The Snow Lion a review

The Snow Lion
By Jim Helmore and Richard Jones
Peachtree, 2018

A short and sweet review on what may be a snowy day for many of you. Enjoy.

A little girl uses her imagination to find comfort in her new house. From exercising her imagination, she finds the quiet power so useful in the real world as well. This is the book for every child who notices the faces and creatures visible in walls, ceilings, clouds, or rocks—if only one looks for them. From the moment I saw the Snow Lion peeping out on the title page, I knew that I would like this gently pleasing book.

My copy was provided by the publisher.

A book with a plug - whaaat?

A book with a plug! Whaaat?

For car trips, young readers, struggling readers, and sheer entertainment, you can't beat a picture book/audio book combo for younger kids. 

Though schools and libraries may still keep book/CD kits in their collections, the truth is, CD players are not that common anymore. Newer computers don't come with a standard CD/DVD drive, cars don't always have them, and the only people I know who still have "boom boxes" are children's librarians.

That's why I was happy to receive a copy of  a new VOX (TM) "audio-enabled" book.  In my photo, the book is plugged into the wall for charging, but I did that just for show because a book with a plug cracked me up!  In truth, it arrived fully charged and ready to go - no plug required. (I didn't test it for battery performance.)  The audio recording and speaker are built right into the book and operated by a simple control panel - power, play, pause, volume, forward, and back. There is also a standard headphone jack. The audio is of comparable quality to any conventional children's book.  The book itself also seemed as sturdy as any, and was not overly heavy or burdensome.

Perhaps other companies have similar offerings, but this is the first book of its type that I've seen.  I think it has possibilities, and that the days of the book/CD kit are numbered.  I passed my copy along to a school superintendent who agreed that it might be a useful addition to his school's collection.  I did not inquire as to the price.  I was interested solely in the format.

If  you can get your hands on one, it's worth checking out.

(I'm not going to review the book, Don't Push the Button!, but will merely note that it is in a vein very similar to the wonderful Press Here by Herve Tullet. Kids will likely enjoy it.)

My review copy was provided by VOX Books.

Note:
As always on my blog, I review books and materials for educational purposes only, and receive nothing of value other than the review copy, its associated marketing materials, and the occasional thanks or consternation of its author or publisher.

Picture Book Roundup - June 2015 edition

Enjoy a slide show version of this month's picture book roundup - a sampling of my new favorites!

 If the slide show doesn't work for you, I've listed the books below with links to my reviews on LibraryThing.

 

• Butterfly Park
• Pepper & Poe
• Bunny Roo, I Love You
• My Pen
• Baby Love

Picture Book Roundup - Wordless edition

It's been ages since I've done a picture book roundup!  Here are two wordless masterpieces.

• Becker, Aaron. 2013. Journey. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

A Harold and the Purple Crayon for a new generation.  Beautiful!

• Kim, Patti. 2014. Here I Am. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Press. 

An insightful story of a young boy's experience in emigrating from Asia to the United States.

If you're unsure of how to use a wordless picture book in the classroom, the nice folks at Random House have created a Teachers Guide for you.  If you're sharing at home, your child can teach you. ;)

Picture Book Roundup - Silly, dreamy, fun, well-done!

Silly, dreamy, fun, well-done  - these are my favorites today!

• Silly

Harrington, Tim. 2013. This Little Piggy. New York: Harper Collins.

Funny and silly, this is the story of what those other five little piggies are doing - forget about going to market or eating roast beef; these little piggies are painting, selling hot dogs, dancing and flying planes!

Browse inside This Little Piggy.

Click to hear the author's musical rendition of 
This Little Piggy.  You can download it, too!

• Dreamy

Giovanna Zoboli. 2013. I Wish I Had .... Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.  (Ill. by Simona Mulazzani)

A simple wish list  - one wish on each beautifully illustrated, double-spread page of this over-sized book.  Inspired by the animal kingdom, each wish is for an animal's ability,

I wish I had the quick heart of a mouse as it makes its escape ...

... and the wings of a wild goose on the day it takes flight. 

Perhaps it rhymes in its original Italian version.  No matter - it's still poetic and beautiful.

The link to a preview of I Wish I Had ... may be accessed here.

• Fun

Gibbs, Edward. I Spy on the Farm. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

I loved I Spy With My Little Eye when it was published in 2011, and I love Edward Gibbs' I Spy on the Farm as well.  Perfect for participatory sharing, kids will squeal out the answers as they look through the die-cut holes and hear the clues,

I spy with my little eye ...

 something pink that begins with a P.

Oink, oink!

Colors, letters, farm animal sounds - I Spy on the Farm has it all!

I Spy on the Farm preview here.

• Well-done

Falwell, Cathryn. 2013. Rainbow Stew. New York: Lee and Low.

Whimper, sigh, cloudy, sky,
Is it too wet to play?
We don't want to stay inside
because of rain today.

Grandpa smiles and says to us,
"I know what we can do.
Let's go and find some colors
for my famous Rainbow Stew!" 

Filled with love and frolicking fun, Rainbow Stew is a tasty delight! (Be sure to try the recipe)

Rainbow Stew preview here.
Rainbow Stew activities here!


If you're looking for the usual nonfiction post this morning, check out Sally's Bookshelf for today's Nonfiction Monday roundup.  Next week, Nonfiction Monday will be right here at Shelf-employed.  

Dreaming Up - a review

On Fridays, you may find many bloggers participating in STEM Friday or Poetry Friday. 

Here is a book that covers both bases.

Hale, Christy. 2012. Dreaming Up: A celebration of building. New York: Lee and Low.

As a youth services librarian in a public library, I don't have the same type of interaction with children as  a teacher or school media specialist might. I see more preschool than school-aged children, and though my goal is to "teach" the love of reading and the power of information, children and parents often come to the library seeking pleasure and entertainment. Teaching and learning moments are offered in the form of story time programs, book clubs, or crafts. 

That's why a book like Dreaming Up is so perfect!  Imagine a book that "teaches" architecture,  concrete poetry, design, and the power of imagination. Now imagine that book is suitable for preschoolers  up to grade 4, that it sparks opportunities for imaginative play, that it is factual (Architecture, DDC 720), that it is properly sourced, that it is multicultural, and yes - it's attractive, too!

On the page facing each illustrated poem is a photograph of the famous or architecturally significant structure which inspired the poem. Featured buildings are from locations around the globe and include the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater in Pennsylvania. Back matter includes information on each of the fifteen structures as well as biographical information on each building's architect.

No need to dream; there is such a book and it's Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building.  Go. Read it. Share it.  

Get out some boxes, and blankets, and pillows, and playing cards, and Popsicle sticks and building blocks. Encourage the young people you know to "dream up."

Note: I purposefully did not quote from the book because in concrete poetry, you must see the structure of the words themselves.  Please preview a few pages of Dreaming Up here on the publisher's site.

View suggested companion learning activities on author Christy Hale's site.

Today's Poetry Friday is at A Teaching Life.

STEM Friday may always be found at http://stemfriday.wordpress.com/ - use it as a great resource for children's books featuring Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. 

I'm today's guest contributor, please stop by and check out all the great links.

Join STEM Friday!

We invite you to join us!

• Write about STEM each Friday on your blog.
• Copy the STEM Friday button to use in your blog post.

• Link your post to the comments of our weekly STEM Friday Round-up. (Please use the link to your STEM Friday post, not the address of your blog. Thanks!)

Hokey Pokey - a review

Spinelli, Jerry. 2013. Hokey Pokey. New York: Knopf.
Advance reader copy provided by NetGalley

In the world of Hokey Pokey, populated by Snotsnipppers, Newbies, and Gappergums, and others, The Kid is king. In fact, kids are its only human inhabitants.

For Big Kid, Jack, days pass in a comfortable rhythm of regularity - hanging out with his Amigos, LaJo and Dusty, and riding his bike Scramjet, the envy of every kid in Hokey Pokey.  The rules are simple.  Just remember the Four Nevers:

Never pass a puddle without stomping in it. Never go to sleep until the last minute. Never go near Forbidden Hut. Never kiss a girl.

It's a simple life, a good life.  Until one morning, when things are not the same.  His bike is gone, and

Jubilee

Rides!

Hokey Pokey is unusual fare for Jerry Spinelli.  It's an allegorical story of childhood delivered by a narrator following the escapades of several different children, and focusing primarily on Jack and his rival and antagonist - the girl, Jubilee.  It's recommended for ages 10 and up, but the beauty of  Hokey Pokey is that it may be read on several levels.  Though the symbolism may be somewhat obvious for older readers, younger readers may simply enjoy Hokey Pokey as a fantasy adventure in an alternate universe. Older readers will see beyond the obvious symbolism of the approaching train and will ponder the relationships between older kids and younger, boys and girls.  Short and thought-provoking. Recommended reading.

Hokey Pokey received starred reviews in School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews.

 Preview the book here:


Interesting note: This is the second book that I've read that features living bicycles. Anyone know the other one?

Picture Book Roundup for July

Here are a few picture books that caught my eye this hot July ... enjoy!

• Crum, Shutta. 2011. Mine! Ill. by Patrice Barton. New York: Knopf.

With expressions of glee, surprise and joy, two toddlers and a dog creating mayhem in the house are accompanied by the book's only necessary word,

"Mine." "Mine, mine, mine, ..."

The illustrations are soft-edged and gentle, yet action-packed as the siblings and dog playfully squabble over a pile of toys. The rosy-cheeked baby is too cute for words! I love it!

• Daly, Cathleen. Prudence Wants a Pet. Ill. by Stephen Michael King. New York: Roaring Brook.

Simply colored ink drawings on white space are the backdrop for poor Prudence, who wants a pet - desperately.

"No," says Dad, "pets cost too much to keep." "No," says Mom, "pets make noise."

But these arguments do not stop the determined Prudence. She chooses a branch for a pet, then a twig, and even an old shoe.

Its name is Formal Footwear. She found the same written on its inside.
She puts Formal Footwear on a leash and takes him for a walk around the block.
The neighbors find Formal Footwear very interesting. Prudence shows them all the tricks she has taught Formal Footwear. Formal Footwear is a smart shoe.

She's so desperate, she even tries out her brother, Milo, for a pet. "She feeds him seeds and grass."
This is a hysterical look at a poor girl's quest for a pet. Will her parents (shown from a kids' eye view of waist down) relent?  They'll have to.  Prudence is impossible to resist!

And finally,

• Owen, Karen and Barroux. 2011. I Could Be, You Could Be. Cambridge, MA: Barefoot Books.

No white space here, just the brilliant colors of a child's boundless imagination,

I could be an alien with a funny face,
You could be an astronaut zooming into space.

Short and sweet with one sentence or less per page and brightly painted illustrations that will be easily recognized by even the youngest of children. Perfect for sharing or storytime.
I'll have another roundup of back-to-school themed books shortly.

May picture book roundup

I am in the midst of transferring from one branch to another, and I now have two desks overflowing with great new books!  Here are a few:

Gibbs, Edward. 2011. I Spy with my Little Eye. Somerville, MA: Templar. (Candlewick)

That big (almost 2.5"), yellow, circular eye on the cover is actually a hole - an oh, the things we can spy through that hole!  On a predominantly white spread with an eye on the left page and a circle of blue on the right, we read,

I spy with my little eye  ... something that is blue. "I am the biggest animal in the world."

Turn the page to find a richly colored blue whale, which due to some artfully placed curlicues, manages to appear realistic and at the same time, fanciful.

I'm a BLUE WHALE.

Each featured animal unfolds in the same manner.  The rear cover of the book features a hole for your own little eye to go spying! Colors, animals, guessing - this book has it all!
Edward Gibbs is listed as a "debut artist."  What a debut! This one's dynamite!

Tusa, Tricia. 2011. Follow Me. Boston: Harcourt.

From the book jacket, here is the description of the art,

The illustrations in this book were done using an etching process with monoprinted color.  The text type was set in Prin.  The display type was set in Rats and Carrotflower.

(Rats and Carrotflower? - love that one!)  What this means to me is a softly-colored book with fanciful drawings outlined in etched brown lines.  The color sometimes spills out of its intended (?) perimeter in much the same way that the young protagonist spills out of her swing and floats and flies through the breezes, "lost in small, green, happy music."  She invites the reader to follow her through all of nature's colors, "deep into brown, into the bright white of yellow, into orange that slips into red."   From the illustrator of In a Blue Room, another beautiful book!


Johnson, Lindsay Lee. 2011. Ten Moonstruck Piglets. Ill. by Carll Cneut. Boston: Clarion.

All in a scramble,
all ready to gambol,
ten moonstruck piglets
on a midnight ramble.

Through the mud wallow,
beyond the wide hollow,
leapfrogging piglets
in turns lead and follow.

It's all fun and games until the moon goes behind a cloud!  But not to worry - Mama's coming.  These sleepy-eyed, wrinkly little runts are irresistible!

Where Ten Little Piglets is filled with amusing detail, this next book features uncomplicated simplicity ... (but in both books, you can count on mom to the rescue!)

Picture book reviews - diamond and square edition

My book bags have been overflowing!  Here are two more great choices.

I'll start with my favorite topic - you guessed it - baseball!

Abrahams, Peter. 2011. Quacky Baseball. Ill. by Frank Morrison. New York: Harper.

It's Thumby Duckling's first start for the Webbies, and they're playing rival duck team, the Quackers.  Put on your best play-by-play voice for this one,

Been a long day at the ball field.  Top of the ninth.  Two on, two out for the Quackers.  The Webbies need an out!  Here comes the pitch, and ... it's a long drive to right!  Can Thumby duckling get there?  Thumby makes the catch! Out number three.  How about that!

Line score boxes help the baseball fan follow the action.  Insets offer batting tips,

Watch the ball like a hawk- even though hawks don't play baseball.

Colorful, rough-edged artwork by Frank Morrison adds a wonderful ruggedness to the game. I will definitely be sharing this one in my baseball storytime!

Look inside Quacky Baseball.

Now we go from the baseball diamond to the square.

Hall, Michael. 2011. Perfect Square. New York: Greenwillow.

What happened when a perfectly happy perfect square was

cut into pieces and poked full of holes (?)

 It made itself into a fountain that babbled and giggled and clapped.

Each day of the week, the perfect square is crumpled, ripped, shredded and snipped; and each day it transforms itself into something wonderful. Bursting with color, this is a perfect book to teach colors or days of the week.  It's also a wonderful jumping off point for an imaginative craft.  What can you make with a square?

Look inside Perfect Square

Babymouse Burns Rubber

Holm, Jennifer L. and Matthew. 2010. Babymouse Burns Rubber. New York: Random House.

In pink, white and black, Babymouse is back.  Can it be almost 5 years since Babymouse first made her debut? Time flies when you're daydreaming and eating cupcakes.

Time to see what our favorite pink, sassy, messy-whiskered mouse is up to!

(booktalk)
In Babymouse Burns Rubber, Babymouse leans heavily (a bit too heavily perhaps?) on her friendship with Wilson as she endeavors to enter the soap box derby.  The fact that she can barely ride a bicycle and has no skill in building or fixing things never even enters her mind, which is, of course, full of daydreams - Babymouse's alien encounter, Babymouse the race car driver, Babymouse the worldwide traveler, Babymouse the captain of the Titanic. Will Babymouse win the race?  Will her selfishness cost Wilson the chance to enter?  You'll find out in Babymouse Burns Rubber!

Siblings Jennifer and Matthew Holm keep the fun coming in this latest installment of the very popular Babymouse series. Holm pays tribute to Star Wars films (imagine the scrolling text rolling into deep space),

CHAPTER VII
A NEW CUPCAKE
It is a dark time for the REBELLION. The brave pilot,
 BABYMOUSE, has badgered her
best friend into building her a
SOAP BOX DERBY CAR.
...
for the blah blah blah blah...
are you still reading this?

and Margaret Wise Brown's, Goodnight Moon.

In the great pink messy room ...
there was a telephone (somewhere on the floor underneath the dirty socks)
and a plate of half-eaten cupcakes.
Goodnight cupcakes.
Goodnight cupcakes being eaten by Babymouse.
Goodnight math homework that's not finished.
...

Of course, the illustrations complete the package.  Simple, yet expressive and full of humorous details like aliens wearing bunny slippers, "Goodnight aliens hiding in the closet."

Next up: Babymouse Cupcake Tycoon - coming in September.


When I first checked in with Babymouse, she was Queen of the World in 2005. Since then, she's gone on to bookshelf fame as a Rock Star, Beach Babe, Skater Girl and more. This is the 12th book in the graphic novel series.

Click here to go to the Babymouse homepage.  (don't worry - you can turn the music off) You can find more information about Babymouse, create your own comics, make posters, or play other Babymouse games.

A Random House Babymouse Educators Guide for Babymouse is also available.

I'm in the midst of a great ALSC sponsored course, Out of this World Youth Programming.  My assignment for this week is to create a new library program for elementary school-aged children.  I think I just did my homework.  Come this fall, I'll be "Calling all Cupcake Tycoons!"
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The Book That Eats People

Perry, John. 2009. The Book That Eats People. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press.

Who can resist a book that eats people? If the yellow caution tape on the cover does not scare the reader, the book that eats people surely will! Just think of the fate of poor Victoria Glassford. After disguising itself in a cheery "Dolphins" book jacket, the "book that eats people" attracted Victoria's attention; she checked it out of the library and took it home one evening.

She put the book on her nightstand, but before she could finish brushing her teeth, it jumped up, thumped her on the head, and gobbled her down, beginning with her polished pink toenails.
Have you ever heard a book burp?

Beware - this book is ALWAYS hungry.

Great fun with hilariously gruesome illustrations.
(Not for the youngest listener - this book DOES eat people.)

I'm taking this one on school visits!