Two new ones, and one that I read somewhat recently, but I like it, and it's short, so I read it again.
Very Special Friends
Jane Chapman (I'm Not Sleepy, Don't Be Afraid, Little Pip, Bear Feels Sick)
ISBN: 9781561486
Soft-edged woodland creatures in a sweet whimsical gentle woodland world.
Jane Chapman is a gifted illustrator, and her stand-alone books show that she has sweet whimsical stories in her repertoire as well. She nearly always centers in on the emotional world of children where emotions are primal and happy times seem to last forever, and friendships are the linchpin of the world. This one is no exception: Mouse heads to the riverbank to wait for her special friends, and is joined in her vigil by Rabbit, Frog, and Turtle. At the end of a lovely day of visiting and waiting, Mouse announces that she's heading home, and her companions demur, saying that she should keep waiting for her friends. Mouse answers that she's been with her special friends all day! Just a smidge on the saccharine side for me to truly adore, but it's sweet and the illustrations are so gentle and happy.
The Story of Fish and Snail
Deborah Freedman
ISBN: 9780670784899
Reviewed here.
Still love this cute story of friends working through their differences (and a nice rip-roarer of an argument) and compromising and growing in order to stay together. As a thought, it would go very well with Brigitte Weninger & Eve Tharlet's similarly conflict-resolving book, Why Are You Fighting, Davy?
The Very Lonely Firefly
Eric Carle (Mister Seahorse, )
ISBN: 0399227741
Carle's signature illustrations follow a firefly through the night - the last page has battery-operated lights inside a swarm of fireflies.
Carle is always fun. Here we have a lonesome firefly, just born, seeking out the lights in the night for companionship. There are all sorts of lights that are NOT fireflies first; porchlights, candles, flashlights, headlights, animal eyes gleaming, fireworks (no lightning tho) before the persistent little creature finds the company they've been searching for. I never noticed until this reading that the firefly is never gendered during the story, which is always a nice touch.
Showing posts with label The Story of Fish and Snail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Story of Fish and Snail. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Tuesday Storytime: Friends can be Different
We had a HUGE crowd this week, lots of boys, lots of energy. The only one that was a bit of a mismatch was Chopsticks, but a parent wanted to check it out afterwards, so that's a win regardless.
Alex and Lulu: Two of a Kind
Lorena Siminovich
ISBN: 9780763644239
Block-prints and naive blocky-shaped characters.
Alex is a stereotypical boy dog, and Lulu is a stereotypical girl cat. They are good friends, but Alex begins to think about all the ways they are different, and worries that they can't be friends because they are opposites. Lulu reassures him that friends are often better when they have some differences, because that makes play and time spent together the richer. Other than wishing that either Alex or Lulu wasn't majority white, and that they weren't so super-duper stereotypically boy/girl in their interests, this is a very nice calm sweet reminder that friends can and do have interests that are different.
The Story of Fish & Snail
Deborah Freedman
ISBN: 9780670784899
Book-within-a-book, where Fish and Snail live inside a picture book, and Fish explores inside other picture books. Watercolors against a greyscale background.
Fish is happy being with Snail in their calm book, but Fish does like going out into other stories and bringing the tales back to Snail (who is quite happy to stay and play calm friendly games in their own peaceful book, thank you very much.) Fish and Snail get into it when Fish wants Snail to come see an interesting (scary) book in person, and Snail gets frightened and lashes out. But when Fish swims off into another story, Snail realizes being alone is no fun, and bravely goes out into the unfamiliar book to find Fish. So pretty, so interesting, and a little mind-bending with the background of book-hopping.
Chopsticks
Amy Krause Rosenthal, illustrated by Scott Magoon
ISBN: 9781423107965
(SC Picture Book Award: 2013-2014 school year)
Visual puns all over the place, and asides from background characters/utensils.
Chopsticks do everything together, until an advance training exercise (skewering asparagus) leaves one man down with a broken tip. Dr. Glue says he'll be right as rain in no time, but meanwhile, his buddy is driving him nuts trying to keep him company. So the wounded stick sends his hale and hearty friend out into the world alone, to discover that he can have fun alone (playing soccer, baking, playing dress-up) and come back with interesting stories to tell his injured friend. The story ends with both back upright and healthy, able to work as friends either together or apart.
Alex and Lulu: Two of a Kind
Lorena Siminovich
ISBN: 9780763644239
Block-prints and naive blocky-shaped characters.
Alex is a stereotypical boy dog, and Lulu is a stereotypical girl cat. They are good friends, but Alex begins to think about all the ways they are different, and worries that they can't be friends because they are opposites. Lulu reassures him that friends are often better when they have some differences, because that makes play and time spent together the richer. Other than wishing that either Alex or Lulu wasn't majority white, and that they weren't so super-duper stereotypically boy/girl in their interests, this is a very nice calm sweet reminder that friends can and do have interests that are different.
The Story of Fish & Snail
Deborah Freedman
ISBN: 9780670784899
Book-within-a-book, where Fish and Snail live inside a picture book, and Fish explores inside other picture books. Watercolors against a greyscale background.
Fish is happy being with Snail in their calm book, but Fish does like going out into other stories and bringing the tales back to Snail (who is quite happy to stay and play calm friendly games in their own peaceful book, thank you very much.) Fish and Snail get into it when Fish wants Snail to come see an interesting (scary) book in person, and Snail gets frightened and lashes out. But when Fish swims off into another story, Snail realizes being alone is no fun, and bravely goes out into the unfamiliar book to find Fish. So pretty, so interesting, and a little mind-bending with the background of book-hopping.
Chopsticks
Amy Krause Rosenthal, illustrated by Scott Magoon
ISBN: 9781423107965
(SC Picture Book Award: 2013-2014 school year)
Visual puns all over the place, and asides from background characters/utensils.
Chopsticks do everything together, until an advance training exercise (skewering asparagus) leaves one man down with a broken tip. Dr. Glue says he'll be right as rain in no time, but meanwhile, his buddy is driving him nuts trying to keep him company. So the wounded stick sends his hale and hearty friend out into the world alone, to discover that he can have fun alone (playing soccer, baking, playing dress-up) and come back with interesting stories to tell his injured friend. The story ends with both back upright and healthy, able to work as friends either together or apart.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Storytime Potentials: Toot & Puddle, Holly Hobbie
Toot & Puddle
Holly Hobbie
ISBN: 9780316167024
Read March 4, 2014
I pulled this one for my upcoming "travel" theme, but it doesn't quite fit the tone of the other two books that I'm using there, so I'm putting it aside to use for something else. I'm moving it over to friendship, as I really like that topic, and there are so many good and different books that encompass the ideas of being a good friend.
I hadn't looked at this book in years, and I was happy to see that it was pretty simple and straightforward, without too much text. It will work great for storytime, just not for what I originally hoped.
Toot and Puddle are best friends, but Toot wants to see the world - Puddle is a homebody. Toot sends lovely postcards, and Puddle has a lovely year at home, and they come together at the end with lots to talk about.
I think I'm going to use this with The Story of Fish and Snail, and now I just need a third!
Holly Hobbie
ISBN: 9780316167024
Read March 4, 2014
I pulled this one for my upcoming "travel" theme, but it doesn't quite fit the tone of the other two books that I'm using there, so I'm putting it aside to use for something else. I'm moving it over to friendship, as I really like that topic, and there are so many good and different books that encompass the ideas of being a good friend.
I hadn't looked at this book in years, and I was happy to see that it was pretty simple and straightforward, without too much text. It will work great for storytime, just not for what I originally hoped.
Toot and Puddle are best friends, but Toot wants to see the world - Puddle is a homebody. Toot sends lovely postcards, and Puddle has a lovely year at home, and they come together at the end with lots to talk about.
I think I'm going to use this with The Story of Fish and Snail, and now I just need a third!
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