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In looking at the list, the common themes seem to be naughtiness and humor—especially of the silly, slapstick variety. So here goes:

I was inspired by one of my own characters to plant a “bee garden,” this spring, and today planted the better part of my wife’s little pocket of prairie with beardtongue, salvia, bee balm, black-eyed susans, coneflowers, thymus, verbena, coreopsis, asclepias, and yarrow. There’s an empty spot for milkweed we’re getting from a neighbor. The stuff in back is prairie grass that’s (mostly) been there for years.

It doesn’t look like much now, but by mid-summer most of these guys will be 2-4 feet high, in bloom, humming with bees and crawling with caterpillars. My wife even supports this venture though she doesn’t like butterflies, but it will be hard not to be taken in by the potential magic of watching, with our bug-loving boy, a monarch nudging its way out of a chrysalis one late summer morning. Thanks to a book by a local author, he is also expecting bison.

Title: Plant a Pocket of Prairie

Author: Phyllis Root

Illustrator: Betsy Bowen

Publisher/Year: University of Minnesota Press/2014

Hurrah for nonfiction picture books! If authors and illustrators of nonfiction picture books accomplish their goals to create top-notch books on subjects they are passionate about, then children will learn about captivating people, places, and things in a fun and engaging way. Nonfiction picture books must, just like fictional stories, grab and keep the attention of young readers. Often this is done through story-like text and eye-catching illustrations.

In Plant a Pocket of Prairie, author Phyllis Root and illustrator Betsy Bowen introduce us to an endangered ecosystem, the native prairie of the United States, and many of the plants and animals that can be found there. Through sparse, flowing text that connects each page to the next and large, beautiful pictures, Root and Bowen succeed in capturing prairie life and conveying to readers the importance of not only cherishing it but helping it continue on. Plant a Pocket of Prairie is a fascinating look at native species that may be in our own backyards and yet we take them for granted.

Did you know that native prairie once covered almost forty percent of the U.S.? But now less than one percent remains! Due to the encroachment of people (farming, grazing, building, etc.), prairie is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. And unfortunately, as it says in the back of the book, “We can’t bring back the prairie as it once was.” But there is hope for at least some of the native prairie plants and animals. All you have to do is “plant a pocket of prairie”.

Planting prairie plants and attracting prairie animals, especially various species of birds and butterflies, as suggested by this book, would be a perfect outdoor project for parents or teachers to work on with their kids or students.

by Phyllis Root www.flickr.com

*Picture book for preschoolers through second graders
*Paula Bunyan (Paul Bunyan’s sister) as main character
*Rating: Paula Bunyan is a clever, cute picture book with a twist on the old classic Paul Bunyan tale. Phyllis Root has thrown a little environmental education in there, too.

Short, short summary: Did you know Paul Bunyan had a little (well, not quite so little) sister named, Paula? Well, according to Phyllis Root, he did! And she’s as lovable of a giant as he is. Instead of a blue ox, Paula has a grizzly bear as her sidekick. She spends her days catching 100-pound fish, singing harmony with the wolves, and rescuing her bear from mosquitoes. Things are going along pretty well when Paula notices that all her beloved trees are being cut down and not replaced by some irresponsible lumberjacks. She quickly devises a plan (WARNING! WARNING! Read this section before you read to kids–no big deal, but Paula undresses to her “skivvies”, just be prepared) to get rid of the lumberjacks and replenish the forest.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. One of the easiest activities to do with this book is compare and contrast the story of Paul Bunyan to Paula Bunyan using a Venn diagram. For younger children, you can do this as a shared writing activity. For older children, they can each make their own Venn diagram.

2. Students can write their own Paula Bunyan adventure. You can have them write it as a) a letter from Paula to Paul about an important event b) a journal entry about a day in the life of Paula Bunyan c) in the same voice as the book and another adventure of Paula’s.

3. Students can study tall tales with this book and make a list of characteristics of tall tales. You can also talk to students about exaggeration/hyperbole and why authors use this technique in their stories.

Have you used Paula Bunyan in your classroom? If so, leave us a comment and tell us about it. Do you have a favorite tall tale or fractured tall tale? Let us know!

Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy (illustrations by Poly Dunbar) is one of those must read-aloud books that are going to have your story-timers rolling on the floor laughing...at YOU! One big long rhyming tongue twister, readers learn how Mabel's bubble gets away from her, with her baby brother inside. Mabel, her mother, and the rest of the town must figure out a way to safely get him down, which results in some pretty hilarious stunts!

With verses like:
"Abel quietly aimed the pebble past the steeple of the chapel, at the baby in the bubble wibble-wobbling way up there. And the pebble burst the bubble! So the future seemed to fizzle for the baby boy, who grizzeled as he tumbled through the air"

can you not imagine how hard this would be to read out loud? Which is exactly what makes it so much fun! After reading the first two or three pages, you get into the rhythm of how the stanzas should be read (there's a definite flow) and if you read it fast enough, your kiddos are going to love it!

It will take some practice for sure, to make sure you don't stumble, but I could just picture all of the story time attendees giggling at Miss Amanda stumbling over the tongue twisters. SO MUCH FUN!

Bubble Trouble
Margaret Mahy
32 pages
Picture Book
Clarion Books
9780547074214
April 2009

Bridget Fidget and the Most Perfect Pet! is written and illustrated by Joe Berger and definitely fills the role of "silly" read. All Bridget really wants is a real, live pet...well, she really wants a unicorn, but a penguin would do. Or even a mouse. And when a huge box arrives at her door, Bridget just knows that it holds the perfect pet for her. Unfortunately, what she finds in the box is a bit disappointing at first, but quickly turns to wondrous!

Very cute and adorably illustrated, Bridget Fidget is one of those characters you can't help but love. Slightly reminiscent of Clementine, the reader can just tell she is a huge handful...but so sweet and lighthearted. A very enjoyable read!

Bridget Fidget and the Most Perfect Pet
Joe Berger
32 pages
Picture Book
Dial
978003734050
June 2009

Now who didn't just LOVE Library Mouse? Well our lovable friend Sam is back in Library Mouse: A Friend's Tale, pencil in hand! Author/illustrator Daniel Kirk has once again proven that mice can be author's too...and have friends!

Sam gets a writing pal in this follow-up to the popular Library Mouse, in a boy named Tom. Tom is left without a partner in his class's book-writing assignment and quickly becomes formerly-anonymous Sam's partner, completely by accident! The pair write and illustrate together, though Sam is still very shy and does not want his identity revealed. Tom knows a great friend when he sees one and keeps Sam's secret, leaving room for ANOTHER Library Mouse book on the horizon!

Adorable is the key word for this book! I love Kirk's illustrations, he really makes the pages come alive, and the story is wonderful as always. I loved seeing some of my favorite book titles drawn into the pages too...that was cool!

Another great library pick!

Library Mouse: A Friend's Tale
Daniel Kirk
32 pages
Picture Book
Abrams
9780810989276
March 2009

My final pick for this week is another funny one...Paula Bunyan written by Phyliss Root and illustrated by Kevin O'Malley.

Now, we've all heard the story of the huge Paul Bunyan, but never before has the story of his sister been told! Paula is "tall as a pine tree, as strong as a dozen moose, and could run so fast that she once ran all the way back to yesterday." And she LOVED to sing. Badly.

When Paula decides to head to the North Woods she finds adventure, new friends in bears, moose, and wolves, and plenty of room to sing her heart out. Unfortunately, she also runs into loggers cutting down her precious woods and is determined to devise a plan to get them out of there and leave her friends and trees alone! A bunch of giant north-country mosquitoes should do the trick!

A fun spin on a classic tale, Paula Bunyan was a blast to read! And the illustrations were very "antique-ish," which really set the mood for some good old fashioned story telling!

Paula Bunyan
Phyllis Root
32 pages
Picture Book
Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux
9780374357597
March 2009

To learn more about any of these titles, or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon.

Thanks for spending Picture Book Saturday with me!