THREE BOOKS ABOUT FRIENDSHIP

 WOOBY AND PEEP by Cynthia Liu

Wooby and his pet goldfish live in a peaceful, ordinary, (ok, maybe a little dull) neighborhood. Wooby has a 547-year-old tree (do not lean!) in his backyard. He has a favorite flowing fountain and a prized petunia patch. And that is just the way he and his neighbors like it.

Then Peep moves into the neighborhood. Peep is not quiet and ordinary. She throws wild parties. She is rambunctious and a more than a little accident prone. And she wants to be Wooby's friend.

I loved the message about friendship and differences in this book. I also loved, loved, loved the busy, captioned (think Scaredy Squirrel or Henkes X10) illustrations.  This one will be a sure winner with primary kids, but I also think intermediate kids are going to love the humor.



RIBBIT - Rodrigo Folguiera

Another great new picture book about an unlikely addition to the neighborhood. A group of frogs wake up one morning to find a large pink pig sitting on a lily pad, ribbiting, in the middle of their pond. The frogs are a little undone by the pig, and go off to consult a wise old beetle about their problem. They return to find that the pig has decided to take on a whole new group of friends…

A BIG GUY TOOK MY BALL- Mo Willems

Finally, my favorite friends, Gerald and Piggie, are back with a new book. Piggie finds a ball. A big guy takes it away from her. Gerald is determined to solve this injustice, until he sees how big the "big guy" actually is. 

PLANT A KISS- Amy Krouse Rosenthal

I'm a huge Amy Krouse Rosenthal fan- one of the first books I read out loud this year was THE WONDER BOOK, and now, almost six months later, it's a rare Poetry Friday when someone doesn't share a poem from THE WONDER BOOK. I also love, love, love THE DOT and ISH by Peter H. Reynolds. I was delighted, then, when I received an email asking if I wanted to review PLANT A KISS.

The book, as I expected, is really fun, a simple rhyming text, with Reynolds' typical black line illustrations and lots of pink and yellow glitter. Little Miss Plants a Kiss. Waits for it to sprout. Begins to doubt. Then is delighted when the kiss actually does sprout, and she can share the love with friends.

I can see using PLANT A KISS in lots of ways. First, whether your valentine is 6 or 60, I think the book would be an absolutely perfect Valentine's Day gift. Mary Lee suggested using the book in a study of themes and I could definitely see using it there. We are starting to work on idioms this week, and I think this book would be perfect for that too. Or I might use it to show how punctuation shapes a text. Or we might just read and enjoy it!

A winner on lots of levels!

THE WONDERFUL BOOK - Leonid Gore

Just back from a terrific three days at our state reading convention. Don't know of any other state where you can hear Dick Allington, Laura Benson, Penny Kittle, Stephen Krashen, Angela Maiers, Donalyn Miller, and Franki Sibberson, in 48 hours, and only 2o minutes from home. Oh, and survive the biggest snowstorm in 100 years, but that is a story for another day. I will blog about CCIRA in the next few days, but in the meantime, read a really fun book at the bookstore today (I actually saw it first on Thursday in Laura's book basket, but we were getting ready to present a a session and there was no time for silliness like reading wonderful picture books) . Please note: I did NOT say, I BOUGHT a fun book at the bookstore!

THE WONDERFUL BOOK is a fun book to add to the "Books about Books" basket. In this book, a rabbit finds a strange red object in the forest. He uses it for a shelter. A bear comes along and uses it for a hat. A family of mice uses it as a table. Finally, a little boy comes along and teaches the animals what the red object- a book- is really for. A perfect companion to my all time favorite picture book, WOLF, by Becky Bloom.

OTIS AND THE TORNADO

I adore pretty much anything Loren Long writes and/or illustrates- MR PEABODY'S APPLES and OF THEE I SING are two of my favorites. I also love OTIS, partly, I think, because it reminds me of MIKE MULLIGAN'S STEAM SHOVEL, a book I absolutely loved as a child.

Today I was at the bookstore investing another chunk of my life's savings in series chapter books for my fourth grade classroom. Wandered over to the picture book section and found Loren Long's newest book, OTIS AND THE TORNADO.

Otis and his friends are enjoying a day on the farm, when the weather changes. The humans heads for shelter in an underground tornado shelter, and Otis bravely breaks open the barns and corrals and leads all of the animals to safety at the lowest point on the farm. They have no sooner gotten settled when Otis hears a cry of fear. It is from the Bull, the meanest, unfriendliest animal on the farm, who is still trapped in his pen. Should Otis risk his life to go back and free the most feared animal on the farm?

A great story about risk taking and courage and friendship!

A PLETHORA OF PICTURE BOOKS

I'm trying to get ready to teach fourth grade, so I have been reading lots of novels this summer (and no, I'm definitely not saying that I'm not going to use picture books in fourth grade!). The last couple of days, however, I have spent some time in bookstores (it's almost football season, you know, and there are lot of pre-football meetings and practices!) and have gotten the chance to read a bunch of great new picture books. Here are some mini-reviews:

SHOULD I SHARE MY ICE CREAM? by Mo Willems

Originally, I went into Tattered Cover because I wanted to look at the latest installment in Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie books. I love, love, love this series! In this book, Gerald buys an ice cream cone. He feels like he should share it with Piggie, but he really doesn't want to…

DETECTIVE BLUE

Mary Lee reviewed this at Year of Reading today, then I happened to see it on the shelf in the book store. It's a picture book, done graphic novel style, with 24 nursery rhymes hidden within the pictures. I think it would be PERFECT for a strategy study on activating schema/background knowledge. If you don't know the nursery rhymes, you won't be able to find them, nor will you get all of the humor. I think this would make for a really interesting discussion with intermediate grade kids.

AL PHA'S BET by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Any time I seem something with Amy Krouse Rosenthal's name on it, I know I will love it, and this one is no exception. The 26 letters have just been invented, and the king issues a challenge for his subjects to decide on their order. Al Pha bets himself that he can figure out the problem, and sure enough, he does. Rosenthal's usual quirky humor shows up again and again (you can probably figure out why P ended up where it did). I think kids of all ages are going to love this one.

CHICKEN BUTT'S BACK by Erica S. Perl

Kids love a good butt book and when CHICKEN BUTT came out, I think I read it about five hundred times. I'm sure this one, full of word play about butts and underwear and lots of other naughtiness is going to be just as big a hit. I can't wait to share this one with kids.

EDWIN SPEAKS UP- April Stevens and Sophie Blackall

Mrs. Finnemore is headed for the grocery store with a whole brood of ferret kids, including Edwin. The trip is full of misadventures- Mrs. F leaves her pocket book on top of the car, for starters. The only one who seems to notice any of the mishaps is Edwin, but he still speaks in "baby language" (Figbutton noo noo POCKY BOOKY froppin ROOF= your purse is on the roof) and nobody understands him. As they walk into the store, she says, "Now don't let me forget the sugar for Edwin's birthday cake." You can probably guess who remembers the sugar…

FARMYARD BEAT- Lindsey Craig and Marc Brown

Franki reviewed this a couple of days ago. She thought it would be a great book for shared reading, and I totally agree! I also loved the collage illustrations and the fact that the farmer was female.

WIENER WOLF- Jeff Crosby

A little dachshund has a cushy life- a granny that knits him sweaters, a warm bed by the fire, a full food dish, etc. One day he gets a little bored and decides he will head for the wild side. At first he loves his new life with the wolves, then things get to be a little too much, and he heads home to Granny, who promptly knits him a brand new sweater. Jeff Crosby's illustrations, with Wiener Wolf hanging out with the wolf pack are really funny, but interestingly my eyes kept wanting to go back to his beautiful paintings of the wolves.

THE WORLD CHAMPION OF STAYING AWAKE- Sean Taylor and Jimmy Liao

Stella's dad tells her it's time for bed but her stuffed animal friends just aren't ready to go to sleep. Stella takes the animals on different adventures-- and one by one, they fall asleep. Each adventure has its own little poem (maybe they are even supposed to be songs?) that goes along with it. Finally all of the animals are asleep and it's Stella's turn. A sweet, going to sleep story…

ALONG A LONG ROAD-

When I taught first grade, ROSIE'S WALK was one of the first books most kids learned to read. My six year old readers loved the simple text, but even more, they loved tracing Rosie's journey across the barnyard. ALONG A LONG ROAD is a ROSIE'S WALK kind of book, except that it doesn't feature a chicken, instead, the main character is a bicyclist, making his way around town. The illustrations are all shades of turquoise, red, black, and white, but the bicyclist's road is a kind of a shiny gold. I picture kids running their finger over that road again and again and again. This one is going to be a winner with the little guys, but I can also see older kids enjoying it.

NOT MUCH BLOGGING GOING ON

I've been working on an all-consuming curriculum project, and by the time I have written 8 or 10 hours a day for that, I just don't have a lot of words left to write. I have, however, been doing Donalyn Miller's Book A Day Challenge, so here's a quick list of the books I have read in the last few days:

1) MARTY MCGUIRE by Kate Messner- everyone has been talking about this terrific new chapter book and I can definitely see why. Marty is a spunky third grader, full of good ideas, not quite as naughty as Junie B., kind of more like Clementine. Her teacher assigns her the lead in the class play, THE FROG PRINCE. Marty is not thrilled about playing a princess…

2) MILO: STICKY NOTES AND BRAIN FREEZE by Alan Silberberg- I grabbed this when I was at the library getting MARTY MCGUIRE. Thumbing through the inside, I expected it to be a DIARY OF A WIMPY KID book. It is about a kind of geeky middle school boy, and parts of it are pretty funny, but the resemblance ends there. Milo's mother has died, and he, his father, and his older sister are all trying to dig their way out of a canyon of grief… beautiful story, have tissues ready!

3) And a bunch of picture books:

FORTUNE COOKIES by Albert Bitterman, illustrated by Chris Raschka- a little girl gets a box of seven fortune cookies from her uncle. Every day, she opens a new cookie, and reads the fortune (done on pullout tabs that seem just like real fortunes). Each day, the fortune has something to do with what goes on that day, e.g. the first day, "Lose something you don't need." and the little girl loses her tooth; the second day is "money is like the wind" and she buys a kite. Kind of a "fortunately, unfortunately" book- I think kids would love it.

THE SECRET BOX- Wordless picture book- a child hides a box of treasures in the attic of a boarding school or orphanage. Years later, some children find the box and follow some clues from the contents of the box.

FOREVER FRIENDS by Carin Berger- gentle book about a friendship between a bunny and a bird, who find all kinds of things to do together. When winter comes, the bird migrates, and the bunny waits for spring and the return of her friend. Interesting patterns, e.g. notebook paper, in the collage illustrationsThis would be a good book to compare to CITY DOG, COUNTRY FROG.

ALFRED ZECTOR, BOOK COLLECTOR by Kelli Dipucchio. Hector is a little boy who loves books and wants to own more and more. Soon, he owns all of the books in his town. Hector reads and reads and reads, until one day, after many years, he realizes that he is the only person who owns any books, and he gives most of his collection away. Rhyming.

BOOM BOOM GO AWAY by Laura Geiringer A little boy is playing in his room when his mother tells him to go to bed. He and his toy friends aren't quite ready, however, and tell the mom to go away. Each two page spread features a different toy playing a musical instrument, complete with its own sound effects. Little kids are going to love the rhym-y sing song feel and all of the noises. I can imagine myself giving this as a gift to my toddler friends.

LOUISE THE BIG CHEESE AND THE LA-DI-DA SHOES by Elise Primavera, Louise wants new shoes. She is dreaming of black patent leather shoes, but her mother buys brown lace shoes with soles that squeak when she walks. A few days later, Louise's friend Fern shows up at school with la-di-da black patent leather shoes, and an attitude to match. Louise is kind of a cross between Fancy Nancy and Lily of purple plastic purse fame. I didn't know this series, but I'm definitely going to look for some of the other ones.

HOGWASH- Karma Wilson. It's spring and a determined farmer heads to the barn to wash his animals. The pigs refuse to be washed and a hilarious sequence of events ensues, complete with a note exchange, pigs in umbrellas and slickers, and a dive bombing plane. A funny book that kind of reminded me of the CLICK, CLACK MOO series.

LET THE WHOLE EARTH SING- Tomie de Paola- I loved this book, just like I loved Ashley Bryant's, ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL, earlier this year. I think I would be more inclined to give it to friends as gifts, however, than to put it in my classroom library.

COOKIEBOT: A HARRY AND HORSIE ADVENTURE- Katie Van Camp. Harry and his friend Horsie want cookies, but mom has put them on a high shelf. The two friends build a Cookiebot that is able to grab the cookie jar, but then goes berserk, tracking all over the city in search of more cookies…Scientific looking drawings that I know kids are going to love.

So there you have it. And now I have to go to bed, because I have another long day of writing in front of me tomorrow…

BROWNIE GROUNDHOG AND THE FEBRUARY FOX- SUSAN BLACKABY

REVIEW COPY PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER

Brownie Groundhog steps outside on February 2nd, hoping to see a few signs of Spring. Unfortunately, all she sees is her shadow, and a small red fox, who is determined to eat her for breakfast.

"Don't be silly," says Brownie, after the fox knocks her down and sends her basket flying. "You're too late for breakfast. You'll have to wait for lunch." And so the two head out for a morning of adventure, which includes gliding and twirling and swirling and looping and swooping across a frozen pond.

Soon, however, Fox begins thinking about food again, and informs Brownie that he is ready to eat her for lunch. "You skated right past lunch," says Brownie. "Now you'll have to wait until dinner." Before dinner comes, however, Brownie ties the Fox to a tree. She starts to leave him, but then has second thoughts…

A fun friendship book with a main character who is sassy and just a little bit bossy! Perfect for sharing with primary grade kids for Groundhog's Day next week!

TUTUS AREN'T MY STYLE- Linda Skeers

I stumbled onto TUTUS AREN'T MY STYLE on Thursday afternoon. I was visiting a first/second grade class and arrived just in time for read aloud. One of the children had chosen TUTUS AREN'T MY STYLE from a rack of new books that Mrs. J had checked out from her public library. I glanced at the cover, and then at my audience of very wiggly boys and thought, "Uh-oh." I scanned the shelf for other options, and picked up a couple, only to have the class inform me that they had already heard those. Giving a little mental sigh, I sat down in the chair, preparing for a read aloud disaster (ok, so to those of you who are still reading, and are making judgments about pseudo administrators who sigh when they have to read to kids- I love, love, love, love, love reading aloud. If someone told me that I could spend my life traveling from venue to venue reading, I would be a happy woman. And I'm generally pretty good at picking out perfect books for different audiences. I rarely read aloud books that I have not already read myself. Or books that I don't like. And yes, I know that books can be read and enjoyed more than one time).

Anyway, back to TUTUS--
Emma, clad in red cowboy boots, is hunting for bugs and pirate treasure in the front yard, when when the mailman delivers a package from her favorite uncle. She opens it to discover a frilly pink ballet costume. Emma has never really viewed herself as a ballerina, but wants to please Uncle Leo, so with a little advice from the mailman, as well as a neighbor walking her dogs, she takes on this new challenge. With an Emma-ish twist.

The results are predictable. First Emma, accompanied by the family cat, tries dancing outside, but crashes into a flowerbed. Ballet is supposed to be accompanied by music, so Emma gets out her kazoo, which unfortunately (though much to the delight of my seven and eight-year-old audience) sounds a little like burping. When Uncle Leo arrives, Emma is less than prepared to put on a performance…But, as you might expect, there's a really fun twist to the ending…

When we are done with the read aloud, Mrs. J asks if I will review story elements. We use "superstar comprehension" to run through the basics- character, setting, problem, and solution, and then because I am always curious about what children take away from books (and I'm totally fine if all they take away is a great story), I ask kids about the theme or life lesson. "You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit!" suggests the burly, football playing E-man. "When someone gives you a present, even if it isn't what you wanted, you are supposed to be grateful," says A., who is supposedly one of the lowest readers in the class. "Everybody doesn't have to dance the same or be the same," declared the spectacled, serious Miss C.

A really fun read with some pretty great life lessons!

INTERRUPTING CHICKEN- DAVID EZRA STEIN

OK, while we are on the subject of chickens and literacy, INTERRUPTING CHICKEN is another really fun new book Laura and I found last week at Tattered Cover. A little red chicken wants her father to read her a bedtime story. He is a little reluctant, claiming that she always interrupts. Little Red Chicken promises that she won't interrupt this time and off they go.

First, Father reads Hansel and Gretel. When he gets to the part where Hansel and Gretel are about to get themselves into deep trouble, Little Red Chicken can't help herself, and she interrupts. Next, Father Chicken reads Little Red Riding Hood. Again, Little Red Chicken feels the need to warn the main character about a dangerous situation. Father moves onto Chicken Little. And once again…well, you know what's going to happen. Tired and exasperated, Father tells Little Red Chicken she should write her own book. By the time she's done, Father is fast asleep.

Besides simply being a story that kids are going to love, I could see using this book in lots of different ways. I might use it to introduce what I call the "Rule of Three," how writers have things happen three times. It would be a great book to talk about what it means to be an active reader. Little Red Chicken is constantly thinking about the stories and carrying on a dialogue with the characters. And it would be a perfect book for those early weeks of school, when you are working on getting writing workshop up and running (I'd put it in a string with BUNNYCAKES and PATCHES LOST AND FOUND).

Our students come back to school today. I can't wait to share this book with a group of primary kids.

CHICKEN BUTT- ERIKA PERL

I want every single kid in my class to become a card-carrying member of the literacy club that first week of school. That sweet six- year-old that has read every single MAGIC TREE HOUSE and is reading HARRY POTTER at home with his dad? He's easy. The little punkin that sits in the front row at group time, hair ribbon neatly tied, hands folded, eyes glued to the book? No problem. But my favorite, my very favorite, is that little guy who sits in the back row, making armpit noises and pitching pebbles at his buddies. Have I got a book for you, buddy!

In CHICKEN BUTT, a cute little guy, possibly related to the fellas sitting in back of my reading circle, pesters his newspaper reading dad. Guess what? Chicken butt! The next page features a different question, and a different body part. Guess Why? Chicken thigh! Every two page spread features a different question and a different body part. Eventually, the little boy's dad becomes annoyed and he is sent to the corner…but even then, the fun is not over!

I know this will be a favorite of first and second graders from day one! And it would make a perfect readers' theater!

READ TO TIGER- S.J. Fore

A little boy settles down on his couch prepared to enjoy a good book. He's barely cracked the cover, when CHOMP-CHOMP-CHOMP, he's interrupted by a tiger who is behind his couch chewing gum. He quiets the well-meaning and very apologetic tiger and settles down again, but soon Tiger is back, growling like a bear. And then doing karate. And then blowing a whistle. And then finding the whistle when it falls underneath the couch.…

Laura and I both thought this book, crammed full of great sound effects, would be perfect for taming those oh-so-well meaning wiggly little tigers in our primary grade classrooms. Not to mention teaching the rituals and routines of independent or partner reading (by the end the little boy and his obstreperous tiger friend are actually curled up on the couch enjoying a good book together…)

I didn't know S.J. Fore's work, but when I googled her, I found out that there is another book in the Tiger series, TIGER CAN'T SLEEP. I'm definitely going to look for it.

BUSING BREWSTER- Richard Michelson

Earlier this week, I got together with one of my all time favorite literacy all stars (and one of my most bestest friends), Laura Benson. We had a lovely dinner and then wandered next door to Tattered Cover. We ended up in the Children's Department, where we found a whole crop of terrific new literacy-related picture books that would be just perfect for the first day of school. I'll be blogging about a few over the next few days…

BUSING BREWSTER is a terrific picture book for both little and big kids.Brewster is entering first grade. All summer he envisions himself attending first grade with Miss Evelyn ("you'll read over my dead body!". Late that summer, however, his mama informs him he will, instead, be bused to Central, whose student population is mostly Anglo. Mama is excited because the new school has both a pool and a library…

The first day, Brewster and Bryan are met at the bus by a crowd of jeering sign waving, stick throwing adults. Later that day, after another incident, they end up in a kind of in-school suspension in the library with another child, who Bryan calls Freckle-Face. A kind librarian (who should probably be on Mary Lee and Franki's list of cool teachers) brings the boys together around books. R.G. Roth's geometric illustrations, done in shades of brown, gold, orange, and black, are absolutely perfect.

A great "Did that really happen?" kind of book. I know this book would evoke tremendous conversations not only about integration, but also about respect, friendship, and how we treat each other. I can envision myself using it with books like SISTER ANNE'S HANDS, THE OTHER SIDE, and SIT-IN. Can't wait to share this one with kids on Thursday!

SHARK VS. TRAIN- CHRIS BARTON

Last year, I was one of the lucky ducks that got to be a CYBILS judge. The entire panel loved Chris Barton's THE DAY GLO BROTHERS, a biography of the men who invented neon colors. DAY GLO BROTHERS eventually went on to win the CYBILS award for elementary nonfiction.

Yesterday our school librarian handed me Chris Barton's new book, SHARK VS. TRAIN. The book begins with a comic strip illustration of two little boys running to the toy box. One little guy grabs a shark, the other a toy train, and begin a series of "My toy is better than yours…"

Their conversation isn't just about an ordinary competition, however. I mean, everyone knows a train would win a land race and a shark would win a race in the water. But what about diving? A burping contest? Piano playing? A lemonade stand? Things just get crazier and crazier until finally the book ends when the two little boys are called to lunch…

The zany competitions are illustrated by Tom Lictenheld, who I know best for DUCK! RABBIT!

I know this is a book kids are going to ask for again and again. I also think it will also make a great readers' theater.

HAVE I GOT A BOOK FOR YOU- Melanie Watt

OK, I gotta admit it- I'm a book pusher. There's nothing I like better than matching the right book with the right kid. And I'm pretty good at it. I think I met my match this weekend, though. Mr. Al Foxword is the consummate salesman- he can sell ANYTHING- even ice to the penguin. Faced with the challenge of selling books to people who don't like to read, though, he has to work extra hard.

This is a really fun new read by Melanie Watt, the author of SCAREDY SQUIRREL. I've been talking to my teachers about engagement and motivation, and helping kids choose "just right books." I can't wait to share HAVE I GOT A BOOK FOR YOU with teachers and kids this week.

TWO NEW BABY/TODDLER PRESENTS

People who invite me to baby showers know, without a doubt, that I will bring books. Let other people bring the onesies, and diapers, and nose-sucker-outer thingies, I will bring the important stuff- food for the heart and the brain. Last week, while I was at the library (please note, I did not say bookstore!) I found a couple of really fun baby or toddler read alouds.

GOOD NIGHT BABY RUBY- Rohan Henry

Baby Ruby has had her bath, and should be headed off to bed, but no one can find her. She travels throughout the house, stopping to visit various family members and pets along the way.  This book is destined to be a classic, kind of along the lines of GOODNIGHT MOON. The illustrations are very simple- black line drawings with just a little color, just like the cover. I know kids will ask for this book again and again.

PEEKABOO BEDTIME- Rachel Isadora

PEEKABOO BEDTIME features an African American toddler preparing for bed by playing peekaboo with everything in her line of vision, e.g. "Peekaboo, I see my daddy" OR "Peekaboo, I see my cat."  The book begins with a right hand page with the phrase, "Peekaboo, I see…" When you turn the page, you see the object the child is seeing. It would only take kids a couple of pages to realize that clues in each large, brightly colored illustration allow the reader to predict what is coming next.

An aside: OK, I said these books would be good baby presents, and that's definitely true, but I could also see using the books to teach primary grade students how to use pictures to predict text or how to be good picture detectives. If I was teaching ECE, kindergarten or first grade, I would also want these books in a basket of trade books students could easily read, those NO DAVID kind of books that kids return to again and again.

WORD BUILDERS- Ann Whitford Paul

I collect books about words and language play. This week, while browsing at the LIBRARY (I really am trying to curtail my book buying a little), I found a book that I really HAVE to own. WORD BUILDER is poet Ann Whitford Paul's latest creation. The whole book is one long metaphor; Paul compares the writing of a book to the building of a city. "Begin with 26 letters of the alphabet. Pile your words like blocks into sentence towers. The sentences become "paragraph villages" that transform into "chapter cities" and eventually become "a book." The text is very simple. Most pages contain only one or two words, or maybe a sentence. 

It's Kurt Cyrus' fabulous illustrations that really drew me to this book. The book begins with a little boy, dressed in a hard hat. The little boy uses a variety of machines and tools, everything from bulldozers to hammers, to "build" the three-dimensional word  illustrations on each page. I can picture kids like my son poring over these illustrations, then trying to draw their own.

This book is a "gotta have."

TWO CRAZY CHICKENS

LOUISE, THE ADVENTURES OF A CHICKEN is one of Kate DiCamillo's newest picture books. Louise is a chicken who gets bored at home, and regularly sets out to see the world. In her first adventure, Louise boards a ship, which is captured by pirates. As the pirates debate whether to friccase her, stew her, or serve her with dumplings, Louise jumps overboard, battles her way through a terrible storm, and eventually makes her way home to her safe, warm chicken coop. Next, Louise joins the circus, where she is very happy walking across a tightrope with a pink umbrella. A new adventure unfolds the day a lion escapes from his cage. In her third adventure, Louise travels to a bazaar in a faraway land, where she must rescue herself, and several other chicken friends, from a locked cage. This is a delightful story, with a kooky but oh so loveable main character, and a very sweet message about home and friendship. 

CORIANDER, THE CONTRARY CHICKEN- Dori Chaconas

Coriander is a very contrary chicken. While the other chickens are content to sit on their ruffled bottoms in their soft nests in the henhouse, Coriander sets out to see the world. She builds a nest right smack in the middle of a road, and settles in for a nice long rest. This, of course, causes a horrible traffic jam. Farmer Bucket, then Mrs. Bucket, attempt to convince Coriander to move out of the road, to no avail. Finally, little Fanny  Bucket is able to use a little reverse psychology to get Coriander to move. This is a really fun read, a kind of cumulative tale. I could also see myself spending some time talking about the interesting vocabulary- words like flippant and contrary. 

You could just enjoy these two terrific chiekn stories. You could also use them, however, to talk about character development, because both books have really strong, interesting, main characters. You could do great comparisons of Coriander and Louise (I'd probably start with Coriander, because I usually move from silly to more serious). If you wanted to add a third book to the mix, you could use the MINERVA LOUISE series by Janet Morgan Stoeke.

THE GOLDEN RULE- Ilene Cooper

I went out to get the paper this morning and found a beautiful new picture book from my friend Laura. THE GOLDEN RULE, by Ilene Cooper, is one of those books that is very simple in terms of the story line, but absolutely breathtaking in terms of the depth of its message. 

A little boy is taking a walk with his grandfather, when he sees  the Golden Rule, "DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU" on a billboard. The boy asks his grandfather about the billboard, and the grandfather tells his grandson that it means that you should not do anything to anyone else that you would not want done to you. 

The grandfather then explains to his grandson that all cultures have a version of this very important rule. He shares versions from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and the Shawnee tribes. The boy and his grandfather discuss the concept a little more, and the grandfather tells the boy that he could begin to apply the Golden Rule by using his imagination, "Imagine what it would feel like if you were a new child at school…" The last page of the book leaves kids with a very powerful visual image of this message. 

The illustrations in this book are gorgeous. Oil paintings, I think. The closeups of the faces are so, so beautiful. And each page that explains a different culture is done in that culture's artistic style. Absolutely perfect.

This will be the first book I share with kids next fall. We'll use it to talk about how we treat each other and why. I know it will be one of those unforgettable, soul changing, heart growing books that we will return to again and again…

ACROSS THE ALLEY

How did I miss this one?????  ACROSS THE ALLEY is not a new picture book, it was actually published in 2006, but I'd never heard of it until this week, when the librarian at school showed it to me. Now that I've read it, I can't believe that I have not heard more about it, because it's a really special book. 

Willie is a ten-year-old African American boy whose father played baseball in the Negro Leagues. Abe is a Jewish boy, about the same age. His grandfather was a concert violinist in the "old country." Willie's father wants him to be a professional baseball player, likewise, Abe's grandfather dreams that he will  be a famous musician. 

Because of the beliefs of that time, the boys are not allowed to play together during the day; but at night, across the alley, that all changes. Willie teaches Abe how to throw the baseball, and Abe teaches Willie to play the violin. When Abe's grandfather finally learns that it's not his grandson, but rather Willie, playing such beautiful music, he invites the him to play at synagogue. Similarly, Abe is invited to play in the baseball game that afternoon. 

E.B. Lewis, who illustrated THE OTHER SIDE by Jacqueline Woodson, also did the artwork for this book. And like THE OTHER SIDE, the illustrations are so, so beautiful. 

I'm putting this book in a basket with SISTER ANNE'S HANDS, THE OTHER SIDE by Jacqueline Woodson, AND WE ARE THE SHIP by Kadir Nelson. I can't wait to share it with kids.