Giraffes Can't Dance: Giles Andreae

How about a rhyming board book to illustrate that everyone can dance? Even a giraffe? That's exactly what Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees offer in Giraffes Can't Dance.



As all the animals turn out for the Jungle Dance, the giraffe is mocked for being clumsy and a silly fool. But when the giraffe departs and comes across the cricket, the former listens to the latter:

"Listen to the swaying
grass and listen to the trees.
To me the sweetest music is
those branches in the breeze."

Gerald the giraffe breaks into a dance that everyone can appreciate. "We can all dance," he said, "when we find music that we love."

Add this reprint, now in board book format from Cartwheel Books, to your totz' library and kick up your heels together.

Giraffes Can't Dance
by Giles Andreae
illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees
Cartwheel Books, Scholastic

Poetry Friday: Demolition

Here's an awesome book for Poetry Friday. Get ready to demolish!

"Swing the ball. Swing the ball.
Thump and smash and whack.
Bring the top floors tumbling down.
Bang! Clang!
Crack!"

Brian Lovelock's spattered ink illustrations set the tone for Sally Sutton's poetry. Super fun, right?

Demolition 
by Sally Sutton
illustrated by Brian Lovelock
Candlewick Press

Link of Awesome: FindTheData

It's a joy to share Links of Awesome. I encourage you to check out FindTheData. Click here to see the library comparison. What a cool tool! The site provides unbiased data-driven  comparisons. Definitely check them out. There are a billion things to compare even beyond libraries, right? So many things for your totz...

First Time Series: Hospital, Vet

Child's Play just gets it so right. Today I recommend their series, First Time. Included are: Doctor, Dentist, Hospital, Vet, Baby Sitter, Sleepover, Nursery, and Big Day Out.



The stiff paper books are illustrated by Jess Stockham, who has taken the care to portray these new experiences without fear. There's a real honesty in this series which will benefit your totz on multiple levels.

Following several children through each experience, a number of situations are covered to offer familiarity and comfort. In Hospital, one child is having a cast put on, while another has surgery. In Vet, children bring in their various animals. Here is an example of appropriate forthrightness when the boy brings his sick rat to the vet:

"She's quite unwell. She has a lump on her side. (child)
I'm afraid she might not live much longer." (vet)

How helpful to open discussions. Overall, the series remains positive and appealing. It will answer questions your totz may have before their first time visits.

First Time Vet
First Time Hospital
illustrated by Jess Stockham
Child's Play

Poetry Friday: Water Sings Blue

Happy Poetry Month and happy Poetry Friday! What a perfect day to read Water Sings Blue.



Well-crafted, insightful fun poems are joined with Meilo So's free-spirited watercolors. A great match!

Jellyfish

Deep water shimmers.
    A wind-shape passes,
kimono trailing.

Water Sings Blue, Ocean Poems
by Kate Coombs
illustrated by Meilo So
Chronicle Books, 2012

April Community Service: Rock the Drop, 2012

Grab your totz' little hand and run to leave a young adult book in a public gathering place! Right now!

 

How are you rocking the drop? Which book are you leaving for another to find? Post your photo at the readergirlz facebook page and tweet #rockthedrop. It's a perfect day to share your love of YA lit!

If you discover a book left in a public gathering place, nab it and tweet your fabbity find.


Your totz will love this act of kindness.

April Pick For the Older Sibling: Paul Thurlby's Alphabet

Begun as a project to keep himself busy at the start of the recession, Paul Thurlby delivers his rendition of the alphabet. His goal was to join the object featured with the specified letter. Each letter can be found online, where he uploaded them upon completion. Thankfully, an agent discovered Paul and Templar Books brought this collection to life, both book and included poster.

The retro-modern style will appeal to all readers in the family. The imagery stimulates me to create. How about you?





Paul Thurlby's Alphabet
by Paul Thurlby
Templar Books, 2011

Sushi Touch and Feel Stroller Cards

Let's go to the youngest reader format. How about stroller cards? And some sushi? Seriously! There cute cards from Chronicle introduce babies to sushi with assisting touch and feel textures. Sticky rice and crinkly seaweed are included, of course.

I was charmed by this little set, with text labels on the back of each of the ten cards. Snap these onto your diaper bag or stroller for your totz. Before you know it, you may be headed for sushi for lunch...

Sushi Touch and Feel Stroller Cards
Chronicle Books, April 2012

Photo Friday: Chubby Peep

Here's a chubby peep for your holiday weekend. Happy Photo Friday, totz and parents!

More, More, More: There Are No Cats in This Book

There Are No Cats in This Book is Viviane Schwarz' title. No cats. But wait. When you open the book you find the cats are present. They are trying to go on vacation, but they need your readers' help. They can't push themselves out, or jump from the book. Rather, they need your imagination. That said, they'll send a postcard, and if you wait around long enough, they may return...with a few friends. But the title stands: There Are No Cats in This Book.




Your readers are going to love the exuberant line, fold out portions, and the collage used to make this fun book. Certainly a giggle will call for another reading. Well done, Viviane!

Be sure to check out her first work: There Are Cats in This Book. :~)

There Are No Cats in This Book
by Viviane Schwarz
Candlewick Press, 2010

Yumi and Aoki: Annelore Parot

My most adorable recommend today is the Kokeshi series from Chronicle. The cuteness combined with the rich presentation are irresistible!

With art and text by Annelore Parot, your totz can follow Yumi on the way to a party and Aoki as she visits Tokyo. The flaps are inventive and fun. Totz will help the Kokeshi, little wooden dolls, choose a kimono, help the kites blow in the wind, and visit favorite stores.

There's an air of sophistication to this collection while it remains accessible. Every detail is designed beautifully, from the padded cover with applique stitching to the endpapers covered in joy.

Watch the video for interior imagery. Before you know it, you'll be going Kokeshi crazy, too!



Grab the headband, room sign, or thank you!

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/landing-pages/kokeshi/images/Kokeshi_ActivityKit_consumer.pdf

Aoki and Yumi
by Annelre Parot
Chronicle Books, April 2012

Poetry Friday: Current Totz Playlist

Enjoy these tunes, full of poetry with your totz today! Happy Poetry Friday, everyone!

Hop, Skip, and Jump, Maisy! Lucy Cousins

It's no secret that I'm a Maisy fan. I like the bold, bright colors and fat black outlines in these books. This is a hardcover book, but it's geared young like all Maisy books, and could easily become a board book. So it seems perfect for readertotz.

The pop-ups enhance the energetic movements here--kicking a ball, touching toes, and jumping rope, among others. The pop-ups move really well and are cute and clever. Although it's not as sturdy as a board book, it should hold up to use.

In the afternoon, Maisy skateboards and skips and jumps rope, like this.
Sidebar: Who else can skip?

Perfect to get your energetic totz going!

Hop, Skip, and Jump, Maisy!
Lucy Cousins
Candlewick Press, 2012

Poetry Friday: Little Bobby Snooks

 

illustration by Blanche Fisher Wright

. 

Little Bobby Snooks

Little Bobby Snooks was fond of his books,

And loved by his usher and master;

But naughty Jack Spry, he got a black eye,

And carries his nose in a plaster.

Happy Poetry Friday! May we be like Bobby, rather than Jack...

More, More, More: Little Owl Lost

Sometimes an illustration will just grab you. This was the case for me when I saw Chris Haughton's Little Owl Lost. Those big eyes just pull you in, right?

Little Owl falls from the nest and with the help of forest friends, he is reunited with his grieving mother. Are You My Mother comes to mind, but this work conveys so much simply with it's imagery, it deserves a place on your shelf. It will be loved.




So cute I can hardly stand it!

Little Owl Lost
by Chris Haughton
Candlewick Press, 2010

Jane Eyre: Jennifer Adams

As a literacy advocate, I have to recommend Little Miss Bronte, Jane Eyre for your totz! The BabyLit series is "a fashionable way to introduce your child to the world of classic literature." Yes, it's highbrow, but how can you resist a counting book featuring 1 Governess, Jane, and 4 towers, Thornfield Hall? The list includes chalkboards, trees, trunks, and pearls. An occasional quote is included: "I have as much soul as you--and full as much heart."

Author Jennifer Adams' text is paired beautifully with art by Alison Oliver. With colors that capture the time period, and delicate lines around printed forms, Jane Eyre is a visual delight in board book format.


photo from Guiltless Reading

Add a first copy of Jane Eyre to your totz' reading collection. "This book I had again and again perused with delight."

Little Miss Bronte, Jane Eyre
A Counting Primer
by Jennifer Adams
art by Alison Oliver
Gibbs Smith, 2012

Poetry Friday: The Lost Shoe

It's always fun to find an unfamiliar Mother Goose rhyme. Happy Poetry Friday!

 

Cute pattern at Crafts Crazy

The Lost Shoe

Doodle doodle doo,

The Princess lost her shoe:

Her Highness hopped,

The fiddler stopped,

Not knowing what to do. 

March Pick for the Older Sibling: Subway Story

Jesse loves being a subway car in the city. She especially loves helping people go places. The recounting of her work and the people she carries is enthralling and simple enough for kids to understand even if they don't have experience with subways.

After a quarter of a century of service, she and older cars like her are replaced by newer models. At first, Jessie fears she will be abandoned and forgotten.

But when she is hauled away on a barge with other old cars, she is momentarily scared that her fate will be even worse. Even though I knew what was likely coming because I'd read the book flaps, I felt a pang of concern for her myself because I truly cared about this subway car by now. (Young readers will worry here too, but the dark moment passes in the turn of a page.)

All ends well when, in a very satisfying conclusion, Jessie (and the other subway cars) finds a new job in the sea as part of the underwater reef. Now...

Tiny creatures called coral cling to the same poles
that people held on to when Jessie lived and worked aboveground.
Hundreds of fish dart through the doors that people once used.

This picture book has heart. The author sent me on a journey from happiness to despair to happiness again, right along with Jessie herself. I like that the recycling message grows out of the story rather than being forced upon it.

This wonderful tale is based on the true story of 1960s era subway cars that are currently being used to create artificial reefs in the Atlantic Ocean. The one-page author's note at the end offers interesting factual info about the project of creating underwater reefs.

Subway Story
Author-illustrator: Julia Sarcone-Roach
Alfred A. Knopf, 2011

Bizzy Bear Let's Get to Work!: Benji Davies

 

If your totz are construction fans, this will be a welcome treat. It's a simple sturdy board book that should stand up to rough handling (and possibly chewing!) It has lots of moving parts. For instance, the scoop you see on the cover will move with the push of a finger. For ages 1 to 3.

Bizzy Bear, Bizzy Bear,

lending a hand.

Bizzy Bear, Bizzy Bear,

push that sand!

You might pair this one with the picture book, Good Night, Good Night, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld.

Bizzy Bear Let's Get to Work!
Benji Davies
Nosy Crow (Candlewick Press), 2012

Poetry Friday: Elmo and Elvis Costello, Around the Block with Sesame Street

How about a little Elvis Costello for Poetry Friday with your totz? Sing it, Elmo and Elvis!

More, More, More: Doodle Cook

Think of an Art Kitchen. You have a paperback oversized book with a recipe on the left side and a blank plate on the right. You get to follow the artistic instructions and create beautiful dishes by drawing in the book. Like this for Zigzag Soup:

"Draw a BIG triangle on your plate.
Now draw another triangle, a bit larger than the first.
Draw a BIG circle....

Finally, scatter around a few tiny circles, triangles or squares to taste.
Bon appetit!"

Here's Horn Book blogger Cynthia Ritter's Triangle Cake:



Get the picture? Your dishes/drawings will include Blue Risotto, Crayon Puff Pastries, and Scribble Delight. My college grad couldn't wait to get her hands on Doodle Cook. I'm sure your little artists will feel the same!

Doodle Cook
by Herve Tullet
Phaidon Press, 2011

Tubby: Leslie Patricelli

       

Does you Leslie Patricelli collection include Tubby? We recommend you get this celebration of bath time for your totz!

 It's time for Baby's bath. After undressing, there's the celebratory naked run followed by all things one must do in bathing. Playing with bubbles and counting clean toes are included.

As always, Leslie hits the mark in color, layout, and childlike spirit in Baby. You won't want to miss bath time with Tubby! And then of course, puppy will need a bath, too...

Tubby
by Leslie Patricelli
Candlewick Press, 2010

Poetry Friday: Step Gently Out

Here's a beautiful book to celebrate Poetry Friday. Helen Frost's lyrical poem is set within Rick Lieder's closeup photography. Breathtaking. I wish I could share every page with you and your totz!

Step gently out,

be still,

and watch

a single blade

of grass.

An ant 

climbs up 

to look around.

A honeybee flies past.

A cricket leaps

and lands,

then sits back 

and sings.

A moth flies

in and comes

to rest with

open wings. 

Step Gently Out

by Helen Frost

photographs by Rick Lieder

Candlewick Press, 2012

More, More, More: Everything I Need to Know Before I'm Five

This picture book for the older sibling of your totz is just delightful. Imagine all the little toys on the cover sharing what it is you need to know by five years old. The little doll driving the dump truck introduces numbers, opposites, shapes, colors, seasons, weather, and the alphabet.

Valorie Fisher's photography is bright, clever, and fun. There's so much to observe that your readers will be looking at every inch of this book. Enjoy the retro atmosphere as you pour over Everything I need to Know Before I'm Five together!

Everything I Need to Know Before I'm Five
by Valorie Fisher
Schwartz & Wade Books, 2011

Peas on Earth: Todd H. Doodler

Peas on Earth is adorable! What could be better than a sturdy board book filled with hope and peace, um, peas. The art is simple, brightly-colored, and appealing; reminiscent of Todd Parr's style. And the concept is simple--promoting peace, harmony, and getting along with others.

Peas on earth is when dogs get along with cats.
And cats get along with mice.
And mice share their cheese with elephants.
And pigs give everyone piggyback rides!

As an added bonus at the end of the book, there is a pop-up of two happy peas dancing on the earth, shouting, "Give peas a chance!"

I love this book!

Todd H. Doodler is the pen name for Todd H. Goldman, founder of David & Goliath, a company that produces clothing and other merchandise that feature his designs. He's also the author of Animal Soup, The Zoo I Drew, and the Bear in Underwear series

Peas on Earth
Todd H. Doodler
Robin Corey Books, Random House, 2012

Poetry Friday: Outside Your Window

How about a glorious tribute to nature for your totz? Author, biologist Nicola Davies brings the world to the very young, while illustrations by Mark Hearld offer layers of beautiful printed form depicting our planet. Fall into this oversize treasure this Poetry Friday!

Patchwork Pigeons

Patchwork pigeons, made of sky,
catch the rain clouds when they fly.

Outside Your Window, a First Book of Nature
by Nicola Davies
illustrated by Mark Hearld
Candlewick Press, 2012

More, More, More: Elephant and Piggie

Not that Gerald and Piggie need more press, but I have to share these two!

What do you do when it's Happy Pig Day and you are not a pig? When you don't belong whatsoever? Piggie helps Gerald find his place on the important day of celebration.

Secondly, what do you do when you just can't really bring yourself to share? By the time you've given yourself a little pep talk, maybe there's nothing left to share at all! Again, Piggie saves the day for Gerald, who really was going to share in the first place. Eventually.

Mo is the master of expression, simplicity, and heart. I am such a fan.

Happy Pig Day!
Should I Share My Ice Cream?
by Mo Willems
Hyperion, DBG, 2011

Pip and Posy: Axel Scheffler

With a thick soft cover and stiff pages, Pip and Posy will scoot right into your totz' hearts. Showing basic concepts, manners, and feelings, the two characters will likely become fast favorites.

In The Super Scooter, Pip hits the park with his scooter, and Posy wants a turn. She takes it and eventually falls. Pip kindly cares for her, and Posy apologizes. All is restored with a hug and a shared ride home.



In Pip and Posy The Little Puddle, you've guessed it. Pip gets so involved in play, he doesn't stop to use the bathroom. Posy is kind. She says, "Everyone has accidents sometimes." She cleans up and loans Pip a change of clothes. After a day of play and a successful use of the potty, it's bath time!

Axel Scheffler is spot on with his portrayal of strife and trial in the lives of totz. Both the illustrations and stories of Pip and Posy are honest and endearing. Share these two releases from Nosy Crow!

Pip and Posy The Super Scooter
Pip and Posy The Little Puddle
by Axel Scheffler
Nosy Crow, 2011

Poetry Friday: In the Sea

A great recommend for Poetry Friday: In the Sea!

The Shark

The fin,
the skin,
the brutal grin...

The terror
of the dark within.

In the Sea
by David Elliott
illustrated by Holly Meade
Candlewick Press, 2012

More, More, More: Ollie & Moon

I fell for this twosome as soon as I saw the cover. Diane Kredensor places her comic characters in her friend Sandra Kress' photographs of Paris in a believable and charming way.



Two cats, Ollie and Moon, are best friends. It's a perfect match in that Ollie loves to give surprises, while Moon loves to guess what they are. The two hit the Parisian streets to discover Ollie's latest surprise. From clues along the way, Moon gathers the surprise is round, musical, and colorful, with fur, hooves, feathers, and lights. For once Moon can't guess, and she is surprised! Just as your readers will be.

You have to see the joining of art and photographs in this work. It's magnificent!

Ollie & Moon
by Diane Kredensor
photos by Sandra Kress
Random House, 2011

February: Around the Block with Sesame Street

Perfect for Valentine's Day! I want hold your hand! Sing it, Hootie!

Zero the Hero animated book trailer: bagels, Froot Loops--what's not to like?

Look!
It’s a Froot Loop.

It's a donut.

No--it’s Zero the Hero!

Zooming into bookstores February 28, 2012. 

By readertotz co-blogger Joan Holub
Illustrated by NY Times-bestselling Tom Lichtenheld
Enjoy!

Poetry Friday: Switching on the Moon

Happy Poetry Friday! Celebrate with a gorgeous release from Candlewick Books, Switching on the Moon. With poems collected by the beloved Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters, this over-sized collection is aptly named by its subtitle, A Very First Book of Bedtime Poems.

I love the large format for G. Brian Karas' illustrations. There's so much space, you might fall into his night sky. Every detail, brushstroke, and line can be appreciated.



Poets include Mother Goose; Douglas Florian; Karla Kuskin; Langston Hughes; Marilyn Singer; Alfred, Lord Tennyson and many others. For today, here is an included poem by Lee Bennett Hopkins, a favorite of mine.

Nighttime

How do dreams know

     when to creep

Into my head

     as I fall off

     to sleep?

Switching on the Moon, a Very First Book of Bedtime Poems
collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters
illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Candlewick Press, 2010

February: For the Older Sibling, Where is Strawberry Mermaid Moshi?

How can you not love Strawberry Mermaid Moshi? I was smitten the instant I saw her! But then I'm a fan of all things kawaii, or "cute" in Japanese. Think Hello Kitty. Now think of the game book Where's Waldo. Look:



This double-page spread shows the busy kitchen. Everyone is working to prepare for the wedding banquet. The charge is to find the main character and the others listed along the bottom of the page, along with a few trinkets. The older siblings of your totz will spend hours pouring over the pages to find Strawberry Mermaid Moshi as she gets married.

The digitally illustrated book was originally published in Japan as Usacollie Friends, Ichigo-Ningyo Wo Sagase! The characters were first manufactured as gift shop good luck charms. Now they appear in their own oversize paperback picture books. Also available are Where is Strawberry Moshi? and Where is Strawberry Princess Moshi? Why am I all of the sudden hungry for some mochi...

MoshiMoshiKawaii
Where is Strawberry Mermaid Moshi?
Candlewick Press, 2011

More, More, More: The Hole in the Middle

Morgan was born with a hole in his middle, an actual hole in his belly. It leaves him always a little bit hungry for more. Whether he eats all his friend Yumi's cake, takes all the solos himself, or just tries to forget about the hole, the feeling won't leave.

When Yumi takes ill, Morgan sets out to visit and cheer her up through sharing and giving. By the time Yumi recovers, Morgan's hole has shrunk to a belly button. His empty feeling is gone...unless he's just a little bit hungry.

I really enjoyed The Hole in the Middle for the concrete image for selfishness and self-absorption. Paul Budnitz' text will be easily understood by older siblings of your totz while Aya Kakeda's clean, graphic imagery exhibits great design. This is a definite recommend.

The Hole in the Middle
by Paul Budnitz
illustrated by Aya Kakeda
Disney Hyperion Books, 2011

A Little Books Boxed Set

What is better than Little Pea, Little Hoot, and Little Oink than to have them all together in board book format, boxed up like three peas in a pod? Little Hoot still does not like staying up so late, Little Pea can't stand candy, and Little Oink dislikes mess up time. Your totz will love this format for their beloved characters so unusually perplexed.

Amy Krouse Rosenthal's text is as fresh as ever, and Jen Corace's illustrations are brilliantly spare. What a team. Thanks to Chronicle Books for this lovely boxed edition. Spot on!

A Little Books Boxed Set
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
illustrated by Jen Corace
box design by Kristine Brogno
Chronicle Books, 2009

Poetry Friday: Mini Masters

Art and poetry? Could it be better? Celebrate Poetry Friday with this classic boxed set of Mini Masters. Included are Dancing with Degas, In the Garden with Van Gogh, A Magical Day with Matisse, and A Picnic with Monet. Famous paintings are paired with rhyming texts which describe the masterpieces.

Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober's rhymes introduce these incredible master images and invite further imaginings. From In the Garden with Van Gogh:

Twelve sunflowers
lean toward the light.
Five are wide open,
seven shut tight.

From Dancing with Degas:

Tired dancers
rest legs and feet,
and dream of floating
off to sleep.

Aside from this boxed treasure, look for single titles: Painting with Picasso, Quiet Time with Cassatt, Sharing with Renoir, Sunday with Seurat, Dreaming with Rousseau, and On an Island with Gauguin. I love this collection! Happy Poetry Friday!

Mini Masters, Boxed Set
by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
Chronicle Books, 2006

More, More, More: If Rocks Could Sing

If Rocks Could Sing, a Discovered Alphabet by Leslie McGuirk is one of my absolute favorite books from 2011. Collecting sandstone rocks over a ten year period along the Florida coast, Leslie shares the alphabet she harvested from the sea. Both the letter and the subject are illustrated with rocks. Whether it's a collection of ghosts, a sea horse, or a yawn, you will be amazed. You have to see the rock which looks like two people hugging. X is for xoxo of course!





This treasure is going on the shelf of my geology major daughter. Your rockhound will be looking for his own alphabet on your next walk. Be inspired by If Rocks Could Sing. Rock on!

If Rocks Could Sing, a Discovered Alphabet
by Leslie McGuirk
Tricycle Press, 2011