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Wow, this week totally got away from me. Between applying for just about every full time job available, having two sick dogs, only one car, and attempting to get the yard in somewhat of an attractive state, reading and blogging were definitely put on the back burner. I'm sure I'm not the only one in this boat! I had thought about just skipping my regular Picture Book "Saturday" post this week, but I had some great choices planned and as you'll see, they're all good choices for this time of year. Maybe I'm just hoping that fall is coming around the corner faster than it may seem in early August :) And school is about to start...and I'm sure you parents like that part of fall! These are some nice choices for first timers to school or just in anticipation of the fall reading season.

Count Down to Fall, written by Fran Hawk and illustrated by Sherry Neidigh, is a great introduction to all the great things about fall, from the very end of summer to the very beginning of winter.

Counting backwards from ten to one, readers will get to watch and learn as animals, trees, and all of nature readies itself for the cold weather. Chipmunks are storing food, leaves and pine needles are falling, and two children are witness to it all. The rhymes are great, allowing the numbers to stand out and be learned, and the illustrations are done in the beautiful colors of fall.

There are also fabulous activities included after the story is over, which will truly bring the story to a real-life perspective. Count Down to Fall is a great choice for libraries, classrooms, homeschoolers, or just as a gift!

Count Down to Fall
Fran Hawk
32 pages
Picture Book
Sylvan Dell Publishing
9781607180395
June 2009

Marley Goes to School, another extension of the beloved Marley series that all began with Marley and Me, is written by the original memoir author, John Grogan, and is illustrated by Richard Cowdry. Featuring the adorable, yet trouble-making Lab on a mission to find his best friend at school on her first day, all sorts of crazy antics take place from eating hot dogs in the cafeteria to setting mice loose and completely disrupting the library, this new favorite character is filled with energy and guaranteed to make kids giggle.

I do feel that the Marley picture books are a bit over the top at times, which is certainly not a bad thing for kids, the more over the top the better with them! More over-the-top in the "too much of a good thing" sense. I read Marley and Me, loved it, and now feel the author is just taking every single avenue he can to continue to bank on his crazy dog. That being said, my opinion on why the picture books are being written is certainly not going to take away from kids loving the stories and laughing out loud at Marley!

A great one to read aloud to your kids just before school is starting. It might help to take away some of those jitters, with them watching Marley get into all sorts of crazy trouble.

Marley Goes to School
John Grogan
40 pages
Picture Book
HarperCollins
9780061561511
July 2009


An Anaconda Ate My Homework!, written by Alice Schertle and illustrated by Aaron Renier, is another way to "make fun" of school and homework, hopefully easing some of those first day jitters little ones often have. The ultimate "what if a....ate my homework?" story.

Digby is pretty upset when a Gigantic Repulsive Raptor came down from the sky and stole his homework. Well, really, the Raptor stole Digby...and that's the just the beginning of his trouble. Finding himself in a Raptor's nest, then being dropped into a crocodile and anaconda infested river, played with by a gorilla, and then sitting on a rogue elephant's head (eventually to be discovered by the news crew that happened to be scouting the jungle for breaking news), Digby has a quite a journey on his way home from school!

Completely ridiculous and utterly silly, imaginations run high in this picture book! You parents will be shaking your heads, but kids will be loving Digby's story of homework.

An Anaconda Ate My Homework!
Alice Schertle
40 pages
Picture Book
Hyperion
9781423113546
July 2009

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

Reviewed by Amy M. O’Quinn for the National Writing for Children Center

Title: Count Down To Fall
Author: Fran Hawk
Illustrator: Sherry Neidigh
Ages: 4-8
Publisher: Sylvan Dell (June 10, 2009)
ISBN: 978-1-934359-94-5 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-1-607180-39-5 (Papberback)
ISBN: 978-1-607180-59-3 (English Ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-607180-49-4 (Spanish Ebook)

Colorful illustrations and descriptive rhyming verse are sure to make this Fall 2009 Sylvan Dell title a new favorite with readers everywhere! Count Down To Fall, written by Fran Hawk and illustrated by Sherry Neidigh, is a delightful picture book that gently introduces and teaches young children how to identify ten different types of trees and their leaves. These include: sweet gum, dogwood, beech, pine, linden, chestnut, oak, maple, birch and aspen.

In addition to each full-color, two-page spread, there are also four smaller corner illustrations that give more detail about each tree, such as a closer view of the leaf, the seeds, berries, nuts or flowers, and a thumbnail of the whole tree. Very effective teaching tools! There are also many pictures of various animals frisking about during the fall or busily working to prepare for winter. So this book could even be used as a starting point to learn more about animal habitats, their natures, and how they prepare for the different seasons.

Mathematical concepts usually accompany scientific information in Sylvan Dell books, and Count Down to Fall is no exception as readers count backwards from ten to one as they learn all kinds of interesting facts about each tree. Plus, as always, there is a ‘Creative Minds’ section in the back of the book that includes more information and activities including Plant Parts, Leaves—The Shape of It All, What Good Are Plants, and Match the Leaves. You can also find more links, activities, and quizzes for this book and other titles at www.sylvandellpublishing.com. You can even find out how Sylvan Dell titles align with state standards. Options and possibilities are numerous, making these books excellent for both classroom and home use!

In a’ nutshell’, Count Down to Fall would make a great read-aloud and learning resource addition to any bookshelf!

About the Author: Fran Hawk is a retired school media specialist who makes her home in Charleston, South Carolina. Her other books include The Story of the H.L. Hunley and Queenie’s Coin and Ten Tips for Raising Readers. Her favorite things are children, books, and writing—so writing children’s books is a dream come true as it combines all three!

About the Illustrator: Sherry Neidigh is a graduate of Ringling School of Art and Design, and she has been freelance illustrating for many years. Her other books include Who Needs That Nose?, If I Had A Tail, and Black and White. In addition to Count Down To Fall, Sherry illustrated another Sylvan Dell title, The Best Nest. She also lives in South Carolina.

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Learn more about Amy M. Quinn at www.amyoquinn.com and www.homeschoolblogger.com/picketfencemom