimate nap time. Close your eyes and see the images these words evoke, and you have the essence of Me and Grandpa, a sweet litany of different “times” children spend with their grandfathers. The images are bright, yet subdued, feature boys and girls from multiethnic backgrounds, and there is one spread dedicated to each setting. There are active and passive activities, from playing a sport or gardening to relaxing, reading the morning paper or cuddling for an afternoon nap.

The digital images are vivid, with splashes of realistic touches that look like paint or sponge art, creating a multilayered appearance. Text is black or white, depending on the background, distinguishing itself but never taking over the spread, allowing for a gentle read and contemplation of each image and moment with a grandparent.

They’re great books for a grandpa/child storytime, and a perfect gift to either a grandparent from a child, or vice versa. Libraries, plan your Grandparent’s Day/Mother’s Day/Father’s Day events around this one.

A companion book, Time Together: Me and Grandma, also by Maria Catherine/Pascal Campion, will be released on March 1st.

Early Reader, Non-Fiction

Colors of the Wind – “The wind is like a rainbow.”

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Colors of the Wind: The Story of Blind Artist and Champion Runner, George Mendoza, by J.L. Powers (Sept. 2014, Purple House Press), $18.95, ISBN: 978-1930900738

Recommended for ages 7+

Colors of the Wind is one of those inspiring books that will take your breath away. Written for young readers and excellent for read-alouds in the classroom and the home, Colors of the Wind tells the story of George Mendoza, Olympic runner and painter.

As a child, George was always in motion. He was that kid that never stayed still; he wanted to be a basketball player when he got older. But his vision began to deteriorate, and he saw bursts of color. Suffering from a rare form of blindness called fundus flavimaculatus, his central vision has been destroyed, but he retains peripheral vision, which he refers to as “kaleidoscope eyes” because of the way objects reflect and are multiplied in his vision.

To take his mind off his blindness, George started running and ended up competing in two Olympics. He later began painting, remembering a priest who told him to paint what he saw. He uses fingerpaints, brushes – anything that will communicate to others the unique and beautiful way George sees the world.

This book is gorgeous. Illustrated with Mr. Mendoza’s paintings, this is a truly inspiring story of a man who literally changed his point of view. The text is enhanced with drawings by Hayley Morgan-Sanders. JL Powers presents Mr. Mendoza’s story with short sentences that are perfect for allowing young listeners to grasp the concepts presented and allows for deeper discussion on overcoming challenges and celebrating what gifts we have to work with.

The book includes a short biography on George Mendoza, and a list of paintings featured in the book. Two of my favorites are featured below: Purple Moon and Blind Man Touching the Sun.

Colors of the Wind is available in stores now – ask your local bookstore, or order from Amazon!

Early Reader, Preschool Reads

The Angry Little Puffin clears up some confusion

Posted on October 1, 2014October 1, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Angry Little Puffin, by Timothy Young (Sept. 2014, Schiffer Publishing), $16.99, ISBN: 978-0-7643-4387

Recommended for ages 5-8

“Oh, look at that cute little penguin!” This little puffin has had it up to HERE with being mistaken for a penguin, and he’s going to let everyone know the differences between puffins and penguins – RIGHT NOW.

What follows is an adorably illustrated lesson on puffins: where they live, what they eat, different types of puffins, and their ability to fly (versus flightless penguins). The puffin’s rant isn’t fruitless; he discovers that there’s at least one little girl out there who understands the difference between penguins and puffins, something that hopefully tides him over for the next round of onlookers ready to see the “happy little penguin”.

What a great way to conduct a nature lesson! I’d love to use this book in an animal storytime, and I’d love to see teachers using this book in their Kindergarten and first grade classes. The illustrations are adorable, eye-catching, and use bright colors (especially on the puffin’s beak!). Fonts are large, in word balloons to denote dialogue, and bolded for easy reading. The puffin has character, with facial expressions and body gestures that teachers can use for emphasis during a read-aloud, and that kids will immediately recognize, whether it’s frustration or happiness.

The Angry Little Puffin just published on September 28, so ask your bookstore to order a copy, or buy it on Amazon.com.

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!

Non-Fiction, Tween Reads

Change the World Before Bedtime – Proof that everyone can affect positive change!

Posted on July 20, 2014 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Change the World Before Bedtime, a collaboration by Mark Kimball Moulton, Josh Chalmers, and Karen Good (Schiffer Publishing, 2012). $16.99, ISBN: 978-0764342387

Recommended for ages 4-8

For all the kids out there tired of being told that they’re too young to affect change, Change the World Before Bedtime is a primer on everything anyone, big or small, can do to bring about positive change in their world. The book takes place over the course of a day, with a group of children making positive decisions and taking positive actions to brighten the world around them. By tying on their “hero capes” and eating a healthy breakfast, they prepare for a day of random good deeds, like picking up litter, visiting a sick friend or family member, donating clothing, toys, and food to the needy, and just thinking and saying happy thoughts and words.

The book features multicultural images and the artwork incorporates some great collage work. The images remind me of Joan Walsh Anglund’s illustrations that I loved, growing up. The rhyming text makes this a fun read-aloud, particularly to 5-6 year olds who may have a better grasp on activism. Positive messages, like “recycle” and “one beautiful world”, are emphasized throughout the book, as are images including composting, teamwork, manners, and environmental awareness. The last page of the book asks the children to write their “bright ideas to change the world before bedtime”, and the endpapers look like pieces of looseleaf paper, encouraging the children to keep writing.

The book’s optimistic tone and beautiful imagery will motivate children and adults alike to do something right away! There’s no need to wait for Earth Day to come around again – there’s always something to do to change the world.

Change the World Before Bedtime received the 2012 Gold Medal Award from the Mom’s Choice Awards.