There's lots of focus placed on imaginary friends, but this time around I wanted to focus on how children imagine themselves as bigger, stronger, or more interesting people (or versions of themselves) to empower themselves through life and challenges. Here we have three different versions of "imaginary selves" helping kids face some pretty common kid struggles: baby siblings, bedtime, and new schools.
Rodeo Red
Maripat Perkins, illustrated by Molly Idle
Rodeo Red does NOT like that new cowpoke Sideswiping Slim. That ornery thing snaps up toys, food, and even messes up her favorite hat! Not only that, but the "law" (mom and dad) are inexplicably and unfairly on that little snake's side! When he steals her sidekick Rusty the (stuffed) dog, Red just has to set things right. After a few botched attempts, an unwanted gift proves to be a welcome distraction. Maybe, just maybe, things can get set right with this rascal eventually.
Bedtime for Batman
Michael Dahl, illustrated by Ethen Beavers
A sweet side-by-side comparison story shows a small boy in Gotham readying for bed in the persona of his favorite caped crusader, Batman. While the boy faces challenges like the potty and managing to stuff all of his toys into the bin, Batman is cleaning up familiar evildoers from the sewers. The comparisons are funny and sweet, and the story is full of good rituals (with a checklist at the end for good measure). There's a companion story "Sweet Dreams, Supergirl" (and one with Superman and Wonder Woman) which is also adorable, but I liked the paired storytelling of this one best.
Ally-saurus and the First Day of School
Richard Torrey
Ally-saurus is a dinosaur for her first day of school, which helps her be brave and gives her something to focus on while she learns to navigate desks and class rituals. When lunchtime comes, despite being shunned by the "princess table," she finds a set of friends (all of whom have their own favorite animal (or item) to play happily, even with the princesses, during recess and afterwards into class again. A positive story about the impact of imagination and acceptance and being friendly.
Showing posts with label Molly Idle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Molly Idle. Show all posts
Friday, August 16, 2019
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Tuesday Storytime: Dancing
Three really lovely dancing books today.
Flora and the Flamingo
Molly Idle
ISBN: 9781452110066
Wordless lift-the-flap book with a double-page unfolding spread. Beautiful illustrations.
This one really had to have been amazing to make it past the usual storytime hurdles. It's a wordless picture book, AND it has lift-the-flaps on quite a few of the pages (AND a big double-spread fold-out section at the end) so you know it has to be really cute or really amazing to get past all that. And it is! Both. Cute. And amazing. Flora is a dancer, and as far as I can tell, she's at the zoo. Maybe she's dreaming, or she has a pet flamingo, because there's really nothing in the way of backgrounds to let us know one way or the other, and I find that it doesn't really matter. Either way, Flora is a dancer, and she's wearing black swim flippers (to look like the flamingo's feet? Because she likes wearing swim flippers? Again, not important.) and a swimming cap, and she and the flamingo are DANCING. TOGETHER. It's beautiful, and the proportions are delightful and the matching movements with the very different bodies are just so sweet and the little bits of story that unfold through mirrored movements and poses and facial expressions are just delightful. It really is just lovely. I love Molly Idle's books so much.
Wiggle
Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Scott Menchin
ISBN: 1599610930
American-cartoon style dog leads an interactive-inviting story through a day of wiggles.
"Do you wiggle out of bed? If you wiggle with your breakfast, it might wind up on your head." These are the important questions in life, and ones that invite the audience to wiggle right along with the irrepressible dog star in this book. There's not much substance, and it's awfully quick, but for a short middle book and short toddler attention-spans? The wiggly content and the fast pace make it perfect. This one also got the rare award of actual toddler laughter. Adults tend to chuckle quite a lot in my storytimes, but I don't often feature stories that hit the little ones' funny bones. This one was a rare exception, and it was a smash hit. Prepare to follow this with a song or an activity that lets those wiggles free!
How Do You Wokka-Wokka?
Elizabeth Bluemle, illustrated by Randy Cecil
ISBN: 9780763632281
A diverse inner-city sidewalk is home to a variety of dance styles told with wokka rhymes.
Wokka-wokka is how the first kid dances, and they go along the sidewalk and ask a lot of others how they dance too - and the answers are as varied as the kids encountered. We get flamingo dances (how appropriate!) and mariachi dances, and breakdancing (dancing like a clock), and the worm (fish-flop dancing), and by the end of the book, the whole neighborhood is dancing all together in their different ways, all having a great time with the repeated rhyme chorus.
Flora and the Flamingo
Molly Idle
ISBN: 9781452110066
Wordless lift-the-flap book with a double-page unfolding spread. Beautiful illustrations.
This one really had to have been amazing to make it past the usual storytime hurdles. It's a wordless picture book, AND it has lift-the-flaps on quite a few of the pages (AND a big double-spread fold-out section at the end) so you know it has to be really cute or really amazing to get past all that. And it is! Both. Cute. And amazing. Flora is a dancer, and as far as I can tell, she's at the zoo. Maybe she's dreaming, or she has a pet flamingo, because there's really nothing in the way of backgrounds to let us know one way or the other, and I find that it doesn't really matter. Either way, Flora is a dancer, and she's wearing black swim flippers (to look like the flamingo's feet? Because she likes wearing swim flippers? Again, not important.) and a swimming cap, and she and the flamingo are DANCING. TOGETHER. It's beautiful, and the proportions are delightful and the matching movements with the very different bodies are just so sweet and the little bits of story that unfold through mirrored movements and poses and facial expressions are just delightful. It really is just lovely. I love Molly Idle's books so much.
Wiggle
Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Scott Menchin
ISBN: 1599610930
American-cartoon style dog leads an interactive-inviting story through a day of wiggles.
"Do you wiggle out of bed? If you wiggle with your breakfast, it might wind up on your head." These are the important questions in life, and ones that invite the audience to wiggle right along with the irrepressible dog star in this book. There's not much substance, and it's awfully quick, but for a short middle book and short toddler attention-spans? The wiggly content and the fast pace make it perfect. This one also got the rare award of actual toddler laughter. Adults tend to chuckle quite a lot in my storytimes, but I don't often feature stories that hit the little ones' funny bones. This one was a rare exception, and it was a smash hit. Prepare to follow this with a song or an activity that lets those wiggles free!
How Do You Wokka-Wokka?
Elizabeth Bluemle, illustrated by Randy Cecil
ISBN: 9780763632281
A diverse inner-city sidewalk is home to a variety of dance styles told with wokka rhymes.
Wokka-wokka is how the first kid dances, and they go along the sidewalk and ask a lot of others how they dance too - and the answers are as varied as the kids encountered. We get flamingo dances (how appropriate!) and mariachi dances, and breakdancing (dancing like a clock), and the worm (fish-flop dancing), and by the end of the book, the whole neighborhood is dancing all together in their different ways, all having a great time with the repeated rhyme chorus.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Tuesday Storytime: Monster Families
I love October. Halloween for weeks on end. We have spooky books up on display, and I get to read about monsters and mummies and zombies to impressionable kids from now til November.
Zombelina
Kristyn Crow, illustrated by Molly Idle (Flora and the Flamingo)
ISBN: 9780802728036
Way too sweet to be scary. A zombie girl learns to be a ballerina, and tackles stage fright.
Previously reviewed here. Still love it, still the sweetest story, but this time around the theme hit more solidly on the family support of her passion.
Where's My Mummy?
Carolyn Crimi (Rock n' Roll Mole), illustrated by John Manders
ISBN: 9780763643379
Woefully undersized hardcover edition has a cute little mummy meeting traditional "monsters."
Despite using and loving this book, I've somehow managed to not review it yet! This is a cute little "reversal of expectations" book. Little mummy is playing hide-and-shriek (which really, with small kids, is roughly the truth) with his mommy mummy, but she's either too busy or really incompetent at the game, so he's off searching in various scary environments for her. First the graveyard, where he meets Bones, then the swamp where he meets the Blob, then a dark cave where he finds Drac. The pint-sized roly-poly mummy child is totally unimpressed with seeing these friends or neighbors, who are all prepping for bed themselves (brushing teeth, washing faces and ears) but warn the little tyke of "things" that lurk in the darkness. Pooped, with still no mommy mummy, he rests at the base of a tree until a mouse appears. THAT's the scare-jump all the parents were waiting for, and mommy mummy is immediately there to rescue, comfort, and take to bed. ADORABLE.
Goodnight, Little Monster
Helen Ketteman, illustrated by Bonnie Leick
ISBN: 9780761456834
Sweet lush soft-edged watercolor-looking illustrations of an adorable baby monster at bedtime.
This is such a sweet book, but I have a hard time reading it because the endpapers are COVERED in giant nasty spiders. I "screwed my courage to the sticking place" as best I could, because it really is a sweet story, and because I more often read the slightly sillier and more upbeat My Monster Mama Loves Me So, but I did that one too recently to repeat. So, I braved the spiders, and had two mamas ask me if they could have the book afterwards. Courage is rewarded! In the story, mama is putting baby to bed, and it's just as traditional and standard as you could ask: from bathtime to bedtime snack to toothbrushing to the under-bed-monsters (er, children) check, and the temporary forgetting of the nightlight. The pictures really are sweet, once you get past all the spiders.
Zombelina
Kristyn Crow, illustrated by Molly Idle (Flora and the Flamingo)
ISBN: 9780802728036
Way too sweet to be scary. A zombie girl learns to be a ballerina, and tackles stage fright.
Previously reviewed here. Still love it, still the sweetest story, but this time around the theme hit more solidly on the family support of her passion.
Where's My Mummy?
Carolyn Crimi (Rock n' Roll Mole), illustrated by John Manders
ISBN: 9780763643379
Woefully undersized hardcover edition has a cute little mummy meeting traditional "monsters."
Despite using and loving this book, I've somehow managed to not review it yet! This is a cute little "reversal of expectations" book. Little mummy is playing hide-and-shriek (which really, with small kids, is roughly the truth) with his mommy mummy, but she's either too busy or really incompetent at the game, so he's off searching in various scary environments for her. First the graveyard, where he meets Bones, then the swamp where he meets the Blob, then a dark cave where he finds Drac. The pint-sized roly-poly mummy child is totally unimpressed with seeing these friends or neighbors, who are all prepping for bed themselves (brushing teeth, washing faces and ears) but warn the little tyke of "things" that lurk in the darkness. Pooped, with still no mommy mummy, he rests at the base of a tree until a mouse appears. THAT's the scare-jump all the parents were waiting for, and mommy mummy is immediately there to rescue, comfort, and take to bed. ADORABLE.
Goodnight, Little Monster
Helen Ketteman, illustrated by Bonnie Leick
ISBN: 9780761456834
Sweet lush soft-edged watercolor-looking illustrations of an adorable baby monster at bedtime.
This is such a sweet book, but I have a hard time reading it because the endpapers are COVERED in giant nasty spiders. I "screwed my courage to the sticking place" as best I could, because it really is a sweet story, and because I more often read the slightly sillier and more upbeat My Monster Mama Loves Me So, but I did that one too recently to repeat. So, I braved the spiders, and had two mamas ask me if they could have the book afterwards. Courage is rewarded! In the story, mama is putting baby to bed, and it's just as traditional and standard as you could ask: from bathtime to bedtime snack to toothbrushing to the under-bed-monsters (er, children) check, and the temporary forgetting of the nightlight. The pictures really are sweet, once you get past all the spiders.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Tuesday Storytime: Sibling Relations
Another one that I have missed this year - I think this is my worst year to date for missing storytimes. I took care to give my replacement a good fun set of reads.
Mission: New Baby
Susan Hood, illustrated by Mary Lundquist
ISBN: 9780385376723
Vignettes and "snapshots" of life with a baby sibling, with a military/special ops flair.
Our main character is a tousle-haired white boy and his family, but we get vignettes from other diverse "recruits" as they also assist with their new siblings. Everything from bathtime to storytime is presented as a military or espionage exercise, with the conceit that the established "operative" (the new big brother/sister) has been tasked with training the new "recruit" (the baby sibling) by teaching them the ropes. There's not much to it, but it's super cute.
Rodeo Red
Maripat Perkins, illustrated by Molly Idle
ISBN: 9781561458165
Previously reviewed here.
I still love this one, and it's the reason I went with this particular theme. I'm happy to report that the storyteller and the audience loved it to pieces as well.
Peace, Baby!
Linda Ashman, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
ISBN: 9781452106137
Diverse characters, soft colors, and expressive poses and faces.
This one sits up with Llama Llama for the very clear, child-level message - choose kindness, choose to work together, choose to be gentle, choose to forgive. This one isn't entirely about family and siblings, but the lesson certainly applies there, and several of the scenarios pictured could be of sibling sets.
Mission: New Baby
Susan Hood, illustrated by Mary Lundquist
ISBN: 9780385376723
Vignettes and "snapshots" of life with a baby sibling, with a military/special ops flair.
Our main character is a tousle-haired white boy and his family, but we get vignettes from other diverse "recruits" as they also assist with their new siblings. Everything from bathtime to storytime is presented as a military or espionage exercise, with the conceit that the established "operative" (the new big brother/sister) has been tasked with training the new "recruit" (the baby sibling) by teaching them the ropes. There's not much to it, but it's super cute.
Rodeo Red
Maripat Perkins, illustrated by Molly Idle
ISBN: 9781561458165
Previously reviewed here.
I still love this one, and it's the reason I went with this particular theme. I'm happy to report that the storyteller and the audience loved it to pieces as well.
Peace, Baby!
Linda Ashman, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
ISBN: 9781452106137
Diverse characters, soft colors, and expressive poses and faces.
This one sits up with Llama Llama for the very clear, child-level message - choose kindness, choose to work together, choose to be gentle, choose to forgive. This one isn't entirely about family and siblings, but the lesson certainly applies there, and several of the scenarios pictured could be of sibling sets.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
New Arrivals: Picture Book: Rodeo Red, Maripat Perkins, Molly Idle
Rodeo Red
Maripat Perkins, illustrated by Molly Idle
ISBN: 9781561458165
Crisp Pixar-esque drawings and scenes dramatize sibling rivalry into an Old West showdown.
Molly Idle is amazing. New picture books show up just about every week here at the library, and I try to check through them all. Most of them I flip through and then shelve - they don't speak to me personally, so there's no need to review something that left me cold. On the other hand, sometimes we get books like Rodeo Red through the gate, and I literally clapped my hands with joy when I saw it. The best part is that while the cover illustration and a quick flip drew me inexorably inwards, the story by the masterful Maripat Perkins kept me glued to the narrative, which is rare for a picture book. Excellent pairing, and I hope it continues!
You guys, this book is so goshdurned cute. Our red-headed cowgirl and her partner, the (stuffed) hound-dog Rusty, are none too pleased when a new resident takes over the ranch (er, nursery) next door. The new neighbor is rude, crude, and awfully grabby - and the last straw is when he grabs Rusty! When the law (aka the parental units) cravenly takes the side of the newcomer? It's just all too much to bear. Our heroine is nearly overcome with despair until a new fancy posh animal arrives on the scene, and Red arranges for a prisoner swap to bring Rusty safely home.
So fricking cute. Words fail. Go check it out and feel your heart swelling with the adorableness.
Maripat Perkins, illustrated by Molly Idle
ISBN: 9781561458165
Crisp Pixar-esque drawings and scenes dramatize sibling rivalry into an Old West showdown.
Molly Idle is amazing. New picture books show up just about every week here at the library, and I try to check through them all. Most of them I flip through and then shelve - they don't speak to me personally, so there's no need to review something that left me cold. On the other hand, sometimes we get books like Rodeo Red through the gate, and I literally clapped my hands with joy when I saw it. The best part is that while the cover illustration and a quick flip drew me inexorably inwards, the story by the masterful Maripat Perkins kept me glued to the narrative, which is rare for a picture book. Excellent pairing, and I hope it continues!
You guys, this book is so goshdurned cute. Our red-headed cowgirl and her partner, the (stuffed) hound-dog Rusty, are none too pleased when a new resident takes over the ranch (er, nursery) next door. The new neighbor is rude, crude, and awfully grabby - and the last straw is when he grabs Rusty! When the law (aka the parental units) cravenly takes the side of the newcomer? It's just all too much to bear. Our heroine is nearly overcome with despair until a new fancy posh animal arrives on the scene, and Red arranges for a prisoner swap to bring Rusty safely home.
So fricking cute. Words fail. Go check it out and feel your heart swelling with the adorableness.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Picture Book Bonanza 2/3: Molly Idle's Flora and the Flamingo, David Wiesner's Mr. Wuffles!
Flora and the Flamingo
Molly Idle
ISBN: 9781452110066
Read February 3, 2014
Wordless Picture Book, Lift-the-Flap Picture Book
This was a cute story, but I think that the combination of wordless AND lift-the-flap pushed it a little too far into 'trying too hard' territory for me. Also, the book is pretty much entirely pink (with a flamingo, I can't rightly blame it for that, but I also hold that I'm more critical of it because it's pink). Flora is a pear-shaped person in a swimming cap, suit, and swim-fins on her feet, and the flamingo is - well - a flamingo. Flora is also attempting to copycat said flamingo, who isn't entirely happy about her attempts. Things get a little rocky when the flamingo performs a maneuver that ends Flora up in the drink, but amends are made, leaving girl and bird to dance and splash together in harmony. Not entirely to my taste, but I especially liked the cherry-blossom borders on the pages, the amount of character representation possible with a pair of black swim fins, and Flora's expressive eyebrows.
Mr. Wuffles!
David Wiesner
ISBN: 9780618756612
Read February 3, 2014
Wordless Picture Book
Have to say from the start that this is NOT my favorite of Wiesner's works (that one for me goes to Flotsam for general amazingness, or to Hurricane for personal impact) but that said, this one is a cute romp. Mr. Wuffles is a grumpy black cat who, like all cats, prefers toys that aren't toys. Unfortunately for some very seasoned travelers, they are the newest "toy." After Mr. Wuffles damages their spaceship, they must join forces with the denizens behind the cupboards, learning each others' languages (actual languages, which can be actually learned by the reader - this part made me think of Weslandia and Dinotopia) and developing blended technologies to help with the rescue/escape/taunt the cat mission. I love the bugs - they're very William Joyce's Leaf Men in shape and plot function, but more expressive. The aliens are adorable, and I love their determination and fright when faced with Mr Wuffles in all his enormity. Technically, this isn't a wordless picture book, as the aliens and bugs do speak, but I'm willing to give it some wiggle room for a nifty idea and a lovely presentation. The last panel, with the additions to the bugs' wall of history, was killer.
Molly Idle
ISBN: 9781452110066
Read February 3, 2014
Wordless Picture Book, Lift-the-Flap Picture Book
This was a cute story, but I think that the combination of wordless AND lift-the-flap pushed it a little too far into 'trying too hard' territory for me. Also, the book is pretty much entirely pink (with a flamingo, I can't rightly blame it for that, but I also hold that I'm more critical of it because it's pink). Flora is a pear-shaped person in a swimming cap, suit, and swim-fins on her feet, and the flamingo is - well - a flamingo. Flora is also attempting to copycat said flamingo, who isn't entirely happy about her attempts. Things get a little rocky when the flamingo performs a maneuver that ends Flora up in the drink, but amends are made, leaving girl and bird to dance and splash together in harmony. Not entirely to my taste, but I especially liked the cherry-blossom borders on the pages, the amount of character representation possible with a pair of black swim fins, and Flora's expressive eyebrows.
Mr. Wuffles!
David Wiesner
ISBN: 9780618756612
Read February 3, 2014
Wordless Picture Book
Have to say from the start that this is NOT my favorite of Wiesner's works (that one for me goes to Flotsam for general amazingness, or to Hurricane for personal impact) but that said, this one is a cute romp. Mr. Wuffles is a grumpy black cat who, like all cats, prefers toys that aren't toys. Unfortunately for some very seasoned travelers, they are the newest "toy." After Mr. Wuffles damages their spaceship, they must join forces with the denizens behind the cupboards, learning each others' languages (actual languages, which can be actually learned by the reader - this part made me think of Weslandia and Dinotopia) and developing blended technologies to help with the rescue/escape/taunt the cat mission. I love the bugs - they're very William Joyce's Leaf Men in shape and plot function, but more expressive. The aliens are adorable, and I love their determination and fright when faced with Mr Wuffles in all his enormity. Technically, this isn't a wordless picture book, as the aliens and bugs do speak, but I'm willing to give it some wiggle room for a nifty idea and a lovely presentation. The last panel, with the additions to the bugs' wall of history, was killer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)