Title: Big Bad Bunny
Author: Franny Billingsley
Illustrator: G. Brian Karas
Publisher: Atheneum Books
Year: 2008
Word Count: Approx. 400
Summary: When Baby Boo-Boo, a mouse dressed in a bunny suit, becomes lost in the forest, her mother follows the sound of her cries to locate her.
First, let me apologize for not getting a PB 14:14 blog challenge post completed for yesterday, day twelve. I was suffering from a migraine and needed to rest. I’m going to try to make up for it today, day thirteen, by posting two picture book analyses.
I’m going to start with Big Bad Bunny and the picture book element Pacing. I like how this book goes back and forth between Big Bad Bunny (aka Baby Boo-Boo) and Mama Mouse.
The story begins, “Big Bad Bunny has long sharp claws.” (page turn)
Scritch! Scritch! Scritch! (some onomatopoeia, then a page turn)
Then the focus shifts from Big Bad Bunny to Mama Mouse.
“But over in the Mouse House, everything is quiet. It’s naptime, and Mama Mouse tucks her babies into bed.” (page turn)
Then we shift back to Big Bad Bunny. On the left side of the two-page spread:
“Big Bad Bunny has pointy yellow teeth.”
Chomp! Chomp! Chomp! (more onomatopoeia)
On the right side of the spread, back to Mama Mouse:
“Mama Mouse kisses Little Tippy.”
We turn the page and it’s back to Big Bad Bunny on the left side of the spread, and then back to Mama Mouse on the right side of the spread. And so it continues through two more page turns, until Mama Mouse realizes that Baby Boo-Boo is missing and sets off to find her.
Then, Mama Mouse appears on the left side of the spread and Big Bad Bunny appears on the right. That pace continues through three page turns until Mama Mouse finds her Baby Boo-Boo who just happens to be Big Bad Bunny. Then the two characters appear together through the ten remaining pages as they retrace their steps back to the Mouse House.
It is difficult to explain Pacing through a blog post, so I hope what I wrote makes sense. Big Bad Bunny is a very good example of Pacing in a picture book, so I definitely recommend picking up a copy to study. The book is also filled with onomatopoeia:
Scritch
Chomp
Ka-splosh
Splat
Eek
Crash
And several more.
________________________________________________________
Title: Randy Riley’s Really Big Hit
Author/Illustrator: Chris Van Dusen
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Year: 2012
Word Count: Approx. 700
Summary: Randy Riley, a science genius who loves baseball but is not very good at it, needs to use both his interests to save his town from a giant fireball that is heading their way.
Is there room for another example of spectacular Rhyme? I hope so because Chris Van Dusen is a master rhymer. He was able to write a 700-word picture book entirely in Rhyme. And it’s so good! It’s a real pleasure to read. Check out these stanzas from the beginning, middle, and end of the book:
(Near the beginning)
He studied all the planets.
He memorized their tilt.
He researched how the thrusters
on the rocket ships were built.
He knew the constellations
and the light-years to the stars.
And wouldn’t it be great, he thought,
to ride a bike on Mars?
(In the middle)
The robot needed power,
and Randy knew precisely
that ninety-seven batteries
would energize it nicely.
(Near the end)
Randy’s eye was on the ball.
No room for error now.
Three-two-one and FLIP THE SWITCH!
A SWOOSH and then…
KA-POW!!
Here are some of the rhyming pairs:
mound/pound
throw/go
by/sigh
ball/all
face/space
room/gloom
bed/instead
sky/eye
clear/near
path/math
frown/town
dad/bad
red/bed
through/do
resolution/solution
fun/done
said/red
moon/noon
grew/do
reveal/steel
complete/street
town/down
mill/hill
be/three
stance/trance
done/run
began/man
grin/in
day/play
ball/all
I’d love to give you more stanzas, but I really want you to read this book for yourself. You won’t be disappointed!
Lauri Fortino's Frog On A (B)Log 
Hi, Lauri! I love the lessons you shared for both of these books. I love seeing the years that books are published and which publisher took it on, along with word count. It opens our eyes to what else is out there.
The first book, at a quick glance of the summary, would not have enticed me to buy it. But the lesson on pacing is great, so yes, it made sense. I agree it is hard to discuss pacing in a blog post, but it can be done, as you have shown us. I love how the Mama goes along kissing all her babies night-night, and then uh-oh, one is missing! Small children will LOVE it!
The second book sounds like so much fun too. You are right. He is definitely a master rhymer. At first glance of the cover of the book, I wondered if it might have been a biography. What FUN fiction combining science and sports. Love it!!! Thanks, Lauri! See you tomorrow!
LikeLike
Thanks, Christie, I’m glad you approve! And that my post made sense. The first one really is an excellent example for studying pacing.
For the second one, I may go back in tonight and add some of the rhyming pairs. I meant to do that, but forgot.
It is amazing too, just how many publishers are out there. I think I just now, with these two reviews, started to repeat publishers.
LikeLike
your description of pacing put me in mind of a tennis match, so long as the ball stays up and bounces between rackets (in this case pages) back and forth then the pacing feels right until the ball is dropped or hits the net.
Rhyme can be such fun too. Anyone who thinks that picture books are not complex works of literature has never written a good one.
Thanks 🙂
LikeLike
Yes, Cecilia, it is very much like a tennis match. I hope you didn’t strain your neck reading my post. 🙂
LikeLike
Ooh, a 700-word rhyming PB? I want! I’m really trying to work on rhyme these days (even though most agents won’t take it), and this looks like a great example. It sounds like he uses some really unique rhymes in there too. AND it’s about baseball – this may go on my “must buy” list. Thanks for pointing it out.
The bunny one also sounds neat with the way the book is laid out.
Thanks again for another great post. I’ve really enjoyed the last two weeks of learning about PBs with you.
LikeLike
K, this book flows so nicely too. It’s so good! I’m trying to work on my rhyme as well and I really think this book will help. Thanks for commenting. I’ve enjoyed this two-week ride with you too! 🙂
LikeLike