PPBF: Barfburger Baby, I Was Here First

Author: Paula Danziger
Illustrator: G. Brian Karas
Publisher: G.P.Putnam’s Sons, 2014
Age: 4-8
Themes: babies, brothers, jealousy
Opening: “Isn’t he the sweetest little baby brother?” Mom asks. She’s making silly faces at Daniel. Daniel has gunk all over his face. He looks like he spit up a space blob. “He’s just a Barfburger Baby,” I whisper to myself.

Summary: (from my library catalog) Five-year-old Jonathon is not pleased when neighbors and relatives come to visit and admire his new baby brother.

I like this book because: I was on the lookout for new baby/siblings books, as one of my Storytime gang is expecting a baby sister next year. This one would be a good choice if my little friend were just a year older, but it touched me, even if I have no recollection of my own little brother being born (and I was not there first!). It’s a poignant, funny and beautifully written story depicting the stark reality of navigating a new world where all the attention is no longer on you! And I am a HUGE fan of Karas’ work, which is what made me pick this book out in the first place. Just look what he can do with dots for eyes!

Resources/Activities: I asked my Storytime gang what kind of objects we could hand to a baby by drawing them out (they also loved watching me draw and guessing what the next object would be): a comb? A bottle? A teddy bear? An apple? A tree? We also talked about how our behavior has to change in the presence of a very new baby, and what we will be able to teach a baby.

For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.

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PPBF: Sometimes It’s Storks + a winner!

Author: L.J.R. Kelly
Illustrator: The Brothers Hilts
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2017
Age: 2-5
Themes: infants, animals
Opening: “Babies arrive by different means, on rickshaws, beasts or submarines, and some, indeed, do come by wing – a bundle of baby, blanket and string – “

Summary: (from my library catalog) Relates where some babies come from as a parent tells a child of the long and strange journey that began with a careless stork and ended with the baby finally reaching home.

Why I like this book: Stunning compositions with stimulating use of contrast – great for young eyes – and tired ones too! The text gets high marks for top-notch readaloudability and humor too. Great gift for new parents!

Resources/Activities: read it again, savor it a third time, and after the fifth reading buy a copy for a friend!

For more Perfect Picture Book picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.

And the WINNER of the 5th BLOGIVERSARY giveaway picture book is:

JOANNA MARPLE!

Thanks to each and every one of you for participating!!!

PPBF: The Elephant and the Bad Baby

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: The Pig Who Wished

The PPBF series on Susanna Hill’s blog is taking a nap – a long summer slumber – but I can’t help myself – gotta share books!

Author: Joyce Dunbar
Illustrator: Selina Young
Publisher: DK, 1999
Ages: 2-6
Themes: pigs, wishes, bedtime
Opening: Once there was a pig who swallowed a magic acorn so that all of her wishes came true. “Oh, I do wish, I could get out of my pigpen and look at the stores,” said the pig.
Summary: (from my library catalog) When a pig swallows a magic acorn, all her wishes come true.

I like this book because: The cheerful illustrations from Selina Young attracted me to the book, and the linear and rollicking story of what happens when your wishes come true took my delight to another level – and in the end I was left with a warmed heart!

Resources/activities: Where might your wishes take you? This kind of story could be recreated in the round and each telling would be unique.

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

PPBF: The Day the Babies Crawled Away

Author/Illustrator: Peggy Rathmann
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2003
Age Level: 2-6
Themes: babies, rescue, picnicking, stories in rhyme
Opening: Remember the day the babies crawled away? We moms and dads were eating pies, the babies saw some butterflies– and what do you know? Surprise! Surprise! The babies crawled away!
Summary: A boy follows five babies who crawl away from a picnic and saves the day by bringing them back.

Why I like this book: I like it despite it’s imperfections. Nay! I love it all the more because it’s not perfect. It’s genuine. I found it incredibly easy and fun to read aloud – even to myself! You can’t help but inflect it with lighthearted pleasure! Might just be the book to help the beginning babysitter, or mind-numbing nanny, learn how to read with kids! The rhyme isn’t tight, but I think that’s what I like – it’s natural! Of course, I am a sucker for silhouettes, and though I am not particularly fond of 80’s neon color-scream, it adds to the unlikely twists. I read somewhere that parents might not like showing a parental inattentiveness, but I have had a baby crawl away, and a toddler ride a bike with training wheels so fast only the ice cream sign at the kiosk stopped her from reaching the main street, and my kids LOVE to hear the tales of their own escape!

Activities: Create pictures with scratch paper, the kind that looks black until you scratch away to reveal bright rainbow colors. You can buy it ready made, but when I was a kid, we made our own, by covering a piece of paper with crayon and painting it over in black. Mom didn’t care for the mess, but didn’t mind it on the patio!

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