Nighty-Night and Hair: Leslie Patricelli

Always, always I cheer when Leslie Patricelli offers up a new board book. This round is Nighty-Night and the hilarious Hair.

In Nighty-Night, baby takes us through the evening ritual. A string of couplets helps march your reader to bed. My favorite:

Bye-bye, pants.
Naked dance.

In Hair, it's time for baby to have a haircut. For one hair, that is. "I have a hair!" baby says, then goes on to explain all that must be done for its care. Gender neutral, baby is ever adorable. The book concludes with examples of diverse kinds of hair.

Thank you for two more baby books, Leslie! We heart you!

Nighty-Night
Hair
by Leslie Patricelli
Candlewick Press, 2017

Mini Myths: Joan Holub and Leslie Patricelli

 

 

I've been waiting for this pairing of awesome: our own readertotz' Joan Holub and Leslie Patricelli! It doesn't get better!

Mini Myths is their series collaboration releasing September 16th. Play Nice, Hercules! and Be Patient, Pandora! are the first to pub. Following Joan's hit series with Suzanne Williams, Goddess Girls and Heroes in Training, Joan was primed to translate myths for totz. And she does it so well! Tight language conveys the essence of both Pandora and Hercules. Following a dear concluding truth, each book ends with a short synopsis of the myth itself.

Leslie's illustrations bring new beloved characters to board books, but you will recognize her infectious style from her Baby books. How fun to have more to love.

You will treasure these gems as they bring myths to your totz with heartfelt truths. Wonderful! Thank you, Joan and Leslie!

Be Patient, Pandora!
Play Nice, Hercules!
by Joan Holub
illustrated by Leslie Patricelli
Abrams Appleseed, 2014

Leslie Patricelli: Toot and Tickle

I will always share Leslie Patricelli's work, because each is made of awesome! So today's featured releases are Toot and Tickle.



How can you not laugh reading Toot? Seriously. Baby shares how he toots, where he toots, and when he toots. He reveals others in his family toot, especially the dog. My favorite is the full spread of baby in the tub, tooting bubbles. :~)



And then there's Tickle. Baby insists he's not ticklish. When the Tickle Monster catches him, Baby howls over the attack to his legs, feet, tummy...you get the picture. He still announces at the end he is not ticklish, and he's off and running.

Add these to your Patricelli library. There will be giggles galore!

Toot
Tickle
by Leslie Patricelli
Candlewick Press, 2014

Huggy Kissy: Leslie Patricelli

Lorie Ann and I are huge fans of Leslie Patricelli and her “bald baby” character. Her Yummy Yucky and Quiet Loud are two of my personal favorite board books. Although her little guy has loads of personality of his own, he has a universal quality that makes us want to give him a HUGGY!

In this book, baby is looking for something: Hugs and kisses.

Tuggy, tuggy.

(baby tugging at busy dad’s pants leg)

Huggy, huggy?

(baby open-armed; looking adorably wistful and ready for a hug)

(His hopes are met with dad hugging him.)

Squeeze, squeeze.

Don’t stop please!

As the book continues, we see all kinds of hugs and kisses, including an uncle’s scratchy embrace and an auntie’s squishy one. And baby has hugs and kisses of his own to bestow, including a hug for blankie and a kiss for fishy.

A great book for anytime, but especially for December holidays or Valentine’s Day!

Huggy Kissy

Author-Illustrator: Leslie Patricelli
Candlewick, 2012

Tubby: Leslie Patricelli

       

Does you Leslie Patricelli collection include Tubby? We recommend you get this celebration of bath time for your totz!

 It's time for Baby's bath. After undressing, there's the celebratory naked run followed by all things one must do in bathing. Playing with bubbles and counting clean toes are included.

As always, Leslie hits the mark in color, layout, and childlike spirit in Baby. You won't want to miss bath time with Tubby! And then of course, puppy will need a bath, too...

Tubby
by Leslie Patricelli
Candlewick Press, 2010

January: Community Service

Commit to reading more than ever with your totz. Impact community one story at a time.

Baby's Book Tower: Leslie Patricelli

Baby's Book Tower is a boxed set of four chunky books (each about 2x2x2"), which are all reprints of Leslie Patricelli's best-selling, adorable, can't-find-enough-words-of praise-to-describe-them board books:
Baby Happy Baby Sad
No No Yes yes
Quiet Loud
Yummy Yucky



Yummy Yucky excerpt:
Spaghetti is yummy.
Worms are yucky.

Quiet Loud excerpt:
Crayons are quiet.
Pots and pans are loud.

Baby Happy Baby Sad and No No Yes Yes are stories largely told through the illustrations, which are labeled Baby Happy or Baby Sad; No No or Yes Yes respectively. Baby is happy hugging the cat, but sad when the cat takes off. So true!

These books have heart and universal appeal. Totz will relate and so will parentz. I smile every time I read them. I'm so glad to see them in a set like this!

Baby's Book Tower
Author-illustrator: Leslie Patricelli
Candlewick Press, 2010

The Birthday Box: Leslie Patricelli

When our family rounds the middle of August, we are in for a flurry of birthdays. Leslie Patricelli's classic, The Birthday Box, is a classic pick for celebrating totz.

Baby begins with a song to himself and then introduces you to his present. The joy only begins when under the wrapping paper he discovers a big brown box. We learn all the things he can do with his box before he opens the gift fully and finds a stuffed dog, Oscar. Now with the box open, the two of them can have adventures at sea or on the slopes. Of course, the box is the perfect place for a nap.

I saw this work, pre-publication in our critique group and loved it just as much then. There's a simple charm to Baby and his simplicity. The colorful painted spreads with thick black line and hand lettering will win your heart. If you weren't an avid Baby fan before, you will be after reading The Birthday Box with your readertotz!

The Birthday Box
by Leslie Patricelli
Candlewick Press, 2007

In the Pages Interview with Leslie Patricelli

Lovely interview with Leslie Patricelli at In the Pages! I learned more that I didn't know AND the Monkey Drummer is still in the works. I'm so excited! Woot!

Then check out the adorable Patterson Puppies with your older totz. :~)

~Lorie Ann

For the Older Sibling: Higher! Higher!

YAY! *running around the room* Leslie Patricelli has a new picture book! Higher! Higher! is spot on perfect for the older sibling of your readertotz and your totz themselves!

A little girl and her father go to the park to swing. "Higher! Higher!" she calls as the father faithfully pushes her. She soars higher than the giraffe in the zoo, buildings, mountains, planes, into outer space where she waves at a passing monkey in a rocket ship and greets an alien on a swing. "Hi!" Then it's back, back down to earth and the arms of her father, so she can shout, "Again!"

True to a child's experience and imagination, this work will resonate with your readers. Leslie's colors and shapes are in keeping with her well-loved board books. It's such a treat to sink into the textures with the larger format. The canvas shows through beautifully. What a great effect for the glow of the earth, the stars, and even the little girl's face. Be sure to spot Baby in the plane. And take a moment to appreciate and enjoy the hand lettering.

Pick up Higher! Higher! and then hit the swings!

Higher! Higher!
by Leslie Paricelli
Candlewick Press, 2009

~Lorie Ann

Leslie Patricelli: BIG Little

Hello all parents and grandparents of toddlers, as well as teachers, and librarians!

Joan Holub and I are psyched to begin readertotz together. We each will be posting every other week about an infant-toddler book in board, novelty, and interactive formats. We'll also throw a few extra blogs in occasionally. Watch for author and illustrator interviews and the highlighted book of the month entry for the older sibling.

We hope you enjoy the monthly community service project in the sidebar, and the playlist which will be updated periodically. Hats off to our sister site readergirlz. Nobody does it better!

So here's a warm welcome to readertotz and let the blogging begin!

Our first feature is Leslie Patricelli's board book:



I'm so proud that this is our first book review at readertotz. Leslie's bald baby character, clad only in a diaper, is a spirited, endearing figure. Join baby as he demonstrates opposites in BIG Little with humor and enthusiasm.

Leslie's graphic, bold colors and thick black lines combine to create an energetic delight. Her layers of colors build rich depth in her flat paintings. I especially appreciate her hand lettering which brings a cohesiveness to the entire layout.

Leslie's humor will be appreciated by totz and adults.

"Ladies are BIG.
Ladybugs are little."

Each comparison she has chosen to illustrate big and little are things dear to a toddler's life: dandelions, puddles, trikes, and of course babies themselves.

Be prepared to be charmed from the first spread:

"Heads are BIG.
Toes are little."

to the last:

"The moon is BIG.
My night-light is little."

Who can resist smiling at baby's square nose, wiggling toes, and pursed lips as he blows out his cupcake candle?

Insider Info:

I can share that Leslie and I first took an amazing picture book class together about ten years ago under Keith Baker and Laura Kvasnosky. Leslie and I sat next to each other as she wrote dandelion poems, and I wrote a book about squirrels. As critique partners a few years later, I had the pleasure of seeing her baby board books in dummy form. Margaret Chodos Irvine and I knew these would bring joy to many. Needless to say, we were right! Woohoo! Here's a recent photo of me and Leslie.


As a side note, Joan and I are author/illustrators, and we will review and celebrate books of authors we don't know and of those we do, dare I even say, our friends? The industry is not that large, and we refuse to overlook the best of the best, because of a relationship. Our aim is to bring great infant-toddler books to you. So enjoy!

Here's to Leslie Patricelli's board book BIG Little.
Candlewick, 2003
* Click on the cover to purchase from Powells.

Lorie Ann Grover ~author/illustrator