A plethora of picture books about Christmas are published each year. Some are froth and bubble, as unsatisfying as cheap tinsel. Others are excellent, and should be shared with children and families in the lead-up to Christmas Day or join the collections of avid Christmas book collectors. Some standouts for 2014 that are already available […]
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Blog: Perpetually Adolescent (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Picture Books, Christmas, mem fox, Christian Birmingham, collectibles, Kate DiCamillo, Wendy Blaxland, Wombat Divine, The Night Before Christmas, Stephen Michael King, Brian Wildsmith, jeanette winterson, Colin Buchanan, Penny Matthews, Book Reviews - Childrens and Young Adult, Applesauce and the Christmas miracle, Joy Lawn, Great Joy, Jesus' Christmas Party, Lucy Hennessy, One Night, The christmas Rose, The Tale of the Three Trees, Add a tag
Blog: Books of Wonder and Wisdom (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Peace stories, Carmen Segovia, Winter stories, Deborah da Costa, Francisco Alarcon, Jacqueline Martin, Jon Nelson, Ying-Hwa Hu, Wilson Bentley, Holidays, Poetry, Picture Books, Groundhog Day, Snow, Cornelius Van Wright, Hans Christian Andersen, Christian Birmingham, Maya Christina Gonzalez, Melissa Stewart, Folk and Fairy Tales, multicultural literature, Barbara McClintock, Douglas Florian, Naomi Lewis, Mark Cassino, Jim Aylesworth, Susan Blackaby, Add a tag
Blackaby, Susan. Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox. Illus. by Carmen Segovia. Sterling, 2011. Ages 4-7.
If you’re seeking a whimsical read-aloud for Groundhog’s Day, you’ve found it. Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox sparkles with wit and sly charm. Brownie is a clever groundhog that meets a hungry would-be predator on a cloudy February 2nd. The fox tells her, “Hold still…. I’m trying to eat you for breakfast.” Brownie’s flip response is that it’ s simply too late for breakfast. The two find they both hate to wait. Brownie suggests the fox work up an appetite by clearing the snow off the pond. Segovia’s humorous image shows the fox putting his fluffy tail to good use. Alas, after all that effort, it’s too late for lunch, says Brownie. Then the tricky groundhog leads the fox to a tree and winds her scarf around and around the fox, binding him to the trunk.
Brownie’s little heart is touched, though, as she hears the fox’s plaintive cries. She decides it’s time to share what’s in her basket: cocoa and cinnamon toast. The crumbs attract a robin — the first sign of spring! The two new friends leave for home, pondering their next adventure. The illustrator’s note describes how Segovia first conceived of this engaging character one winter as she sketched a groundhog. Her wintry palette, splashed with the fox’s red, is as refreshing as that impromptu picnic.
Enhance a snowy story with the cold facts, perfectly described and displayed in
Cassino, Mark and Jon Nelson. The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder.. Chronicle, 2009. Ages 4-9. You’ll be singing songs of snow, glorious snow after reading this snappy little informative book. Cassino and Nelson reveal the scientific nature of snow by using an accessible format featuring a brief fact in a large type size, then giving details in smaller text. Readers will learn of the three major types of crystals (star-shaped, plate and columnar), as well as other interesting facts. (It’s the molecular structure of water that creates the six-sided crystals, for instance.) The superb illustrations include both spectacular photographs that beg to be shared and Aoyagi’s ink and watercolor diagrams that show how a crystal develops from a speck of soil, pollen, or other substance, and then develops into an intricate six-sided beauty. Also noteworthy are the clear instructions on catching and examining snow crystals — just the trick for getting readers to venture outside to explore wintry wonders.
More and More Snow …
Alarcon, Francisco X. Iguanas in the Snow and Other Winter Poems. illus. by Maya Christina Gonzalez. Children’s Book Press, 2001. Fresh poems, often written with an unusual perspective, grace bright and beautiful pages showcasing poems in both Spanish and in English.
Andersen, Hans Christian. The Snow Queen. Trans. and retold by Naomi Lewis. Illus. by Christian Birmingham. Candlewick, 2008. Ages 8-10. Don’t miss Andersen’s most beautiful fairy tale, a source of inspiration for C.S. Lewis and other fantasy writers. Of the many versions available, Lewis’s is the one you want. This memorable wintry tale begs to be read aloud: “The cloak and cap were made of snow, and the driver ah, she was a lad
Blog: Just One More Book Children's Book Podcast (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Christian Birmingham, Wenceslas The Eternal Christmas Story, Contributing/Industry, Culture/Traditions, Christian Birmingham, Wenceslas The Eternal Christmas Story, Podcast, review, Community, Music, Making a difference, Hardship, Friendship, Resilience, Contributing, Beautiful, Man, Classics, Ages 4-8, Formal, Compassion, Generosity, Respect, Picture book, childrens book, Boy, Celebration, Gorgeous, Perseverence, Geraldine McCaughrean, Understanding/Tolerance, Culture/Traditions, Add a tag
Author: Geraldine McCaughrean
Illustrator: Christian Birmingham
Published: 2005 Random House Group (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0552549096 Chapters.ca Amazon.com
Richly retold with storytelling flair and depicted by enveloping impressionist artwork, the traditional carol gains depth and suspense in this inspiring demonstration of benevolence and backbone.
Tags:childrens book, Christian Birmingham, Geraldine McCaughrean, Podcast, review, Wenceslas The Eternal Christmas Storychildrens book, Christian Birmingham, Geraldine McCaughrean, Podcast, review, Wenceslas The Eternal Christmas StoryBlog: OUPblog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Mark Lytle is Professor of History and Enviromental Studies at Bard College. His most recent book, The Gentle Subversive: Rachel Carson, Silent Spring and the Rise of the Enviromental Movement; offers a compact life of Carson. After reading John Tierney’s article in yesterday’s New York Times I asked Lytle if he would like to write a response. His thoughts are below.
In his effort to deflate the celebratory mood accompanying Rachel Carson’s centennial year, John Tierney [“Fateful Voice of a Generation Still Drowns Our Science,” New York Times, Science, June 5, 2007] is a voice of reason compared to Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn and those of his ilk waging war against the patron saint of the environmental movement. Many critics before Tierney have played the malaria card, to discredit Carson, Silent Spring, and the EPA’s decision to restrict DDT. Tierney claims to have a somewhat higher purpose as he sets out to right what he sees as a wrong against science. Silent Spring, he charges, is a “hodgepodge of science and junk science.” Yet, the science he uses to debunk Carson rests heavily on a review written in 1962 by I.L. Baldwin, an agricultural bacteriologist at the University of Wisconsin. As one of those who incurred Carson’s wrath, Baldwin was hardly an impartial witness for science. (more…)
As a teacher, I loved reading your reccommendations! I can’t wait to find the Groundhog’s day book you suggested at the top. It’s always a fun holiday to celebrate because, frankly, we’re all just looking for something fun to celebrate between Christmas and Easter! Thanks!
You’re very welcome! It does seem as if spring is far away, doesn’t it? I’d love to hear how this goes over with your students.