It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey as a way to share what you have read and/or reviewed in the past week. It's also a terrific way to find out what other people are reading.

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers have given this meme a children's literature focus: picture books, middle grade novels, etc. They "encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting the other bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

 

We're getting closer and closer to summer! There are only 13 teaching days of school left! You would never guess it with the bit of cold weather that has settled into our area over the last couple of days. I actually had to put the furnace back on and we had a fire in our fireplace this weekend. In a way, I suppose this strange fall-like feel in the air helps to keep Spring Fever from completely taking over. It's also perfect weather for snuggling into a cozy chair and reading books. Here are some of the books that I read last week:

 

 

 

From Wolf to Woof: The Story of Dogs by Hudson Talbott    This beautiful picture book tells a creation-myth about how dogs came to be such great companions to people. The story is about an abandoned wolf pup and an orphaned boy who become friends through the sharing of food and effort. The two work together to provide food and protection for each other. Eventually other outcast wolves and humans join them to become a team. Through time this relationship evolved into the relationship dogs and people enjoy today. I love the themes of friendship and teamwork. Many of my students have such a difficult time building positive relationships with peers and adults. This book would be awesome to share at the beginning of the school year. It also might be a great PB companion to Julie of the Wolves. I definitely want to get this book into my classroom library!

 

 

 

 

Hello, My Name is Ruby by Philip C. Stead    This is a nice picture book about friendship. In order to have a friend, you need to be a friend and Ruby flies around introducing herself to everyone she meets. The illustrations are rich and colorful and do a great job of supporting the text.

 

 

 

 

Special Delivery by Philip C. Stead, Matthew Cordell (Illustrator)   
What a fun picture book this is! Sadie, a plucky little girl, is determined to send an elephant to her Great-Aunt Josephine, because she "lives completely alone and could really use the company." She tries to send him in the mail, but can't afford the stamps. She also tries to deliver the elephant by plane and a train. I love the strong, determined girl, who takes all setbacks in stride. The illustrations, which were created using pen and ink and watercolor, could have been in the picture books I read when I was a young child. This book would be a lot of fun to have in my classroom library!

 

 

 

 

Sebastian and the Balloon by Philip C. Stead   
This is a cute, whimsical story of a young boy taking a wild ride in his imagination. Bored with everything around him, Sebastian made a balloon out of his grandma's afghans and patchwork quilts. He set off on a journey during which he shared pickle sandwiches with a bear and fixed up a broken down roller coaster with the bear, a bird, and three sisters. The illustrations, created with pastels, oil paints, and pressed charcoal, are just lovely. My favorite is of the boy and the bear sitting on a blanket together eating pickle sandwiches. I was a little concerned that the boy was sitting on his roof at the beginning of the story, and I think it should be stressed to young readers that this is dangerous and NOT something they should ever try. That said, this would be a fun book to share with kids.

 

 

 

 

Building Our House by Jonathan Bean   This picture book tells a great story of a family who bought a piece of land and built their own house on it. It took them over a year (they lived in a trailer during that time) and a lot of hard work. The story is based on the experiences of the author's family and shares all of the fascinating details of each step in the process. The text along with the great illustrations of this family ALMOST makes me want to build my own house. This would be a great book for my classroom library! 

 

 

 

 

Bird by Zetta Elliott, Shadra Strickland (Illustrator)   Wow! This book does a terrific job of taking serious issues of grief and drug abuse and putting them into a context that middle grade readers will be able to relate to. Mehkai (aka Bird) loves to draw as a way to escape from unpleasant circumstances and also as a way to express himself. He also uses art as a way to relate to his grandfather, his drug-addicted brother, and his Uncle Son. When he can't save his brother and his grandfather passes away, he uses his drawing as a way to heal. The art in this book, rendered in watercolor, gouache, charcoal, and pen, really reaches out to readers. This is definitely a book that should be in my classroom library! 

 

 

 

 

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jennifer Fisher Bryant, Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)   This is a fascinating picture book biography of Horace Pippin, an artist of the early 20th century. And even if young readers are not familiar with Pippin's work, the narrative of his life will still draw them in. He was born in 1888, the grandson of a former slave. He always loved to draw. Although he didn't have much time to draw, because he had to work so hard to help his family. After he was injured in World War I, he began painting and the rest is history. This book is very well researched by both the author and illustrator. There is an extensive list of resources at the end for further research. The artwork is just wonderful, rendered in watercolor, gouache, and collage. I'll be very excited to share this book with my students. 

 

 

 

 

A Dance Like Starlight: One Ballerina's Dream by Kristy Dempsey, Floyd Cooper (Illustrator)  This is is a terrific picture book that will inspire young readers to achieve their dreams. The little girl in this story has spent much of her life longing to become a ballerina. Her mother mends costumes and does other work for a ballet school. When the school master sees what a good dancer she is, he allows her to take lessons even though she can't perform with the white dancers. It's 1951, and Janet Collins has become the first African American ballerina to perform at the Metropolitan Opera House. The story gives a heartwarming account of this little girl's trip to the theater to see this historic performance. The illustrations are simply gorgeous and support the text so well. I love this book and definitely want to get a copy for my classroom library! 

 

 

 

 

Locomotive by Brian Floca   This awesome nonfiction picture book really takes readers for a ride back in time to cross the country during the early days of the Transcontinental Railroad. In 1869, when crossing the country on the railroad was still new, there was so much to see, hear, and experience. Brian Floca captures all the aspects: how passengers passed time, used the bathroom, ate dinner, slept, etc. There are also well-researched, highly detailed explanations of how the steam locomotive worked. The illustrations are awesome! I am definitely ordering this one for my classroom library!

 

 

 

Have You Seen My Dragon? by Steve Light  
This is a fun counting book. A little boy has lost his pet dragon in the city. As he goes around looking for it, black-and-white illustrations (except for color on the items you're supposed to count) show the dragon hiding in very clever ways. According to the title page, "the illustrations were done in ink using a Mont Blanc 149 with a B nib that 'flips' to a fine line. The nib was adjusted to do so by Richard Binder. They were then colored using Platinum Mix Free inks." This will be a fun book to share with young readers!

Leaves by David Ezra Stein   This is such a sweet picture book. With very simple text and heartwarming illustrations, the author captures the magic and wonder of the changing seasons. It's Bear's first year, so he has a lot to learn. He becomes very worried when the leaves start to fall off the trees. In one adorable scene, he's trying to put them back on the trees. He becomes sleepy, digs a hole and stuffs the leaves inside. He goes in and falls asleep. He gets a very happy surprise when he comes out in the spring. The illustrations were created with bamboo pen and water colors. The art really supports the text very well.  

Bad Bye, Good Bye by Deborah Underwood, Jonathan Bean (Illustrator)   This is a terrific picture book to share with anyone who has ever experienced the sadness of moving away from friends and a neighborhood you love. The beginning of the book shows the "bad" - boxes, rain, stuffed hot car, gray clouds. As the journey progresses, the clouds lift, naps are taken, lunch is eaten, and there's fun relaxation in a motel pool. As the family arrives at their new home, there are new rooms, new neighbors, new bugs, and new trees. By the end, there is reassurance that everything will be fine. The illustrations are perfect, as the show the transitions so well. The change from bad to good is gradual, and the artwork really expresses that in a lovely way. Moving is tough for everyone, especially children who often feel like that have no say in the matter. This book would be a great companion to Jessixa Bagley's "Before I Leave". 

Jazz by Walter Dean Myers, Christopher Myers (Illustrator)   This book of poetry celebrating jazz music and musicians is really something special. The poems read like a jam session, that incorporate so many styles of jazz: ragtime, swing, be-bop, fusion. The writing reflects the sounds and spirit of music. You almost feel like you're in a jazz club and you're ready to get up and dance! The illustrations by the author's son were created by painting black ink on acetate and placing it over acrylic. I'm really glad I found this book in my school's book room! 

  

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey as a way to share what you have read and/or reviewed in the past week. It's also a terrific way to find out what other people are reading.

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers have given this meme a children's literature focus: picture books, middle grade novels, etc. They "encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting the other bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

 

I love this time of year. Our state tests are finished, and we have 18 days to focus on finishing up the year with some of the more fun activities. We have Field Day, field trips, dances, parties and end-of-the-year ceremonies to look forward to. Even though these days are super busy, the weather is getting nicer and nicer. These are the days to try to get outside and read.

 

Here's what I've been reading this week:

 

 

 

 

 

At Night by Jonathan Bean   What a sweet, heart-warming picture book that would be terrific as a bedtime story. The little girl in the story is snug in her bed as everyone in her family is turning in for the evening. But as she hears her family snoring, she is wide awake. Anyone who's ever had trouble falling asleep will be able to relate to this. As she feels a bit of the evening breeze blowing through her window, she gets the impulse to go up to the roof of their city house. She sits with her pillows and blankets, breathing the night air and looking at the wide world and then she falls asleep. The illustrations are just lovely as we see the charming detail of the family's house rooftop and the loving mother looking on, but not interfering. I love that the cat is following the little girl and looking out for her. 

 

 

 

  

 

Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle   This is a lovely, wordless picture book. Flora and a beautiful flamingo engage in a dance together. Stunning illustrations and fun, interactive flaps show the two working together, getting over a mishap together, and having a wonderful time together. This story has a great message about teamwork, friendship, and art. I could practically hear the music as I turned the pages and watched this dance unfold!    

 

 

 

 

 

Please, Louise by Toni Morrison, Shadra Strickland (Illustrator)   This is a delightful picture book that is a celebration of libraries and books! Yay! Everything is dark, gray and scary as Louise walks along the street on a rainy afternoon. As soon as she enters the library, the mood lifts. "Here is a shelter from any storm. In this place you are never alone." The double page illustration, rendered in watercolor, gouache, pencil and crayon, shows bookshelves full of books and a checkout desk. My favorite illustration shows a close up of Louise's face as she is in the middle of a book, "Imagination is an open door. Step in here and let it soar." This book is definitely for Book Nerds everywhere!

 

 

 

If You Want to See a Whale by Julie Fogliano, Erin E. Stead (Illustrator)   Having taking quite a few cruise vacations, I completely understand what it's like sitting and staring at the ocean and watching to see a whale. It takes quite a bit of patience to sit and wait and watch. In the meantime, it's tempting to let your mind and attention wander to other things - clouds, roses, ships, etc. This story has a terrific message about patience and perseverance. The illustrations are just so sweet and heartwarming; they really complement the text very well!   

Early Bird by Toni Yuly   When I first saw this book, I thought about the early birds in my neighborhood. Now that it's spring and we're starting to sleep with open windows more often, I can't help noticing that our early birds get started with their LOUD chirping, singing and tweeting around 3:30 in the morning (nowhere near sunrise!). But this early bird gets at her day with a long journey across a yard. When the early bird gets the worm, the reader is in for a nice surprise! The nice surprise made this a new favorite book, that might be a terrific mentor text in my classroom library. The lovely illustrations were rendered in pen and ink and digital media.  

Hug Machine by Scott Campbell   Even though this book is kind of silly, I found myself smiling all the way through it. This is a cute picture book about a little boy that goes around hugging everyone and everything he finds. The illustrations, rendered in watercolor, are adorable and humorous. I love the smile on the turtle's face when he's getting a hug. I also love the oven mitts on the boy's hands when he's hugging a prickly porcupine. It's just a fun book that would be fun to share with young readers.    

Maggie and Michael Get Dressed by Denise Fleming   This is a cute picture book for young readers who are just beginning to appreciate dressing themselves. It's time for Michael to get dressed. As he gets out each item of clothing, he names the color and the item and then puts it on the dog, Maggie. Little kids will giggle as all of the items are placed on the playful dog. Finally, Michael gets himself dressed and ready for the day. The illustrations were created by pulp painting, a papermaking technique using colored cotton fiber poured through hand-cut stencils. Accents were added with pastel pencil. The results are beautiful illustrations that complement the story nicely.

Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by F. Isabel Campoy, Theresa Howell, Rafael Lopez (Illustrator)   This is a beautiful and inspirational picture book that celebrates art transforming a community. Based on the real-life experiences of the illustrator of this book, this is the story of how a little girl brought color to her gray, colorless urban neighborhood. As Mira, the little girl, started giving her own paintings away to spread a little color around, she met a mural artist. Soon she was painting the walls with bright colors. Before too long, many of her friends and neighbors joined in. The mood and the look of the neighborhood was changed completely. At the end of the story, there are photographs and information about the real-life transformation of the East Village, near downtown San Diego, California. The book is wonderfully illustrated with a combination of acrylic on wood, original photography, and digital art. I absolutely have to get a copy of this for my classroom library for next year!

Anything But Ordinary Addie: The True Story of Adelaide Herrman, Queen of Magic by Mara Rockliff, Iacopo Bruno (Illustrator)   Magic shows are always a big hit. This story, about a young girl in 19th century Europe who longed to be something special, could serve as a great motivational tale. Addie wanted to be something extraordinary, and so she became a talented ballet dancer. But that didn't seem special enough, so she joined a troupe of girls performing tricks on bicycles. Onboard a ship to America, she met her future husband, Alexander Herrmann, a famous magician. They performed all sorts of astonishing, shocking and dazzling tricks together, including shooting Addie out of a cannon. After he passed away, Addie wanted to keep the show going. Because she was worried that people wouldn't come to see a lady magician, she performed one of the most dangerous tricks at time, the bullet-catching trick. This is a well-researched, informative book that I think would be very popular in my classroom library. The informational pages in the back include a website to visit to learn how the bullet-catching trick was performed. The illustrations, which were done in pencil and colored digitally, are very lavish and detailed. It's a beautiful picture book biography.

Shrunken Treasures: Literary Classics, Short, Sweet, and Silly by Scott Nash   I won this book in a GoodReads Giveaway. I think this will a nice book to have in my classroom library. The author has taken nine literary classics and condensed them into much shorter poems and songs. The book is digitally illustrated with bold, colorful, humorous artwork. This could be a fun way to introduce these classic works to younger kids. There is more information on each of them at the back of the book.                

The Whale by Vita Murrow, Ethan Murrow (Illustrator)   This wordless picture book tells an awesome story of teamwork and adventure with beautiful black and white pencil illustrations. Two kids individually decide to find a Great Spotted Whale that had been sighted fifty years ago. Their boats collide, but they still work together to find the whale and prove it to others. This is a book that's fun to read several times to pick up all of the details. I think this would be an awesome book to share with students in my class.

The Typewriter by Bill Thomson   For anyone who's ready for a fun day at the beach, this stunningly illustrated wordless picture book is perfect! Three children find an old typewriter on a closed merry-go-round. As soon as they start typing the find themselves at the beach having all sorts of fun and adventure. The artwork is just stunning. Thomson created a handmade model of a bumblebee before beginning his artwork. Using traditional painting techniques, he rendered each illustration in acrylic paint and colored pencils. Amazingly, his illustrations are not photographs or computer-generated images. This book would be a lot of fun to have in my classroom library!

Have You Seen My New Blue Socks? by Eve Bunting, Sergio Ruzzier (Illustrator)   This is a cute picture book that deals with the mystery of Duck's missing blue socks. He looks everywhere he can imagine to look. He seeks help from his friends the fox, an ox, and some peacocks. With the help of the peacocks, he discovers his socks in a rather silly place. Young readers would have fun with repetitive, rhyming text. The illustrations, rendered in pen and ink and watercolor, are colorful and whimsical and absolutely perfect for the type of book this is. I especially like the paintings of Duck's cluttered home.  

Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives by Lola M. Schaefer, Christopher Sila Neal (Illustrator)   This nonfiction picture book would be a great resource to use as a starting point for further research. It's also just a fun book to start the imagination process! This well-researched book presents information about many different animals. She does this by sharing a fascinating number of times in the animal's lifetime that it will perform an act or function. For example, "In one lifetime, this spider will spin 1 papery egg sac." OR "In one lifetime, this caribou will grow and shed 10 sets of antlers." The back of the book shares even more information about each animal. The illustrations, rendered in mixed media, support the text very well. I definitely want to get a copy for my classroom library!  
 


  



   



         

              

 

 

 

 

 

 



               

 

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey as a way to share what you have read and/or reviewed in the past week. It's also a terrific way to find out what other people are reading.

Jen Vincent, of Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee Moye of Unleashing Readers have given this meme a children's literature focus: picture books, middle grade novels, etc. They "encourage everyone who participates to support the blogging community by visiting the other bloggers that link up and leave comments for them.

 

April showers bring May flowers! It's a rainy, sloppy weekend and perfect day for sitting around reading books! I've read quite a few picture books this week. I'm starting to compile my lists of books that I want to order for my classroom library for next year. There's only 23 days left of school, and then it'll be time to start shopping for books. In addition to what I'll order through the school, I spend a lot of time scouring garage sales, thrift stores, and library sales to build my classroom library.

 

Here's what I've been reading:

 

Waylon! One Awesome Thing by Sara Pennypacker, Marla Frazee (Illustrations)    For fans of the Clementine series, this will be a fun book to read. The kids in Clementine's class are in fourth grade now. This book focuses on Waylon, a boy in her class. Waylon has a very scientific mind and he's considered one of "the Brains" of the fourth grade. The kids in his class are split up into "teams" and they don't particularly get along with each other. Arlo, a very charismatic fourth grader, seems to be calling all the shots and deciding who's on which team. This is stressing Waylon out (among other things like his older sister's scary new attitude) and he just wants to be friends with his regular friends. Then Baxter, a new kid with a bad reputation, comes along. He's not interested in being on a team either. But, he teams up with Waylon on a very important mission.

I like the character development in this story. All of the characters grow. I like that the book focuses on the kids are often overlooked at school, and makes the reader root for them. I also like that this book takes a look at a boy character from a popular series. It kind of reminds me of the Beverly Cleary books that focus on Henry Huggins, who is a friend and neighbor of Beezus and Ramona.

This book, and the Clementine series, would be fun to have in my classroom library. I have a few of the other Clementine books, and some of the girls in my class seem to like them. They are aimed more at third and fourth graders, though.

My Name Is Truth: The Life of Sojourner Truth by Ann Turner    This is a great nonfiction biography about the life of Sojourner Truth. This book is very informative and nicely illustrated with beautiful watercolor paintings. This would be a great addition to my classroom library, as we study about slavery and the Underground Railroad. This book has further information at the end, also.

Miss Mary Reporting: The True Story of Sportswriter Mary Garber by Sue Macy, C.F. Payne (Illustrator)    This is a beautiful and inspiring picture book biography of sportswriter Mary Garber. Garber grew up loving sports of all kinds. Her father often took her and her younger sister to sporting events and encouraged her to learn all she could. She became a sports reporter at a time when women weren't even allowed in the press box or the locker rooms. She was inspired by Jackie Robinson, the first black player in major league baseball. This book is so well researched and it has an extensive list of resources at the end. The mixed media illustrations are beautiful! This biography would serve as an awesome mentor text for informational writing in my classroom library.

Elizabeth Started All the Trouble by Doreen Rappaport, Matt Faulkner (Illustrations)    This is a great nonfiction picture book! This book is highly engaging and very informative. I don't think we teach enough about how women have fought for equality and one of the most basic rights, the right to vote. A lot of kids and grown-ups take these rights for granted. When politicians accuse someone of "playing the woman card" we should remember that the rights we enjoy didn't come easily. This well-researched book lays out just how long it took from our birth as a nation to equality for women. It also discusses many of the other laws that were unfair to women: women couldn't go to college, women couldn't own property, women couldn't become doctors, lawyers, or ministers. The illustrations are colorful and detailed and really support the text very well. There's also a great list of resources for further research. I would love to order this book to be in my classroom library for next year.

A Beetle Is Shy by Dianna Hutts Aston, Sylvia (Illustrations)    This is an informative nonfiction picture book that would be a great starting place for research on beetles. There is tons of information and beautiful watercolor illustrations. While the book is very well researched, I think the Emerald Ash Borer should have been mentioned on the page that states a beetle is "harmful." When you consider that this beetle has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees in North America and has cost municipalities, property owners (including us!), and nursery operators hundreds of millions of dollars, I'd consider this beetle more than just part of the pretty kaleidoscope of beetles! Otherwise, I think this book would be a great addition to any classroom library.

Otters Love to Play by Jonathan London, Meilo So (Illustrations)    I love this nonfiction picture book that takes us through a year in the life of the playful otter. We start in the spring when the baby otters are born, and from the beginning, otters love to play! As the author takes us through each season, we learn about their homes, how their bodies are adapted for all kinds of weather in the water, how they hunt, and lots of other information. Each page also includes more detailed information in stylized type. Their is an index in the back of the book, making this a terrific resource for young readers starting to use nonfiction books as a research tool. The watercolor illustrations are awesome. I am going to try to get a copy of this for my classroom library!

Little One by Jo Weaver   This is a beautiful, heartwarming story of the year in the life of a bear and her baby cub. The bears emerge from the den in the spring. Mama bear teaches the baby bear so many things during the spring. When it's finally winter again, the go home again to their own den to cuddle up and sleep away the winter. The black and white charcoal illustrations are just wonderful.

Daniel Finds a Poem by Micha Archer    What an awesome picture book this is! This lovely book is a terrific mentor text for young readers and writers to use to build their own conception of what poetry is. As I read the text, the words are just so perfect and the accompanying artwork is so beautiful, I am just in love with this book. The illustrations were done in oil and collage, using tissue paper and patterned papers created with homemade stamps. I definitely need to order this book for my classroom for next year as I've already had 109 ideas on lessons I could teach with it! Yay!

What Are You Glad About? What Are You Mad About?: Poems for When a Person Needs a Poem by Judith Viorst, Lee White (Illustrations)    I definitely need to have more poetry in my classroom library and in my instruction. I have poetry and enjoy it, but I'm not consistent. Maybe because I (along with my students) tend to associate poetry with stiff and formal literature and sometimes feel a little bit intimidated by it. I know that is silly, but thankfully, this book will be a terrific place to start. The poems in this book cover topics that are familiar and fun for all age groups: emotions, school stuff, family, friends, seasons, etc. Many of the poems rhyme, but not all of them do. Some are silly and some are more serious. The illustrations complement the poetry nicely, but they don't overwhelm it. I definitely want to order this book for my classroom for next year!

Puddle by Hyewon Yum    Just in time for springtime showers comes this charming picture book! A little boy is completely bummed out because the rainy weather is ruining all of his fun plans for the day. He can't go to the playground, play soccer or ride his bike. His mother tries to get him to stop moping around and come and draw a picture. When he declines to come over and draw, she starts drawing without him. Like all curious little kids, he comes over and sees that she's drawing a picture of his umbrella. Before long the two of them are drawing themselves in a rainy day scene complete with a jump in a puddle. The illustrations are awesome and fit the story so well. This would be fun to read to bored youngsters on rainy days for sure!

The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield    I love this picture book not only for the lovely story, but the illustrations are just breathtaking! The story tells about a bear who finds a piano in the forest. He plays a note here and there. And over the course of a year, he becomes a talented piano player. Eventually he's heard by people, goes to the city with them, and becomes an accomplished pianist on Broadway. And even though he becomes famous, he never forgets where he comes from and how important the rest of the bears back home are. The mixed media illustrations are just beautiful. Most are double page spreads that show sunlight streaming through the trees, almost like a spotlight on the bear playing the piano. My absolute favorite illustration is the double page spread of the bear playing a sold-out concert in a giant theater. I definitely want to order a copy of this book for my classroom, and maybe one for here at home, too!

Have a Look, Says Book. by Richard Jackson, Kevin Hawkes (Illustrations)    This is a nice picture book to share with a young child, especially if you can snuggle together in a big chair. This book is a simple, rhyming picture book that explores all that can be enjoyed between the pages of a book. There's even a place for a break with hot cocoa and cake, as long as you don't spill or get crumbs on the big, comfy chair!

Who Woke the Baby? by Jane Clarke, Charles Fuge (Illustrations)    This picture book is a cute, rhyming cumulative tale. Something or someone woke the baby gorilla. The watercolor illustrations and the rhyming tale show all that happened prior to the baby waking up. I think this would be a fun book to use to talk about cause and effect chains. I want to order this book for my classroom for next year!

Pigs and a Blanket by James Burks    This is a cute book to share with young children as it has a fun message about sharing and getting along. Both Henry and Henrietta love their blanket, but they don't like sharing it so much. They both tug on it and try to have more of it for themselves until it rips in half. It's cute they way they try to enjoy their separate pieces of blanket, but don't seem to be having so much fun until they come back together. The illustrations are fun and complement the story well.

Waiting for High Tide by Nikki McClure    For readers who wonder what it would be like to spend time on the seashore, this is a great picture book. A boy is dying to go for a swim, but it's low tide. The shore is all muddy where the water would normally be. He has to wait for about six hours for high tide. He spends his time searching for treasure, helping his family build a raft, and eating sandwiches and cookies. Finally when it's time to push the raft off into the water, the wait is over. The illustrations in this book were made by cutting black paper with an X-ACTO knife. The author also used a fountain pen to render the drawings. This artwork really complements the story well. It would be a lot of fun to spend the day with the family in this book!

Spare Dog Parts by Alison Hughes, Ashley Spires (Illustrations)    This book is clever and fun to read, perfect for dog lovers. A little girl with a great imagination tells how her dog was put together: with leftover parts and put together like a big dog puzzle. That explains the odd-shaped body, the mismatched legs, the stumpy tail, the floppy ears, the snuffling nose and the drooly snout. But in spite of all these strange features, the girl loves her dog and wouldn't trade her for anything. The illustrations, rendered in ink and watercolor, are humorous and help tell the story wonderfully. This would be a fun book to have in my classroom library.

Our Love Grows by Anna Pignataro    This is a nice picture book for young readers who are anxious to grow bigger, older. "When will I be big?" the little panda bear asks his mother. The mother reassures him. He's bigger than he was before, the trees are bigger, the birds are bigger. She also lets him know that as he grows, she will always love him. Watercolor and pencil were used to create the lovely illustrations that complement the story so nicely.