Last week of Space! We say goodbye with a set from my coworker:
Mail Harry to the Moon!
Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Michael Emberley
Our unnamed narrator is QUITE DISPLEASED with the new addition to the family, especially now that his things (and food, and parental affection) are getting seriously infringed upon. When smaller ideas - toss him in the trash, flush him down the toilet - don't gain any traction, he goes for the ultimate solution and decides that they need to just Mail Harry to the Moon! But the next morning he's shocked by the silence - did they ACTUALLY do it? But the baby's too young to be on the moon by himself! So off he goes to the rescue, deciding it's really not that bad to have a baby brother after all.
Space Cows (easy reader)
Eric Seltzer, illustrated by Tom Disbury
This silly story reminds me of Sandra Boynton's goofyness, but in a easy-reader format. Nothing serious or ponderous, just a silly little nonsense rhyme featuring cows in spacesuits cavorting about in space and on the moon, and in spaceships.
A Big Mooncake for Little Star
Grace Lin
This sweet fable (adapted from childhood memories of the actual Chinese Moon Festival, although not from the mythology associated with it) has Mama and Little Star as a small family, baking lovely tasty mooncakes that Little Star can't resist slowly nibbling on through the month, leaving a trail of crumbs as the milky way. Sweet and gentle and a fun "just-so story" for the phases of the moon being caused by a hungry little girl.
Showing posts with label space. Show all posts
Showing posts with label space. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Summer Reading Storytime, space, week 7
Last week of the SRP, but we're going to roll the storytimes for 8 weeks and end on the last day of July.
Here are our second-to-last space summer reading books for Pendleton's Family Storytime group!
Moondogs
Daniel Kirk
His parents are desperate to get him a pal, but Willy is convinced that no pet will be as good as a moondog. But when an alien threatens everyone, a good old earth mutt saves the day, and changes Willy's mind.
Boy + Bot
Ame Dyckman, illustrated Dan Yaccarino
A cute short fable of good friends trying their best to meet needs even in the face of unexpected challenges (and operating systems). The weird tiny scientist at the end is icing on the cupcake.
Garcia and Collette go Exploring
Hannah Barnaby, illustrated by Andrew Joyner
Garcia and Collette can't decide WHERE to explore, so they build their own devices (rocket and submarine) and head off on their respective adventures, but they realize the true fun of exploring is having someone to share the fun. Back they come, the inventions are invented upon, and a mutually-enjoyable destination is discovered in the end.
Here are our second-to-last space summer reading books for Pendleton's Family Storytime group!
Moondogs
Daniel Kirk
His parents are desperate to get him a pal, but Willy is convinced that no pet will be as good as a moondog. But when an alien threatens everyone, a good old earth mutt saves the day, and changes Willy's mind.
Boy + Bot
Ame Dyckman, illustrated Dan Yaccarino
A cute short fable of good friends trying their best to meet needs even in the face of unexpected challenges (and operating systems). The weird tiny scientist at the end is icing on the cupcake.
Garcia and Collette go Exploring
Hannah Barnaby, illustrated by Andrew Joyner
Garcia and Collette can't decide WHERE to explore, so they build their own devices (rocket and submarine) and head off on their respective adventures, but they realize the true fun of exploring is having someone to share the fun. Back they come, the inventions are invented upon, and a mutually-enjoyable destination is discovered in the end.
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Summer Reading Storytime, space, week 6
The end of summer got away from me!
For this week, we had some cute stories picked out by my coworker:
Little Fox and the Missing Moon
Ekaterina Trukhan
After a nightmare where he eats the moon, Little Fox (and eventually his friends) head out into the dark night to find it. A bit wandering, but cute illustrations, and a sweet story.
No, No, Kitten!
Shelley Moore Thomas, illustrated by Lori Nichols
Kitten just needs a bowl and a basket and a laser pointer and a spaceship... What? Kitten wants to go to Jupiter, of course!
Roaring Rockets
Tony Mitton, illustrated by Ant Parker
Nonfiction content in a narrative form, with anthropomorphic animals as the cast, and wobby "crayon" faux naif illustrations. Super cute and I appreciate the attentiveness to veracity.
For this week, we had some cute stories picked out by my coworker:
Little Fox and the Missing Moon
Ekaterina Trukhan
After a nightmare where he eats the moon, Little Fox (and eventually his friends) head out into the dark night to find it. A bit wandering, but cute illustrations, and a sweet story.
No, No, Kitten!
Shelley Moore Thomas, illustrated by Lori Nichols
Kitten just needs a bowl and a basket and a laser pointer and a spaceship... What? Kitten wants to go to Jupiter, of course!
Roaring Rockets
Tony Mitton, illustrated by Ant Parker
Nonfiction content in a narrative form, with anthropomorphic animals as the cast, and wobby "crayon" faux naif illustrations. Super cute and I appreciate the attentiveness to veracity.
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Summer Reading Storytime: space, week 4
My coworker picked these out, they're super cute!
Planet Kindergarten
Sue Ganz-Schmitt, illustrated by Shane Prigmore
ISBN: 9781452118932
Really cute gloss of the first day of kindergarten as a mission to space, and it holds together quite nicely. I especially like the touches of having various kindergartners be various types of aliens just through hair and clothing and poses. Very fun, and lots of nudge-nudge wink-wink about what things "really" are. Short and cute.
Kitten's First Full Moon
Kevin Henkes
ISBN: 9780060588281
Kitten roams outside at night and discovers the moon, the night, and a nice puddle of what looks like milk, but is in fact the reflection of the beautiful moon. Soft, gentle, and sweet. A classic.
On the Launch Pad: A Counting Book About Rockets
Michael Dahl, illustrated by Derrick Alderman and Denise Shea
ISBN: 1404805818
Lovely little counting book with BRIGHT simple illustrations of rockets getting ready to blast into space. Super short and sweet, with lovely primary colors and nice textural color washes and collage pieces to add depth and visual interest. An excellent visual walkthrough of the process (very simplified) of getting a rocket ready to liftoff and head off into space, centered into a counting book where the visual elements match the number of that particular page. Hard work to set it up, but it's a breeze to read through, and a delight to look at the finished design.
Planet Kindergarten
Sue Ganz-Schmitt, illustrated by Shane Prigmore
ISBN: 9781452118932
Really cute gloss of the first day of kindergarten as a mission to space, and it holds together quite nicely. I especially like the touches of having various kindergartners be various types of aliens just through hair and clothing and poses. Very fun, and lots of nudge-nudge wink-wink about what things "really" are. Short and cute.
Kitten's First Full Moon
Kevin Henkes
ISBN: 9780060588281
Kitten roams outside at night and discovers the moon, the night, and a nice puddle of what looks like milk, but is in fact the reflection of the beautiful moon. Soft, gentle, and sweet. A classic.
On the Launch Pad: A Counting Book About Rockets
Michael Dahl, illustrated by Derrick Alderman and Denise Shea
ISBN: 1404805818
Lovely little counting book with BRIGHT simple illustrations of rockets getting ready to blast into space. Super short and sweet, with lovely primary colors and nice textural color washes and collage pieces to add depth and visual interest. An excellent visual walkthrough of the process (very simplified) of getting a rocket ready to liftoff and head off into space, centered into a counting book where the visual elements match the number of that particular page. Hard work to set it up, but it's a breeze to read through, and a delight to look at the finished design.
Saturday, June 29, 2019
Summer Reading Storytime: space, week 3
My turn again!
Three fun ones about rockets and heading off into space, to tie into our program this afternoon where a team from the local amateur radio club will be using HAM radios to ask questions of an astronaut (an actor in costume, hidden in the building).
Hedgie Blasts Off!
written and illustrated by Jan Brett
ISBN: 0399246215
Hedgie works the clean-up crew for the Professor's space program, but something's gone terribly wrong, and the robot that they want to use to for the mission has malfunctioned. Only someone Hedgie's size can fit into the rocket, so Hedgie finally gets to realize his dreams of being an astronaut, as he heads out to the mini-planet of Mikkop and the malfunctioning magic geyser that shoots up the sparkles needed to nourish the beautiful tourist-pleasing plants of the tiny planet. A cute look at astronauts, eco-tourism, conservation, and the interdependence of life, even on tiny little planets in outer space, all narrated by a humble Hedgie.
Space Boy
written and illustrated by Leo Landry
ISBN: 9780618605682
While no formal diagnosis is given, this book seems written with Spectrum individuals in mind. Nicholas is headed to bed, but the world is too noisy. Dogs are barking, kids are crying and playing, cars are zooming outside; there's nothing for it but to drag on the spacesuit, head out back to the rocketship, and head to the moon for some peace and quiet. But after a while, and once he's settled down, he realizes he misses his family, (and hopes things have settled down there also) and heads back home to bed. Very sweet, and a good allegory of taking time to yourself and creating a quiet place in your mind (or backyard) to retreat to when things get too overwhelming.
Otter In Space
written and illustrated by Sam Garton
ISBN: 9780062247766
I dearly love the Otter books. They're just too adorable for words, but this one might be my favorite. After Otter Keeper takes Otter (and friends) to the Space Museum, and there's a familiar breakdown in the gift-shop when money never goes quite as far as it ought to, Otter (and friends) hatch a plan to find a moon rock of their very own in their back yard, building space suits and rockets and rock-retrieval-systems to help with the very hard work. They pick an excellent moon rock from the garden (and by excellent I think they picked the biggest, dirtiest one they could find) and dragged it triumphantly inside, whereupon Otter Keeper comes home from work and is Not Pleased. Compromises are made, rocks are washed, and Otter (and friends) decide that Pirate Treasure is an easier journey than Moon Rocks for tomorrow.
Three fun ones about rockets and heading off into space, to tie into our program this afternoon where a team from the local amateur radio club will be using HAM radios to ask questions of an astronaut (an actor in costume, hidden in the building).
Hedgie Blasts Off!
written and illustrated by Jan Brett
ISBN: 0399246215
Hedgie works the clean-up crew for the Professor's space program, but something's gone terribly wrong, and the robot that they want to use to for the mission has malfunctioned. Only someone Hedgie's size can fit into the rocket, so Hedgie finally gets to realize his dreams of being an astronaut, as he heads out to the mini-planet of Mikkop and the malfunctioning magic geyser that shoots up the sparkles needed to nourish the beautiful tourist-pleasing plants of the tiny planet. A cute look at astronauts, eco-tourism, conservation, and the interdependence of life, even on tiny little planets in outer space, all narrated by a humble Hedgie.
Space Boy
written and illustrated by Leo Landry
ISBN: 9780618605682
While no formal diagnosis is given, this book seems written with Spectrum individuals in mind. Nicholas is headed to bed, but the world is too noisy. Dogs are barking, kids are crying and playing, cars are zooming outside; there's nothing for it but to drag on the spacesuit, head out back to the rocketship, and head to the moon for some peace and quiet. But after a while, and once he's settled down, he realizes he misses his family, (and hopes things have settled down there also) and heads back home to bed. Very sweet, and a good allegory of taking time to yourself and creating a quiet place in your mind (or backyard) to retreat to when things get too overwhelming.
Otter In Space
written and illustrated by Sam Garton
ISBN: 9780062247766
I dearly love the Otter books. They're just too adorable for words, but this one might be my favorite. After Otter Keeper takes Otter (and friends) to the Space Museum, and there's a familiar breakdown in the gift-shop when money never goes quite as far as it ought to, Otter (and friends) hatch a plan to find a moon rock of their very own in their back yard, building space suits and rockets and rock-retrieval-systems to help with the very hard work. They pick an excellent moon rock from the garden (and by excellent I think they picked the biggest, dirtiest one they could find) and dragged it triumphantly inside, whereupon Otter Keeper comes home from work and is Not Pleased. Compromises are made, rocks are washed, and Otter (and friends) decide that Pirate Treasure is an easier journey than Moon Rocks for tomorrow.
Saturday, June 15, 2019
Summer Reading Storytime: space, week 2
And my turn at bat!
City Moon
Rachael Cole, illustrated by Blanca Gomez
ISBN: 9780553497083
Sweet city-based story about walking the streets of a city and seeing the moon and the stars among the city lights and features, and wondering why all the rest of the city seems so busy and bustling. Very sweet and a good addition to my "here's what cities are like" collection for all of my current very rural kids.
Moon Plane
Peter McCarty
ISBN: 0805079432
Classic sweet story of imagination and freedom.
Sleepy Solar System
Dr John Hutton, illustrated by Doug Cenko
ISBN: 9781936669493
Much less fact-based than 8 Little Planets from last week, this one is more fantastical, focusing pretty exclusively on the fantastical idea of bedtime from a planetary perspective, with Mother earth and Father moon, and all the other planets as various siblings. Cute but super light and fluffy.
City Moon
Rachael Cole, illustrated by Blanca Gomez
ISBN: 9780553497083
Sweet city-based story about walking the streets of a city and seeing the moon and the stars among the city lights and features, and wondering why all the rest of the city seems so busy and bustling. Very sweet and a good addition to my "here's what cities are like" collection for all of my current very rural kids.
Moon Plane
Peter McCarty
ISBN: 0805079432
Classic sweet story of imagination and freedom.
Sleepy Solar System
Dr John Hutton, illustrated by Doug Cenko
ISBN: 9781936669493
Much less fact-based than 8 Little Planets from last week, this one is more fantastical, focusing pretty exclusively on the fantastical idea of bedtime from a planetary perspective, with Mother earth and Father moon, and all the other planets as various siblings. Cute but super light and fluffy.
Friday, June 14, 2019
Summer Reading Storytime: Space, week 1
And we're off to the races!
These were selected by my coworker.
8 Little Planets (board-book/cut-out book)
Chris Ferrie, illustrated by Lizzy Doyle
ISBN: 9781492671244
Sweet little rhymes are filled with easy facts and fun info about all the different "official" planets.
Best Frints in the Whole Universe
Antoinette Partis
ISBN: 9781626721364
I've read this cutie before about two alien "frients" who get into a spectacular argument over sharing and responsibility and owning up to mistakes. Very cute, and full of fun tongue-twisters for the reader.
Earth Space Moon Base
Ben Joel Price
ISBN: 9780385373111
Funky 1950s esque story about a tag-team of astronaut, robot, and test monkey who have to save the world (and their moon base) from scaaaaary moon aliens.
These were selected by my coworker.
8 Little Planets (board-book/cut-out book)
Chris Ferrie, illustrated by Lizzy Doyle
ISBN: 9781492671244
Sweet little rhymes are filled with easy facts and fun info about all the different "official" planets.
Best Frints in the Whole Universe
Antoinette Partis
ISBN: 9781626721364
I've read this cutie before about two alien "frients" who get into a spectacular argument over sharing and responsibility and owning up to mistakes. Very cute, and full of fun tongue-twisters for the reader.
Earth Space Moon Base
Ben Joel Price
ISBN: 9780385373111
Funky 1950s esque story about a tag-team of astronaut, robot, and test monkey who have to save the world (and their moon base) from scaaaaary moon aliens.
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Tuesday Storytime: Our place in the cosmos
Ok fine, it's not the snappiest of themes, but I wanted to end our exploration of space with a reminder that we have a place in the universe, and that the world (and their own lives) are a part of the vastness of space. Yes, I'm a huge softy and the kids won't even notice or care, but I think it's important.
Light up the Night
Jean Reidy, illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
ISBN: 9781423120247
A black-haired boy goes to bed and he and his shape-shifting quilt take a tour of the universe from stars down to his own hometown and bedroom, in a "house that Jack built" sort of cumulative tale of shrinking down reference frames. The very end opens back out into space and slows the tempo way back down. Seems short and snappy til you read it, then it's pretty long and repetitive, but it's still a solid read for this age-group.
The Night Sky
Robin Nelson (photographs and diagrams by various contributors and sources)
ISBN: 9780761345770
There needs to be a book in this series about every nonfiction topic under the sun. It's short, sweet, clear, the pictures and diagrams are phenomenal, and basically it's just perfect. We learn about the moon and how it cycles through phases.
Our Solar System (board-book)
Peter and Connie Roop
ISBN: 9781454914181
Also perfect, but in board-book/lift-the-flap format! A "shaped" board-book where each consecutive spread is a slightly larger cross-section, and slightly further out from the center, starting with a sun-shaped circle to begin with, and ending with Neptune at the furthest reaches (sorry Pluto) and a shout-out to the updated memory catchphrase "My Very Excellent Mother..." Really beautiful, an excellent concept, executed beautifully.
And that does it for summer reading and for space this year (until I decide to do one on my own, just because I like space). Tune in next week to see the third set of self-selected books by our trainee storytimer!
Light up the Night
Jean Reidy, illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
ISBN: 9781423120247
A black-haired boy goes to bed and he and his shape-shifting quilt take a tour of the universe from stars down to his own hometown and bedroom, in a "house that Jack built" sort of cumulative tale of shrinking down reference frames. The very end opens back out into space and slows the tempo way back down. Seems short and snappy til you read it, then it's pretty long and repetitive, but it's still a solid read for this age-group.
The Night Sky
Robin Nelson (photographs and diagrams by various contributors and sources)
ISBN: 9780761345770
There needs to be a book in this series about every nonfiction topic under the sun. It's short, sweet, clear, the pictures and diagrams are phenomenal, and basically it's just perfect. We learn about the moon and how it cycles through phases.
Our Solar System (board-book)
Peter and Connie Roop
ISBN: 9781454914181
Also perfect, but in board-book/lift-the-flap format! A "shaped" board-book where each consecutive spread is a slightly larger cross-section, and slightly further out from the center, starting with a sun-shaped circle to begin with, and ending with Neptune at the furthest reaches (sorry Pluto) and a shout-out to the updated memory catchphrase "My Very Excellent Mother..." Really beautiful, an excellent concept, executed beautifully.
And that does it for summer reading and for space this year (until I decide to do one on my own, just because I like space). Tune in next week to see the third set of self-selected books by our trainee storytimer!
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Tuesday Storytime: Peaceful Moon
A trio of peaceful, gentle, moon-centered stories. Another that would have gone delightfully with this theme is Floyd Cooper's beautiful sepia-toned Max and the Tag-Along Moon, but it was just a smidge too long, and I wanted to try and include a nonfiction title as often as I could with these themed storytimes.
Footprints on the Moon
Mark Haddon, illustrated by Christian Birmingham
ISBN: 9780763644406
The author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time presents a lyrical (and hella long, but we skipped pages like mad) exploration of watching the original moon landing, and being comforted by knowing that regardless of the changes here on earth, the footprints on the moon will endure for centuries.
Moon Plane
Peter McCarty
ISBN: 0805079432
A small boy watches a plane fly at night and spins a fantasy about flying up to the moon.
Kitten's First Full Moon
Kevin Henkes
ISBN: 9780060588281
Kitten wanders around in a luminous night and has kitten-sized adventures chasing after the "little bowl of milk" that is the full moon, having a few accidents, but ending safely at home.
Footprints on the Moon
Mark Haddon, illustrated by Christian Birmingham
ISBN: 9780763644406
The author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time presents a lyrical (and hella long, but we skipped pages like mad) exploration of watching the original moon landing, and being comforted by knowing that regardless of the changes here on earth, the footprints on the moon will endure for centuries.
Moon Plane
Peter McCarty
ISBN: 0805079432
A small boy watches a plane fly at night and spins a fantasy about flying up to the moon.
Kitten's First Full Moon
Kevin Henkes
ISBN: 9780060588281
Kitten wanders around in a luminous night and has kitten-sized adventures chasing after the "little bowl of milk" that is the full moon, having a few accidents, but ending safely at home.
Friday, July 14, 2017
Tuesday Storytime: Summer Reading: Not Quite Space
Sometimes imagination can be better than facts, and outer space provides plenty of "scope for the imagination" as Ann of Green Gables would have said. These stories show the kinds of fun you can have when you blast off - even if you never really leave the ground.
No, No, Kitten!
Shelley Moore Thomas, illustrated by Lori Nichols
ISBN: 9781620916315
Kitten keeps getting into things, but she's not being naughty just to be bad - she's got BIG plans.
Planet Kindergarten
Sue Ganz-Schmitt, illustrated by Shane Prigmore
ISBN: 978145211893
Cute kid heads off to "planet kindergarten" for his first mission with his new crewmates. Very well-executed premise, just a couple of groaners or really stretched concepts.
Otter in Space
Sam Garton
ISBN: 9780062247766
I only recently discovered Otter and Otter Keeper, and oh my goodness am I in love. (Don't keep otters for pets tho, seriously - they'll destroy your house and be unhappy.) But in this fictional universe, Otter is a bored stay-at-home pet who manages to subvert his daily activities into environment-destroying fun every single time. In this installment, Otter has discovered space, and he's headed to the moon for a moon rock.
No, No, Kitten!
Shelley Moore Thomas, illustrated by Lori Nichols
ISBN: 9781620916315
Kitten keeps getting into things, but she's not being naughty just to be bad - she's got BIG plans.
Planet Kindergarten
Sue Ganz-Schmitt, illustrated by Shane Prigmore
ISBN: 978145211893
Cute kid heads off to "planet kindergarten" for his first mission with his new crewmates. Very well-executed premise, just a couple of groaners or really stretched concepts.
Otter in Space
Sam Garton
ISBN: 9780062247766
I only recently discovered Otter and Otter Keeper, and oh my goodness am I in love. (Don't keep otters for pets tho, seriously - they'll destroy your house and be unhappy.) But in this fictional universe, Otter is a bored stay-at-home pet who manages to subvert his daily activities into environment-destroying fun every single time. In this installment, Otter has discovered space, and he's headed to the moon for a moon rock.
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Tuesday Storytime: Seeing Stars
A good set of books today, for a fairly large crowd.
Our Stars
Anne Rockwell
ISBN: 0152018689
Lovely factual and old-fashioned book examines stars, the sun, planetary and lunar orbits, comets, meteors (shooting stars), and constellations in clear illustrations and simple age-appropriate language, using the correct terms and explaining them straightforwardly.
The Sun is my Favorite Star
Frank Asch (Happy Birthday Moon)
ISBN: 0152021272
Skirt-wearing white child waxes lyrical about our own personal star: the sun. Beautiful fuzzy-edged and warm-toned imagery, and very short and sweet (and repetitive) sentences.
Fancy Nancy Sees Stars
Jane O'Connor, illustrated by Ted Enik (in the style of the original artist: Robin Preiss Glasser)
ISBN: 9780062572752
Fancy Nancy loves fancy words, and also loves stars. Her class is headed for a night trip to the planetarium when disaster strikes and the trip is cancelled, but her family makes the best of it (as they always do) and the class trip is saved (perhaps by a wish on a shooting star?)
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Tuesday Storytime: SRP Space: Rockets Away!
First set of books bequeathed to my trainee: rocketry is cool and fun. I don't blame her at all for choosing these for her first round.
The Moon (a Bamboo and Friends book)
Felicia Law, illustrated by Nicola Evans
ISBN: 1404812822
Bamboo and friends admire the moon and then take an imaginary rocket journey up to see it.Very cute combo of nonfictional information and cute preschool thinking styles.
On the Launch Pad (a counting book about rockets)
Michael Dahl, illustrated by Derrick Alderman and Denise Shea
ISBN: 1404805818
Counting down the iconic 10, 9, 8 with really good pictures and informational text, and a fun horizontal spread at the end that requires you to turn the whole book sideways.
Roaring Rockets
Tony Mitton, illustrated by Ant Parker
ISBN: 061388857X
Trippy wordplay and anthropormorphic animals traveling up to the moon and back down into a splashdown in the ocean.
The Moon (a Bamboo and Friends book)
Felicia Law, illustrated by Nicola Evans
ISBN: 1404812822
Bamboo and friends admire the moon and then take an imaginary rocket journey up to see it.Very cute combo of nonfictional information and cute preschool thinking styles.
On the Launch Pad (a counting book about rockets)
Michael Dahl, illustrated by Derrick Alderman and Denise Shea
ISBN: 1404805818
Counting down the iconic 10, 9, 8 with really good pictures and informational text, and a fun horizontal spread at the end that requires you to turn the whole book sideways.
Roaring Rockets
Tony Mitton, illustrated by Ant Parker
ISBN: 061388857X
Trippy wordplay and anthropormorphic animals traveling up to the moon and back down into a splashdown in the ocean.
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Tuesday Storytime: Summer Reading Program theme is SPACE! This week: Going to the Moon
Last week was CRAZY!
Still, storytime was fun and we did our first round of space books. I mixed things up a bit, because with a trainee storyteller on board, I feel obligated to give her the first choice of the summer-reading space-themed book sets so she can continue to feel as comfortable and engaged as possible while she's still on-boarding during this first summer. So that means she grabbed all the "good" sets I picked out and worked into coherent and easy fun themes. Ah well. I didn't have time this spring to plan things as far ahead as I would have liked, so it only seems right that I should suffer instead of my trainee.
What that means in practice is that all the "odd" sets or themes that are slightly too long or too advanced conceptually, those are on me this summer. I really wish there were more nonfiction books designed for very young readers and listeners. There's just so much for older elementary school kids, and just a drought for the little preschoolers, and especially for things like space and dinosaurs and sharks, they WANT good nonfiction: I just don't have access to it to give it to them.
Our first space adventure is going to the moon! I had only two books this time: I read the Kellog tome as both the first and last book, splitting it up right before the kid lands on the moon, and reading Barton's book in the middle as a bit of a break.
If You Decide To Go To The Moon
Faith McNulty, illustrated by Steven Kellog
ISBN: 9780590483599
Beautiful Kellogian spreads of space and lunar landscapes and a stirring and somewhat preachy return to earth.
I Want to be an Astronaut
Byron Barton
ISBN: 9780064432801
Barton's minimalism works really well for this aspirational declaration of all the things the potential (female?) astronaut wants to accomplish. Stark and powerful and colorful.
Still, storytime was fun and we did our first round of space books. I mixed things up a bit, because with a trainee storyteller on board, I feel obligated to give her the first choice of the summer-reading space-themed book sets so she can continue to feel as comfortable and engaged as possible while she's still on-boarding during this first summer. So that means she grabbed all the "good" sets I picked out and worked into coherent and easy fun themes. Ah well. I didn't have time this spring to plan things as far ahead as I would have liked, so it only seems right that I should suffer instead of my trainee.
What that means in practice is that all the "odd" sets or themes that are slightly too long or too advanced conceptually, those are on me this summer. I really wish there were more nonfiction books designed for very young readers and listeners. There's just so much for older elementary school kids, and just a drought for the little preschoolers, and especially for things like space and dinosaurs and sharks, they WANT good nonfiction: I just don't have access to it to give it to them.
Our first space adventure is going to the moon! I had only two books this time: I read the Kellog tome as both the first and last book, splitting it up right before the kid lands on the moon, and reading Barton's book in the middle as a bit of a break.
If You Decide To Go To The Moon
Faith McNulty, illustrated by Steven Kellog
ISBN: 9780590483599
Beautiful Kellogian spreads of space and lunar landscapes and a stirring and somewhat preachy return to earth.
I Want to be an Astronaut
Byron Barton
ISBN: 9780064432801
Barton's minimalism works really well for this aspirational declaration of all the things the potential (female?) astronaut wants to accomplish. Stark and powerful and colorful.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
So Many New Arrivals! 4/4: Planet Kindergarten
Planet Kindergarten
Sue Ganz-Schmitt, illustrated by Shane Prigmore
ISBN: 9781452118932
Blocky "space" graphics and fonts enliven this cutesy, funny rework of first-day-of-school anxiety.
I think my favorite part of this book is how the kindergarten students are all actually kids, but are designed and stylized to look like aliens in different ways. My second-favorite is the comment about how gravity in kindergarten must be way different, because no one can stay in their seats properly. Truth.
Overall, it seems a little "made-to-order" tidy and overdesigned, but it's cute, and I'm all for space-or science-themed anything, so I'm not really complaining. Not as likely to use it in storytime just because most of the pages are so busy and stylized that I'd never keep my place while reading, and I worry that the kids would have a hard time following the action. However, it's going to be a perfect book for display as soon as August hits!
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Summer Reading Program 2014. Week 2: Mad Science (special program) & Moon
Our official Summer Reading Program this afternoon is a special event - a performer is coming in and doing a Mad Science Magic Show for us, and that means I'm off the hook for doing that program this week - but I still have to do a Space-themed program for my little ones this morning. However, we're picking Space up again later in the summer for our make-up week, so I went off on a slight tangent for our little ones today, and we read about the moon today.
Footprints on the Moon
Mark Haddon, illustrated by Christian Birmingham
ISBN: 9780763644406
This book is so pretty. I think the overall message is a bit sophisticated for this age-group, but they enjoyed the beautiful pointillist paintings, and the surface story is simple enough - a young boy longs for the moon, and even when he grows up, he loves knowing that the footprints on the moon are nearly eternal.
(Side note, the author also wrote the middle-grade/YA book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time which also recently got a National Theatre adaptation by Simon Stephens and Marianne Elliot.)
Happy Birthday, Moon
Frank Asch
ISBN: 0689835442
An old but excellent read, and fairly short and straightforward, with simple line and color to balance the richness of the other two. Bear wants to give the moon a birthday present, so he first tries to figure out when it is and what to give, and then later a mishap occurs, but all is forgiven. Bonus points for having an echo as a key plot point - I love doing echoes.
Max and the Tag-Along Moon
Floyd Cooper,
ISBN: 9780399233425
Max has to leave his grandpa's house one night, and he already misses him, but grandpa assures him that the moon will always shine for him "on and on" through the night. And it's true, as Max travels the (very long way) back home, the moon sticks with him all night, until clouds roll in and cover it up. Max is sad, now missing grandpa AND the moon, but as he settles in to sleep in his bed, the clouds fade away and the moon is still there, reminding Max of his grandfather, and helping him sleep peacefully. African American family and a lovely lullaby story with exceptionally beautiful painterly illustrations.
Footprints on the Moon
Mark Haddon, illustrated by Christian Birmingham
ISBN: 9780763644406
This book is so pretty. I think the overall message is a bit sophisticated for this age-group, but they enjoyed the beautiful pointillist paintings, and the surface story is simple enough - a young boy longs for the moon, and even when he grows up, he loves knowing that the footprints on the moon are nearly eternal.
(Side note, the author also wrote the middle-grade/YA book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time which also recently got a National Theatre adaptation by Simon Stephens and Marianne Elliot.)
Happy Birthday, Moon
Frank Asch
ISBN: 0689835442
An old but excellent read, and fairly short and straightforward, with simple line and color to balance the richness of the other two. Bear wants to give the moon a birthday present, so he first tries to figure out when it is and what to give, and then later a mishap occurs, but all is forgiven. Bonus points for having an echo as a key plot point - I love doing echoes.
Floyd Cooper,
ISBN: 9780399233425
Max has to leave his grandpa's house one night, and he already misses him, but grandpa assures him that the moon will always shine for him "on and on" through the night. And it's true, as Max travels the (very long way) back home, the moon sticks with him all night, until clouds roll in and cover it up. Max is sad, now missing grandpa AND the moon, but as he settles in to sleep in his bed, the clouds fade away and the moon is still there, reminding Max of his grandfather, and helping him sleep peacefully. African American family and a lovely lullaby story with exceptionally beautiful painterly illustrations.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)