These were picked out by my co-worker, they're super cute, and a fun way to highlight the general superhero craze!
Super Duck
Jez Alborough
ISBN: 9781933605890
Super Duck vs The Kite. I think the kite wins. Bonus points for very long-suffering friends who still manage to enforce boundaries on their super (excitable) friend.
What Goes Up
Paula Bowles
ISBN: 9781589251199
Martin is a big-boned dragon with very tiny wings, which means that he hasn't managed to fly yet. This makes him very sad, but the village children are on-board with all of his silly schemes to get him up in the air, and even add a stealth exercise regime of their own. When Martin finally goes airborne, it's surprisingly touching.
Arnold the Brave
Gundi Herget, illustrated by Nicolai Renger
ISBN: 9781441326508
Arnold is a Super Sheep, and he's ready and willing to defend his flock against the Big Bad Wolf, but even a Super Sheep needs a little sneaky help from a good friend. The spirit is willing, and gravity provides a big assist for this spunky sheep with a brave heart.
Showing posts with label Jez Alborough. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jez Alborough. Show all posts
Friday, October 19, 2018
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Tuesday Storytime: Teddies and Bears
I love that teddy bears exist. I especially love that we have picture books about actual wild bears, about "real" bears who act in anthropomorphic or unnatural ways, and even books about stuffed teddy bears! I picked a set today that focused on "real" bears, across a spectrum of natural to fantastical situations.
My Friend Bear
Jez Alborough
ISBN: 0763605832
This sequel to Where's My Teddy? showcases the joy of making a new friend.
Eddie (a little boy) and his teddy bear (named Freddie) are walking in the woods where they encountered the bear from Where's My Teddy? when they come across the giant teddy once more. This time tho, Eddie finds out that the bear is lonely and friendless too, and after a bit of a mix-up involving a talking teddy bear, the two spend a day becoming fast friends. Great rhyming cadence, lovely word-play, and cute lighthearted illustrations.
Bear is Not Tired
Ciara Gavin
ISBN: 9780385754767
Sequel to Room For Bear (super cute about chosen families) talks about the fear of missing out.
Winter is coming, and for most of the Duck family, that's no big deal. But not for Bear. He has to hibernate, and he is really unhappy about being asleep while everyone else is up, and missing all the fun and getting left out! This not-so-subtle comparison to early bedtimes and naps is actually handled really sweetly and with cute illustrations of Bear getting more and more tired, until "every sound was a lullaby" and "nothing made sense anymore." The solution that Mama Duck comes up with to welcome Bear back to the waking world in the spring is cute and sure to resonate with little ones who are SURE they've missed something.
Every Autumn Comes the Bear
Jim Arnosky
ISBN: 0399225080
Oversized, fall-off-the-pages dark and visceral paintings are a bit scary, but the story is calm and measured.
Arnosky doesn't shy away from a scary picture, and there are a few here, not least of which is the cover. A VERY large, black, hairy-scary bear is so big that all you can see are clawed feet and the tip of a nose, and a BIG black furry shadow looming over the whole book. Inside is equally realistic. A sere fall-winter landscape is cold contrast to this looming black presence, with a bright red mouth and tongue, and sharp white teeth and claws. Despite the intense illustrations, the story is calm and matter of fact, with few words and not really any emotional resonance: the bear simply comes, notices things, does a few things, and finds a den to sleep away the winter in. It's a very interesting dichotomy, and I think the dark and powerful images made quite a few of the parents uncomfortable, but the kids loved it.
My Friend Bear
Jez Alborough
ISBN: 0763605832
This sequel to Where's My Teddy? showcases the joy of making a new friend.
Eddie (a little boy) and his teddy bear (named Freddie) are walking in the woods where they encountered the bear from Where's My Teddy? when they come across the giant teddy once more. This time tho, Eddie finds out that the bear is lonely and friendless too, and after a bit of a mix-up involving a talking teddy bear, the two spend a day becoming fast friends. Great rhyming cadence, lovely word-play, and cute lighthearted illustrations.
Bear is Not Tired
Ciara Gavin
ISBN: 9780385754767
Sequel to Room For Bear (super cute about chosen families) talks about the fear of missing out.
Winter is coming, and for most of the Duck family, that's no big deal. But not for Bear. He has to hibernate, and he is really unhappy about being asleep while everyone else is up, and missing all the fun and getting left out! This not-so-subtle comparison to early bedtimes and naps is actually handled really sweetly and with cute illustrations of Bear getting more and more tired, until "every sound was a lullaby" and "nothing made sense anymore." The solution that Mama Duck comes up with to welcome Bear back to the waking world in the spring is cute and sure to resonate with little ones who are SURE they've missed something.
Every Autumn Comes the Bear
Jim Arnosky
ISBN: 0399225080
Oversized, fall-off-the-pages dark and visceral paintings are a bit scary, but the story is calm and measured.
Arnosky doesn't shy away from a scary picture, and there are a few here, not least of which is the cover. A VERY large, black, hairy-scary bear is so big that all you can see are clawed feet and the tip of a nose, and a BIG black furry shadow looming over the whole book. Inside is equally realistic. A sere fall-winter landscape is cold contrast to this looming black presence, with a bright red mouth and tongue, and sharp white teeth and claws. Despite the intense illustrations, the story is calm and matter of fact, with few words and not really any emotional resonance: the bear simply comes, notices things, does a few things, and finds a den to sleep away the winter in. It's a very interesting dichotomy, and I think the dark and powerful images made quite a few of the parents uncomfortable, but the kids loved it.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Tuesday Storytime: Builders and Construction
Back to non-thematic storytimes this week. No holidays, no National Month of whatever, just me and whatever quirky theme my strange mind has dredged up in the last few weeks. I do love picking out picture books to present to kids. It's a fun mix of curating content and balancing ages and lengths and art styles and how complex or difficult the wording is... so much to think about. When I choose badly, and the storytime goes poorly, it's quite frustrating, but when they flow nicely, that half hour is just a delightful flow of narrative and story from me to the families.
Fix-It Duck
Jez Alborough
ISBN: 0060006994
Spunky but accident-prone Duck tries to "fix-it" with problems that are usually his own fault.
It's raining outside, so when a DRIP falls PLOP into Duck's tea, he immediately thinks the roof is leaking. This is a job for Fix-It Duck! But he can't reach the roof. So he goes to borrow Sheep's ladder, and in the process, notices the camper's skylight is broken. Fix-It Duck is on the case - but he breaks the window. Now Sheep's house is leaking too! Fix-It Duck can fix it, by towing Sheep's camper under Goat's shed. But Fix-It Duck has left tools and nails and broken glass lying around, and Sheep's Jeep gets a flat! No worries for Fix-It Duck, who offers his own truck - which can't hitch to Sheep's camper. A creative re-use of the ladder fixes that, until a wild swerve around a curve (because Duck is a bad driver, obvs) spirals the situation beyond even what the optimistic and ever-hopeful Duck can manage to fix. Poor Sheep.
My Apron
Eric Carle
ISBN: 0399226850
True story from Carle's childhood, where he helped his uncle plaster a building for a day.
Uncle Adam is a plasterer, and he has a snazzy white apron with a pocket, and works on buildings all day, coating them with protective and beautiful white plaster. The boy Carle gets an apron made by his aunt, and spends the day as a proud and effective helper in this very short and sweet story.
Building a House
Byron Barton
ISBN: 0688842917
Barton's trademark blocky colors and thick outlines are joined by rare humanistic people.
We start with a green hill (that color blocking!) and follow in quick succession the steps of house-building, from digging out the ground, foundation and flooring, walls, rafters, roof, plumbing and wiring, finishing, and painting. The house is built (and garishly colored) in the end, ready for the final step of building a house: standing ready as a family moves in. Simple words and clear illustrations, but everything is accurate and straightforward and realistic.
Fix-It Duck
Jez Alborough
ISBN: 0060006994
Spunky but accident-prone Duck tries to "fix-it" with problems that are usually his own fault.
It's raining outside, so when a DRIP falls PLOP into Duck's tea, he immediately thinks the roof is leaking. This is a job for Fix-It Duck! But he can't reach the roof. So he goes to borrow Sheep's ladder, and in the process, notices the camper's skylight is broken. Fix-It Duck is on the case - but he breaks the window. Now Sheep's house is leaking too! Fix-It Duck can fix it, by towing Sheep's camper under Goat's shed. But Fix-It Duck has left tools and nails and broken glass lying around, and Sheep's Jeep gets a flat! No worries for Fix-It Duck, who offers his own truck - which can't hitch to Sheep's camper. A creative re-use of the ladder fixes that, until a wild swerve around a curve (because Duck is a bad driver, obvs) spirals the situation beyond even what the optimistic and ever-hopeful Duck can manage to fix. Poor Sheep.
My Apron
Eric Carle
ISBN: 0399226850
True story from Carle's childhood, where he helped his uncle plaster a building for a day.
Uncle Adam is a plasterer, and he has a snazzy white apron with a pocket, and works on buildings all day, coating them with protective and beautiful white plaster. The boy Carle gets an apron made by his aunt, and spends the day as a proud and effective helper in this very short and sweet story.
Building a House
Byron Barton
ISBN: 0688842917
Barton's trademark blocky colors and thick outlines are joined by rare humanistic people.
We start with a green hill (that color blocking!) and follow in quick succession the steps of house-building, from digging out the ground, foundation and flooring, walls, rafters, roof, plumbing and wiring, finishing, and painting. The house is built (and garishly colored) in the end, ready for the final step of building a house: standing ready as a family moves in. Simple words and clear illustrations, but everything is accurate and straightforward and realistic.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Tuesday Storytime: Teddy Bear Friends
And I forgot entirely to post last week's Storytime!
I love teddy bears. So many stories, so many possibilities. This time around we focused on friendship.
The Sniffles for Bear (A Library Book for Bear)
Bonny Becker, Kady MacDonald Denton
ISBN: 9780763647568
Previously reviewed here.
Still adorable, and lots of opportunities for overacting, which is generally a big hit with the little ones.
Where's My Teddy
Jez Alborough
ISBN: 9781442006027
An oversized picture book with faux-naive art centered in a looming (yet unscary) forest.
I have used this book, and it's partner My Friend Bear many times before, but not since I've been reviewing. They're both adorable rhyming patter books that tell a sweet story of a pair of children (human and bear) losing their teddies in the woods, and what happens when there's a bit of a mix-up. Super sweet, super gentle, and a blast to read. Very quick story that feels solid and full, despite the short duration.
A Splendid Friend Indeed
Suzanne Bloom
ISBN: 9781590782866
Thick crayonish lines and bright primary colors make this a visual treat.
This book would be perfect for demonstrating body language. Bear never says a word (Duck has that market cornered) but it's beautifully obvious how he feels about the neverending attentions of his excitable friend. However, by the end, the irrepressible Duck has managed to break through Bear's shell, and the two friends hug it out. So adorable.
I love teddy bears. So many stories, so many possibilities. This time around we focused on friendship.
The Sniffles for Bear (A Library Book for Bear)
Bonny Becker, Kady MacDonald Denton
ISBN: 9780763647568
Previously reviewed here.
Still adorable, and lots of opportunities for overacting, which is generally a big hit with the little ones.
Where's My Teddy
Jez Alborough
ISBN: 9781442006027
An oversized picture book with faux-naive art centered in a looming (yet unscary) forest.
I have used this book, and it's partner My Friend Bear many times before, but not since I've been reviewing. They're both adorable rhyming patter books that tell a sweet story of a pair of children (human and bear) losing their teddies in the woods, and what happens when there's a bit of a mix-up. Super sweet, super gentle, and a blast to read. Very quick story that feels solid and full, despite the short duration.
A Splendid Friend Indeed
Suzanne Bloom
ISBN: 9781590782866
Thick crayonish lines and bright primary colors make this a visual treat.
This book would be perfect for demonstrating body language. Bear never says a word (Duck has that market cornered) but it's beautifully obvious how he feels about the neverending attentions of his excitable friend. However, by the end, the irrepressible Duck has managed to break through Bear's shell, and the two friends hug it out. So adorable.
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