More, More, More: Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I don't)

The jacket flap claims, "A librarian and a contrarian face off in this tale of a very reluctant reader." That is the perfect description of Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I don't). I was thoroughly charmed by this new picture book written by Barbara Bottner and illustrated by Michael Emberley.

Center stage is the librarian, Miss Brooks, who loves to read and dress up for reading circle. She reads her favorites, books for holidays, and asks the children to share books for Book Week. Opposite is the reluctant reader, Missy, who finds every objection possible in every book: "Too flowery....Too clickety....Too yippity." Until one book is found that connects, a book about warts.

Barbara's text is just a little edgy, and the realism makes this work come to life. When Missy is asked to write her own Halloween poem, she recites, "Eek! A Freak!" It's that consistent demeanor that makes the reader love her and finally rejoice over her book discovery. Sympathy easily swings in favor of Miss Brooks and Missy's mother, as well.

Michael scans his pencil drawings onto watercolor paper and then paints the imagery. You'll love the atypical librarian with her dreadlocks, boots, and hoop earrings. Missy in her knit hat, glasses, and overalls is perfectly rendered to carry her nonconforming attitude.

Barbara formerly wrote, produced, and designed for Sesame Street, while Michael is the son of Ed Emberley, and brother to Rebecca. All have contributed multiple books for our totz!

Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I don't)
by Barbara Bottner
illustrated by Michael Emberley
Knopf, 2010

Karate Pig: Alan Katz

Oh have you met Karate Pig?
He's not too small.
He's not too big.

Yes, I have now met Karate Pig, and I love him. And this book.

Turns out that Karate Pig likes to share. Which sometimes means he must CHOP things in halves. Or, in the case of a pizza, in eighths. In fact, he's driven to split an entire page right down the middle, at which point the narrator posits:

Any more of his kung fu, and I'm afraid this book is ruined.

A valid concern, since Karate Pig is slamming, kicking, and chopping his merry way through each page. The page corners and pages separate in very intriguing ways with each chop or kick. I've never seen another book like this one when it comes to unusual pull-out pages and a gatefold flap. Like the pig, the book is not too big or too small, and is very sturdy, which is nice, since it can take a pounding from karate totz who are sure to enjoy its rowdy, POW-erful, good humor. I like the fact that Karate Pig introduces basic fractions in a painless way as well. Well done!

Karate Pig
Author: Alan Katz
Illustrator: Daniel Moreton
Publisher: Little Simon, 2009

Photo Friday: Em and El

How about an occasional switch from Poetry Friday to Photo Friday? Don't pictures of totz just brighten your day?

If you want to share an image of your favorite tot send me the image at readertotzatclearwiredotnet I'm happy to post the love you share.

Ready, set, go!

Oh, and these are my totz, Em and El. Happy Photo Friday!

June Pick for the Older Sibling: The Garbage Barge

Do you remember this news story?

In 1987, a barge loaded with many tons of garbage left Long Island, New York. The garbage could not be buried locally, so the plan was to dump it in a landfill somewhere else. But it was turned away from ports over and over. It became infamous as the most unwelcome trash ever! This book is an amusing fictionalized account of that intriguing tale.

The barge visits North Carolina, New Orleans, Mexico, Belize...and winds up returning to New York. Meanwhile, it is the talk of TV and is splashed all over the news.

The Garbage Barge serves as an encouragement to recycle and take better care of our shared environment. The ending pretty much says it all:
MORAL: Don't Make So Much Garbage

The illustrations are fascinating. Like nothing I've seen before. Check out the video on the Amazon page that showcases their creation. A cover Red Nose Studio created for Angie's List magazine is a favorite of mine. On the blog, click on the September 2009 link.

The Garbage Barge
Jonah Winter, author
Red Nose Studio illustrations
Schwartz & Wade, 2010 (A Random House imprint)

Totz News: Win Daddy Calls Me Doodlebug

Hey parents and totz!

This just in from J.D. Lester about Daddy Calls Me Doodlebug. What a sweetheart. Get over there and play!

"Did you know I'm doing a nationwide giveaway as part of a parent nickname contest? One winner per state. Participating parents just need to post their kids' nicknames on my author page and that's it. They're entered. Voila.

And in honor of the reading parents in the contest, I'm going to give several hundred copies of Doodlebug to our university hospital here in Lexington, so docs can take the books to clinics serving pediatric neurology patients in Appalachia."

Isn't that the best? You know we heart community service at readertotz and readergirlz. Way to go, J.D.!

Daddy Calls Me Doodlebug, by J.D. Lester

I'm so happy to see Mommy Calls Me Monkeypants now has a companion board book from Robin Corey Books. J.D. Lester and Hiroe Nakata have teamed together again to bring your totz more rhyming couplets in Daddy Calls Me Doodlebug.

Illustrating both child and parent and animal behaviors, J.D. brings a lot of fun to her spreads.

Daddy calls me Shoo-Be-Doo...
we sing an ocean song. (whales)
Daddy calls me Mini-Me...
we're swinging right along! (monkeys)

Your totz and you will be surprised with each page turn as the nicknames are inventive: Goo-and-Go, Hockey Puck, and Hide 'n' Seek. You'll be adopting them before you know it.

Again, Hiroe's illustrations are light and airy, capturing the atmosphere surrounding a freedom of expression. Joy and lightheartedness are conveyed in the loose white edges around the watercolored imagery.

Enjoy Daddy Calls Me Doodlebug this upcoming Father's Day and then year round! Take a peek at J.D.'s Photototz entry here!

Daddy Calls Me Doodlebug
by J.D. Lester
illustrations by Hiroe Nakata
Robin Corey Books, Random, 2010

Poetry Friday: Pure Imagination, Gene Wilder

I ran across this for our totz playlist in the sidebar, but I really enjoyed the video this morning, too. It's brilliant! Happy Poetry Friday!

When Daddy Comes Home: Lorie Ann Grover

Woo hoo! This one's by our own Lorie Ann Grover! It fits the month perfectly, since Father's Day is on the way.

A warm story about that thrilling moment when Daddy comes home at the end of a day. Ah, I remember it well, and it was cause for excitement. Your totz will also absorb fun facts effortlessly in deceptively simple sentences.

When Daddy Dog runs home,
(lift the doghouse-door flap to read:)
his puppy barks.

When Daddy Whale splashes home,
(lift the water-splash flap to read:)
his calf hums.

I didn't know whales hummed. Very cool fact. The active verbs used for the dads' actions (elephants stomp, monkeys swing, birds soar) as they arrive home add to the excitement that builds toward the arrival of "your Daddy".

Adorable illustrations will catch your totz' attention and the sturdy pages will stand up to repeated readings. A wonderful choice for totz, particularly around Father's Day by Grover, whose Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish was a Parents Magazine 20 Best Children's Books, 2009.

When Daddy Comes Home
Author-illustrator: Lorie Ann Grover
Little Simon, 2005

Poetry Friday: Little King Boggen

illustration by Blanche Fisher Wright


Little King Boggen

Little King Boggen he built a fine hall,
Pie-crust and pastry-crust, that was the wall;
The windows were made of black puddings and white,
And slated with pancakes---you ne'er saw the like.

Happy Poetry Friday, all!

Wings by Salina Yoon

I'm so happy to feature Wings by Salina Yoon. As the cover notes, it's a book to touch and feel. And it's adorable!

Taking a look at various wings, Salina asks what kind do different birds and insects have. What kind for bumblebees, ducklings, ladybugs, and more.

Each question is answered with a different color as well as a texture insert: shimmery pink butterfly wings, glistening green hummingbird wings.

Salina's illustrations have a thick, varied-width black outline and flat color spaces. Every other spread carries lighter value polka dots in the background. So cute to mimic the ladybug on the cover. She herself has wings which open and close.

Find Wings for your totz. It will be enjoyed! Then check out Salina's Phototoz entry here.

Wings
by Salina Yoon
Little Simon

Poetry Friday: Cobbler, Cobbler

zulily


Cobbler, Cobbler

Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe,
Give it a stitch and that will do.
Here's a nail, and there's a prod,
And now my shoe is well shod.

Grab those sandals and hit the sunshine with your totz this Poetry Friday!

For the Older Sibling: Paris in the Spring with Picasso

I am so happy to recommend Paris in the Spring with Picasso for the older sibling of your totz! Gertrude Stein and her friends were always so compelling to me. How about introducing your children to Paris and Gertrude's friends?

Come along to the Saturday soiree at Gertrude and her brother Leo Stein's home. But before you arrive, spend the day in the city with her fascinating friends, among them: Guillaume Apollinaire, Marie Laurencin, Max Jacob, and Pablo Picasso. Visit each in turn and more as the day progresses, until you are walking past the Notre Dame Cathedral and Circus Medrano as the sun sets. Peek in on Gertrude and her friend Alice B. Toklas as they prepare for the evening. When the guests arrive, the party begins for all.

Joan Yolleck's cheerful conversational tone makes the material completely approachable and fun. She speaks directly to the reader and closes the work by asking what you think the friends will talk about. A nonfiction spread completes the picture book with short biographical notes of the characters.

Marjorie Priceman, Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin, is the perfect illustrator for this work. Her loose, free line with transparent layers captures the vitality of both the city and people. She takes freedom to turn the illustration layout when necessary to convey the size and commotion of the street. Her black lines dance among the bold, popping colors. It's obvious she visited Paris in preparation for these paintings. Brava, Schwartz & Wade Books for matching these two artists, Joan and Marjorie.

I heartily recommend this excursion with the older siblings of your totz! Join the soiree!

Paris in the Spring with Picasso
by Joan Yolleck
illustrated by Marjorie Priceman
Schwartz & Wade Books, 2010

Animal I Spy: Kingfisher

A simple, cool idea. Totz can play I spy animals and learn something along the way in this board book:

I spy an animal that lives in a shell.

(Totz are presented with a collage illustration showing a bee, a frog, etc. and a snail.)

I spy an animal with eight legs.

(Totz are presented with a collage illustration showing a centipede, mouse, etc., and a spider.)

The illustrations are not cluttered, which will help young readers succeed in "spying" correctly. The answers are provided via illustrations on the last spread.

Nice sturdy, glossy pages just right for small hands.

Animal I Spy
Kingfisher

Poetry Friday: Jethro Tull's Mother Goose

Ha! How is this for Poetry Friday? A little Jethro Tull singing Mother Goose! I thought the youngest totz would enjoy watching the tadpoles, as well.

Happy Poetry Friday!

Cat the Cat Who is THAT? by Mo Willems

So who has been waiting for Mo's work to reach our youngest readers? Mo for totz? ME! And the day is here!

Balzer & Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing, has published a Cat the Cat series for newborns to age 5. Larger than a traditional board book, the works have extra thick pages and simple, large text.

readertotz can begin to recognize characters, friends of Cat the Cat. While early readers will begin to sound out and sightread repeated phrases. Everyone will enjoy Mo's humor and the encouragement to reach out and make new friends.

You'll recognize Mo's illustrations with a varied black outline and flat color spaces. The palate is subdued a few values but maintains vibrancy.

Enjoy Cat the Cat Who is That? with me. Your totz will love it. Then look for others in the series!

Blarggie, blarggie!

Watch an interview here! "Just because you are very young doesn't mean you don't have a sense of humor."

Cat the Cat Who is THAT?
by Mo Willems
Balzer & Bray, 2010

Poetry Friday: Intery, Mintery

photo from Raising Goslings

Intery, Mintery

Intery, mintery, cutery-corn,
Apple seed and apple thorn;
Wire, brier, limber-lock,
Five geese in a flock;
Sit and sing by a spring,
O-U-T, and in again.

Happy Poetry Friday! Anyone else ever chased by geese? I certainly have been!

~Lorie Ann

It's Vacation Time: Lerryn Korda

A story about the wonderful places imagination and friendship can take you.

Summer is here, and a group of friends are going on vacation. Little Nye is making icepops to take along. Nella is overstuffing her suitcase, so Lester removes things to lighten the load. Out go toys for beach games. Fling away the flippers. No more masks. But the suitcase still won't shut? What's the problem now? Turns out that rubber raft and some imagination is really all they need for their journey. And of course, ice pops.

The bright, attractive, contemporary illustration style is perfect for totz. The pages are not board, but they're sturdier than picture book pages. Totz will enjoy the trip!

It's Vacation Time
author-illustrator: Lerryn Korda
Candlewick
ages 1-3

Poetry Friday: Curly-locks

	Curly-locks, Curly-locks, wilt thou be mine? Thou shalt not wash the dishes, nor yet feed the swine; But sit on a cushion, and sew a fine seam, And feed upon strawberries, sugar, and cream. Illustration by Blanche Fisher Wright Happy Poetry Friday!

Phototoz: Salina Yoon

Give a shout out to Salina Yoon, board book and picture book author/illustrator. Recently, I accurately called her the master of the novelty book. This is her passport photo from when she entered the U.S.A. from Korea. So adorable!

And here's one of her latest board books that we'll be reviewing soon, I'm sure. I can't resist opening and closing those ladybug wings.

Thanks for playing, Salina!

If you are an author or illustrator for children or teens and would like to participate in Photototz, send in your photo and latest book cover to readertotzatclearwiredotnet

Show us your smile!

Star Wars Heroes

Okay, humor me. What parent doesn't want to introduce their totz to Star Wars Heroes? You have to smile, giggle, and open this book!

Each spread photo-illustrates one of the cast from George Lucas' series of films. Characters and their quotes are shiny against beautiful matte galaxy backgrounds. Among the spreads, you'll find these:

"Luke Skywalker is the greatest hero in the galaxy. 'I am a Jedi.'
Yoda is a very old and very wise Jedi Master. 'Help you, I can!'"

There's the surprise inclusion of the youthful Obi-Wan Kenobi and even Anakin. Darth Vater does not make an appearance.

Anyway, I think it's adorable. And you can always prop open Han Solo on your desk for a bit, right? Your totz will fall in love with these characters just as quickly as we did.

"May the force be with you."

Star Wars Heroes
Scholastic
January 2010