We got whomped by winter weather this week, and had a small crowd, but the books were right on target!
These books were selected by my coworker.
Snowballs
Lois Ehlert
ISBN: 0152000747
Ehlert's signature blend of collage and found items in a wintry installment focused on snowmen and the fun of building them, and the curious supplies and random objects that can make up their expressions and ornaments. Busy and folksy.
Penguin and Pinecone, a friendship story
Salina Yoon
ISBN: 9780802728432
Ok, the anthropomorphized pinecone (who never talks or moves) and the resulting "friends" the pine trees... a little odd. But it's still a cute story of helping things (or people) get to where they belong, and of cultivating friendships even over time and space, and in thinking of others in a loving way. Even if the other is a pinecone. Sweet but strange.
Blizzard
John Rocco
ISBN: 9781423178651
Rocco's hometown was swamped by a blizzard when he was a child, so he created this picture book as a memoir and a record of that event. The illustrations are only a BIT dated, but the story of adventure and boredom (and parental worry) is pretty timeless, even if the setting and protagonist are solidly stereotypical mid-century americana. Dramatic and funny.
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Tuesday Storytime: Fun in the Snow
Christmas is over, the cold is finally kicking in, we are starting to see actual frost (and even the occasional snowflake or overnight icing!) and so it's time for the traditional Post-Christmas Snowy Storybook Extravaganza.
These books were selected by my coworker.
Slither, Slide, What's Outside?
Nora Hilb, illustrated by Simon and Sheryl Shapiro
ISBN: 9781554513871
An odd book, but a charmer. This is a four-seasons book, nonfiction, with both nature photographs (everything from worms to stars) and fun playful illustrations. The narrative is in rhyming quatrains, creating little mini-verses on each page with instructions that could be used for a movement section if the leader/reader wanted to go that route. Cute and different.
Mimi and Bear in the Snow
Janee Trasler
ISBN: 9780374349714
I've used this cutie before myself. Mimi is a sweet little bunny and she and her bear play (and get lost) in the snow. Short and sweet and charming.
100 Snowmen
Jen Arena, illustrated by Stephen Gilpin
ISBN: 9781477847039
A most peculiar counting book. Snowmen cavort and play and make really bizarre facial expressions (some of them nearly terrifying) as the narrative counts up to 100 snowmen total throughout the whole book. Weird and wild.
These books were selected by my coworker.
Slither, Slide, What's Outside?
Nora Hilb, illustrated by Simon and Sheryl Shapiro
ISBN: 9781554513871
An odd book, but a charmer. This is a four-seasons book, nonfiction, with both nature photographs (everything from worms to stars) and fun playful illustrations. The narrative is in rhyming quatrains, creating little mini-verses on each page with instructions that could be used for a movement section if the leader/reader wanted to go that route. Cute and different.
Mimi and Bear in the Snow
Janee Trasler
ISBN: 9780374349714
I've used this cutie before myself. Mimi is a sweet little bunny and she and her bear play (and get lost) in the snow. Short and sweet and charming.
100 Snowmen
Jen Arena, illustrated by Stephen Gilpin
ISBN: 9781477847039
A most peculiar counting book. Snowmen cavort and play and make really bizarre facial expressions (some of them nearly terrifying) as the narrative counts up to 100 snowmen total throughout the whole book. Weird and wild.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Tuesday Storytime: Snow Day
An impromptu storytime on demand with a leftover non-specifically-Christmas book from last year, and a couple of books liberated from upcoming planned storytimes.
Walking in a Winter Wonderland
based on the song by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith
as sung by Peggy Lee
illustrated by Tim Hopgood
ISBN: 9781627793049
I actually sang this one, and I didn't notice too many winces from the grownups, so I think I did ok. A lovely slightly-overlarge picture book with full spreads of beautiful stylized colorful winter landscapes full of cheerful people and animals. The kids were mesmerized, at least partially by the oddity of singing the text of a picture book, and the families knew the song well enough to come in and sing with me on the repeated title line "walking in a winter wonderland." Very cute experiment, glad it worked!
In the Snow
Sharon Phillips Denslow, illustrated by Nancy Tafuri
ISBN: 9780060596835
A lovely nonfiction, naturalistic book, focused on the types of birds and small wild animals that come for seeds and nuts left in the snow for them by a caring child. It seems VERY short, but it feels much longer when it's being read - I'm not sure why.
Snow
Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Lauren Stringer
ISBN: 9780152053031
I've done this one before a few times, and I love the lyricism and gentleness of this tender heart-of-winter story that uses snow as the lynch-pin. Our narrator tells us all about the different types of snow (all good, in this story) and the different lovely things that are done in and with and during the snow. It's sweet and peaceful and a little bit sad in a way that goes straight over little kids' heads, but hit the adults right in the feels. This is always a good one to end on.
Now I just have to find replacements for next week!
Walking in a Winter Wonderland
based on the song by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith
as sung by Peggy Lee
illustrated by Tim Hopgood
ISBN: 9781627793049
I actually sang this one, and I didn't notice too many winces from the grownups, so I think I did ok. A lovely slightly-overlarge picture book with full spreads of beautiful stylized colorful winter landscapes full of cheerful people and animals. The kids were mesmerized, at least partially by the oddity of singing the text of a picture book, and the families knew the song well enough to come in and sing with me on the repeated title line "walking in a winter wonderland." Very cute experiment, glad it worked!
In the Snow
Sharon Phillips Denslow, illustrated by Nancy Tafuri
ISBN: 9780060596835
A lovely nonfiction, naturalistic book, focused on the types of birds and small wild animals that come for seeds and nuts left in the snow for them by a caring child. It seems VERY short, but it feels much longer when it's being read - I'm not sure why.
Snow
Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Lauren Stringer
ISBN: 9780152053031
I've done this one before a few times, and I love the lyricism and gentleness of this tender heart-of-winter story that uses snow as the lynch-pin. Our narrator tells us all about the different types of snow (all good, in this story) and the different lovely things that are done in and with and during the snow. It's sweet and peaceful and a little bit sad in a way that goes straight over little kids' heads, but hit the adults right in the feels. This is always a good one to end on.
Now I just have to find replacements for next week!
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Tuesday Storytime: Only One More (Storytime) til Christmas!
With apologies to the Muppet Christmas Carol, there was only one more storytime til Christmas, so it's the final opportunity to showcase some really sweet Christmas stories. Every year at this time we have a lot of returning storytimers who have "graduated" into school attendance - they're all off on their winter breaks, and it's lovely to have a chance to see them all again in storytime. It also makes for a difficult balancing act between their older and more mature tastes and concentration levels, and the needs of the still very young infants and tiny toddlers who are just barely holding on for a full storytime as it is.
The Night Before Christmas
Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Kathy Wilburn (Little Golden Book)
ISBN: 03070475501
I used to read this book at Christmastime at my Grandmother's house, and I have very fond memories of the illustrations. The book itself is on the small side, but we all scrunched up close and managed anyway. The kids loved it, and I'm glad I put it first while attention and interest was strong enough to make it through.
Dream Snow
Eric Carle
ISBN: 0399235795
A humble farmer dreams of snow blanketing himself and his handful of farm animals (named One through Five) and his single farm tree (named Tree) and the kids have a blast guessing the identities of the farm animals based on their white-draped shapes before I pull away the transparency to reveal them one by one. The end of the book has the farmer in his suspiciously-red winter warm clothes tramping outside with a sack of toys and shiny things to decorate Tree for the Christmas season. A big hit because of the interaction.
Bear Stays Up For Christmas
Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman
ISBN: 0689852789
I love these books so much. Bear is normally asleep at this time of year (hibernation, you know) but his friends are determined that he'll be awake for Christmas at least once. So they plan a full day and night of activities, and the sleepy Bear manages, until all the friends fall asleep themselves from exhaustion. A delighted tricksy Bear spends the night creating presents and decorating for them while they sleep, and they all enjoy a lovely Christmas morning together. So cute.
The Night Before Christmas
Clement C. Moore, illustrated by Kathy Wilburn (Little Golden Book)
ISBN: 03070475501
I used to read this book at Christmastime at my Grandmother's house, and I have very fond memories of the illustrations. The book itself is on the small side, but we all scrunched up close and managed anyway. The kids loved it, and I'm glad I put it first while attention and interest was strong enough to make it through.
Dream Snow
Eric Carle
ISBN: 0399235795
A humble farmer dreams of snow blanketing himself and his handful of farm animals (named One through Five) and his single farm tree (named Tree) and the kids have a blast guessing the identities of the farm animals based on their white-draped shapes before I pull away the transparency to reveal them one by one. The end of the book has the farmer in his suspiciously-red winter warm clothes tramping outside with a sack of toys and shiny things to decorate Tree for the Christmas season. A big hit because of the interaction.
Bear Stays Up For Christmas
Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman
ISBN: 0689852789
I love these books so much. Bear is normally asleep at this time of year (hibernation, you know) but his friends are determined that he'll be awake for Christmas at least once. So they plan a full day and night of activities, and the sleepy Bear manages, until all the friends fall asleep themselves from exhaustion. A delighted tricksy Bear spends the night creating presents and decorating for them while they sleep, and they all enjoy a lovely Christmas morning together. So cute.
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Tuesday Storytime: Christmas is Coming
It always seems strange to have Christmas so soon after it finally gets cold. I feel like we were solidly in fall territory last week, and Christmas is only two weeks away! Wild. These books were selected by my coworker.
Who Will Guide My Sleigh Tonight?
Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by David Biedrzycki
ISBN: 9780439853699
Any story that seriously questions the type of animals best suited to pull Santa's sleigh is a winner for me.
The Christmas Kitten
Mary Packard, illustrated by Jenny Williams
ISBN: 0516053647
A frisky homeless kitten ends up in Santa's Workshop causing chaos until Christmas when Santa heads out on his sleigh with the kitten in tow, destined for a happy (non-elf-filled-workshop) home.
Click, Clack, Ho! Ho! Ho!
Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin
ISBN: 9781442496736
The well-intentioned but clutzy farm animals from Click, Clack, Moo! are trying to make sure that their farmer has a Merry Christmas, but they're all stuck in the chimney now. (It's always Duck's fault.) Who can save both them and Christmas?
Who Will Guide My Sleigh Tonight?
Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by David Biedrzycki
ISBN: 9780439853699
Any story that seriously questions the type of animals best suited to pull Santa's sleigh is a winner for me.
The Christmas Kitten
Mary Packard, illustrated by Jenny Williams
ISBN: 0516053647
A frisky homeless kitten ends up in Santa's Workshop causing chaos until Christmas when Santa heads out on his sleigh with the kitten in tow, destined for a happy (non-elf-filled-workshop) home.
Click, Clack, Ho! Ho! Ho!
Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin
ISBN: 9781442496736
The well-intentioned but clutzy farm animals from Click, Clack, Moo! are trying to make sure that their farmer has a Merry Christmas, but they're all stuck in the chimney now. (It's always Duck's fault.) Who can save both them and Christmas?
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Tuesday Storytime: Last Fall Storytime!
It's finally getting cold out (now that it's December, of course) and so we're wrapping up with one final salute to fall. These titles were chosen by my coworker.
Fall Leaves Fall
Zoe Hall, illustrated by Shari Halpern
ISBN: 0590100793
Oddly-textured papercuts give this an old-fashioned stop-motion animation feel, with flat matte textures for people and backgrounds, and vibrant painterly textures for leaves and natural objects. Factual and quite short.
In The Middle of Fall
Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek
ISBN: 9780062573117
This newest from Keven Henkes moves away from mice into a lovely exploration of fall and the activities and events that epitomize it.
Leaves
David Ezra Stein
ISBN: 9780399254970
Bear wanders around the woods, gently confused and saddened by the falling leaves all around. He gathers them up as he drifts gently toward hibernation, and when he wakes he sees the new leaves budding on the trees and is comforted.
Fall Leaves Fall
Zoe Hall, illustrated by Shari Halpern
ISBN: 0590100793
Oddly-textured papercuts give this an old-fashioned stop-motion animation feel, with flat matte textures for people and backgrounds, and vibrant painterly textures for leaves and natural objects. Factual and quite short.
In The Middle of Fall
Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek
ISBN: 9780062573117
This newest from Keven Henkes moves away from mice into a lovely exploration of fall and the activities and events that epitomize it.
Leaves
David Ezra Stein
ISBN: 9780399254970
Bear wanders around the woods, gently confused and saddened by the falling leaves all around. He gathers them up as he drifts gently toward hibernation, and when he wakes he sees the new leaves budding on the trees and is comforted.
Monday, December 4, 2017
Tuesday Storytime: Fall Leaves
A last generic fall storytime before it's finally December and I feel obligated to move on to winter, despite whatever it's doing outside.
Fall Leaves: Colorful and Crunchy
Martha E. H. Rustad, illustrated by Amanda Enright
ISBN: 9780761385059
A really good junior nonfiction title with information about photosynthesis and plant growth and leaf formation. Illustrations are cartoony and clear and stylized in a slightly exaggerated manner. Interesting choice and a fun difference from the majority which use photographs. It has "chapters" of a few spreads each, which was a big hit for my little ones to be big enough to listen to a "chapter book."
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf
Lois Ehlert
ISBN: 0152661972
This book always surprises me that it is so narrative-heavy. The (unseen) narrator tells us all about her sugar maple tree and how it was grown and developed and nursery'ed, and talks about the colors of the leaves and the different types of trees and resulting leaf colors.
Fletcher and the Falling Leaves
Julia Rawlinson, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke
ISBN: 9780061134012
Fletcher the fox kit is experiencing his first fall, and so he's worried when his favorite tree starts turning brown and then (oh horrors) losing it's leaves! He tries very hard to save them, but it's a lost cause. There's a beautiful surprise on the last pages of the now-winterized tree (love when books have just a smidge of glitter or fun printing tricks to them!) Amazingly evocative and sweet, and more than a bit sad, despite the happy ending.
Fall Leaves: Colorful and Crunchy
Martha E. H. Rustad, illustrated by Amanda Enright
ISBN: 9780761385059
A really good junior nonfiction title with information about photosynthesis and plant growth and leaf formation. Illustrations are cartoony and clear and stylized in a slightly exaggerated manner. Interesting choice and a fun difference from the majority which use photographs. It has "chapters" of a few spreads each, which was a big hit for my little ones to be big enough to listen to a "chapter book."
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf
Lois Ehlert
ISBN: 0152661972
This book always surprises me that it is so narrative-heavy. The (unseen) narrator tells us all about her sugar maple tree and how it was grown and developed and nursery'ed, and talks about the colors of the leaves and the different types of trees and resulting leaf colors.
Fletcher and the Falling Leaves
Julia Rawlinson, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke
ISBN: 9780061134012
Fletcher the fox kit is experiencing his first fall, and so he's worried when his favorite tree starts turning brown and then (oh horrors) losing it's leaves! He tries very hard to save them, but it's a lost cause. There's a beautiful surprise on the last pages of the now-winterized tree (love when books have just a smidge of glitter or fun printing tricks to them!) Amazingly evocative and sweet, and more than a bit sad, despite the happy ending.
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