PPBF: The Midsummer Tomte and the Little Rabbits

Author: Ulf Stark
Illustrator: Eva Eriksson
Publisher: Floris, 2016; first publ. in Sweden by Rabén & Sjögren, 2015
Age: 4-8
Themes: rabbits, tomtes, midsummer

Opening: Grump the tomte sat on a stool outside the old dog kennel, which he had made his home, with a stove, a bed, rugs and everything he needed.

Summary: (from my library’s catalog) It’s summer in the big forest and the rabbit children are looking forward to their first Midsummer party. Owl, who knows everything, says Midsummer is a time for dancing, love and magic. What a fun time they will have! Then a terrible storm sweeps through the forest and the woodland animals must find shelter at Grump the tomte’s cottage. Will the magic of Midsummer help restore harmony to the forest in time for the party?

I picked this book because: I fell for the cover illustration, as I am already a big fan of Eva Eriksson, but my admiration for tomte stories goes back to library visits form my children’s early days in Germany. And this collection does not disappoint! Perfect for lazy summer days to read together, and it covers so many issues, like grumpiness, care for all living things, and how to deal with sadness and loneliness. Also lots to discuss with young American readers who might be unfamiliar with Scandinavian folk tales and stories.

Resources/activities: read more tomte stories and other Scandinavian books, like the Pippi series; have your own backyard or park celebration for midsummer/summer solstice – some great ideas HERE.

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

PPBF: Mr. Bear and the Ghost

Author: Chizuko Kuratomi
Illustrator: Kozo Kakimoto
Publisher: Macdonald, 1984(orig.,1983)
Age: 3-6
Themes: bears, ghosts, rabbits

Opening: Something was wrong in Rabbit Town.

Summary: (could not find a synopsis ANYWHERE online!) Mr. Bear is asked to stay the night at the Carrot Funfair because it appears to be haunted – and finds there is some truth to their fears!

I picked this book because: I am a fan of the Mr. Bear books and though the story is not particularly “peppy” by today’s standards, the illustrations are as fresh and marvelous as ever! All of their books are a delight and this one might be just the right kind of ghost story for little ones at this time of year! Just look at the atmosphere Kakimoto creates!

Resources/activities: read other Mr. Bear titles you might be able to find at your library: here is a sampling, but I believe there are 16 or 17 in all. Make a colorful windchime with old keys – see image below.

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

PPBF: Elliot

Author: Julie Pearson
Illustrator: Manon Gauthier
Publisher: Pajama Press, 2016
Age: 5-8
Themes: orphans, foster parents, rabbits

Opening: see image below.

Summary: (from my library catalog) Elliot’s parents do not know how to take care of him. As Elliot moves from one foster home to another, his visits with his real parents leave him anxious and conflicted about where he wants to be. At last he finds stability with a new adoptive family.

I picked this book because: I liked the cover. That’s why I picked it up. I like it because it’s a story I was not expecting, an important story, gently told, of the experience of Elliot “a playful little boy who was full of life.” Afterward I looked for other reviews, and was astonished how Elliot was perceived by some reviewers, as possibly suffering from some behavioral disorder. Why? Because he cried when he was hungry, yelled when he was upset, and sometimes even misbehaved? I’ve never known a child to not show those natural forms of communication. In any case, I thought that was another reason to chose Elliot for PPBF, not just for it’s beautiful, seemingly simple, playful – and full of life! – illustrations!

Resources/activities! so much to talk about! Here is a website I found from a foster parent should you need assistance. And just like last week, draw or make collages to help deal with feeling that may arise in the discussions. Look for more titles beautifully illustrated by Manon Gauthier .

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

PPBF: The Terrible Plop

Author: Ursula Dubosarsky
Illustrator: Andrew Joyner
Publisher: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 2009
Age: 3-7
Themes: rabbits, fear, stories in rhyme
Opening: Six little rabbits down by the lake munching on carrots and chocolate cake.

Summary: (from my library catalog) When a mysterious sound sends the whole forest running away in fear, only the littlest rabbit is courageous enough to discover what really happened.

I like this book because: my storytime gang liked it as much as I did! and nothing beats when we all have fun together. It’s an energetic read-aloud, in rhyme, with plenty of humor and surprise. I like to read in a rather dramatic fashion, and this was a perfect outlet for my talents! Ha!

Resources/activities: discuss which sounds may have spooked you; would you leave chocolate cake if you were scared? (Not me!); create a puppet show based on this story – everyone can chose to be whatever animal they want, but someone must be the bear!; serve carrots and chocolate cake at the cast party!

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

PPBF: Bunny in the Middle

Author: Anika Denise
Illustrator: Christopher Denise
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt and Co, 2019
Age: 3-7
Themes: Siblings, family life, rabbits
Opening: When you’re ihn the middle…you’re not the oldest and you’re not the youngest. You are right in between .

Summary: (from my library catalog) Illustrations and easy-to-read text celebrate the joys of being the middle child in a loving family of rabbits.

I like this book because: I’m a middlest child, and can identify with every whisker twist of this in between bunny. The illustrations themselves are lighting up all the adorable markers in my brain, but feeling noticed is what made me fall in love. I would have worn the pages onion-skin-thin had I had a book like this when I needed it.

Resources/activities: list the pros and cons of different positions in the family – maybe even include parents!; discuss within a class or larger group, reform new ‘family’ groups with oldest, middle, youngest, twin, members – we might find we are more able to listen to the woes of a friend over a sibling; talk about what positions our parents, grandparents, teachers, guardians had in their families and see if their feelings are the same today as they might have been in the past.

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

PPBF: Ogilvy

Author: Deborah Underwood
Illustrator: T.L. McBeth
Publisher: Godwin Books/Henry Holt and Co, 2019
Age: 4-100
Themes: rabbits, clothing, sex roles, story in rhyme
Opening: Ogilvy happily hopped up and down. The very fist day in a very new town .

Summary:(from my library catalog) When Ogilvy moves to a new town, he discovers that bunnies who wear dresses play ball and knit socks, and bunnies in sweaters make art and climb rocks, and Ogilvy must figure out a way to do it all.

I like this book because: it’s BRILLIANT! In a delightful yet touching way, Underwood has managed to teach such a valuable lesson without having bopped the reader(s) on the head with pedagogy! Each time I read it I find another layer too! Get your Ogilvy on!

Resources/activities: Make collage clothing for your own bunny characters; discuss what it might feel like to move to a new town (read a companion book, like Neville by Norman Juster, and or what it feels like to be pressured by others to behave in a way you might not want to; discuss empathy, tolerance and acceptance and what makes them similar, and how the are different.

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

PPBF: Tickle My Ears

Author/Illustrator: Jörg Mühle
Publisher: Gecko Press, 2016, originally publ. in German
Age: 1-5
Themes: bedtime, rabbits, inter-active stories
Opening: This is little rabbit. Tap him on the shoulder – will he turn around?

Summary: (from my library’s catalog) Encourages readers to interact with the story by helping a little rabbit go through the steps of getting ready for bed.

I like this book because: I read it with my storytime gang not knowing how it would turn out having to share interaction with a board book with up to 10 kids! It went over splendidly, though  I opted out of having them each kiss the character good night! They loved it – even the 6 yr old joined in on the fun! A simple, adorable tickle of a book!

Resources/Activities: We read Big Bad Bunny/Billingsley and Karas, another bedtime book albeit with a slightly scary (Rrrar!) intro!; make hand- or potato-print pillowcases; staple together  a ‘sleeping bag’ from a strip of felt for a favorite stuffed animal or figurine or even a paper cut-out animal character. For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.

PPBF: The Rabbit Listened

Book on display at Old Firehouse Books

In honor of Women’s History Month I will be focussing on outstanding books by female authors and illustrators. I reached out to the author/illustrator of today’s Perfect Picture Book pick, Cori Doerrfeld, and asked for the names of a few women she admires making their mark in children’s literature. Click to head to their websites! 

Jane Yolen

Kelly Barnhill

Raina Telgemeier

Thi Bui

Yasmeen Ismail

Jessica Gibson

Today’s pick is especially perfect: The Rabbit Listened

Author/Illustrator: Cori Doerrfeld
Publisher: Dial, 2018
Age: 3-6
Themes: listening, loss, rabbits

Opening: One day, Taylor decided to build something. Something new. Something special.

Summary: (from my library catalog) When Taylor’s block castle is destroyed, all the animals think they know just what to do, but only the rabbit quietly listens to how Taylor is feeling.

Why I like this book: The story is so simple, yet so powerful!! It’s an important lesson to learn for adults and children about what it means to truly listen when a friend is in need. I recently read an article by Swedish children’s book author Ingrid Olsson who wrote about comfort possibly being more important than love as a message in children’s books, and that books themselves can be a great comfort to readers. That certainly rang true for me, and this book is a whole heart example.

Resources/Activities: learn about meditation and/or breathing exercises; talk about what listening really means; practice listening with role play, ex.: pretend to be Rapunzel, and have another person practice listening to what she would like to say.

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

 

PPBF: Where‘s Halmoni?

Author/Illustrator: Julie Kim
Publisher: Little Bigfoot, 2017
Age: 4-8
Themes: siblings, animals, Korean folktale characters

 

Opening: Halmoni! We are here!

Summary: (from my library catalog) Searching for their missing grandmother, two Korean children follow tracks into a fantastic world filled with beings from folklore who speak in Korean. Includes translations and information about the folkloric characters.

Why I like this book: It’s bright, culture- and adventure-packed! This is exactly the kind of book I would have poured over as a kid, looking for the unfamiliar and trying to make sense of it, be it language, gesture, or physical elements. There is a bit of mystery on every beautifully rendered and composed page!

Resources/Activities: read other Korean folktale picture books – HERE is a list; what folktale animals do you already know – how do they compare to those in this book; make a Korean meal, like the red bean soup (porridge) the kids smell when they walk into Halmoni’s home.

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

PPBF: The Country Bunny

Author: Du Bose Heyward
Illustrator: Marjorie Flack
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1939,1967
Age Level: 4-8
Themes: Easter, rabbits
Opening: We hear of the Easter Bunny who comes each Easter Day before sunrise to bring eggs for boys and girls, so we think there is only one. But this is not so.
Summary: To the surprise of many, the little country cottontail becomes one of the special Easter bunnies even though she has twenty-one children of her very own. (You go, girl!)

Why I like this book: This story is about a new Easter bunny, one of five that deliver the eggs. No, not really. It’s the story of a simple little girl determined to achieve her dream. She plans well, and with patience and wisdom earns the chance to prove herself  – and her bravery. On the back of my edition there is a quote: It’s difficult to believe that this very modern feminist tale was originally written in 1939…A gem of a fantasy. – Learning. But is it so very difficult? I am certain there were women as wise, patient and brave as Little Cottontail Mother (like my grandmother) for Heyward to use as a role model . But maybe there were not as many wise or brave publishers. Oh, and by the way, the illustrations are AWESOME!
Resources/Activities: check out the art projects, performance, and writing activities from April Sanders, eHow contributor – HERE; read  another classic, The Story About Ping which Marjorie Flack wrote, but was illustrated by Kurt Wiese.

Read a New Yorker article on The Country Bunny’s history HERE

For more PPBF picks, go to Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog – HERE