Adorable

Beaver, Bear, and Moose think they are all ready for Christmas until they realize they are sans tree! They go out into the woods searching for one and Bear has a difference of opinion with Beaver and Moose. In the end, clever problem solving leads to a happy ending. Part of a series by Nicholas Oldland called LIVE IN THE WILD I am eager to seek out more!

Poetry in motion

Gorgeous! The words and pictures are perfectly married. When a snowflake lands on fox's nose he needs to check out what he should be doing in winter. He speaks with several animals who explain THEIR methods but it is not until he meets a fellow fox that he understands his (and their) role. I adore this book!

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE

So thoughtfully and compassionately crafted. I highly recommend this book!

Life is Beautiful storytime

Hello! Today I did a "Life is Beautiful" storytime.
These are the three books I used and in this order!

Xs and Os

Last week I did a story time about "kisses" and today I did a story time about "hugs".
There are many lovely picture books, with good story lines, about these two topics.

Sweetness!

A little bit of culture shock (Seal is French after all); a little bit of self-expression (Seal loves to smooch); a little bit of the longing to belong (Seal takes some time away from the other zoo animals). I loved the simplicity of this book which still addressed complicated issues! Lovely and sweet.

LOVE! A sequel from Eric Carle

Love! "So remember, just like you...even a grouchy ladybug...needs hugs and kisses too!" Amen!

A little French

Welcome to Chez Chapeaux for the allure of hats to "glam" up your look. Unforced rhymes tell the story of Emily, Ashley, Kaitlyn and Claire who plan a tea party for their moms replete with invites and a fashion show of sorts. Great for AMERICAN GIRL fans.

Buoyant!

I love this uncomplicated view of the joys of a farm in the middle of summer. The words and images are buoyant. Bonus: A great lesson in the parts of the day, heralded by the sun, from dawn to dusk.

         

Tardy is such a cool word

I picked up this book because I could be the protagonist, Totally Tardy Marty. (haha) I get knee deep in whatever I am doing and I have a hard time transitioning to the next thing. I also like to finish what I have started (and clean up afterwards) so these proclivities can really set me up for failure! I loved that Never Late Kate actually strikes up a friendship with Totally Tardy Marty. And who knows what Never Late Nate's future might hold? A very terrific page in this book is the final one which lists 5 tips that can help with tardiness. Overall, I liked the use of the word "tardy". This is from a French word from the mid 16th century! (Also, I have been falsely accused that I arrive late so as to "make a grand entrance" and "shine a light on myself." Nothing could be further from the truth. I find it painful to walk in late to something that has already begun but I am always grateful that I was not in a car accident racing there, sigh.) *I just have too much life to live and be involved with!

Fairy In A Dairy

A little wordy for a picture book, yet when I read it aloud to an audience the terrific illustrations fascinated them and the eagerness for a happy ending helped them to stick with it. Cow as heroine is a favorite for me. I read this during JUNE DAIRY MONTH and enjoyed many chuckles during it. Satisfying and well structured! The reader feels superior because they are pretty sure they know what is going on. Still they want to know if the mayor and sheriff will figure it out, too. Fun! (You will be hungry for a dairy product after this story!)

Apology & Forgiveness

I loved the concept but not the layout. The first half of the book are the apologies and the second half of the book are the responses. So the reader is flipping back and forth to see how the apologies were received. I think the format would have been more inviting if the apology and the response were side by side. Both the apologies and responses are wonderfully unique and sincere. A favorite pairing is one where a girl apologizes to her sister for physically hurting her and her sister responds by saying, " I am still pissed off at you." What could be more realistic?! Still marveling over this book and how to utilize it with students or have it as a model for conflict resolution in some way. Wouldn't it be a wonder, especially on the world stage, if people made it a habit to exchange poems of apology and forgiveness? We can dream!

A book that pays tribute to Van Gogh's starry night!

This lovely picture book starts with a quote from Van Gogh: " I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of stars makes me dream." I love this sentiment for today, the FIRST day of our summer reading program, A UNIVERSE OF STORIES. Denise Fleming, the author & illustrator of the book, emulates the style of Van Gogh's paintings on each page of this book.

Just as the title foretells, cow has lost her "moo" and travels around to find who has it so that she can swap for "cluck".

Outstanding April 25, 2019!

Thanks to Scott Langteau, homegrown talent, who has written another amazing picture book containing a very important message. This one, BULLIED, is aimed toward middle schoolers. In the book, two bullies named Billy and Bella Bully grow up regretting their negative actions. In fact, in the hopeful ending of the book, they actually turn themselves around as adults. 6th grade students acted in a Reader's Theater production of the book at the Muehl Public Library on Thursday, April 25, 2019. Scott autographed a copy for the library...his words are touching and wonderful! "Note to ourselves...always be ourselves...and always be KIND doing it." Scott gave me permission to freely share the Reader's Theater of the book that I crafted available @:
https://1drv.ms/w/s!Aq1NKa7hMQU17H8jU...

A late review (from January)

You hardly ever see books for children anymore where someone is eaten unapologetically! This is a wonderful exception. Princess Justina Albertina is spoiled, rude, and ungrateful. The story leads to a wonderful ending where PJA gets exactly what she deserves! (I used this book in January to think about how we could be kinder in 2019.)

Spectacular!

I loved this fanciful book about a chicken named P. Zonka who does not lay an egg until she has taken in the sights and sounds around her/until she has experienced the world. When she does lay an egg it is worth the wait...in a word, it is SPECTACULAR! The footnote about Ukrainian decorated eggs called pysankas is a great launching off point for non-fiction titles with younger children.

This Rooster Is Terrific

This delightful book teaches the lesson that if the world was soundless it would be joyless. Loved it! This book has a few fun Spanish words interspersed in it.

Two great books about fort building, it must be a thing!

I found this cool picture book that invites kids to build forts and also reviews the seasons of the year.
By Megan Wagner Lloyd ...

And then this great one for adults popped up with the second part of the title saying that "growing up is optional". Love it!
By Grackle & Pigeon...

We found that our tent at the library got a ton of use. Now we have switched to a rocket for the outer space theme this summer and kids love it, too. If you cannot find me at my desk, I might be hiding out in there! Haha

Bear, chair rhyme with ...

The pictures are so funny and the vocabulary is great (but not forced). Who knew there were so many great words to rhyme with bear and chair?! Bear and mouse are wonderful characters. This could definitely lead to a sequel or kids could write their own!

This book about PATIENCE made me smile over!

I keep thinking about this book which supports the basic adage that good things come to those who wait! Penguin repeatedly tells Mr. Panda that he is willing to wait for Mr. Panda's surprise whild the other curious animals do not have patience. This is a delightful book with a huge payoff for Penguin! (I say serve sprinkled treats when you get to the end. 😍

A circuitous route to a great book!

Oh, this book is so sweet. It contains the cautionary lesson of how too much of a good thing can go sour! It also works on parts of language such as alliteration and rhyme.
The Superintendent of Education in AZ was sworn in with her hand on this book! Read more about this impressive educator below!

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2019/01/07/kathy-hoffman-inaugurated-arizona-superintendent-public-instruction/2504073002/

Happy New Year everyone!

Digest this !