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A Creepy Countdown-Charlotte Huck September 30, 2007

A Creepy Countdown by Charlotte Huck is a counting and a countdown book-this is good. It’s a rhyming book- what kid could not love that. But, most of all, it’s a book with marvelous illustrations and this is great. Students love counting the creepy, ever so Halloween-y, creatures: “One tall scarecrow standing on a hill. Two lumpy toads sitting very still.” Until “Ten tiny mice, feeling very brave squeaked…” and the countdown begins until, again, we have “One tall scarecrow stood all alone.” Jos. A Smith is quite the illustrator. His scratchboard technique is perfect for the scary creatures. I read the story to all ages in the library-some for the counting and all for the rhyming and art. Some of the students listening to the story and loving the illustrations want to immediately try the scratchboard effect-elementary school-style, of course. I’ve seen some pretty impressive attempts . The book’s illustrations are done in black and white with effectively placed watercolor details. A Creepy Countdown is a book well worth reading and admired.

A Creepy Countdown
Written by Charlotte Huck
Illustrated by Jos. A. Smith
Pre K-Grade 2

• A Creepy Countdown at Amazon
  
• The Art of Jos. A Smith
• The Two Faces of Jos. A. Smith

Catalina Magdalena Hoopensteiner Wallindiner Hogan Logan Bogan Was Her Name!-Tedd Arnold September 9, 2007

Things kids like: ice cream, McDonald’s, recess, other kids tripping, bikes, Disneyland, and a picture of a girl with her big toe in her nose. The toe one? Try, Catalina Magdalena Hoopensteiner Wallendiner Hogan Logan Bogan Was Her Name by Tedd Arnold. Delightfully gross. Tune up your vocal chords; you’ll need to sing this one-Catalina is an old camp song snazzilly (Hey, if it isn’t a word, it should be.) updated by Mr. Arnold. CMHWHLB (Do you blame me?) is, well, here: “She had two holes in the bottom of her nose-One for her fingers…and one for her toes.” This book is page after page of rhyming fun. One of the teachers and I were discussing “quality literature” for children at school the other day and with Catalina, well, you’ll just have to decide for yourself. I like to think of this kind of book as akin to watching (What’s the name of that one my youngest likes so much? Oh, yes.) America’s Next Top Model or reading Harlequin’s or being hooked on Young and Restless when you’re a forty-five year old man. It’s all wonderfully fun, but best kept for private consumption. No, this is wrong: Catalina should be read and sung and talked about in both humble and those echo-y hallowed halls. Is there a moral or secretly disguised subplot for Catalina Magdalena Hoopensteiner Wallendiner Hogan Logan Bogan Was Her Name? Probably not, unless it’s like my grandmother used to say, “There’s someone for everyone.” Oh, about my youngest-I really tried to raise her right. Oops.

Catalina Magdalena Hoopensteiner Wallendiner Hogan Logan Bogan Was Her Name!
Written and Illlustrated by Tedd Arnold
Accelerated Reader RL 2.8

• Catalina Magdalena Hoopensteiner Wallendiner Hogan Logan Bogan Was Her Name! at Amazon
• Tedd Arnold Web Page

Snow-Uri Shulevitz

Some kids don’t know Snow. They haven’t seen it, or smelled it, or built a snowman, but they sure know the excitement of anticipation. Snow. What a book! From a gray sky comes that first snowflake-dismissed as nothing by adults who have forgotten. Then two snowflakes. Then, a world turning white with fantasy and Snow. Joy. Kids everywhere know that one. Uri Shulevitz has given us a gift of childhood-Snow. Or is it Christmas? Or a trip to Disneyland? Or a birthday? Or getting a puppy? Okay, I’ll stop.

Snow
Written and Illustrated by Uri Shulevitz
Accelerated Reader RL 1.6

• Snow at Amazon 

The Ghost-Eye Tree-Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault September 2, 2007

All of us are very lucky that Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault first created The Ghost-Eye Tree as a reader’s theater piece. This makes it the perfect read-aloud for our Halloween or our “Why do kids love scary books so much?” needs. A mother, who, by the way, desperately needs to work on her think-ahead skills, sends her son and daughter to town to get a bucket of milk. (We must not be in Kansas anymore. Bucket of milk?) Halfway to Mr. Cowlander’s is the very frightening “ghost-eye tree…feared by all…the great and the small…” The by-play between the older sister and her brother is, well, very brother and sister-y: “Come on fraidy cat! Don’t hang back!” “I’m not hangin’ back, I’m getting my hat.” “Your dumb hat…” There are barely heard mutterings from the brother expressing his true fears just begging to be read softly and with trepidation. The illustrations by Ted Rand complete this atmospheric gift to us. “There’s nothing here, nothing to fear…” (Boo!)

The Ghost-Eye Tree
Written by Bill Martin,Jr./John Archambault
Illustrated by Ted Rand
Grades K-3

• The Ghost-Eye Tree at Amazon
• Bill Martin, Jr.

Traction Man Is Here!-Mini Grey August 26, 2007

A boy has written a letter to Santa requesting Santa replace his old Traction Man which seems, unfortunately, to have had a “…terrible parachute accident.” The replacement? A new (Zap! Bam! Pow!) version of the Dazzle (TM) Traction Man. Exit reality. From Traction Man rescuing the Farm Animals held captive by the Evil Pillows to Traction Man and Scrubbing Brush (his sidekick/pet) relaxing after their latest mission, we’re sped along into a fun (and funny) imaginative romp. It’s impossible not to be delighted by the adventures, pictures and narration. (I still can’t get over the “Traction Man is guarding some toast.” illustration with the little toast eyes worriedly checking him out.) Be prepared to have a great time with Traction Man Is Here by Mini Grey. Oh, and for those of you who were owned by a GI Joe or a Luke Skywalker or even that (Hey, how come she keeps falling over?) Barbie, be prepared to visit your own “Don’t bother me, I’ve just invaded the outer moon of Planet Imago!” memories.

Traction Man Is Here!
Written and Illustrated by Mini Grey
Accelerated Reader RL 3.6

• Traction Man Is Here! at Amazon

Voices in the Park-Anthony Browne August 24, 2007

Anthony Browne writes good books. He writes good books for children and for any adults lucky enough to read them. Mr. Brown, also, has a thing about gorillas-but that’s between him and any anthropoid apes he may encounter. Now having said this, I openly admit the gorillas in his books are sometimes more human than, well, humans. One of my favorites, Voices in the Park, is not one of those razzle-dazzle-wham-bam books; it’s a story with voice and point of view and, well, subtlety. There are four characters in this story relating in first person narration about their day in the park. Each character has a distinct outlook and this outlook creates the unique atmosphere for the story. We’ve all noticed that unmistakable atmospheric change when some people walk into a room. There’s Gloomy Gus. There’s Sparkling Sal. (Always a little borderline annoying is Sal.) There’s Heartbreak Harold. In Voices in the Park, the atmosphere, too, changes with each personality. Anthony Browne even helps us along these paths of change with some unique “seasoning” in his illustrations. Can you imagine the excellent lessons and talks and the I don’t really get its this book may inspire? Ah, I’ve become effusive-move over Sal.

Voices in the Park
Written and Illustrated by Anthony Browne
Accelerated Reader RL 2.8

• Voices in the Park at Amazon
• Anthony Browne Interview

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!-Mo Willems August 21, 2007

Mo Willems’ (I do love this guy.) book, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, creates the most interesting problem in my library. The story shows us a very determined pigeon yearning to drive a bus. As the bus driver has asked us not to let that happen, we’ve got our work cut out for us. The students are the “No!” people and I get to do the pleading. The problem? The word “No.” Now, as any child knows, the word must be used just right. We can’t have a wimpy “No.”-you know, the one that has a question mark at the end, the one that says to the child, “Ahh, just two and a half more deliciously annoying whines and she’s toast.” nor can we have the yelled “NO!”. (There are classes next door, for Pete’s sake.) So we settle for the firm “I mean it but I’m not going to maim you No.” So it begins. The pleadings, (Oh, I’m so good at this.) the “No’s”. The pleadings, the “No’s”. This until the bus driver comes back and (Da-Dah!) success. The pigeon disconsolately fades into the…Wait! What’s that? A Semi?

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
Written and Illustrated by Mo Willems
Accelerated Reader RL 0.9
(Review by Letha)

The Giving Tree-Shel Silverstein August 20, 2007

“Once there was a tree and she loved a little boy.” And so it begins. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is a children’s classic that takes us on a trip through life and as life itself, it isn’t always bright and cheerful. After I’ve read the book to students (usually around Mother’s Day), I ask their opinions about the story. “Did you like the boy?” “Did you like the tree?” “Do you know anyone who gives without getting anything back like the tree in the story?” (My favorite answer, by the way, to this question was “Yeah, my dog.” Well, you can’t win them all.) And interestingly, the student’s seem to really like the boy in The Giving Tree. With kids, it sometimes is “all about me.” I, also, ask if the pictures would have been better in color. The younger students pretty much agree they would be better in color, but the older students feel the black and white illustrations are necessary for the atmosphere of the book. Again, a book for all. “Sit down, Boy, sit down and rest. And the boy did.” And so it ends.

The Giving Tree
Written and Illustrated by Shel Silverstein
Accelerated Reader RL 2.6

• The Giving Tree at Amazon
• Shel Silverstein Official Site

Stick Kid-Peter Holwitz August 16, 2007

If you’re a parent, beware of Stick Kid by Peter Holwitz. It’s a rare event when, as I’m reading this book to students, my voice doesn’t crack a little. From “I once drew a stick kid” to the poignant “I drew the stars and he went wishing”, Stick Kid takes us through the ups and downs of raising a child. Happy. Sad. Expectant. Lost. Hopeful. Well, you get the picture. Now here’s the kicker: Kids love this book! It’s rhyming prose certainly reaches out to them. It’s “Hey, I could draw that.” illustrations are just right and its message: “This book’s about me.” brings it home. “I once drew a stick kid and he grew up well.” You got that right, Peter Holwitz. (Oh, sorry about the “message” thing.)

Stick Kid
Written and Illustrated by Peter Holwitz
Accelerated Reader RL 2.0

• Stick Kid at Amazon 

Scribbleville – Peter Holwitz August 13, 2007

Remember that Star Trek episode with the two guys chasing each other through time ad infinitum. They had a hatred that had lasted forever. Each had one-half of his body black and the other half white-right down the middle. Eventually it became clear (Was it Captain Kirk who glommed on it?) one was white on the left side and the other white on the right side. Then there were The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss. Some star-bellied, some not. Now, (Yea!) we have Scribbleville by Peter Holwitz. Interestingly in the town of Scribbleville everything and everyone is scribbled-”They have scribbled houses. They wear scribbled hats. They walk scribbled dogs…” Enter the straight guy (Hmm.).”Why would a man so straight and so slim want to live in a town where no one’s like him?” Well, love rears its scribbled and straight head and…”one was scribbled. One wasn’t. What does it matter? Mavbe it doesn’t!” It’s wonderfully done in rhyme with lots of scribbly and straight illustrations. Too bad those creatures from Star Trek hadn’t read Scribbleville when they were kids-it would saved such wear and tear on Captain Kirk’s jostled brain cells. Oh, try to read Peter Holwitz’s Stick Kid first; it’ll make your trip to Scribbleville ever so much better.
Scribbleville
Written and Illustrated by Peter Holwitz
Accelerated Reader RL 2.7

• Scribbleville at Amazon