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Title: Good Morning to ME! Written and illustrated by: Lita Judge Published by: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2015 Themes/Topics: exuberance, indoor voices, pets, parrots Suitable for ages: 3-6 Opening: Early one morning in a little cottage, Beatrix was wide AWAKE. She knew it was … Continue reading →

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Below is my review of Jon Agee's Terrific as it appeared in the April 1, 2015 issue of School Library Journal.  The review was slightly edited from my original.  I didn't refer to Eugene as "the boy."  Eugene is definitely not a boy, as you can see by the cover illustration.  ;)

AGEE, JON. Terrific. 1 CD. 7 min. Dreamscape. 2014. $14.99. ISBN

9781633795112.

PreK-Gr 2--Eugene's life follows Murphy's Law--if something can go wrong, it will. And when inevitable misfortune falls, Eugene's favorite expression is a sarcastic, "Terrific." So, it's no surprise that when the boy's Eugene's cruise ship sinks, all the passengers (except Eugene) are rescued, and he finds himself on a deserted island with a talking parrot. "Terrific," says Eugene. Narrator Kirby Heyborne plays the resigned, older, and long-suffering Eugene perfectly with a mix of sarcasm and fatigue, and creates a suitably squawking voice for the take-charge parrot who will change his attitude. Sound effects including boat horns, construction din, and ocean waves complement the story. Though listeners will miss Agee's humorous illustrations, the CD includes a fun musical version of "Terrific," sung by Heyborne with music by the Promise Makers. The lyrics are slightly modified from the text to fit the upbeat rhythm and rhyme scheme of the song, but stay true to the original story. VERDICT Purchase this one for sharing with school or storytime groups, one with a copy of the print book.--


Copyright © 2015 Library Journals, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.
Reprinted with permission.


Listen to an excerpt from Terrific here.

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PEACHTREE BOOK BLOG TOUR

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About Parrots: A Guide for Children

written by Cathryn Sill
illustrated by John Sill
Peachtree Publishers       8/01/2014
978-1-56145-795-3
Age 4 to 8     32 pages
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“About Parrots is an instructive yet entertaining first glimpse into the world of nature for young children. In this easy-to-read, informative follow-up to the other critically acclaimed books in her About . . . series, author and teacher Cathryn Sill explains what parrots are, how and where they live, and what they do. With the help of beautifully detailed paintings from noted wildlife illustrator John Sill, this book explains the basic characteristics that all parrots share, while offering a closer look into many different kinds of parrots—from the Rosy-faced Lovebirds of southwestern Africa to the rare Blue Lorikeets of the Polynesian Islands. An afterword provides further detail that will inspire young readers to learn more about these colorful birds. About Parrots will accurately answer the first questions of young naturalists and charm readers with the wonder and diversity of these fascinating birds.”

Opening

“Parrots are birds with big heads and thick, curved bills.”

About the Book

Parrots abound in this colorful picture book, which answers many questions young kids will want answered. Begin with, what are parrots? Then move on to what they look like, what they eat, and how they eat. One big question will be why do parrots have have zygodactyl feet (split toes:  two toes in front of the foot and two toes in the back of the foot)?

Where do parrots live: in old climates, warm climates or both? Are all parrots big? Do they live alone or in groups? Can parrots talk? Now, there is a good question. Do any animals consider a parrot food? How does the parrot state safe from these predators? Do parrots sleep in nests like other birds?

The answers should help the inquisitive mind of your children, but if they want more, the afterword gives detailed information on a spread-by-spread basis—John Sill calls the spread a “plate.”

Review

About Parrots is full of information about various parrots that is perfect for little minds. The spreads—or plates—are beautiful and extremely detailed. The information flows naturally, not back and forth, which would confuse young minds (and some old minds). Text is minimal, mainly just what needs to be written, and then the illustration on the right takes over.

“Parrots are birds with big heads and thick, curved bills.”

On the left side of the spread is an illustration of a Palm Cockatoo. This bluish-grey bird sports a proportionally bigger head as compared to its body, with head plumage that sprays out from its forehead. It has a large grey bill, which looks very sharp, and red blotched cheeks, the only bright coloring on its body. Each page is similarly written and illustrated.

I know kids will learn a lot from About Parrots, as I learned much myself. I love the illustrations. Each bird has fine detail and looks like a photograph, rather than a painting. This realism will help kids understand the information presented, as they can then see the information on the accompanying bird. Included are the natural surroundings. What is missing, and will generate questions from kids who want the answers, are feathers (composition and uses), and babies (including eggs, activities, eating habits, and graduation into adult life. Do they leave the parents or stay as a group?) I can almost hear these questions being asked. They are basic material and should be included.

Birds range from the lovely Blue Lorikeet to the astonishing Hyacinth Macaw, A total of 18 beautiful birds illustrated. There are also many types of green parrots we often see in a pet store. As an OSU fan, I am partial to the African Grey Parrot. It has red under feathers and digs out a nest in a soft wood tree, high above the central African plain. This nest protects themselves and their babies from predators—wolverines—and the weather.

Kids will enjoy reading About Parrots. Teachers should be able to find various uses for Cathryn Sill’s series. From basic learning about the book’s subject (parrots, raptors, and mammals—also in bilingual edition, and twelve other editions), to the habits, habitats, and the art of each bird’s plumage, teachers can find numerous creative learning materials from the About . . . series. The same applies to home-scholars. The afterword offers in-depth information the text lacks the room to contain. The information is brief, yet informative and interesting. There is also a glossary, a suggested reading list, and additional resources.

The About . . . series currently has fifteen editions, some available in paperback, and, currently, one bilingual English/Spanish. No matter your child’s interest, from parrots to penguins the Sills have created an About . . . series that will peak their curiosity and expand their knowledge of other species. Honestly, there has yet been a Sill created book that I did not like. The illustrations are always stunning and the text teaches things I had not known about the subject. Be it about the desert climate or About Parrots, Sill books are top of the line children’s nature picture books, unsurpassed by any other.

ABOUT PARROTS: A GUIDE FOR CHILDREN. Text copyright © 2014 by Cathryn Sill. Illustrations copyright © 2014 by John Sill. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Peachtree Publishers, Atlanta, GA.
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Purchase any About . . . series books at Amazon—B&N—Book Depository—Peachtree Publishers—at your favorite bookstore.
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Learn more regarding the About . . . series HERE.

Meet the author, Cathryn Sill, at her Jacketflap:   http://www.jacketflap.com/cathryn-sill/24246

Meet the illustrator, John Sill,at his website:   http://www.johnsill.com/

Find more non-fiction at the Peachtree Publisher website:   http://peachtree-online.com/

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Also by Cathryn and John Sills

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Review HERE.

 

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copyright © 2014 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews

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PEACHTREE BOOK BLOG TOUR

About Parrots:  A Guide for Children

Monday, August 3rd — http://jeanlittlelibrary.blogspot.com/

Tuesday August 4th — http://geolibrarian.blogspot.com/ and http://kid-lit-reviews.com/

Wednesday, August 5th — Chat with Vera

Thursday, August 6th — Blue Owl and Kid Lit Frenzy

Friday, August 7th — The Fourth Musketeer

Filed under: 4stars, Children's Books, Favorites, Library Donated Books, NonFiction, Picture Book, Series Tagged: About Parrots, book blog tour, Cathryn Sill, children's book reviews, John Sill, macaws, parrots, wild parrots, zygodactyl feet

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This interview arose from one of those serendipitous moments. I had been liking all Lita’s posts on FB about her new picture book FLIGHT SCHOOL for several weeks and had been thinking that I must see if she would like … Continue reading →

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In Carole P. Roman’s fifth installment of her award-winning Captain No Beard series, The Treasure of Snake Island, the crew of the Flying Dragon discovers the power of reading.

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While we were away, cold rains pounded San Diego, stranding my parents inside with the kids and washing away most of our carrot seedlings. The radishes and lettuces survived the floods and are looking sprightlier than ever. The blueberries dropped a lot of blossoms but I think we’ll get a few berries, at least. The flowers are lusher than ever, fresh-faced now that I’ve picked off the spent, rain-battered blossoms.

We miss our bird feeder. Last summer, it attracted rats, so we emptied it. I’m aching to try again. When we moved from New York to Virginia in the winter of 2002, the very first box I unpacked was the one marked BIRD FEEDERS. True story. In our Long Island backyard, we had downy woodpeckers, nuthatches, and titmice at the feeders every day. I can still feel the cold glass of the sliding door that tiny Jane and I use to lean against as we watched our birds. In Virginia, we had cardinals, juncoes, and my favorite, the wee chickadees. A pair of bluebirds nested in a box under our deck, right outside my office window. I wrote Across the Puddingstone Dam between bouts of peeking at those bluebirds from between the blinds.

In this yard, we mostly only see sparrows and finches, and the imperious crows. There’s a lone phoebe, junco-gray and tufted like a cardinal, who perches on the fence, watching warily as I putter in the garden. There are the hummingbirds, of course, flashing low overhead like little green comets, perching on the slender branches of the cape honeysuckle. They adore those trumpety orange flowers, as do the bees. I haven’t seen the scrub jay in a while. All last summer he called outside our bedroom window at a minute past sunrise every morning. The kids named him Peanut, after his favorite food.

I just googled my own blog to see when I’ve posted about the flock of parrots in years past. January and February is when they swirl through our neighborhood, it seems. But I don’t think I’ve heard them this year! Any other San Diegans know the whereabouts of those rowdy green squawkers right now?

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As I mentioned, I already attended the Society of Illustrators’ Original Art Show during its opening, but the hustle and bustle of the event kept me from really getting a good look at all the pieces and reading the actual books.  So the Putnam art and editorial crew took a field trip last Friday to spend a few hours there in relative quiet and share our likes/dislikes.

All of the books are obviously winners, and of course, there were plenty that I already knew I loved: Peter Brown’s Children Make Terrible Pets, Jan Jutte’s Sleepover At Grandma’s House, Lane Smith’s It’s A Book!. But I wanted to mention a few new titles that I discovered along the way.  Here are my favorites:

1. Tao Nyeu – Bunny Days (Dial)

I was literally cooing and gasping with laughter aloud when I read this, as I couldn’t believe that a single book could be so adorable and disturbing at once!  In three parts, Mr. and Mrs. Goat find various ways to accidentally muddy/trap/maim a group of baby bunnies, and Bear comes to the rescue… with, um, interesting solutions.  Well-meaning Bear subjects the bunnies to the washing machine (and hangs them to dry!), a high-powered fan, and a sewing machine. AND THE BUNNIES ARE STILL CUTE! AND NOT DEAD!  Hilarious.

2.  Carmen Segovia – Brownie Groundhog and February Fox (Sterling)

This was one of my favorite designed books at the show.  I just love the wintery limited color palette with pops of red… reminds me of a modern version of classics like Mary Wore Her Red Dress. Plus, predator (Fox) and prey (Groundhog) become friends and share toast.  Aw.

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