Books in Brief: Wilfred

Reviewer: Travis

The name of the book being recommended: Wilfred by Ryan Higgins

Please give us five reasons why this book is awesome:

1. It features a vividly-imagined world where a hairy monster searching for a friend encounters a town of bald people.

2. The illustrations are excellent. Expressive characters and intricate textures.

3. It tells a Lorax-type tale about the perils of over-exploitation of our environment.

4. Except in this case it's the over-harvesting of monster hair for the purpose of making toupees.

5. There are many birch trees depicted. Logically, since the author is from Maine.

How can I find this book in the library? It can be found in the Children's Department, in picture book fiction, under the call number jE HIG.

Pre/K Story Time 10.22.13

We had a monstrous good time today!

BOOKS:

 

Wilfred

story and illustrations by Ryan Higgins

Wilfred is humongous and hairy, and he'll do just about anything for a friend. But when some greedy townspeople discover just how generous he is, they hatch a not-so-nice plan. A quirky and moving story about the power of true friendship. The kids were mesmerized.

Monster, Be Good!

story by Blue Apple Books

illustrations by Natalie Marshall

A bright, bold, and boisterous book featuring all kinds of monster behavior and what kids can do about it. Simple and fun.

ACTIVITY:

We "created" a monster on the white board by me drawing, to the kids' specifications, what body parts s/he should have, how many, what sizes, and what colors. This continued until we were satisfied with the finished product.

We also played Monster Match with these reproducible cards that the kids got to take home after.

If you have children between the ages of 4 and 6, please join us next Tuesday. There is no charge, and registration is not required, but tickets will be given out starting at 1:30. The program is limited to 18 children, ages 4-6.

Crayon Tree Party

We celebrated the holiday with an afternoon of fun. Children ages 4-6 joined us for a story, coloring pages, and snacks. All children made their very own crayon tree to take home. We started with a paper towel roll that was painted green, decorated with glitter and had 8 holes punched in it. Each child was given a new 8 pack of crayons. The crayons were inserted into the holes to make the tree. Now the fun really started when everyone began to decorate their trees with stickers, feathers, pipe cleaners, ribbon, and much more. Check out pictures of our masterpieces on our facebook page

Hidden Classic #6: The Devil's Storybook

This charming little book is full of witty stories about the Devil, who is portrayed as a short-tempered trickster always trying to stir up trouble. Sometimes the Devil gets the results he wants, other times the people he's trying to deceive fool him instead. All the tales have a subtle moral, mostly about the consequence of choices or desires, and a lesson about human nature.And several are really, really funny.

Natalie Babbitt was born and grew up in Ohio. She spent large amounts of time in those early years reading fairy tales and myths, and drawing. Her mother, an amateur landscape and portrait painter, provided early art lessons and saw to it that there was always enough paper, paint, pencils, and encouragement. In those days, Ms. Babbitt wanted only to be an illustrator. She spent a lot of time drawing at Laurel School in Cleveland and went on to major in studio art at Smith College.

As befits Babbitt's early training as an artist, a suitably wicked but hilarious drawing accompanies each tale.

But don't just take my word for it! Check out these credentials.....

"A masterful Devil's advocate, Natalie Babbitt presents ten brief testimonials to Satan's unflagging gusto for dirty tricks. Paunchy and well past his prime, this Prince of Darkness is no Superdemon."--Starred review, School Library Journal

"High on my list is The Devil's Storybook by Natalie Babbitt. This Devil is not dire; he is a scheming practical joker and comes to earth often when he is restless, to play tricks on clergymen, goodwives, poets, and pretty girls."--Jean Stafford, The New Yorker

"[Babbitt's] Devil is a cultured fellow who drinks cider, reads novels and gives concerts for the damned. He also has a sense of humor, frequently employed at human expense. What he lacks, however, is real malevolence. Parents who are concerned about their children's reading matter will be relieved to see that this book has virtually no violence, making it a tame match for the average cartoon - or, for that matter, Grimm's fairy tales." Laurel Graeber, The New York Times

There's also a very nice review at The Excelsior File.

Recommendations:
Association for Childhood Education International
Booklist, starred review
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Children's Book Review Service
Elementary School Library Collections, selected choice
Horn Book Magazine, starred review
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
New York Times Book Review
Publishers Weekly
School Library Journal, starred review
Wilson Library Bulletin

Awards:
American Library Association Notable Children's Books
Children's Book Council Children's Choices
Horn Book Magazine Fanfare List
National Book Awards Finalist
New York Times Notable Children's Books of the Year
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
School Library Journal, Best of the Best Books for Children

Pre/K Story Time 10.15.13

It was a starchy but delicious story time today.


BOOKS:

Hooray for Bread!
story by Allan Ahlberg
illustrations by Bruce Ingman
Full disclosure: I was given a loaf of bread as a gag gift when I was 10. Gag or not, I ate it! THAT'S how long and deep my love of bread is. So hooray, indeed! Ahlberg's enthusiasm and gentle humor  and Ingman's cheerful and quirky style suit each other perfectly. Also check out their previous collaborations: The Pencil, Previously, Everyone was a Baby Once, and The Runaway Dinner.

The French Fry King
story and illustrations by Roge
A sweet and clever story about finding one's passion. Also, it will make you crave fresh fries. And corn-on-the-cob. And shepherd's pie.

ACTIVITY:

We assembled a cardboard-tube baker like this one, except we substituted a loaf of bread for the cake. Cutting skills are often difficult to master, so the kids worked hard, but they were thrilled with their results and spent a few minutes after they finished introducing their bakers to each other and making up stories about them.

If you have children between the ages of 4 and 6, please join us next Tuesday. There is no charge, and registration is not required, but tickets will be given out starting at 1:30. The program is limited to 18 children, ages 4-6.

Pre/K Story Time Books (10.1.13)

This week it was all about celebrating our differences while finding common ground.

Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great
story and illustrations by Bob Shea
I think that Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great is pretty great, and so did the kids. The language is very contemporary and conversational, and the pictures support it beautifully. Goat is a little jealous of and competitive with Unicorn (and his popularity with the other creatures) until Uncicorn points out all of the drawbacks to being a unicorn and all of the great things about being a goat. A funny tale with a satisfying ending. This would be good not only for a 4-6-year-old audience but for kids all the way up through 3rd grade.

Oddrey

story and illustrations by Dave Whamond
I'm not quite sure what to say about this one. I love the messages about being yourself and about retaining your individuality even when it's not easy to do so, but I'm not sure about the audience for this book. I had to stop and define more than one word and idiom, which disrupts the flow of the story, so for that reason I'd recommend it to a slightly older audience (maybe first or second grade). But the simplicity of the story and the bright and lively illustrations are appealing to the pre-K and kindergarten set.

Our activity was an individuality wheel. We divided a paper plate into sections and asked each child what makes him/her unique (name, favorite food, favorite color, something s/he is good at, etc.) and then looked for ways that we are each unique and ways that some of us are alike. Then the children decorated each "wedge" of the wheel with markers and sequins.

If you have children between the ages of 4 and 6, please join us next Tuesday. There is no charge, and registration is not required, but tickets will be given out starting at 1:30. The program is limited to 18 children, ages 4-6.

Pre/K Story Time Books (9.24.13)

Week one of the fall session was off to an autumnal start with two books about industrious little mammals and a nature walk.

How Chipmunk Got His Stripes
story by Joseph & James Bruchac
illustrations by Jose Aruego
When you want a Native American tale well-told, Bruchac is your go-to guy, and this is one of his best picture book endeavors. Bear is a giant braggart, chipmunk (who starts out as a small squirrel) is a tiny tease, and the story is perfect for reading aloud. A great message, illustrated with verve and humor, and full of opportunities for silly voices and suspenseful pauses. When I read this to a few kindergarten classes as part of our outreach program, the kids were laughing along and begged to hear the story a second time the minute I had finished. It's THAT fun. :-)

 

Ol' Mama Squirrel

story and illustrations by David Ezra Stein
More silliness and lively drawings from the man famous for the hilarious Interrupting Chicken.

We also discussed chipmunk and squirrel behavior and then went out into the park armed with seeds, nuts, and dried fruit for our furry friends.

If you have children between the ages of 4 and 6, please join us next Tuesday. There is no charge, and registration is not required, but tickets will be given out starting at 1:30. The program is limited to 18 children, ages 4-6.