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blue whale blues

12/31/2017

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"I've got the Blue Whale Blues, I've got the Blue Whale, Blue Whale Blues." Have you ever seen a sad blue whale? How about a blue whale riding a bike? ... How about a blue whale who thinks he's riding a bike, but actually he's riding a shopping cart?

The premise of Peter Carnavas' whimsical Blue Whale Blues is just that: Blue Whale is trying to ride his bike, but it's not working, and that's making him sad. His friend Penguin is there to help, and together, they try to solve the problem. But something's still not quite right, and Blue Whale gets sad all over again. 

When Blue Whale and Penguin finally realize that what Blue Whale has been trying to ride wasn't a bike all along, this breaks the sadness, and they both explode in laughter. This is a simple book of friendship, problem solving, and getting out of a funk. 

Besides the content of the story - and the visual humor as the two animals try to ride a shopping cart, dry it off (under the ocean, that is), and attach helmets that are actually cooking pans - this is a delightful story to read because of the clever, mixed-media illustrations. It adds another layer of whimsy to objects that aren't what you think they are but are doing just fine in their new roles. 

Oh, and also, your kids will love hearing you sing the blues as you portray Blue Whale's laments!

It's that book that illustrates the power of whimsy and friendship in a dull situation. 

Book benefits: 
  • Lighthearted story reinforces the power of friendship to pull you out of a slump
  • Story gives voice to a fresh musical genre: the blues!
  • Illustrations are playful and highlight the beauty of mixed media (and would be a fun project to imitate!)

Buy Blue Whale Blues here! ($11.99, hardcover)
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the gobble gobble moooooo tractor book

9/14/2017

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"'Can I come?' asked Cat. 'I can do the sound the engine makes when it starts to wiggle and jiggle...'" So speaks one of the sweet characters in this playful book about make believe. Jez Alborough's Gobble Gobble Moooooo Tractor Book (published by Kane Miller) is a sure winner for anyone in your life under the age of, well, 99. Let me explain.

While Farmer Dougal is asleep, Sheep climbs into his big red tractor and starts pretending to drive, making the noise when the engine is turned on: "BA-AA-A-A-A-A". Along comes Cat, who asks to join in with the "PURRRRR" of the engine as it wiggles and jiggles. The animals are quickly joined by Turkey, Mouse, Goose, and Cow, each of whom has their own sound to contribute to the make believe game. Soon, they are replicating the tractor's noises so well, Farmer Dougal wakes up, certain someone is driving away with his tractor! But when he looks out the window, all he sees are his animals peacefully grazing in the field near his tractor.

I'm a big fan of this book because (1) the animals just pretend to drive the tractor (much more playful and safe!), (2) everyone contributes to the game in a unique way, (3) it's all about effective collaboration, really, and (4)
(3) the noises are so much fun to read aloud with kids! 

It's that book you can't resist reading aloud, loudly.

Book benefits:
  • Sturdy hardcover book with large, full-color pages are perfect for family read-alouds
  • Illustrations are brightly colored and whimsical
  • Story encourages imaginative play (what other noises would you add to the tractor?)
  • The story invites conversation about collaboration and teamwork

​Buy The Gobble Gobble Moooooo Tractor Book here! ($15.99, hardcover)
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Here's my two-minute preview:
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flippy floppy jungle animals

8/25/2017

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"You found me!" This is the text on the final flap of each page as you flip, flip, flip to reveal different animals. But, if you want to be a corny parent, this is also the book talking to you after you have stumbled across it on the Usborne Books & More website. It's a hidden gem I stumbled on myself, and I want to help you avoid that problem! 

Flippy Floppy Jungle Animals (a Kane Miller book by Anton Poitier and Sophia Touliatou) is a board book with four thick pages, each of which contains four flaps. The premise here is that on the left side of each page sits an animal - elephant, lion, hippo, or tiger - asking, "can you find me? I'm hiding somewhere!" On the facing page (the one with the flaps) is a jungle scene. 

With each flap you turn, the scene transforms into a different animal, until, on the final flap, you see the animals have collectively turned into the "hiding" animal. It's a little difficult to put into words, so take a look at the sequence with the tiger: 

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Clever, eh? I wondered if it would be a short lived favorite in my house because there are only four scenes, but my boys love going through the book on their own and exclaiming in a sing-song voice, "you found me!" once they reach the final flap. And there are fun details to notice, like the alligator lurking under the water and little birds that make appearances on each page.

The illustrations are whimsical and vibrant, making the book beautiful even for the sake of talking about different animals and ecosystems. If you're a fan of Count to 100, you'll recognize the artwork - the books share an illustrator. :) 

It's that book that shows the transformational, and playful, power of art!

Book benefits:
  • Fresh, out-of-the-box flap book that will encourage conversations about new animals
  • The final page shows pictures of all the animals and asks, "did you find us, too?" - which naturally encourages kids to flip back through and look for more details.
  • Thick pages and cover will hold up to typical childhood love :) 

Buy Flippy Floppy Jungle Animals here! (board book, $12.99)
If you like this one, Kane Miller has two others in the collection! Check out Ocean Animals and Farm Animals.

​Here's a quick video preview, too!
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pandamonia

7/19/2017

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"...so don't wake the panda whatever you do." This is the recurring theme of Pandamonia, a playful picture book from Kane Miller (written by Chris Owen and Chris Nixon) about the possible implications of waking a blissfully sleeping panda. This is a book you and your kids will love to read together because of the whimsical illustrations, the goofy storyline, and the lyrical rhythm and rhyme.

The essential storyline of this book is that you need to be careful of waking a panda because of the riot that might ensue. The story itself outlines the snowball effect of this possible occurrence: the hippos will create a hullabaloo, which will make the termites tickle the toes of the elephants, which will make the zebra, giraffe, and hyenas laugh, etc. etc. - until all chaos ensues! ...so don't wake the panda whatever you do.

I have to say, I love this book not only as a parent of toddlers, but as a high school English teacher. Straightforward books with strong rhyme and rhythm are ideal for teaching poetic form to students, and a book where these aims are achieved with playful content is going to be more effective than a classic poem students may find stuffy before they even give it a chance.

And here, we have the added benefit of some excellent vocabulary! kerfuffle, shimmy, yakking, fandango, and palaver are all words that make an appearance in this book. I'll admit, I had to look up palaver! (it's a prolonged and idle discussion, btw.) 

The animals themselves will spark curiosity. Your kids will recognize zebras, crocodiles, and grizzly bears... but jabirus? echidna? galahs? There are plenty of animals within the pages of this book to spark further exploration. And I love books that are worth repeated readings not only because they are fun stories, but because the details spark curiosity and questions that require investigation.

It's that book that'll get you jumping and dancing and giggling... just don't wake the panda whatever you do!

Book benefits:
  • Playful text that will keep kids engaged
  • Strong rhyme and rhythm help kids recognize poetry mechanisms
  • Repeated line encourages text prediction
  • Book is full of new vocabulary and animals

Buy Pandamonia here! ($12.99, hardcover)
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Here's a quick video preview:
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i'm a dirty dinosaur

5/31/2017

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“I’m a dirty dinosaur with a dirty face. I never have a wash – I just shake about the place. Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake about the place!” This is another book that goes in my this-author-really-gets-little-kids category. Dinosaurs? check. Getting dirty? check. Lyrical, repeated phrasing? check. And, as an added bonus for the parents, the dinosaur washes in the lake at the end – check!
 
I’m a Dirty Dinosaur (a Kane Miller book by Janeen Brian and Ann James) follows a little dinosaur as it plays in the mud – and yes, the artist used real mud for the illustrations! The dinosaur gets its snout dirty, then face, then tummy… until it’s completely covered in mud! Then, at the end… “I’m a dirty dinosaur. I’m YUCKY! Oh, my gosh! I think I’ll stomp right to the swamp and… give myself a wash!”
 
So the little dinosaur ends up all sparkling clean. Of course, as any parent who has hung out with little kids knows, it doesn’t last long – the final page of the book shows the clean dinosaur eyeing the mud puddle again…

It’s that book that brings humor to the classic kid process of getting dirty and clean and dirty all over again.

Book benefits:
  • Text is written with lyrical rhythm that's fun to read aloud and an emphasis on repeated words ("sniff, sniff, snuff, snuff, sniff and snuff about!"
  • There's no gender given to the dinosaur, making this an equally relatable book for girls and boys
  • Illustrations are whimsical, combining bright colors with actual mud

Buy I'm a Dirty Dinosaur here! (hardcover, $11.99)
  • Also available: I'm a Hungry Dinosaur
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    Hi there! I'm Christine - Usborne Books & More independent consultant, kids' book fan, English teacher, mom of two boys. 


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This website is designed by Christine Bailey, Independent Consultant with Usborne Books & More. Usborne Publishing Ltd and Usborne Books & More - EDC Publishing - Kane/Miller books have no connection with this web site and the pages therein and do not sponsor or support their content.
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