Piggie and Elephant are BAAACKKK!!

First off - I am a BIG Mo Willems fan. That being said, the most recent Piggie and Elephant books have really topped even my expectations. Kids love to read them together, taking on the character of Piggie or Elephant. They contain "leveled" humor - meaning younger kids think they are funny....and the older kids think they are funny...but it may not be the same things they are laughing at.


We Are in a Book!
A 2011 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book
Piggie has uncovered the TRUTH. She and Gerald are IN A BOOK! Piggie and Gerald have lots of fun with this new discovery until Piggie realizes that the book will soon END! (Gasp!)
Story: 5 Buckeye leaves

And now for my newest FAVORITE....for now....

I Broke My Trunk
Gerald has a problem. He broke his trunk. But how he broke his trunk, or rather what he did BEFORE he broke his trunk, is what makes this story so funny. This Piggie and Elephant book definitely got the best reactions from my students (grades 1-5). The kids thought they had the whole thing figured out....they were wrong. Kids and adults will enjoy this one. Hope Piggie is ok....As soon as this is in paperback, we will be adding it to our collection.

Story: 5+ Buckeye leaves

Note: And the next Piggie and Elephant book, Should I Share My Ice Cream, is due out June 14, 2011!!

Pets...

Of course, the ever begging child that wants a PET...and the parent that tries to deter that longing.



A Pet For Petunia by Paul Schmid
Petunia wants a pet....SKUNK....and shockingly her parents tell her NO. Petunia is convinced her parents are HORRIBLE and is beside herself when she hears her parents reasoning, because skunks stink. Petunia decides she can not continue to live in that atmosphere and takes to the great outdoors. It is in the great outdoors she meets one of those adorable skunks she so longs for and is sprayed....so maybe instead she would like a porcupine. Very simple text and pictures. The pictures consist of 3 colors: purple, white, and black. Kids will enjoy the absurdity, I hope, of wanting a pet skunk!!!

Story: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves (Simple, 3 colors, but fits nicely with story)





Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown
Ok, I thought it was hilarious. I tried it with first grade....they did not get it. I tried it with third grade...they liked it. I tried it with fourth...they thought it was as hilarious as me. Lucy, a bear, finds a boy in the woods and takes him home to show her mother. Her mother is not crazy about a pet BUT if Lucy promises to take care of her pet, she may keep him. Unfortunately for Lucy, as is sometimes the case with "strays", the boy finds his family again and goes home.

Story: 4 Buckeye leaves (especially if you are over 8)
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves


Jacob O'Reilly Wants a Pet by Lynne Rickards
Jake wants a pet but can't decide which pet would be the best choice. His parents suggests he starts a pet sitting business so that he can decide which pet he would most like, and secretly they hope he will decide that NONE of the pets will be his choice.

Story: 5 Buckeye leaves (rhyming)
Illustrations 5 Buckeye leaves

And I saved the BEST for last....


Small Brown Dog With a With A Wet Pink Nose by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen
I LOVE this book. First off, the title in itself is hilarious. You open the book and the endpages are ADORABLE with dogs all over. Amelia of course, longs for a dog. BUT not just any dog will do - it must be A SMALL BROWN DOG WITH A WET PINK NOSE. Through a series of conversations, Amelia, a rather devious and manipulating child, manages to get her parents to agree to all sorts of things IF they ever got a dog. And one day an "imaginary" dog shows up at their house. Of course the Bones is A SMALL BROWN DOG WITH A WET PINK NOSE. Life is good until that dog, Bones, runs away and the family must go look for it and end up at the animal shelter where amazingly they find Bones. The back endpages then have the 5 Easy Steps to Getting Your First Dog. The illustrations are adorable and fun. The story is very funny for all ages as older readers will realize what Amelia is up to.

Story: 5+ buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 5+ Buckeye leaves

I Dream of an Elephant by Ami Rubinger

Can't take credit for finding this one...Thanks, Mrs. Horne!! This is a great little gem for preschoolers working on colors and rhyme. The text is set up for the rhyme to be completed by the color name and the 2 page picture spreads are colored in shades of the color. Throughout the book the elephants travel and change to the appropriate color. Great addition to preschool and kindergarten classrooms and homes.

Story: 5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

Say Hello! by Rachel Isadora

As Carmelita travels through her day she greets her many neighbors in Spanish, French, Japanese, English and other languages.

Story: 3 Buckeye Leaves
Illustrations: 3 Buckeye leaves

Bob Staake's Look A Book!

Another FUN innovative book! As the long title says, it is a "zany seek-and-find adventure" which kids will love. Similar to the I Spy books, each page has a very busy looking illustration with directions to find a specific item. Kid's of all ages will enjoy looking at this book, even if they are not following the directions to find a specific item because the illustrations are FUN!

Story: NA
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves

One and Zero by Kathryn Otoshi

Simple books and simple illustrations carry an important message in these two picture books. Both of these books would be great additions to school and teacher libraries for character education lessons.


One by Kathryn Otoshi
Blue is quiet but Red is a hot head that likes to push the other colors around. Red keeps getting bigger and bigger....But then one day One comes along and shows what it means to stand up for yourself.

Zero by Kathryn Otoshi

Zero looks "inside herself" but sees nothing. She sees the other numbers and desires to be them yet she soon learns that she has value as well.

Story: 4 Buckeye leaves - Simple words yet a deeper meaning. Younger kids may need more explanation while older kids will be able to quickly remember the lesson they have been taught time and time again.
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves - amazing what you can do with colors and numbers! The illustrator creates feelings which are obvious in the numbers and colors!

LMNO Peas by Keith Baker

Another favorite of mine! Came across this book last year at Barnes and Noble and loved on just based on the title! Of course it is an alphabet book with, you guessed it, PEAS illustrating all the actions described in the book. Simple and funny text allows readers to study the pictures...and we do study those pictures at our house....and find something new every time! This is a definite purchase for our house!


Story: 5 Buckeye leaves
Illustration: 5 Buckeye leaves

Foxy and Egg by Alex T. Smith

Foxy DuBois is one lucky fox. An egg has rolled up to Foxy's house and Foxy intends on enjoying a yummy bite to eat. Unfortunately for Foxy, things take a turn when the egg cracks open...and what is inside is not what Foxy expected!! This book will span grade levels/ages because of the humor hidden throughout, especially the surprising outcome.

Story: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

Celebrating....FOOTWEAR!

Come to my house and look in my closet you will not see stacks of shoe boxes, all labeled with the color name. You will not find every variation of color. Bottom line I am not a shoe person because I have a triple A width shoe and finding shoes that are "cool" and stay on my feet is an ongoing battle. However there seems I have come across a TON of books recently dedicated to FOOTWEAR!!

Ooh La La Polka-Dot Boots by Ellen Olson-Brown
This is a favorite. It is just plain fun! Fun words, fun pictured, fun endpages, and fun half page flip pages make this book exciting for kids and adults to read.

Story: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye Leaves




Shoe-La-La! By Karen Beaumont
Another fun books geared more for the girl reader - on the pink scale, this is the definite winner! The four young ladies in the book are trying to find some new shoes for the "party" they are preparing for. Unfortunately they can not seem to find the right pair and instead uses their own creativity to create the perfect shoes.

Story: 3 Buckeye Leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves


Shoes for Me! By Sue Flies
Hippo needs some new shoes so mama hippo takes her shopping. Along the way she sees LOTS of other styles, colors, patterns, etc. Would be a good book for Kindergarten and


Story: 3 Buckeye leaves
illustrations 3 lRWE MW

Vroom! Vroom!!

So when you have an almost 3 year old boy....anything with WHEELS rules!!! And really to find books that are not covered in PINK, princess crowns, and glitter are rare anymore!! Two of Adams favorite books right now are Hot Rod Hamster and Mini Racer. We bought Hot Rod some time ago but the Mini Racer book just came out and he loves to examine the pictures very, very closely after we read it. Both books contain FUN language that could be used for a variety of ages, for a variety of purposes.



Hot Rod Hamster by Cynthia Lord
Hamster needs a car, one that will "burn rubber"! Of course a racing hamster is at a disadvantage but Hot Rod is prepared for the big race. Fun, colorful illustrations compliment the fun words in the book.
Story: 5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves



Mini Racer by Kristy Dempsey
Turn to end pages, and right away you are emerged in to the "wheeled" fun. Dog, seal, rabbit, mouse, gorilla, etc are all competing in the big race and each has a specially designed car. Zooming, screeching, swerving, sliding, fun for the twelve little racers and the reader.

Story: 5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves (and the 3 year old loves them too!! He will sit and study them!)

Melanie Watt...the latest

Let me begin by saying, I LOVE Melanie Watt and I am not afraid to admit, I "like" the Scaredy Squirrel page on facebook. From Chester to Scaredy Squirrel I thinks she has a humor aimed at older elementary kids as well as the younger group. Somehow both groups tend to "get her". So the last few weeks have been exciting with 2 new books from her.

The first is Scaredy Squirrel Has A Birthday Party. Scaredy Squirrel has planned EVERY detail of his birthday party....except he has not intention of anyone else being there. Things take a "dramatic" (at least in Scaredy world) turn when he receives a card from a "friend". As with the other Scaredy books, the humor is present as Scaredy navigates through the challenges of life outside of his tree.

Story: 5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves


And a new character for Melanie, "bunny" arrives in the same Watt humor in the book You're Finally Here. One thing I noticed about this book is that it is much easier to read aloud to classes than some of her others. (Sometimes I think Chester and Scaredy Squirrel looses some of the "funny" when the reader can't read all the little things that go with the illustrations in those books!) Bunny has be waiting for....YOU the READER! Bunny spends alot of time asking WHERE you have been and WHY you have been there and not reading the book! After reading this book to a handful of classes, I have a feeling it will reach the same level as Scaredy Squirrel and Chester and NEVER be on the shelves in the libraries!!

Story: 5 Buckeye leaves +
Illustration: 5 Buckeye leaves

Astonishing Animal ABC by Charles Fuge

"Cosy cobra curled up in a comfy chair" or "Quite quiet quail" are just some of the animals you will encounter on the journey through this animal ABC book. Children will find the antics of the animals as well as the pictures in this book to be humorous.

Story: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

Mother Goose Picture Puzzles by Will Hillenbrand

I can't deny it....I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! LOVE IT!!! I was so excited to get my hands on it as the "picture puzzle" portion of the title had me wondering, but once I saw what they meant, I was ecstatic. This is truly a must for any child! A great baby gift....or 3rd birthday gift in case anyone that might be buying my son gifts for his upcoming birthday is reading, ha ha. So what is it? Mother Goose rhymes told with rebus (pictures used in the text in place of words). I think, and I hope, these are making a come back. I recently purchased some Max and Ruby rebus books for to-be-3 year old at our house. He does beautifully with these and I believe using these with him are laying the groundwork for beginning reading skills. And actually I have gotten "in trouble" if I don't let him read his part. If you have young children in your life OR you need a great gift, this is a must see!!

Story: 5 Buckeye leaves
Pictures: 5 Buckeye leaves

Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld

Cloudette is a small cloud and very jealous that she can not do some of the things that the other clouds can do. Then one day she is far from home and her ability to produce water is needed. Cloudette is amazed at what she can really do when she puts her mind to it. The story is quite funny, with little quotes throughout that provides extra humor.

Story: 3 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

You tube trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBxXhqXTmIs

Fairly Fairy Tales by Esme Raji Codell

Fairly Fairy Tales by Esme Raji Codell "tests" the readers knowledge of fairy tales using the "which does not belong" here format. Kids and adults will laugh at the absurdity of new elements being introduced in well known fairy tales.

Story: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves, perfect match with the text

Pirates Don't Take Baths by John Segal

This one has quickly become a favorite at our house! It is simple but actually quite funny. Little Pig does not want to take a bath. Little pig gives his mom reasons why he should not take a bath, mainly because he has a new "identity" and his mom gives him reasons why his new "identity" does not prevent him from taking a bath. It is quite funny on different levels which makes reading over and over at bedtime much more enjoyable for the reader (aka parents)!

Story: 4 Buckeye leaves, the humor makes it even better
illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

Last Day of Kindergarten By Nancy Loewen

As kindergarten comes to a close, a little girl remembers all the fun she has had and wishes it was not time to move on. Mrs. Popinski prepares the kindergenters for their final activity as a class as well as the transition to first grade. Surely one to purchase for every kindergarten teacher!

Story: 4 stars
illustrations: 3 stars

Cupcakes, cupcakes, and MORE cupcakes....

Cupcakes are EVERYWHERE....Children's Literature is no exception. There are quite a few cupcake books that have recently come out...



Cupcake: A Journey to Special by Charise Mericle Harper
Poor vanilla cupcake feels so plain next to her brothers and sisters until she meets candle. Candle feels the same way. Together two discover how special they are. Sweet book to start a discussion about how special each person is.

Story: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves



Ruby and Leonard and the Great Big Surprise by Judith Rossell
Ruby and Leonard decide to make cupcakes for their brothers and sisters to celebrate their birthdays. It is a surprise but somehow the others find out about the cupcakes.

Story: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves - I Love the illustrations. The mice are so sweet and the endpages are lovely.



Little Mouse and the Big Cupcake by Thomas Taylor
Little Mouse has found a chocolate-chip, raspberry-cream cupcake. The problem is the cupcake is so big, he can't carry it home. He soon meets lots of new animal friends very willing to help with the cupcake, by making it smaller!

Story: 3 Buckeye Leaves
Illustrations: 3 buckeye leaves



Penguin and the Cupcake by Ashley Spires
Penguin wants CUPCAKES. He travels all the way to the northern hemisphere to find these treats only to be disappointed. Along the way he meets a walrus and polar bear, neither of which are helpful at all. Will he return home with an empty stomach?

Story: 3 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 3 Buckeye leaves

I used some of the above books with Kindergarten classes along with this fingerplay and felt board cupcakes from Dr. Jean.

FIVE LITTLE CUPCAKES
Down around the corner
At the bakery shop,
Five little cupcakes With sprinkles on top.
Along came (child’s name) With a penny one day.
She bought a cupcake and She took it away.
Four...three...two...one

Manners Mash-Up

Manners Mash-Up: A Goofy Guide to Good Behavior is a kid "handbook" to behaving in many settings - bus, playground, cafeteria, etc to name a few. What makes this book EXTRA special is that each set of manners is illustrated by a different popular illustrator (including Tedd Arnold, Henry Cole, Bob Shea, to name a few). Kids will love the funny take on "behaving" and parents/teachers will appreciate a book about manners that kids will actually LISTEN to! Every school needs at least one copy of this book!!

Story: 5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves

The Pink Party by Maryann Macdonald

The Pink Party by Maryann Macdonald will please the Fancy Nancy and Pinkalicious crowd. Rose and Valentina are best friends that LOVE pink. Trouble is soon brewing when Valentia's pink party is too much in Rose's opinion. Little girls will love the glittery pinkness of this book and parents/teachers will be grateful for the lesson of being an individual and learning to get along.

Book - 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations - 4 Buckeye leaves

Author's website:
http://www.maryannmacdonald.com/index.htm

Ponyella by Laura Numeroff & Nate Evans

Ponyella was at one time the prettiest pony on her farm. Now a new owner has arrived and brought two mean "stepmares". Ponyella now has to do all the chores and her mane is now a tangled, dirty mess. Sound familiar yet? Ponyella wants to show off her jumps at the Tippington 25th Annual Grand Royal Pony Championship but will she be able to get away from her chores to show off her jumping skills?

I love when authors retell stories...it is always so interesting to see how they incorporate the different elements of the story. Numeroff is best known for her "If you give a..." and I think this is another keeper that even boys will enjoy...Adam liked it!!

Story - 5 Buckeye Leaves
Illustrations - 5 Buckeye leaves - Sweet pictures

Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JczmBZvziI

Tony Baloney

Poor Tony Baloney is sandwiched between younger twin sisters, "Bothersome Babies Baloney", and "Big Sister Baloney", who always makes him be the kitty. Being the middle child, Tony knows all about compromise, and the need to sometimes sneak away to his "hidey-place" with Dandelion his stuffed animal buddy.

Story: 3 Buckeye leaves - story line is a little confusing
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves - bright and colorful, fun polka dot end pages

Lost and Found by Andrew Clements

Jay starts his sixth grade year at a new school alone because his twin brother Ray is sick. Jay quickly realizes that due to an error in the school office, there is no record of his brother Ray. Finally the two will not be confused as the other one and will not be compared. Together the two launch a plan that requires only one of them to go to school but encounter some unexpected problems along the way. Like Clement's other books, this school related book would be a good read aloud for grades 3-5. Fans of his other books will enjoy Clements newest book.

Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out Of A Tree

Emma-Jean is not like her classmates. She has always known this and has never tried to be more her fellow seventh graders. But Emma-Jean ends up tangled in a mess when she attempts to help another student and sends out a ripple that could ultimately end with her being suspended. This book would appeal best to girls in grades 4 and up.

Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff

Upon first looking at the cover of this book, it struck me as a book that needed to be previewed before being put out on the shelf. The front cover seems somewhat "scary". However after reading the book I would say this is one of my favorite Giff's book. The book would be a good read for kids in grades 4 and up that enjoy mystery and suspense. Through the entire book the reader is trying to figure out what is significant about the number 11 and how Sam came to be with his grandfather Mack...IF Mack is really is his grandfather.

Itch by Michelle D. Kwasney

Delores Colchester, Better known as "itch", is devastated when her Gramps dies and her grandmother and her move to Ohio. Itch assumes she will never find another best friend. She is delighted when she meets Gwendolyn and becomes friends with her. But Itch soon discovers a secret about Gwendolyn and must "speak up" for her friend.

Grades 5 and Up.

Sarah Simpson's Rules for Living

Sarah Simpson loves to make lists. Her list making helps her deal with a year of changes as she writes lists in her journal about the changes around her. This quick read would be enjoyed by 5th graders and up.

It's Only Temporary

When Skye's older brother is in a car accident, Skye is sent "temporarily" to live with her Gran in Sierra Madre, California. Armed with her sketchbook, Skye learns that life in California, with the help of art class and some new friends, is not as bad as she thought it would be. Unfortunately a group of kids try to ruin everything for Skye and her friends, and Skye makes a poor decision, that could ruin all her friendships.

Grade level: 4th - 7th

Comback Kids: Two Minute Drill

Written by Mike Lupica, who writes a syndicated sports column and appears weekly on ESPN's The Sports Reporters, is the football themed book in his series of books for middle elementary kids. Noone is sure why Chris Conlan, the star quarterback of the football team, befriends the new kid, Scott Parry. They are even more shocked when Parry joins the football team. Together the two new friends survive the football season and school.

Ellie McDoodle: Have Pen, Will Travel

Ellie McDoodle is the Wimpy Kid for girls. Through reading the journal of Ellie McDoodle the reader embarks on a camping journey with her aunt, uncle, and cousins. Along the journey Ellie realizes she has more in common with her "extended" family than she thought - and acutally ends up enjoying camping! THe fun style of writing and comical pictures will be enjoyed by kids of varying ages.