OTTO GROWS DOWN

• Written By: Michael Sussman
• Illustrated By: Scott Magoon
• Published By: Sterling, February 2009
• Suitable For: Ages 4-7
• Topics/Themes: Siblings, Family, Wishes, Regret
• Opening: “One week before Otto’s sixth birthday, his sister Anna spoiled everything by being born.”

• Synopsis: (from jacketflap) “When six-year-old Otto makes a birthday wish that his baby sister had never been born, he gets much more than he bargained for. Suddenly, time starts moving backward. Good-bye, toy-stealing baby sister! But soon, good-bye Otto, as he gets younger and younger and younger. Will Otto disappear too? Find out in this wild tale of sibling rivalry and wishes gone out of control.”

• Resources: This book is sure to produce organic conversations with your kids about dealing with siblings. Questions I asked my younger kids after reading this book included, “Is it sometimes hard to have a brother/sister?” “What feels hard about it?” “What was hard for Otto?” “How did Otto feel when his sister disappeared? At the beginning? At the end?” “What are some things you would miss if your brother/sister weren’t in your life?” The conversation is sure to flow from there. I also found this really amazing worksheet/lesson plan for older kids to imagine a “what if” type situation and write about it. It covers the topic in two parts, so here you go: Part I, and Part II.

• Why I Like this Book: I adore this book. Wait, let me say that again. I ADORE THIS BOOK! There, that’s better. So I was heartbroken to hear that it is going out of print. (sob!) This picture book has a wow factor that not all picture books do. The pairing of Scott Magoon’s comic illustrations with Michael Sussman’s smart text is genius. It addresses a universal theme in such a clever, funny, and heart-warming way. CLEVER (ok, kind of brilliant, really) because it manages to make time-travel work within the constraints of a picture book text. FUNNY because there are certain things that happen once time begins to move backward (sliding up the slide! baths that you take when you’re clean and they make you dirty!) that make adults and children alike giggle out loud. And HEART-WARMING because it addresses feelings that most kids can relate to…the wish that they were an only child…and brings about the realization that just maybe the good things outweigh the bad when it comes to siblings. So please, please leave here now and go buy one of the last remaining copies. You won’t regret it.

AFTER you go snatch up OTTO GROWS DOWN, please head on over and check out the rest of the selections today on Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Book Friday!

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PRANCING DANCING LILY

I have written about my love for this picture book before, and if you need a little reminder, you can read that blog post HERE. So I was absolutely ecstatic when Marsha Diane Arnold asked if I wanted to preview their new app! I have to say that my kids really enjoyed this one. You do get the option to read it yourself or have it read to you, as is the case with most e-picture-books. But the thing that sets this one apart and makes it extra fun is that it has some cool interactive features. My kids were tapping the screen after every turn, trying to see what else it might do. Their favorite pages: one that features a fax machine with working buttons and fax-sending-sounds, and the ones near the end where they could play Lily’s drum and ring her cowbell. This wonderful, upbeat story lends itself well to movement and sound, which makes for a super-fun app.

For more of Lily and her dancing cow antics, check out Marsha Diane Arnold’s blog, The Story Magician. To buy this app for yourself, head on over to Fat Red Couch and download now!

What about you? What do you think about e-books and their place in the picture book world? What are your kids’ favorite apps?

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One of the highlights was seeing the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial for the first time. I was definitely momentarily shocked by its…um…whiteness…but there was no denying that the solid granite monument was beautiful. It was striking in a way that made it quite memorable. Rain started to fall as we took in the powerful words carved into stone, and so we found shelter in the accompanying gift shop. It was there that I found this week’s Perfect Picture Book, and brought it home in hopes of sharing some of the experience with my kids.

OUR CHILDREN CAN SOAR

• Written By: Michelle Cook (Michelle Cook is the pseudonym of a book editor/author who was thrilled to collaborate with Bloomsbury Children’s Books to develop this unique text.)
• Illustrated By: AG Ford, Bryan Collier, Charlotte Riley-Webb, Cozbi Cabrera, Diane Dillon, E. B. Lewis, Eric Velasquez, Frank Morrison, James Ransome, Leo Dillon, Pat Cummings, R. Gregory Christie, Shadra Strickland
• Published By: Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2009
• Suitable For: Ages 5 and up

• Opening: “Our ancestors fought…so George could invent. George invented…so Jesse could sprint.”
  

• Synopsis: (from Amazon) “This gorgeous picture book takes young readers through the cumulative story of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement in poetry and pictures. The illustrations introduce icons like Jesse Owens and Rosa Parks, as well as lesser-known figures in the struggle for equality. Spare prose and vivid imagery make this a truly moving and accessible book that readers of all ages will treasure.”

• Resources: I LOVED this collection of activities for home and classroom on Shadra Strickland’s blog. My favorite one was the encouragement for kids to think about the future, and to continue the story…Obama ran so that I could (fill in the blank). This book can really be a starting point for a great discussion about significant African-Americans in history and their contributions on our country’s journey toward equality. There are 11 amazing individuals featured, and each one merits their own study and discussion. The last few pages of the book give a short biography of each person featured, as well as one on each of the illustrators, so the backmatter is a resource of its own. You could choose one or two to talk about more in depth each time you read the book with your children.

• Why I Like this Book: I fell in love with this book because of its simplicity. The words are so sparse, and yet so powerful. Each illustration is done by a different artist, and each one is gorgeous. You could easily read this book 11 different times and have 11 different discussions, because each of the 11 heroes featured in the book has their own wonderfully unique story. I especially loved learning about some of the people I was less familiar with, like Hattie McDaniel. Simple, beautiful, powerful…LOVE!

Head on over to Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog to see what other picture books are being talked about on this Perfect Picture Book Friday!

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A BAD CASE OF STRIPES

• Written and Illustrated By: David Shannon
• Published By: The Blue Skye Press, March 1, 1998
• Suitable For: Ages 6 and up
• Topics/Themes: Individuality, Peer Pressure, Learning to be Yourself

• Opening: “Camilla Cream loved lima beans. But she never ate them. All of her friends hated lima beans, and she wanted to fit in. Camilla was always worried about what other people thought of her.”

• Synopsis: (from Amazon) Camilla Cream loves lima beans, but she never eats them. Why? Because the other kids in her school don”t like them. And Camilla Cream is very, very worried about what other people think of her. In fact, she’s so worried that she’s about to break out in… a bad case of stripes!

• Resources: There are a plethora of resources available online for this book. Here are a few for you: Scholastic has a lesson plan that focuses on the worries children feel at school, and how this book addresses those worries. Parent and Child magazine takes a different bent, focusing on the idea of stripes. I especially loved the writing activities featured by webteaching.com. Pretend you are a reporter at Camilla’s house…what would your report look like? Pretend you are in Camilla’s class. How could you convince your classmates to not tease her?

• Why I Like this Book: In the end, I am recommending this book because it covers a topic that every grade-schooler deals with, and I had a great conversation with my daughter because of it. If you are trained up in writing picture books, the overt moral in this story will more than likely set off your didactic sensors. But for me, sometimes a book like this is necessary…one where the issues it is addressing don’t have to be uncovered, drawn out, or massaged. The meaning of A BAD CASE OF STRIPES is right there in the opening lines, and if you have a child struggling with being themselves in the midst of a society where fitting in is the treasured goal, it is perfection. And if you have a child who is sensitive and fearful, this might be one to skip…at least for a while. You never know when fear will transform into fascination, and when it does, you’ll want to have a front-row seat.

Head on over to Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog to see what else made the list this week on Perfect Picture Book Friday!

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I’m curious and want to hear from you. Do you already use Goodreads, and what do you use if for? Also, in a grand experiment, I’m hosting a giveaway of my book, MARATHON MOUSE, on Goodreads, and do hope that after you answer the poll, you will head over there, connect with me, and enter to win! Thanks!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Marathon Mouse

by Amy Dixon

Giveaway ends January 31, 2013.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

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MUSTACHE!

• Written By: Mac Barnett
• Illustrated By: Kevin Cornell
• Published By: Hyperion Books (October 25, 2011)
• Suitable For: Ages 4-8
• Topics/Themes: Selfishness, Vanity, Compassion, Making good choices, Learning to laugh at yourself

• Opening: “Duncan was a terrible king, but he was terribly handsome.”

• Synopsis:  (from Amazon) King Duncan is terribly handsome, but a terrible king. His kingdom is in ruins, and when his subjects appeal for help, he only builds more tributes to his handsome face. His subjects are finally ready to stand up for themselves, and they have just the plan to get out of this hairy situation.

• Resources: So after I spent a couple of hours preparing this post and getting completely sucked into the history of facial hair (seriously! fascinating.), I did a search for resources and discovered that this book had already been covered in the Perfect Picture Book Friday family. Oops. Because I took a little hiatus from PPBF in November and December, I missed it, but the lovely Penny wrote a great review and I encourage you to head over to Penny and Her Jots for a little bonus take on MUSTACHE! She has some great ideas for activities to go along with this book. In addition to those, I would encourage you to go through the book with your kids and find the places where King Duncan had an opportunity to make a better choice but didn’t. I did that with mine, and after we found those places we talked about what it means to have compassion, and put the needs of others before yourself. And extra points if you have these conversations while wearing a homemade mustache!

• Why I Like this Book: This book clearly falls into the category of majorly silly fun. The illustrations are hilarious and there are lots of hidden treats in them if you pay attention. But one thing I really love about this book is that it has a pretty clear message that is not delivered in a heavy-handed way. It is quite obvious from the beginning that King Duncan is the example to avoid. He is a terribly self-centered king, but in a sort of clueless way that is just the tiniest bit endearing. When the townspeople finally start to act out and get his attention, he is completely baffled by their actions and makes a series of even worse (and of course, funny) decisions. The best part really is the end, when we get to see a smidge of change from the dopey king. I don’t want to give it all away, but let’s just say that King Duncan learns to not take himself so seriously. Love this book!

Don’t forget to head on over to Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog and check out the other fabulous selections for Perfect Picture Book Friday!

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When we’re children, there is something kind of great and exciting about being afraid. We love roller coasters and ghost stories and sometimes even wicked witches who torment young girls in ruby slippers. But as we get older, fear takes on a whole other life. Our fears become much more significant and real. We fear things like disappointing our families, losing our loved ones, or messing up our kids because of our own issues. And it is all too easy to let those fears rule us. I know this because for the last couple of months, I have let worry and anxiety lead me. Fear has been the boss of me. I wrote a little bit of my story when I visited Elizabeth Stevens Omlor’s blog in November. If you read what I wrote there, it sounds like I had a little panic attack, made some changes, and things were all better. But I am learning that the battle against fear is not so easily won.

It’s a new year…a time to make resolutions…to choose words and taglines and symbols that propel us toward growth. It won’t come as a surprise that mine is…

BE NOT AFRAID

Parker J. Palmer, in his wonderfully enlightening book, LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK, says that this call to “Be not afraid,” doesn’t mean that we cannot have fear. Everyone has fear. But it does mean that we do not need to BE the fear we have.

We have places of fear inside of us, but we have other places as well–places with names like trust and hope and faith. We can choose to lead from one of those places, to stand on ground that is not riddled with the fault lines of fear, to move toward others from a place of promise instead of anxiety. As we stand in one of those places, fear may remain close at hand and our spirits may still tremble. But now we stand on ground that will support us, ground from which we can lead others toward a more trustworthy, more hopeful, more faithful way of being in the world.

So here’s to 2013. A year to choose hope and not fear. A year to let faith rule. Lift high your buckets and toast with me, to a year of dousing the wicked witch until she melts into nothingness. Cheers!

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• GOLDILICIOUS by Victoria Kann
• SHOE-LA-LA! by Karen Beaumont & Leuyen Pham
• PRINCESS BESS GETS DRESSED by Margery Cuyler & Heather Maione
• PRINCESS BABY by Karen Katz
• BELINDA BEGINS BALLET by Amy Young
• ANGELINA AND THE ROYAL WEDDING by Katharine Holabird & Helen Craig

Anyone want to guess the common thread? That’s right…every single cover was shiny, glittery, sparkly, princessy, in-your-facessy PINK. Pink and shimmery is clearly a popular way to go with book covers! And it makes sense…most of the little girls I know have had some sort of princess/fairy/ballerina birthday party sometime in their short lifespan. But what happens when a little girl *gasp* doesn’t like pink? Since the dawn of Fancy Nancy, I have wondered if the pendulum would ever swing the other way. I wondered if there would be a response to the princess craze in the form of picture book heroines who represent a sort of “anti-princess.” Izzy, the main character in today’s Perfect Picture Book Pick, is one such heroine.

PUZZLED BY PINK

• Written and Illustrated By: Sarah Frances Hardy
• Published By: Viking Juvenile (April 12, 2012)
• Suitable For: Ages 3 and up
• Topics/Themes: Individuality, Siblings, Birthdays

• Opening: “Today is my sister Rose’s birthday party. She’s really, really into fairies and princesses and everything pink.”

• Synopsis: (from jacketflap) Izzy’s sister Rose loves pink. In fact, she’s planned an all-pink birthday party, where the guests will wear fairy wings and tutus. Not Izzy! She’s puzzled by pink, and she’s planned her own party in the attic. Her guests will be ghosts and spiders and monster dolls. But when Rose crashes the party and decides to prove that her magic want really works, a surprise guest joins the fun!

• Resources: When we read this book for the first time, my 10-year-old son had been listening to the story as well, and his first comment was, “SEE…not every girl likes pink!” He thought Izzy was pretty cool, with her love of monsters and ghosts and all things creepy and crawly. Immediately, we launched into a very basic discussion of gender stereotypes. We asked questions like, “Why is pink a color for girls?” “Is it okay for boys to like pink, too?” and “Would you feel comfortable telling your friends that you did/didn’t like pink?” To be honest, I wasn’t expecting such a productive conversation to come out of reading this book, so it was a wonderful surprise. I think this story could launch many a discussion about choosing to be yourself in the midst of societal pressures. And on the lighter side, I also found a website that gives you instructions on how to throw your very own Izzy-esque Tea Party. How cool is that?

• Why I Like this Book: In this story, we see two very different little girls, each celebrating who they are. Izzy has a bit of a harder time than Rose, since Rose’s choices are more the social norm. The very first page illustrates this beautifully, showing the sisters’ room…one side drenched in pink, and the other in stark contrast. The sibling interactions are very realistic, each thinking that their way is better, and each trying to make the other see the error of their ways. But in the end, we get the two coming together to deal with the issue of their “surprise guest,” and we see that the sisters, though very different, are there for each other. Sarah Frances Hardy has created a charming book that celebrates sisters, and gives us an opportunity to talk about expressing our individuality, even when it goes against the grain. And that, my friends, makes for a pretty perfect picture book!

Please do remember to check out the other selections for Perfect Picture Book Friday, over on the blog of the ever-lovely Susanna Leonard Hill!

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ROCKET WRITES A STORY

• Written and Illustrated by: Tad Hills
• Published by: Schwartz & Wade Books, July 24, 2012
• Suitable for: Ages 4 and up
• Topics/Themes: Reading, Writing, Words, Books, Story, Friendship

• Opening:“Rocket loved books. He loved to read them to himself or to sit quietly by his teacher, the little yellow bird, as she read them aloud. Rocket even liked the way books smelled. When he opened a new book, it smelled like a place he’d never been to, like a friend he’d never met.”

• Synopsis: (from author’s website) Rocket loves books and he wants to make his own, but he can’t think of a story. Encouraged by the little yellow bird to look closely at the world around him for inspiration, Rocket sets out on a journey. Along the way he discovers small details that he has never noticed before, a timid baby owl who becomes his friend, and an idea for a story.

• Links to Resources: The possibilities for using this book are endless. The book takes you along Rocket’s path of writing a story, and you could easily follow the steps he takes to help your own kids write a story. You could start with something as simple as word collecting. In the beginning, Rocket collects words he finds interesting and puts them on his word tree. You could make this same word tree. Rocket then uses those words in his story. You could do the same. Another exercise you could steal from Rocket would help kids know how to develop story characters. Rocket asks questions such as, “What color is her beak?” and, “What does she do every day?” in order to understand his main character better. This book could be a jumping off point for a myriad of writing exercises! On top of all of that, if you are interested in learning more about the “real” Rocket, you can visit the website of Tad Hills and find an adorable picture, as well as a video.

• Why I Like this Book: As a writer, I found this book fascinating. Rocket’s writing process really does mirror my own! Panic as you stare down at that blank page? Check. Frustration as your story comes out only in bits and pieces over a long period of time? Check. Going for walks, roaming the land, in search of inspiration? Check. Who knew Rocket was a tortured artist? While my kids probably didn’t see the writerly nuances of the story, they still love it. Rocket is so adorable, as is his teacher, the yellow bird. And they make a new friend in this story…a shy owl whose lovely scent of feathers and pine needles provides just the inspiration Rocket is looking for.  It is a fun read for all!

Please check out the other selections for Perfect Picture Book Friday over on the blog of the ever-lovely Susanna Leonard Hill!

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SEA MONSTER’S FIRST DAY

• Written By: Kate Messner
• Illustrated By: Andy Rash
• Published By: Chronicle Books, June 22, 2011
• Suitable For: Ages 4-8
• Topics/Themes: First day of school, conquering fear

• Opening: “This is it,” my mother said. “You’re a big sea monster now, Ernest. Remember to introduce yourself, play nicely, and use your imagination. I’m sure you’ll have lots of fun.”

• Synopsis: (from jacketflap)
  Sea monster Ernest is starting his first day of school. But starting school is a big job! Fitting in when you’re a sea monster is tough enough, and there’s so much to learn and do—reading, singing, playing hide-and-seek with the fishermen, lunchtime in the algae patch….This funny, charming twist on the worries and joys of starting school will reassure and delight the smallest children and the largest sea monsters alike.

• Links to Resources: Sea monsters really are amazing creatures, and what kid wouldn’t want to learn more about them? Parenting Science has a huge list of educational resources for kids (and parents, too!) Also, Russell Hawley art has a collection of printable drawings of prehistoric sea creatures that would make great coloring pages.

• Why I Like this Book: This book combines the funny and sweet in the compelling tale of this unique creature’s fear of the first day of school. Funny, because Ernest’s size creates some challenges when it comes to feeling comfortable at school. Marco Polo and hide-and-seek don’t work out well for a sea monster, especially when his playmates are fish. And it is sweet because we get to see Ernest learn to make friends and overcome his fears about school. This would really make the perfect book to read to a child who is nervous about going to school!

Please head on over to Susanna Leonard Hill’s website to see what other books have been selected for Perfect Picture Book Friday!

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