Tuesday Storytime: Happy Holidays!

Yesterday was our last storytime of the year - amazing how quickly it all goes. It's ALSO the last storytime before Christmas, so I felt like I ought to do at least one specifically "christmassy" book.

The Snowy Day
Ezra Jack Keats
ISBN: 9780670012701  (50th anniversary edition)
This is a MUCH bigger edition than the original, which makes it much more suited for traditional storytime, instead of a lap-sit or child-held book. I love that the original was small and suited for tiny hands and arms, but it does make it more enjoyable for the pictures to be bigger this time around. There's a lovely section at the end talking about Keats and his work on this book and his dream of having "Peter" representing all the children who never got to see someone who looked like them.

Click, Clack, Ho Ho Ho
Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin
ISBN: 9781442496736
This cute story follows Duck and all the other farm animals through an ill-fated attempt to bring Farmer Brown some Christmas Cheer, and unfortunately ending up all stuck in the chimney. Thankfully, the real Santa arrives to put things to rights (or at least shove everyone down the chimney into the living room) and the party gets to happen after all.

Bear Snores On
Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman
ISBN: 06898780238
The classic story that started the whole thing. I like this one as a low-key holiday party book because there's no indication of them celebrating anything specific at all, just having a nice party with friends. With society as multi-cultural as it is now, it's really lovely to have a book that focuses on the important things: it's cold, it's dreary, and everyone needs an excuse to hang out with the people they love.

Tuesday Storytime: Snowy Days

January is my time for snowy storytimes: it's (usually) finally gotten actually cold outside, and even if it doesn't ever actually snow here, there's frost on the ground in the mornings ("South Carolina Morning Snow") and the skies are often heavy and grey.


The Snowy Day
Ezra Jack Keats
ISBN: 9780670012701 (50th Ann. oversized hc edition, with background info, and author bio)
Classic tale of Peter and the snow in a city-scape, with Keats' vibrant colorful collage minimalism.

This is actually my own personal copy, signed by LeVar Burton. (Please imagine my eyes with big sparkles and hearts right now) and it's one of my favorite classic children's books.  There are a lot of my childhood favorites that are quite special in my heart, but a lot of times, re-reading them reveals that they aren't anything I would feel comfortable recommending.  Not this gem.

Peter is a young black boy in a bright red hooded coat, and he's outisde in the city, in the deep snow, just being a child and exploring.  It's simple, clear, childlike in the best way, and just delightful in every way.


I Love Snow
Hans Wilhelm
ISBN: 9780439795944 (Scholastic Reader)
Excitable white floofy dog explores in the snow, and helps out a wild friend.

I've used this book (and others by this artist) before because I feel like lots of people think that leveled readers are automatically terrible books with no artistry or joy or fun in them.  They VERY OFTEN ARE.  But prejudice is terrible, and there are beautiful and enjoyable leveled readers out there that have fun stories and enjoyable to read through in their own right.

Our little white puppy is out in the snow and enjoying every minute of it.  He does all sorts of traditional snowy activities, and then near the end finds a wild creature in need of some help, and gains a new friend to play with.  The plight of the hungry raccoon is adorably sad, and the conceit of eating the snowman's carrot nose blew some of my kids' minds!  Cute and very short.


Polar Bear Night
Lauren Thompson, illustrated by Stephen Savage
ISBN: 9780439495240
Textural blocky outlines and sleepy gentle blue tones make this a very good bedtime candidate.

Savage has outdone himself this time around, inspired by Thompson's lyrical language and sleepy sweet tale of a polar bear cub out in the soft still nighttime.  There isn't much focus on snow here, but the theme of a young creature out by themselves enjoying the outside in their home environment (as opposed to "going out to nature" or something like that) fit really nicely with the other two stories, and the gentle wording and evocative and minimalist artwork spreads are just too beautiful to pass up.

   

Tuesday Storytime: Rainy Days

I was away at a class this time around, so one of my lovely Clerks gave the storytime.  I didn't know we were slated for nasty weather when I picked these out for her last week, but given the rain last night, and the epic storms heading our way for today and tomorrow, I'm feeling a little prophetic!

Listen to the Rain
Bill Martin, Jr, and John Archambault, illustrated by James Endicott
ISBN: 0805006826
peaceful minimalistic paintings against a white backdrop

I love this book for storytime.  It's a perfect onomatopoeic verbal representation of a storm, with all the rhyming and similar words getting repeated and emphasized.  It's also a lovely combination of lyric and artistic minimalism and synthesis.  I'm a little jealous that I didn't get to read it, but I wanted something for my Clerk that would flow and read smoothly for someone with not as much practice at Storytime.  This one is perfect for that, and that's why I picked the theme.


A Letter to Amy
Ezra Jack Keats
ISBN: 0670880639
Ezra Jack Keats, y'all.

I don't like this one quite as much as The Snowy Day, but it's up there.  Peter wants to specially invite a special friend to his party, but there are some difficulties.  First, she's a girl, and that's a little weird.  Secondly, he wants to actually MAIL her an invite, to make it more special, but his day is just not going well - a storm blows in, and gets the letter wet, and then something even worse happens!  Poor Peter - will his friend even show up for his party now?  Love this man, love his books. Another good "easy read" for an inexperienced Storytimer.


Red Rubber Boot Day
Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Lauren Stringer
ISBN: 0152053980
saturated colors, close-focus, daily life, textural brushwork

I hardcore love this book.  I don't care that the author and illustrator aren't famous picture book people.  They are amazing and I want to send them all the love for this perfect perfect stompy rainy-day I've run out of things to do inside can I please go outside into the fresh rain-wet perfect new green day and play in the puddles book.  I like this book so much I went out and bought a copy for my home library and I don't even have a kid yet to read it to!


I miss my kids so much when I can't do my Storytimes so I'm really looking forward to next week:  Oversize Animals.