Leroy Ninker Saddles Up

Mercy Watson arrived in our family via my now 8th grade daughter. She was in 1st grade when she discovered the humorous porcine wonder at a book fair. There were only 3 Mercy Watson tales back then, but she devoured them with gusto. Needless to say, Mercy Watson entered my youngest son's life much earlier; one of the benefits of being the youngest sibling. He's heard Mercy Watson stories via audiobook or older siblings reading to him since he was a toddler. 

When I first showed him the ARC copy of Leroy Ninker Saddles Up, he didn't immediately make the connection. Once I informed him of the Mercy Watson connection, he gobbled up Leroy Ninker in one evening growing giddy at the sight of his beloved Mercy who makes a guest appearance.

As spin-offs go, the Deckawoo Drive characters have great promise. Under DiCamillo's skilled pen, Leroy Ninker develops a full-fledged personality, a maybe a bit of a mid-life crisis. Leroy Ninker decides that there must be more to life than working at the Bijou Drive-In Theater. He concludes that he is destined for greatness as a cowboy, and along with his hat, lasso, and boots, he works to acquire a horse, the inimitable, and highly sensitive, Maybelline. As always, DiCamillo uses fantastic vocabulary. (In what other early reader chapter book might you find both splendiferous and cogitate within pages of one another.) And Chris Van Dusen's sharp, humorous, and ever expressive illustrations are the perfect compliment to DiCamillo's storytelling.

Yippie-i-oh! We have a winner from Deckawoo Drive! Leroy Ninker Saddles Up hits bookstores tomorrow.

Flashback Friday: Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go

The first time I stumbled upon Richard Scarry was way back in my babysitting days about 25 years ago. I remember that whichever small child I was watching at the time was completely mesmerized by all the bits of action, intricate details, and many, many captions attached to the various objects. I remember thinking, even at age 13ish, what a brilliant concept for a young children's book. Tiny vehicles, animals that drive, labels on everything...a perfect reading companion for nearly any toddler or preschooler.

Fast forward 20 years to my youngest child's toddlerhood, a child whose first word was car, who played with Matchbox cars religiously from less than one year old. Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things that Go arrived for his second birthday and remained close at hand for years. I can't even tell you how many times I read that long, long book at bedtime. (It takes serious time to read ALL. those. labels.) Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things that Go is still a favorite that makes a frequent appearance. And I can definitely foresee it being one of those beloved books that remains on his teenage bookshelf and eventually is carried off to his adulthood to be saved for his own children someday.

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild

Mr. Tiger is tired of his prim and proper position in the city and begins showing a few of his stripes. First by walking on all fours, soon progressing to shedding his clothes and...ROARing. *shudder* The upstanding members of his community suggest that perhaps he would be more comfortable acting wildly out in the wilderness. Mr. Tiger obliges, and although he finds the wilderness a freeing place to be wild, he soon finds that he misses his friends back in the city. He is welcomed back to town, in clothes, of course, and to his delight, he finds that some changes have occurred in his absence.

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild. The anthem of of children everywhere. Where do they go to unleash the wild bottled inside them? Mr. Tiger Goes Wild is an entertaining look at our desire to be recognized for who we are inside. I'm quite a fan of the dapper animals depicted in the beginning of the book, and an even bigger fan of their language, a perfectly appropriate level for children, yet indicative of the level of snootiness rampant in Mr. Tiger's city. Indeed. Unacceptable! Peter Brown's illustrations are a perfect compliment for the story. This dichromatic, rather simple style of artwork has taken off recently in children's picture books, and the results are very engaging. Mr. Tiger is no exception; from the rooftops to the buttoned up characters to the wilderness, the results are bold, bright, and humorous.

Flashback Friday: Bunnicula

My youngest fell under the spell of Bunnicula a few months ago, just as his brothers did when they were about his age. It took a bit of convincing as the cover art made him nervous. (I think I remember similar expressions from his older brothers.) Once we'd read a chapter or two together, he was hooked.

Bunnicula is the story of Chester, the cat, and Howard, the dog, who live a rather charmed life with their human family. The father is a professor, and Chester enjoys listening to his lectures. The family's sons are kind and fun to play with. Into the mix comes a new pet, a bunny with fangs, named Bunnicula. Shortly after the new bunny arrives, the family finds a white tomato on the table one morning. The family seems dismissive of the bunny's juice-sucking skills, but Chester is determined to catch Bunnicula in the act...no matter the cost! Predictably, various hijinks ensue in this effort.

Bunnicula is a classic read for those just beginning to read chapter books independently. Bunnicula is also a great introduction to the genre of mystery and scary stories for 1st to 3rd graders who need to take baby steps into that pool.

Red Knit Cap Girl and the Reading Tree

The latest in the Red Knit Cap Girl series might just be my favorite! As a knitter, each of the Red Knit Cap Girl books are dear to my heart, but when Red Knit Cap Girl finds the perfect hollow tree to read with her forest friends...my heart can hardly take it. Each of Red Knit Cap Girl's forest friends brings a book to leave in the hollow tree, except beaver who has no book to bring. He decides to bring his wood-working skills and make bookshelves for inside the tree. With the addition of a few cozy blankets, Red Knit Cap Girl and all of her animal friends have a snug spot for their reading.

Not officially available until September, Red Knit Cap Girl and the Reading Tree is sure to be a new favorite in the series. As always, Stoop's illustrations are simple, lovely, and exceedingly sweet. The community spirit, particularly around sharing books, featured in this story reminds me of the Little Free Libraries that are springing up everywhere. If you've missed the first two installments in this series (Red Knit Cap Girl and Red Knit Cap Girl to the Rescue), you should find a copy in your local library immediately!

Flashback Friday: Ginger Pye

Ginger Pye is the name of the sweet and playful pup that Jerry Pye cleaned church pews saving his hard earned coins until he finally had saved a dollar to buy her. Jerry brings Ginger home, and he becomes part of the family, following Jerry around town. On Thanksgiving Day, Ginger disappears from the Pye's backyard. Jerry makes every effort to find Ginger, while also trying to figure out who the mysterious figure is who's been following them. 

Ginger Pye won the 1952 Newbery Award, and it's fascinating to see the reaction to it now. If you look at the reviews on Amazon or Goodreads, you'll find as many negative or mediocre reviews as positive ones. The story is definitely set in a different time, but the writing is from that time too. If you need high excitement or wild adventure, this probably isn't the book for you, but if you want a sweet story from an earlier era, Ginger Pye is a beautiful read. In reading it aloud to my own kids a couple of years ago, I found that it took a few chapters to captivate them, but they all loved it by the end. I think kids really do appreciate a simple and sweet story as much as a highly adventurous one. They sometimes just have to be exposed to them.

Flashback Friday: Frog and Toad

My kids have enjoyed many iterations of the Frog and Toad collection over the years. My older kids read the individual early reader books. Somewhere along the way, we picked up the Frog and Toad Treasury, containing 3 books, and the CD with all four books read by Arnold Lobel himself. I can safely say that all four of my children enjoyed these sweet and optimistic books at various times. 

The beauty of Frog and Toad is that while they are early readers, the stories are simple and mimic every day life. Each book contains 5 stories about what could be considered mundane life events, but somehow under Lobel's pen, they become joyous and relatable. Flying a kite, waiting for the seasons to change, wishing to receive mail, and above all, maintaining friendships, these simple occurrences of every day life are so easy for children to connect to their own lives. Sprinkled with humor, Frog and Toad manage to win the affection of nearly every preschooler to early elementary schooler who immerse themselves in these pages. That beginning readers can read these for themselves is surely a bonus!

You can find the Frog and Toad Treasury in the Early Readers section of The Book Children Store.

Emily Rose's Day at the Farm

Emily-Rose's Day at the Farm is a sweet story about a little girl who loves to visit her Grammy at the farm. Every visit, she watches her Grammy feed the animals and wishes that she could feed them as well. Her Grammy remarks that the animals are too rambunctious for Emily-Rose to help. Emily-Rose isn't quite sure what rambunctious means, but one day when she visits the farm her Grammy finally agrees to let Emily-Rose help feed the animals. Hooray! When the chicks try to peck her boots, the pigs splash slop on her, and the ducks chase her, Emily-Rose finally understands what her Grammy means when she says the animals are rambunctious!

Emily-Rose's Day at the Farm is a heart-warming story of a little girl who admires her grandmother. Emily-Rose is a likable character, and her Grammy is very loving. The story moves along nicely, and the illustrations are rather cartoonish, but very sweet. Children will delight in the mishaps that befall Emily as she moves about the farm feeding the animals. These tales are filled with humor, and Emily-Rose's good attitude. Overall Emily-Rose's Day at the Farm is a great story for pre-school through kindergarten aged children who will identify with and understand Emily-Rose's antics.

You can find Emily-Rose's Day at the Farm in the Picture Books section of The Book Children Store.

Flora and the Flamingo

I must admit that I never even heard of Flora and the Flamingo before the names of the Caldecott winners were released. What a travesty it would have been if this little gem had not been included among the Caldecott Honors! While this pictoral ode to ballet might be simple, the illustrations are exquisitely crafted, covering a wide range of poses. The flamingo's grace and beauty are remarkable. (And I've never thought of flamingoes as particularly graceful. They usually appear more awkward and knobby-kneed.) Flora's earnest mimicry will make you fall in love beginning on the first page. The flamingo begins by haughtily performing the most difficult dance moves for Flora to follow. By the end, their synchronicity becomes fluid, and the flamingo appears to be enjoying his little dancing shadow.

Artistically, Flora and the Flamingo is a fascinating study. From the contrast in characters, long, lean flamingo and small plump child, to the tree blossom framing, each page is perfectly balanced and more striking than the previous. In addition to the lovely illustration, the lift-the-flap aspect of many pages will thrill many-a young child, and will add additional storytelling options to this dynamic work. It might have taken me a few years to fully appreciate the wordless children's book, but this is a fine example of that genre's ability to shine.

You can find Flora and the Flamingo in the Picture Books - Summer section of The Book Children Store.

Monsters and Legends

If you know a little one who enjoys reading both fantasy and nonfiction, I know the perfect book for them! This marvelous little cryptozoological treasure, Monsters and Legends, is a splendid introductory book to the mythological creatures of past and present, along with historical background about how those legends became popularized. Lo and behold, when you turn the page, you'll find even more material about alternative explanations, such as animals who were not widely known possibly starting legends of many monsters. Including explanations of older references, such as the camelopard (a giraffe) and sea pig (a walrus), kids will also recognize some current favorites like mermaids, werewolves, zombies, and Bigfoot.

The illustrations of Monsters and Legends are a perfect accompaniment to the text. The hand-drawn pictures in soft, yet bold, colors lend a vintage children's book vibe. With the printed cloth cover and large size, Monsters and Legends almost feels like the perfect coffee table book for a children's playroom—if playrooms had coffee tables.

Sparky

“You can have any pet you want as long as it doesn’t need to be walked or bathed or fed," the little girl's mother said after listening to relentless begging for a pet. The little girl did what any would-be pet owner might do...she set off for the library to find a book of animals to see which pet might fall into that category. "A promise is a promise." And the little girl gets her pet. A sloth! She receives her sloth, which she promptly names Sparky, via expedited mail, and with the cheery zeal of any new pet owner, she begins to teach him tricks and try to play with him. Very slowly, of course. The little girl doesn't seem to care that a pet sloth isn't quite like other pets. He's the perfect pet for her.

Neither overly wordy nor a fast-paced tale, Jenny Offill's text perfectly narrates the story of a slow-moving sloth. Despite the measured pace, Offill offers a heroine with a sweet demeanor and hopeful disposition that you can't help but root for. Chris Appelhans' illustrations of Sparky capture every bit of the adorable features of a sloth. I want to hug him and squeeze him and take him home with me too. The watercolor backgrounds in muted shades provide the perfect subdued setting for Sparky. There are plenty of adorable pet ownership picture books in the world, but an unusual animal with charming illustrations pushes Sparky into a league of his own.

You can find Sparky in the Picture Books - Books with Strong Females section of The Book Children Store.

Flashback Friday: Rikki Tikki Tavi

I think we'll start a new series here on The Book Children. There are so many great classics and otherwise unknown or forgotten books written many moons ago. Each Friday, we'll feature one of those oldie-but-goodie books here on Flashback Friday.

I admit to never having heard the story of Rikki Tikki Tavi before about 18 months ago. I happened to be hunting through Audible.com for inexpensive classics for my audiobook-loving kids. I found Rikki Tikki Tavi for less than a buck and decided to buy it. Apparently that was a wise decision; they've listened to it approximately 39,837 times since then.

Rikki Tikki Tavi is the thrilling adventure of a brave mongoose who defends his human family from the garden cobras. The language in this story beautifully rolls off the tongue, just begging to be read aloud. Rikki Tikki prevents the garden cobras from harming the family he lives with in the jungles of India. Aside from a few harrowing scenes of animal violence (the mongoose kills cobra eggs, agitating the mother cobra, and the human child is threatened by one of the cobras), the tale superbly depicts loyalty, courage, and bravery while accurately portraying animal behaviors and the wilds of India.

In addition to the paperback version offered at The Book Children Store, you can purchase a Kindle version for free or an Audible (mp3) version for less than $2.

A Big Guy Took My Ball!

Like a few of the other picture books I've reviewed recently (Ball, The Watermelon Seed) A Big Guy Took My Ball also won a Geisel honor award this year. Although Mo Willems missed the Medal Winner's book signing I attended, A Big Guy Took My Ball is a treasured early reader in this house and is definitely worthy of a mention here. 

This Elephant and Piggie adventure begins with Piggie relaying the events surrounding her ball being taken by "a big guy". Gerald is rather large, and he assumes the "big guy" is probably close to his size. He steps up to defend his friend and then,  realizing that he is dealing with a WHALE, changes his mind. But even though the whale is large, he's rather lonely, and Gerald and Piggie realize that sometimes even "big guys" just need a friend.

The beauty of Elephant and Piggie books in general, and this book is certainly no exception, is that Willems manages to write early readers that are more than just drivel. Kids, who are just learning to sound out words or who are just becoming more fluent in their reading, get practice with reading, and they enjoy what they are reading. Willems comic timing and simple humor is spot on with the preschool and early elementary set. All of the Elephant and Piggie books have been favorites with my younger 2 children as they were learning to read. We probably own half of them, and the other half we borrow frequently from the library.

You can find A Big Guy Took My Ball, and other Elephant and Piggie books, in the Early Readers section of The Book Children Store.

The Sheep-Pig

I'm not sure why I was never aware of the fact that the movie Babe was based on a children's book. I'm equally unsure how I actually stumbled upon the book The Sheep Pig last year. But I did, and it quickly became a favorite read-aloud for my 7 year old.

The Sheep Pig follows the story of Babe, a pig thusly named by his adoptive dog mother, Fly. Fly is a sheep dog on a farm in England and has no respect for the sheep she herds. When Maa, an elderly ewe, is brought to the barn to recover from illness, Babe befriends her and comes to realize that sheep are not quite as dumb as Fly has led Babe to believe. Babe wants nothing more than to follow in Fly's footsteps and become a sheep pig, but he discovers that the sheep are much more cooperative to a friendly word than angry gestures.

When Babe learns the secret password for inspiring the sheep's cooperation, his success as a sheep pig is nearly guaranteed.
"I may be ewe, I may be ram,
I may be mutton, may be lamb,
But on the hoof or on the hook,
I bain't so stupid as I look."
Babe enters the annual sheep dog trials with anxiety and doubt, but through his experience, the entire farm, Fly included, realizes that a gentle word trumps fearful compulsion.

The Watermelon Seed

The last of authors I met at the Medal Winner's book signing was Greg Pizzoli, author of the Geisel Award winning book, The Watermelon Seed. The design in this book is superb, a throwback to simple comic style with broad strokes and minimal, yet bold, color. The alligator sports superb expressions which supplies nearly as much humor as the text.  

Chomp! Chomp! Chomp! The witty and endearing alligator has a problem! He just swallowed a watermelon seed, and he's not quite sure what will happen to him now. He remembers all of the rumors and fears he's heard about what might happen if he swallows a seed. He vows to avoid watermelon forever. Ultimately, he can't give up his favorite summery treat!

The Watermelon Seed addresses the concerns of every small child who fears the dreaded swallowing of a watermelon seed. Equal parts humor and charm, the 3 to 7 year old in your life will fall quickly in love with this expressive alligator.

In addition to The Watermelon Seed, Pizzoli's new venture, Number One Sam, hits stores tomorrow! You can pre-order a copy at The Book Children's Store by clicking the link above or visiting the Picture Books section, which is also where you'll find The Watermelon Seed.

Mr. Wuffles

Another Caldecott medal honor recepient I had the privilege of meeting at the Medal Winner's book signing was Mr. Wuffles author, David Weisner. A long time fan of Weisner's Flotsam, Tuesday, and The Three Pigs, I was thrilled to meet him in person. Weisner has certainly captured the wordless book audience, and Mr. Wuffles does not disappoint. 

Actually, Mr. Wuffles contains many words, but they are nearly all in alien which is rather difficult to decipher. My 7 year old was actually a tad perplexed that I couldn't interpret the symbols representing the alien speak. His opinion is that we should sit down one day and make a code sheet and try to break the alien's code. Another of my sons thinks that the symbols are chirps and beeps, much like R2D2 language. Therein lies the beauty of Weisner's work; two children can "read" the same book and enjoy parts of it quite differently.

The illustrations captured the cat's personality perfectly, and even the alien were expressive, which is a remarkable feat for the plethora of little green guys. You won't find nearly the beauty of illustration here as in Flotsam, but what Mr. Wuffles lacks in beauty, it makes up for in imagination, suspense, and humor. Subtle details will draw you back to read again and again as the aliens and their unlikely insect allies scheme to outsmart Mr. Wuffles. The emphasis of friendship and teamwork are also excellently portrayed throughout the illustrations.

Don't forget enter the giveaway if you haven't yet! Win one of the Featured This Month books from the new Book Children Store!

Ball

Getting back to the books I bought at the Medal Winner's book signing, one of the Geisel honor books for this year is the adorable and hilarious Ball. Ball will remind of you of every dog you ever owned, or even played with, that is obsessed with chasing and retrieving his ball. 

Beginning with waking his owner wishing to play ball, this humorous and quickly paced story moves through the dog's day of trying to get anyone and everyone to play ball with him. From the family cat to the baby, the dog's persistence has entertaining results as he eventually finds a playmate to toss his ball.

I categorized Ball as both a wordless book and an early reader because although it contains only one word throughout, non-readers can certainly enjoy this story as it is largely portrayed through the witty illustrations. An early reader will gain confidence through the repetitive lone word sprinkled liberally throughout the illustrations.

And the inscribed message that Ball's author, Mary Sullivan, left in our copy might have been my favorite of the medal winner's signing. :)

Along Came a Dog

As a rather recent fan of Meindert DeJong, I just finished his Along Came a Dog as a read-aloud to the kids. I was already planning to blog about this book, as we enjoyed it immensely, but when Philip decided to use it for a school assignment in which he had to dress as a book character and perform a commercial for that book, I thought I'd use his commercial as part of my post.

From the perspective of the farmer:

I am a farmer, and I own a chicken farm. One spring, when I came to the chicken coop to let them out, the little red hen’s toes froze off because it was so cold. All the other chickens started pecking at her and tried to kill her because she had no toes. I made her some rubber flippers to help her walk, but they didn’t work very well so I sewed them to my jacket to help her perch on my shoulder. Then one day a dog came to the farm. He looked like a wild dog so I took him to the woods and left him. Then a few days later, the dog came back. I took him even farther into the woods. The next day, the dog came back again. The rooster was dead and the little red hen disappeared so I thought the dog killed them. When I next saw the dog, I realized he was a hero. To find out how that happened, you’ll have to read, Along Came a Dog.

This book is nearly 200 pages, but only divided into 10 chapters so we read it rather quickly. I would recommend it for any child or family who is interested in farming or farm animals. The insight into the world of chicken farming was thorough and fascinating. The relationship between the dog trying to adopt the farm and the red hen is tender and protective. I would recommend this book for upper elementary school as the world of chicken farming can be fraught with danger and several of the chickens in this book fall into some peril. However, the book is very well written. The suspense surrounding the dog lasts until nearly the end of the book but is rewarding in its completion. We're ready to try another DeJong book as a family read-aloud very soon.

The Jazz Fly

Our household was first introduced to The Jazz Fly shortly after Elizabeth started kindergarten 6 years ago.  She came home raving about a book that her teacher had been reading.  We found the title and she begged that we buy it because she really wanted her brothers to hear the scat-singing fly.

I found this book to be a bit of a challenge to read aloud initially, so fortunately the book comes with a cd to help you navigate all of the "ZA-baza, BOO-zaba, ZEE-zah RO-ni" and other phrases.  Once you practice a few times, the book is really a joy to read aloud.  

I really appreciate the introduction to jazz music and rhythm here.  The fly's scat singing, as well as the pictures of the Jazz Bugs and their snazzy outfits, really makes for a lovely inauguration into jazz for little ones.

Animalia

When Finn was gifted Animalia for his birthday a few years ago, I was not familiar with Barbara Berger's work. I soon became familiar because I was so impressed with this collection of animal stories with breathtaking simple, yet complex, illustrations.

Each story is pulled from the legend of a saint or from a traditional Chinese or Buddist tale. The stories are short enough for the attention span of young children without sacrificing the authenticity of the tales. Perfect for sharing when you want your children to have a love of good fables without the silliness or watered down stories found in so many children's books today.


Then there is the stunning artwork. And you know what a sucker I am for beautiful artwork in children's books!