The Library

The Library by Sarah Stewart
Illustrated by David Small
Published by Farrar Straus Giroux
1995

     The Library is the story of Elizabeth Brown, a girl born to read. When she was little, she didn't like to play with dolls or play outside. All she wanted to do was read. She read everywhere, all the time.  When she left for college, she brought with her a steamer trunk loaded with books, and in class she sat daydreaming about entering a readers' olympiad.

She manufactured library cards
And checked out books to friends,
Then shocked them with her midnight raids
To collect the books again.

Elizabeth preferred books to going out on dates, or dancing with her friends. She moved to a little town and lived a life devoted to her love of books.  Eventually, she accumulated so many books that "she had to face the awful fact, she could not have one more," so she ended up donating all her books to create The Elizabeth Brown Free Library.
     The Library is a beautiful book in every sense of the word.  The character portrayed by Stewart is funny and lovable, and the gorgeous illustrations by Small add to Elizabeth's loveliness. I love the way Small framed the images and added ink designs to accompany the rhyming verses.  I especially liked those pages where the illustrations cannot be contained by the frames anymore, and books end up spilling all over the page.
     There is an underlying quirkiness about Elizabeth and readers get a glimpse of it with hilarious lines (with illustrations to match) like:

She made a list of groceries
And tucked it in her book,
Then lost the list among the fruits
And left with nothing to cook.
She read about Greek goddesses
While vacuuming the floor.
Attending only to her book,
She'd walk into a door.

      I dare you not to fall in love with Elizabeth Brown. This is one of my favorite picture books. Enjoy!

The Ballad of Valentine

The Ballad of Valentine by Alison Jackson
Illustrated by Tricia Tusa
Published by Dutton Children's Books
2002

     Valentine lives in a small cottage in a remote canyon, where she goes about her daily chores without knowing that in the distance she has an enamored admirer.  He has a question to ask her, but try as he may, he can never reach Valentine:

In a cabin, in a canyon,

Near a mountain laced with pine,

Lived a girl who was my sweetheart

And her name was Valentine.

Oh my darling, oh my darling,

Oh my darling Valentine,

I have written forty letters,

But you never read a line.

     He tried to send her a letter, but the mailman couldn't find Valentine's address. He trained a homing pigeon, but it dropped the letter in Madagascar.  He even tried to send smoke signals, but "a cyclone stole the message, and it vanished one more time."  Meanwhile Valentine is baking a pie...and as the enamored boy sits in total despair hoping to one day ask her to be his Valentine, we see her climbing up to the hill where he lives.
     The Ballad of Valentine follows the melody of Oh My Darling, Clementine, and I dare you not to start singing along after a couple of pages.  The story is sweet and funny and the illustrations by Tusa are delightful.  Great read aloud for Valentine's Day.

Reindeer Christmas

Reindeer Christmas by Mark Kimball Moulton
Illustrated by Karen Hillard Good
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
2008

     On a winter night, two children and their grandmother step out into the snowy field with baskets full of treats for the forest animals.  They noticed a deer laying in the snow, its eyes closed and a faint glow around him (in the illustrations we can also see a sleigh bell next to him).  They bring the deer inside and take care of him, making sure he's fed and warm.  Later that night, as the children are falling asleep in the room, one of them sees the deer flying across the sky.  When Christmas day arrives, the children find that aside from the presents by the tree, there is a letter from Santa Claus, thanking them for having taken care of Donner. There had been a bad storm and Donner had lost his way. As a special gift of thanks, Santa Claus gives the family a little box filled with magic reindeer glow.  "Hold this box and make a wish, then close your sleepy eyes, and you will see your wish come true before the next sunrise." What wish would you make?
     Reindeer Christmas is a tender and touching book to add to the holiday read aloud shelf.  It's written in rhyme.  The rhymes and the beautifully illustrations with a frosty sepia touch give the book a timeless feeling. Heartwarming and sweet.

King Hugo's Huge Ego

King Hugo's Huge Ego by Chris Van Dusen
2011

     King Hugo's diminutive size contrast with the enormity of his ego.  He was only three foot three.

And though this mini monarch 

stood no higher than an elf,

his ego was enormous-

he though highly of himself.

    

     He made his subjects bow to him and forced them to listen to never ending speeches about how mighty and magnificent he though he was.  Then, one day, while strolling in his carriage, he ran over a maiden who refused to move out of the way.  The maiden happened to be a sorcerers who cursed him so that every time King Hugo said something arrogant, his head would grow.  Soon, his crown in too small and tight for his quickly growing head.  His head got to be so large that he didn't fit through any door in the castle.  With his humongous head affecting his balance, he ends up falling off his castle's tower, rolling and bouncing all the way to the field were the sorcerers lived.  Will he deflate his ego and see the love of his life standing before him?

     King Hugo's Huge Ego is a blast.  I read it to my fifth graders today and they loved it.  The illustrations are hilarious!   But the real star of the book is the story (and I'm a sucker for good classic style stories).  The rhymes flow with ease and never seemed forced. And the vocabulary used in the book is wonderful (with many context clues to help kids figure out the meaning of the advanced words).  Overall, a great find.  One of my favorites this year.

Room on the Broom

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
Illustrated by Axel Scheffler
2001

     Room on the Broom is on of my favorite read alouds to do around Halloween.  Written in rhyme, it tells the story of a witch flying on her broom with her cat and cauldron.  When the wind blows her hat off her head, she's forced to land.  A dog finds her hat, gives it back, and asks:

"I'm a dog, as keen as can be.

Is there room on the broom 

for a dog like me?

"Yes! cried the witch,

and the dog clambered on.

The witch tapped the broomstick and

whoosh! they were gone.

     This type of scene repeats, with the witch losing her bow and her wand and adding a bird and a frog to the broom's passengers.  With all that extra weight, the broom breaks in two and the witch is attacked by a dragon whose favorite meal includes witch with french fries.  Her animal companions come to the rescue and soon they're on their way riding on a brand new and upgraded broomstick.

     The rhymes by Donaldson flow with such ease that it's a total pleasure to read them aloud.  The story has wonderful vocabulary and repetition to encourage the participation of young readers who will soon memorize ""whoosh! they were gone."  The illustrations by Axel Scheffler are delightful.  Donaldson and Scheffler are one of my favorite author/illustrator pairs.  A perfect Halloween read aloud.

The Boy Who Longed for a Lift

The Boy Who Longed for a Lift by Norma Farber

Illustrated by Brian Selznick

1997

     A boy's family welcomed a baby into their home, and as the parents focused on the new arrival, the boy embarked on a solo journey.  He walked a long way and as he got tired he cried, "Who'll offer me a ride? Who'll carry me far and wide?"   A brook carried him first, followed by a boat, a trout, a snail, a horseman, a gull and the rain.  Finally, he decided to continue his journey afoot until he made his way back home. "His father ran out, strong and swift, and gave the boy a lift." (This time around, the baby is the one being ignored.)

     The Boy Who Longed for a Lift is told in rhyme.  The illustrations by Selznick are wonderful and there are many hidden details to discover during careful readings; there are world landmarks drawn in some pages as well as clues as to what the boy will ride next.     The repetition and rhyme, as well as the adventure theme, make this a nice read aloud.

When Charlie McButton Lost Power

When Charlie McButton Lost Power by Suzanne Collins
Illustrated by Mike Lester
2007

     Charlie McButton loved computer games and things that involved handsets and bots.  When the power went out during a thunderstorm, Charlie McButton freaked out.  What was he supposed to do?  His mom told him he should find something without a plug to play. Maybe he could read, sing or play with clay.  No way.  So he found and old handheld game console but when he tried to turn it on it didn't have batteries.  He looked for batteries everywhere and then he saw his sister walking around with her doll, a talking doll.  Knowing that the doll had to use batteries to talk, Charlie pounced on it, ripped it out of his sister's hands and made her scream.  He ended up in a time out and from his chair he yelled at his sister so loud that:

Her eyes filled with tears and she gave them a rub.

She went to the bathroom and hid in the tub.

Then Charlie McButton felt totally rotten

And couldn't help thinking some things he'd forgotten

     Charlie thought about all the good times he'd had with his little sister and went looking for her to make her happy.  They played together all afternoon, building forts, playing hide-and-go-seek, and pretending to be wizards and trolls. By the time the power came back, Charlie thought about being able to turn on his computer again...but then again, he might also find dragons with his little sister instead.
     When Charlie McButton Lost Power is written in rhyme.  The story is very entertaining and relatable for most kids. The rhymes flow with ease and humor.  The illustrations capture the characters well.

PS: Suzanne Collins as in the author of Hunger Games and Gregor the Overlander.

 

Peaceful Pieces

Peaceful Pieces: Poems and Quilts About Peace by Anna Grossnickle Hines
2011

Peaceful Pieces is a collection of poems that explores the theme of peace from different points of view and perspectives. There are poems about world peace, inner peace, peace between siblings, friendship, and peace with environment and the world around us. There are some very memorable poems, like "Soldier Daddy" about a boy hoping for his father's swift return from war soon. Or "Weapons," a poem about the destructive power of hurtful words:

"I've shot daggers from my eyes
At those I momentarily despised.
I have never fired a gun
but want to learn
to hold my tongue"

There are acrostic poems, free verse poems and rhyming poems. There are many examples of similes and metaphors as well as a beautiful poem that personifies Peace, which make this a greate poetry book to utilize in the classroom. The illustrations are gorgeous quilts. There is also some biographies at the end of the book about world history makers who are examples of peacemakers. Great addition to any classroom library.

Knock, Knock, Teremok!

Knock, Knock Teremok! A Traditional Russian Tale
Adapted and Illustrated by Katya Arnold
1995

     A Teremok is a traditional pitched-roof Russian cottage.  In Knock, Knock Teremok!, a group of animals come to an abandoned teremok.  First came the Fly and since there was nobody living in the teremok, she made it her home.  Then came a mouse who also moved in, followed by a frog:

 Knock, knock, knock,
Who lives in the teremok?
It's me, the Fly, queen of the sky.
It's me the Mouse, who needs a new house.
Who are you?
I'm the Frog, from out of the bog.
Let's live together.

     The pattern continues, with each turn of the page adding a new animal and building on the length of the rhyme.  There is a duck, a fox, a wolf, a hair, and a pig.  And the all lived happily together until a bear came and there was no room for him.  He asked to stay on the roof and the other animals warned him that he was too heavy but he climbed up and squashed the house.  "Everybody barely escaped!"
     Knock, Knock Teremok! can be a fun read-aloud to use in the classroom.  It can be acted out or used to practice rhyming words (kids could add their own rhymes to go with each animal).  I need to add that there's definitely another layer that will escape elementary school kids, but that could be shown to middle-schoolers; as the animals move into the teremok, there's a very inconspicuous portrait of Lenin hanging inside the house. Also, the bear is a symbol of the Soviet Union.  The author/illustrator, Katya Arnold includes a note where she explains that she sees the story "as an allegory of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the socialist ideal of disparate peoples living peacefully together."  Arnold's illustrations give a folksy feeling to the tale.

Please Bury Me in the Library

Please Bury Me in the Library by J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrated by Kyle M. Stone
2005

     Please Bury Me in the Library is a beautiful book of poems revolving around the love of books, libraries and reading. Some are funny, like What If Books Had Different Names?

Like Alice in...Underland?
Furious George,
Goodnight Noon

     Others are more romantic:

Please bury me in the library
In the clean, well-lighted stacks
Of Novels, History, Poetry,
Right next to the Paperbacks
[...]
Please bury me in the library
With a dozen long-stemmed proses.

     The collection also includes acrostic poems and Haikus. I'm surprised I haven't seen this book in my school  since it fits perfectly inside the elementary poetry classroom library.

     My favorite poem in the collection is Great, Good, Bad

A great book is a homing device
For navigating paradise.
A good book somehow makes you care
About the comfort of a chair.
A bad book owes to many trees
A forest of apologies.

     The illustrations, the language, the theme, everything is perfect! This beautiful poetry book does not owe any tree an apology.

The Magic Hat

The Magic Hat by Mem Fox
Illustrated by Tricia Tusa

     One fine day, a magic hat flew into a town.  The magic hat moves with the wind and lands on unsuspecting town folks, turning them into animals.  "Oh, the magic hat, the magic hat! It moved like this, it moved like that!" and then, puff! it turned an old man into a toad, a fruit seller into a baboon, a sleepy businessman into a bear, a mother and her baby into kangaroos.  A giant friendly "wizard appeared with a sign that said: STOP!" And everything when back to normal.  While the crowd discussed the events of the day, the wizard left town.  As he turns his back to us, we see him not as a giant wizard but a boy...wearing the hat "that made all the magic -wherever it sat!"
     The Magic Hat is a delightful book of magic, wonder and fun.  The repeating story patterns and rhymes will have children completing the verses right away.  The ink and watercolor illustrations are charming and full of details.  I've always loved books with a touch of magic, and this is a read aloud I keep going back to at home and in the classroom.  It's a great one to use for text innovation activities in the lower grades.              
 

The Gruffalo

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Illustrated by Axel Scheffler
1999

     "A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood. A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good."  Fox invites mouse to have lunch with him in his underground house.  But the clever mouse, knowing he's about to become Fox's lunch tells him, "It's terribly kind of you, Fox, but no - I'm going to have lunch with a gruffalo.-"  Of course, the fox has never heard of such a thing, so the mouse begins describing the gruffalo: "He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws."  He tells Fox he's meeting gruffalo right there and that his "favorite food is roasted fox."  Fox speeds away in complete terror and Mouse laughs "Silly old Fox! Doesn't he know? There's no such thing as a gruffalo!"
     The same scene takes place when the mouse meets an owl and then a snake, both of whom would love to eat mouse, but end up running away in fear of becoming the gruffalo's lunch instead.  Then, just as mouse thinks he's outsmarted his predators with his tall tale of the gruffalo, who should he run into but no other than the gruffalo, matching his description perfectly.  The gruffalo's favorite food is...mouse of course.  Thankfully, our clever mouse is quick on his feet and tells the gruffalo: "I'm the scariest creature in this deep dark wood. Just walk behind me and soon you'll see, everyone for miles is afraid of me."  As the pair walk through the woods they come across the snake, the owl and the fox who, at the sight of the gruffalo, all run away terrified. Mouse turns and looks at gruffalo and says: "Everyone in the wood is afraid of me! But now my tummy is beginning to rumble, and my favorite food is...gruffalo crumble!"
     I've read this book three times today.  My son has fallen in love with The Gruffalo as have I.  He really enjoyed the mouse's cleverness in the face of predators and a monster like the gruffalo. It allows kids to root for the underdog and feel like with their wit they can take down the scariest of monsters.  The rhymes and pattern of the story make it a great read aloud -and in no time you'll hear the kids joining in.  The illustrations are a fantastic complement to the story and they provide clues as to what the characters are really thinking which help younger kids get the point of the story. Whether they get it or not though, I promise you they'll have fun with The Gruffalo.
   

The Terrible Plop

The Terrible Plop by Ursula Dubosarsky
Illustrated by Andrew Joyner
2009

      Six little rabbits are enjoying a picnic by the lake.  The wind blows softly and "suddenly comes a terrible PLOP!"   The rabbits jump up and shout to each other "Run! Don't stop! We must get away from the Terrible PLOP!"  On their way they manage to create a chain reaction, where a fox, a monkey, an elephant, a cat, a pig, even a tiger and a bat, all start running away from the "Terrible PLOP."  They keep going until they reach the big brown bear who doesn't understand what the big deal is: "The Terrible PLOP? What do I care about a silly old PLOP?"  Upset that other animals think the Terrible PLOP is stronger than him, the brown bear grabs the littlest rabbit with his claws and threatens to eat him if the rabbit doesn't show him where to find the Terrible PLOP.
     The rabbit and the bear make their way to the lake.  An apple tree stands tall by the lake and the wind makes one of it's red apples swing in the sky.  While the bear looks around, the rabbit stands still and notices the apple falling to the lake and making a "Terrible PLOP!" sound.  And just like that, the bear runs to the forest and the littlest rabbit smiles and enjoys the rest of the picnic alone.
     The Terrible Plop is a lovely tale to show kids that some things in life are not as scary as they might seem.  It's funny and its illustration are very entertaining (I especially loved the littlest rabbit's face as he discovers the source of the Terrible PLOP!).  It's written in rhyme and it flows very well making it a delightful read aloud.

Math Appeal

,

Math Appeal (Mind-Stretching Math Riddles) by Greg Tang
Illustrated by Harry Briggs
2003

    Math Appeal is a collection of rhymes/riddles, each one posing a different math problem to solve.  The riddles are challenging and fun.  Greg Tang wrote Math Appeal as a way to make math fun and engaging; he believes "language and art are the keys to make math more meaningful to children."  Each riddle encourages thinking outside the box and finding creative ways to solve math problems.  The illustrations are an essential part of the riddle and add clues to solve the problems.
     Math Appeal is a great book to read at home with kids 7-10 years old, as well as a perfect addition to the math classroom library.  At the back of the book you can find all the answer and explanations to each riddle.  Read it cover to cover or work on one riddle a day, either way, you'll enjoy it.

Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes

Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes by Sally Mavor
2010

     Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes is a collection of traditional nursery rhymes.  Some are very popular and some I had never heard of, but that's not the point.  The reason I picked this book is because it is a work of art.  The illustrations are  fabric relief collages made from a variety of materials (acorns, stones, driftwood, walnuts, beads, buttons, and even wire) all hand sewn together on dyed wool and photographed.  The result is stunning.  This book is a true treasure to be savored over and over...and try to resist the temptation to rip the pages out and frame them to decorate you child's room. 

Truckery Rhymes

Truckery Rhymes by John Scieszka
Illustrated by David Shannon, Loren Long and David Gordon
2009

     Since today is Father's Day, I wanted to change it up a bit and instead of picking a book about a father and son, I decided to chose the book that my husband and son share most often: Truckery Rhymes.  Jon Scieszka's Trucktown characters take on traditional nursery rhymes with a twist.  Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star becomes "Rumble, Rumble, Monster Max. Can you jump those junkyard stacks?" There is also "Rock-a-Bye Mixer at the site top. When the wind blows, the building will rock."  Or my son's favorite: "Patty cake, patty cake, Dumper Dan. Dump me some dirt as fast as you can. Slide it and drop it and mark it DD, and pile it in the lot for Melvin and me."
     My boy loves the rhymes, not only because he already knows the rhythm from the classic ones, but because the trucks all have personalities and he truly becomes immersed in the Trucktown world.  This is more evident in the new version of The Wheels on the Bus, now titled The Wheels on the Truck.  It includes all the different types of trucks with all sorts of sounds which are a blast to read aloud and sing around the house; and at the end of the song, there is a display of all the different trucks that are part of Trucktown.
     This is the sort of book that becomes a family classic that the kids want to keep going back to even after the original fever dies down -when they will ask you to read it a million times a day- It's the book version of a blankie.  The illustrations are exciting as well and I love the fact that it can be read from cover to cover or just a couple of rhymes at a time.

Iggy Peck, Architect

Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty
Illustrated by David Roberts
2007

     Iggy Peck has been an architect since he was two, "when he built a great tower -in only an hour- with nothing but diapers and glue."  By three his parents new his passion for architecture was going to stick: "he built churches and chapels from peaches and apples, and temples from modeling clay." His parents were always supportive, even when he built the St. Lois Arch during dinner using nothing but pancakes and coconut pie.  His passion kept growing but then he reached the second grade and met his teacher Miss Lila Greer.  She hated building and architecture! It all steamed from an unfortunate trip to a skyscraper when she was a little girl; she got lost and "was found two days later stuck, eating cheese with a French circus troupe.  After that day "she thought all building-lovers were nuts."
     Not being allowed to build anything, bummed out Iggy and turned second grade into a bore.  One day, the class went on a picnic.  The crossed a bridge to get to an island where they would have the picnic, but as the last kid got across, the bridge collapsed.  Miss Greer fainted and Iggy came up with a plan.  He designed a new bridge and built it with his classmates and when Miss Greer woke up, they where all safe back on the mainland.
     Iggy Peck, Architect is quirky and delightful book.  The story is funny and the illustrations are fantastic.  It's about finding your passion and sticking with it.  There are not many books out there about being an architect so this  is a good one to add to any classroom or bookshelf.

The Prince's Bedtime

The Prince's Bedtime by Joanne Oppenheim
Illustrated by Miriam Latimer
2007

     The Prince can't fall asleep.  Well, it's not that he can't, he just won't go to sleep. The Queen and King are at their wits's ends trying to find a way to get their prince to go bed. "If anyone knows how to make the prince rest, please come at once to the royal address!"  And so begins the parade: a  bearded physician with sleep medicine, a troupe of dancers, a mustached magician, a peasant carrying a stuffed quilt, jesters, jugglers, cooks...all trying to help the prince to fall asleep, but to no avail.  Then, an old woman came to the palace and the King asked "And what can you do? Do you dance? Can you sing? What's in your bag? What did you bring?"  The woman reached inside her bag, pulled out a book and told the prince "I'll read while you look."  "But where are the pictures?" "You'll see them if you just close your eyes."  And he did, and "he fell asleep for the night."
     The Prince's Bedtime is a great read aloud, and a fun bedtime story.  The illustrations are beautiful and the rhymes flow and never seem forced.  I love a good rhyming story! There is something intrinsically cool about reading a bedtime story about reading a bedtime story...kind of meta, right?

Hot Rod Hamster

Hot Rod Hamster by Cynthia Lord
Illustrated by Derek Anderson
2010

     Hamster needs a hot rod.  He wants to race today so he heads to the junkyard to enlist the help of some friends to build a race car.  They build the hot rod part by part and Hamster is ready for the race. Although he's the smallest animal at the race track, Hamster and his hot rod win the race.
     The story of Hot Rod Hamster is simple enough; what makes it such a fun and cool book to read aloud is its illustrations and the great rhythm of its lines:

          Great day, grin day, build a car to win day,
          Cheer day, chase day, gonna have a race day!


          Old car, new car, shiny painted blue car,
          Rust car, clean car, itty-bitty green car. 

You can almost hear yourself turning the lines into a tune.
     Hot Rod Hamster also encourages audience participation.  After each step on the process of building the hot rod, the reader is asked "Which would you choose?"; as we turn the page, we can compare what we chose with the decision made by Hamster.  Fun book to share with all those boys and girls "built for speed!"