with Randi Hampson
Illustrated by Qin Leng Tundra, 2019
This is a book made for singing. If you don't know the song already, click the video below to hear it. The size is good for sharing, and the playful illustrations feature people and anthropomorphized animals from around the globe. Many races and ethnicities are featured, and a young girl in a wheelchair appears multiple times. Five verses to keep the fun going. Be sure to do the hand motions, too! Skinnamarink is a great choice for story time. If sharing one-on-one, spend ample time poring over the illustrations for fun details.
I'm a little late with this post, Fire Prevention Week was last week, but perhaps you'll bookmark this for next year. I was asked to provide a storytime on fire safety for a preschool class of 3-year-olds. Here's what I went with:
"Hot or Not" game - I can't remember where I got this idea, but you can make it whatever you'd like—felt board, magnet board, group activity, etc. It has the added bonus of having a rhyming name. I never miss a chance to point out something fun while learning, so we say it all together and note that it rhymes, "Hot or Not."
"Hurry, Hurry, Drive the Fire Truck" action song - just check online and you'll find a version that suits you. This is a good chance to get those wiggles out.
And for fiction, I've always been partial toFireman Small by Wong Herbert Yee. It has a great repetitive refrain, and my kids always loved it.
Saturday, June 23, 2018
Hey-Ho, To Mars We'll Go! A Space-Age Version of "The Farmer in the Dell"
by Susan Lendroth
Illustrated by Bob Kolar Charlesbridge, 2018 Hey-Ho,
To Mars We'll Go! is one of an increasing number of nonfiction books
with several different uses or target audiences. The book's primary,
large font text, is written for singing to the tune of "The Farmer in
the Dell." The singing factor, combined with large, computer-created,
colorful cartoon art, makes this a perfect choice for storytime crowds.
Older folks (teachers, caregivers, elder siblings, and the like) will
appreciate the smaller text insets that elaborate on the verse,
"Can you catch my sock? Can you catch my sock? Hey-ho, to Mars we'll go— Can you catch my sock?"
"Imagine
what a mess you could make without gravity. At home, if you leave your
toys on the floor, they stay where you've dropped them. But in space,
anything you don't put in a cupboard or fasten in place will drift like
dandelion fluff, bouncing off walls and your crewmates."
The book
begins with the launch, follows the crew during the journey, and ends
with exploration of Mars. To give a sense of the journey outside the
Earth's gravitational pull, the text and the pages have varying
orientations—several pages are designed to be read upside-down.
Anything that introduces and interest in science and space exploration is a welcome addition to any library collection.
Notes:
Bob Kolar is also the illustrator for one of my favorites, The Boy & the Book.
My copy of Hey-Ho, To Mars We'll Go! was provided by the publisher.
Below is my review of Jon Agee's Terrific as it appeared in the April 1, 2015 issue of School Library Journal. The review was slightly edited from my original. I didn't refer to Eugene as "the boy." Eugene is definitely not a boy, as you can see by the cover illustration. ;)
AGEE, JON. Terrific. 1 CD. 7 min. Dreamscape. 2014. $14.99. ISBN
9781633795112.
PreK-Gr 2--Eugene's life follows Murphy's Law--if something can go wrong, it will. And when inevitable misfortune falls, Eugene's favorite expression is a sarcastic, "Terrific." So, it's no surprise that when the boy's Eugene's cruise ship sinks, all the passengers (except Eugene) are rescued, and he finds himself on a deserted island with a talking parrot. "Terrific," says Eugene. Narrator Kirby Heyborne plays the resigned, older, and long-suffering Eugene perfectly with a mix of sarcasm and fatigue, and creates a suitably squawking voice for the take-charge parrot who will change his attitude. Sound effects including boat horns, construction din, and ocean waves complement the story. Though listeners will miss Agee's humorous illustrations, the CD includes a fun musical version of "Terrific," sung by Heyborne with music by the Promise Makers. The lyrics are slightly modified from the text to fit the upbeat rhythm and rhyme scheme of the song, but stay true to the original story. VERDICT Purchase this one for sharing with school or storytime groups, one with a copy of the print book.--
It's Nonfiction Monday again (where did the week go?). It's also spring and baseball season. With those in mind, I'll highlight two books that feature America and her national pastime.
Bates, Katherine Lee. 2013. America the Beautiful: Together We Stand. New York: Scholastic.
Baseball, the Babe, and Matt Tavares - if that's not a triple play, I don't know what is! Matt Tavares' reverence for the sport of baseball shines through in this inspirational and entertaining third-person bio, focusing on the earlier years of one of baseball's greatest players. Get an inside glance at the author's website. An Author's Note, Stats, and Bibliography are included. For young and old alike.
That's the best of America. Here's the downside - it's April 15th - tax day. Although we can only wish that we could print our own money, kids may enjoy this video of how the government does it.
I am quite far behind in reading, reviewing, and blogging. Here are a few new picture books that I feel deserve a mention:
Marino, Gianna. 2012. Too Tall Houses. New York: Viking (Penguin).
A talented artist and writer, Marino's newest is a fable chronicling what happens when neighborhood one-upmanship threatens the friendship between Rabbit and Owl. Marino's beautiful paintings are expertly colored in a palette of nature's finest hues. The expressive faces of the erstwhile friends add much to this brief tale presented in an appropriately tall book.
Marsalis, Wynton. 2012. Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! Somerville, MA: Candlewick. Ill. by Paul Rogers.
Despite my relative lack of musical talent and rhythm (though I can read music and play a few instruments poorly), I am a great fan of music and music education for kids. One day I will write a post about the jazz story time, which I feature each year in April, sharing jazz-themed books and music for preschoolers. In 2013, my job of choosing books will become much easier thanks to Wynton Marsalis and Paul Rogers' new book, Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! Some musically-themed books are difficult to read aloud, and I'm thankful when a CD is included (Jazz on a Saturday Night and The Jazz Fly come to mind), but this catchy, rhyming book may be easily read - even by those with a limited ability to speak jazz - for jazz may be found in the most common of places,
Big trucks on the highway RRRRRUMBLE!
Hunger makes my tummy GRrruMBle.
The big bass drum goes Bum! Brrrum! BRRRUMBLE!!!!
Another musically-themed book:
Isadora, Rachel. 2012. There Was a Tree. New York: Nancy Paulsen (Penguin).
A favorite childhood song (a.k.a. "The Green Grass Grew All Around"), accompanied by Rachel Isadora's luscious Africa-inspired illustrations with rebuses to aid kids in singing along. What more can one ask for?
In a style that is reminiscent to me of Oliver Jeffers' work, Birgitta Sif writes and illustrates this short and quirky tale of an introspective, thoughtful boy who finally finds a kindred soul.
Stevens, Janet and Susan Stevens Crummel. 2012. Find a Cow NOW! New York: Holiday House.
The Stevens sisters (The Little Red Pen, Harcourt) team up again for another delightfully silly story following the antics of the hyperactive herding dog, Dog, as he takes the advice of Bird and travels to the countryside to find a cow. In Are You My Mother? style, he queries the various creatures he encounters. By the time he actually finds a cow, he's too tired to even ask. Cute.
Today's Picture Book Roundup features older winners of the Caldecott Medal.
The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
In addition to learning much that I didn't know about art, I had the opportunity to encounter or revisit some Caldecott Medal winners that predate my career as a librarian. I have been working in a library since 2005, and received my masters degree and first professional librarian position in 2007. The Caldecott Medal has been awarded since 1938. Clearly, I had a lot of catching up to do.
Though I did not read them all, I did read many older winners. Here are some of my favorites from the years prior to 1990:
(In order by publication date - award dates are the January following the publication year)
Langstaff, John. 1955.Frog Went A-Courtin'. New York: Harcourt Brace. Illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky.
Richly detailed and expressive animals illustrate this favorite old folk song. (If you don't know the song, Frog Went A-Courtin', Burl Ives' rendition was a classic) This is my favorite of all the older Caldecotts.
Mosel, Arlene.1972. The Funny Little Woman. New York: Dutton. Illustrated by Blair Lent.
Humorous, with inventive illustrations, the funny little woman travels to a world beneath her simple home in Japan.
Yorinks, Arthur. 1986.Hey. Al. New York: Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux. Illustrated by Richard Egielski.
Generally disliked by most of my classmates, this quirky, surreal story about a man and his dog really grows on you.
Yolen, Jane. 1987. Owl Moon. New York: Philomel. Illustrated by John Schoenherr.
I have been fortunate enough to hear owls in the night many times, though the only ones I have been able to spot are the low-flying burrowing owls. In Owl Moon, the thrill of a night-time owling expedition is captured brilliantly in both illustration and prose.
Young, Ed. 1989.Lon Po Po:A Red-Riding Hood Story from China. New York: Philomel.
A masterpiece of danger, suspense and courage - a classic folktale. The only one of my picks written and illustrated by the same person, it's no surprise that it's a pitch-perfect pairing of text and art.
Norworth, Jack. 2011. Take Me out to the Ball Game. Ill. by Smiko Hirao. Performed by Carly Simon. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.
In 1908, Jack Norworth wrote the lyrics to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." In 1994, Carly Simon recorded the song for Ken Burns' epic documentary, Baseball. In 2011, Amiko Hirao created brightly colored, anthropomorphic characters to accompany the story, Giraffes, elephants, flamingos, dogs and cats, gathering together for a day at the ball park.
Put them all together and you've got a delightful baseball story, sung by the renowned artist, Carly Simon. A longer version than the "seventh inning stretch song," this collaboration begins with Katie Casey,
Katie Casey was baseball mad.
She had the fever and she had it bad.
Just to root for the hometown crew,
every cent, that Katie spent.
When Katie's beau invites her to a show, she says,
"No, I'll tell you what you can do,"
He takes her out to the ball game, of course, and well, you know the rest.
This is a large book (11x12) with double-spread, action-packed illustrations throughout. The lyrics are classic, and Carly Simon's voice is clear and warm - singing slowly enough so that kids can follow the story as the pages are turned, but with all the enthusiasm of the ball game.
The accompanying CD also contains two completely unrelated songs, "Scarborough Fair" and "I Gave my Love a Cherry," two old classics that I remember singing as a child. An odd pairing, but it might work well used as a bedtime story followed by two lullabies.
An added Performer's Note reveals the interesting fact that Jackie Robinson and his family lived with Carly Simon's family in 1954 and 1955 while the Robinson's home was under construction in the neighborhood.
