Poetry Friday: Blown Away

Happy Poetry Friday! Look at this cutie and consider adding it to your collection!



"A windy day.
A brand-new kite.
For Penguin Blue
a maiden flight.

The kite so high. The wind so strong.
It's pulling Penguin Blue along."

And so begins the adventure!

Blown Away
by Rob Biddulph
Harper, 2015

Giveaway! Autographed Mini Myths board books for preschoolers.

Mythology life lessons in board books for totz! 

Giving away 4 autographed Mini Myths board books

by readertotz co-founder, Joan Holub,

illustrated by Leslie Patricelli, creator of Yummy Yucky

and other amazing board books.

Abrams Books

Please do this to enter:

"Like" readertotz on Facebook 

"Like" Joan Holub and Lorie Ann Grover on Facebook

Drop a quick comment here on this post.

Entry rules: 

Must be over 18. Must like books! :o) 

USA only. 

2 randomly chosen winners each receive 2 autographed Mini Myths books (author's choice). 

Winners names posted here and notified via email (if email provided). 

Promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with any social networking site. Ends June 10th. 

Good luck!

Poetry Friday: Otto the Owl Who Loved Poetry

Celebrate Poetry Friday with Vern Kousky's delightful owl, Otto. A secret poet eventually scorned, he finds his voice with the realization that, "Poetry should be shared with everyone." He quotes T.S. Eliot, Joyce Kilmer, and more, while writing his own words. "The more the owls listen, the less they feel like laughing."

"Dear Moon, you must be lonely
so high up in the sky.
I'm sure your heart's so heavy,
sometimes you want to cry."

Enjoy Otto the Bard, today!

Otto the Owl Who Loved Poetry
Vern Kousky
Nancy Paulsen Books, 2015

More, more, more: Before After

I love this book! Leaving it out on the coffee table, I've seen it engage all ages, totz to seniors. The wordless imagery usually plays across a spread, revealing a "before and after" scene, situation, or object. The touch of humor, or seriousness, and clean illustrations with a gentle palette sustain the page turns. Occasionally a full spread follows a full spread enhancing the beat of the book.

From acorn to tree, to more complicated strings echoing subjects: squid to ink, pigeon to quill pen, quill pen to typewriter, pigeon to airmail letter, the reader is engaged. Pick up this work and be caught between the profound and daily "before and afters." This work deserved a major award.

Before After
by Anne-Margot Ramstein and Matthias Aregui
Candlewick Press, 2014

Guinea Pig Party: Holly Surplice

Counting with a troop of guinea pigs is a delight! What better place than in a party. From ten to one, the party winds down, yet when one wishes really hard for his friends again, the guinea pig party twirls into action.

Holly Surplice's pig party introduces counting backwards, patterns, active verbs, and bright colors. It's a little gem to celebrate or get a party going. Share it with your totz!

Guinea Pig Party
by Holly Surplice
Nosy Crow, 2015

#Giveaway The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations

Happy National Photo Month to everyone! I'm honored to be included in this excellent collection of poetry, highlighting celebrations: The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations. The contributors and compilers have created a treasure to inspire appreciation for poetry and days of joy.

"Like" readertotz on Facebook, drop a comment on the link relating to this post, and you'll be entered to win either a Teacher Edition or Child Edition. (Note if you are a teacher or librarian!)



Here is my poem to enjoy as you click those selfies this month!



You can visit Poetry Celebrations to see 12 more things to party about in May. Shout out to Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell for editing, supporting, and impacting the world through poetry!

The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations
Teacher/Librarian Edition
Children's Edition
edited by Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell
Pomelo Books, 2015

Recommends from Books Around the Table

I love it when Joan and I review the same books on readertotz. We live across the country from each other, and we work fairly independently on totz as we write our own works. So if you see a book reviewed twice you can believe we recommend it! i.e. the last two Harry posts!



In place of a review this week, I want to redirect everyone to Books Around the Table. Author/Illustrator Laura Kvasnosky looks over her new grandson's collection of board books and is heartened by what she finds. Enjoy!

Hide and Seek Harry On the Farm: Kenny Harrison

There are lots of farm-theme books out now that it's spring. The cover of this one caught my attention right away and made me smile.

Two kids are on the farm playing with Harry the hippo. And what does Harry want to play? Hide-and-seek. Totz will laugh as Harry tries to hide behind a plow or in a haystack. He may think he’s hiding, but he never quite manages to completely camouflage himself. In the end, he is found, and the game begins again.

A cute and sturdy board book.

Hide and Seek Harry On the Farm

Author-illustrator: Kenny Harrison

Candlewick Press, 2015

Hide and Seek Harry: Kenny Harrison

Harry the Hippo has two friends, a girl and boy. Whether they are playing hide-and-seek on the farm or at the playground, totz will enjoy helping the children find Harry. There's something adorable about a large entity hiding when his size makes him very easy to spot. Say a hippo behind a cow or a sunflower. It's giggle-worthy for older readers and helpful for wee ones to find Harry.

The series will likely be a hit with your young readers. Invite Harry onto your bookshelf!

Hide and Seek Harry, On the Farm
Hide and Seek Harry, At the Playground
by Kenny Harrison
Candlewick Press, 2015

Maisy’s Plane / Maisy’s Tractor: Lucy Cousins

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In Maisy’s Plane, Maisy is flying herself to a party. I love seeing her in the plane, taking charge like this. How exciting when she starts the engine. And when the propeller goes around and around. Vroom, Vroom! In the end, we find out that her destination is a party for Eddie the elephant. Well done, Maisy!

Pair Maisy's Plane with Maisy’s Tractor. In this one, we see Maisy driving a tractor. Chug, chug! She’s plowing and working hard, appearing competent. She finds lost lambs and brings them home. Well done, Maisy!

Maisy serves as a wonderful, confident role-model for girl totz in both of these books!

Well done, Candlewick!

 

Maisy’s Plane

Maisy’s Tractor

A Go With Maisy Board Book

Author-illustrator: Lucy Cousins

Candlewick Press, 2014

Star Wars Epic Yarns: Jack & Holman Wang

You HAVE TO get ready for May 4th, (May the Fourth Be With You), with this brand new board book trilogy from Chronicle Books. Think felt art, twelve words, and 12 epic scenes from the original Star Wars movies in each book.

It's absolutely adorable and detailed. Watch this behind the scenes take from Jack and Holman Wang:



What a great way to introduce your Padawan readertotz to this epic tale. I love it!

Star Wars, Epic Yarns
A New Hope
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
by Jack & Holman Wang
Chronicle Books, April 2015

Cutie Pie Looks for the Easter Bunny: Jannie Ho

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Another cute book from Jannie Ho! It’s full of chunky tabs that work really well. Cutie Pie, the yellow chick, is searching for the Easter Bunny. She meets lots of other friends everywhere she looks, and they all have Easter eggs. In the end, she finally has an Easter egg of her own. Very sweet and satisfying ending for toddlers.

Liz Reed interviews Jannie Ho.

Cutie Pie Looks for the Easter Bunny

A Tiny Tab Book

Illustrated by Jannie Ho

Nosy Crow, 2014

Poetry Friday: Interstellar Cinderella

I have a GREAT recommend for Poetry Friday. Interstellar Cinderella! Right now, while we are enjoying the new release of the movie Cinderella, how about balancing the focus with this picture book? Deborah Underwood's text is jaunty and refreshing, setting a high bar for girls and showing to both genders that strength, intelligence, and focus is beautiful. Meg Hunt's illustrations are the perfect combination of modern and retro. Think Mary Blair meets Maureen Andermann. So, here's the opening:

"Once upon a planetoid,
amid her tools and sprockets,
a girl named Cinderella dreamed
of fixing fancy rockets.

She fixed the robot dishwashers
and zoombrooms in her care,
but late each night she snuck away
to study ship repair."

Happy Poetry Friday to all those scientific Cinderellas and those who see her beauty!

Interstellar Cinderella
by Deborah Underwood
illustrated by Meg Hunt
Chronicle Books, 2015

Brush Your Hair, Medusa! & Make A Wish, Midas! Joan Holub

 

 

Readertotz co-founder, Joan Holub (me!), is celebrating the release of two board books in the Mini Myths series today. Mini Myths bring Greek mythology to preschoolers by using real-world toddler experiences to retell each myth (includes a super-short totz-size summary of the original myth at the end) Leslie Patricelli's illustrations are so cute!

Play Nice, Hercules! is a kindle monthly deal on Amazon for $1.99 through March 31.

Brush Your Hair, Medusa!

Make A Wish, Midas! 

Author: Joan Holub

Illustrator: Leslie Patricelli

Abrams Appleseed, March 2015

Poetry Friday: Bronzeville, Boys and Girls

Celebrate Poetry Friday with the paperback Bronzeville, Boys and Girls, by the Pulitzer Prize winner Gwendolyn Brooks. With thick painterly illustrations by Faith Ringgold, you'll slip right into the cozy neighborhood. How wonderful this collection is still in print!

Paulette

What good is sun
If I can't run?

"Your'e eight, and ready
To be a lady."

That is what my Mama says.
She is right again, I guess.

But there! I saw a squirrel fly
Where it is secret, green, and high.

And there! Those ants are bustling brown,
And I require to chase them down!

What good is sun
If I can't run?

Bronzeville, Boys and Girls
by Gwendolyn Brooks
illustrated by Faith Ringgold
Amistad

Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton

I loved it as a picture book, and I think it translates into the board format well. Chris Haughton's Oh No, George! is a gem that explodes across the small space. Your readers will worry and cheer for George on his journey in self control. Even if cake, cats, and dirt are so appealing.

The tiniest readertotz will be drawn to the full spreads every-other page. Kirkus called it: "A natural for reading aloud." You'll be saying it together: "Oh no, George!"

Disclosure: my new son-in-law is named George. #toomuchfun

Oh No, George!
by Chris Haughton
Candlewick Press, 2015

Lucky Tucker: Leslie McGuirk

On St. Patrick's Day, Tucker the dog starts off on the wrong paw. He is taken for a walk in the rain...BEFORE breakfast. And his favorite squeak toy gets stuck under the couch. He takes swift action by rolling in a bed of four-leaf clovers. Little does he know that it belongs to a certain leprechaun. The day turns out to be Tucker's luckiest ever!

This sturdy board book held my attention and I really enjoyed the character of Tucker, as always!

Lucky Tucker 
Author-illustrator:Leslie McGuirk
Candlewick, 2015

Poetry Friday: The Death of the Hat

How about The Death of the Hat, A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects, selected by Paul B. Janeczko and illustrated by Chris Raschka, for Poetry Friday? What a brilliant anthology from the Early Middle Ages, to the Victorian Period, to Contemporary. A fascinating idea, yes?

Paul says, "I believe that poetry is meant to be shared-that's what anthologies are all about-so I hope you share a couple of these poems with someone close to you." So, here you go:

(Note: it's fascinating to see this collection illustrated with the vibrant paintings of Chris. Fresh and loose, the imagery helps bring the words a step closer through time.)

From the Renaissance:

Kim Ku, translated by Kevin O'Rourke

I spy the three-colored peach blossom
floating down the mountain stream.
A free spirit, I jump in, fully clothed.
Flowers scooped
in my arms, I splash up and down in the water.

The Death of the Hat, A brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects
selected by Paul B. Janeczko
illustrated by Chris Raschka
Candlewick Press, 2015

This Little Piggy: Natalie Marshall

Scholastic has a new piggy board book. Squeee! Or, rather, Weee!

The story is the traditional This Little Piggy Went to Market nursery rhyme that ends in:

This Little Piggy went 
WEEE! WEEE! WEEE! 
... all the way home!

The front of the tabs (on right of each page) shows the five little piggies, and the back of each tab shows which toe to wiggle. A fun idea! It's very sturdy. And ...

This Little Piggy is cute, cute, cute!

This Little Piggy, a fingers and toes nursery rhyme book
Illustrator: Natalie Marshall
Scholastic, 2015

Be Patient, Pandora! is the Kindle Daily Deal!

Be Patient, Pandora!

is the Kindle Kids Daily Deal. 

$1.99 today only

till the stroke of midnight. 

The Mini Myths board book series

brings mythology to preschoolers.

by readertotz co-founder Joan Holub

illustrated by Leslie Patricelli.