Tuesday Storytime: Odd Ducks

Although there aren't actually any stories about ducks in this storytime.  I'll have to re-think my titles or my book selections next time.

This one didn't mesh as well as I wanted it to - all the books are fun to read and enjoyable, but they didn't come together as coherently as I like to have my themes.  I'll have to work with the books individually and see if I can't find them better partners for the future.


Elmer
David McKee
ISBN: 0688091725
2D cartoon elephants, unrealistic poses and shapes

I always love reading about Elmer, and I think my very favorite part of the book is the strange plant that grows "elephant-colored" berries.  Really?  Who ever thinks of that?  Elmer is a patchwork elephant, the only one in his herd that isn't normal elephant color.  He's also the herd prankster.  Elmer has conflated his coloration and his role in the herd, and thinks everyone is laughing at him.  When he comes back in disguise, he realizes that his desire to play jokes is inherent, and that the herd really does laugh because he's funny, not because he looks different.  The end has an Elmer's Day Parade with all the elephants dressing up as something they aren't - with Elmer as the only "elephant colored" elephant that day.



Kangaroo and Cricket
Lorianne Siomades
ISBN: 156397780X
textured-paper collages against white backgrounds, "hidden" inchworm on each page

"Kangaroo and Cricket, both can jump."  Each spread features two very dissimilar animals, but highlights the one way they are alike - mostly in movement.  The narrator of the story is an inchworm, who confusingly changes colors and sizes through the book, and the "trick" ending is that as the narrator, he's been doing the same actions as the creature pairs all along, and thus he/she is just like ALL the other animals.  Cute, short, colorful.

EDIT - Found Octopus Opposites (Stella Blackstone, Stephanie Bauer, ISBN: 9781846863288) to match with Kangaroo and Cricket.  The exact same premise in mirror-reverse, and the illustrations are likewise wild and colorful and painterly, as opposed to the neat collage-work of Siomades' book.  Excellent pairing, now I just need a third!

EDIT AGAIN - Was hunting down titles in our system office, saw and remembered Quick as a Cricket, (Audrey Wood, ISBN: 0859531511) which is a perfect third for this theme!  Now I want to do it all over again, but I have to wait a while.



Good Thing You're Not an Octopus!
Julie Markes, illustrated by Maggie Smith
ISBN: 9780060284657
round-faced child contrasts daily toddler tasks with the difficulties faced by animal children

The reason you don't want to be an octopus is that you would have to put eight legs into your pants.  The reason you don't want to be a shark is that you would have to brush 200 teeth.  You don't want to be a kangaroo, because they don't get car-seats - they have to ride in mom's pouch.  So forth and so on.  It's pretty cute, but the premise is stated as "You don't like to [insert x]?" which can be a little negative for some parents.  I liked the idea of comparing activities to animals enough that I overlooked it.


Next week's theme is going to be a complete surprise, because I've gone through all of my pre-selected themes and will have to pick out more from the stacks - always a fun hunting trip.