A Surprise for the Nutbrown Hares: Sam McBratney

I was surprised, just like the nutbrown hares. Because this book is fatter (about 3/4 inches thick) and has many more pages than most board books. However, it is truly a board book. It's small with sturdy pages. And Candlewick says its for ages 2-4.

The team of Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram is probably best known for the best-selling family classic, Guess How Much I Love You. This book follows a similar style. On a windy day, the Nutbrown Hares have been playing and chasing leaves, and now Big Nutbrown Hare has to rest. Imagine his surprise when he opens his eyes and sees . . . a box monster hopping toward him! Is he dreaming? Should he run away? And what will Big Nutbrown Hare’s response be when the box monster sheds his convincing disguise?

Totz will relate to the situation that unfolds and will enjoy reading this with mom and dad. Anita's website is fun and has art and cards for purchase.

A Surprise for the Nutbrown Hares
Sam McBratney, author
Anita Jeram, illustrator
Candlewick, 2009

~ review by Joan Holub, author

Poetry Friday: A Star

A Star

I have a little sister, they call her Peep, Peep;
She wades the waters deep, deep, deep;
She climbs the mountains high, high, high;
Poor little creature, she has but one eye.

My dad has one eye, and we don't think of him as "poor little creature." Hm. Too dated for our totz?

Catch the full roundup with Andromeda Jazmon at a wrung sponge.

Totz Video: Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish

Is this not the cutest ever?

If you recognize her as one of our totz, please don't divulge her name in the comments to protect her anonymity.

Thanks to her family for filming the moment and allowing me to share this. It just cheers my heart!

~Lorie Ann

readertotz CLASSIC: Bruce Degan, Jamberry

It's a classic post! Yay!

Give it up for Jamberry by Bruce Degen. How awesome to have this 1983 picture book in a board book format. It's a perfect fit.



Revisit this classic or discover it for the first time with your totz. The rhythm is so catching you'll find you are reciting it together throughout your day.

"One berry
Two berry
Pick me a blueberry
Hatberry
Shoeberry
In my canoeberry

The fantasy includes a boy and bear off to find and pick berries for jam. Everyone joins the joyful pursuit, from animals circling the bear like a maypole to a goose driving a train. All the action culminates in a jam jamboree!

Bruce uses an ink line and watercolor to capture the fun and excitement of the tale. Full spreads alternate with half spreads and one wordless explosion of blueberries.

Pick up this board book before you go pick those berries at the close of summer. Whether they be strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, jazzberries, starberries...

Jamberry
by Bruce Degen
HarperFestival, 1995

Poetry Friday: Blow, Wind, Blow!

Blow, Wind, Blow!

Blow, wind, blow! And go, mill, go!
That the miller may grind his corn;
That the baker may take it,
And into rolls make it,
And send us some hot in the morn.

Happy Poetry Friday, folks and totz! I'm writing from a bakery, so this seemed perfect!

Catch the full round up with Tricia at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

~Lorie Ann

Watch Me HOP! Rebecca Young

Watch Me HOP! has "8 Amazing Moving Pictures." These photos that seem to move are actually 60-frame lenticulars. Totz can actually watch a bunny or a grasshopper hop, and an elephant swing its trunk. The animals almost literally leap off the page!

I leap up high
and land with a plop!
I'm a FROG . . .
Watch me hop!

The black and solid color design is eye-catching. I think this photo technique is fascinating and totz I've shown it to have loved it. It's great to see boundaries being pushed like this to create a successful book. It's pretty sturdy and will likely stand up to most totz' handling.

Watch Me HOP!
Rebecca Young, author
Von Glitschka, illustrator
Pamela Notarantonio, designer
Scholastic, 2009

~ reviewed by Joan Holub, author

Poetry Friday: Broadway Across America

I just wrote and posted this haiku at my blog, On Point, and realized it's kind of fun for our readertotz, too. If The Lion King hits your town, GO! It was a lifetime memory for our family!

Broadway Across America

Gazelles ready to
leap for Simba the Lion
King, dancing through town.


Lorie Ann Grover, 2009

Catch the full roundup with Sylvia Vardell at Poetry For Children.

For the Older Sibling: The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau

What makes a picture book stand out from the crowd? How about unique art treatments, interesting layouts, intriguing perspectives, and tight text? The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau includes each of these elements and more. When I first opened this work, I knew I was holding a gem. I'll be shocked if this doesn't garner awards.

Author/illustrator Dan Yaccarino's text relays the life of Cousteau, from childhood to adult. The simple font does not detract from the illustrations and almost reflects the voice of the storyteller. The pacing of facts, interspersed with quotes from Cousteau, is brilliant. Yaccarino conveys so much feeling in this non-fiction work.

"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Yaccarino's gouache and airbrush treatments perfectly capture the underwater world. The layers of imagery and color pull the attention into the multitude of details. The large format is able to hold the world Cousteau uncovers.



I've watched adults pick up this work and say, "I didn't know Cousteau co-invented the Aqua-Lung," while children say, "I didn't really know who he was before." Then both groups sink into the story.

I'm so happy to share this beautiful book with you this month. The siblings, friends, and family of your readertotz will be amazed by Cousteau's journey, discoveries, and achievements, captured and shared brilliantly by Yaccarino. Here's my favorite quote which concludes the book:

"If we were logical, the future would be bleak indeed. But we are more than logical. We are human beings, and we have faith, and we have hope, and we can work."

The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau
by Dan Yaccarino
Alfred A. Knopf, 2009

readertotz CHALLENGE: The Kunhardt Award

Thanks to everyone for their input on our idea of a board book award. Everyone is truly in favor of the Kunhardt Award!



Let's remember that unlike the Geisel Award which was named to honor Dr. Seuss' collective body of work, the Kunhardt choice would be based on the fact that Dorothy Kunhardt created the 1940 groundbreaking board/novelty book Pat the Bunny which still generates 250,000 sales a year.

So, American Libraries Association, we put forward the Kunhardt Award! We would like to see this award given to the best contribution to the board book/novelty arena. What book published in the given year represents the strongest art and appropriate text for the youngest reader? What book is going to engender a lifelong love of literature in our babies and toddlers?

Let's encourage authors, illustrators and publishers to create the best in this important field. Let's offer the Kundhardt Award!

~Lorie Ann Grover, author/illustrator, co-founder of readergirlz and readertotz
and Joan Holub, author/illustrator, co-founder of readertotz

Lost Sheep and the Scary Day: Christina Goodings and Claire Henley

How do you convert a Bible story into the board book format and retain the accuracy of the one and the toddler appeal of the other? Lion Children's Book has done this with their series All Join In. I was skeptical at first but then delightfully surprised!

Author Christina Goodings has reduced the scriptural parable to the fewest words for plot. Then she has added repeated animal and nature sounds to further increase interest and tension.

"slurp slurp
scritch scritch"

Illustrator Claire Henley's paintings are fresh and bright. Her layout of the book will catch your totz' eye. Each half spread is a close depiction of animals, along with the first of the shepherd. The rich treatment balanced by a spot illustration on the opposing page creates a strong rhythm. The final full page spread with a flap is a fun reward at the story's conclusion.

Here's to publishers who offer the richest stories to totz in accessible ways. Brava to writers and illustrators who create them.

Lost Sheep and the Scary Day
by Christina Goodings
illustrated by Claire Henley
Lion Children's Book, Lion Hudson pic, Trafalgar Square Publishing, UK: 2007, US: October, 2009

Poetry Friday: These Chickens, from Syria

Here's a Syrian nursery rhyme to share with your totz this Friday! Thanks, Mama Lisa.

These Chickens

These chickens... How they are beautiful
They are walking around their mother happily
They drank water and said Wow Yum Yum
They raised their heads and thanked God happily.

Catch the roundup with Mary Lee Hahn at A Year of Reading.

Silly Suzy Goose: Petr Horacek

Suzy Goose may look like your average white goose with an orange bill and feet, but she has a big imagination. She can see the merits of being all sorts of other animals:

If I were a giraffe, I could S T R E T C H up high.

But she can see the merits of just being herself as well.

With cut-paper and collage illustrations which are pleasingly reminiscent of Eric Carle, this sturdy board book is filled with examples of animals and common action words and sounds associated with them. It's longer than average at 17 pages (32 spreads) and is suggested for ages 1 to 3.

Also see Lorie Ann's review of this book in her June 15th post. We reviewed the same book without realizing each other had chosen it. I think this speaks well for this book.

Silly Suzy Goose
Petr Horacek, author-illustrator
board book
Candlewick Press, 2006

~ reviewed by Joan Holub, author

Poetry Friday: Hush You Mice!

I love uncovering these nursery rhymes from other lands! Mama Lisa is a great resource. Today's is from Russia and translated by Natalia, with an appearance by Angelina Ballerina.

Hush You Mice!

Mice are dancing in a round,
On a bench a cat is sleeping.
"Hush, you mice, don't make such noise
Or you'll wake up Vaska Cat
Vaska Cat will jump and leap
And will spoil and break your round."

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

readertotz CHALLENGE: Name that Board Book Award...

*waving to you from ALA*

When Joan and I began readertotz, our mission was to raise the profile of board and novelty books while challenging writers to contribute their very best for the youngest readers. Our long term goal is to see an award created for the very first books that ignite a love of reading.

Here at ALA, we are celebrating the Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and other prestigious awards. Why not an award for the best board book published?

Today, July 12th, 2009, Joan and I put forward two names for the first board book award for literary and artistic merit:



The Nordstrom Award
Shall we honor Ursula Nordstrom, (1910-1988) the amazing editor-in-chief of Harper & Row from 1940-1973, who edited Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon, our country's most beloved board book today? True, the book was originally 32 pages, and only took the board book form in 1991, but no one can contest what Ursula contributed to children's literature. And this board book will stand for generations.

Or...



The Kunhardt Award
We would remember Dorothy Kunhardt the author of Pat the Bunny, possibly the first interactive book for babies. Printed by Random House, Golden Press Golden Books in 1940, the work still generates 250,000 sales a year, rating only second in all time sales behind The Tale of Peter Rabbit. It would be an honor for board book creators to receive The Kunhardt Award, remembering the woman who broke the ground for us today.

Please feel free to repost this entry and generate feedback. Which do you prefer?

And a thought recently came to mind. Is there room in the Cybils awards for board book winners? What do you say? Thanks for your input!

~Lorie Ann Grover, author/illustrator, cofounder of readergirlz and readertotz

More More, More!: April Pulley Sayre at ALA Annual

Hanging at ALA and I ran into April Pulley Sayre, 2008 Geisel Honor Winner for:

Here's the Amazon blurb:

"Turkey vultures soar on the balmy air, looking for their next stinky feast. These birds don’t hunt—they like their food to be already dead, and their eating habits serve a very important ecological role. Vultures are part of nature’s clean-up crew.

In her signature poetic, energetic style, acclaimed nature writer April Pulley Sayre introduces young readers to the world of the turkey vulture. The gorgeous illustrations by Caldecott Honor–winning artist Steve Jenkins capture these birds in all their surprising majesty."

April has written over 50 natural history books. What an awesome contribution to the field. On behalf of our totz, we thank you, April!

Poetry Friday: Our Baby, a Chinese Rhyme

Here's a fun Chinese nursery rhyme to introduce to your totz. Enjoy!

Our Baby

Mrs. Chang, Mrs. Lee,
Mama has a small baby;
Stands up firm,
Sits up straight,
Won't eat milk,
But lives on cake.

Catch the roundup with Jama Rattigan at Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup.

Little Fish Signing

I had one of the best signings ever at Costco! Just take a look at Lucy, my perfect match. :~) Thanks to everyone for their support of this super event! *hug, hug, kiss, kiss*

~Lorie Ann

Update for Wednesday's Wins

Thanks to Joan for all the Wednesday Wins so far this year! Just an fyi: she's taking the summer off as she's writing her head off. Yay! She'll resume the wins in September.

We'll still continue our weekly reviews, celebrations of Poetry Friday, and occasional extras at totz, however. So stay tuned and drop comments. Onward!

And admit, this fella is soooo cute! Chillin' in summer.

Lily's Twinkly Bedtime: Katie Peters

Lift the large, glittery flaps in this Sweetheart Fairies book and you'll see Lily the fairy saying good night to her three fairy friends in this sturdy board book. Each time she bids another fairy friend good night, the friend gives her an object she'll need for her own bedtime: a blanket, a teddy, and a book.

Lily says good night to Rosie,
and finds her blanket, soft and cosy.

The sparkly flaps each have a small half-oval cut-out--a good idea because it made them easy for me and the totz I read this book with to lift. The colors are attractive and appropriate to fairies--pink, blue, and other pastel hues. A cute bedtime book!

PW Review

Lily's Twinkly Bedtime
Katie Peters, author
Sanja Rescek, illustrator
Scholastic, 2008

~ reviewed by Joan Holub, author

Poetry Friday: The Lion and the Unicorn

The Lion and the Unicorn

The lion and the unicorn were fighting for the crown
The lion beat the unicorn all around the town.
Some gave them white bread, and some gave them brown;
Some gave them plum cake and drummed them out of town.

Catch the full roundup with Tabatha A. Yeatts.

Happy July with Grover and Madeleine Kahn!

Here's to a fun July with your totz! Let's kick it off with a little song from Grover and Madeline. Watch as a few more classics pop up on readertotz this month. Happy July!



~Lorie Ann

Slippers: Maisie Munro and Jenny Hale

I just received a set of adorable books from Little Hare of Australia. Slippers, Boots, and Shoes make a sweet collection of board books about foot apparel.

Maisie Munro's spare text is carefully chosen to create sensory action: creeping softly, toes to snuggle, slipping and sliding. Your totz will quickly memorize the wonderful words.

Maisie's stories are paired with Jenny Hale's art. I love the uneven thick black line, simple compositions, and color choices. The books are shaped and the first pages are in the form of the object discussed with added texture. A different main character and four sidekicks in each work demonstrate the use of the featured shoe, but it is the sidekicks who show non-traditional uses in the final spread. The humorous beat will be appreciated by your totz.

Check out these works and what Little Hare is adding to the board book market!

Slippers, Boots, Shoes
by Maisie Munro
illustrated by Jenny Hale
Little Hare, 2008

Poetry Friday: Coffee and Tea

I haven't heard this one and thought it was funny for totz. Let's say it's for well-deserving moms and dads this week. Raise a cuppa!

COFFEE AND TEA

Molly, my sister and I fell out,
And what do you think it was all about?
She loved coffee and I loved tea,
And that was the reason we couldn't agree.

Catch the full roundup with the AMAZING Kelly Herold at Crossover.

Author signing!

Just a quick note that I'm signing at my local Costco, Saturday at 1:00. If you are in the area, stop on by and help me celebrate the release of Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish!

Costco
1201 39th SW
Puyallup, Washington

My First Signs: Michelle Anthony and Reyna Lindert

Photos of babies, totz, and adults illustrate four simple signs on each spread in My First Signs.
This is a true board with with sturdy, glossy cardboard pages, yet also includes an unusual feature--the seven tabs on the right edge, which offer visual cues to help totz locate specific signs. Some of the signs introduced include: DADDY, PHONE, BALL, MORE, MOMMY, and DRINK.

This is part of a series called Signing Smart, which is described as:
*the first interactive baby signing book series designed to expand your child's signed and spoken vocabulary.
*developed by experts in the field and cofounders of the Signing Smart international playclass program.
*full of tips and tools to playfully engage your child in reading, signing, and speaking.

Instructions on each spread and in the back of the book will guide parents in introducing the signs to their babies and totz:
*Use these signs in your everyday life, talking about the LIGHTS on the toy, or commenting how you are ALL-DONE with the tickle game, or noticing that the balloon looks like a BALL.

Happy signing!

My First Signs
Michelle Anthony and Reyna Lindert, authors
Scholastic, 2009

~ reviewed by Joan Holub, author

Poetry Friday: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Animated

Watch this adorable animated Chicka Chicka Boom Boom from Scholastic with your totz. Enjoy!




Catch the full round up with Carol Wilcox at Carol's Corner.

June Pick for the Older Sibling: How to Get Married by Me, the Bride

Remember when you played bride as a child? How to Get Married will make you want to do it all over again. It's a step-by-step guide to staging a happily-ever-after wedding, told by a child, with some help from her friends. There are suggestions for finding a mate, getting engaged, and dancing at the wedding. No bride will go wrong with advice like:

You should never get married when it's dark
because you won't be able to see
and you might marry the wrong person.

Sue Heap's illustrations are just right--simple, adorable, and appropriately frilly. The text is playful and often reads as if we're actually eavesdropping on children who are having a make-believe wedding:

Your friends and sisters and pets and toys and grandmas
should all come to see your wedding in their best outfits.
And when the music starts everyone has to stop whatever
they're doing and look at you.
And you walk down the aisle, which means you must go
extra slowly down a long path and not fall over.


I can't say enough good things about this picture book. I love it!

How to Get Married
Sally Lloyd-Jones, author
Sue Heap, illustrator
Schwartz & Wade Books (Random House), 2009

~ reviewed by Joan Holub, author

Wednesdays Win: How To Find Lost Treasure in All Fifty States and Canada Too by Joan Holub

Summer is prime treasure-hunting time! Drop a comment here on readertotz for a chance to win Joan Holub's chapter book for your totz's older siblings (ages 8-12), How To Find Lost Treasure in All Fifty States and Canada Too (that’s a mouthful, isn’t it?). 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! (Open to USA only, due to mailing costs.)

~ Joan Holub and Lorie Ann Grover

Petr Horacek: Silly Suzy Goose

Suzy Goose doesn't like to be just like everybody else. Who does? Wouldn't it be great to flap like a bat, squawk like a toucan, or slide like a penguin? Suzy compares herself to animals throughout the world and finds she comes up short, repeatedly. Until she compares herself to a lion and discovers it might be helpful to appear just like every other goose!

Petr Horacek's text and illustrations for Silly Suzy Goose are fresh and delightful. The theme of wanting to stand apart is handled in a new way that will engage your totz through the various large type verbs and mixed media illustrations. From watercolor to collage, Suzy's story is brilliant in color. The plot is well-paced and varied compositions contribute to the fun beat.

I really enjoyed how Suzy incorporated her discoveries and experiences into her life and grew. All of this in a board book with wonderful humor! Enjoy Silly Suzy Goose!

Silly Suzy Goose
by Petr Horacek
Candlewick Press, 2009

Poetry Friday: Hop a Little

Hop a Little

Hop a little, jump a little,
One two, three;
Run a little, skip a little,
Tap one knee;
Bend a little, stretch a little,
Nod your head;
Yawn a little,
sleep a little,
In your bed.

Photo from Photobucket

Catch the full roundup with Brian Jung at Critique de Mr. Chompchomp.

Wednesdays Win: Biscuit's Walk in the Woods

Drop a comment here on readertotz for a chance to win Biscuit's Walk in the Woods, an adorable board book by Alyssa Satin Capucilli just published by HarperCollins! 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 Hannah, winner of last week’s Wednesday’s Win -- A Little Kitty -- on readertotz! Please email joanholub at aol dot com with your snailmail addy.

~ Joan Holub and Lorie Ann Grover

Tie A Bow, Ben Bunny: Mavis Smith

Ben Bunny's shoes are untied and he doesn't know how to tie them. Luckily, his pal the crow will teach him, step by step. Totz can follow the instructions using the four colorful laces that are provided. (recommended for ages 3 and up)

"Uh-oh," said Ben. "What'll I do?
I don't know how to tie my shoe."

"Pay attention," said the crow.
"I'll show you how to tie a bow."

The 5-step tying instructions are easy to follow, and there's a big diagram of a pair of shoes on the facing page that encourages young readers:

"Now you try!"

Delighted with his newfound skill, Ben Bunny goes a little wild, tying bows everywhere. In a humorous ending, even his ears wind up in a lovely bow. Good job, Ben Bunny!

Tie A Bow, Ben Bunny
Mavis Smith, author-illustrator
Scholastic, Cartwheel Books, 1996
(recommended for ages 3 and up)

~ Joan Holub, author-illustrator

Poetry Friday: Sally Go Round the Sun

I'm enjoying these English Mother Goose rhymes. It's fun to find ones that are unfamiliar to me. Enjoy this with your totz! Can you sing along?

Sally Go Round the Sun

Sally go round the sun,
Sally go round the moon,
Sally go round the chimney pots,
On a Saturday afternoon.

Then I found picture books that carry this title! Her's one by Edith Fowke.



Does everyone know this rhyme but me?

Catch the roundup with Sara Lewis Holmes at Read Write Believe.

June: Around the block with Sesame Street, India Arie

Every month I choose a Sesame Street clip for the right side panel of readertotz. Just in case you didn't see it below, here's India Arie with Elmo. India is my fav musical artist!

Wednesdays Win: A Little Kitty

Drop a comment here on readertotz for a chance to win A Little Kitty, 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.)

~ Joan Holub and Lorie Ann Grover