PPBF: Worms

Author: Bernard Friot; translation: Yvette Ghione
Illustrator: Aurélie Guillerey
Publisher: Kids can Press, 2015; Originally published under Asticots, by Éditions Milan, 2010.
Age: 4-7
Themes: worms, manners, humorous stories
Opening: I was bored. SO bored! My father had invited the senior executives form the factory to dinner and made me join them.

Summary: (from the publisher) A hilarious picture book tale of a small boy’s mischief, with a sly take on what it wreaks in the world of the grown-ups.

Why I like this book: This hilarious depiction of a small narrative ‘incident’ is a perfect example of what an illustrator can do to amplify the story through deceptively simple gestures and details. Bravo! I’m sure the kids will laugh out loud with this one, but it may make a few more suspicious of their dinner salads!

Resources/Activities: This book provides an interesting opportunity to discuss past and present practices of work associates and families: why would a boss invite his workers home for a dinner? Have workers invited their bosses? For what purpose? Together read, How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell.

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

 

PPBF: What Do You Say, Dear?

Author: Sesyle Joslin
Illustrator: Maurice Sendak
Publisher: Harper Collins; first publ. by Addison-Wesley, 1958
Age: 3-6
Themes: etiquette, manners, humorous stories
Opening: You are downtown and there is a gentleman giving baby elephants to people. You want to take one home because you have always wanted a baby elephant, but first the gentleman introduces you to each other. What do you say, dear?

Summary: (from my library catalog) Offers advice on how to cope correctly with a variety of common and uncommon social situations. (That is such an understatement! The book is HILARIOUS!)

Why I like this book: it’s ‘the funniest book on good behavior you’ll ever read’, according to the back cover – and I concur! And the illustrations are at the same time slightly snarky and heart-meltingly darling! Enjoy!

Resources/Activities: Read the companion book: What Do You Do, Dear? (images below), by the same author and illustrator. Read them again! Come up with more common and uncommon situations!

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

PPBF: A Well-Mannered Young Wolf

Author: Jean Leroy
Illustrator: Matthieu Maudet
Publisher: Eerdmans, 2016, originally publ. in France by L’école des loisirs, 2013
Age: 4-8
Themes: wolves, manners, humorous stories
Opening: A young wolf, whose parents had taught him good manners, went hunting alone, in the forest for the first time.
Summary: (from my library catalog, short and to the point) A young wolf must fulfill his prey’s last wishes before he devours them.

Why I like this book: I have a penchant for sweet-on-the-outside stories with bite! The illustrations are much like those found in graphic novels, with very simple use of color and white space, allowing for the characters to take the simple plot on a well-paced ride!

Resources/Activities: A great book to discuss manners, honor, expectation and safety too!

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

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: One Word from Sophia

The PPBF series on Susanna Hill’s blog is still snoring the summer away, but I must share Perfect Picture Books as I come across them, at least on Fridays!

Author: Jim Averbeck
Illustrator: Yasmeen Ismail
Publisher: Atheneum, 2015
Ages: 4-8
Themes: pets, politeness, giraffes
Opening: Sophia’s birthday was coming up, and she had five things on her mind – One True Desire and four problems.
Summary: (from my library catalog)All Sophie wants for her birthday is a pet giraffe, but as she tries to convince different members of her rather complicated family to support her cause, each tells her she is using too many words until she finally hits on the perfectone. Includes glossary.

I like this book because: of big words and nimble, fluid illustrations! This may be a challenge for younger ears, but go ahead and challenge them! The text is dense and deep and the light and elegant illustrations compliment perfectly!

Resources/activities: Review the glossary, discuss the big words, and see if you can find more to add; discuss strategies and methods as well as manners to communicate with; list everyone’s One True Desire (for the day!)

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