Creeeaak… My Entry

Posted by julie rowan zoch

Susanna Leonard Hill’s 5th Annual Halloweensie Contest*: write a 100-word Halloween story appropriate for children using the words costume, dark and haunt. (I threw in some older sketches for fun – enjoy!)

Creeeaak…

Knock, knock.

Who’s there?

Trick or treat.

Rick and Pete?

No. Trick or treat!

Oh. Stinky beets?

We’re trick or treaters!

You’re picky eaters?

We’re wearing costumes!

You need the bathroom?

UGH!!!

Bug?

It’s dark out here!

A shark is near?

We’ll bare our teeth!

You like my wreath?

Open the door!

No, I don’t snore,…but I’m hard off hearing.

We’re gonna haunt your house!

You caught a mouse?

Aw, forget it.

Slug and lettuce?

Goodbye…and good riddance!

…Creeeaak…

Why are you leaving? I love kittens!

*Read the other entries as they are posted over the next 5 days HERE

PPBF: The Elephant and the Bad Baby

Posted by julie rowan zoch

Author: Elfrida Vipont
Illustrator: Raymond Briggs
Publisher: Coward-MacCann, 1969
Ages: 3-5
Themes: elephants, babies, manners, cumulative stories
Opening: Once upon a time there was an elephant.
Summary: (from Waterstones)”The Elephant and the Bad Baby” is the classic story from Elfrida Vipont and Raymond Briggs. The Elephant takes the Bad Baby for a ride and they go ‘rumpeta, rumpeta, rumpeta down the road.’ They help themselves to ice creams, pies, buns, crisps, biscuits, lollipops and apples, and the shopkeepers follow them down the road shouting and waving. All ends well as the Bad Baby learns to say ‘Please’ and his mother makes pancakes for everyone.

I like this book because: this is a GREAT read-aloud, recommended by a friend (Hi, Kelly!) for it’s jauntiness as she recently searched for a copy to gift her grand-nephew. I am a fan of Raymond Brigg’s work, but had not known about this cumulative gem. And the simplicity of the opening line is just so refreshing!

Resources/activities: make a puppet show, a flannel board, or perform the book as a play; talk about appropriate manners, but do this first – then read this to lighten the mood!

For existing PPBF selections including resources and activities, go to Susanna Hill’s blog: HERE

PPBF: Max and Marla

Posted by julie rowan zoch

Author/Illustrator: Alexandra Boiger
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2015
Ages: 3-5
Themes: sledding, Olympics, friendship
Opening: Max and Marla are best friends.
Summary: (from Amazon) Max and Marla are best friends. And aspiring Olympians! With their eyes on the prize, they know exactly what it’ll take to reach sledding success: preparation, practice and perseverance. So when rusty blades, strong winds and difficult slopes get in their way, Max and Marla realize true joy lies not in winning but in friendship. Obstacles turn into victories!

I like this book because: it reminds me of the sledding adventures I had as a child, how persistent we were, wet mittens and all, and how the kids in our neighborhood enjoyed playing ‘Olympics’, though gymnastics was my chosen sport because CARTWHEELS! (I always wanted to play Nadia Comaneci). I love the simple palette, an array of cool blues and spots of cinnamon. Both characters are endearing, but my heart melted with little Marla asleep on the couch, ‘helping’ with the wax – “True Olympians never give up”!

Resources/activities: learn about different Olympic sports for winter or summer (don’t forget badminton – my favorite to play!); discover the difference between sleds and sleighs, and what makes them go (and why Max uses wax on his)at wonderopolois.org – HERE; investigate: do different cultures use different kinds of sleds? (I have a German one, just like the sled in the book!). I’ve wanted one like the following since I first saw the Swedish tv series, Pippi Longstocking:

For existing PPBF selections including resources and activities, go to Susanna Hill’s blog: HERE

PPBF: Bookmaker’s Studio

Posted by julie rowan zoch

Author: Photography: Jake Green; Art Direction: Melanie Mues; Editor: James Cartwright
Publisher: The Bookmaker’s Studio, 2015; Printers: Hacksmith Press
Ages: all
Themes: children’s picture book illustrators, illustration, design
Opening/Introduction: Making books for kids is a humbling profession; months and years of character developing, story refining, composition adjusting, and dummy approving to which your audience will be forever indifferent.

Summary: (from the kickstarter page) A glimpse inside the studios and minds of some of the world’s best living children’s picturebook makers. A limited edition photo book.

I supported this kickstarter project because: I am curious, nosy, interested and delighted to have a glimpse into the working spaces of other artists.

Resources/activities: Have children list all the things they recognize in the artist’s studios as tools they know or own themselves, then make a second list of things they are surprised to see in an artist’s studio; Discuss how picture books are made.

For existing PPBF selections, including resources and activities, go to Susanna Hill’s blog: HERE; for todays’ fresh picks, click HERE

PPBF: In the Canyon

Posted by julie rowan zoch

Author: Liz Garton Scanlon
Illustrator: Ashley Wolff
Publisher: Beach Lane Books, 2015
Ages: 4-8
Themes: nature, hiking, Grand Canyon, stories in rhyme
Opening: Here’s a map, some boots, a pack, a walking stick, and sandy track.
Summary: (from my library catalog) Illustrations and simple rhyming text present a child who is hiking with a group into the Grand Canyon, enjoying the wonders of nature–whether a lizard, a picture on the stone, or a glimpse of the moon from the bottom..

I like this book because: it transports me! I haven’t hiked the Grand Canyon yet, but have hiked and camped not to far from there, and, as I said when I first saw some of the illustrations, I could feel the fine red sand building up in my shoes. And the gentle rhyming couplets give the sense of being right there with our young guide. Beautiful!

Resources/activities: plan a hike; list what will you need to take on a hike in your area; talk about the wildlife you might see on the hike and what clues could help to discover their presence; practice map reading.