PPBF: The Bathing Costume

Author: Charlotte Moundlic
Illustrator: Olivier Tallec
Publisher: Enchanted Lion, 2013
Ages: 5-8yrs
Themes: swim suits, relatives, summer vacation
Opening: In a month, my family, will be moving. So my parents have decided that this summer I’ll go away kind of on my own, which means without Mama.
Summary: (from my library catalog) A Batchelder Honor book: On his first vacation without his parents, eight-year-old Myron faces a scary grandfather, teasing older cousins, his first dive off the ten-foot board, and his grandmother’s encouragement to write his mother daily, telling her of his adventures. (Kirkus review) 

I like this book because: the first-person story is so familiar! It brings back nights spent away from home, for emergencies or holidays, and my first experience diving off the high board. Terrific for any kid who has ever spent time with friends or relatives, with or without their own parents. The text is long for a picture book by American trends, reads more like a chapter book, but it’s a picture book format, and definitely fits my criteria for a PPBF pick. The composition of the color spreads is sparse but richly atmospheric.

Resources/activities: discuss the history of swimsuit fashion – info HERE; discuss personal fears and how one might or may have overcome them.

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

 

PPBF: The Giant Seed

This post is dedicated to all those affected by the High Park Fire: seeds of hope

Author/Illustrator: Arthur Geisert

Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books, 2012 (originally published in France under La Grosse Graine by Editions Autrement, 2010)

Genre: wordless fiction;  note the interesting size: 10 1/4″ x 6″

Themes: pigs, seeds, volcanoes, islands, dandelions, displacement

Age Level: 4-8

Synopsis: In this new episode of Geisert’s pig stories (yes, that was the cue to read the others) a seed drifts into the community, is planted, nurtured and enjoyed by all. The threat of a  volcano eruption has them scrambling to safety, and I’ll let you guess how their escape is provided – or you can drift over to your local bookstore tomorrow to participate in Kelly Sonnack’s annual Save the Bookstore’s 2012 Event

Why I like this book: Geisert’s ability to imbue action and adventure in a wordless picture book with really cool photogravure illustrations is magical! (From Wikipedia: Photogravure is an intaglio printmaking or photo-mechanical process whereby a copper plate is coated with a light-sensitive gelatin tissue which had been exposed to a film positive, and then etched, resulting in a high quality intaglio print that can reproduce the detail and continuous tones of a photograph.)

Resource/Activity:  Good explanation for wind dispersal of seeds; Craft ideas: Printmaking for Kids; makeandtakes.com: home-made volcanoes

For more posts on Perfect Picture Books and resources visit Susanna Hill’s blog every Friday

And now to Day Nine: Jeff Goins tells us another habit of great writers is to connect with other writers. Then I must be in a great group of great writers already! For more info visit Julie Hedlund’s site for more info on the 12x12in’12 Challlenge.