These are a few of my favorite things

I love dogs.
I love books.
I love love Dog Loves Books.


by Louise Yates
Alfred A. Knopf
$16.99
ISBN: 9780375864490

Dog enjoys books so much that he opens his very own bookstore. As business is slow, downhearted dog begins to read his wares. "When he read, he forgot that he was waiting. When he read, he forgot he was alone." Finishing one book, he chooses another and thus begins a new adventure.

As you can imagine, reading so many stories gives him excellent reader's advisory skills. Once customers start coming to his store, he gets to do his most favorite thing of all with books: share them!

Naturally the themes of Dog Loves Books made it the obvious choice to share during my goodbye party last week. And where exactly am I going?

I'm thrilled and honored to be the new Assistant Coordinator of Children's Services for Queens Library. I am completely excited to work with children's librarians in a new capacity and serve as a programming resource system-wide. One of my responsibilities this first week is to observe a library program for children on yoga-- which for anyone that personally knows me, knows that I find this beyond cool.

It will be curious to see if this change will have any effect on my blog. I hope to continue sharing ideas and inspiration in the form of books, activities, resources and more. If anything, now I will have even more library love to give... 63 to be exact!

Positively Positive!

My latest storytime discovery combines my two loves: a positive attitude and, well, shoes. Pretty genius!


Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
by Eric Litwin
HarperCollins
$16.99
ISBN: 9780061906220

Meet this happy go-lucky cat out for a stroll in his brand new white shoes when he happens to step in a huge pile of strawberries! "What color did it turn his shoes?"

Shoe transformation occurs three more times with varying slants (and oddly enough, another mountain of fruit) but each time, "Did Pete cry?" "Goodness, no! He kept walking along and singing his song."

Pete's song, "I love my ________ shoes," repeated three times, invites audience participation along with the direct, reoccurring questions above. The rustic, colorful illustrations capture the casual, go with the flow nature of this zen cat whose expression remains the same throughout the story. The moral is clearly stated at the end: "no matter what you step in, keep walking along and singing your song... because it's all good."

Whether children will note the lesson of this big picture perspective and find beauty in their own mistakes is questionable, but also beside the point when the story is so enjoyable.

There's plenty of video inspiration for the tune of the song via an author bookstore reading, and two little ones sharing their memorized version at bedtime.

Thank you to my amazing co-worker Rebecca for sharing the book with me!

New Storytime Book Alert

Jump!
by Scott Fischer
Simon & Schuster
$14.99
ISBN: 9781416978848

Repetitive phrases? Check!
Active movements? Check!
Humorous illustrations? Check!
Rhyming text? Check! (Disclaimer: This can also work against a book unless it's well done.)

This week I read Jump! by Scott Fischer in Preschool Storytime and Family Storytime to a great response. Short rhymes involving one creature sleeping until a larger predator comes by... at which point it’s necessary to JUMP! Witness the lively scene below:



As I tend to be a fan of controlled chaos I found it most successful to have all the children stand up at the same time and take one big jump together, after which I would say, "Phew, we got away!" Otherwise, once little ones start jumping it can take some time for everyone to finish (hey, jumping IS fun!) and regroup to sit back down.

Hello Kitty

Meeow and the Little Chairs
by Sebastian Braun
Boxer Books
$16.95
ISBN: 9781906250881

Meeow first caught my eye with his resemblance to Chococat.
Chococat was always my favorite Sanrio character, but Meeow brings stiff competition with his fashionable scarf. Plus he has a mouth! Even better than accessorized smiling cats however, is the direct storytelling, presentation and liveliness perfectly considered for toddlers.

In Meeow and the Little Chairs, Meeow is introduced along with his four friends who have come over to play. His friends are different animals appropriately enough named after the sound they make: Baa the Sheep, Moo the Cow, Quack the Duck and Woof the Dog. Each is featured carrying various colored props, and working together with the special item Meeow finds in his bookbag, they create a very exciting game!

There is a certain genius behind creating the most simple of stories that are engaging for the youngest children. Short, repetitive sentences are combined with dialogic style questions like, "What have you found Meeow?" and "What can they be doing?" to build interest. The concise text integrates concepts of animal names and sounds, colors and imaginative play with opportunities for read aloud extensions using noises and movement. Primary colored cartoon characters are depicted energetically in motion, even more noticeable amid the uncluttered background with boldly sized font.

The cheerful, developmentally conscious approach is exactly captured on the inside jacket flap:

Say hello to Meeow. Like every young child, Meeow has fun making things! Play and learn with Meeow.

Meeow and the Big Box was also published in 2009, with the upcoming Meeow and the Pots and Pans hitting shelves April 6, 2010.

Class Visit Favorite

I must admit my love for Ian Schoenherr. Cat & Mouse was my favorite picture book of 2008 due to the combination of beloved nursery rhymes, the striking layout incorporating the movement of text amidst ample white space, and of course the expressive illustrations (obvious cat owner). Plus he lives just a few subway stops away from my library!

So I was quite excited to read his next book, Read It, Don't Eat It, which has quickly become one of my preferred titles to share during early elementary class visits.

I start with reading the inside book flap: "You are holding a book. What should you do with it? Open it and you will find out." The title page features a bear intently reading a book. On the following page he proceeds to smelling it... turn one more page, and as he is shown nibbling at the corner of a spine, the book begins with, "Read it, don't eat it."

Each spread offers a short statement of advice on the left side, paired with a humorous drawing on the right. Suggestions range from, "No dog-ears, please" to "Please return it when you're done." The illustrations provide a natural extension for discussion, particularly in the case of "Don't censor, delete or deface." The book closes with, "Share it with a friend, a sister, a brother. Now go out and get another." Sigh... yes indeed.

Being presumptuous, I imagine he wrote this book with children's librarians in mind. Not only is it a brilliant introduction to proper book care utilizing such vocabulary as borrow, overdue and renew but it's also a highly entertaining way to transition to my speech about how to use the library.

Mr. Schoenherr recently released a new book in February, titled, Don't Spill the Beans! I've heard it involves keeping secrets and birthday surprises! Our copy is on order and I'm eagerly anticipating its arrival.

Valentine's Day Reading

Henry In Love
By Peter McCarty
Balzer & Bray (HarperCollins)
$16.00
ISBN: 9780061142888

Published in late 2009, Henry in Love is one of my new favorite picture books, particularly for this time of the year.

Simple sentences, usually one or two per page spread, introduce Henry the cat and his crush on Chloe the rabbit, the “loveliest girl in his class.” This sweet, gentle story of childhood crushes is complete with flirtation by cartwheels and somersaults, snack exchanges, and the anticipation of new seat assignments.

What really had me swooning however, are the illustrations. Each anthropomorphized character is depicted in a realistic meets modern fashion, resulting in the perfect level of cuteness. The use of shading with dark hues to create a furry effect, combined with pops of bright color set against an otherwise sparse background makes for a sophisticated visual experience that still offers wide appeal.

This book would be an excellent early elementary read aloud for Valentine's Day. In my community parents are very interested in exposing their children to American holidays and I never have complaints about sharing such titles. For more sensitive communities, this book never distinctly mentions Valentine's Day, rather young love is the focus.