Picture Books At The Library 82

PB at the library 2

I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all, but I can share them. Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.)

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In 1916, Nell Richardson and Alice Burke set off to tour the country in their tiny yellow car, with rallying shouts of “Votes For Women!”

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In this story that incorporates Spanish words, Marta explores the world of opposites and animals.

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A little boy can’t choose which instrument to play, so he decides to try them all.

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A mother takes her son to the zoo to answer his science question.

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A young inventor accidentally creates a group of tiny robots that employ their unique abilities and teamwork to become incredibly useful and maybe even change the world.

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With dogs and cats, horses and chickens, hamsters and chinchillas–and many, many more–this book celebrates animal companions of all shapes and sizes.

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It seems that giraffes will misbehave whether attending a birthday party, going to the movies, playing in the park, or just about anything else.

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The Uncorker of Ocean Bottles has a job of the utmost importance, to open any bottle found at sea and make sure that the message found inside is delivered to its intended recipient.

Will You Be In Syracuse On October 15?

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If you’re in Syracuse, NY on October 15, stop by and chat with me at the East Syracuse Free Library Author Greet and Meet Event from 11 am-2 pm. I’ll be signing books along with other local authors representing books for all ages and across all genres.

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The address for the East Syracuse Free Library is 4990 James St., East Syracuse, NY 13057.

I’ll see you there!

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You Might Be A Writer If…

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Splashing In The Reading Tub

reading-tubI’m extremely pleased to share that I’ve been interviewed by Terry Doherty at The Reading Tub. The Reading Tub is a volunteer-run, non-profit literacy organization. 

“The Reading Tub collects and distributes books to at-risk readers, whether it is a child with no books at home or a teacher building a classroom library for her struggling students.”

Please click HERE to read my Author Showcase interview. And to read a special bonus interview that’s been posted to The Reading Tub’s Family Bookshelf blog, click HERE. I had such fun doing both interviews! I hope you enjoy them! 🙂 

Picture Book Personals (3)

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Picture Book Personals

Boy seeks three portly bakers with giant pitcher of milk to help make morning cake.

What Classic Picture Book Am I?

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Leave your best guess in the comments below. Find out the answer when the next Picture Book Personals is posted.


And the answer to last week’s Picture Book Personals is…

Curious George

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I bet you got it right!

Mr. Love & Mrs. You and Their Wonderful Planet by Martin Small (Kickstarter Campaign)

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I’m Martin Small and I’ve recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for my book Mr. Love and Mrs. You & Their Wonderful Planet – in this story, we’ll visit candy floss hill, we’ll see the marshmallow trees, the lollipop fields and the love heart moon! I would love to tell you a bit more about it and my motivation behind writing it. 

I made this book because I wanted to say “love you” to my boy at night-time – I needed the book to be wacky, colourful and bold – something different from other illustrated books on the market. And at the end of the story, you get to say “love you” to your child. There’s nothing better in the world than seeing a child’s smile – it’s infectious and true. And when that child is your child it melts your heart!

Mr. Love and Mrs. You ended up being even better than I imagined! I found an illustrator, Joe Davies who had just the perfect wacky style to fit my story. The pictures really pop in the book, and the story is designed to be interactive, with guessing games and onomatopoeias that engage the children and allow them to join in. I visit schools and read it to groups of children, and it’s great to see how much they enjoy it!

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I chose to crowdfund the book because sending it to a publishing house was never going to work for me – I struggle with dyslexia and it’s hard for me to get the words out in the right way for a cover letter. Plus, self publishing will give me more creative tools in my book. 

I think face-to-face traditional storytelling is one of the most amazing things you can experience together, and in a modern world of smartphones and iPads, basically a lot of screen time for kids, I feel like it’s more important than ever to actively preserve the art of storytelling. Don’t get me wrong, I am a strong believer in technology but not if it comes at the cost of children’s social and mental development. Children should get lost in their own imaginations, and get to go on a journey with the main characters, and be inspired.

With my book, I want to share my love for classic storytelling and hope I can inspire others to write and get lost in the wonderful world of books. Visit my Kickstarter page to learn more! I really appreciate your support.

 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1849071941/mr-love-and-mrs-you-and-their-wonderful-planet?ref=project_link

Is there anything better than telling your child you love them? This book will remind you to do just that at the end of every day.

If you would like to support Martin Small’s Kickstarter campaign, please click the link above. Or help spread the word by sharing this post!

Picture Books At The Library 81

PB at the library 2

I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all, but I can share them. Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.)

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A steamship makes a journey across time from luxury and exclusivity to stewardship and inclusion.

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Six little ninjas sneak into Dojo Daycare to surprise their master on his birthday.

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No hair is too unruly for Maxwell the monkey barber. Whether his neighbors need their manes styled or mustaches trimmed, Maxwell gets them into shipshape.

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Aberdeen is a little mouse with a lot of curiosity, so when a balloon floats by, he can’t help but follow it.

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A boy wonders what happened to his dad to change him from cool to just plain normal.

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Imagined in the form of a secret agent’s set of instructions, Mason and other children negotiate the first day of school.

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Danny will sit anywhere except on the toilet. So the toilet does what any self-respecting toilet would do, he leaves home.

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Anya awakens to discover she has grown a tiger tail, and it just happens to be her very first day of school.

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Imagines the bedtime rituals of different types of trains.

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Buddy does his best to explain to Earl what a baby is, but neither are prepared for the havoc Mrs. Cunningham’s baby wreaks.

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Toby likes being a cat more than a boy. When it’s time to go to school, he becomes a timid kitten.

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Like most everyone around him, a young boy mocks the strange man with bright red hair, who hauled a paint-splattered easel through the French countryside.

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Monsters don’t have friends, but one day, Zander meets Bird and a strange thing happens.

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Ned is a pirate whose fondness for knitting annoys his captain–until one of Ned’s knitted blankets saves the ship from a sea monster.

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A furry, purple monster named Floyd is annoyed because he doesn’t like being called a monster.

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Groovy Joe is a fun-loving dog with a tub full of ice cream–which he shares with his unexpected dinosaur guests.

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The king, the knights, and the villagers are desperate to take down an especially terrible dragon.

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Bedtime means brushing your teeth, putting on pajamas, and kissing your family good night–but little Monsters like to do things differently.

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A young girl witnesses how the seasons change from summer to autumn.

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Henry McHenry is one messy rhino. But today is a very important day. Today, Henry is going to avoid spills.

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You Might Be A Writer If…

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Picture Book Personals (2)

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Picture Book Personals

Inquisitive monkey seeks hat-wearing companion to sail across ocean to new life filled with adventure.

What classic picture book am I?

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Leave your best guess in the comments below. Find out the answer when the next Picture Book Personals is posted.


And the answer to last week’s Picture Book Personals is…

Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present

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Did you get it right?

 

Picture Books At The Library 80

PB at the library 2

I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all, but I can share them. Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.)

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Goon is the monster hiding in Gabe’s closet, but the trouble is he is a lot more afraid of children than Gabe is afraid of monsters.

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Wally the sheep does not want to get the haircut he really needs, even after all the other farm animals get new hairdos.

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A young boy who thinks baths are dumb, dangerous, and a complete waste of time, changes his mind after finally getting into the tub.

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Your thumb is always there for you through the good times and the bad, like a friend you can carry around in your pocket (or your mouth).

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Poppy has the most incredible imagination, and she can make the most extraordinary things happen. But her imagination has a way of getting completely out of control.

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There are lots of monsters in this book! But every single one is fast asleep…for now.

Anouk, Ben, and Cara dream of a fabulous treasure buried on an island across the harbor. A mysterious man offers them passage if they can solve seven vexing riddles.

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Paula and Maggie are best friends until Paula starts playing with some new friends instead, but when her new playmates turn on her, it’s Maggie who rushes to Paula’s defense.

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Saturdays make Ada cranky because that’s the day she has ballet class. And Ada hates ballet.

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Dewey Dew does not want to go to school–especially not on Planet Earth.

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A little girl who’s always being mistaken for a boy is not afraid to be herself.

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The kids in classroom 2-D are excited about their new class pet, a cute, cuddly hamster, until she’s let out of her cage.

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From ten little ninjas sneaking out of bed to one cuddlebug asleep on the spread, rhyming text provides a countdown to bedtime.

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A new baby elephant is born and the entire herd celebrates the little one’s arrival.

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A boy tells us all the amazing things that happen on a Saturday, his favorite day of the week.

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This book is a celebration of teachers and all that they do to change the world.

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Bear starts his first day of school without his best friend Floppy.

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Ooko the fox has a stick, a rock, and a leaf, but he doesn’t have a friend.

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Otter starts her own school for Teddy, Giraffe, and Pig. And guess who gets to be the teacher?

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Maggi’s mother persuades her to go to the park and make new friends, even though her best friend, Milo, cannot join her because he’s a dog.

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You Might Be A Writer If…

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Picture Book Personals (1)

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Picture Book Personals

Little girl seeks rabbit to help find colorful present for mother’s birthday.

What Classic Picture Book Am I?

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Leave your best guess in the comments below. Find out the answer when the next Picture Book Personals is posted.

Teddy’s Last Christmas Kickstarter Campaign by Christina Jackson

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The first book my mother read to me was The Three Little Pigs.

I remember, and will never forget, cuddling up next to her as she played the Big Bad Wolf, attempting to blow down a brick house. Or the softness of her voice as she shared a story with me. So was born my love of children’s books and the stories they share with us. Something I in turn wish to share with you. ~Christina Jackson

If you would like to support Christina Jackson’s Kickstarter campaign and help her bring her super sweet picture book Teddy’s Last Christmas into the world, please visit her Kickstarter page by clicking HERE. Or help spread the word by sharing this post!

Picture Books At The Library 79

PB at the library 2

I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all, but I can share them. Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.)

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Octicorn, who is half octopus, half unicorn, has trouble fitting in.

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Little bird must fly south with his family, but he doesn’t want to leave behind his favorite things.

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The tale of Lucy, a small homeless dog; Eleanor, the girl who loves her; and Eleanor’s father, a would-be vaudevillian with stage fright, unfolds in four acts.

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Grandpa seems to have forgotten how to do the things that he and Noah love. Does he even know who Noah is?

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There are lots of animals on every page of this book, but you’ll have to look very closely. Sometimes you see them and sometimes you don’t.

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When the sun sets, a young boy prepares for his greatest adventure…bedtime!

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What better thing to do on a gray day than collect some colors? Cat decides to do just that, but where will she find them?

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Poor mouse tries all kinds of tactics to move that pesky bear out of his chair.

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Big, brave Captain Crave can check off most items on the Be Your Best Buccaneer handy checklist. Only one thing is missing…he doesn’t have a pet.

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There’s yellow goop on the floor, an unfamiliar smell, and Daddy shaved! Armed with these clues, Mitzi is on her way to discovering what on earth is happening right under her nose.

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Yoshio delights in the sounds of Tokyo, but when a  musician tells him her favorite sound is silence, Yoshio sets out to hear this sound for himself, among the hustle and bustle of the city.

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Cowpoke Clyde gets a bike and sets right off, wibblin’, wobblin’ down the road. Learning to ride a bike is a tad bit harder than he thought.

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A girl and her canine best friend have a blast playing together, until she forgets that her dog can’t climb a tree and doesn’t like being bossed around.

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After a full day of evil schemes, fairy tale baddies return home to spend time with friends and get ready for bed.

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Penny is thrilled to get her invitation to a slumber under the stars party, but then she realizes that no pets are allowed and she’ll have to leave her beloved dog Jelly home.

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When sand shark twins Flip and Fin try to rescue people and save the day like the heroes of their favorite cartoon, there is a misunderstanding.

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A girl ventures back into the realm of kings and emperors, castles and canals, exotic creatures and enchanting landscapes.

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No matter how hard Little Wing tries to fly, it’s always flip, flap, flop, until one day when his fluttering takes off and he finds himself high above the clouds.

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Expecting a dog for her birthday, a girl is upset when she gets a tortoise instead.

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A little girl desperately wants a beautiful unicorn as a pet, but what she gets is a little different.

My View Book Review: The Adventures of a Girl & Her Dog in the Mountains

 


Title: The Adventures of a Girl & Her Dog in the Mountains

Author: Dagny McKinley

Illustrator: Ostap Stetsiv

Publisher/Year: Undiscovered Earth Publications/2012

Favorite Line: The girl’s soul lived in the mountains where trees grow into the clouds.


A barefooted young girl and her dog explore the wonders of nature that surround their home in the mountains. They spend all day outside playing, inspecting, observing, relaxing, and enjoying their natural world. They pick flowers, drink from streams, listen to the quiet sounds, get dirty, and breathe in the fresh air. They feel content. They feel happy. They feel at home.

The Adventures of a Girl & Her Dog in the Mountains is a super sweet ode to nature. The text is lyrical, almost like a song. It’s quiet, like the country life it portrays. Yet, author Dagny McKinley’s affinity for the outdoors, her love of nature, comes through strong and clear. Ostap Stetsiv’s illustrations are vibrant and lovely, conveying a world in which, if you were to step into the book, you could hear the crickets chirping and the birds singing. Maybe you would even feel the breeze on your skin.

I was immediately drawn to this book because I can’t resist picture books about dogs. (I’ve mentioned before that my own dog inspires much of my writing.) But after reading the story, I find myself drawn more to the girl, who, even though we get to know her through her interactions with her dog and with nature, still feels like a bit of a mystery to me. Who is this girl? Why does she live in the mountains? Who are her parents? I want to know more about her and I think kids will be curious too. Perhaps we’ll discover more in McKinley and Stetsiv’s next book The Adventures of a Girl & Her Dog in the Snow.

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You Might Be A Writer If…

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Picture Books At The Library 78

PB at the library 2

I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all, but I can share them. Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.)

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Twenty young students, some eager, some nervous, some grumpy, prepare for their very first day of kindergarten.

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It’s the cement mixers first day on the job, but he gets “mixed up” and instead of mixing cement, he mixes flour to make a cake and sugar to make frosting.

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Learning to be a lion takes some serious lessons, but luckily, this kid has a teacher who’s a real pro.

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Willy the Gorilla imitates the other animals at the zoo, but despite pretending he remains always a gorilla.

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Yelfred and Omek from the planet Boborp are best frints. Sometimes they fight. And sometimes they bite. But they always make up.

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When Nick decides to teach his cats to read, Verne is interested, especially in books about mice and fish, but Stevenson is not. Maybe Nick just hasn’t found him the right book.

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In his homework assignment about his favorite pet, Gus tells all about his sheep and how they’ve gotten him into trouble.

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Bear and Hare are enjoying a walk, but Hare wants everything he sees for himself.

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When the life preserver her new friend Claude is napping on drifts out to sea, Bella the lighthouse cat finds the adventure she is seeking–and makes another new friend along the way.

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Animal toddlers arrive for storytime with Miss Bingo the flamingo.

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Oskar and his bear Theodore must save the day when an angry monster barges into the library and thinks it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet.

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Count one by one as one little finger points to cake, two little fingers tap a plate, and so on until you reach ten.

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An energetic toddler has a busy, busy day painting pictures, cooking lunch, hunting for treasure, and more.

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The shapes in this book get mixed up, moved around, and reshaped into all kinds of animals.

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Rod the dog isn’t the best racer in town. But that has never stopped him from competing each and every year in the Pickleberry Grand Prix.

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Join Frankentruck, Zombie Truck, Ghost Truck, and more as they race to the finish line. Who will win the monster truck race?

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A forgetful narrator tries to tell the tale of a knight’s duel with a dragon, and remembers a very important thing along the way.

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When Martha gets a moose for a pet, she’s delighted by all the fun they have together. If one moose is marvelous, then more must be better.

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Bear doesn’t mean to be rude, he’s just curious, but nobody likes being stared at, and it soon gets Bear into trouble.

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When bullies try to stop the extremely cute animals from building their sand castle, they band together to build something bigger and better.

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Interview Alert: Megan Maynor

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Megan Maynor

One of my favorite picture books of 2016 thus far is Ella and Penguin Stick Together by Megan Maynor and illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet. The cover alone is striking. It made me excited about reading the book.

Have you ever been attracted to a cover, eager to discover what’s inside, only to be disappointed by a lackluster story and illustrations that don’t live up to the cover’s awesomeness? That’s not the case with Ella and Penguin Stick Together!

This book has endearing characters, an engaging story, beautiful illustrations, and tons of sweetness and fun. Well done Megan, Rosalinde, and Harper Publishing!

I’m pleased to welcome Megan Maynor today in the Interview Alert spotlight!


Interview Alert: Megan Maynor


1. I love, love, love your debut picture book Ella and Penguin Stick Together! When did you decide that writing children’s picture books was what you wanted to do?

Thank you! It’s funny, a friend of mine recently reminded me that I talked about writing a children’s book in high school, so I guess it’s been in the back of my mind for a long time. But I began writing picture books in earnest, with the aim of selling a book for publication, when my children were small and I was transitioning from full-time ad agency work to freelance copywriting and being at home with the kids.

Or, measured another way, I started writing about ten years before I sold my first book.

2. Both Ella and Penguin are sweet characters, but Penguin is also very silly. Is he modeled after anyone in particular?

The idea for Penguin came from goofing around with my kids when they were little. Like when I’d offer to help them put on their shoes, then put the shoe on my head. Or say, “We need some milk. Better go to the library!” Or, “Have fun in the pool. Don’t get wet!”

You know, real high brow stuff.

But those things are funny to kids. It’s funny to see an adult be wrong. And it’s fun for them to be the expert. I started thinking about how to employ that in a story—where someone is mixed-up and the child character, as well as the child reader, gets to be the expert. And that led me to Penguin who is kind, and a good friend, but also confused about some things. As we would say in our house, “He’s still learning.”

3. Glow-in-the-dark stickers are so fun! How did you come up with the idea to write a story that included stickers?

I got a handle on these characters pretty quickly, but it took me ages (read: MANY drafts) to figure out what they should be DOING in the story. What was the plot? I’m not sure what made stickers pop into my mind, though I did have a pretty serious sticker collection as a child and stuck glow-in-the-dark stickers on my bedroom ceiling—where they remain to this day. (Sorry, Mom and Dad.) But glow-in-the-dark stickers presented a great story problem for Ella and Penguin. They want to see the stickers glow—but they don’t want to go into the dark.

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4. The illustrations are a perfect complement to your story. The cover alone is striking! When you saw Rosalinde Bonnet’s interpretation of your words for the first time, what did you think?

Thank you! I also ADORE Rosalinde’s work. To be honest, the first time I saw her sketches, I was completely delighted. I love how Rosalinde captures the emotion and character of both Ella and Penguin so well. And she brought so many things to the page which I couldn’t have anticipated. In Ella’s bedroom, for instance, there are such wonderful details—including these fantastic toys and stuffed animals. I’ve told Rosalinde that she should start a business on the side so these toys can exist in the real world. (She’s kind of busy making more beautiful picture books, so I guess I shouldn’t hold my breath on that one.)

5. I’m excited to hear that there’s a sequel on the way! Can you tell us a bit about it?

Sure! In the next book, ELLA AND PENGUIN: A PERFECT MATCH, Ella and Penguin decide that they should match, because they are friends, and friends match! So they do everything the same—wear the same outfit, eat the same snack, and so on, but only one half of the pair is actually enjoying everything. Then Penguin starts to worry. If they don’t really match, can they still be friends?

Again, in this book, Rosalinde really brings out the emotions and captures the highs and lows of this friendship.

It comes out January 2017!

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6. Why do you feel picture books are important?

Gosh. We could talk about this for a couple hours, but here’s one answer: In a picture book, a child is learning about the world with an adult who matters to them—through a beautiful work of art created just for them.

Because picture books are read aloud, they’re a shared experience. So there is room to laugh together (some of my favorite books!), to anticipate and be surprised together, and room for the child to wonder aloud, and the adult to expand on what’s presented in the book.

And then read it again!

7. Do you have any favorite picture book authors or illustrators? Favorite picture books?

Another question that’s hard to answer, but I’ll give it a go. Here are some picture books I am always happy to pull from the shelf—I could never read these too many times:

Blueberries for Sal, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, Extra Yarn, Rattletrap Car, Library Lion, Big Red Lollipop, Once Upon an Alphabet, George and Martha, The Best Pet of All, Moo!, Cowboy and Octopus, Punk Skunks, Big Momma Makes the World, I Want My Hat Back, Officer Buckle and Gloria, Owl Babies, Kitten’s First Full Moon, Wolfie the Bunny… I’ll stop there for today.

There are so many fabulous new books every season—it’s really another golden age for picture books. Here are a couple of places I go to keep up:

allthewonders.com
kidlit411.com
nerdybookclub.wordpress.com

8. Where can fans go to learn more about you and your books?

Website: meganmaynor.com
Twitter: @megan_maynor
Instagram: megan_maynor

Thank you, Megan! It was so great getting to know more about you! 🙂

 

 

 

Picture Books At The Library 77

PB at the library 2

I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all, but I can share them. Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.)

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A little girl takes a dream journey that includes floating along with the moon, meeting new friends, an underwater adventure, and finally floating home with the sun.

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Izzie just loves when her mama blows her kisses to catch, but even though she runs and leaps for it, Izzie misses a kiss!

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On a long, lazy summer day, Pinny searches for a wishing rock, watches the clouds, picks wild blueberries, feeds a seagull, and bakes a cake.

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In this cumulative rhyme, a tiny island in the middle of the sea rapidly becomes very crowded with increasingly larger groups of animals.

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Goblin’s best friend Skeleton is stolen by adventurers, and Goblin must travel through a town full of people who don’t like goblins in order to get his friend back.

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Monsters and sons fill their days with rough and rowdy fun.

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A tiny insect king demands a rock with which to build his throne.

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Count from one to ten with the mice who are all dressed up and ready for the ball.

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Explore all the ways and places that the wild exists in our world.

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Magnolia insists on taking the piano to the beach, but she quickly learns that a piano does not mix well with sand, sun, and seagulls.

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In 1943, ten-year-old Diana Hopkins lived in the White House with her father who was the chief advisor to FDR. 

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When Isabel’s best friend moves away, she decides being by herself is better, until she meets someone new.

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Guess the animals on each page as the perspective zooms right in, then zooms back out.

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When Darcy’s friend cancels their play date, she’s sure her day is ruined, until Daddy suggests a Darcy-Daddy day.

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A boy and his dog find a newly hatched bird in a nest, on a branch, in a tree, on a hill, in a magical little valley.

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On a cold night under a pale moon, a brother and sister explore a dark, dark cave.

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When Hee Jun’s family moves from Korea to West Virginia, he struggles to adjust to his new home, school, and language.

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When the girl called Silence is sent by the trees who raised her to save Yesterday, she doesn’t know what her task is, only that it’s important.

The Importance of Picture Books, No Matter Your Age by Janice Milusich

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Frog On A Blog Certified Guest Post

For more than 7 years, I’ve been singing the praises of picture books here on Frog on a Blog. They are works of art, generators of joy, gateways to literacy and understanding, and so much more. I love this article by author Janice Milusich! She offers further insight into the significance of picture books, for people of all ages.

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF PICTURE BOOKS, NO MATTER YOUR AGE

by Janice Milusich

Like a magnifier you hold in your hand when you want to view something up close, picture books provide a focus onto a specific moment, a particular happening, or emotion, or imagining. In picture books, things that often go unnoticed are given their due. And together, the reader and the listener travel a path made of words and pictures. The words in picture books are chosen carefully and placed precisely so as to pull at heartstrings, make minds curious, create a sense of tension, or of triumph, let minds wonder or imaginations soar. The illustrations of picture books enrich the audience’s understanding and sensibility. Their poignant immediacy, lets the reader and audience fully appreciate the marvel of the world or worlds they will visit via the book they’ve chosen.

Why are picture books important for young readers/listeners?

Picture books are important for the young, for a myriad of reasons. As a child’s first guide into the worlds of art and literature they’re what encourages children to develop and grow. Picture books are an important first step in learning to read, and explore new ideas. They portray language, they evoke emotions, and the imagery found within them provides a conduit to the world of imagination.

Picture books frame childhood. They contain characters and situations that are recognizable to children. Through hearing or reading picture books, children can figure out a way to cope, to comprehend, to behave and to relate to the world around them.

Why are picture books important for older readers?

For siblings, parents and grandparents, picture books are moments of shared experience. The words and images within a picture book allow age boundaries to be crossed with comfortable ease. In the sharing of a picture book, the reader and the audience often take something different away from what would seem the same experience. But it is in the sharing, that both reader and audience have something in common.

Through picture books, older readers can discuss difficult concepts, topics, and emotions with their younger counterparts and, vice versa, younger readers/listeners can express their understanding of those concepts, topics or emotions. It’s the togetherness of the journey that matters and is most important.

No matter how many birthdays the reader or listener has had, picture books offer a window with shutters thrown open for us to view close up, and to share, the many wonders of our world.

Janice Milusich is the author of the early chapter book Cleo’s Big Ideas: One Thing Leads to Another and the picture book Off Go Their Engines, Off Go Their Lights. She’s presently enrolled in Stony Brook University’s Children’s Literature Fellowship, with a focus on writing picture books and early chapter books. She’s a member of SCBWI, Author’s Guild, and LICWI.

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Picture Books At The Library 76

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I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all, but I can share them. Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.)

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A boy and his dog learn about each other, go to school to learn more, then explore the world around them as they study science, geography and even foreign languages together.

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Wanting to be more like his father, a young boy spends all of his money on a product that will supposedly let him grow a beard almost instantly.

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Learn to count from one to ten with the help of vegetables turned animals that practically jump into your salad bowl.

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In 1847 St. Louis, Missouri, when a new law against educating African Americans forces Reverend John to close his school, he finds an ingenious solution to the law by moving his school to a steamboat in the Mississippi River.

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It’s bath time for Bruno, but there’s a whale in the bathtub–a huge, tub-hogging, bubble-bath-squirting, flipper-scrubbing, barnacle-rinsing whale.

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Follow an assortment of creatures as they make their way to a nest, the shore, or a porch while the day comes to an end, and the moon begins to rise.

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Discover what goes on beneath the surface at a puppy pool party.

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Imagine Louise’s delight when a new neighbor moves in and she loves art too. But liking the same thing doesn’t always mean you agree on it.

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Maxwell is a strong, courageous, silent ninja who wants somebody to play with, but it seems Mama, Papa, and little sister Cassy are all too busy.

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Soon after Porcupine and Moose arrive at Rabbit’s birthday party, the cake goes missing.

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This guidebook will show you how to become a superhero in seven easy steps.

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What do you do when you’re so tiny that the big ocean creatures think you’d taste adorable?

A rhinoceros tours Europe in the mid-18th century and becomes a sensation. 

My View Book Review: Meh by Deborah Malcolm

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Title: Meh

Author: Deborah Malcolm

Illustrator: Deborah Malcolm

Publisher/Year: ThunderStone Books/2015

Back Cover Blurb: Sadness is an emotion that everyone feels at some time or another. But sometimes you might feel a sadness so long and so deep and dark that it seems impossible to find happiness. That kind of sadness is called depression. 


One day, an ordinary boy went outside to play. The boy loved to imagine, to draw, to run, and to read. But on this particular day, something crept slowly up behind him. It was gray and gloomy, and it grew bigger until it enveloped him. Then he fell down into a deep, dark hole, so deep and so dark that he couldn’t find his way out. He felt alone. He felt hopeless. But what’s that? Is it a glimmer of hope?

Most people think of depression as something that just affects adults. But kids can experience it to. They learn to hide it, just like adults do, not wanting anyone to know how they feel, not believing that anyone can help them. Just like the boy in the story, they feel alone and hopeless. Could it also be that kids don’t have the words to express how they’re feeling? Adults should pay special attention to kids who are having trouble concentrating, or are keeping to themselves, or are otherwise acting differently than they normally do. These kids may be experiencing depression.

Meh is completely wordless. The illustrations do a fantastic job taking us, the readers, along on the journey with the boy. When the “gloom” arrives, we can feel the mood change. We share the boy’s emotions as he moves through the black and gray pages of depression. We experience hope when we see a glowing light. We rejoice with the boy when we emerge from the hole into the sunrise of a brand new day. 

I’m no expert on how to help kids who are suffering from depression, or how to help other kids to understand depression. But author/illustrator Deborah Malcolm’s book Meh is a good place to start.

Picture Books At The Library 75

PB at the library 2

I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all, but I can share them. Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.)

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Bear wakes up hungry but can’t remember what he’s supposed to eat other than it starts with the letter “B”.

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Did you know that the deepest parts of the ocean are over one mile deep? That’s where Blobfish lives.

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Lyrical rhyming text sweetly explains that each animal belongs where it belongs and that you belong with me.

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Monty the frog has a big secret…he can’t swim!

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A girl tries to pick the perfect dog, but in the end, the right dog picks her.

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Tim and Tim are best friends forever until Tom comes along.

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When three friends gather on a rainy day, one wants to play princess, one wants to play fairy, and one wants to play ballerina. Which one will win?

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Hare is the fastest on the farm. Tortoise is as slow as they go. So when they decide to have a race, Hare is certain to win…isn’t he?

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Each year, bar-tailed godwits undertake the longest unbroken migration of any animal, flying from Australia and New Zealand to their breeding grounds in the Arctic and back again.

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Benny the woodpecker devises an elaborate plan to get a taste of sweet-smelling waffles.

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Rory the dinosaur searches everywhere for a pet, but just as he’s about to give up, a pet finds him.

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A boy wants a beard just like his dad but he does not want to wait until he’s old to grow one.

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Ian, who always follows the rules, must save his sister Jenny, who always breaks the rules, from three hungry monsters.

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A little boy has a grand time pretending to drive every big vehicle he can imagine.

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A cast of animal characters builds a brand new playground from Sunday to Saturday, opening day.

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A boy and his dog embark upon a very unusual fishing trip in this nearly wordless story. SUPER CLEVER!

Thank You Operation Awesome!!!

I’m super excited to be featured on J Lenni Dorner’s blog Operation Awesome today in the Debut Author Spotlight!!! CLICK HERE!

Operation Awesome