Pumpkin Countdown: readertotz co-founder Joan Holub celebrates a fall release!

Count down from twenty to one on this field trip to the pumpkin patch in my new picture book, Pumpkin Countdown. I’ll give away one autographed copy September 20 (or thereabouts.)

To enter: 

Please mention my book on your blog or on Twitter or on Facebook. Something like: Count down from 20 to 1 with Joan Holub’s new picture book, Pumpkin Countdown!

(Be sure to leave a way I can contact you if you win, here in the readertotz comments.)

Reviews

"Children and teachers alike will enjoy the interactive nature of this story. A cross-curricular choice, it conveys simple information on the growth cycle of pumpkins, a bit about bees, and age-appropriate word problems, making it a great choice for math class or a read-aloud."

School Library Journal

"It's a lively portrait of pumpkin-picking season, whose educational value is boosted by assorted facts about pumpkins that appear on the endpapers."
Publishers Weekly

"Charming, multicultural round-faced characters and lots of detail encourage readers to go back through the book scouring pages for the 16 things the kids guessed they might see. . . .not many books start countdowns from 20. . ."

Kirkus Reviews

Also available: Apple Countdown

~ Joan Holub

Poetry Friday: Who's Hiding

Perfect for Poetry Friday: Who's Hiding? Lift the flap and find out.

"Mamma Owl is oh so blue.
She can't find Baby Owl.
Can you?"

Find Baby Owl with your totz. Weldon Swanson's illustrations are incredibly adorable. You will love every spread!

Skip*Hop, Who's Hiding
illustrated by Weldon Swanson
Scholastic, Cartwheel Books

More, More, More: My Pop-up World Atlas

I'm amazed by My Pop-up World Atlas. This is a work you can introduce to your totz. Their knowledge will only grow as they explore it for years.

With a spread for each continent, so much is illustrated and waits to be discovered. There are file facts, sports notes, products, and landmarks. There are flaps, wheels, and pull outs. When you turn a page, a continent lifts and special features stand tall. Whether it's the pyramids in Egypt or reindeer in the Arctic Circle, your entire family will be engaged.



Here's a perfect first family atlas. Get ready to be amazed by our world.

My Pop-Up World Atlas
by Anita Ganeri
illustrated by Stephen Waterhouse
design and engineering by Andy Mansfield
Templar Books

Big Kid Pick: Where's Waldo, 25 Years

Our Big Kid Pick this month is Where's Waldo? He's 25 years old, an icon of American pop culture, and ready and waiting to be introduced to the older siblings of your totz. It's just as fun now to scan the pages for that fella as it was on his first release. My college grad sat and found Waldo when the anniversary edition arrived.

How can you resist? Plus, isn't he perfect for car rides? Each illustration is full of stories that will elicit giggles. The new edition even has new searches and a poster. So here's the question: Where's Waldo? Go find him!

Where's Waldo, 25th Anniversary Edition
by Martin Handford
Candlewick Press, September 2012

1, 2, 3 in the Sea: Sue DiCicco

I have to recommend 1, 2, 3 in the Sea by Sue DiCicco! I just returned from Hawaii, and this little board book brought the joy right back to me.

Counting to three is done on each spread. A large flap creates the third beat.

1 one fin
2 two eyes
3 three fish

These are things Mommy, Daddy, and I might see when snorkeling. Get ready for the extra large flap for:

1 one hump
2 two tails
3 three whales

Sue DiCicco's cute illustrations will appeal to your totz. So finish the summer with 1, 2, 3 in the Sea!

1, 2, 3 in the Sea
by Sue DiCicco
Scholastic, Cartwheel Books

Poetry Friday: The Balloon

I don't recall this Mother Goose rhyme. Enjoy it with your totz!

photo from militaryphotos.net

The Balloon

“What is the news of the day,

Good neighbor, I pray?”

“They say the balloon

Is gone up to the moon!”

Za-Za's Baby Brother: Lucy Cousins

Lucy Cousins' Za-Za's Baby Brother is not a board book, but it would translate very well into one. I love the bright colors, bold lines, and the story. It's is sure to comfort totz, who have a new baby in the house.

First spread:

My mom is going to have a baby.
She has a big fat tummy. There's not much room for a hug.

Oh, I really feel for this tot already!

One of my favorite spreads comes near the end:

When the baby got tired mom put him to bed. 
Then I got my hug . . . 
and a bedtime story.

The perfect ending--so satisfying!


Za-Za's Baby Brother
Author-illustrator: Lucy Cousins
Candlewick Press, 2012
Ages 2-5

Poetry Friday: Bananas in My Ears

How can nonsense stories, poems, riddles, and rhymes tug your heart? They can from the pen of Michael Rosen, accompanied by the art of Quentin Blake. Perfect for Poetry Friday is Bananas in My Ears!

After Dark

Outside after dark,
trains hum and traffic lights wink,
after dark, after dark.

In here after dark,
curtains shake and closets creak,
after dark, after dark.

Under the covers after dark,
I twiddle my toes and hug my pillow,
after dark, after dark.

I so enjoyed this work with recurring characters Nat and Anna, and the periodic stop spreads which take a beat to note what we say in life. I love this work! Enjoy it with your totz!

Bananas in My Ears
by Michael Rosen
illustrated by Quentin Blake
Candlewick Press, August 28, 2012

1, 2 at the Zoo: Sue DiCicco

Adorable! How cute are pairs at the zoo? Then pair the pairs with big flaps. It's a fun read and guessing game from Sue DiCicco and Cartwheel Books, Scholastic.

one foot
two flippers
two penguins

You are your totz will love these uber cute animals having fun together. Each spread offers 1 and 2 clues for the featured animal. The flap gives the reveal. Just imagine how large the elephant flap must be! The closing strikes a sweet chord between mother and child visiting the zoo as all the previous animals are shown once again.

1, 2 a must read for you.

1, 2 at the Zoo
by Sue Dicicco
Cartwheel Books, Scholastic

Poetry Friday: Around the Block With Sesame Street, Share It Maybe

Happy Poetry Friday! Rock on with Cookie Monster! Share it, maybe...

Readertotz co-founder, Joan Holub, celebrates a new mythology-based adventure series!

Heroes in Training#1: Zeus and The Thunderbolt of Doom

Aladdin paperbacks, ages 6 to 10
by Goddess Girls authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
is in stores Tuesday, August 7th!

Buy links: Amazon, BarnesandNoble, Indiebound
Blog tour 

  After pulling a magical thunderbolt from a stone, ten-year-old Zeus goes on the adventure of a lifetime in this thrilling start to a brand-new series! The terrible Titans--merciless giants who enjoy snacking on humans--have dominated the earth and put the world into chaos. But their rule is about to be put to the test as a group of young Olympians discover their powers and prepare to righteously rule the universe....

Next up in the Heroes in Training series:

Poseidon and the Sea of Fury!

Ready, Set, Go: Nina Laden

Ready, Set, GO! has been in my collection ever since I heard talented author-illustrator Nina Laden speak at an Inside Story event in Seattle. It is a small (5"x5") sturdy board book that's just the right size for small hands. The art is bright and bold, and really appealing.

The die cuts are clever, and will keep totz turning the pages.

First spread:

Ready Set ((art of a hand "holding" are round die-cut))

Second spread:

THROW! ((art of hand throwing a ball))

My favorite of all is the last set of spreads:

Ready Set GROW! ((art of a flower will "bloom" when totz turn the tab))

A wonderful interactive board book that stands the test of time and the test of small hands!

Ready, Set, GO!
Author-illustrator: Nina Laden
Chronicle Books, 2000

Apple Pie ABC: Alison Murray

I love introducing the alphabet to totz! Why not start early? And why not start with apple pie? Alison Murray creates a suspenseful story for the youngest readers as she presents the A, B, C's.

E eager for it
F find a crumb of it
G get a taste for it
H have to get a lick of it

Get the picture? The young girl has baked a pie and the dog is eyeing it for certain. Murray's textured print-like imagery offers loose line, hard shapes, and occasional unfinished edges. The retro layout and color pop.

Your totz will love Apple Pie ABC. They'll be asking for another read and another slice.

Apple Pie ABC
by Alison Murray
Disney Hyperion, 2012, US Board Book

Poetry Friday: A Strange Place to Call Home

Pair the poetry of Marilyn Singer with the exquisite torn and cut paper art of Ed Young and you have a masterpiece. Add unusual, dangerous, animal habitats, and you have a book which will intrigue totz and their older siblings. Here's a poem from A Strange Place to Call Home. Watch for its release in September. Happy Poetry Friday!

City Living
urban foxes

They have
quit forests and
fields for sheds, flowerbeds;
forfeited wild berries for shrimp
lo mein.

It seems
an easy life,
but in close quarters, cars,
capture, and contagion take
their toll.

Foxes
adapted to
city living find it
full of plenty-but plentiful
in risk.

A Strange Place to Call Home
by Marilyn Singer
illustrated by Ed Young
Chronicle Books, September 2012

Baby Faces: Mallory Loehr

I'm a Vanessa Brantley Newton fan, so it was fun to find this interactive board book that she illustrated in my mailbox today. Each of the five spreads feature a different baby, who does everyday things that real kids do. Pull the tabs and see the babies' faces change expression.

Baby's tongue is very pink.
[Pull the tab and a pink tongue sticks out.]

These babies also chew, wink, sneeze, and have curly hair that blows in the wind.

This is a simple, clever concept. I know how kids are fascinated by other kids they meet out and about in the world, and I think totz will enjoy seeing these babies doing things they do themselves, in a book format.

Take a look at Vanessa's blog to see more of her awesome art!

Baby Faces
Author: Mallory Loehr
Illustrator: Vanessa Brantley Newton
Random House, 2012

Poetry Friday: Eric Witacre, Good Night Moon

This in just a tad late for Poetry Friday. Sometimes the days rush by, don't they? This is Eric Whitacre's proposed project awaiting a full commission. I hope the finances come quickly. How beautiful is this piece created for Good Night Moon? Enjoy!

July Pick for the Older Sibling: Traction Man and the Beach Odyssey

Traction Man is back and he's headed for the beach this summer! I loved Traction Man and Traction Man Meets Turbo Dog, and this one is every bit as good. The Horn Book, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Kirkus agree that Mini Grey's original Traction Man rocks, each giving it a starred review.

Traction Man and his faithful pet Scrubbing Brush are heroic to-the-rescue kind of pals. And this time, they're heading for the wide ocean, where they'll defend a picnic, investigate an underwater world, and meet up with a new character, Beach-Time Brenda, who is "excessively packaged in high-quality non-recyclable indestructible plastic...cannot stand alone as shown...[and wears] teeny tottery microshoes."

What I love about Traction Man books is that reading them is a trip back in time to revisit my 6-8  year old childhood mind. Mini Grey perfectly captures the playful spirit and imagination of those days for me. No easy feat for an adult writer.

Verdict: Truly hilarious and enjoyable, for the beach or anytime.

Traction Man and the Beach Odyssey
Author-illustrator: Mini Grey
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2012

Baby Listens: Esther Wilkin

How often I wonder what classic work has influenced my own work for children. I found again Baby Listens by Esther Wilkin, illustrated by Eloise Wilkin. First released in 1960, the reissue feels retro fresh. This work would have been for sale in the grocery store as my mother shopped, and I sat in the cart. Was it the one she picked just for me?

BUZZ-Z-Z goes Daddy's razor.
And BUZZ-Z-Z go the bumble bees.
SNAP goes Mommy's pocketbook.
JINGLE go her keys.



Explore what baby hears throughout the day with Eloise's soft watercolor images and Esther's rhymes. This classic may become a touchstone for your totz.

Baby Listens
by Esther Wilkin
illustrated by Eloise Wilkin
Golden Books, 1960, reissued 2012

Happy Birthday Week to Goddess Girls first-ever super special: The Girl Games!

Celebrating my new release this week!

 

Goddess Girls Super Special: The Girl Games.

The Girl Games:
Listen in on what all four goddess girls are thinking as MOA hosts visitors
from many lands at the girls' Herean Games
--including an adorable kitten.
Just in time for the Olympics.

---

 The Goddess Girls series,
by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams, is set at Mount
Olympus Academy, and puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths. 

Follow the ins and outs of divine social life

where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls 

in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills. 

Aladdin paperbacks
ages 8 ~ 12.  
Follow Goddess Girls on Facebook.

Poetry Friday: A Cuddle for Little Duck

Can you find this sweet series from Cartwheel, Scholastic? It's perfect for Poetry Friday. Look for A Cuddle for Little Duck, You're My Little Bunny, and My Precious Little Bear. Claire Freedman's text is so gentle and sweet. Paired with Gavin Scott's and Caroline Pedler's illustrations, your totz will ask for these over and over. Here's an excerpt for today:

The sun is up and so am I.
I've woken Mommy too!
I just can't wait to start our day:
We've lots to see and do!

Don't we? Onward!

A Cuddle for Little Duck
by Claire Freedman
illustrated by Caroline Pedler
Cartwheel, Scholastic, 2008