Tuesday Storytime: More and Too Many

I really enjoy doing concept themes, and this one is a fun set.

Just Enough And Not Too Much
Kaethe Zemach
ISBN: 0439377242
Simon the Fiddler has everything he needs, but then he realizes he can get more if he wants, and pretty soon, more has become too much, and he needs a clever plan to get rid of all the things he doesn't really need. His solution is storybook cute, but unlikely to win friends in real life.


Henry Wants More
Linda Ashman, illustrated by Brooke Boynton Hughes
ISBN: 9780385385121
Very like my favorite sweet picture book (Again! by John Prater) Henry is a toddler that wants MORE of whatever is going on, and he wears out his whole family in the process. Cute and very real.


Too Many Frogs
Sandy Asher, illustrated by Keith Graves
ISBN: 0399239782
Rabbit has his habits and his routine, and they're perfect, until Frog comes by and just invites himself along for everything - and THEN starts inviting the whole Frog clan! Enough is enough, but Rabbit balances boundaries with kindness.

Tuesday Storytime: More!

This was a gamble, but I think it worked out nicely.

We started with the absolutely stunning More! by I.C. Springman & Brian Lies, hit Vera B. Williams' "More, More, More," Said the Baby in the middle, and ended with Again! by John Prater, which is quite possibly one of my favorite picture books on this earth.

More!
I.C. Springman, illustrated by Brian Lies (Bats at the Library)
ISBN: 9780547610832
Beautifully detailed magpie illustrates various words about quantity by hoarding shiny objects.

I just adore the concept behind this book, and if anyone out there is teaching ESL, this is perfect.  In very little text, and very detailed illustrations, our magpie friend continues to collect various stuff, until the hoarding proves too much for the nest, and mouse friends come in to help shrink the collection.  Truly brilliant, and just a joy to look through at the amazingly detailed illustrations.


"More, More More" Said the Baby
Vera B. Williams
ISBN: 9780688091736
Blotchy scritchy messy colorful and blocky painting style enlivens three short stories about babies.

We have three babies (white boy, black girl, asian girl), with three caretakers (a father, a grandmother, and a mother) and each gets a short story about how their caretaker looks out for them and interacts lovingly with them, with the babies ending each segment wanting "More, More, More" - it's sweet and short and lovely.  A Caldecott Honor book.



Again! 
John Prater
ISBN: 0764152793
Reviewed here.

Grandbear's patient attention and dedication to Baby Bear's messy games is a joy to read, and I love how the soft-edged fuzzy illustrations contrast so well with both Williams' vibrant loose intensity and Lies' precise and engrossing details.


The only real difficulty with this storytime was finding a coloring sheet to match the off-the-wall theme!