Celebrating Joan's magnetic new release: A Kiss For You!

This board book (with lift-the-flap magnetic hand) began four years ago as a way to empower young children by showing the many important, loving things little hands can do. In fact, the original title was What Can A Little Hand Do? My editor loved the idea of blowing a kiss, which I had on one of the inside pages. So the title became A Kiss For You!

I made numerous dummies of the book to figure out the best way for the hand to move as a lift-the-flap which folds down on each page in turn, and Scholastic had the idea of adding a magnet so the hand would stay in place easily, until lifted.

Caroline Jayne Church's adorable illustrations added just the right touch that brought the story alive. I hope you and your child enjoy this book, which so many loving hands and minds came together to create.

From Publishers Weekly: "Readers can engage with this sunny board book by maneuvering a hand-shaped flap attached to the back cover, in seven scenes. Gently lifting the hand up and down makes a blonde girl softly pat a puppy. Elsewhere, a boy blows a kiss with the hand, and a brunette girl can play "peek-a-boo, I see you!" with readers...a fun, engaging gimmick. Ages 2–4. (Sept.)"

~ Joan

A Kiss For You!
Ages 2-5
Author: Joan Holub, readertotz co-founder
Caroline Jayne Church, illustrator
Scholastic, Cartwheel Books
September 2011

Poetry Friday: What are Little Boys Made of?

Is this politically correct these days? Hm. Happy Poetry Friday!

WHAT ARE LITTLE BOYS MADE OF?

What are little boys made of, made of?

What are little boys made of?

“Snaps and snails, and puppy-dogs’ tails;

And that’s what little boys are made of.”

What are little girls made of, made of ?

What are little girls made of?

“Sugar and spice, and all that’s nice;

And that’s what little girls are made of.”

September: Around the Block with Sesame Street

Just in time for Labor Day! Happy holiday with classic Sesame Street...

August: Community Service

Photo from Home Cook'n

Have your totz share those extra zucchini with a neighbor! I know my garden is offering up plenty. How about yours?

August: For the Older Sibling, Press Here

How about the coolest book ever this month, for the older sibling of your totz? A New York Times Best Seller! I have to nominate Press Here by  Herve' Tullet. As School Library Journal said, "It's a magic trick that never stops giving." Even my mother was enamored and played along from beginning to end!

Imagine dots: red, yellow, and blue. Now simple instructions which yield results as you turn each page. Sometimes the dots multiply with a press and page turn. They may change color with gentle rubbing, while taps might reorient the groupings. Shaking and tilting moves the dots as well.



You'll find the lights go out until you blow the black away. Clapping increases the dot size, until you begin again, at the start of the book.

With graphic simplicity, you and your child will enjoy the fun reading game of Press Here. And then you will run to share the book with another. Thank you, Herve' and Chronicle! Wonderful!

Press Here
by Herve' Tullet
a Handprint Book, Chronicle, 2011

Baby Animals in the Forest

I wanted to share another Kingfisher Baby Animal title in their lovely series. This one is called Baby Animals in the Forest. As a collaborative project, the creative text, photographic imagery, expressive font, and bold flat color make this addition to the Baby Animal series a must have for totz animal enthusiasts.

Be introduced to the baby fox, rabbit, and even a boar. Imitate their sounds as you read short facts and action words.

"Deer
I am a young fawn with spotted fur. When I grow up, the spots will disappear! Bleat bleat!"

Spots are added to "spotted" and the word "disappear" is faint. There is much interaction in this little book of precious baby animals. Enjoy it with your readertotz!

Baby Animals in the Forest
Kingfisher, 2011

Poetry Friday: Georgy Porgy

GEORGY PORGY

Georgy Porgy, pudding and pie,

Kissed the girls and made them cry.

When the boys came out to play,

Georgy Porgy ran away.

Happy Poetry Friday!

August: Around the Block with Sesame Street

Too cute!

Potty: Leslie Patricelli

I am always up for a potty book. Pair the topic with Leslie Patricelli's Baby, and you have a wonderful board book which will make your totz giggle and aim for their own successes.

Baby has to go potty, but where should he go? In his diaper, the cat box, or where the dog goes? Questions from Baby will engage your little reader. Baby does decide to use his own potty, whereupon he falls asleep, until he startles himself awake with his own success. The world is bright with future undies!

Tackle potty training with Potty. That squared-nosed baby will be a fun inspiration for certain!

Baby
by Leslie Patricelli
Candlewick Press, 2010

Photo Friday: love.

Just collaged this image over in Polyvore. Happy Photo Friday, totz!

Sally Rippin: Go Baby Go!

How about a fresh board book from Australia? With the simple injunction to "Go, baby, go," totz will be introduced to locomotion and Australian animals.

Publisher Allen & Unwin paired Sally Rippin's simple text with Ann James' energetic, loose illustrations in what I believe are grease pencil and watercolor wash. It's the latter which captures my attention as verbs like wriggle, sit up, and travel are explored. Ann's lines are incredibly expressive.

The inclusion of a koala, turtle, and joey help to make this collaboration stand out from the crowd. Travel down under and enjoy totz as loveable as your own in Go Baby Go! 


Go Baby Go!
by Sally Rippin
illustrations by Ann James
Allen & Unwin, Australia, 2008

Photo Friday: Retro Summer

Hope this sparks a bit of summer in your heart, like it does for me up in the cloudy Northwest. It's a collection of my memories. Happy Photo Friday, everyone!

Renee Khatami: little black book

With concept, text, and design by Renee Khatami and photos by Laura Dwight, your totz can own a little black book for themselves. Traditional textures like bunny fur, and velvet are revisited; yet, touch and feel is refreshed with nylon cat whiskers. Midpoint, the scratch and sniff licorice is a great surprise. Foil stars in a black night sky conclude the simple rhyme about black things.

Watch for this little black book of exploration. Your totz will enjoy the mysteries with all their senses!

little black book
by Renee Khatami
photography by Laura Dwight
Random House, 2011

Poetry Friday: Bed in Summer

Art by Jessie Wilcox-Smith

Bed in Summer

by Robert Louis Stevenson

In winter I get up at night And dress by yellow candle-light. In summer quite the other way, I have to go to bed by day. I have to go to bed and see The birds still hopping on the tree, Or hear the grown-up people's feet Still going past me in the street. And does it not seem hard to you, When all the sky is clear and blue, And I should like so much to play, To have to go to bed by day?

Photototz: Frances Barry

How professional and ready for the world was author/illustrator Frances Barry at age 6? Isn't she a confident beauty? Her website is adorable, so be sure to take a look!

I recently reviewed Frances' Let's Look at Dinosaurs. Review our thoughts of this book for your totz, and then find Frances' other works, as well. Look at Duckie! Too cute!

Thanks for sharing with us, Frances!

If you are an author or illustrator and would like to add your own photo as a tot to our gallery, send it my way! We'll add you to the roundup: lorieanngroveratclearwiredotnet

Uh-oh! I'm Sorry: Jill Ackerman

Uh-oh! I'm Sorry is a lesson in manners and etiquette for ages 0-2, but it's a nice reinforcement for totz as well. At ten pages, with oversized lift-the-flaps and rhyming repetitive text, it reassures readers that simple mistakes can always be fixed. For instance, when crayon scribbles venture onto the floor instead of staying put on a drawing:

Sometimes I color outside the lines.
Uh-oh!
(child is joined by mom under flap)
I'm sorry!
It's okay.
We can clean it up.

Though accidents will happen, the set of important words in this book will help the youngest readers cope when they do.

Uh-oh! I'm Sorry
Author: Jill Ackerman
Illustrator: Michelle Berg
Publisher: Cartwheel Books
Series: Little Scholastic

For the Older Sibling: Grandma's Gloves

I'm a huge fan of Cecil Castellucci. We were delighted to feature her work for older readers at readergirlz. You can read her issue here. So when the picture book Grandma's Gloves arrived, I knew I would be enchanted. And I was.

I was incredibly moved by this honest treatment of a grandmother's senility and eventual death as seen through the eyes of a young girl. The book is beautifully paced, with lovely language. Julia Denos' open, fresh, drawn and painted illustrations are the perfect match to carry Cecil's text. There's light and space and room to breath throughout the difficult topic.

Here is the witness of one generation connecting to another, each blessed with time to hear and be with the other. The child is also able to bridge a gap for her own mother when the grandmother passes. The work is justly receiving awards and notice, such as the California Book Award!

Save this one for your totz' siblings when a loved one departs. Thank you, Cecil and Julia!

Grandma's Gloves
by Ceci Castellucci
illustrated by Julia Denos
Candlewick Books, 2010

Poetry Friday: Smiling Girls, Rosy Boys

Photo from talk Disney

SMILING GIRLS, ROSY BOYS

Smiling girls, rosy boys,

Come and buy my little toys;

Monkeys made of gingerbread,

And sugar horses painted red.

Little toys are the best! Happy Poetry Friday.

Pat the Bunny: Peekaboo, Bunny!

If you and your totz can't get enough of patting that adorable first board book bunny, look for Peekaboo, Bunny! With illustrations in keeping with the original Pat the Bunny, your totz are challenged to find Bunny's friends beneath flaps. Where is Squeak, Teddy, and Cat? Each spread offers three flap possibilities for surprise and memory exercise on further readings.

It's so fun to revisit Bunny. And of course you must look for him/her on the last spread. Where is Bunny? He's hiding because he loves to play peek-a-boo with you! (Hm. Is Bunny a male or female?)

Peekaboo, Bunny!
Golden Books, 2009

Poetry Friday: Butterfly, Butterfly

I'm away on a writing retreat, surrounded by butterflies as I work outside. Happy Poetry Friday! May a butterfly cross your path today!

Image from Colour Lovers Blog

BUTTERFLY, BUTTERFLY

Butterfly, butterfly,

Whence do you come?

"I know not, I ask not,

Nor ever had a home."

Butterfly, butterfly,

Where do you go? 

"Where the sun shines, 

And where the buds grow."

July: Community Service

Image from City of Broomfield, CO

Create a drawing to send and thank a member of our armed forces. Here's a handy link!

July: Around the Block with Sesame Street

I heart Ernie!

Busy Elephants: John Schindel and Martin Harvey

This 16 page board book is the 14th in the Busy Book collection. Busy Elephants shows elephants engaging in their everyday activities in their natural habitat. There aren't enough wildlife photography books like this for totz, so I'm happy to welcome this one onto my shelves. From a two-page spread:

Elephants splashing
Elephants dashing


The real-life photographs, action verbs, and rhyming text are a delight. Made of sturdy board and glossy photos, its , 7 x 5 inch size makes it perfect for small hands. It's a self-described "elephantastic romp" that I think totz will enjoy.

Busy Elephants
Author: John Schindel
Photographs: Martin Harvey 
Tricycle Press, 2011
$6.99

Poetry Friday: Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee

Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee

Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee

Resolved to have a battle,

For Tweedle-dum said Tweedle-dee

Had spoiled his nice new rattle.

Just then flew by a monstrous crow,

As big as a tar barrel,

Which frightened both the heroes so,

They quite forgot their quarrel.

I don't recall this rhyme, do you? Happy Poetry Friday! 

Let's Look at Dinosaurs: Frances Barry

Is that not the cutest dinosaur ever? I was immediately charmed by Let's Look at Dinosaurs.

In a larger format, likely qualifying as a picture book, Frances Barry presents collaged dinosaurs with flaps, to emphasize the featured dinosaurs' unique qualities. However, the pages are thick, and the flaps are durable, so I think little hands will enjoy this as well as a board book.

Frances presents a question on each page.
"I wonder why triceratops has such a large bony frill."

And then an answer is given.
"The frill might have been used to scare off predators."

An additional fact, in small print, for older siblings follows.
"Scientists are still studying how triceratops might have used his tail."

The dinosaurs are made of flat shapes with adorable black-spotted eyes. Even the Tyrannosaurus is endearing with his fierceness.


End papers offer pronunciation, a final fact, and a silhouette of a child for size. Find Let's Look at Dinosaurs for your future paleontolongist. And flip the flap for a munch, crunch, and roar!

Let's Look at Dinosaurs
by Frances Barry
Candlewick Press, 2011

Poetry Friday: Wee Sing, Sillyville

Oh, my daughters grew up with this video! Enjoy the fun with your totz! Happy Poetry Friday!

The Little Composter: Jan Gerardi

 
The Little Composter is a beautifully-illustrated lift-the-flap book with a wonderful message about working and playing with dirt as a very young composter. The rhyme is spot-on, as in:
Peanut shells.
Melon Rind 
(under flap)
Citrus peels of any kind.

This small sturdy book is part of the Teenie Greenies series of eco-friendly books for ages 0-4. Also in the series is Eco People on the Go, which teaches totz (in a non-teachy way) about environmentally friendly ways to go green.

The Little Composter
Author/illustrator: Jan Gerardi
Series: Teenie Greenies
Random House, 2010

Poetry Friday: Hebrew Children's Poetry

This is so beautiful! I'd love to be able to read the Hebrew poetry! Happy Poetry Friday!

June: Around the Block with Sesame Street, Stevie Wonder and Grover

Oh, how awesome is this? Stevie and Grover! I am also "the short note singer." :~)

June: Community Service

This is so easy, but it's also helpful to your entire community. With you, totz can clean up trash at your local park. Make a difference today!

I found this adorable drawing on The Harmonica Pocket! Which makes me think how fun it would be to include more children's drawings at readertotz. Thoughts?

I like bugs: Lorena Siminovich

I was just out gardening this morning and put some time in with the roly polys. It now seems appropriate to share  I like bugs by Lorena Siminovich.

This touch-and-feel board book from Templar Books is a tactile discovery of five insect-y spreads. Your totz will have the opportunity to count beetles, butterflies, and bees. The texture inserts are inventive: glitter mylar for the dragonfly's body, satin for the butterflies, and fuzzy bottoms for the bees.

Lorena's collages provide variety in the layered papers which create foreground, objects, and backgrounds. There's so much subtle movement to see and appreciate; your totz will want to look at this work again and again. I like bugs is charming, especially outside, on a summer day!

I like bugs
by Lorena Siminovich
Templar Books, 2010

Poetry Friday: Humpty Dumpty

Wikipedia asserts Humpty is the most well-known Mother Goose rhyme in English. And I had forgotten Alice interviews Humpty in Through the Looking Glass. Here's to Humpty!

HUMPTY DUMPTY

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;

All the King’s horses, and all the King’s men

Cannot put Humpty Dumpty together again.

Pig Takes A Bath: Michael Dahl

The title of this book and the cover design made this book stand out on the shelves. Once I ventured inside, I enjoyed the simple story with its striking, colorful art. It begins with an off-stage parent calling:

Little Pig WHERE are you?

Little Pig is having a great time in a mud puddle--that’s where he is. But now it’s time for a bath. Although Little Pig tries to dodge the whole bath thing, he winds up in the tub and undergoes the annoyance of a thorough, step-by-step de-mudding procedure. Until finally:

Little Pig, you’re CLEAN!

I won’t give away the ending, but Little Pig winds up more or less as he began. Totz will sympathize with this pig. They know what it’s like to have their playtime interrupted by the nuisance of bathtime. And they’ll giggle at the ending!

Also keep an eye out for Pony Brushes His Teeth and Bunny Eats Lunch!

Pig Takes A Bath

by Michael Dahl

illustrated by Oriol Vidal

Picture Window Books / Captstone Books, 2010

Poetry Friday: Little King Boggen

Illustration by Frederick Richardson, Mother Goose, Volland Edition (1915)

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 pan-cakes,- you ne’er saw the like!

I'm craving some pancakes now, on this Poetry Friday! 

June Older Sibling Pick: Cloudette

The minute I saw this cover, I wanted to read this picture book. Tom Lichtenheld's art has that effect on me. The book trailer is adorable, too. It's Cloudette's job resume as she searches for a way to make a difference in the world.

Cloudette has personality. The text and art manage to make her so believably childlike that totz and kidz will identify with her. She isn't as big as the other clouds and wonders what she can possibly contribute. She likes being small, but the big clouds can do a lot that she can't -- like creating thunderstorms, for instance. When one of the big clouds' storms whooshes her far away, she meets a frog with a problem--an empty pond. Her solution is perfect and I was cheering for her.

Tom Lichtenheld is also the illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Duck! Rabbit! and Shark vs. Train, and Zero the Hero (Feb 2012 / written by totz co-founder Joan Holub.)

Cloudette

author-illustrator: Tom Lichtenheld

Christy Ottaviano Books / Henry Holt and Company / Macmillan, 2011

Play, Baby: Disney Baby

Don't let this little cover image thwart you from finding this sweet board book! I had trouble finding a larger pic, maybe because attached to the top back cover is a clever rattle handle. Little hands will grab and hold onto this one!

Play, Baby, a Disney baby board book, features multicultural children with superimposed Disney characters, playing together. Dumbo shakes a rattle, the dalmatians stack cups, while Cinderella's mice help a tot push a ball.

I found the graphic combination charming. The palette is gentle and retro, causing the red handle to pop. The left spreads carry text and silhouettes of the Disney characters.

Grab Play, Baby for your totz and rattle around sweet images and words!

Play, Baby
Disney Press, 2010

Photo Friday: Ellen Elizabeth Grover

How is it even possible my own sweet tot has graduated high school and earned her AA? How did 17 years fly past? Enjoy every moment and read, read, read to your totz before they fly...

1 2 3 4 U: David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim

I think this sturdy “Ugly Boards” board book is funny! It’s a counting book: 1 through 10, done in comic book style. The characters are all simple, cartoon monsters, who speak in speech bubbles.

Although the book looks simple, the more you look at the drawings, the more funny things you notice. Like the spread for number 8, for instance. On the left-hand page there are eight monster heads to count. Also, as concept reinforcements--the numeral “8” and the word “Eight.” On the right-hand page, there’s a monster at a lunch table, munching what looks like an 8-shaped pretzel. As you study more closely, you notice that there’s a small jar of “8 DIP” nearby to add a little flavor. And the speech bubble reads:

I ATE 8.

On the back, there’s a little monster holding two cookies in each hand. His speech bubble reads:

I wish 2 + 2 = 5.

(As a confirmed cookie monster myself, I know just how he feels!)

This is a quirky, enjoyable counting book that totz will likely want to ponder more than once. There are others in this series, including ABC U LATER, and UGLY COLORS.

About the creators:

Ugly Dolls creators David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim met at Parsons School of Design. Their characters grew out of letters they wrote to each other after Sun-Min returned to Korea.

1 2 3 4 U

by David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim

Random House, 2009

Poetry Friday: A Poem in Your Pocket

I thought this was dear. Don't you? Happy Poetry Friday!

May: Community Service

Plant produce with your totz hoping to donate your harvest to the local food bank!

May: For the Older Sibling, I'm Not.

I love, love, love I'm Not. Absolutely. Here's a book to encourage the introvert, the quiet one blessed with a friend who is "all that." Here is a book to encourage the extrovert concerned with his own short comings.

Evelyn is not ordinary. She's mysterious, fashionable, a decorator, and a jumping bean. The protagonist is none of those. However, Evelyn is horrible at karate, scared of the dark, and crummy at making cookies. She's in need of a very best friend, exactly what the protagonist can provide, while at the same time happening to be great at karate, unafraid of the dark, and able to make the most excellent cookies.

I'm Not. is the perfect work to begin to explore how we are different and how those differences create joy in the world as well as great friendships. Older siblings will enjoy author Pam Smallcomb's humor and Robert Weinstock's cartoon images. Think James Marshall meets Dav Pilkey. How can that not be fun?

I'm Not.
by Pam Smallcomb
illustrated by Robert Weinstock
Schwartz & Wade Books, 2011

May: Around the Block with Sesame Street

This was performed at Jim Henson's funeral. So moving, right? I miss him!

Baby Animals, Pets: Kingfisher

Okay, Kingfisher has the cutest series about baby animals. I chose Baby Animals, Pets to feature first. I just looked to find the author/illustrator, and it appears the images were compiled from various sources and credited on the the back cover.

Regardless, the design and images will melt your heart. A puppy, hamster, guinea pig, kitten, birds, rabbit, and foal are featured. Each receives a half spread accompanied by text on the left with a smaller image of the animal and her sound or movement. Text has been altered and arranged to imitate the featured animal.

Totz and adults will love these bright images paired with vivid background colors. How can you not respond to little guinea pig lips and baby budgies?

Baby Animals, Pets
Kingfisher, 2011

Poetry Friday: Birds of a Feather

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Birds of a feather flock together,

And so will pigs and swine;

Rats and mice will have their choice,

And so will I have mine.

The flocks are everywhere right now! Happy Poetry Friday! 

More, More, More: Brother Sun, Sister Moon

I thought this work would be exquisite, and it truly is. Katherine Paterson has reimagined the text of Saint Francis of Assisi's hymn of praise, "Canticle of the Creatures." Paired with Pamela Dalton's traditional German/Swiss scissor cuts, the picture book has a symmetrical balance of amazing beauty. The language is just as rich as the detailed watercolored paper cuts set against black backgrounds. Both reverberate truth with elegant simplicity.

"We praise you for our Brother Sun,
who in his radiant dawning
every day reminds us that it was
you who brought forth light."

Publishers Weekly noted the absence of a multicultural cast. I find the depiction of people in keeping and faithful to the heritage of the art form.

The sentiments within Brother Son, Sister Moon are immense and moving in their truths. This work should garner awards and a distinct position on bookshelves. Introduce greatness to your totz through this picture book. Bravo, Handprint Books!


Brother Sun, Sister Moon
Saint Francis of Assisi's "Canticle of the Creatures"
reimagined by Katherine Paterson
illustrated by Pamela Dalton
Handprint Books, Chronicle Books, 2011

Question: Apps and E-books for Totz?

Photo from justchildrensbooks.com

Hey parents and educators of totz!

Just a few quick questions. Are you using apps for board books to read to your totz? Are you purchasing e-books of board and picture books?

Do you prefer an app on your phone or ipad over an e-book on a reading device?

Does it matter to you that Kindle is not in color? Do you prefer a Nook for that feature for little readers or would you rather the ability to read outside?

Thanks so much for letting Joan and I know. The industry is shifting so fast, it helps to hear your preferences first of all!  

Trucks: Katie Cox

I love this format. This board book is mega-sturdy, with four tabbed pages. Each tab shows a miniature version of a different truck, which is then shown in a large scale photo on the spread itself. The trucks are labeled as--“big rig”, “tow truck”, etc. Very simple, but this is the kind of book that will enthrall the youngest totz.

In the final spread, there’s a quick quiz, with partial photographs of each truck as clues. Readertotz are challenged by the question:

Can you guess which truck is which?

Trucks

by Katie Cox

Make Believe Ideas, 2010

Poetry Friday: Old Chairs to Mend

OLD CHAIRS TO MEND

If I’d as much money as I could spend,

I never would cry old chairs to mend;.

Old chairs to mend, old chairs to mend;

I never would cry old chairs to mend.

If I’d as much money as I could tell,

I never would cry old clothes to sell;

Old clothes to sell, old clothes to sell;

I never would cry old clothes to sell.

Happy Poetry Friday, totz!

Go! Go! BoBo, Colors: Simon Basher

Totz will love the exuberant BoBo who zooms and bounces about as he explores in Go! Go! BoBo, Colors. The computer generated graphics are slick and sparse with great movement. The colors themselves are printed in a glossy finish, inviting touch.

Aptly, BoBo is drawn with x's for eyes and sports a Band-Aid on his forehead, likely due to all of his boinging about the room. The colored objects he collects/paints appear on the final colorful spread as BoBo bounces on his bed.

Introduce your totz to BoBo and be ready for some inspired imitation around your home. Go! Go!

Go! Go! BoBo
by Simon Basher
Kingfisher, 2011

Poetry Friday: Taffy

Oh, my. I've never heard this, that I recall. Have you? Happy Poetry Friday!

TAFFY

Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief,
Taffy came to my house and stole a piece of beef;
I went to Taffy’s house, Taffy was not home;
Taffy came to my house and stole a marrow-bone.

I went to Taffy’s house, Taffy was not in;
Taffy came to my house and stole a silver pin;
I went to Taffy’s house, Taffy was in bed,
I took up the marrow-bone and flung it at his head.

Be A Ballet Dancer: Sesame Workshop

This sturdy board book is part of the Sesame Street Elmo’s World series. I like the fact that cuddly red Elmo is our guide in this intro to ballet, partly because he’s a he and partly because the idea of a monster learning ballet is a funny one! Girl monster Zoe joins him, and they go to a ballet lesson. The story is told through a series of speech bubbles and text. Readertotz can learn the five basic positions as well as some fancy ballet moves:

The twirl is called a “pirouette” (peer-uh-WET).

Some important basics are covered, such as the importance of warm-ups and have good posture.

What could be better than a friendly, accessible introduction to ballet--with Muppets!

I know that my blog partner, Lorie Ann Grover, is going to enjoy this one. She's a former ballet dancer and a big Sesame Street fan! Although Muppet creator and all around good guy, Jim Henson, didn't do ballet to my knowledge, he did help build a crazy maze for some rat pets in his first New York office. This and other interesting facts are in my chapter book biography, Who Was Jim Henson?

Be A Ballet Dancer

Random House, 2009

by Sesame Workshop

Poetry Friday: For Want of a Nail

Oh, Mother Goose. So profound! Happy Poetry Friday!

For Want of a Nail

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost;

For want of the shoe, the horse was lost;

For want of the horse, the rider was lost;

For want of the rider, the battle was lost;

For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost,

And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

Let's Say HI to Friends Who Fly! by Mo Willems

I'm so, so happy that our totz can enjoy Mo Willems, along with their older early reader siblings. Balzer + Bray's Cat the Cat collection is perfect with spot-on content and stiff pages for little fingers.

In Let's Say HI to Friends Who Fly!, Cat the Cat asks her friends if they can fly, and then she cheers on their successful soarings. Bee, Duck, and Bat definitely fly. But what about Rhino the Rhino who just happens to be sitting atop a boingy park ride, shaped like Pigeon? Can Rhino fly? Your totz will enjoy the humor which is always delivered by Mo.

Find Cat the Cat, and be ready for a giggle. Totz will memorize the simple text and love Mo's next generation of friends.

Let's Say HI to Friends Who Fly!
by Mo Willems
Balzer + Bray, 2010