Press Release for Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish

CO-FOUNDER OF READERGIRLZ AND READERTOTZ CELEBRATES A NEW BOARD BOOK: BEDTIME KISS FOR LITTLE FISH

Author/illustrator Lorie Ann Grover’s new board book for babies is “utterly serene from start to finish,” says Publishers Weekly.

June 1, 2009 (Seattle, Wash.) – readergirlz and readertotz co-founder and author/illustrator Lorie Ann Grover’s new board book Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish has just been released from Scholastic/Cartwheel. Endearingly illustrated by Debra Ziss, the work beautifully expresses soothing images of sea creatures preparing to sleep. A small orange fish instructs:

"Night is dark, baby shark.

Make no fuss, octopus."

Lorie Ann says, “I love the short rhymes offered up by the tiniest fish as he encourages the sea life to go to sleep. Thanks to my editor Rotem Moscovich for realizing the baby fish needs a bedtime kiss as well!”

Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish introduces sea life and adds a quiet calm to babies’ evenings.

About Lorie Ann Grover, Debra Ziss, readertotz, and readergirlz

Lorie Ann Grover is the author of three young adult verse novels (Loose Threads, On Pointe, Hold Me Tight) and three board books (When Daddy Comes Home, Hug Hug!, Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish). http://lorieanngrover.blogspot.com

Debra Ziss is an illustrator and hand lettering artist from New York. Her clients include: Scholastic, Random House, Houghton Mifflin, Grosset and Dunlap, Barnesandnoble.com, The Gap, The Limited, and American Girl Magazine. http://www.debraziss.com

readertotz is a blog which showcases infant-toddler books as important additions to children’s literature. http://readertotz.blogspot.com

readergirlz is the foremost online book community for teen girls, led by five critically acclaimed YA authors. The site is the recipient of a 2007 James Patterson PageTurner Award; the Association for Library Services to Children, ALA, Great Web Sites Award; and the National Book Foundation’s Innovations in Reading Prize. www.readergirlz.com

The Small Seed: Judith Nicholls

Looking for a great book with textures to engage your totz? Pick up The Small Seed by Judith Nicholls. Here's non-fiction at its best.

"In the dark, dark earth
was a small, small seed.
And the sun came up,
and the rain came down."

Illustrator Mara van der Meer has chosen to illustrate the concluding noun from the first sentence of each page on the right side of the spreads. i.e. a white, white root, a brave, brave shoot. These images include unique textures to represent flower petals, leaves, and stems. The additions work well with the torn paper collages.

The most exciting feature is the last page which opens three panels as the sunflower grows and grows!

Thanks, Little Scholastic, for bringing nonfiction to totz and sharing the beauty of our world!

The Small Seed
by Judith Nicholls
illustrated by Mara van der Meer
Little Scholastic, 2004

June: readertotz playlist

I'm switching over the blog to celebrate June! Check out the updated playlist. Any Pee Wee fans out there besides me? ~ Lorie Ann

Poetry Friday: Around the Green Gravel

Happy Poetry Friday to you and your readertotz!

AROUND THE GREEN GRAVEL

Around the green gravel the grass grows green,
And all the pretty maids are plain to be seen;
Wash them with milk, and clothe them with silk,
And write their names with a pen and ink.

Catch the full roundup with Irene Latham at Live. Love. Explore!

Wednesdays Win: A Little Puppy

Drop a comment here on readertotz for a chance to win A Little Puppy, an adorable board book by Jane Feder and Amy Schwartz just published by Candlewick Press! Good luck, and don’t forget to check back to see if you’ve won next Wednesday when we'll announce the winner and also post a new contest for yet another book! (Due to mailing costs, open to USA only.)

Congratulations to DebReader, winner of the May 13th Wednesday Win, Mommy Calls Me Monkeypants on readertotz! Please email joanholub at aol dot com with your snailmail addy.

~ Joan Holub and Lorie Ann Grover

Max the Minnow: William Boniface

The totally cool thing about this sturdy board book is the eyeballs. They're actually balls about one inch in diameter, and they're weighted, so they follow you no matter how you tilt the book--even if you flip it over to the back cover.

The eyeballs are so eye-catching that you almost miss the fact that the book is actually an empowering story about self-worth. A little fish named Max wants to be a big fish, but eventually realizes . . .

That "Big Fish" aren't just made.
It's what you do with what you've got,
That helps you make the grade.

I noticed that the book has been reprinted well over twenty times, so these pop-eyes are very pop-ular!

Max the Minnow
by William Boniface
illustrated by Don Sullivan
Accord Publishing, 2000

~ Joan Holub, author-illustrator

Poetry Friday: Kookaburra

Kookaburra

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.
Merry, merry king of the bush is he.

Laugh, Kookaburra,

Laugh, Kookaburra,
Gay your life must be.

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,
Eating all the gumdrops he can see.

Stop, Kookaburra,

Stop, Kookaburra,
Leave some there for me.

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,
Counting all the monkeys he can see.

Wait, Kookaburra.

Stop, Kookaburra.
That's not a monkey, that's me!

Catch the roundup with Susan Taylor Brown at Susan Writes.

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

More, More, More: You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?!

So, I'm not an avid baseball fan. When You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! arrived, I didn't expect to connect. Yet, the lenticular cover was compelling as it enabled me to see Andre Carrilho's illustrated Sandy pitch when I opened the cover.

With endpapers of Sandy's baseball card, the story begins. Told from the viewpoint of an old-timer, Sandy's introduced as a leftie who pitched from 1961 to 1966. Illustrating a rocky start where Sandy is frequently benched or is on the mound with unpredictable throws, the story progresses. Amidst difficult performances, he's mocked by others in the field for being Jewish.

Given more time on the mound, he fails and quits the game, only to return in spring. With the bases loaded, there finally is a connection, and Sandy throws his first no-hitter. He's able to relax and let his body perform. "What a thing of beauty that was."

The streak lasts for six years during which he honors a Jewish High Holy Day in the 1965 World Series by sitting out of the game. He eventually retires at the height of his career to protect his body.

So, what connected with me?

* The passion of the narrator created by author Jonah Winter
* The discipline of Sandy as he searched for his game
* How he was mocked for his beliefs and didn't sway
* That he practiced his faith in a public way
* That he knew when to stop for his body's sake
* And the unique illustrations of Andre Carrilho

With a limited pallette, Andre creates an historical time. There's an elegance in the textures, gold use, charcoal renderings and thin red line. A retro-graphic touch and new expression are captured in this work.

No wonder this picture book is garnering starred reviews. Thanks to the author, illustrator, and publisher for bringing to light Sandy Koufax for everyone.

You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?!
by Jona Winter
illustrated by Andre Carrilho
Schwartz & Wade Books, 2009

Noisy Peekaboo! Baa! Baa! Dawn Sirett

Get ready for flaps, large spreads, and farm noises in Noisy Peekaboo! Baa! Baa! Your readertotz will be lifting the flaps looking for the adorable stuffed animals behind rugs, bags, and buckets. Every left side of the spread features a beautiful toddler, with several ethnicities represented. The right side contains the flaps and sounds set in vibrant color.

The only disappointment is that the book is just five pages. The thick conclusion houses the sound mechanisms. However, with three to four flaps per spread, your reader will be kept busy. Check out Noisy Peekaboo! Baa! Baa! and join the barnyard fun.

Noisy Peekaboo! Baa! Baa!
by Dawn Sirett
Designed by Rachael Parfitt
DK, 2009

~Lorie Ann

Poetry Friday: Sleep, Baby, Sleep

I love the image of the dreamland tree, don't you? Off to get my sketchbook! ~Lorie Ann

Sleep, Baby, Sleep

Sleep, baby, sleep,
Thy papa guards the sheep;
Thy mama shakes the dreamland tree
And from it fall sweet dreams for thee,

Sleep, baby, sleep,

Sleep, baby, sleep,
Our cottage vale is deep;
The little lamb is on the green,
With woolly fleece so soft and clean,

Sleep, baby, sleep,

Sleep, baby, sleep,
Down where the woodbines creep;
Be always like the lamb so mild,
A kind and sweet and gentle child,

Sleep, baby, sleep.

Catch the full roundup with Kelly Polark at Kelly Polark.

Wednesdays Win: Mommy Calls Me Monkeypants by J.D. Lester

This is a special Wednesday because we have a second copy of Mommy Calls Me Monkeypants to give away! This is extra fun because we just got a message in from the wonderful J.D. Lester, author of this book. She was having technical difficulties and couldn't post, so Kathy at Random House passed this on to us from her . . .

"Hi Readertotz! I'm JD, the author of "Mommy Calls Me Monkeypants", and I am such a huge fan of your site! I am excited about your book give-away because, interestingly, that's the same day my little monkeypants (my daughter, Scout) will turn 4. I can't wait to show her your site on her bday. Truthfully, she is kind of weary of hearing Monkeypants now since I wrote it when she was just 6 months old -- but, fortunately, she loves the sequel, "Daddy Calls Me Doodlebug", which is going to come out next year from Robin Corey/Random House in time for Father's Day. Please tell all your mom-readers that I love hearing their funny nicknames for their kids, and I feel such a kinship about how goofy we are when it comes to our babies. So, keep reading, moms, dads and everyone with a special little person in your life - and thanks for inspiring us, Readertotz!"

So drop a comment here for a chance to win Mommy Calls Me Monkeypants. Good luck, and don’t forget to check back to see if you’ve won next Wednesday when we'll announce the lucky winner and also post a new contest for yet another book!

Congratulations, Swati! You won Mommy Calls Me Monkeypants in last week's Wednesdays Win! Please send your snailmail address to joanholub at aol dot com

~ Joan Holub and Lorie Ann Grover

It's Spring!: Samantha Berger and Pamela Chanko

After reading Lorie Ann's blog last Monday about Jill Ackerman's board book Welcome Spring, I looked on my shelf for other favorite toddler books about spring. It's Spring! is a different spin on the same subject matter.

In April the robin began to sing
to tell the rabbit it was spring.
The rabbit hopped and thumped his feet
to tell the deer the air smelled sweet.

There's something about this story that makes me happy when I read it. It's bouncy without being choppy or forced. I truly experience the delight of a host of animals, who can hardly wait to spread the news of all the signs they've seen that spring has indeed arrived.

And the art is so sweet--Melissa Sweet, that is. I've enjoyed Melissa's illustration since the Pinky and Rex early chapter books.

Note that this book was reprinted in paperback with a different cover, as a Cartwheel early reader.

It's Spring!
by Samantha Berger and Pamela Chanko
Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Scholastic, Cartwheel Books, 2003

~ Joan Holub

Poetry Friday: Little King Boggen

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.

Catch the full roundup with Anastasia Suen at Picture Book of the Day.

Wednesdays Win: Mommy Calls Me Monkeypants by J.D. Lester

Drop a comment for a chance to win J.D. Lester's new board book, Mommy Calls Me Monkeypants. Good luck, and don’t forget to check back to see if you’ve won next Wednesday (May 13) when we'll announce the lucky winner and also post a new contest for yet another book!

Congratulations, Scarlet! You won Glorious Grandmas in last Wednesdays Win!
Please send your snailmail address to joanholub at aol dot com

~ Joan Holub and Lorie Ann Grover

Welcome Spring: Jill Ackerman

It's the perfect to time to enjoy the season with Welcome Spring! Jill Ackerman describes the joys that a child might encounter. She might smell the flowers, hear the birds, or have raindrops land on her nose. But regardless of the experiences, the child is "safe and dry in Mommy's arms."

Nancy Davis' stylized, flat, sharp-edged imagery is captivating in it's simplicity and brilliance.



Inserted textiles add dimension to the work as well. Satin flowers, silver smooth rain, and plastic rain boots are fun to touch. An additional flap reveals the child and mother happy under the red umbrella. Be sure to note that the rain and sun cause the tulips to open and the butterflies to appear.

Welcome spring with your readertotz!

Welcome Spring
by Jill Ackerman
Illustrated by Nancy Davis
Design by Pamela Notarantonio
Scholastic, 2008

May Totz Playlist

Here's the playlist from our sidebar for this month. Get dancing with your readertotz!

Do you have a favorite? I love African Alphabet!

~Lorie Ann

NaPiBoWriWee

This just in from Paula Yoo, writing Moms and Dads. Have FUN!

NATIONAL PICTURE BOOK WRITING WEEK ("NaPiBoWriWee")
7 Picture Books in 7 Days!
Sponsored by www.paulayoo.com

In the spirit of National Novel Writing Month ("NaNoWriMo") where people across the country try to write a complete novel in one month, the fine folks at www.paulayoo.com have decided to start the first ever National Picture Book Writing Week, affectionately nicknamed "NaPiBoWriWee."

The goal? To write 7 picture books in 7 days.

To summarize, the basic rules:

1. Midnight May 1st to 11:59 p.m. May 7th: Write 7 separate and complete picture books.
2. You are NOT allowed to write the same picture book in 7 variations. Each book must be complete and separate.
3. No minimum word count. Instead, each book must have a clear beginning, middle and end.
4. You are allowed to brainstorm and research book topics before May 1st.
5. You are NOT allowed to write a single word of your draft until midnight May 1st.
6. There is NO minimum word count required. The fine folks of NaPiBoWriWee require nothing but your word of honor. We will embrace the Honor Code. If you say you have written 7 complete picture book drafts in 7 days, we will believe you. Besides, why would you lie to us? You're writing picture books for little children! Picture Book Authors are nice, honest people who would never lie!
7. Please register on http://paulayoo.com/ in order to write comments on Paula's blog every day with your progress and questions.
8. If you plan to blog about your NaPiBoWriWee journey, please include a link to: http://paulayoo.com/
9. A winner will be chosen from random of all the people who comment from May 1-7 on http://paulayoo.com/. That winner will receive an autographed copy of Paula Yoo's latest picture book biography, "SHINING STAR: THE ANNA MAY WONG STORY" (Lee & Low Books 2009) by June 2009 when the book is released.
10. For those of you attending the national Society of Children Book Writers & Illustrators (http://scbwi.org/) conference in August, let me know and I'll arrange for an informal gathering during the conference so we can meet in person and celebrate our first NaPiBoWriWee!

Happy writing, parents of readertotz!

Poetry Friday: Little Robin Redbreast

Little Robin Redbreast

Little Robin Redbreast
Sat upon a rail;
Niddle, naddle, went his head,
Wiggle, waggle, went his tail.

Catch the full roundup with the wonderful Maya Ganesan at Allegro.

Poem in Your Pocket Day

Today is the last day of National Poetry Month and it's Poem in Your Pocket Day!

Simply write a poem or choose one by your totz' fav poet, and put it in your pocket. All day, share it with friends and family.

Click here to learn more.

I'm off to write out a poem. Woohoo, for April and poetry!

Wednesdays Win: Glorious Grandmas by Joan Holub

Mother's Day is May 10th! Drop a comment for a chance to win Joan’s board book, Glorious Grandmas. Good luck, and don’t forget to check back to see if you’ve won next Wednesday (May 6) when we'll announce the winner and also post a new contest for yet another book!

Congratulations PoloPony, you're the winner of Marvelous Moms in last Wednesdays Win! Please email joanholub at aol dot com with a snailmail to send to.

~ Joan Holub and Lorie Ann Grover

Biscuit Visits the Petting Zoo: Alyssa Satin Capucilli

I've been a Biscuit fan since the first I Can Read early reader titled Biscuit was released in 1997. I remember precisely how I first became aware of the book. I was standing in a Barnes & Noble store in Seattle when I overheard two young girls talking about Biscuit and saying how much they loved him. Of course, I took a look at the book myself after that and fell in love with the simplicity and charm of this character. It's not easy creating a book with minimal text that still manages to hold the attention and garner the love of young readers. Yet there's a need for these books. (This one's cited for ages 2-6.)

Since then, there have been many more early readers and board books featuring Biscuit, the little yellow puppy. Now we have Biscuit Visits the Petting Zoo. Biscuit and his girl go to a petting zoo where they meet various other animals who have woolly, fuzzy, silky, etc, features which young readers can stroke to learn what 'woolly' and 'furry' feel like. I'm a fan of touch-and-feel books and totz seem to love them, too!

Biscuit Visits the Petting Zoo
Alyssa Satin Capucilli ~ author
Rose Mary Berlin, in the style of Pat Schories ~ illustrator
HarperCollins, 2009

Poetry Friday: Intery, Mintery

Five Geese, originally uploaded by emorgan49.

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.

Catch the full roundup with Lisa Chellman at Under the Covers.

April Totz Community Service

Photo by Lion Brand Yarn

Your totz can help birds build their nests. Have them place brightly colored pieces of yarn or string about 2-3 inches long (or clothes dryer lint) outside on tree branches and shrubs. In the following days, your totz can watch for nests made with their help.

Make a difference with your totz!

Wednesdays Win: Marvelous Moms by Joan Holub

Mother's Day is May 10th! Drop a comment for a chance to win Joan Holub's fuzzy board book, Marvelous Moms. Good luck, and don’t forget to check back to see if you’ve won next Wednesday (April 29) when we'll announce the winner and also post a new contest for yet another book!

~ Joan Holub and Lorie Ann Grover

Beware the Tickle Monster! Craig Yoe and Aaron Zenz

Get ready for giggles and wiggles as you sit down to read Beware the Tickle Monster! with your totz!

Author Craig Yoe encourages the reader not to be worried about cyclops, dragons, or trolls. Do be worried about the "four-eyed, three-horned, little, furry tickle monster!" With alliteration and assonance that build, your child will be anticipating that last spread where he "gets you!"

Aaron Zenz does a wonderful job creating these characters in a way that they remain playful and fun, rather than frightening. This is not an easy task! The softer palatte and round shapes help achieve this end, as well as the delicate hatching and cross hatching.

Each page presents a parent and child monster. The center spread of the boogiemen is just hilarious!

The added feature of a hole cut through the entire book takes the interactivity to another level. You and your totz can wiggle your fingers though the holes and see how your additions become dragon tails, monster horns, or things that might come out of a boogeyman's nose!

Beware the Tickle Monster! is a fun read that will be requested again and again. Check out this most excellent review by Aaron's children.

Beware the Tickle Monster
by Craig Yoe
illustrated by Aaron Zenz
Running Press, 2009

At the Construction Site: Ace Landers

At the Construction Site stands out to me because of it's layered pages. What a smart format to display the vehicles at work. Turning the unusual shapes and discovering how each spread relates to the next is engaging. Referencing the cover, the green front loader is the shape of the first page; the yellow backhoe, and the red dump truck are others. P. Migliani's simple, clean illustrations will appeal to your totz totally into construction.

Ace Landers' straight forward text introduces the various trucks on site. The reader is taken from the bulldozer which clears the site, all the way to the crane which builds. My heart still goes to the cement truck. They've always fascinated me!

There are a few perspective shifts that the format creates, but I believe they will be overlooked by construction fans. Enjoy, At the Construction Site!

At the Construction Site
Ace Landers, Author
P. Migliani, illustrator
Scholastic, Cartwheel Books, 2007

Poetry Friday: The Hart

La Dame a la Licorne, a French tapestry

The Hart

The hart, he loves the high wood;
The hare, she loves the hill;
The knight, he loves his bright sword;
The lady loves her will.

Catch the roundup with Becky at Becky's Book Reviews.

April Pick for the Older Sibling: Aaron Zenz's the HICCUPotamus

There was a hippopotamus
Who hiccupped quite-a-lotamus.
And every time he got’emus. . .
. . . He’d fall upon his bottomus.

Wordplay is one of my favorite things, and it abounds in this clever picture book by author-illustrator, Aaron Zenz. When hippopotamus gets hiccups, his friends employ various “helpful” methods of assisting him to overcome them. (His friends include a yellow elephant, and a rhinoceros using dental flosserous.)

After much hilarity as well as trial and error, hippo is finally cured. And then. Hic! Hic! Hic! His friends come down with cases of hiccups themselves as shown in this page, rendered in Prismacolor pencil:

















Inside Scoop:
Multi-talented Aaron Zenz has worked as a fine artist, graphic designer, multimedia designer, and illustrator. He’s also the author of one of my favorite blogs, Bookie Woogie, which he creates with his children. It's a VERY entertaining format which provides an informative view of what kids really think and say about books as they're reading them.

the HICCUPotamus
Aaron Zenz, author-illustrator
Marshall Cavendish Children's Books (September 2009)
(Previously publication by Dogs In Hats, 2005)

~ Joan Holub, author

Welcome to readertotz Wednesday's Win!

Drop a comment for a chance to win this infant-toddler book, Whiskerville Grocery. A random winner will be chosen and posted Thursday morning. Don’t forget to check back to see if you’ve won.

No More Diapers for Ducky: Bernette Ford and Sam Williams

I found this board book in my library and was immediately drawn to the adorable illustrations and the diaper on the front cover. The diaper is actually white terrycloth, adding a nice tactile experience for young readers. Once I got past the cool cover, I was pulled into the story in which two friends learn by imitating one another.

As the story opens, diaper-wearing Ducky visits her friend Piggy, hoping to play. Piggy informs her through the closed bathroom door that he’s on the potty. The art shows us he’s passing the time reading.

So Ducky waits, playing alone in Piggy’s room. She knocks again, almost immediately, asking if Piggy can “come out now.” Alas, Piggy informs her that he’s still on the potty.

Soon Ducky begins to notice that her diaper is uncomfortable. It’s wet and cold. She wriggles out of it and kicks it away. I like the action here, which puts Ducky in charge of this decision.

Then Ducky knocks yet a third time, telling Piggy she needs to use the potty herself. Surprised, Piggy protests that she wears diapers, to which she replies, “Not anymore.”

Piggy dresses, washes his hands (a helpful reminder), and then lets Ducky in. Piggy goes to play with his toys and books while Ducky uses the potty. In a humorous role reversal, Piggy eventually calls through the bathroom door to Ducky, asking her to “come out and play.” Of course she’s the one who’s busy now, sitting on the potty.

William's simple, charming illustrations do a wonderful job of capturing the characters’ emotions with a few active strokes of a black pencil. Piggy’s protesting expression as he informs Ducky that he’s still busy, is accomplished with the sparest of lines. Ducky’s grimace when she eventually demands to use the potty is right-on.

Ford’s non-rhyming prose empathizes with the characters as it captures a moment when toddlers are called upon to cope with developmental growth and change.

No More Diapers For Ducky
Bernette Ford (Author)
Sam Williams (Illustrator)
Boxer Books, 2006
Ages Baby to Pre-school

~ Joan Holub, author-illustrator

Poetry Friday: A Little Nut-Tree

A Little Nut-Tree

I had a little nut-tree, nothing would it bear
But a silver nutmeg and a golden pear;
The king of Spain's daughter came to visit me,
And all because of my little nut-tree.
I skipped over water, I danced over sea.
And all the birds in the air couldn't catch me.

Catch the full roundup at Carol Wilcox at Carol's Corner.

Welcome to readertotz Wednesday's Win!

Welcome to readertotz Wednesday's Win! Drop a comment for a chance to win Five Spring Fairies, a pop-up book written by Joan Holub and beautifully illustrated by Kathy Couri (Little Simon). A random winner will be chosen and posted Thursday morning. Don’t forget to check back to see if you’ve won.

More, More, More! If I Could, Susan Milord

Joan and I are receiving wonderful works from publishers. Of course there are far more picture books being printed than board books. To share the very best, occasionally, we'll offer a review titled "More, More, More!" as Vera Williams so eloquently put it. We still remain a board book blog. But this will keep our content fresh!

The revised edition of If I Could by Susan Milord and illustrated by Christopher Denise came to my attention. It's absolutely dear. The original cover is above and the revised is below. I prefer the revised! It's bright and active.

On one ordinary day, a raccoon mother and child share their wishes for each other. Each endearment could be spoken by either character.

"If I could,
I'd rouse the sun
and make it shine
till day is done."

The lasting note is:

"I couldn't love you
more than I do.
But if I could,
I would."

With delightful layered illustrations in acrylic and charcoal, your heart will be stirred along with your totz'.

If I Could
by Susan Milord, illustrated by Christopher Denise
Candlewick, 2009, revised

~Lorie Ann Grover

I Can Eat a Rainbow: Annabel Karmel

When I pick up a DK book, I'm always hoping for those amazing layouts filled with photos of beautiful items and imagery. Sure enough, I Can Eat a Rainbow by Annabel Karmel did not disappoint me!



Each page is a different color filled with fruits and vegetables that will delight your totz. Included are photos of animals constructed from the featured foods on each spread. The purple elephant is made from a red cabbage, beets, and an eggplant. The white sheep is made from cauliflower, onions, and a potato.

Eyes are added to random food items along with numbers, dotted lines, and bold and regular fonts. Occasional food facts are included. How can fruits and veggies be so fun? With Annabel's creativity, that's for certain.

You can look forward to a first page devoted to parents with activities and helpful tips. Even that material is displayed attractively for totz' interest.

Annabel is a leading children's food expert. Check out her website and look for her Mom and Me Cookbook and Toddler Cookbook. I'll most likely be reviewing them as well, soon!

I Can Eat A Rainbow
Annabel Karmel
DK, 2009

~Lorie Ann

Poetry Friday: Animated Green Eggs and Ham

Enjoy Green Eggs and Ham with your totz! Give it up for Dr. Seuss!



Catch the full roundup with Amy Planchak Graves at ayuddha.net

Press Release: Rainy Day Slug

Immediate Release

CO-FOUNDER OF READERGIRLZ AND READERTOTZ CELEBRATES THE RELEASE OF RAINY DAY SLUG IN PAPERBACK!

Illustrator Lorie Ann Grover's Northwest staple marks its ten year anniversary from creation with a paperback edition.


April, 2009 (Seattle, Wash.) – readergirlz and readertotz co-founder and illustrator Lorie Ann Grover's Rainy Day Slug has just been released in paperback from Sasquatch Books. With text by Mary Colborn, this Northwest favorite will continue to be found and loved by toddlers and slug lovers alike. From the Space Needle to Safeco Field, where it is read to the Mariners' children during the games, this picture book brings smiles to Seattle and beyond.

"One rainy day, a slug left it's garden for a walk in the wide, wide world."

"I love the thought that this work will still have a presence and will now be even more affordable," says Grover. "It was a joy to revisit the illustrations and provide a brand new cover for this edition."

Rainy Day Slug is a beloved book of the Pacific Northwest and can be found nationally in the homes of slug lovers.

About readergirlz, readertotz, Lorie Ann Grover, and Mary Colborn

readergirlz is the foremost online book community for teen girls, led by five critically acclaimed YA authors. The site is the recipient of a 2007 James Patterson PageTurner Award and the Association for Library Services to Children, ALA, Great Web Sites Award. www.readergirlz.com

readertotz is a blog which showcases infant-toddler books as an important addition to children's literature. http://readertotz.blogspot.com

Lorie Ann Grover is the author of three young adult verse novels (Loose Threads, On Pointe, Hold Me Tight) and three board books (When Daddy Comes Home, Hug Hug!, Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish) and has illustrated the picture book Rainy Day Slug. http://lorieanngrover.blogspot.com

Mary Colborn is an author and horticulturist who lives in Port Orchard, Washington.

Contact information:
Email: lorieanngrover(at)clearwire(dot)net
Website: http://lorieanngrover.blogspot.com

Welcome to readertotz Wednesday's Win!

Drop a comment for a chance to win this infant-toddler book, Maisy Goes to the Museum in paperback. A random winner will be chosen and posted Thursday morning. Don’t forget to check back to see if you’ve won.