PPBF: Colors! Colores!

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Author: Jorge Luján
Illustrator: Piet Grobler
Publisher: Groundwood Books, bilingual edition (February 28, 2008); Translators:
Age Level: 5-9
Themes: colors, children’s poetry, Spanish American, English
Opening: Rocked by the tide, beige fell asleep on the sand. El beige se durmió en la arena de tanto que lo arula la marca.
Summary: (From Amazon) Noted Mexican poet Jorge Luján and South Africa’s illustrious illustrator Piet Grobler have teamed up again to produce this exquisite celebration of color. As day turns into night, young readers see fleeting, evocative glimpses of the qualities inherent in a range of colors. An antelope and a group of children are pictured inhabiting this delicate world. This bilingual book presents a gorgeous vision of a planet in which nature, words, and the rising and setting of the sun and the moon exist in harmony.

Why I like this book: I found another treat sifting through the world languages section of my library. If you didn’t know colors could sing, you will after reading the short poems bursting at the seams with image-inducing emotion. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for this skilled watercolorist to do the same thing with his images – they look simple, yet are able to lift you into a dream.

Resources/Activities: Now who doesn’t want to pick up a brush? A class could also make a list of objects of a certain color, shape, taste, touch – explore all the senses!

This will be the last PPBF pick for the summer – see you in September! For more PPBF picks go to Susanna Hill’s blog – any day!

 

 

PPBF: My Father’s Arms are a Boat

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Author: Stein Erik Lunde
Illustrator: Øyvind Torseter

Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books, 2013
Age Level: 4 and up
Themes: fathers and sons, death
Opening: My dad isn’t listening to the radio. He’s sitting in the living room, where the only sound is the crackling of the fire. When I was there with him, I saw the tongues of the fire lick his face. I went over and put my hand on his arm, and he patted my hand. Then I went into my room and got into bed.
Summary: Unable to sleep, a young boy climbs into his father’s arms and asks about birds, foxes, and whether his mother will ever awaken, then under a starry sky, the father provides clear answers and assurances.

Why I Like This Book: I don’t think I need to explain why I think the artwork is breathtaking, but so is the story it tells, and the concept – too rarely found in American books. Looking for images I found a touching review which ‘hit the spot’ perfectly – HERE, at A Teacher’s Perspective. Life’s stories don’t usually end on a high note – it’s what we make of them that matters. I have to return this book to the library. I’ve had it out for the maximum of weeks allowed. But you can bet I ordered it.  It won’t take much convincing to have my local indie bookseller stock this one.

Activities: I feel the illustrations will motivate any child to draw and cut his or her own pictures, to sculpt the paper and create a three dimensional scene, or a diarama in a capsized shoebox – like the ones HERE at Art Lessons for Kids. And if a child wants to talk about death, what better opportunity than while creating and expressing? My own daughter’s first experience came with the coverage of Princess Diana’s death. We drew a lot of princesses after that. Once she drew a rectangle around hers, and another preschool mom asked her what the box is for . Olivia informed her, “She’s dead.”

Go to Susanna Hill’s blog for more Perfect Picture Book selections and activities.

PPBF: Electric Ben

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Electric Ben

Author/Illustrator: Robert Byrd
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2012
Age Level: 5-8
Themes: Ben Franklin, social activists, statesmen, inventors, scientists, printers, biography
Opening: A boy about ten years old was swimming in a pond in early colonial Massachusetts.
Summary: A true Renaissance man, Benjamin Franklin was the first American celebrity. In pictures and text, master artist Robert Byrd documents Franklin’s numerous and diverse accomplishments, from framing the Constitution to creating bifocals. The witty, wise, and endlessly curious Franklin is the perfect subject for Byrd’s lively style and vibrant art. The pages pulse with facts, quotes, and captions, while the inventive design and intricately detailed illustrations make a striking tribute to the brilliant American.

Isn't he gorgeous!

Isn’t he gorgeous!

Why I like this book: This is not a typical PPBF selection for me, and I’ll admit the funky bright cover attracted me first. But I am a BIG fan of well-written biographies, especially if there are so many fun and informative illustrations. And if there were someone from the past I could choose to shoot the breeze with, you guessed it, it’s Ben, and always has . . . been!

A Kirkus Reviews Best Childrens Book of 2012, a 2012 Horn Fanfare Book, and a 2012 Robert F. Sibert Honor book!

You might enjoy more of Robert Byrd’s books – click HERE to read about them.

Here is another dreamy portrait by Joseph-Siffred Duplessis that was used to create the image for the $_____ bill. Please add your guess in the comment section!

Activities: I’ve been waiting to write something like this, and mean it, for a long time: GO FLY A KITE!

Go to Susanna Hill’s blog for more Perfect Picture Books and activities.