Saturday, September 15, 2012

Picture Book Saturday (33)

Good News, Bad News
By Jeff Mack
Published 2012 by Chronicle Books
This book is so absolutely wonderful! With minimal text, Mack creates a really clever and fun story that is sure to be a hit with young readers. This book is excellent for dialogic reading, as parents can have the children practice their narrative skills and fill in the story. This is a sweet tale of friendship and also teaches the concept of good news/bad news in a fun and easy to understand way. I will definitely be using this in a storytime!

Time Out for Monsters!
By Jean Reidy, illustrated by Robert Neubecker
Published 2012 by Hyperion
I'm starting to think Neubecker might be an illustrator to add to my cache of "children's illustrators whose books I'll always read." I spotted this one on our new book cart and couldn't resist reading through it. This is a cute story that will definitely appeal to children. Using monsters, this book makes it very easy for parents to talk about the idea of "time-out" and illustrate why we have it. I think parents should give this one more than just a glance for teaching this idea to their young ones.

I Have Two Homes
By Marian de Smet, illustrated by Nynke Mare Talsma
Published 2011 by Clavis Publishing
Generally, I don't read picture books that deal with social issues (divorce, parents in jail, etc.) but the illustrations in this one caught my eye. I was pleasantly surprised by how this book deals with the difficult issue of divorce and having two different homes. The young girl's feelings about her two homes are related simply and kids going through this experience will readily identify with the things she feels. This is a great one for kids adjusting to life after divorce.

Tushes and Tails!
By Stephane Frattini
Published 2012 by Sterling Children's Books
This book is a bit difficult to categorize for me - it's a board book, but the content is more advanced than the typical board book audience. Don't get me wrong - this book is basically just lift-the-flap pictures of different animal butts, but once you lift the flap, readers are greeted with information about the animal represented. Now, it's not taxonomic, biological information - just basic stuff, really - but it still seems lightly more advanced than what toddlers can understand. But perhaps I'm wrong. Still, this is a book sure to appeal to kids who find it.

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