Poetry Friday: What Does the Fox Say?

Okay, I love this. That is all. Happy Poetry Friday!

Good Night, Trucks: Brian Biggs

How about saying goodnight to all the trucks? Brian Biggs invites totz to snuggle down as trucks end their day: the tractor trailer, the dump truck, the garbage, and tanker are all winding down. Of course one needs to be quiet in the RV Park. "Shhhh...good night!"

I love author/illustrator Brian Biggs vehicles, whether they are busy around town or settling down for the night. Get ready for sleep with this unusual bedtime board book from the Everything Goes Series. Beep, beep! Shhhhhh.

Good Night, Trucks, A Bedtime Book
by Brian Biggs
Balzer + Bray, 2013

Poetry Friday: My Mom is a Foreigner, But Not to Me

Happy Poetry Friday! Enjoy the day with Julianne Moore's My Mom is a Foreigner, But Not to Me. The affirming message, set to rhyme, along with Meilo So's lively, fresh illustration will touch you for certain. (Note: different fonts denote different children speaking.) Enjoy!



"My Mom is a foreigner,
She's from another place.

     She came when she was ten years old,
     With only one suitcase.

She took a BOAT to get here!

     SHE DIDN'T KNOW THE WAY.

She came here with my Opa.
It took them days and days.

     She's different than the other Moms
     Because she's not from here.
     There's lots of stuff about her
     That's sometimes seems so weird."

My Mom is a Foreigner, But Not to Me
by Julianne Moore
illustrated by Meilo So
Chronicle Books, 2013

Tot to Tot: Ellie and Just Right for Christmas

It's time for another review from Ellie, a member of our readertotz Street Team. Thanks, Ellie!

Title: Just Right for Christmas

Author: Birdie Black and Rosalind Beardshaw

Summary:
“One big bundle of red cloth gets smaller and smaller because it is used by lots of different people and animals for Christmas presents for their families.”

What I liked about the book:

“I liked when the mother mouse gave her son a scarf.”

What will my brother and sister like?

“My sister likes the mouse best.”

Just Right for Christmas
by Birdie Black and Rosalind Beardshaw
Nosy Crow, 2012

Me Hungry: Jeremy Tankard

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The title of this book makes it perfect for Thanksgiving season. Formerly a picture book, Me Hungry is now in board book form. This is a timeless, charming, clever book! Totz, kids, and grown-ups will relate to the situation in which the person you need is too busy for you.

(Cave boy): Me hungry!

(Dad): Me busy!

(Cave boy): Hey, me hungry!

(Mom): Me busy!

(Note: spoiler below)

Cave boy finds ways to entertain himself as he goes on a food search. And in the end when his parents call, he's too busy for them! Ha-ha. Very fun twist.

My overall feeling about this book? Me like!

Me Hungry

Author-illustrator: Jeremy Tankard

Candlewick Press, 2008

Poetry Friday: Around the Block with Sesame Street, Train

This is so fun. Happy Poetry Friday! Take it, Count and Elmo!

Playbook Pirates: Corina Fletcher

Back in September, Joan recommended Playbook Farm. I second her call with Playbook Pirates!

Imagine a box. Opened, there's an envelope on the left which holds all your play pieces. On the right is a book which tells of the jolly pirates' adventures through Corina Fletcher's text. However, the book can be removed from the box and transformed into a large board for play. At that point, the boat, lighthouse, shipwreck, mermaids, octopus, and island are 3 dimensional pop-ups.

Additionally, on the back of each book spread, there are fun facts and questions about life at sea. Britta Teckentrup's digital illustrations look like cut paper collage. The textures and layers bring so much to the imagery.

Nosy Crow creates such great quality. Have fun reading and playing with Playbook Pirates. Note: due to small pieces, only for ages 3 and older.

Playbook Pirates
by Corina Fletcher
illustrated by Britta Teckentrup
Nosy Crow, 2013

Photo Friday: A Moment to Read

And I'm back from Greece! It was lovely and inspiring. Just like this photo. Happy Photo Friday with your totz! Take a moment to read. :~)

From Pinterest.

The Very First Thanksgiving: Kathryn Lynn Davis

 

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This is a lift-the-flap book, not a traditional board book as we usually feature on readertotz. However, it's a wonderful introduction to the Thanksgiving holiday for totz. It's super-simple, but tells about the pilgrims sailing to America, Native Americans teaching them to plant crops, and the Thanksgiving feast. Bright, graphic illustrations and just enough information for totz. Parents can fill in with more about family traditions as the pages turn.

The Very First Thanksgiving

Author-illustrator: Kathryn Lynn Davis

Little Simon, 2010

For older siblings, pair this with What Was the First Thanksgiving?, a newly published chapter book from readertotz' co-founder Joan Holub.

What Was the First Thanksgiving?

Author: Joan Holub

Illustrator: Lauren Mortimer

Grosset & Dunlap

Guess Who: Jannie Ho

Too cute! Find Guess Who? for your totz who love to dress up. With handles and two holes punched through the book, each spread can be held before the face like a mask. Whether your reader wants to pretend to be a robot, superhero, or a pirate, the options are hers.

Included are pop-up features which enhance each mask. Jannie Ho's illustrations are bright and fun, not scary at all for the smallest readers. Don't miss the cover illustration in case your tot wants to be a mummy. Take a peek at Guess Who?

Guess Who? A Pop-Up Mask Book
by Jannie Ho
Cartwheel Books, Scholastic, 2013

Hush, Little Horsie: Jane Yolen

To continue our horse theme this month, we have Hush, Little Horsie, a board book by prolific megastar author, Jane Yolen. The traditional style illustrations are jewel-like and will especially interest totz who are enamored with horses. Interesting that our two books chose to spell the titles differently: horsey/horsie.

In this clever take-off on the lullaby: Hush, Little Baby, mama horses promise to watch over their little horsies as they frolic and play and, eventually, fall asleep.

Hush, little horsie,

Asleep on the plain.

Your mama will shade you

From sunshine and rain.

This could be sung at bedtime to your totz. A sweet book!

Hush, Little Horsie

Author: Jane Yolen

Illustrator: Ruth Sanderson

Random House, 2010/2013

More, More, More: The Silver Button

A new classic from Bob Graham, one of my favorite author/illustrators: The Silver Button. What might be happening in the exact moment before Jodie finishes her drawing? It's 9:59, on a Thursday morning, when her brother takes his first step, while her mother plays a pennywhistle, a man buys bread, a soldier says good-bye, and a baby is born.

The sweeping scope Bob provides is incredible. He challenges everyone to look and see and know that the world continues in the space of our drawing one small button. Without sentimentality:

"Sunlight from all over the city streamed through the window, and the kitchen clock struck ten."

Beautiful. We send our applause to you in Australia, Bob, this very moment.

The Silver Button
by Bob Graham
Candlewick Press, 2013

Horsey Up and Down: Kei Bernstein

If your totz love all things horsey, look for Scholastic's release of Horsey Up and Down. The small board book has a clever cut-away enabling the child on the carousel to ride up and down the striped pole.

Inside the horses are big and small, white and black, jumping and sleeping, real and toys. There's a charm to Caroline Jayne Church's illustrations of pudgy children and chunky horses. Kei Bernstein's text is catchy and memorable. This subtle book of opposites will appeal to your little horse lovers.

Horsey Up and Down
by Kei Bernstein
illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church
Cartwheel Books, Scholastic, 2013

More, More, More: Dot.

Perfectly timed, Dot arrives. Here's a young girl proficient at all handheld communications. But it's her mother's prod which send her outdoors where she grows reacquainted with tapping, touching, tweeting, and tagging with friends and nature.

Joe Berger's loose illustration captures the spirit of Dot and each of her discoveries.

A gentle reminder to get out and play and engage in life.

Dot.
by Randi Zuckerberg
illustrated by Joe Berger
HarperCollins, 2013

Poetry Friday: Around the Block with Dave Matthews and Grover

Happy Poetry Friday! May you and your totz be cheered by Dave and Grover's song about feelings. Enjoy!

Big Kid Pick: Maps

As I get ready to set off for Greece, I came across this work by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski. It is GORGEOUS! I'm so happy to recommend Maps to you for this month's Big Kid Pick.

The oversize book is a visual representation of the world. Intricate, detailed, pen-line drawings and subdued colors show countries, places of interest, heroes, animals, people, traditional dress, foods and plants, languages, populations, and more, more more!

With the work translated into many languages, here's just a sample of the interior imagery:



In this time of "search and find" books, I found this work from Big Picture Press equally complex yet refreshing in what it might teach. Your Big Kids and you will fall into this book, and before you know it, you'll be making travel plans. I read it for an hour the first time I opened it. I was lost in Maps and happy for it.

Maps
by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski
Big Picture Press, 2013

Where's Boo? Salina Yoon

So great to share another fun Salina Yoon title. Where's Boo? takes us right into October.

With a curved cut-out, revealing the shape of a black tail, the reader is asked if Boo the cat is hiding behind the jack-o-lantern, the cookie jar, or the broom. In each case, he isn't. Boo is waiting behind the door at the conclusion of the book to say Trick-or-treat.

The anticipation, puzzles, and bright colors will capture your totz' attention. Look for Boo this month!

Where's Boo?
by Salina Yoon
Random House, 2013

Photo Friday: Read to Me Onesie

So cute, right? Found it on Pinterest. Happy Photo Friday!

Tot to Tot: Introducing Ellie and Big Mean Mike

I'm so happy to introduce, Ellie! She's our first ever member of the readertotz Street Team. She'll be reviewing new books for your totz and Big Kids. Listen in to her first entry:

Title: Big Mean Mike

Author: Michelle Knudsen

Summary:

“Big Mean Mike did things his own way. He kept seeing more and more bunnies everywhere. He found out that the bunnies were happy about singing in the monster truck show with him, and then the dogs laughed at them, and then Mike said he’d be friends with whoever he wanted.”

What I liked about the book:

“My favorite part was when Mike changed his mind about the little fluffy bunnies.”

What will my brother and sister like?

“I think my brother would like the pictures of Mike’s car, and Madeline would like the bunnies.”

Thanks, Ellie!

Big Mean Mike
by Michelle Knudsen
illustrated by Scott Magoon
Candlewick Press

Cake day!

Joan Holub (readertotz co-founder) celebrated a new picture book release this week by making this cake and dressing up a fourteen inch red pencil like the character in the book. Some of Joan's collection of alphabet blocks spelled out the joy!

 Buy link

Teaching/Reading guide from Chronicle Books