Elizabeth Bird, from Fuse #8, has made her halfway mark predictions on the 2009 Newbery and Caldecott contenders. I have been told that her predictions are usually right on, and last year she picked both of the winners. One of Elizabeth Bird’s Caldecott picks is Wonder Bear, by Tao Nyeu, a book I plan to review very soon – the release date for Wonder Bear is September 2008.
Author: TCBR Contributor
TCBR Contributor
The Children’s Book Review, named one of the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) Great Web Sites for Kids, is a resource devoted to children’s literacy. We publish reviews and book lists of the best books for kids of all ages. We also produce author and illustrator interviews and share literacy based articles that help parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians to grow readers. This article was written and provided by one of TCBR's regular contributors.
This week’s ‘very silly’ selections follow: The Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Mo Willems Reading level: Ages 4-8 Hardcover: 40 pages Publisher: Hyperion (April 1, 2008) Synopsis: … The Pigeon really, really, REALLY wants a Puppy. C’mon, he’ll take good care of it! He’ll play tennis with it, and water it at least once a month! Will you let Pigeon’s dream come true? … Comments: Full of raw emotion, and is absolutely hilarious. Who doesn’t really, really, REALLY want a puppy?! Links: The Pigeon Wants a Puppy – a post by Mo Willems at Mo Willems Stuff. Book Review: The…
Ladybug Girl, a New York Times bestseller, has lots of personality and is the perfect story for girls who enjoy dressing up, the great outdoors, or have brothers.
A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker (Author), Kady Macdonald Denton (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8 Hardcover: 56 pages Publisher: Candlewick (February 26, 2008) Bonny Becker shares a hospitality lesson suitable for children in this uber charming story of A Visitor for Bear. Bear has a sign on his front door saying ‘No Visitors’, so when a “small and gray and bright-eyed” mouse invites himself over, the delightfully entertaining tale begins. No matter how hard the bear tries to make the mouse leave, he will just not go away. The vocabulary used in the story is sure to introduce new…
MySpace/OurPlanet: Change is Possible by Jeca Taudte (Author), Tom Anderson (Foreword) Paperback: 176 pages Ages: 9 to Young Adult Publisher: HarperTeen (March 11, 2008) Anyone has the power to change the world, and this is the book to show you how. While some children may be aware of the declining changes in our environment, they may not be aware of the simple things they can do to help. … Our climate is changing and human actions are the cause. Maybe you don’t know why, or what to do about it. We do. In fact, we wrote a book about it…
Meet the latest additions to Mo Willems’ award-winning Elephant and Piggie series, which revolve around an elephant named Gerald and a pig named Piggie. Both books—I Love My New Toy, and I Will Surprise My Friend—contain the same real and pure emotion that he manages to capture in all of his written work. The simplicity of these early reader books enables children to interpret the raw social emotions and witty punchlines, in a way that works for them. In an interview on NPR, Willems says …”they are built to be little plays.” “It’s a cute concept, and an impressively economical…
Help Me, Mr. Mutt! Expert Answers for Dogs with People Problems By Janet Stevens, and Susan Stevens Crummel Reading level: Ages 4-8 Hardcover: 56 pages Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books (April 1, 2008) I found this book to be extremely entertaining! Help Me, Mr. Mutt! is full of laughs for anyone who is a dog or cat lover. … “Responding to disgruntled dogs nationwide, Mr. Mutt, Canine Counselor, has solutions to the most sticky dilemmas. But Mr. Mutt has his own problem to solve: the cat (aka The Queen), who has her own idea of who’s in charge. Now Mr. Mutt…
Story Time is every Tuesday at Tree Top Kids, Foxhall Square , with yours truly. This week’s Graduation themed selections follow: Walk on!: A Guide for Babies of ALL Ages by Marla Frazee Reading level: Baby-Preschool Hardcover: 40 pages Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books (March 1, 2006) Synopsis: “Is sitting there on your bottom getting boring? Has lying around all the time become entirely unacceptable?” The essential guide for babies ready to take those crucial first steps! Comments: Encouraging, Reassuring, and great for graduating students! Links: An interview with Marla Frazee, by Cynthia Leitich Smith, at Cynsations. Article: A New Class…
Just in time for the summer break, Leslie Garisto Pfaff from Parents magazine, has written a great article chock full of summer reading tips. It’s in the June ’08 edition and it’s titled Mind the Gap. … “Research shows that kids who don’t crack a book during their time off experience the “summer slide” – a learning loss equivalent to three months or even more. … But your child can stay on track by reading just four books over break.” … As parents we are usually very aware of our children’s abilities and talents, sometimes we just need some extra…
Sergio Makes a Splash by Edel Rodriguez Reading level: Ages 2-8 Hardcover: 40 pages Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (May 1, 2008) … “Sergio is a penguin. He loves fish, soccer, and water. He loves drinking water, bathing in water, spraying water, just about anything with water! But he has one big problem; he can’t swim.” … Sergio Makes a Splash, by Edel Rodriguez, is an encouraging story about facing your fears. Edel has illustrated other books, including Float Like a Butterfly, but this is the first time that he has written a book. According to Alvina, from Blue Rose…