The Ants Go Marching: Priscilla Burris

Count-and-Sing, The Ants Go Marching is a catchy introduction to the numbers one through five. The group of ants is diligent to move the picnic food below the blanket as the foil rain has begun to fall. There will be a feast for the well-dressed violet ants because of everyone's cooperation.

Aside from a parent enjoying the book/tune with their totz, this board book will be of interest to a young music class. Boom! Boom! Boom!

Count-and-Sing, The Ants Go Marching
by Priscilla Burris
Scholastic, Cartwheel Books, 2016

Poetry Friday: It was so quiet I could hear a pin drop, Andy Goodman

There is simplistic beauty and a lovely charge in this work I share today for Poetry Friday. In It was so quiet I could hear a pin drop, flat graphic shapes are combined with what appear to be old print imagery. The two together create an open freshness.

The reader is told what the protagonist hears when she listens to the breeze. Kites, to a leaky tap, to a dog growling, and a woman singing are caught by her ear and shared with the reader. The cannon and volcano are dreamed sounds which bring the book to a dynamic conclusion.

The reader and totz will be straining to hear everything in their own surroundings as the book is closed. Before it's read again.

It was so quiet I could hear a pin drop
by Andy Goodman
Princeton Architectural Press, 2016

Shh! We Have a Plan: Chris Haughton

"Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding." Albert Einstein

Here is the quote noted in Shh! We Have a Plan. How wonderful to have Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award winner, Chris Haughton's work now available as a board book. School Library Journal's starred review says it is, "A masterful delight."

It's the smallest of the group of four who would like to say, "Hello, birdie." But his three counterparts dissuade him repeatedly, as they have a plan. It's the smallest who is successful though, even though the three still don't learn.

There is so much anticipation and delight from the big eyes of the characters as they try over and over to catch the bird. There is so much to talk about with readers, eager to identify with the smallest in the group. I believe this book was meant to be a board book from the start. Enjoy!

Shh! We Have a Plan
by Chris Haughton
Candlewick Press, 2015

Poetry Friday: Who Woke the Baby? Jane Clarke

Who Woke the Baby? is the mystery in the jungle one morning. The baby gorilla awakes smelly and yelly and is caught in a cumulative rhyming tale full of sound. There is the hippo who yawns like a horn, a lion who snores and roars, and a frog who croaks.

It's lovely to discover the smallest, yet brightest, is the one who woke the baby. And it is also that one who leaves everyone happy.

The recent tragedy involving a child and a gorilla and the death of a child by two alligators came to mind as I pondered the beautiful watercolor and ink illustrations. Such horrific occurrences likely won't be known by readertotz, and the book will be thoroughly beloved.

Who Woke the Baby?
by Jane Clarke
illustrated by Charles Fuge
Nosy Crow, 2016

More, more, more: Circle

An epic book has been released from Candlewick Press titled Circle, by Jeannie Baker. With one wish: "Ahhhh--I wish I could fly!" and one note: "In its lifetime a godwit will usually fly farther than the distance from the earth to the moon," the collaged picture book begins.

"In a place where mud and sand become sea...
a godwit with white wing patches
flies up with his flock.
The moment is right
for the long journey north."

The flock takes flight away from a boy in a wheelchair at the beach. Page upon page follows the flock from one safe stretch of mud to another. The birds return to their remembered place and nest. Eventually, the moment arrives to leave again and reach the other side of the world. They arrive at the original beach and rest. Now, the boy leaves his crutches and races after his dog who is giving chase to the birds.

After the flock has flown full circle, the boy is shown again in his bed, imagining his own flight with the godwits. My only disappointment was that the boy did not remain in his wheelchair.

You won't want to miss this love letter to the godwits and the brilliant collage by Jeannie.

Circle
by Jeannie Baker
Candlewick Press, 2016

More, more, more: There's a Giraffe in My Soup

When a child finds a giraffe in his soup, the waiter is quick to replace the bowl. However, next there is an alligator, an elephant, a yak, and more! The zoo was sent the restaurant's food while the restaurant received the zoo's animals. There's additional homophone word play from mousse to moose and lying to lion which plague the exasperated waiter.

Readertotz will be laughing from the first page to the last of There's a Giraffe in my Soup by Ross Burach. The debut author used pencil and acrylic paints colored digitally for the hilarious illustrations composed with great energy. Welcome, Ross! We are so happy to have you writing and illustrating for readertotz!

There's a Giraffe in My Soup
by Ross Burach
Harper, 2016

One Gorilla, A Counting Book: Anthony Browne

Anthony Browne helps us get our primates straight as we count from one to ten and beyond. Introduce mandrills, macaques, and lemurs to your readertotz with Browne's mixed media illustrations. Even get a peek at the author himself!

"1 gorilla
2 orangutans
3 chimpanzees"

With a starred review from the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, you won't want your totz to miss this one. The classic vibe is definitely there.

One Gorilla, A Counting Book
by Anthony Browne
Candlewick Press, 2015

Poetry Friday: Plant a Kiss

What happens when Little Miss plants a kiss?

"Planted a kiss?
Planted a kiss.
Sunshine.
Water.
Greet.
Repeat.
Wait and wait."

Read Amy Krouse Rosenthal's darling board book Plant a Kiss with your totz for Poetry Friday. Peter H. Reynolds airy illustrations are perfect for this little act of love in a board book format. You and yours are bound to find a little bliss.

Plant a Kiss
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
HarperFestival, board book, 2015