Tag Archives: ktblue

Monday: Everything is Better with a Gorilla

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Little did I know how awesome life could be if I just had a gorilla. Thanks to Andrew Gall and his wicked clever book “Everything is Better with a Gorilla” I now know better. For example, did you know that washing dishes with a gorilla is better than doing it alone? Why, you ask? Because the mountain gorilla’s fur can double as a dishtowel. Amazing! Ooooo…and did you know that having a gorilla over for a sleepover is better? It is! Because you can talk late into the night with the gorilla as long as you understand that the conversation will, as Gall puts it, “inevitably veer toward plants.” Kids will love the quirky “gorillustrations” and parents will love the fact that real facts about gorillas are hidden between the lines of Gall’s witty and wonderful text. Trust me, you’ll go bananas over this book.

Friday: There Was an Old Lady

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There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don’t know why she swallowed a fly, but perhaps it was so she could have her story told in this exquisite, unbelievably gorgeous, whimsical, magical book.  Jeremy Holmes, an artist is every sense of the word, has recreated this classic story in one of those most amazing books I’ve seen in a long time. We all know the story – lady, fly, spider, bird, cat…her untimely death after nibbling on a horse….But this oft-told tale is suddenly made new under Holmes’ talented hand. it’s like the Old Lady met Edward Scissorhands at a party and they got together and made this book. It’s edgy and interactive (the old lady’s coat comes off as a book cover and her eyes close at the end) and one of those rare books that also qualifies as fine art. Love it.

Ages 2-6. Visual and musical gimmicks enhance Carle’s signature bright, textured collages in this holiday-cum-counting story. A white-bearded farmer lives the simple life with a few animals that he names One through Five. Children don’t find out which number matches which animal, though, until they follow the farmer through a visually clever dream. “It’s almost Christmas, and it hasn’t snowed yet,” says the farmer. But as he sleeps, he envisions snow falling, covering each of his animals, while the text counts along–“The snowflakes gently covered One with a blanket”—a plastic sheet printed with snow overlays each page, concealing the collage images until readers lift the page and discover that One is a horse, Two is a cow, etc. Dream becomes reality when the farmer awakes to a white world and hurries outside (dressed in Santa coat and boots) with presents for the animals and ornaments for a tree that, thanks to a changeable battery pack, plays a chiming tune at the press of a button. Although this is more an exercise than a story, Carle fans and toddlers learning the basics will still enjoy the gentle text and creative design features.

Thursday: The Paper Bag Princess

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What happens when the Princess seems to do quite well all on her own? This is the crux of Robert Munsch’s glorious “The Paper Bag Princess” in which Princess Elizabeth learns what lies behind the handsome face of Prince Charming, AKA Prince Ronald. When Elizabeth’s castle is burned down by a dastardly dragon, thereby destroying her wardrobe  and kidnapping Ronald, she’s forced to take matters into her own hands. The Princess rescuing the Prince? What a fabulous idea! And she does just that, dressed only in a paper bag. But when she ultimately finds Prince Ronald and he scoffs at her imperfect appearance, Elizabeth finds that the fairy-tale ending for her might just be a little different than she thought. This book is a wonderful take on the classic fairy tale that should serve as a great lesson to Princesses everywhere.

Tuesday: Children Make Terrible Pets

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Meet Lucy. She’s your typical brown bear. Fuzzy. Brown. Wears a pink skirt and a pink bow in her fur. One day, while toodling through the forest, she comes upon a little boy whom she promptly names “Squeaker.” Lucy’s mother reluctantly allows Lucy to keep her new “pet” but with the warning that “children make terrible pets.” And, boy, is Lucy’s mom right. Squeaker refuses to be potty trained, ruins the nice furniture and causes general chaos throughout the quiet bear household.  For anyone who has ever thought that your child was at least part wild animal, this is the book for you. It’s utterly adorable and turns the age-old “mama, can i keep him?” story on its fuzzy little ear. A must read.

Wednesday: Sneezenesia

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Do your children like boogers? Mine do. They even like the word “booger.” If you ever see my children and want to make them laugh, just say “booger.” It’s a sure thing. So imagine my utter joy at finding Deb Lucke’s quirky and wonderful “Sneezenesia” in which a little boy at the supermarket sneezes so hard he forgets his name. And with each sneeze, he loses a little bit more knowledge. Math equations…names of Presidents…they all come out of his schnozzola with each “achoo.” I don’t think I could have scripted a more wonderful  book for my sons – knowledge as boogers. Tremendous. But how will he get the knowledge back? Sniff around and you may find out.

Tuesday: Stop Bugging Me

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Meet Smudge. He is, well, a smudge. And he is grumpy. Very grumpy. And yet, like some grumpy people, his friends still like him. All Smudge wants to do is go on a secret errand alone without any interruptions. (Hey, Smudge, you and me both, big guy!) But his friends want to know more. And they follow him. And they ask questions. And they ask more questions. Until finally, poor little Smudge is just about ready to burst. Little readers everywhere will love Daniel Cleary’s “Stop Bugging Me” and parents might actually recognize some of themselves is dear ole Smudge. As Smudge’s friends, one by one, follow along on their curmudgeonly friends’ errand, you won’t be able to hold your giggles in – nor will you be able to resist these adorable smudgy drawings. For anyone who has had their own moments of Smudge-ness, you are not alone. Although you might like to be.

Monday: Cinder Edna

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For anyone who ever felt that Cinderella (despite the soot) was just a little too perfect, do I have the book for you. “Cinder Edna”, Ellen Jackson’s riotous retelling of the classic fairy tale, champions not the beautiful, albeit rather dim, Cinder Ella, but rather accordian-playin’, tuna casserole-makin’ Edna. Glass slippers? Not Edna. She prefers loafers which, let’s face it, are a lot easier to dance in. At the glorious ball, Ella catches the eye of Prince Rudolph (a vain, handsome and boring man) while Edna sparkles the eyes of his brother, Rupert, who runs the palace recycling plant. As you might have guessed, the clock strikes midnight and, luckily, true love ensues, as the brown penny loafer and Rupert’s soul mate are reunited. For little girls everywhere who might feel more like an Edna than an Ella, this is a wonderful tale of being yourself and finding true happiness.

Friday: Mercy Watson

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Mr. and Mrs. Watson have a pet pig named Mercy. Which really isn’t all that odd, since my Aunt once had a pot-bellied pig named Reginald…but I digress..What is odd is that Mercy, despite her best attempts to just spend her days eating toast “with a great deal of butter”, somehow manages to solve every mystery and crime that comes to Deckawoo Drive. She is, as Mr Watson puts it, “a porcine wonder.” And readers young and old will agree that Kate DiCamillo (of “Despereaux” fame) has again created a series of instant classics with her six “Mercy Watson” books. These easy-to-read chapter books will delight your children and keep the parents laughing with the old lady antics of Eugenia and Baby Lincoln who live next store and an animal control officer named Francine Poulet. Don’t walk, run to your local library for Mercy’s sake.

Thursday: Interrupting Chicken

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Today’s review is…”Hi, Mama!”..sorry, anyway, today’s review centers on…”Whatcha doin’ Mama?”..sweetheart, I’ll be right with you…as I was saying…”Can I type too, Mama?”…

For those of us who absolutely adore our children but who find ourselves biting the insides of our cheeks  every time our children interrupt us, do I have the book for you. “Interrupting Chicken” by David Ezra Stein is a hilarious take on a child’s penchant for iterruptus storytimeus. Little Red Chicken LOVES to read with his father, but he’s just so concerned for all of the fairy tale characters in the books that he can’t help but interrupt the story to help them avoid calamity.

Hansel and Gretel: Don’t go in! She’s a witch!

Little Red Riding Hood: That’s NOT your grandmother!

Chicken Little: It’s only an acorn!

You get the picture. And your children will to – as this delightful story continues. But how in the world does Little Red Chicken’s story end up interrupted by his father? You’ll just have to get those book and…”Are you done yet, Mama?”…find out.

 

 

 

Monday: Lulu and the Brontosaurus

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For those children of the 70’s and 80’s you might best remember Judith Viorst from her fantastic book, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” This was a staple of my reading life as a child – and I repeatedly checked this book out from my school library – just adoring the fact that a child could actually admit that stinky things happen sometimes. Viorst has a knack for creating tales that are refreshingly honest and appealing to children and her book “Lulu and the Brontosaurus” is no exception. Lulu is awfully awful. For lack of a better term, she’s a brat. And used to getting exactly what she wants. But when what she wants is a Brontosaurus, her parents have to draw the line. So Lulu revolts with a hearty “foo on you” and skips town armed with pickle sandwiches (yum!). Ironically, guess who she finds in the forest? Yep – a Brontosaurus…who wants HER as a pet. You can’t resist this adorable story, complete with illustrations by the inimitable Lane Smith. So grab a pickle sandwich and settle right in with this delightful chapter book.