Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Out of the Office

     I'll be away from internet tomorrow, so I'm not posting for Perfect Picture Book Friday this week but I look forward to reading everyone else's recommendations when I can!

Thursday, September 17, 2015

That's a Possibility - picture book review

     I read this book during the summer summer when everyone was lazing by the pool or melting in the heat, so I held off posting to be sure it wasn't overlooked. It's two years old, but new to me even though it got a starred review in School Library Journal back in 2013. I love it.  Didn't think math could be fun?
     Read this!
   
Title: That's a Possibility
Author/Illustrator: Bruce Goldstone
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 2013
Intended age: K-4th grade
Themes: Vocabulary, Math.

First lines: What's a Possibility?
                  If something can happen, it's a possibility.
                  Will this mouse find the cheese?
                  That's a possibility!

Synopsis: With colorful photos, the book explores the meaning of things that are possible, probably, likely, certain and impossible. The reader is challenged on each page to think about questions posed as story extensions. Illustrations showing the simple statistics of coin flips and dice rolls round out the text. It looks simple, but makes you think and you don't realize you're learning things at the same time.

Resources/Activities:

This review is part of PPBF (perfect picture book Friday) where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. Along with tons of writing wisdom, she keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. #PPBF
Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, September 11, 2015

Max the Brave - GIVEAWAY

     I am participating in a blog tour for MAX THE BRAVE! Cause for celebration, a bonus book review and--giveaway! 
     
From Sourcebooks (the publisher):    
"Max is a fearless kitten. Max is a brave kitten. Max is a kitten who chases mice. There’s only one problem—Max doesn’t know what a mouse looks like! With a little bit of bad advice, Max finds himself facing a much bigger challenge. Maybe Max doesn’t have to be Max the Brave all the time…
Join this adventurous black cat as he very politely asks a variety of animals for help in finding a mouse. Young readers will delight in Max’s mistakes, while adults will love the subtle, tongue-in-cheek humor of this new children’s classic.
Ed Vere is an author, artist and illustrator with a long track record of success in the picture book category. Max the Brave was named one of The Sunday Times’s 100 Modern Children’s Classics. His book Bedtime for Monsters was shortlisted for the 2011 Roald Dahl Funny Prize and Mr Big was chosen by Booktrust as the official Booktime book for 2009 (and was distributed to 750,000 British schoolchildren making it the largest single print run of a picture book). Vere was the World Book Day illustrator for 2009."

 What I like about this book: I'm generally a dog person but Max is a charmer. The author uses terse text, bright colors and negative space to keep the focus on character. With echoes of ARE YOU MY MOTHER in pacing and adorable use of mistaken identity, and a nod to THE GRUFFALO in the twist (two of my favorite classics, BTW) the story isn't about HOW to be brave, but rather what happens when a brave but naif character explores his world. I chucked as Max remains clueless to his 'kitten-power' while the animals he encounters react to a cat in their midst.

 Two side notes--I shared the book with visitors over the Labor Day holiday and my guest readers told me they weren't sure in the first spread that the character was a kitten. And none of us could figure out why Max's eye color changes from white to yellow. At first it seems to depict anger and then it feels random.

Resources: View the trailer!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuNbrpUVunE


View the activity kit here.

View the additional educator's guide here.

Contact the author or publisher on Twitter:   @ed_vere, @jabberwockykids

Enter a Rafflecopter drawing for a chance to win a copy of the book here!  
Everyone feels braver in a cape!


Note: I received a review copy from Sourcebooks in exchange for my participation in the blog hop. No other compensation was received.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Thanks for stopping by! Leave a comment to let me know what you think of my selections.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Lillian's Right To Vote - picture book review

      I don't re-run many picture book posts, but this post first appeared on August 5, 2015 while Perfect Picture Book Friday was on hiatus. Because reviews are starting on Sept. 11, Patriot Day, I think this book is a great one to feature and make sure it's on everyone's Perfect Picture Book list!

     Every American should be having a big celebration tomorrow. You probably don't have this marked on your calendar. Go ahead and check. I'll wait . . .
     August 6, 2015 is the fifty-year anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. This Act, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson, prohibits racial discrimination in voting. And every American should be proud of this historic piece of legislation. Proud because this Act is evidence of the strength of our democratic process. Evidence that EVERY American has a voice. Evidence that when our laws aren't perfect (the 15th Amendment to the Constitution passed in 1870 was intended to solve racial voting discrimination)  we improve them. Our country is constantly evolving.
     So what does this have to do with children's books?
     Voting laws don't sound like exciting plot material?
     Read this book.

Title: Lillian's Right to Vote
Author: Jonah Winter
Illustrator: Shane W. Evans
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade, 2015
Intended Age: 5-9
Themes: Civil Rights, Voting, Diversity
First Lines:  "A very old woman stands at the bottom of a very steep hill. It's Voting Day, she's an American, and by God, she is going to vote. Lillian is her name."
Synopsis: A 100-year old African-American woman recalls her ancestors' stories of discrimination and famous Civil Rights moments as she climbs a hill on her way to cast her vote.

Why I like this book: I am a big humongous fan of Jonah Winter and Shane W. Evans work. When I reviewed Shane's book We March I used the word "powerful." And that's what I felt here. The steep hill Lillian climbs is literal, and metaphorical. The reader sees it and feels it and midway through the book I found myself huffing and puffing with imagined exertion, willing Lillian up the climb. The author and illustrator don't shy away from showing the horrible indignities that people suffered from slavery to Selma. Men. Women. Children. Treated as less than others. The muted sketchy-quality used to illustrate the generations past that accompany Lillian feel like present day ghostly figures reminding us not to forget. The illustrator has put Lillian in a vibrant Sunday-best coat and hat with matching high heel shoes, emphasizing the dignity and importance of her personal moment. An unforgettable book. It may be targeted for young readers but I say it is for all ages.
A master class for illustrators, my favorite spread uses the gutter to show Lillian's voting history.

During the 2008 election, I remember reading the story of the real woman, a fellow Pennsylvanian, who inspired the book. In research for this post I was sad to see that Lillian Griffin Allen passed away earlier this year at the age of 107. I hope advance reader copies were passed out in heaven.
Note to parents: the book contains one nude male figure  (the second spread) seen from the back. This slave figure in bondage is the focal point of the illustration. It is not gratuitous. The image, standing next to his wife (wearing a skirt made of burlap-gorgeous mixed-media texture) is concise and powerful.
Resources/Activities:
  • Surfnetkids recommends five websites relating to the Voting Rights Act for parents and children. 
  • For older children (grades 7-12) -The National Archives - Center for Legislative Archives
  • Take your children along with you to vote.
  • Talk about democracy and why you vote. Have mock elections for everyday things - ex. vegetable to be served at dinner! Then talk about how it feels if everyone else in the family gets to vote except one person.
  • Read all of Jonah Winter and Shane W. Evans books. Vote on favorites.
Note: I received a review copy from Random House in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
 
This review is part of PPBF (perfect picture book Friday) where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. Along with tons of writing wisdom, she keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. #PPBF
Thanks for stopping by! Leave a comment to let me know what you think of my selections!