Write for a Reader

Thank you to the author, Stephen Parlato, who sent me an autographed copy of this book, and thank you to The Picnic Basket for the chance to review this.

Title:  The World that Loved Books

Author:  Stephen Parlato

Illustrator:  Stephen Parlato

Review Copy Provided by:  author via The Picnic Basket blog

Summary of book (from back of book):  There once was a world where everyone loved books, even the animals.  Everyone loved to read so much that when they read their books, they became what they read.  When they closed their books they became themselves again…only smarter.

My Review:  This is an absolutely beautiful book!  I could sit for hours just looking at the pictures as each big picture is a collage of smaller pictures that take time to pick out and enjoy.  Imagine a horse made up of fish, or a cat made up of mice, rats, and hamsters.  It is truly unbelievable!  When I got this book, I was impressed with the cover art, much more so than the picture online did it justice.   I can’t wait to give this book to my students and see how they react!  Not only are the pictures amazing, but it has a great message.  There is not a “plot” to this story, just instances of how people and animals change with each book that they read.  I am always telling my students that with books you can go anywhere, become anything or anyone, and learn whatever you want to know.  This book solidifies the premise that we become what we read.  From each book we read, we take a piece of it with us and carry it around forever.  What a great message for kids and adults alike.  I will definitely be using this one with my reluctant readers because it is an easy read with a good message.  Some children may have a hard time reading it by themselves as the text is not always linear.  I like how the author manipulates the text into curves to accent the illustrations.  I know that there are a few of my boys that will fall in love with this book strictly because of the illustrations, and if that’s how I hook them, then I’ve got them!  I will recommend this to teachers and my librarian for the same reasons:  beautiful illustrations, easy read, great message.

I don’t usually give ratings to my book reviews, but since I am reviewing this book for The Picnic Basket, I was asked to rate the book on a scale of 1-5.  Here is how the scale works out:  5-Strongly Recommend, 4-Recommend without Reservation, 3-Neutral, 2-Recommend under Certain Reading Situations, & 1-Unlikely to Recommend.  When I review books for The Picnic Basket, I will be using these ratings and giving you my reasoning behind the rating.  So, without further adieu, I rate The World that Loved Books a 4 – Recommend without Reservation (This book should be in every picnic basket, it is as good as the perfect potato salad and would be welcome at a coastal or park picnic.  You would rummage through the picnic basket to read it.) based on the illustrations.  I think that children will ask to read it often because of it is short and so that they can see the pictures.

Stephen Parlato has another book, Dragons Love, that I can’t wait to get my hands on!

Other info about the book:

2003, Simply Read Books
36 pp, full color, 8 3/4″ X 12″, cloth with die-cut cover
Ages 6-11
US $16.95, CDN $22.95, UK £9.95, AU $24.95

Although I’ve read some Christmas titles during the season this year, I haven’t reviewed any here due to other review obligations.  Imagine my surprise when I opened up a package in the mail yesterday to find this wonderful picture book!

Title:  The Gift of the Christmas Cookie - Sharing the True Meaning of Jesus’ Birth

Author:  Dandi Daley Mackall

Illustrator:  Deborah Chabrian

Review Copy Provided by:  Phenix & Phenix

Summary of the Book:  It’s the Christmas season during a time when people had little money to spend.  Cookie jars held pennies, not Christmas cookies.

So when Jack smells something delicious coming from the kitchen, can’t believe his nose.  Cookies!

But his excitement turns to disappointment when he learns the cookies aren’t for him.  Instead, Mother is baking them for the needy people at their church.  While Jack helps roll out the dough, his mother tells him the story of the Christmas cookie.

My Review:  My first impression of this book, without opening it, was beautiful!  The cover is nostalgic, with the scene of an old timey table spread out and messy with sugar cookie ingredients.  I fell in love with the cover and the fact that it was about my favorite holiday, Christmas.  One thing that I love to do during the holidays is bake, and I usually bake a few batches of cookies.  I knew that I had to read this book immediately.

I was not disappointed with this one.  Mackall takes a small action, making cookies with your mom, and turns it into such a large action, sharing the love of Christ with a stranger.  What a sweet story!  It is short, beautifully illustrated, and well written.  A must have for the Christmas collection! 

Sugar Cookie Recipe

(included in book)

4 cups sifted flour

4 cups powdered sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp anise extract

Stir all the ingredients.  Let the dough stand for two hours.  Then roll out the dough.  Imprint with cookie cutters, or use a designed rolling pin, or press into molds.  Let them sit while the oven preheats to 325 degrees.  Bake on greased baking sheets for about 15 minutes.

A big thank you to Paula from Author Marketing Experts for sending me this book. 

Title:  A Day with My Dad

Author:  Lance Waite

Illustrator:  Manuela Pentangelo

About the Book:  Singing and talking, and simply enjoying their time together, father and daughter take a break from the hectic daily routine to reconnect with each other, and nature.

My Review:  Told from the viewpoint of the child, a little girl recalls a day spent with her dad.  This is a sweet little picture book.  I enjoyed the rythm of the story as the little girl tells about her day with her dad.  What a great gift for a daughter to give to her dad this Christmas, or for Father’s Day.  The print in the book is not your typical block print, instead it is soft script that fits in well with the girls’ perspective of the story.  Manuela Pentangelo has great illustrations that use bright, vivid colors.   I would recommend this story to teachers who want to teach rhyming to their students as it is full of rhymes, hence the great rhythm that happens when you read it aloud.  I also recommend it to parents of girls because there is a great bond between fathers and daughters and this book describes it so well. 

More About the Book: 

Price:  $17.99

ISBN:  978-1-60131-015-6

Pages:  24

Title:  No Mush Today

Author:  Sally Derby

Illustrator:  Nicole Tadgell

Review Copy Provided by:  Publisher (Lee & Low)

Summary from Book Jacket:  Nonie’s had enough!  Enough mushy mush for breakfast.  Enough of her baby brother’s crying.  So off she goes to live at Grandma’s house.  No mush or baby there.  Grandma attends to Nonie.  Grandma takes her out inot the world of grown-ups.  After a day away from home, will Nonie reconsider her move?  Maybe…maybe…if she can make a deal about breakfast!

My Review:  I enjoyed this book.  It is short and simple.  Who hasn’t had their oldest child, because of a younger sibling, want to run away?  I think it is something that every older sibling goes through.  Now that the new baby is here, some of the attention is gone.  That is how Nonie feels.  Plus, she is tired of having mush for breakfast.  Things will be better at Grandma’s (next door).  Or will they?  Children will relate to this story.  I like the fact that the story is about an African American family.  We need to expose children to all cultures and books is one way to do that.  Children also need to see other children like them in books, and Lee & Low does this so well with the titles they choose to publish.  I love how the illustrator uses facial expressions to show Nonie’s feelings.  As you read, you notice these even though the author doesn’t tell you how Nonie feels.  This adds so much to the story.  Young children will love this story for it’s illustrations, and it’s message.  Things may be better somewhere else, but home is the best place to be.

Yet another book that my librarian received and had out on the “New Books” table.  I just love to walk by there every week and see what “pops” out at me!

Very Hairy Bear by Alice Schertle and illustrated by Matt Phelan

Summary from the book jacket:

A very hairy bear doesn’t mind when his nose gets sticky with honey, wet from salmon fishing, or stung by bees…

But there’s something he does mind.

What could it be?

My Review:

I want to first start off by saying that I love the illustrations in this book.  They look like water colors, and the pages are not glossy, so it adds to the pictures.  I also love the descriptive language in this book.  For example: “Deep in the green gorgeous wood lives a boulder-big bear with shaggy, raggy, brownbear hair everywhere…”  I really think that children could picture the bear in their mind, even without the picture, but the picture just makes it so much better.  Just like the summary says, Very Hairy Bear deosn’t care about many things: a blue nose from blueberries, scolding squirrels, and bee stings to name a few.  There is one thing he cares about, but I would give the story away if I told you.  Once the author tells you, it would be interesting to see how children think bear could solve his problem.  A cute story!

AND NOW…More Giveaways!

Booking Mama is giving away copies of The Space Between Before and After.  You can read the review here.  Go over and check out today’s post about Boundtrack…it is very interesting how music is tied to this book.

Over at My Friend Amy, she has 2 copies of The Shape of Mercy to give away.  Just leave a comment about the Salem Witch Trials with your email and you will be entered.

I don’t usually have time to post on the weekends as my husband and I spend a lot of time outside working on our place.  We have 9 acres and there is always something to be done.  We spent part of the day at a Fall Festival giving hay rides with our tractor and trailer.  It was fun to see all of the kids in their costumes and having fun.  You can tell it’s Fall, but not by the weather here in TX.

I have been drawn to multi-cultural picture books this week, and found this one to be most appropriate as we all get ready to exercise our right to vote.  The following title would be great to add to a unit on voting as it deals with the history of the black man getting the right to vote.

Papa’s Mark by Gwendolyn Battle-Lavert, is a book I just happened on in our school library the other day.  Our librarian always spotlights books that she’s recently gotten in, and this one just jumped out at me.  I’m so glad it did.

Summary from the book jacket:

“Freedom don’t come easy,” said Papa.  “My papa taught me that.”

Simms knows election day will be a big day for his papa, and for all of Lamar County.  for the very first time, Papa will get to vote.  But Simms wishes his papa could write his own name, so he could go to the courthouse with head held high.  And Simms is determined to teach Papa, because, like his father, he knows that freedom doesn’t come easy.

My Review:

I can’t say too much about this one without giving away the whole story, but I liked this book.  It is written from Simms’ point of view, a child, which I think adds so much to the story.  It is great to see this time in history through his eyes.  Simms is so excited about election time, even though he can’t vote, his Papa can.  The colored folks are going to get to vote for the first time – history is in the making in Lamar County!  All papa has ever done is put his mark, an X, where his signature should go.  Simms wants Papa to be able to write his name the way others do, not with a mark.  He is bound and determined to teach him, even though Papa doesn’t see why it’s such a big deal to Simms.  Papa wants to be able to write his name for his voting ballot, but he keeps making “chicken-scratch.”  Will Papa ever get it right?  Will he vote in the election?  Read for yourself!

Wanted to let you know about a picture book giveaway.  Bookroomreviews Weblog is giving away Mail Harry to the Moon and The Day Leo Said, “I Hate You.”