Monday, May 27, 2013

My Turtle and Me: Owen Bernstein



With a light up turtle in the corner of this board book, your totz will hug this work when they drift off to sleep. In My Turtle and Me, author Owen Bernstein shares a young boy's story of his love for his turtle. The two go everywhere together: to the playground, to the dinner table, and in the car. Life brightens when shared with a beloved pet.

Carol Thompson's art feels like a great cross between Helen Oxenbury and John Burningham. The board book is based on the bestseller Twilight Turtle, by Cloud B, the baby sleep specialists. Find this work and you'll find the turtle irresistible.

My Turtle and Me
by Owen Bernstein
illustrated by Carol Thompson
Scholastic, Cartwheel Books, 2012

Friday, May 24, 2013

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Faces For Baby: Yana Peel



Subtitled as Twelve More Works by Famous Artists to Explore with Your Child, Faces for Baby is the follow-up to the book, Art for Baby. Each page in this elegant, oversized board book showcases one face. Since faces are said to be some of the images babies are first able to recognize, the book's creator features a multicultural variety of faces by some of the best-known contemporary artists, including Paul Klee, Hideaki Kawashima, and Pablo Picasso. And what fun, on the final page, your totz will see their face in the big round mylar mirror.

Yana Peel co-founded the Outset Contemporary Art Fund in 2003 and is a patron of the Asia Art Archive. She lives in Hong Kong, China.

Faces for Baby
Author: Yana Peel
Illustrators: Various

http://www.candlewick.com, Templar Books 
2013

Monday, May 13, 2013

My Mom is the Best Circus: Luciana Navarro Powell



This book, in celebration of a mother, can endure past Mother's Day and be enjoyed every day of the year. Don't totz see their mom as a one-woman circus show? She's definitely the ringmaster; she juggles everything in their lives and is quite the conductor.

Luciana Navarro Powell's take on Moms and their abilities will stretch young readers' minds to see metaphor. An acrobat, a clown, a strongwoman: all are illustrated in full spreads in this delightful board book.

Find it for your totz and turn into...the sandman show.


My Mom is the Best Circus
by Luciana Navarro Powell
Robin Corey Books, 2013

Monday, May 6, 2013

Bizzy Bear Pirate Adventure: Benji Davies

















The Bizzy Bear series is perfect for totz who crave action. In this one, Bizzy Bear sails off on a pirate adventure. He digs for treasure and finds a chest. Totz can open an easily-grasped chunky cardboard loop slider to reveal the gold within!

Bizzy Bear, Bizzy Bear,
"I see land!"

Bizzy Bear, Bizzy Bear,
dig the sand.

These books are super-sturdy with moving parts. One of my favorite spreads in this book is the one with Bizzy Bear at the helm. With your readertotz' help, he can move the wheel and steer the ship safely through the open seas!

Bizzy Bear Pirate Adventure
author: Nosy Crow
illustrator: Benji Davies
http://www.candlewick.com 
2013





Friday, May 3, 2013

Poetry Friday: Tea Time by Karen Rostoker-Gruber

How about a review for Poetry Friday? Perfect!

Amazon has launched their own imprint, Two Lions, and as they unroll, their acquired Marshall Cavendish backlist has been made available, such as my good friend, Dia Calhoun's, work, Avielle of Rhia. But that would be for you when your totz are napping. :~)



For Poetry Friday, let's enjoy Karen Rostoker-Gruber's Tea Time with illustrations by Viviana Garofoli.

"It's almost tea time.
Please get ready.

Put a hat and
tie on Teddy.

Pick your dress
and purse to go.

Pull your tights up--
nice and slow."

With large heads and quaint smiles, the little girl, her teddy, and dog prepare for tea with Mother. I'm getting ready to celebrate my own daughter's wedding at her tea shower. This book will be perfect for smiles all around.

Happy Poetry Friday, and enjoy a cuppa!

Tea Time (Board Buddies)
by Karen Rostoker-Gruber
illustrations by Viviana Garofoli
Two Lions