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First sentence: I love the way you monkey around. I love the way you stomp up dand down! I love the way you waddle when you walk.
Premise/plot: An animal-themed board book for parents to read aloud to their little ones. The message from cover to cover is very sweet and affectionate. (Some readers might think it a little over the top with sweetness.)
My thoughts: I definitely like this one. It's for little ones--babies, toddlers--no doubt. I like the animals. I especially like the elephant!
Text: 3 out of 5 Illustrations: 4 out of 5 Total: 7 out of 10
Itsy-Bitsy I Love You! Sandra Magsamen. 2016. Scholastic. 10 pages. [Source: review copy]
First sentence: My itsy-bitsy spider climbed up to snuggle me. Down came my arms, we hugged so happily.
Premise/plot: This board book reworks the classic song "Itsy Bitsy Spider."
My thoughts: I liked this one. I did. This is definitely for little ones, and, not so much preschoolers. (Although if you have preschoolers and little ones, then both might enjoy it.) The illustrations are very bright and bold. The text is cute. You can still sing it as a song. This one begs to be acted out. (As did the original song!)
Text: 4 out of 5 Illustrations: 3 out of 5 Total: 7 out of 10
First sentence: Frog says, "Ribbit, ribbit!" Chicken says, "Cluck, cluck!"
Premise/plot: This may at first appear to be a simple, predictable book. (I think of Bing Bong, Riley's imaginary friend!!!) But it has a twist. After the baby goes "wah, wah!" the animals, well, they mix things up a bit! Can the baby restore order in the world?!
My thoughts: I LOVE the twist in this one. It is probably still a little on the predictable side. (The title may just provide the solution.) But it is FUN. It is newly translated into English this year.
Text: 4 out of 5 Illustrations: 4 out of 5 Total: 8 out of 10
Premise/plot: I will be the first to admit that this one is a little lacking in plot. (Not every board book has a plot. Many don't, in fact. So it's not an automatic fail.) It is super-predictable as well. Little ones see a LOT of bums. Mostly animal bums. But also a toddler bum bum there at the end--both diapered and un. If you have a little one that giggles gleefully about bums and buttoms, then, this one may be worth sharing.
My thoughts: It was okay. To be honest, it takes more than the sight of a bum to make me giggle. I am not the target audience for this!!! I think this may be a more subjective book!
Text: 3 out of 5 Illustrations: 3 out of 5 Total: 6 out of 10
You Are My Pumpkin. Joyce Wan. 2016. Scholastic. 14 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: You are my happy, smiley Pumpkin. My sugary, sweet Candy Corn.
Premise/plot: You Are My Pumpkin is a board book for parents to read to their little ones. Joyce Wan has a handful of board books that are just perfect for this youngest age group. (My personal favorite is You Are My Cupcake. You Are My Cupcake is without a doubt my favorite, favorite, favorite board book of all time.)
My thoughts: I liked this one. It isn't quite as magical as You Are My Cupcake. But it is good. Is it Halloween themed? Maybe. There's mention of candy corn, ghosts, bats, and monsters. But there's also mention of cute little kitties and pumpkins. There's something cozy-sweet about the book not at all scary.
Text: 3 out of 5 Illustrations: 4 out of 5 Total: 7 out of 10
Hooray for Hat. Brian Won. 2016. HMH. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: When Elephant woke up he was very grumpy. The doorbell rang. Elephant stomped down the stairs. "Go away! I'm Grumpy!"
Premise/plot: Elephant was very, very grumpy until the unwrapping of a present. The gift? A hat. But not just any hat! A super-super-crazy hat that goes a long, long way in lifting one's grumps! This Elephant learns throughout the book. Elephant first visits Zebra--who is GRUMPY--and then Turtle--who is GRUMPY--and then Owl--who is GRUMPY--and then Lion--who is GRUMPY--and then Giraffe....
My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. I loved all the crankiness. I loved how the giving--or sharing--of a hat, and, perhaps most importantly the support of friends who understand and relate--can make such a big difference. It was cute and funny. (Not all cute books are funny. Not all funny books are cute.)
Text: 5 out of 5 Illustrations: 4 out of 5 Total: 9 out of 10
First sentence: When Baby Billy was born, his family noticed something odd: He had a mustache.
Premise/plot: His parents anxiously wait to see if Baby Billy's mustache will turn out to be a "good-guy" mustache or a "bad guy" mustache. Readers see "Baby Billy" through his toddler years. And in fact, while most of the time his mustache is a good-guy mustache, there are SOME days when it is in fact, quite the opposite. "But a funny thing happened. As Billy got bigger...his mustache grew and curled up at the ends."
My favorite scene is probably when he robs a train: "A train robber so heartless that he even stole the tracks." The expression on his face is PRICELESS.
My thoughts: I loved this one. I wished I'd known about it when it first came out in 2013. I don't know how I missed such a great book. It is now available in board book format.
Text: 5 out of 5 Illustrations: 5 out of 5 Total: 10 out of 10
Cityblock. Christopher Franceschelli. 2016. Harry N. Abrams. 96 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: Big city, on-the-go city! How will we get around?
Premise/plot: Cityblock is a board book that celebrates New York City. The first part focuses on how to get around. The second part focuses on what to do. The third part focuses on FOOD.
My thoughts: I loved this one. I loved the actual pages: the die-cut format of some of the pages, the way the pages unfold, the bulky size and shape of it. The text itself is great because of the rhythm and rhyme nature of it. The illustrations are bright and colorful. Dare I say it's a board book that goes beyond its 'toddler and preschooler' audience?!
Text: 5 out of 5 Illustrations: 3 out of 5 Total: 8 out of 10
In the last month or so I've been using the phrase "being loved by words" or "being loved by a book." I don't know if that works or not. Some might think it sounds goofy. It does, however, capture how I felt, reading the stories in Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time: An LGBT and Two Spirit Science Fiction Anthology. It is definitely a book I recommend to young adults.
The emotions it brought forth in me are spilling over again and again, of late. I don't know what to make of that tenderness that I feel, but it is real. Around the same time that I read the anthology, I got an electronic copy of We Sang You Home by Richard Van Camp and Julie Flett. I had that same response to it. Indeed, there were moments when I was blinking back tears! Now, I've got a copy:
I've thought about it a lot since first reading it, trying to put words to emotions. Richard Van Camp and Julie Flett are Native. I've read many of their books and recommend them over and over. Working together on this one (their first one is Little You), or apart, the books they give us are the mirrors that Native children need.
Just look at the joy and the smile of the child on the cover! That kid is loved, and that's what I want for Native kids! To feel loved by words, by story, by books. We Sang You Home is a board book that, with very few words on each page, tells a child about how they were wanted, and how they came to be, and how they were, as the title says, sang home where they'd be kissed, and loved, and... where they, too, would sing.
Here's me, holding We Sang You Home. See the joy on my face? Corny, maybe, but I wanna sing. About being loved, by this dear board book.
I highly recommend We Sang You Home. Published by Orca in 2016, it is going to be gifted to a lot of people in the coming years.
0 Comments on Recommended: WE SANG YOU HOME by Richard Van Camp and Julie Flett as of 1/1/1900
Stephen Savage is the author and illustrator of kid lit titles including several board books. Stephen relies on simple shapes and colors for his beautiful award winning books! Stephen revisits the unassuming Walrus who has a new accomplice in Where’s Walrus? And Penguin? He walks us through the origin of the character and story while recalling New York City landmarks and pop culture references.In this episode of StoryMakers you’ll also meet Supertruck, an unsung hero with a secret.
Stephen Savage is a 2015 Sendak Fellow. The Sendak Fellowship is a four-week residency for children’s book illustrators, created by Maurice Sendak. Which kid lit creator would Stephen like to have met? Watch the interview to find out!
We’re giving away three (3) sets of books signed by Stephen Savage. Each set includes a copy of Where’s Walrus? And Penguin? and Supertruck.
In this sequel to the acclaimed Where’s Walrus?, author Stephen Savage doubles the fun when Walrus escapes the zoo with his mischievous pal, Penguin. Will the zookeeper find them? Or will these clever runaways stay one step ahead disguised as subway riders, baseball players, and even grand opera performers? Hiding in plain sight, they elude the clueless zookeeper until a fly ball at a baseball game leads Walrus and Penguin to a chance encounter with surprising results.
Supertruck Written and illustrated by Stephen Savage
Published by Roaring Brook Press
A 2016 Geisel Honor book! When the city is hit by a colossal snowstorm, only one superhero can save the day. But who is this mysterious hero, and why does he disappear once his job is done? Find out in this snowy tale about a little truck with a very big job, the second of Stephen Savage’s vehicle-based picture books.
ABOUT STEPHEN SAVAGE
Via stephensavage.net Stephen Savageis the author and illustrator of 9 books for children, including the New York Times bestselling picture book Polar Bear Night, written by Lauren Thompson. He is the creator of the here’s Walrus? books, Supertruck, and Little Tug. Steve is the recipient of a New York Times Best Illustrated Book award, a Sendak Fellowship, an ILA Primary Fiction Award, and a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators. His editorial illustrations have appeared in dozens of major newspapers and magazines including the New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. He teaches at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their daughter.
I've read My Heart Fills With Happiness by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Julie Flett, many times. I can't decide--and don't need to, really--which page is my favorite!
For now--for this moment--I just got off the phone with my daughter, Liz. She's not a little girl anymore. She's an adult, making plans for the the coming months as she finishes law school. She makes me so darn happy! When she was little, she liked "spinny skirts." We made several so she'd always have a clean one to wear to school. So, the cover of My Heart Fills With Happiness reminds me of those days with Liz, as she spun about in her spinny skirts.
Like I said, though, I just got off the phone with her, and as I think of her walking about in the many places she's going to be in May and June and July, I'm reminded of holding her hand as the two of us walked here, and there, oh those years ago! That memory, and this page, are so dear!
I love the page that shows a little girl dancing, her shawl gorgeously depicted as she moves. I love the page where the little boy holds a drumstick in his hand and sits at the drum. I love the page of the kids waiting for their bannock to be ready to eat. I'd love to meet the two Native women who created this book so I could thank them, in person. My Heart Fills With Happiness got a starred review from Publisher's Weekly and another one from School Library Journal. From me, it gets all the stars in the night sky. Today is its birthday (to use the language I see on twitter). Get a copy, or two, from your favorite independent store.
0 Comments on Monique Gray Smith and Julie Flett's MY HEART FILLS WITH HAPPINESS as of 1/1/1900
Debby Slier's Loving Me is a delightful board book! Published in 2013 by Star Bright Books, it is definitely one I'll be recommending!
Here's the cover:
The very last page in the book tells us the woman and baby on the cover are Shoshone Bannock. Indeed, with that page we learn that the other photographs in the book are of children and family members who are Lakota Sioux, Navajo, Iroquois, and Potawatomi.
On the first page, we see a mom and baby. The text is "My mother loves me." That pattern is repeated over the rest of the book. A dad, a brother, a sister, an aunt, an uncle, a grandma, a grandpa, and a great grandma... embracing a child. They're clad in a range of clothing, from jeans and t-shirts to traditional clothing, but all of it in the day-to-day life of the individuals being shown. Slier's photo essay is a terrific mirror for Native kids, and, it'll help children and adults who aren't Native see us as in the fullness of our lives as Native people.
I heartily recommend Slier's Loving Me, published by Star Bright Books.
0 Comments on Debby Slier's LOVING ME as of 1/1/1900
Board book: Carry and Learn: Opposites. Sarah Ward. 2016. Scholastic. 10 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: Chicken UP and DOWN Cluck like a chicken!
Premise/plot: Carry and Learn Opposites is a concept board book that can be used with little ones to illustrate ("teach") the concept of opposites. The opposites explored in this book are as follows:
up and down
in and out
big and little
over and under
full and empty
Each page has something "interactive" for your little one to do. It may be "making" the chickens jump up and down. It might be "petting" a sheep. It might be making an animal sound. Not all pages are equally interactive and engaging.
My thoughts: I like it well enough. I like the series well enough. I think the pages are easy enough for little ones to turn themselves.
My grandfather, Rex Sotero Calvert, was Hopi. We never called him grandpa or grandfather. We called him Thehtay, which is the Tewa word for grandfather (Tewa is our language at Nambe Pueblo). Calvert is the name he was given when he went to boarding school, at Santa Fe Indian School. Before that, he was Rex Sotero Sakiestewa. He was born in 1895 at Mishongnovi Village.
At SFIS, he met my grandmother, Emilia Martinez. She was from Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan Pueblo). They lived at Ohkay Owingeh and had six children: Delfino, Francis, Marcelino, Edward, Andrea, and Cecilia. To me, they were Uncle Del, Uncle Francis, Uncle Mars, and Aunt Cecilia. Edward--we call him Uncle John. He still lives there, at Ohkay Owingeh. Andrea--we call her mom.
When I talk with my mom, we sometimes talk about Thehtay. He lived with us at Nambe Pueblo when I was growing up. I remember him being out back, working the garden with a hoe... Suddenly he'd yell "The beans!" We'd have been playing in the garden as he worked, no doubt un-doing the work he'd been doing to irrigate that garden as we made little dams to divert the irrigation water! Remembering the beans, he'd throw down the hoe and run inside the house to add water to the pot of beans on the stove. When he was older, he'd sit in his wheelchair, softly singing Hopi songs to himself. I wish I'd listened to them, and that I'd learned some of them. What I do have are warm memories of him, of being with him, of his humor.
This morning as I read My Hopi Corn and My Hopi Toys, my thoughts, understandably, turned to Thehtay. Written by Anita Poleahla and illustrated by Emmett Navakuku, the two are board books from Salina Press.
Celebrate My Hopi Corn begins with a single corn kernel telling the reader that she has many sister kernels on an ear of corn, that they grow under a warm sun, and that as the days begin to shorten, the kernels take on different colors. Some are yellow, while others are blue or red or white. After they're harvested, the kernels are shelled off the cobs. For that, we're shown a Hopi girl in traditional clothes shelling the kernels off the cobs. Some kernels are ground into flour to make piki (a traditional food that is exquisite in form and flavor. In form it looks like a rolled up newspaper, with the paper itself being the piki, which is kind of like filo dough in its flakey texture). Some corn is used for dances, and, some is kept inside for the next planting season, when a Hopi man plants corn. That page, especially, made me think of Thehtay:
I don't have a memory of Thehtay planting seeds. My memory is of him in a button down shirt and jeans (nothing on his head; not wearing a belt or mocs as shown in the illustration) using a hoe to rid the garden of weeds.
As you see by the illustration, the text in Celebrate My Hopi Corn is in two languages: Hopi, and English. The illustrations are a blend of realistic depictions of people, and, Hopi images like the one of the sun, and later, one of rain clouds. The book ends with a double paged spread of corn maidens:
Corn. Community. Ceremony. Planting. All are important to who the Hopi people are. I really like this little book and wish I could share it with Thehtay. Poleahla and Navakuku's second book, Celebrate My Hopi Toys is a counting book of items used for play, but also for dance. I like it very much, too. Like Celebrate My Hopi Corn, it is bilingual and shows items specific to Hopi people. Poleahla has been working on language instruction for many years. These little books will, no doubt, be much loved by Hopi children, but they're terrific for any child. For children who aren't Hopi, they provide a window to Hopi culture. A window--I will also note--that is provided by insiders who know just what can be shared with everyone.
Board Book: I Love My Dinosaur. Caroline Jayne Church. 2015. Scholastic. 10 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: Hi! I'm Patrick, and I love my dinosaur! So here's my little dino. He's green with tiny teeth. Scaly on his top side And bumpy underneath.
Premise/plot: Readers meet a boy, Patrick, who loves his dinosaur. Through rhyme, he shares just why he loves his dinosaur so much.
My thoughts: Caroline Jayne Church's board books are best for young toddlers. The art is cute and precious-y. Some readers find that type of art irresistible. Others not so much. But you always know what to expect from Caroline Jayne Church.
First sentence: Triangle Bright, sparkly roof Rectangle Door to a cozy home
Premise/plot: A board book for young toddlers that introduces basic shapes. The five shapes introduced are triangle, rectangle, circle, square, and star.
My thoughts: A simple, bright, colorful board book for young ones to hold and carry. The pages are easy to turn. The book is easy to grasp. A few pages offer--or potentially offer--an interactive experience. It may not be a thrilling story, but, it's a serviceable concept book.
Board Book: I Love My Puppy. Caroline Jayne Church. 2015. Scholastic. 10 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: Hi, I'm Mia, and I love my puppy!
Premise/plot: A little girl loves her puppy and shares with readers why.
My thoughts: Cute, precious, oh-so-predictable rhyming book. I think you either love the art of Caroline Jayne Church, or you don't. I would say that most of her books are for the younger audience. By the time your little one is over the age of two or three, they've probably grown past these types of books.
Board Book: Oh No, George! Chris Haughton. 2015. Candlewick Press. 32 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: Harry is going out. "Will you be good, George?" asks Harry. "Yes," says George. "I'll be very good." I hope I'll be good, George thinks.
Premise/plot: With a name like, "Oh NO, George!" little ones might guess--and guess correctly--that George won't be good after all. George faces a handful of temptations in this book: he's tempted to eat cake, tempted to "play" with a cat, tempted to dig in dirt, tempted to dig in the trash. Will George give into temptation every time? Maybe. Maybe not. You'll have to read and see for yourself. But there is a refrain: OH NO, GEORGE!
My thoughts: I liked this one. It was fun. It was cute. It was simple yet clever. I loved the refrain, and, how it can get readers involved with the story--predicting what George will do--and joining in the refrain at various points in the story. The narration is quite charming as well. George is really given a great voice in this story.
Board Book: Five Little Monkeys: A finger & toes nursery rhyme book. Natalie Marshall. Scholastic. 2015. 12 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: Five Little monkeys jumping on the bed. One fell off and bumped his head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said...No more moneys jumping on the bed!
Premise/plot: A board book adaptation of the classic nursery rhyme "Five Little Monkeys."
My thoughts: The pages are easy to turn, which is a good thing, always. The illustrations are nice enough, I suppose. The text itself isn't surprising or extra-wonderful. The book includes "helpful" illustrations for parents who are clueless on the motions of the song/rhyme. (Are they necessary?)
The traditional rhyme is fun. As is the song. Here's one of my favorite adaptations:
Board book: Little Blue Truck's Beep-Along Book. Alice Schertle. Illustrated by Jill McElmurry. 2015. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 8 pages. [Source: Review copy]
First sentence: If you're ready for a ride, beep along. If you're ready for a ride, beep along. Beep along with Little Blue--it's a friendly thing to do. If you're ready for a ride, beep along. Beep! Beep!
Premise/plot: Little Blue Truck's Beep-Along Book is a novelty book for little ones. Enthusiastic parents--or caregivers--can sing along with Little Blue as little hands make Little Blue "beep" in time with the song. There are a LOT of verses to Little Blue Truck's song. Verses about riding along, cows in the corn, pigs in the clover, frogs busy hopping, horses neighing, etc. The song ends slightly awkwardly. But overall, it's a fun song.
My thoughts: Little Blue Truck has appeared in a handful of books. If your little one likes Little Blue Truck, this is an obvious choice. Parents may or may not like having to sing the book again and again. But overall, this is a nice enough book.
Written by Sarah Jones Illustrated by Sarah Jones Blue Manatee Press 4/01/2015 978-1-936669-31-8 12 pages Age 0—3 x x “This unique concept book combines the ever-popular bedtime nursery rhyme with contemporary high-contrast illustrations, specifically designed with babies in mind. The youngest readers and their families will delight in the gentle story of an owl saying goodnight to barnyard friends as they snuggle into bed. Bold black-and-white illustrations will capture babies’ interest, as the soothing rhymes lull them to sleep.” [publisher]
Review Which word do you use to tell a friend goodnight? Little Owlet has quite the repertoire: nighty-night, sweet dreams, sleep tight, doze, sleep soundly, and, of course, goodnight; six heartfelt bedtime-salutations, for six diurnal farm friends. After hearing Little Owlet’s goodnights to her critter friends, and before closing their tired eyes and dreaming, young children will be ready to wish their own goodnights, “Nighty-night Mom. Night, Dad.”
The simple rhymes in Black & White Nighty-Night are perfect for young children, as is the book’s size and shape. The thick and sturdy glossy pages are perfect for chubby little fingers to turn without tearing. Even a wet mess, after a plea of “One more drink, please,” will wipe off quickly. I would mention how fast blobs of fallen jelly and smears of peanut butter clean away, but Black & White Nighty-Night is most definitely a bedtime story.
As stars light the night, Little Owlet stretches her feathery wings and, with mom waving goodbye, flies off into the twinkling night sky. Not far away is the barnyard. Wherever Little Owlet is heading, she takes the time to say nighty-night to her friends.
“Sleep tight hen and chickies, lying in your nest. “Doze, fluffy kitty cat, purring as you rest.”
The seemingly simply black and white illustrations are adorable. With a little effort and imagination, form meets function (Ms. Jones’ specialty), and a lifelong love of learning and books can take root. Help your child find objects by locating Little Owlet in each spread. Use different voices, such as a hardy “Moooo,” a squeaky “Oink-oink,” and a soft “Meow,” to familiarize your child with common farm animals (a cow, lamb, pig, chicken, cat, and . . . nope, not telling). Get those little fingers learning shapes by tracing the black-and-white outlined objects and animals. And, if all that is not enough, the momma animals have from one to five babies; a good start on counting to ten. Black & White Nighty-Night will be a hit with both toddlers and parents. (Reviewers, too.)
Sarah Jones, artist, author, teacher, storyteller, and fellow Ohioan and holds an MFA from the University of Cincinnati and a BFA in Painting and Art Education from Miami University (Ohio). Go Bucks! Ms. Jones also wrote and illustrated the award-winning board books Orange, Triangle, Fox and Bunnies Near and Far (both reviewed HERE) Her second 2015 release, Lloyd Llama, will be reviewed soon.
AWARDS 2015 Mom’s Choice Awards – Black & White Nighty-Night 2015 Mom’s Choice Awards – Lloyd Llama 2014 Creative Child Magazine Book of the Year – Baby Unplugged: Play 2014 Mom’s Choice Awards – Baby Unplugged: Play x
Don't Written by: Litsa Trachatos Illustrated by: Virginia Johnson Published by: Groundwood Books
Published on: October 14, 2014
Ages: 3+
This is a great, silly picture book for preschoolers that introduces animals and grammar, all while giving the reader the giggles. Trachatos comes up with some amazingly illogical scenarios, starting with "Don't start a food fight with an octopus." Not only does the reader then have to think about that animal (hints are given on the next page) but they also get to laugh about the situation which would never happen. This is a huge deal in the preschool world, and this has been the best read aloud I have had at my library sessions in the last couple of years. Johnson's watercolour illustrations deserve mention as well. Watercolour is a perfect medium for non-threatening depictions of threatening situations (nobody wants to find a bear in their bed!) and the simple children's faces frame the reactions to the ridiculous very well. Highly recommended for anyone with a preschooler.
This past spring I've illustrated this lovely board book for Editions Milan. It was a nice challenge. Sometimes simple is not as easy to do as we imagine. This is also a reason why I do enjoy board books. Not only are the very first kids own, but they're a good design excercise.
La Petite Poule Rousse is an audio-book with tiny little buttons on the front so kids can listen to the story while reading each page. You can see a small video on my Instagram!
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There's a new board book out by Cree Metis artist, Julie Flett, and like her other ones, it is a winner!
Like her previous works, We All Count: A Book of Cree Numbers is a bilingual board book. In this one, the numbers 1-10 are presented in English and Cree.
Flett's collage work is gorgeous. I love the quiet and bold colors she uses in her compositions. Here's the page for number 1. The text reads "One prairie dog perching."
And here's the page for number 10, where the text reads "Ten elk crossing."
Flett's book is excellent for parents, teachers, or librarians to read to young children. Obviously, this is a counting book, so counting will happen, but the words!
Prairie dogs perching! Can you imagine showing the child you're reading to, how to perch like a prairie dog? On the page for number three, aunties are laughing. The joy on their faces is, well, joyful! Laugh along with them! Those owls on the cover? They're six owls spotting. It'd be great fun to pause on that page, and peer about, spotting things nearby.
I really like this book. I'm as joyful as those aunties! The pages in Flett's book provide a chance to do something that extends the reading itself, enriching what a young child knows about words and actions.
Though I'm sure Flett didn't have diversity in mind when she came up with the title, We All Count, the title and her book do a beautiful job of saying We--people who are Indigenous or who speak Cree--we count, too.
Your book is brilliant, Julie Flett! Kų́'daa! (That is 'thank you' in Tewa, my language.)
We All Count: A Book of Numbers is highly recommended. Written and illustrated by Julie Flett, it was published in 2014 by Native Northwest.
0 Comments on Julie Flett's WE ALL COUNT: A BOOK OF CREE NUMBERS as of 10/22/2014 7:40:00 PM
Written and Illustrated by Stefan Page
Chronicle Books 3/04/2014
978-1-4521-1834-5
Age 1 to 3 14 pages x x “TO MARKET! TO MARKET! We are on our way! Visit local farmers, fill baskets with fresh fruits and vegetables, and then head home to coo a healthy feast all with your goodies from the farmer’s market!”
Opening
“To market, to market, we are on our way.”
Review
What little one does not like going to the store with mom and dad? Farmer’s Market takes young children to an open farmer’s market where they can pick out the day’s groceries from assortment of fine stalls with fresh fruit and vegetables. Start at the dairy and pick up eggs, milk, and a slab of cheese. Next pick out fresh vegetables like lettuce, radishes, onions, celery, and potatoes. Now add those fruits. Choose from tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, black berries, mushrooms, and kiwi. With a full basket you are ready to head home.
“To kitchen, to kitchen, we, chop, stew,and bake.”
All that is left now is to wait for our feast and watch Daddy ice the cake. Ready? Let’s eat!
Farmer’s Market is a nice board book for younger children interested in grocery shopping, food, or spending time with mom and dad on errand—this time grocery shopping. The view is that of the child as seen in the line waiting for something, the view is of adult legs and hands holding shopping baskets. Oddly, none of the people with stalls to sell food from have a smile. Their looks are one of disinterest.
The pages are thicker than normal so little fingers have a much harder time tearing them. The pages also have a nice finish that let’s things like peanut butter and jelly wipe off the surface without leaving a stain. And the book is the perfect size (6” x 6”) for little ones to carry and read.
The illustrations in Farmer’s market are basic, making it easier for young kids to understand and know what is illustrated. Each spread has a basic color in the background, such as yellow, green, and orange. The items pictures are large and easy to recognize. Kids will enjoy finding the item you ask them to find, or simply pointing to each and telling you hat it is. They could also then find the same item in your refrigerator or the next time you go to the grocer.
Young children will enjoy reading Farmer’s Market with mom and dad. It can prepare them for an actual trip or help them understand what each item you buy looks like. I think this is sturdy little book for little fingers can help kids learn about basic food, grocery shopping, and enjoying the entire process—especially the cake Dad is icing. Farmer’s Market is Stefan Page’s debut. Also available to enhance the child’s experience are a Farmers’ Market Mobile
and ABC Flash Cards. (images below)
