And we're off to the races!
These were selected by my coworker.
8 Little Planets (board-book/cut-out book)
Chris Ferrie, illustrated by Lizzy Doyle
ISBN: 9781492671244
Sweet little rhymes are filled with easy facts and fun info about all the different "official" planets.
Best Frints in the Whole Universe
Antoinette Partis
ISBN: 9781626721364
I've read this cutie before about two alien "frients" who get into a spectacular argument over sharing and responsibility and owning up to mistakes. Very cute, and full of fun tongue-twisters for the reader.
Earth Space Moon Base
Ben Joel Price
ISBN: 9780385373111
Funky 1950s esque story about a tag-team of astronaut, robot, and test monkey who have to save the world (and their moon base) from scaaaaary moon aliens.
Showing posts with label Antoinette Portis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Antoinette Portis. Show all posts
Friday, June 14, 2019
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Tuesday Storytime: Cardboard Boxes
I did a "box" storytime (cough) years ago, and I had the WORST time finding good picture books for the topic, which I thought was so weird - cardboard boxes are totally a THING with kids, right? Now I'm happy to say that there are quite a few good "box books" out there to choose from, and I've got three really nice ones.
Big Friends
Linda Sarah, illustrated by Benji Davies
ISBN: 9781627793308
Birt and Etho are Big Friends, and they love taking their giant cardboard boxes up to the top of the nearby hill and playing fantastic games with them. Until Shu, a younger boy, gets up the nerve to ask to play also, and suddenly being a trio is just too much for Birt. He bails and sulks and avoids the other two boys until they come by his house with an amazing cardboard construction to share - maybe a trio isn't so bad after all?
Not a Box
Antoinette Portis
ISBN: 9780061123221
This is like the platonic ideal of a box book. A cute little black outlined bunny and box appear on each spread, with a question about what the bunny is doing with/at/in that box? Answers are on the next spread, as the phrase "not a box" is repeated (with just enough variation and emphasis) alongside the same illustration of the bunny and box repeated, but with added red outlines of the imaginary item that the box is representing. Very very good interactive and fun super short book. Remember to use a good robot voice for one of the "this is not a box" repeats.
What to do With a Box
Jane Yolen, illustrated by Chris Sheban
ISBN: 9781568462899
This is like a more dreamlike and artistic version of Not a Box. Yolen's slant rhymes and strange cadences work more often than not, but can be a bit tongue-trippy at times. The artwork is fake collage done with watercolors and colored pencils and inks, very well done, but perhaps a litttle overproduced? Just the tiniest bit? The kids seem to be siblings, but that's not made hugely clear, and they aren't diverse or minority, which is a shame, because the "story" doesn't require a static cast of characters to present the concept. I would have liked to see more and varied faces and bodies enjoying the boxes, rather than the same duo of "samey" white kids we always see. Very pretty, and artistically quite clever, but I sort of prefer the directness of Not a Box, or the more depthful friendship message in Big Friends.
Big Friends
Linda Sarah, illustrated by Benji Davies
ISBN: 9781627793308
Birt and Etho are Big Friends, and they love taking their giant cardboard boxes up to the top of the nearby hill and playing fantastic games with them. Until Shu, a younger boy, gets up the nerve to ask to play also, and suddenly being a trio is just too much for Birt. He bails and sulks and avoids the other two boys until they come by his house with an amazing cardboard construction to share - maybe a trio isn't so bad after all?
Not a Box
Antoinette Portis
ISBN: 9780061123221
This is like the platonic ideal of a box book. A cute little black outlined bunny and box appear on each spread, with a question about what the bunny is doing with/at/in that box? Answers are on the next spread, as the phrase "not a box" is repeated (with just enough variation and emphasis) alongside the same illustration of the bunny and box repeated, but with added red outlines of the imaginary item that the box is representing. Very very good interactive and fun super short book. Remember to use a good robot voice for one of the "this is not a box" repeats.
What to do With a Box
Jane Yolen, illustrated by Chris Sheban
ISBN: 9781568462899
This is like a more dreamlike and artistic version of Not a Box. Yolen's slant rhymes and strange cadences work more often than not, but can be a bit tongue-trippy at times. The artwork is fake collage done with watercolors and colored pencils and inks, very well done, but perhaps a litttle overproduced? Just the tiniest bit? The kids seem to be siblings, but that's not made hugely clear, and they aren't diverse or minority, which is a shame, because the "story" doesn't require a static cast of characters to present the concept. I would have liked to see more and varied faces and bodies enjoying the boxes, rather than the same duo of "samey" white kids we always see. Very pretty, and artistically quite clever, but I sort of prefer the directness of Not a Box, or the more depthful friendship message in Big Friends.
Monday, July 24, 2017
Tuesday Storytime: Fairy Tales - IN SPACE!
Yeah I know, super original. They're so cute I couldn't resist.
The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot
Margaret McNamara, illustrated by Mark Fearing
ISBN: 9780375866890
The three little pigs are a bit wider-ranging in this planet-hopping version that replaces the big bad wolf with a clanky cranky robot. Bork, Gork, and Nklxwycz (good luck with that one, I went with Nickle-zee-wits) each build their houses, and in turn the robot smashes them all to bits, until the last house defeats it and becomes home sweet home. Cool visuals and planetary references actually attempt to be factual, although that tidbit is most probably lost on the young audiences I have.
Best Frints in the Whole Universe
Antoinette Portis
ISBN: 9781626721364
Best frints on planet Boborp have sharp teef and really short tempers, so friendship is a perilous thing, especially when one frint shmackles the other frint's brand new spossip. (Trust me, by the time you get to that point, you'll get it with no trouble.) But a bit of taypo and some twire, and maybe a little bit of friendship (and a game of eye-ball) and things are as good as new (except for the poor spossip). Some very knowing winks towards the adults in this one.
Interstellar Cinderella
Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Meg Hunt
ISBN: 9781452125329
Down and dirty Cinderella is a spaceship mechanic in this version (strong shades of Kaylee Frye from Firefly here) and her family dumps her right before the big royal spaceship parade. A bit of help from a robot rat and a fairy god-robot (and her own know-how) has Cinderella fixing the Prince's ship in no time, and then he has to search for the girl of his dreams (he makes the evil step-sisters try to fix a broken ship!) and the whole fun romp ends with a lovely tongue-in-cheek commentary:
She landed right beside the Prince. / "That wrench is mine!" she cried.
She quickly fixed the ailing ship. / The prince said, "Be my bride!"
She thought this over carefully. / Her family watched in panic.
"I'm far too young for marriage / but I'll be your chief mechanic!"
The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot
Margaret McNamara, illustrated by Mark Fearing
ISBN: 9780375866890
The three little pigs are a bit wider-ranging in this planet-hopping version that replaces the big bad wolf with a clanky cranky robot. Bork, Gork, and Nklxwycz (good luck with that one, I went with Nickle-zee-wits) each build their houses, and in turn the robot smashes them all to bits, until the last house defeats it and becomes home sweet home. Cool visuals and planetary references actually attempt to be factual, although that tidbit is most probably lost on the young audiences I have.
Best Frints in the Whole Universe
Antoinette Portis
ISBN: 9781626721364
Best frints on planet Boborp have sharp teef and really short tempers, so friendship is a perilous thing, especially when one frint shmackles the other frint's brand new spossip. (Trust me, by the time you get to that point, you'll get it with no trouble.) But a bit of taypo and some twire, and maybe a little bit of friendship (and a game of eye-ball) and things are as good as new (except for the poor spossip). Some very knowing winks towards the adults in this one.
Interstellar Cinderella
Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Meg Hunt
ISBN: 9781452125329
Down and dirty Cinderella is a spaceship mechanic in this version (strong shades of Kaylee Frye from Firefly here) and her family dumps her right before the big royal spaceship parade. A bit of help from a robot rat and a fairy god-robot (and her own know-how) has Cinderella fixing the Prince's ship in no time, and then he has to search for the girl of his dreams (he makes the evil step-sisters try to fix a broken ship!) and the whole fun romp ends with a lovely tongue-in-cheek commentary:
She landed right beside the Prince. / "That wrench is mine!" she cried.
She quickly fixed the ailing ship. / The prince said, "Be my bride!"
She thought this over carefully. / Her family watched in panic.
"I'm far too young for marriage / but I'll be your chief mechanic!"
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