Through The Looking Glass

June 29th, 2010

Evening everyone!!!  Tomorrow I will have a review for you, but today I thought I would bring you a Tiny-Tot-Tuesday.

I found this book in a grocery store yesterday (on sale for $6.00 …woohoo!) and thought WOW, what a crazy interesting book.  You have the story, but it is laid out in such a unique way that it makes the book itself into a journey.  Every time you flip the page there are secret letters in these tiny little envelopes for you to pull out and read, maps to explore, hidden treasures to find.  It is not for the tiniest of your children, but if you have a little curious cat around you this one is a fun one to explore.

Princess Alyss of Wonderland

For a complete book description click image


Publisher Comments:

Feast your eyes on the collected memorabilia of the real Alyss! This lavishly illustrated scrapbook includes:



  • Alyss embattled correspondence with Lewis Carroll
  • Actual annotated manuscript pages from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, as well as the early reviews of the book
  • A flip book given to Alyss by John Tenniel, the original illustrator of Carroll’s whimsical tale
  • Journal entries and detailed drawings describing the indelible mark that Wonderland left on the young Alyss
  • Removable letters that the princess wrote to her loved ones back home
  • And a playable deck of cards created by Alyss to battle the imposter Alice.

This is a book for fans of fantasy and of the bestselling ology books, for Lewis Carroll scholars, and especially for young girls in search of a fresh, new, princess story.

Synopsis:

Enter the exciting world of the real Alyss of Wonderland Behold the stunning proof that the fictitious little girl you have known as Alice was actually a very real little princess named Alyss. Assembled in this scrapbook are the collected letters, journals, and art of the princess who fled her world of wonder only to find herself alone in our world with nothing but her imagination to sustain her. Lavishly illustrated and fully interactive, this book will captivate and delight princess enthusiasts and fans of the original Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.


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The Secret Life of Hippos

May 4th, 2010

Afternoon!  I got a little off of my schedule being sick and I apologize, so before I post today’s Tiny Tot Tuesday – here is the review rundown for the next few days. Wednesday – “The Judge, ” Thursday – “Leap”, Friday – “Whisper” Saturday – “Paper Towns” (whew…that’s a lot of books.) anyways, here’s a cute one for your little ones.

Happy reading and remember: Reading is contagious…pass it on.


Hippos Go Berserk

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Amazon.com Review

How dull, to be one hippo all alone… until the one calls two other hippos on the phone. Soon three more hippos are at the door, bringing along another four. Before the night is through, a houseful of hippos (and one beast) has joined the one hippo for a boisterous bash.

All through the hippo night,

Hippos play with great delight.

But at the hippo break of day,

The hippos all must go away.

In clusters of nine, eight, seven, six, and so on, the hippos depart, finally leaving the one hippo “alone once more, [missing] the other forty-four.”


The well-loved Sandra Boynton wrote this tribute to silliness in 1977, inspiring generations of the very young to learn to count. Lively, cute new illustrations complement this edition, with big numbers (one through nine, and nine through one) boldly placed on the corner of each page. The sturdy board book will withstand lots of eager counting fingers, and maybe even a berserk hippo or two. Boynton’s familiar style can be seen in scads of other delightfully nonsensical titles, including Barnyard Dance! and Moo, Baa, La La La!. (Ages 3 to 7) –Emilie Coulter


From Publishers Weekly

One of the silliest, most fun counting books around features “One hippo, all alone, calls two hippos on the phone,” until a gang of 45 hippos assembles for a party.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Bedtime With A Twist~

April 27th, 2010

Hello All!  It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done a Tiny Tot Tuesday, but I saw this while shuffling around my watering hole the other day and thought: “How in the world can I deny small children the pleasure of a parody?” So without further ado…


Goodnight Goon

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From School Library Journal

Grade 1–3—Imitation can indeed be sincere flattery, as Rex proves in his slightly eerie reworking of Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd’s classic bedtime tale. The young bunny has been replaced by a little monster, but he still wears striped pajamas as he lies in his bed and says good night to his surroundings. “In the cold gray tomb/There was a gravestone/And a black lagoon/And a picture of—Martians taking over the moon.” The parody is clever, matching original verse with rhymes that seem unforced and appropriate for the new setting: “Goodnight skull/And goodnight shoe/Goodnight creature/Goodnight goo/And goodnight to the old werewolf hollering ‘Boo.’” Rex’s color drawings create a monster child’s bedroom filled with the same late-evening light of Hurd’s illustrations. The book ends on the same peaceful note as the original. A clever offering just right for graduates of bedtimes with Goodnight Moon.—Kathleen Whalin, York Public Library, ME Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

A clever offering just right for graduates of bedtimes with Goodnight Moon. –School Library Journal

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Let The Journey Begin!

April 15th, 2010

Happy Thursday everyone! I’m going to deviate a little from the norm today, but only slightly.  For those of you that have been following me for a while now you know that I am an advocate for children’s literacy.  I think that children and teens can learn more than just HOW to read by picking up a book, but also how to LIVE.  Each Thursday I recommend a book for the slightly older kids in your life and this Thursday is no different, only this time, instead of just posting the synopsis for the book I’m suggesting you share with your kids… I’ve actually read it and am going to share my views on it.

“Kevis Hendrickson” sent me a copy of “The Legend of Witch Bane” a few weeks ago and I was excited to get it.  Not because I had ever heard of it but because I love adventure, and once I finally found the time to read it…boy it was so much more than just an adventure, it was an experience.

Kodobos, Anyr, and Laris are only children, but when a terrible curse causes their homeland of Kalden to lapse into a permanent slumber, these 3 very determined and very different siblings take it upon themselves to find out what happened. Discovering that the evil High Queen Rhiannon is behind their towns horrible fate they set out on a quest to topple her kingdom and bring peace to their lands, but what starts out to be a hike in the woods quickly turns into an epic battle for their lives.  Can these 3 tiny souls find the strength they need to free their people? How in the world will they ever defeat so many minions and what exactly IS the legend of Witch Bane?

“Kendrickson’s” ability to weave “known fairy tales” with a new and exciting plot line was genius, and his attention to the tiny details that make adventure books come to life was equally flawless.  Here is an author that dared to ask the question…can a child save the world?  Each of the main characters had their own individual personality and he used their weaknesses and strengths to feed the plot line.  Children’s fantasy is (admittedly) difficult to write, there must be an equal balance of impending doom and life lessons and “The Legend of Witch Bane” spouted both with perfect form.

There were ice breathing dragons, ogres who think they are giants, greedy treasure stealing dwarfs, children who never grow old,  a mysterious spirit, and so many battles it was actually hard to keep track of them.

This is a must buy for your Tiny Tots and Tween! Turn off the TV and give them the adventure of a lifetime…inside of their imaginative little minds.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: When THIS worlds got you down…step into a NEW one.

For a Complete Book Description Click Image

(5/5)

Book Trailer

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Pink-A-Boo!!

April 6th, 2010

I know I missed Tiny Tot Tuesday last week, so this week I’m bringing you a doozie. “Pinkalicious” has taken the world by storm! If you have small children, and have left your house or even watched commercials at all in the last month, you know that McDonald’s has recently jumped on the pink bandwagon making their happy meals pink friendly. Think that’s not enough? Well…what about “Pinkalicious The Musical” that is being performed by the SoHo playhouse which… also boast a “Think Pink” workshop! It’s time to stop denying your little “Pinkerbells” their pink fix.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Reading is contagious…pass it on!


Pinkalicious

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From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–Pinkalicious eats so many pink cupcakes that she wakes up the next morning with pink skin and hair. The color just won’t wash off, and the doctor diagnoses her with Pinkititis and tells her to eat green food to get better. Still, when her parents aren’t looking, she sneaks just one more treat–and turns red. Startled, she starts to choke down her veggies and finally returns to normal. When everything seems okay, Daddy asks what happened to the other cupcakes, and Pinkalicious’s little brother bounds into the room with one in hand, happily showing off his new pink skin. The final Pink-a-boo! is sure to garner smiles. The computer-generated collage pictures are bold and appealing and will draw readers into the story. Although the main character is a bit obnoxious, children will be amused by her obsession with pink sweets. Reminiscent of David Shannon’s A Bad Case of Stripes (Scholastic, 1998), Kann’s lighter confection is a pink lover’s dream come true.–Erlene Bishop Killeen, Fox Prairie Elementary School, Stoughton, WICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. A little girl recounts her rainy-day adventure with pink cupcakes, which she ate and ate until she turned pink herself. “I’m Pinkerbelle!” she sings, crying tears of delight as she admires her raspberry-hued complexion. Her mom takes her straight to the doctor, who prescribes lots of green food. But she cannot resist another cupcake or two, and her delicate pink skin tone deepens to an angry red! Horrors. She proceeds to choke down everything green she can find (relish, brussels sprouts, grapes, even a cup of acid-green tea). Just as the formerly “pinkalicious” girl returns to normal, her little brother, now quite rosy, shouts “Pink-a-boo!” The digitally created artwork, featuring busy collage elements and big-headed, vacant-eyed figures, won’t win any awards, but the fun premise (and cotton-candy-hued, glitter-dusted jacket) will guarantee an audience. Pair this with David Shannon’s A Bad Case of Stripes (1998). GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Hocus Pocus!

March 23rd, 2010

For all of the younger paranormal fans out there… here is a spell book for the little ones.  Happy Tuesday and remember: Reading is contagious… pass it on!


Spells

For Complete Book Details Click Image


From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 4—As in Wolves (2005) and Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears (2007, both S & S), Gravett continues her playful focus on the book as physical object. Here a small green frog transforms an old book of spells into a pirate ship, its torn pages serving as sail, flag, telescope, and water. As the amphibian cavorts through ripped-up incantations, he finds a scrap that reads: “Spell to Become a Handsome Prince.” On the ensuing spreads, the frog’s attempts to line up the proper magic words and phrases are depicted on the verso, while on the recto, split pages lead to increasingly hilarious results. Thus, the jumbled spell may read, “Into the cauldron these words cast Hoppity, Fluffity, Carrotozabbit. Stir three times and out spells…R/ABBIT” (or “R/AKE” if one turns only the lower portion, revealing the snake’s posterior, now supporting the head of a rabbit). The initial letter or blend resides in the top half-page; the remaining letters are on the bottom. The spells reconfigure, too. The controlled palette is comprised of parchmentlike cream, pale green, and yellow, and occasional glittery stardust. While the frog’s wish does come true, it is undone when he fails to read the fine print—a condition clarified only on the endpapers. This tour de force of design and detail is guaranteed to delight all ages, especially those just learning how to…spell.—Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library END

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A 5 Yr Olds Motto

March 2nd, 2010

Happy Tiny Tot Tuesday! I should have the review for  “The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms” ready to go for you tomorrow, but until then…here is a funny little ditty with a fantastic lesson for your little ones!

Happy reading and remember: Reading is contagious…pass it on.


The Boy Who Wouldn’t Share

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From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1—Reiss and Catrow team up again for another humorous picture book. Edward, a “frightful boy,” will not share any toys with his younger sister. When she touches something, he cries, “IT’S MINE. MINE. MINE!” Overcome by greed, he gets stuck in his tangle of toys and misses the opportunity for homemade fudge. Claire, not one to hold grudges, helps free her brother and shares her chocolate. After Edward apologizes profusely, the siblings spend the day playing happily. The rhyming text is pleasant but flawed. Edward’s dramatic character shift is hard to believe, and one wonders why he doesn’t shout “help” when his mother is nearby. Catrow’s colorful, amusing illustrations are the highlight here. With every viewing, readers see additional delightful details, such as a blow-up Frankenstein doll drinking tea from a dainty cup and a cat whose stripes match the easy chair. The varying perspectives of the children and the toys add to the fun. Edward’s sour, grumpy expressions are exaggerated and comical; children learning to share will belly laugh even as they see a reflection of themselves. Overall, this would be a good addition to early childhood collections.—Barbara Katz, Parish Episcopal School, Dallas, TX Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

Edward has oodles of toys but doesn’t share any of them with his little sister, Claire. She cannot ride his rocking horse, hug his teddy bear, or even think about touching his Slinky.

“They’re mine!”

he says. That is, until one day when Edward finds himself stuck under his enormous pile of toys and can’t move! With a little help from an unlikely ally, he learns that if he can share with others, they’ll share right back with him.

Mike Reiss’s wickedly funny verse and David Catrow’s remarkable gift for comic illustration make this one book you’ll want to share—again and again!

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Gotta Get Me Some Of Those Glasses

February 23rd, 2010

It’s Tiny Tot Tuesday…and you know what that means! Grab a good book and cozy up on the couch with your kiddos.  Here is one sure to keep you entertained!

Happy Reading and remember: reading is contagious…pass it on!


Velma Gratch & The Way Cool Butterfly

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Product Description

IT’S HARD TO BE VELMA entering first grade. That’s because everyone has marvelous memories of her two older sisters, who were practically perfect first graders, and no one even notices Velma. But all that changes on a class trip to the butterfly conservatory, a place neither of her sisters has been. When a monarch roosts on Velma’s finger and won’t budge for days – no one will ever forget it . . . or her!




Kids will enjoy reading about everything butterflies, from migration to metamorphosis, as they follow Velma’s own transformation.

About the Author

Alan Madison is the author of some very funny books for children, including The Littlest Grape Stomper, and Pecorino Plays Ball. He lives in New York City.

Kevin Hawkes has illustrated the New York Times bestselling Library Lion and My Little Sister Ate One Hare. He lives in Gorham, Maine.

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Flies…Yummy!

February 16th, 2010

Hey everyone… sorry this post is so late in the day but technology and I had a little bit of a disagreement, needless to say – Technology won.  So, better late than never here is a cutie for your little ones.

Happy Reading and remember: Reading is contagious…pass it on!


Green Wilma

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From Publishers Weekly

There’s something decidedly odd about Wilma: at breakfast, her parents are startled by their offspring’s request to “Pass the bugs”; later, she shocks her teacher by snagging a “tasty little fly” with her long pink tongue. Most noticeably, however, Wilma’s skin has turned a deep, froggy green, a fact that her polka-dot T-shirt and beribboned blond hair cannot conceal. In this strange and gleeful story, it’s surprisingly easy being green–the extraordinary heroine is the envy of her elementary-school class. Arnold’s rhyming text is as buoyant as his leaf-colored, rubbery-limbed protagonist; his roly-poly, bug-eyed characters perfectly suit the story’s quirky theme and manic action. Squiggly, threadlike lines–suggestive of handmade paper–cover every surface in the richly colored illustrations, subtly adding an unusual softness and depth. Though some youngsters may be puzzled by the book’s conclusion, this gifted picture book creator ( No Jumping on the Bed! ; The Signpainter’s Assistant ) has taken his talents in a quirky, unconventional direction with this tale, which takes daydreaming to new and zany heights. Ages 4-8. A Children’s BOMC selection.

Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2– When little Wilma awakens one morning, she discovers that she has turned green and developed a fondness for eating flies. Her horrified parents don’t know how to deal with her, so she hops to school. There she demonstrates her dodgeball skills, but gets in trouble after flicking her tongue on the teacher’s nose and chasing flies through the lunchroom. Of course the adventure turns out to be a dream–but the dreamer, as it turns out, is a frog, not a girl. Arnold’s breezy humor shines through in the illustrations, especially in his goggle-eyed people who must be the stuff of amphibian nightmares. The rhymed narration is adequate, but the amusing tale’s success derives from the unexpected twist and the slapstick comedy embodied in the pictures. –Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, MN
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Worm Therapy!

February 9th, 2010

Happy Tiny-Tot Tuesday… here is a cutie for the little ones in your life. Nothing screams “Kid” like worms and dirt. Oh! and just in case you feel like getting wild with your kiddo purchases there is also “Diary or a Spider” and “Diary of a Fly”

Happy reading and remember: Reading is contagious…pass it on!


Diary of a Worm

For Complete Book Details Click Image

 

Amazon.com Review

Doreen Cronin (Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type) and cartoonist Harry Bliss (illustrator of A Fine, Fine School) shed a whole new light on a creature that spends most of its time underground: the earthworm. Written in diary form, this truly hilarious picture book tracks the ins and outs of a worm’s life from the perspective of the worm family’s young son. Take June 15′s entry: “My older sister thinks she’s so pretty. I told her that no matter how much time she spends looking in the mirror, her face will always look just like her rear end. Spider thought that was really funny. Mom did not.” Except for the fact that he can’t chew gum or have a dog, the boy likes being a worm. He never has to go to the dentist (“No cavities–no teeth, either”), he never gets in trouble for tracking mud through the house, and he never has to take a bath. As long as he can remember Mom’s rule “Never bother Daddy when he’s eating the newspaper,” all is well. Bliss’s endearing cartoonish illustrations of anthropomorphized worms are clever visual punchlines for Cronin’s delightfully deadpan humor. For example, “June 5: Today we made macaroni necklaces in art class” sounds normal enough until you see the worms wearing one piece of macaroni around their necks, taking up a good part of each worm’s body. Children and adults alike will adore this worm’s eye perspective on the world. (Ages 6 and older) –Karin Snelson


From School Library Journal

Pre School-Grade 3-A baseball-capped crawler gives readers an episodic glimpse into the vicissitudes of his life in these hilarious diary entries. Difficulties such as having no arms, having a head that looks a lot like your rear end, and facing the dangers imposed by people digging for bait are balanced by a loving family and good friends. The young protagonist describes playing with his friend Spider, engaging in a variety of activities at school, and interacting with his parents and sister. Packed into these droll slice-of-worm-life vignettes are a few facts about earthworms and their behavior, all rendered with a dry sense of humor. The full-color watercolor-and-ink illustrations sprawl across the pages in lush earth tones. Bliss’s cartoons give the worms lots of personality without overly anthropomorphizing them. The use of multiple perspectives will have children eagerly looking at the pictures to identify objects and locales. Primary-grade youngsters will especially appreciate the classroom scenes. This quirky worm’s-eye view of the world makes these ubiquitous invertebrates a little more understandable and a lot more fun.
Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha’s Public Library, WI
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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