The Museum

08 Mar 2013 52 Comments

by Patricia Tilton in Art Appreciation, Perfect Picture Books, Peter H. Reynolds, Susan Verde Tags: , , , ,

The Museum9781419705946_p0_v1_s260x420

The Museum

Susan Verde, Author

Peter Reynolds, Illustrator

Abrams, Henry N., Inc., Mar. 12, 2013 (Release)

Suitable for Ages: 3-7

Themes:  Museums, Art Appreciation,  Creativity, Imagination

Opening:  “When I see a work of art, something happens in my heart.  I cannot stifle my reaction.  My body just goes into action.”

Synopsis:  A spirited girl visits a museum and is moved by the artwork she views.  Much to her delight, each painting evokes a different emotional response.  There is an unexpected encounter around every corner.  She twirls to the swirls in  Van Gogh’s Starry Night.   She strikes ballet poses, yoga postures, skips through fields of flowers and pauses to ponder Rodin’s The Thinker.  Picasso turns her mood blue and sad.  Cezanne’s apples makes her tummy rumble.  Miro’s lines and squiggles sends here into fits of giggles.  Munch’s painting evokes a shriek.   My favorite moment is when she stands before Ryman’s stark white canvas.  Puzzled and wondering if it’s a joke, she closes her eyes and imagines a beautiful creation in her own mind.  When the museum closes and it is time to leave, she comes to an important realization about the artwork.

Why I like this book:  The Museum is a creative, moving and enchanting story written in rhyme.  Debut author Susan Verde shows art as a personal and liberating experience for her inquisitive barefoot museum patron.  Peter H. Reynolds’s illustrations are lively, dramatic, whimsical, colorful and complement the narrative.  The girl dances across the pages.  A lot of teamwork went into bringing this endearing story to life.  Visit Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds at their websites.  Reynolds is the award-winning author and illustrator of The Dot, North Star and Ish.

Resources:  Both Susan and Peter hope their story inspires children to visit their local art museum and notice how art makes them feel.   Show your children pieces of famous artwork, give them a pad of  paper and encourage them to draw a picture about how a painting or sculpture makes them feel.  Susan will soon have a curriculum for parents and teachers on her website.

Book Launch Party:  Susan Verde and Peter Reynolds will celebrate the launch of The Museum on Saturday, March 9, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at The Blue Bunny, 577 High Street, Dedham Square, Dedham, MA.   You are invited to stop by and meet them.  They will be signing the first copies of their book.

Interview Mar. 11:  On Monday, Beth Stilborn will interview Susan Verde on her blog, By Word of Beth.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book.  To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.

Cubbie Blue and His Dog Dot

20 Feb 2013 12 Comments

by Patricia Tilton in Children's Book Review, Randa Handler, UN World Day of Social Justice Tags: , , , ,

Cubbie Blue2940015722376_p0_v1_s260x420Cubbie Blue and His Dog Dot, Book 1

Randa Handler, Author and Illustrator

Premier Digital Publishing, Dec. 12, 2012

Available eBook on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Apple, Google and Sony

Suitable for Ages:  5-8 years

Themes: Friendship, Diversity, Magic, Right and Wrong, Problem-Solving, Equality

Opening: “In the mists of Cylon, the oldest Antarctic iceberg, was the enchanted land of Baltar, with diamond-faceted ice stalactites and stalagmites that twinkled in any light.  The sky-blue-skinned Baltarians were always happy, doing cartwheels as they walked and giggling when they talked.  They were only a few inches tall but big in knowledge.”

Synopsis:  Cubbie Blue and His Dog Dot is a story about Cobalt, a 150-year-old child, who stands three inches tall, is blue and has a long blue beard.  ”Cubbie” has a family and a miniscule dog, Dot, who has multiple tails.  They live in a peaceful nation of Baltar, which is on an iceberg in Antarctica.  The Baltarians communicate telepathically.  There is another nation, Aryon, which wants to capture Baltar.  Therefore, Baltar has a protective energy field around it and all Baltarians are warned not to leave.   While playing in his father’s transport vehicle,  Cubbie” pushes too many buttons and finds himself far away from Baltar and in a land of people who are friendly, but are giants.  Cubbie finds an unlikely friendship with three multi-racial boys, Brian, Chris and Derek, who find their new friend quite unique.  Cubbie can read minds, disappear, and create magical transport bubbles to explore his new environment (cities, mountains and rivers) with his friends.  They have a lot to learn about each other, including right and wrong, tolerance, equality and problem-solving.

Why I like this book:  Author Randa Handler has written a magical and quirky story that will not only entertain children, but will teach them about diversity, problem solving, multicultural differences, and social justice issues.  In fact today marks the UN World Day of Social Justice.  To celebrate, Randa Handler and Premier Digital Publishing are giving away the first book in her new eBook series that promotes diversity, tolerance and equality.   Says Handler, “If children are taught early on that being different is cool, the world will be a better place to live in.”   This is an excellent book to encourage kids to use their imaginations.  Her illustrations are bold, funny and colorful.  Cubbie Blue can be downloaded for free by “liking” Premier Digital Publishing’s Facebook page from Feb. 20-28, 2013.   You may visit Randa Handler at her website and view her other books in the Cubbie Series and another book If I Were King.  A portion of the proceeds from the sale of her first three books will go to the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition.

This book has been provided to me free of charge by the publisher in exchange for an honest review of the work.

I Need My Monster

07 Jan 2013 26 Comments

by Patricia Tilton in Amanda Noll, Bed Time, Children's Book Review Tags: , , , ,

I Need my monster9780979974625_p0_v1_s260x420I Need My Monster

Amanda Noll, Author

Howard McWilliam, Illustrator

Flash Light Press, Fiction, April 2009

Suitable for Ages: 5-8

Themes: Monsters, Night frights, Imagination, Friendship, Humor

Opening:  “Tonight, when I looked under the bed for my monster, I found this note instead.  Gone fishing.  Back in a week – Gabe.  What was I going to do?  I needed a monster under by bed.  How was I supposed to get to sleep if my monster was gone?”  How will Ethan ever get to sleep without Gabe’s familiar noises, ragged breathing and his spooky green ooze?  Ethan decides that he’s just going to have to find a replacement monster.  He climbs out of bed and taps on the floor and hops back under the covers waiting in fear.  Monsters begin to appear, but Herbert doesn’t have claws…Ralph wears nail polish on his claws…Cynthia is a girl…and Mack has a long, sloppy tongue.  Ethan fires them all.  How is Ethan ever going to get to sleep without his monster Gabe?

Why I like this book:    Amanda Noll has written a humorous and original book for children about a boy missing the monster lurking beneath his bed at night.  I love the power of Ethan’s imagination!  What a great way to help kids turn their fears into laughter.  This book is an entertaining read for both children and adults — one that will elicit growls and slurps as each character is acted out.  It will certainly become a bedtime favorite begging to be read repeatedly.  Howard McWilliam’s illustrations are bold and eye-popping.  The illustrations are drawn by pencil on paper, and is painted with digital acrylic paint.  The book is very large and adds to the appeal for kids.  You may visit Amanda Noll on her website.  I Need My Monster has won countless awards.

As of Dec. 9, 2012, I Need My Monster has become available as an interactive  Children’s Book App.

Snowmen at Night

10 Dec 2012 20 Comments

by Patricia Tilton in Caralyn and Mark Buehner, Children's Book Review, Snowmen Tags: , , ,

Snowmen at Night157738642Snowmen at Night

Caralyn Buehner, Author

Mark Buehner, Illustrator

Dial Books for Young Readers, Fiction, 2002

Suitable for:  Ages 4-7

Themes: Snowmen, Imagination, Winter

Opening/Synopsis:  “One wintry day I made a snowman, very round and tall.  The next day when I saw him, he was not the same at all!”   A boy builds a snowman, but the next morning his snowman has changed.  It made him wonder what snowmen do at night.  He imagines them sliding away from their homes and going to a park for a night of fun and games with other snowmen.

Why I like this book:  Written and illustrated by husband and wife team Caralyn and Mark Buehner, Snowmen at Night is a spectacular and funny book that will spark the imaginations of millions of children.  They wrote the story after they opened their front door and discovered the snowman they built the night before, had moved several yards.  They wondered…  And, so will their young readers.  This book is beautifully illustrated and kids will want to study each detail on the page.  And, Mark has hidden shapes in his winter scenes that kids will want to search for.

Resources:  When it snows, encourage your child to build a snowman, dress it up and watch each day for any changes.  Encourage them to make angels in the snow, or help them make snow ice cream.

A Boy Called Dickens

23 Nov 2012 29 Comments

by Patricia Tilton in Deborah Hopkinson, Historical Fiction, Perfect Picture Books Tags: , , ,

Boy Called Dickens113794559A Boy Called Dickens

Deborah Hopkinson, author

John Hendrix, illustrator

Schwartz & Wade Books, Historical Fiction, 2012

Suitable for:  Ages 5 and up

Themes:  Young life of Charles Dickens,  Child Labor, History, Imagination

Opening/Synopsis:  “This is old London, on a winter morning long ago.  Come along, now.  We are here to search for a boy called Dickens.  He won’t be easy to find.”  Standing in a doorway is a 12-year-old Dickens, dressed in a worn jacket.  He’s skinny and cold and watching schoolboys carrying their books to class.  Instead  of joining the boys, Dickens heads to a blacking factory, where he packages polish for gentlemen’s boots 10 hours a day.  To deal with the bitter cold and boredom a friend asks Dickens to tell a story.  Dickens is an imaginative boy who loves to spin a story and misses his books that were sold to pay a family debt.  His most prized possessions are a pencil and slate.  He begins to sketch out the story of an orphan boy named David.  eventually his father is able to send Dickens back to school and Dickens becomes a writer.  His dream did come true.

Why I like this book:  Little was known about novelist Charles Dickens (1812-1870) as a child.  Deborah Hopkinson sheds light on his boyhood and his struggles and dreams as it is easy to see that his books are a window on his own life.  His youth left him with an ambitious drive to pursue those dreams at all cost.  That’s why this is such an important story for young people — to never let go of their dreams.  John Hendrix’s illustrations are rich in detail, expressive and beautifully capture the time period.  You can see glimpses of Dickens in some of his characters.

Resources:  What better way to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Dickens’ birth than to introduce this famous author.  It is the holiday season and a perfect time to read A Christmas Carol  or Oliver Twist at home or in the classroom.  Talk about London in around 1825 and child labor.   Talk about the child labor that still exists in the world.  There is a Note about the book at the end which has information.  Check out Deborah Hopkinson’s website for more information.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book.  To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.

Annie’s Special Day – Author Interview

12 Nov 2012 32 Comments

by Patricia Tilton in Author Interview, Children's Book Review, Clara Bowman-Jahn Tags: , , , ,

Annie's Special Day1332073678Annie’s Special Day

Clara Bowman-Jahn, author

Claudia Wolf, illustrator

eTreasures Publishing, Fiction, 2012

Suitable for:  Ages 5 and up

Themes: Birthday, Counting Concepts, Time

Opening/Synopsis: “Already awake and excited, Annie heard the alarm go off.  The clocked showed 7 o’clock in the morning, and the sun painted her bedroom walls and toys with a golden glow.”  It’s Annie’s birthday and she is determined to make the most of each hour.   Follow Annie through her day as every hour is filled with a new activity.  At four o’ clock her brother plays and sings Happy Birthday to Annie.  At 5 o’clock, her mommy is preparing her special birthday meal.  At 7 o’clock  Annie’s friends arrive for a sleep over and surprise her with presents.  At 8 o’clock birthday cake is served.  Her birthday celebration goes well into the night and  ends with sunrise.  Will she manage to mark each hour?

What I Like About this book:  Clara Bowman-Jahn has written a delightful concept book for children learning to tell time.  Each illustration features a clock.   This is a book that kids will want to read over and over.  The story is written with simplicity, so a child could read it on his/her own.  Claudia Wolfe’s illustrations are colorful, lively and expressive.  They really are beautiful and  capture each hour of Annie’s special day.

Author  Interview with Clara Bowman-Jahn

I am so delighted to chat with author Clara Bowman-Jahn on my website today about her very debut book.  It is a treat for me because I feel like I have followed her journey this past year from contract to publication and promotion.   Now it’s here and I’m holding the finished product in my hands.  It will ultimately be a Christmas gift for my six-year-old great-granddaughter.

Clara Bowman-Jahn author photo(1)Welcome Clara!  Tell me a little about Annie’s Special Day?

It is a concept book.  Instead of relying heavily on plot it is primarily teaching a concept about telling time and clocks.  Each page shows a different clock rather than focusing on a story line with a character solving a problem or conflict.   It helps teachers and parents show children how to tel time in digital as well as analog clocks.  It is similar to the old Hickory Dickory Dock book,  but different in that it is a child going through her day with her activities in 24 hours rather than a mouse on a farm.  Most children don’t live on a farm anymore and don’t recognize the activities that take place to keep a farm running like they did 40 years ago.

What did you think when you first saw the cover and illustrations?

I was so impressed with Claudia’s talent.   She captured my vision and did a such a beautiful job.  I was thrilled.

When did it sink in that you are an author?

A month ago my sister attended an author presentation I was giving.  She kept telling me I had done a great job and then contacted my brother’ family and told them.   It brought the author role home to me.  My family didn’t know me as an author — it’s something new for them.  But her telling them instead of me, was a big plus.

Do you have a special interest in writing books in a certain genre?

Well, I actually write memoir as well as picture books.  It just so happened that I finished this particular picture book and had a contract for it first.  I guess I have concentrated on picture books and you can see why in this blog post of mine.  I feel the definite need to set goals and manage my time so I can meet them.  I’ve scheduled time for both genres on my calendar, setting time aside for writing and setting time aside to do the business part of writing.

What is your writing process?

I’m a panster!  I have an idea and jump in and begin to write.

What did you learn about writing Annie’s Special Day?

That I can’t write a book in just one month.  It takes me years.  But, the experience of writing and publishing has definitely been worth it.

Anything special on the horizon?

I have a book I’m prepping for a query.  And I’m writing another picture book.   I’ve just returned from the mid-Atlantic SCBWI conference where a took a class on memoir.   I just can’t turn away from memoir altogether yet.  There’s still a story to be told there.

You may purchase Annie’s Special Day is available from the eTreasures Publishing website and Amazon.  You can also visit Clara Bowman-Jahn on her Facebook author page.

——————————————————————————————————————-

Clara’s blog tour schedule:

http://clarbojahn.wordpress.com/2012/11/20/clarbojahn-presents-guest-post-from-illustrator-claudia-wolf/ a post from Annie’s Special Day  illustrator, Claudia Wolf on November 20

 http://joannamarple.com/?p=4575#comments the illustrator story of Annie’s Special Day from Clara’s side. on November 14

 http://stacysjensen.blogspot.com/2012/11/special-guest-author-clara-bowman-jahn.html, author Clara Bowman-Jahn’s publishing story of  Annie’s Special Day on November 15

http://susannahill.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-idea-behind-story-clara-bowman-jahn.html#disqus_thread  the idea to story by Clara Bowman-Jahn of Annie’s Special Day on November 19

Clara, if Annie’s Special Day is any sign of your writing talent, we can expect to read more books from you in the future!  I enjoyed the book and wish you many happy book sales!  Thank you for being a guest on my blog today. — Patricia

The Dot — International Dot Day

14 Sep 2012 54 Comments

by Patricia Tilton in Inspirational, International Dot Day, Perfect Picture Books, Peter H. Reynolds Tags: , ,

The Dot

Peter H. Reynolds, author and illustrator

Candlewick Press, Fiction, Sep. 15, 2003

Suitable for: Ages 5 and up

Themes:  Art, Imagination, Self-Confidence, Inspiration

Opening/Synopsis:  “Art class was over, but Vashti sat glued to her chair.  Her paper was empty.  Vashti’s teacher leaned over the blank paper.  ‘Ah! A polar bear in a snow storm,’ she said. ’  ‘Very funny!  said Vashti.  ‘I just can’t draw!”  Her teacher asks Vashti to just make a mark.  Vashti angrily gives the paper a jab.  She asks Vashti to sign it.  One morning Vashti walks into art class and sees her signed “dot” hanging in a frame behind the teacher’s desk.  She decides she can make a better dot and begins to paint dots of all colors and sizes.

Why I love this book:  Peter Reynolds has written and illustrated an inspirational book that encourages children of all ages to be brave and “make their mark.”  There is no right or wrong way.   He wants kids of all ages to imagine, dream and create.  And this week over 500,000 children in all 50 states and around the globe  will be participating in International Dot Day, whether in their classrooms or at home.   Many kidlit bloggers will be making their dots this week.  My dot is below.

Resources:  Create your own dot.  Visit http://www.thedotclub.org/dotday/ to learn more about International Dot Day, activity suggestions, resources, a global map showing participants and a peek at the dots being created by celebrities.  There also is a Facebook page devoted to International Dot Day with frequent updates.   There also is a teacher’s resource guide for Reynold’s The Dot and Ish.  Below is the dot I created on my iPad with ArtRage.  Check out the dot made by my colleague  Beth Stilborn , who also encouraged bloggers to post their dots.

To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.

My Dot

Patricia Howe Tilton 2012

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

07 Sep 2012 50 Comments

by Patricia Tilton in Loss, Perfect Picture Books, Storytelling, William Joyce Tags: , , , ,

The Fantastic FLying Books174515865The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

William Joyce, author

Joe Bluhm, illustrator

Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Fiction, 2012

Suitable for:  Ages 4-8

Themes:  Books, Love, Loss, Healing, Aging

Opening and brief synopsis:  “Morris Lessmore loved words.  He loved stories.  He loved books.  His life was a book of his own writing, one orderly page after another.  He would open it every morning and write of his joys and sorrows, of all that he knew and everything that he hoped for.”  One day there was a very bad storm that blew so hard that he lost his home and all the books he loved so much.  Not knowing what to do he started walking.  A lady drifted through the sky pulled by a bouquet of books.  The lady tossed down her favorite book and beckoned him to follow her to a strange building that housed books.  But the books in the building weren’t ordinary — they were extraordinary.   Many books required repair.  Morris started to restore and care for the books.  Some times he got lost in the books.  Morris shared the books with people.  And, once again he began to write in his own book.

Why I love this book:  The book is about life experiences – love, loss and healing.  Adults will enjoy this book.  It is a brilliant book that took William Joyce 13 years to write.  The book began as a tribute to a friend, but after Hurricane Katrina devastated  Joyce’s home state, his book was put on hold.  Joyce visited children in shelters and saw firsthand the healing power of books.  So the storm in the book is a combination of Katrina and the cyclone in the Wizard of Oz.   Joe Bluhm’s illustrations are stunning.  Bluhm uses brown hues similar to the opening of Oz, to give the stark effect of the storm in the book.  As Morris wanders, the book is full of colorful and expressive  illustrations.

Resources:  There are many themes that parents  and teachers can explore when reading this book with a children.   Since the idea grew out of Hurricane Katrina and the tragic losses, it would be a good time to discuss with kids what it means to lose everything and how you rebuild lives with the love and help of family and community.   Donated books were an escape for the kids of Katrina.  We’ve once again experienced devastation with Hurricane Isaac.  As a family you may want to donate to a reputable charity.   Another way to help displaced children in your community is to have your kids donate used books to local organizations.  The book also is about imagination and reading.  Be creative and encourage your kids to make a mobile of their favorite book cover titles to hang in their room, similar to the flying woman and the books.

Visit William Joyce at his website.  Joyce first won an Academy Award for his short film The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, then turned the film into this imaginative book.  I’ve include a short clip of the video, but the entire film is available on YouTube.   The book also is available as an iPad app.

———————————————————————————————————————-

To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.

Cool Ali

23 Aug 2012 20 Comments

by Patricia Tilton in Artistic Expression, Children's Book Review, Nancy Poydar Tags: ,

Cool Ali 51Q8TF9B7AL__SL500_AA300_Cool Ali

Nancy Poydar, author and illustrator

Margaret K. McElderry Books, Fiction, 1996

Suitable for:  Ages 4-7

Theme:  Art, Summer heat, City life,  Neighbors

Opening/Synopsis:  Ali loved to draw.  She drew all the time.  One summer day, her mother said, “Ali, Ali, it’s just too hot to be indoors!”  That’s when Ali took her box of fat chalk outside.   It hadn’t rained in weeks and Ali beat the summer heat by drawing cool scenes on the sidewalk and buildings .   She drew grass and flowers, a lake under Mrs. Frye’s chair, a beach umbrella on the wall  to shade Ira, the North Wind for Mr. Boyle,  a Polar Bear and  a snow storm.  A crowd gathered and found pleasure in Ali’s drawings and forgot the heat until something happens.

Why I like this book:  Nancy Poydar has written a fun book that will ignite a child’s imagination.  There is also a sense of neighborhood and everyone (young and old) dealing with the heat wave together.  Her illustrations are expressive and colorful.  She uses watercolors and oil pastels.   This is a cool end-of-the summer read for kids.  Check out Nancy Poydar’s website for the many books she’s written and illustrated.  Each of her picture books tells of a child who gives gifts of storytelling through art.

Blackout by John Rocco – Perfect Picture Book

06 Jan 2012 48 Comments

by Patricia Tilton in John Rocco, Perfect Picture Books Tags: , , ,

Blackout

John Rocco, Author and Illustrator

Disney Hyperion Books, May 2011, Fiction

Suitable for:  Ages 4- 8

Themes: Power outage, Reassurance, Family fun

Opening/Synopsiss:  It started out as a normal summer night.  The city was loud and hot.  Inside, everyone was busy.  And then…the lights went out.  All of them.  Nothing worked at all.  A family  living in a big city is busy at home one evening when the lights go out.   Mom is on the computer, Dad is cooking in the kitchen, a girl is talking on the phone, and a boy is playing  a game.  The parents get out flashlights and candles, but it gets too hot and sticky.  The daughter asks if they can go up to the rooftop where they discover the stars in the night sky, and a  block party on every roof with neighbors chatting. They discover a street party where vendors are giving out free food.  Just as they are having fun doing nothing, the lights come back on.  The family finds itself enjoying the blackout and rethinking what is important in their lives.

Why I liked this book:  This is a very simple and beautifully illustrated book.  The Blackout is a fun read and helps lessen a child’s anxiety.  It is a great discussion book to help parents talk about blackouts and power outages with children.   The family learns an important lesson about needing all their electronics.  They have a party on the roof top, play games and connect as a family.  I love that Rocco has a picture of Thomas Edison hanging on one of the walls.   Activity:  This  is a perfect time to devise a family plan and make it fun.  When the weather warms, try a “lights out” night with your kids and focus on what you could do as a family.  Play charades, do hand shadows, and tell stories.  Cook outside.  Talk about what basic supplies you should have on hand to ease any discomfort.  And, you don’t need a power outage to declare a “family night” minus the electronics.  Be creative.  For more books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.  Or click on the Perfect Picture Book Fridays  badge in the right sidebar.

Previous Older Entries

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 578 other followers