Tag: travel

Posted in Animal Fiction, Fiction, Fiction, Humor, Intermediate, Middle Grade

They Didn’t Teach THIS in Worm School!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

They Didn’t Teach This in Worm School! One Worm’s Tale of Survival, by Simone Lia, (Feb. 2018, Candlewick Press), $14.99, ISBN: 978-0-7636-9536-1

Recommended for readers 7-10

Marcus is a worm who falls asleep in wakes up in on Laurence’s dinner plate. He does the first thing that comes to mind – greets Laurence and starts a conversation, hoping to get his mind off eating Marcus, and it works! Laurence is convinced that he is a flamingo, despite looking suspiciously like a chicken, and he’s desperate to fly to Africa to be with other flamingos, just like in his travel books. Laurence is convinced that Marcus can navigate them there, and the two are off on an adventure that will take them to Paris (not really), into the heart of danger with shady characters (true story), and ultimately, to Africa itself (don’t bet on it), before realizing that being who you are and comfortable with who you are is the best way to be. Additional positive messages about perseverance and friends bringing out the best in one another make this a good booktalker.

This illustrated buddy-comedy chapter book is hilarious and will find fans thanks to its surreal humor and likable lead characters. Two-color cartoony illustration and a helplessly hopeless friendship make this one a good add to intermediate collections.

They Didn’t Teach THIS in Worm School was originally published in the UK in 2016.

Posted in Preschool Reads

Blog Tour: The Queen is Coming to Tea!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Queen is coming for tea! Ellie has to make sure everything is perfect, and travels the world, with her faithful friend, Langley, at her side, to orchestrate the best tea party ever. A fun look at tea parties, with a bit of global flavor. Fun for storytime – have the kids bring in their own stuffed animals for a post-storytime tea party! – and have tea recipes ready for the parents to take home and enjoy with their kiddos. Display with How the Queen Found the Perfect Cup of Tea by Kate Hosford, Jane O’Connor’s Fancy Nancy and Fancy Nancy Tea Parties, and Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf! by Judy Sierra for a fun tea time display.

The Queen is Coming to Tea

Author: Linda Ravin Lodding
Illustrator: Constranze von Kitzing
Published: February 7, 2017, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
ISBN: 9781492607571; $16.99; Hardcover

Can Ellie and her furry friends get everything ready in time for tea with the Queen?

One day there was a knock at Ellie’s door. There stood the Queen’s Footman.

“A message from Her Royal Highness.” He offered Ellie a note on a silver tray.

May I please come for tea?

Sincerely yours,

The Queen Herself

When Ellie finds out the Queen is coming to tea, she snaps to attention! With her best friend, Langley the Elephant, Ellie travels to Paris, China, Italy, and New York to make sure they have everything they need for tea with the Queen. But will the Queen patiently wait? And what exactly will be waiting for the Queen?

About the Author and Illustrator:

LINDA LODDING is originally from New York, but has spent the past fifteen years in Austria, the Netherlands, and now lives in Sigtuna, Sweden. Visit her at http://www.lindalodding.com.

After finishing her studies, CONSTANZE VON KITZING worked in the cover department at Der Spiegel. She now works as a freelance illustrator, teaches, and runs an art shop in Cologne, Germany, where she lives with her family.

Peach Mango White Iced Tea Recipe

Ingredients:

4 Cups Water

3 White Tea Bags

1 Peach

½ Cup Chopped Frozen Mango

1 tbsp sugar plus Sugar to Taste

 

Instructions:

Boil the 6 cups of water; remove from heat.

Steep the tea bags about 5 minutes; remove bags and allow tea to cool to room temperature.

Add chopped peaches and mango to a mixing bowl and mix with sugar; let fruit soften.

Place fruit in pitcher and pour cooled tea on top; add sugar to taste and stir.

Chill and serve.

 

GIVEAWAY: Enter this Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win your own copy of The Queen is Coming to Tea! AND a ceramic tea set!

Posted in Intermediate, Middle Grade, Non-Fiction, Non-fiction, Non-Fiction, Tween Reads

Road Trip, Part Deux: NatGeo’s 125 Wacky Roadside Attractions

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

wacky125 Wacky Roadside Attractions, by National Geographic Kids, (May 2016, National Geographic Kids), $12.99, ISBN: 9781426324079

Recommended for ages 8+

Maybe your road trips tastes run a little more… unique. National Parks are beautiful, but what if you want to drive through a giant tree or see a giant boxing crocodile? If that’s the case, then NatGeo Kids’ 125 Wacky Roadside Attractions is just for you.

Part of the “125” series that includes 125 Cute Animals, 125 Cool Inventions, and 125 Amazing Pets, Wacky Roadside Attractions brings readers the craziest, wildest roadside hotels, statues, and other landmarks from all over the world. A world map labels and numbers all the attractions, should you want to start sticking pins in the places you want to go. Features cover anywhere from 1/2 a page to 2-page spreads, providing a brief description, location, and fast facts about each landmark. I was excited to see Wisconsin’s House on the Rock, which I first encountered in Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, and seeing Pedro from South of the Border brought me back to the road trips down to Florida that I’d take with my parents.

This book is just too much fun. It’s a crazy, fun road trip around the world that families will love to take together. Great photos and fun text against bright backgrounds make every page an eyecatcher. Add this to your collections, and vote on future attractions at NatGeo’s site.

south-of-the-border_1Me, my dad, and a gorilla at Fort Pedro, South of the Border, mid-80s

 

south-of-the-borderPedro welcomes you South of the Border! (image courtesy of The Dillon Herald)

This book is doing gangbusters at my library! The kids think it’s hilarious (the giant water fountain and the T-Rex you can hang out in are big favorites). I’m trying to think of a fun program – because that’s what I do with good books – that would incorporate the road trip mentality with a staycation budget. Maybe the kids and I will armchair travel every week, and put a pin in a different attraction on the map? Maybe we’ll find some new, wacky attractions along the way, or make up some of our own? I’ll let you know when we figure it out.

Posted in Animal Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Humor, Intermediate

Bird & Squirrel on Ice – A New Adventure!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

bird and squirrel on iceBird & Squirrel on Ice, by James Burks (Sept. 2014, Scholastic Graphix), $8.99, ISBN: 9780545563185

Recommended for ages 7-12

Bird & Squirrel is an adorable, fun graphic novel series for younger readers. The series follows the adventures of two friends: Bird, a bright yellow bird, and his buddy, Squirrel, a blue squirrel with an acorn hat. Bird seems to blunder into things, and Squirrel plays the voice of reason.

In the second book in this series, Bird & Squirrel on Ice, the two friends find themselves in the South Pole, befriended by a group of penguins that swear Bird is their Chosen One – he will fight the giant killer whale that bullies them, threatening to eat them if they don’t make an offering of food to him. They’re going to starve if they need to keep feeding this whale! Bird is only too thrilled to bask in the accolades, but Squirrel knows something’s up – and sure enough, it’s a doozy. With the help of their new penguin friend, Sakari, maybe they can just make it out after all.

This book is an adorable look at friendship. It uses the “Odd Couple” model, with two contrasting personalities, but who ultimately fit together nicely. It’s a sitcom, set in a graphic novel: the situation is set up, the problem introduces itself, and the resolution plays out. There’s some fun dialogue, and the cartoon art is adorable and eye-catching, with bright colors that will draw all readers in.

This is a great addition to graphic novel collections for younger readers: there’s a plucky female heroine, and there are strong themes about friendship and honesty. Pick this one up when it publishes in September, and check out the first book, Bird & Squirrel on the Run.

Posted in Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads, Uncategorized

Book Review: Baby in Car, by Monica Wellington (Dutton Books, 1995)

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

baby in a carRecommended for ages 0-4

Monica Wellington’s Baby in a Car begins with the question, “What does baby see?” and answers by taking a toddler on a road trip filled with fun things to see from the car. This brightly colored board book is filled with bold, bright illustrations that toddlers will easily recognize, from traffic lights and taxis to flags and umbrellas.  The cartoon style illustration uses gouache collage to provide texture, including the blades on a helicopter, leaves on an apple tree, and the moon’s shading. Young readers will be attracted to the bright pictures of easily identifiable objects, and the childlike lettering further communicates a young, happy tone. Parents and guardians can use the book on car rides, whether to the grocery store or a longer family trip, to keep children happy and begin conversations about their surroundings.

Baby in a Car is part of a series by Wellington that includes Baby in a Buggy, Baby at Home, and Baby Goes Shopping.

Story time activities could include traveling rhymes and fingerplays including Wheels on the Bus and Over the Mountain. The book can be used in a participatory fashion, with the reader asking, “What does baby see?” and allowing parents and children to respond with each picture.