All About Me by Philipp Keel
This book is one big, long survey. One of the interesting questions asks something along the lines of: If you believe in reincarnation, what would you like to come back as in your next life?
7/31/08
7/30/08
The Scrubbly-Bubbly Car Wash by Irene O'Garden
Rhyming picture book about a car wash with lots of onomatopoeia.
If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Joffe Numeroff
Same format as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. The moose will want jam, he'll want more muffins, you'll have to go get some muffin mix at the store and he'll want to borrow a sweater . . . The best picture is of the moose holding a sock puppet on each hoof.
Little Bitty Mousie by Jim Aylesworth
This is a rhyming alphabet book about a mouse who goes exploring around the house. The art is quite nice.
Rhyming picture book about a car wash with lots of onomatopoeia.
If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Joffe Numeroff
Same format as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. The moose will want jam, he'll want more muffins, you'll have to go get some muffin mix at the store and he'll want to borrow a sweater . . . The best picture is of the moose holding a sock puppet on each hoof.
Little Bitty Mousie by Jim Aylesworth
This is a rhyming alphabet book about a mouse who goes exploring around the house. The art is quite nice.
7/29/08
The Sign Painter by Allen Say
The pictures in the book are typical Allen Say watercolor--beautiful. The story, however, made me go, "What the--." A kid is hired as a sign painter and is commissioned to paint billboards in the desert. One day he sees a giant roller coaster and an abandoned housing complex.
Stranger in the Mirror by Allen Say
One morning a kid wakes up and looks in the mirror to discover he's turned into a wrinkly old man. At school the other students tease and torment him. He still feels young though and decides to go skateboarding. Everyone is shocked to see an old man being so active.
Home of the Brave by Allen Say
On a rafting trip, a man ends up in the past at his grandfather's Japanese internment camp. The children he meets in camp long to go "home" but are instead stuck in the desert.
The pictures in the book are typical Allen Say watercolor--beautiful. The story, however, made me go, "What the--." A kid is hired as a sign painter and is commissioned to paint billboards in the desert. One day he sees a giant roller coaster and an abandoned housing complex.
Stranger in the Mirror by Allen Say
One morning a kid wakes up and looks in the mirror to discover he's turned into a wrinkly old man. At school the other students tease and torment him. He still feels young though and decides to go skateboarding. Everyone is shocked to see an old man being so active.
Home of the Brave by Allen Say
On a rafting trip, a man ends up in the past at his grandfather's Japanese internment camp. The children he meets in camp long to go "home" but are instead stuck in the desert.
7/27/08
The Culture Code by Clotaire Rapaille
This book is definitely one of the most interesting books I've read so far this year. The author is a cultural anthropologist who consults for several major corporations on how to sell products to different peoples. He talks about how when hired by Jeep in the 90's, the luxury SUV trend was just starting. In his research, he discovered that Americans think of Jeeps as horses: Riding in a Jeep the wind is in your hair, you can travel on new terrain and make discoveries . . . They changed the look of Jeep from having square headlights to having round ones because a horse has round eyes. Then he talks about how in France and Germany, the people there see the Jeep as the "liberator." During WWII, Americans rode on Jeeps to rescue France from Germany; and Germans view the Jeep as America liberating Germany from its own darkness. This is a fascinating book about what makes an American, an American, and what makes a Japanese person Japanese. Not to be confused with stereotyping, this book simply reveals the cultural codes that people in certain cultures are exposed to in their own country. I would strongly recommend this book, it is a wonderful read.
This book is definitely one of the most interesting books I've read so far this year. The author is a cultural anthropologist who consults for several major corporations on how to sell products to different peoples. He talks about how when hired by Jeep in the 90's, the luxury SUV trend was just starting. In his research, he discovered that Americans think of Jeeps as horses: Riding in a Jeep the wind is in your hair, you can travel on new terrain and make discoveries . . . They changed the look of Jeep from having square headlights to having round ones because a horse has round eyes. Then he talks about how in France and Germany, the people there see the Jeep as the "liberator." During WWII, Americans rode on Jeeps to rescue France from Germany; and Germans view the Jeep as America liberating Germany from its own darkness. This is a fascinating book about what makes an American, an American, and what makes a Japanese person Japanese. Not to be confused with stereotyping, this book simply reveals the cultural codes that people in certain cultures are exposed to in their own country. I would strongly recommend this book, it is a wonderful read.
7/23/08
Smitten by David Gordon
A stranded pink mitten and a single forgotten blue sock soon become fast friends as they work to find their other halves. This is an adorable little love story where the most touching moment is when sock knits mitten back together after she's completely unraveled. They sneak into a yarn store and sock reads a how-to book on knitting. Awwww . . .
Stay Awake, Sally by Mitra Modarressi
Reverse psychology indeed! In this rhyming picture book, mom and dad raccoons try to convince their little raccoon to stay up, tempting her with cake, games and books.
Maisy Makes Lemonade by Lucy Cousins
Maisy is a mouse who makes lemonade with her good friend Eddie the elephant. The Maisy books are really cute :o)
A stranded pink mitten and a single forgotten blue sock soon become fast friends as they work to find their other halves. This is an adorable little love story where the most touching moment is when sock knits mitten back together after she's completely unraveled. They sneak into a yarn store and sock reads a how-to book on knitting. Awwww . . .
Stay Awake, Sally by Mitra Modarressi
Reverse psychology indeed! In this rhyming picture book, mom and dad raccoons try to convince their little raccoon to stay up, tempting her with cake, games and books.
Maisy Makes Lemonade by Lucy Cousins
Maisy is a mouse who makes lemonade with her good friend Eddie the elephant. The Maisy books are really cute :o)
7/18/08
Timothy and the Strong Pajamas by Viviane Schwarz
A little mouse named Timothy has an old set of pajamas but when his mom patches it and sews on new buttons, Timothy has newfound super powers! He and his toy monkey use the pajamas to help many colorful characters in this fun story.
Smash! Crash! by Jon Scieszka
This book is for really little boys (or girls I guess) who are crazy about trucks. Two trucks, Dan and Jack love to smash and well, crash. The pictures are pretty cool, with three different illustrators working together. Scieszka is a legend--he wrote True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! and he's got a fancy pants gig as some sort of bookish liaison. This particular book doesn't really feeeeeeel like Scieszka though, you know. After True Story, I'm looking for something brilliant. But I guess toddler books and brilliant don't really go hand in hand.
Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett
This is another super easy book. Here's the basic pattern: Monkey and me, Monkey and me, Monkey and me, We went to see . . . [a penguin, elephants, etc.]. The pictures are cool though, they fairly leap off the page.
A little mouse named Timothy has an old set of pajamas but when his mom patches it and sews on new buttons, Timothy has newfound super powers! He and his toy monkey use the pajamas to help many colorful characters in this fun story.
Smash! Crash! by Jon Scieszka
This book is for really little boys (or girls I guess) who are crazy about trucks. Two trucks, Dan and Jack love to smash and well, crash. The pictures are pretty cool, with three different illustrators working together. Scieszka is a legend--he wrote True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! and he's got a fancy pants gig as some sort of bookish liaison. This particular book doesn't really feeeeeeel like Scieszka though, you know. After True Story, I'm looking for something brilliant. But I guess toddler books and brilliant don't really go hand in hand.
Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett
This is another super easy book. Here's the basic pattern: Monkey and me, Monkey and me, Monkey and me, We went to see . . . [a penguin, elephants, etc.]. The pictures are cool though, they fairly leap off the page.
7/17/08
Confessions of Emergency Room Doctors by Rocky Lang and Dr. Erick Montero
Started skimming this one at a big box bookstore. There are some GREAT stories in here, my favorite is the fetus in fetu tale about a man who was complaining about pain and it turns out his twin brother had been growing inside of him all these years.
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
You've undoubtedly seen or at least heard about Dr. Pausch, a lecturer at Carnegie Mellon diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (just like Patrick Swayze!). The book is great, I feel sorry for his kids who will be missing a wonderful father. His lecture focuses on achieving your childhood dreams and how because he's been able to do so, he's led a fulfilled life. He is an inspirational speaker who obviously loves life and wants to leave a legacy of optimism.
Lilly's Big Day by Kevin Henkes
Lilly's a mouse who assumes that when her teacher gets married, she'll be the flower girl. Unfortunately for Lilly, Mr. Slinger has asked his niece to act as the flower girl. When he sees how much Lilly wants the job, he assigns her to be the flower girl's assistant. See how Lilly ends up saving the day in this cute book by Caldecott winner Henkes.
Started skimming this one at a big box bookstore. There are some GREAT stories in here, my favorite is the fetus in fetu tale about a man who was complaining about pain and it turns out his twin brother had been growing inside of him all these years.
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
You've undoubtedly seen or at least heard about Dr. Pausch, a lecturer at Carnegie Mellon diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (just like Patrick Swayze!). The book is great, I feel sorry for his kids who will be missing a wonderful father. His lecture focuses on achieving your childhood dreams and how because he's been able to do so, he's led a fulfilled life. He is an inspirational speaker who obviously loves life and wants to leave a legacy of optimism.
Lilly's Big Day by Kevin Henkes
Lilly's a mouse who assumes that when her teacher gets married, she'll be the flower girl. Unfortunately for Lilly, Mr. Slinger has asked his niece to act as the flower girl. When he sees how much Lilly wants the job, he assigns her to be the flower girl's assistant. See how Lilly ends up saving the day in this cute book by Caldecott winner Henkes.
7/16/08
Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
This book is repetitious, which is great for kids. The animals are a little obscure though: macaroni penguin, whooping crane, etc. The artwork is Eric Carle and he's very popular.
How Do You Make a Baby Smile? by Philemon Sturges
This book talks about all kinds of animals and how their Mama or Papa makes them smile. The pictures are cute, almost clipart like.
Two Little Trains by Margaret Wise Brown
She wrote Goodnight Moon, another children's classic. This is an interesting story that compares a real train with a toy train in facing pages. When the real train is getting rained on, the toy train moves underneath a showerhead.
This book is repetitious, which is great for kids. The animals are a little obscure though: macaroni penguin, whooping crane, etc. The artwork is Eric Carle and he's very popular.
How Do You Make a Baby Smile? by Philemon Sturges
This book talks about all kinds of animals and how their Mama or Papa makes them smile. The pictures are cute, almost clipart like.
Two Little Trains by Margaret Wise Brown
She wrote Goodnight Moon, another children's classic. This is an interesting story that compares a real train with a toy train in facing pages. When the real train is getting rained on, the toy train moves underneath a showerhead.
7/15/08
Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm
I started reading this particular tome years ago, prior to starting library school, in fact. Recently I picked it up again and I love the stories! There's definitely a special kind of magic in fairy tales. Plus I love how the brave are rewarded and the evil are punished.
I started reading this particular tome years ago, prior to starting library school, in fact. Recently I picked it up again and I love the stories! There's definitely a special kind of magic in fairy tales. Plus I love how the brave are rewarded and the evil are punished.
7/9/08
Down the Back of the Chair by Margaret Mahy
This is a fun book about all the things you could possibly lose down the back of your chair: "A string of pearls, a lion with curls" etc. The pictures are dynamic and the rhymes are almost too much fun.
Kitty's Cuddles by Jane Cabrera
This is a really simple book about a kitty who hugs different animals to find the best cuddler. My favorite is the octopus (with eyelashes!) "with his snug, squeezy cuddle."
Truck Driver Tom by Monica Wellington
Here is a book that follows Tom on his route driving from the farm to the deli to deliver his fresh fruits and vegetables. The pictures in this book are unique to children's books because they combine real photos with illustrations.
This is a fun book about all the things you could possibly lose down the back of your chair: "A string of pearls, a lion with curls" etc. The pictures are dynamic and the rhymes are almost too much fun.
Kitty's Cuddles by Jane Cabrera
This is a really simple book about a kitty who hugs different animals to find the best cuddler. My favorite is the octopus (with eyelashes!) "with his snug, squeezy cuddle."
Truck Driver Tom by Monica Wellington
Here is a book that follows Tom on his route driving from the farm to the deli to deliver his fresh fruits and vegetables. The pictures in this book are unique to children's books because they combine real photos with illustrations.
7/8/08
Scrambled Eggs Super! by Dr. Seuss
Tired of regular scrambled eggs from a hen, young Peter T. Hooper decides to make an exotic scramble made of eggs from such creatures as the Ham-ikka-Schnim-ikka-Scham-ikka Schnopp, Single-File Zummzian Zuks and Grickily Gractus. This is another of Dr. Seuss's creative works with psychedelic pictures and tons of rhymes.
Mom and Mum Are Getting Married! by Ken Setterington
A little girl wants to be the flower girl in her two moms' same sex marriage. The pictures are alright. One of her moms has short, boyish hair. They don't make a big deal about the fact that it's two women getting married. It's more about the little girl's role in the ceremony.
Worse Than Rotten, Ralph by Jack Gantos
Ralph is a mean red cat who gets in all sorts of mischief. In this book he knocks over trash cans with a group of alley cats and terrorizes a bunch of poodles as well as starting a food fight in a bakery! I've always loved the pictures for Rotten Ralph, ever since I was a kid.
Tired of regular scrambled eggs from a hen, young Peter T. Hooper decides to make an exotic scramble made of eggs from such creatures as the Ham-ikka-Schnim-ikka-Scham-ikka Schnopp, Single-File Zummzian Zuks and Grickily Gractus. This is another of Dr. Seuss's creative works with psychedelic pictures and tons of rhymes.
Mom and Mum Are Getting Married! by Ken Setterington
A little girl wants to be the flower girl in her two moms' same sex marriage. The pictures are alright. One of her moms has short, boyish hair. They don't make a big deal about the fact that it's two women getting married. It's more about the little girl's role in the ceremony.
Worse Than Rotten, Ralph by Jack Gantos
Ralph is a mean red cat who gets in all sorts of mischief. In this book he knocks over trash cans with a group of alley cats and terrorizes a bunch of poodles as well as starting a food fight in a bakery! I've always loved the pictures for Rotten Ralph, ever since I was a kid.
7/2/08
Read All About It by Laura and Jenna Bush
This is a cool story about a young reluctant reader and how he gets sucked into the world of books. As his teachers reads to the class, the boy begins to imagine the characters in the stories take shape. Considering the author, I think that every single library in America will have this book on its shelves.
This is a cool story about a young reluctant reader and how he gets sucked into the world of books. As his teachers reads to the class, the boy begins to imagine the characters in the stories take shape. Considering the author, I think that every single library in America will have this book on its shelves.
7/1/08
Look-Alikes by Joan Steiner
Coolest book ever!! You know what I Spy books are? This is kind of the same thing. Everyday objects are taken and made to resemble other objects. For instance, pistachios are attached to stems to look like tulips. I LOVE IT! This is one of the most creative books I've ever come across.
Coolest book ever!! You know what I Spy books are? This is kind of the same thing. Everyday objects are taken and made to resemble other objects. For instance, pistachios are attached to stems to look like tulips. I LOVE IT! This is one of the most creative books I've ever come across.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)