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Bark, George-Jules Feiffer August 20, 2007

George is a dog with a problem. “George’s mother said: ‘Bark George’. George went: ‘Meow.’” George’s increasingly frustrated Mother keeps “encouraging” George to bark, but the results produce anything but an arf. Time to dust off the Health Net card and take the misvoiced dog to the doctor, er, vet. After some pretty invasive “surgery” (Dr. R., please don’t get any ideas.), George is cured. Did I say cured? Hmm. Bark, George is written by Jules Feiffer and is a great book to read to students, but in my James Bond super-spy mode, I’ve overheard students reading it to themselves with some rather realistic quacks and oinks and, no surprise here, giggles.

Bark, George
Written and Illustrated by Jules Feiffer

• Bark, George at Amazon
• Jules Feiffer Website

The Baby Beebee Bird-Diane Redfield Massie

Please say the following in a high-pitched baby bird voice: (Yes, there is such a thing.) “Beebeebobbibobbi beebeebobbibobbi beebeebobbibobbi beebeebobbibobbi beebeebobbibobbi beebeebobbibobbi.” And therein lies the premise for The Baby Beebee Bird by Diane Redfield Massie. The animals at the zoo “…were all asleep. The zoo was very still …until…” well, see above repetition. The zoo creatures, of course being unable to sleep, devise a scheme to, um, help the Baby Beebee Bird adjust his wakeful hours to a more reasonable time. After all, “Nighttime is really best for sleeping…especially for very little birds.” Alas, if nothing else, the kids at school can really relate to the annoying part-visualize a virtual plethora of sly grins. I should mention that I’ve been stricken from best friend status of many a teacher as their students “Beebeebobbibobbi” all the way back to class. The illustrations by Steven Kellogg-How could it be anyone else?-are colorful and kid-friendly. You know what? I probably should have written this review at a different time of day. Oh, well, beebeebobbibobbi beebeebobbibobbi beebe…

The Baby Beebee Bird
Written by Diane Redfield Massie
Illustrated by Steven Kellogg
Accelerated Reader RL 2.5

• The Baby Beebee Bird at Amazon
• Steven Kellogg-Illustrator

The Gingerbread Boy-Richard Egielski August 19, 2007

In Richard Egielski’s The Gingerbread Boy, the title character is running loose in New York City. In this modern version of the gingerbread story, the Gingerbread Boy taunts a rat, some construction workers, a few street musicians and, well, the rest of us with “Run, run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me. I’m the Gingerbread Man!” Then he meets a fox (Why is it in these stories I’m always rooting for the fox?) and the fox, again, outsmarts the annoying escapee. The students really get into this version and are chanting right along with the Gingerbread Boy. The illustrations are bright and detailed and the kids love them, especially one of the clothesline items. The ending? Well, all expectations (Or fears, if you’re a softy) are met. “…and the Gingerbread Boy was all gone.” (Hee. Hee.)

The Gingerbread Boy
Written and Illustrated by Richard Egielski
Accelerated Read RL 2.5

• The Gingerbread Boy at Amazon
• About Richard Egielski

The Last Puppy-Frank Asch

Frank Asch is probably best known in elementary libraries for his Moonbear series and the students at my school seem to gravitate towards them more than his other titles. But I don’t read Moonbear to students. I read The Last Puppy. It’s the rare child who doesn’t feel the sadness of “…the last of Momma’s nine puppies”, “…the last to open my eyes.”, “…the last puppy.” This, until a little boy saves us all by saying: “You know what? You’re my first puppy.” Yea! Happy ending! It had to be! Now, we all know children relate to little helpless creatures. (I sometimes think if I read another children’s book about mice, I’ll start squeaking.) Frank Asch brings us this helplessness and then leads on to a very clever conclusion.

The Last Puppy
Written and Illustrated by Frank Asch
Accelerated Reader RL 2.1

• Frank Asch Books 

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie-Alison Jackson August 18, 2007

Could I do it? Could I write a “based on” book? Let’s see. Medical: I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Sty. (No, too yucky.) Tragedy: I Know an Old Lady Who Stifled a Cry. (No, too depressing.) Realism: I Know an Old Lady Who Told a Big Lie. (No, too close to home.) Okay, okay, I’ll stop. On to the review! I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie written by Alison Jackson is a super Thanksgiving book to be read to or by children. I should say sung to or by children. How can you not? “I know an old lady who swallowed a pie. A Thanksgiving pie, that was really too dry. Perhaps she’ll die.” Our old lady starts off as a skinny frail little thing and as she eats more and more, the inevitable happens. (Just ask my scales.) The last word we need to rhyme is “bread” (read with dire forboding) but, as we find out, lots of words rhyme with “bread”. The illustrations by Judith Byron Schachner are super and I really enjoyed the cat and mouse interplay. Wait! How about: I Know an Old Lady Who Sucked a Joke Dry?

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie
Written by Alison Jackson
Illustrated by Judith Byron Schachner
Accelerated Reader RL 3.9

• I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie at Amazon
• Alison Jackson Website

My Lucky Day-Keiko Kasza

“This must be my lucky day!” shouts the fox when a delicious-looking piglet knocks on his door by “mistake”. (Oops.) Somehow this “misdirected” piglet wangles a bath, a scrumptious meal and a massage before the “lucky” fox collapses from exhaustion. In Keiko Kasza’s trickster tale My Lucky Day, the table is set (literally) for fun. The students are swept along with the piglet’s plight-not plan yet-until we find the clean, well-fed, relaxed hero checking out his address book for his next victim, er, visit.

My Lucky Day
Written and Illustrated by Keiko Kasza
Accelerated Reader RL 2.3

• My Lucky Day at Amazon

Miss Nelson is Missing-Harry Allard

Is everyone ready? Have you done your “My goodness, I had no idea how much you’ve grown this summer!” clothes shopping yet? Have you bought your offspring’s “I have to have this backpack-everybody’s got one!” school supplies? Are you dreading the first day? Let’s see, this group would include teachers, principals, students. Looking forward to it? This group? Parents, geeks, Walmart. And, now, this somehow brings us, albiet in a very convoluted roundabout way, to books about school, and there are many, many of those. Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard is a children’s book that needs mentioning, or, better, re-mentioning. It was written forever ago-1977-and is one of those books that never goes out of style or favor. In the beginning of the story we find the teacher, Miss Nelson, having a bit of trouble with her class: “They whispered and giggled. They squirmed and made faces. They were even rude during story time.” What to do! wonders their harried teacher. Enter Miss Viola Swamp-the substitute from…uh, uh, uh… Bakersfield filling in for the “ailing” Miss Nelson. The illustrations are by James Marshall and are (I love the “Sharks (very unpleasant)” sign.) thoroughly fun right down to the closet door (slightly ajar) at the end. Will children be frightened by the awful Miss Viola Swamp? Probaby no more than they should, but, even more to the point, haven’t we all had a scary Miss Viola Swamp in our lives? (Okay, sorry about the Bakersfield thing, but this is a family show, er, site, you know.)

Miss Nelson Is Missing
Written by Harry Allard
Illustrated by James Marshall
Accelerated Reader RL 2.7

• Miss Nelson Is Missing at Amazon
• Harry Allard Teacher Resource File

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly-Simms Taback August 17, 2007

What do you think the process was? Simms Taback sitting around and thinking, “I know, we’ll do these nifty, little cut-outs in the old lady’s stomach and cleverly put the swallowees in them.” Then, maybe, “And… and we’ll have these witty, wry comments scattered all over the pages.” Well anything’s possible, but whatever happened to bring about this book, it worked. And that makes me glad. A person can’t go wrong reading There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. The kids delight in the colorful, extremely colorful, illustrations and the familiar folk poem. The students help me with the “Perhaps she’ll die.” lament with tearful voices and many hesitant swipes at fake tears. Love it. What a great “Old Lady” version! Moral: Never swallow the mediocre.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Written and Illustrated by Simms Taback

• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly at Amazon

The Adventures of Captain Underpants-Dav Pilkey

The two questions I’m asked most in my library are: “Where do you keep the good books?” and “Where are the Captain Underpants books?” The first is answered with a sigh at my lack of forethought and the second answer is, inevitably, “They’re all checked out.” Captain Underpants is one of the most popular series in the library for the 8 to 11 set. Now, shall we digress? There are two schools of thought on the Captain Underpants type genre: “It’s not good literature!” and “But, they’re reading!” “It’ll warp their minds!” and “But, they’re reading!” I could go on, but for your sake, I’ll desist. Dav Pilkey is the author of the aforementioned controversial books. Some of his books are: The Adventures of Captain Underpants; Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets; Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman. (Almost pretentious, aren’t they, in their lack of pretention.) I’m sure generations, ad infinitum, have run into this dilemma. In fact, I can almost picture an ancient Roman library and an 8 year old student asking Tiberius (He did have something to do with libraries, right?): “Where are the Imperator Underpants Scrolls?” And after a well-practiced scowling look from the librarian, defensive student replies, “Hey, I’m reading, ain’t I?” My opinion? I never scowl.

The Adventures of Captain Underpants (et al)
Written and Illustrated by Dav Pilkey
Accelerated Reader RL Middle to High 4’s

• The Adventures of Captain Underpants at Amazon
• Dav Pilkey Official Site
• Dav Pilkey Book List

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