This past week I introduced three new books to some of my preschool groups and the children loved them!
The Book That Almost Rhymed, illustrated by Hatem Aly, written by Omar Abed, published by Dial Books for Young Readers, ISBN: 9780593406380.
An enthusiastic rhyme-spewing young storyteller wants to tell an action-packed tale filled with verses and wordplay. But a younger sister keeps botching up the rhymes by yelling out totally unexpected words, disrupting the narrative’s flow. That is the fun comical premise of this rollicking sibling romp that never goes the direction the reader thinks it will go. As new obstacles appear, the book becomes sillier and more giddily ridiculous and young storytime audiences cannot help but giggle. Abed has a blast throwing in zippy words, and demonstrates a talent for effective comic timing. Aly’s bright illustrations capture the escalating wildness of this impromptu collaboration; this is controlled chaos at its best. Things end with a sweet peaceful resolution. But what I really like is the clever way Abed reveals that the sister’s contributions can be used in an all new way. Here’s to future collaborations!
Mama in the Moon, created by Doreen and Brian Cronin, published by Rocky Pond Books, ISBN: 9780593698204.
You may have heard but this past week we had a solar eclipse, ha. When I saw a certain spread in this book showing a mama sloth’s silhouette as she slowly moves down a tree in front of a giant yellow moon I couldn’t help to think–wow, this looks like a sloth eclipse! The Cronins tell a tale that invites the storyteller to read it as slowly as a sloth’s movements. And yet, there is surprisingly a lot happening here. A baby sloth cuddles with their mother high up in a tree, but then tumbles to the ground. The little tyke panics, calling up to mom. She shouts down reassuring words, saying she will arrive soon, and to notice the comforting flowers, worms and butterflies. The idiosyncratic images in this book glow in the moonlight. The worms especially have a very distinct look to them. When the mother-child reunion finally does occur, young listeners feel relieved and elated. A satisfying gem.
Turtle-Turtle and the Wide, Wide River, created by Jane and Will Hillenbrand, published by Holiday House, ISBN: 9780823453979.
Will Hillenbrand says in an afterword that this story of a baby turtle surviving its first storm came to him in a dream. And it’s interesting: the book, while seeming like a pretty straightforward account about perseverance and animal characters helping out the littlest and youngest in their ranks, does have sort of a dream logic to it. Turtle-Turtle lives on a little island surrounded by a big river. Other seasoned creatures (a heron, frog and otter) notice a storm brewing, while Turtle-Turtle happily sniffs flowers, oblivious to the rolling dark clouds. When things go haywire and a wave pulls our turtle pal underwater, Turtle-Turtle must discover how to swim, paddle and kick those legs. The Hillenbrands make creating a picture book seem effortless and easy, when we all know that it is not. They throw in recurring word patterns (“down, down, down” followed by an “up, up, up”) and children happily shout out the sound effect words like whish, swish, and whoosh even while feeling deeply concerned about our hero. The illustrations deftly mix in the cute with perilous: that little smile on the turtle’s face makes listeners say “aaaawwww” while the storm clouds make them say “whoa.” An instant storytime favorite.
Mr. Brian's Picture Book Picks 