Tuesday Storytime: Autumn Thanks

Since we covered Thanksgiving pretty thoroughly last time around, I focused on a few of my newly-acquired fall books this time around.

Hocus Pocus, It's Fall!
Anne Sibley O'Brien, illustrated by Susan Gall
ISBN: 9781419721250
An entire book of fold-out flaps gives very short rhymes on different fall themes and situations, and then a "magic word" (a different one each time - there are SO MANY OF THEM!) to fold out the flap and show the "magic" change of seasons on the fold-out continuation of the spread.

Thanks for Thanksgiving
Julie Markes, illustrated by Doris Barrette
ISBN:  9780060510985
Short and as inoffensive as possible, this set of "thanks" are offered generally to no specified person or entity, and focus on the experiences of children - school and dress-up, play-dates and parents.

My Autumn Book
Wong Herbert Yee
ISBN: 9780805099225
Sweet but just a liiiiitle bit too long for my very young group this time around. A possibly-Asian girl notices lots of natural changes in the world as proof that autumn is approaching, and collects items to remember the season, building a book of memories to read in the winter.

Tuesday Storytime: Thanksgiving

A couple of old standards, and a new nonfiction Thanksgiving book.


A Short History of Thanksgiving
Sally Lee, consulting editor Gail Saunders-Smith
ISBN: 9781491460979
Nonfiction, primary-source images and photography.

This is a delightful short (very short) intro to the concept of Thanksgiving.  Just right for this pre-school age group of mine, and I'm very glad to have it in the system.  I'll have to check out the other holiday books in this series as well if they're all done as well as this one was.



Thanksgiving Cats
Jean Marzollo, illustrated by Hans Wilhelm
ISBN: 0590037145
Previously reviewed here


Thanks for Thanksgiving
Julie Markes, illustrated by Doris Barrette
ISBN: 9780060510961
Previously reviewed here

Tuesday Storytime: Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving storytimes.  There are so many good and interesting Thanksgiving books to hunt through and familiarize myself with, and it's lovely to have them all up on display to tempt patrons to check them out.  However, finding books that suit my particular style and age-group is a little harder, and I've fallen back on a few favorites over the years.  This year is no exception.

A Plump and Perky Turkey

Teresa Bateman, illustrated by Jeff Shelly

ISBN: 0761451889

Cartoonish, crowded spreads and vignettes capture loads of energy, expression, and emotion.

This one is just barely short enough for my kids to handle - it's got some impressive chunks of rhyme in it, and I wonder if the little ones are actually catching the story itself, but no matter if they don't quite get it.  Squawk Valley has not managed to procure any turkeys for their communal Thanksgiving Feast, because the birds have wised up and fled.  Instead of hunkering down to bowls of shredded wheat, the townies decide to lure a bird in by pretending they need a model for a "turkey-themed" art fair.  Pete the clever turkey (a very large part of me deeply wishes that he'd been named Tom) decides he's just the bird for the job, models and preens and eats his fill - then skips out right before dinner.  The ending is a tad quick, and therefore a bit anti-climactic, but it's still a funny take on Thanksgiving turkey shenanigans, without the problematic kidnapping flavor of Eve Bunting's A Turkey for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Cats

Jean Marzollo, illustrated by Hans Wilhelm

ISBN: 0590037145

Soft-edged and soft-colored "vintage" drawings show happy cats prepping and enjoying a rustic feast.

I've used this book three years in a row now, and I am still quite happy with it.  It's short, snappy, the pictures are adorable, and the storyline is easy to follow as we see "Farmer cats" harvesting veggies, fruits, and dairy, and then "Kitchen cats" prepping them all into lovely foods, all the while "farmer kittens" and "kitchen kittens" play around underfoot.  I love that there seems to be a purposeful presentation of both farm and kitchen cats as being both genders.  Adorable, short, and sweet.

Thanks for Thanksgiving

Julie Markes (Good Thing You're Not an Octopus), illustrated by Doris Barrette

ISBN: 9780060510985

Rich saturate colors call to mind Victorian holiday cards, featuring child-focused scenes.

This is another that I've used for several years running, and again, I continue to be quite happy with it.  The length is perfect, the illustrations are lovely and clear, and the language is simple without being cloying or cutesy.  The concept is roughly like a prayer, but the "Thank you" phrasing is non-religious and non-directed.  Each spread offers thanks for a situation or scene that is relevant and understandable to a child; "Thank you for play dates, for swings and for slides" and "Thank you for Mommy, and warm, cozy cuddles." A perfect ending for storytime, and a nice contemplative and gratitude-filled read.

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.