Guyku by Bob Raczka and Peter H. Reynolds

Boys+Haiku=Guyku

My two boys love GUYKU: A Year of Haiku for Boys  by Bob Raczka and illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds, so I thought I would share it with you this week. I think it would be a great book for a school library or to share with your own little dudes (or dudettes!).

Published by Houghton Mifflin (2010), Guyku is a nicely composed picture book of 24 haiku poems, with 6 haiku each being devoted to each season of the year.

As Raczka observes, haiku is a poetic form which lends itself well to boys as they involve observations of nature, they are short, and they take place in the present. Illustrator Peter H. Reynolds adds that the ‘invitation for boys to swim in the poem pond needs to be issued more often and more loudly.”

Selection:

If this puddle could

talk, I think it would tell me

to splash my sister.

Why we love it:

1) These haikus capture well the world of my boys; kite-flying, fishing, splashing in puddles, biking, bugs, stargazing, skipping rocks, wild beasts, leaf piles, the list goes on…

2) Illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds are whimsical and playful, a perfect pairing for Racza’s haiku.

3) I took my son kite flying, and he randomly quoted from one of the haiku :

The wind and I play

tug-of-war with my new kite

The wind is winning.

4) I love poetry as it encourages creativity with language use and involves a keen observation of the world around us-kudos to Bob Racza and Peter H. Reynolds for creating a delightful book and for writing poems that appeal to boys’ imagination.

Resources for educators: the Guyku website is full of downloadable resources and ideas for generating your own haiku.

Gulf Islands Alphabet by Bronwyn Preece

I first travelled past the Gulf Islands on a BC Ferry as a mere tot, 18 months old, sailing through Active Pass on the way to Vancouver Island. Now I’ve had the pleasure of taking my two boys on the same sailing, and they are both just as captivated by the wild beauty of the Gulf Islands as I am.

Even though I’ve been on those ferries probably a hundred times, travelling past (and throughout) the Gulf Islands still takes my breath away…I think anyone who ever visits never truly wants to leave.

Today I am reviewing the lovely picture book, Gulf Islands Alphabet (Simply Read Books 2012), written by Bronwyn Preece with illustrations by Alex Walton.

Opening: “Around,

Amongst

And Amidst the Gulf Islands of

Amazing British Columbia, we…

Arrive through Active Pass, sighting

Anchors being set by sailors,

As we Admire

Arbutus Trees

And Anemones Along…”

Why we love it:

1) My boys love seeing familiar places in the stories that they read, and even though this is regionally specific, it would be a good addition to any Canadian library or as a keepsake for people who visit this area.

2) The illustrations are great…my boys like pointing out all of the wildlife in the pictures and the text also serves to expand their vocabulary and understanding of the geographic and natural environment (e.g.”orcas and octopi, oysters and otters”)

3) I personally think there are far too many boring and mundane alphabet books out there that dumb down language and are not challenging enough for children. I appreciate how the writer does not restrict herself to using nouns to demonstrate letters of the alphabet, but also uses descriptive adjectives, verbs, adverbs, etc.

4)It’s lyrical, beautifully illustrated, and the ‘alphabet book’ is also a Gulf Islands narrative…one that flows through each letter of the alphabet.

illustration by alex walton

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by Eric Litwin and James Dean

Did I just hear a Christmas song on the radio? It’s only November 16th!

I suppose I’ll join in the madness and review a holiday-themed book that both my boys love: Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by Eric Litwin and James Dean (HarperCollins, 2012).

Opening: ’Twas the day before Christmas and Santa was ill.
In the cold winter wind he had caught a bad chill.
Will Christmas be canceled? Will it come to that?
“Never!” cried Santa.
“Let’s call Pete the Cat!”

Synopsis (from jacketflap): In this rockin’ new spin on the traditional tale The Night Before Christmas, Pete the Cat proves that giving your all in the spirit of Christmas is the totally groovy thing to do.

Theme/Genre: Holiday, Giving; Fiction

Suitable for: ages 3+

Why we like it: My boys ages 4 and 2 love Pete the Cat and this book is no exception…my oldest is already singing the catchy song! Last year, he also got to see “Mr. Eric” at a live performance here in Vancouver and loved it…his first ever live show.

I like how the central theme of this book is giving. “I’ll do it,” said Pete, “and although I am small, at Christmas we give, so I’ll give it my all.” As we read this book, my son asked, “What is giving your all?” I realize it’s a bit of an an abstract concept for preschoolers, but it led to a ‘teachable moment’ as they say, in which we talked about giving to others, doing our best, etc.

Resources: HarperCollins website has a downloadable activity kit which you could print out for students. The story and song are also free to download or stream here. Other ideas that come to my mind can be drawing a picture around the theme of “Though I am small, I can give it my all”. Also I think learning the song as a class would be oh.so.cute. You could record students’ voices reading the story on an iPad, and then grab a guitar and teach them the song! The kids at T.E. Scott where my husband teaches did just that! Check out their awesome video:

And here’s a little preview of the book from HarperCollins:

Have you been hearing Christmas carols where you live?!

Larf by Ashley Spires

You know how lots of preschoolers have a kind of love/hate relationship with monsters? Well, mine is one of them…he’s even a little hesitant about monster trucks actually. Anyways, his newest favourite book is about a monster of sorts, a sasquatch named Larf.

Larf, written and illustrated by Ashley Spires, and published by Kids Can Press(2012), is one we have read over and over and over again, so I thought it would be a good one to share with you!

Opening: “Have you ever felt like nobody knows you even exist? That’s exactly how Larf feels. And he likes it that way. Larf is a sasquatch. The only sasquatch it seems. He lives a quiet life in the woods with his bunny, Eric.”

Larf is a quiet, gentle soul, who fills his days with happy, though solitary, pursuits. When he reads an article in the paper about a sasquatch appearance, he realizes that there may indeed be another sasquatch in the world, and concludes that this could perhaps be a good thing; teeter-tottering could now be possible and he would have someone to share his “witty commentary on cheesy movies” with. Despite generally avoiding loud crowds and traveling, Larf ventures to the busy city of Hunderfitz, albeit in camouflage as a somewhat large and hairy human. Though faced with second thoughts and initial disappointment, Larf’s going outside his comfort zone to meet someone like himself is eventually rewarded.

Why we “larf” it: 1) My oldest son, who is also the quiet solitary type, is fascinated by Larf. At an age when his friendships are just beginning to blossom, I think he relates in some way to Larf, and particularly enjoys the part of the story when Larf finds a friend.

2) Larf is a friendly monster. This is good.

3) The story is fun and the illustrations are infused with subtle humour, which makes the repeat readings fresh.

Ashley Spires is a talented writer and illustrator, and I look forward to reading and perhaps reviewing some of her other books.

Were you ever scared of monsters as a kid?

Chopsticks by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

I don’t know about you, but our family eats with chopsticks a few times a month. My three and a half year old is actually pretty darn good at using them…check out his ‘Thomas” themed ones…all the way from Singapore from his aunties!

Which brings me to my book review and choice for Perfect Picture Book Friday: Chopsticks by Amy Krouse Rosenthal with illustrations by Scott Magoon. 

Published by Disney/ Hyperion Books (2012)

Suitable for ages: 3+

Themes/Genre: fiction; seperation from friends, independence, self discovery, word play (puns, personification)

Opening: “Perhaps you’ve met Chopsticks? They’ve been best friends for…forever. They go everywhere together. They do everything together. They’re practically attached at the hip. No one can remember ever seeing them apart.”

Synopsis: When one of the pair of chopsticks suffers an accident while learning new culinary tricks, the inseperable best friends learn to spend time apart from one another. As “new and unusual ideas presented themselves” to the lone chopstick, it learns to stand strong apart from his other half. When they reunite, the chopsticks recognize that being apart made each of them stronger.

Resources: http://www.whoisamy.com/images/Chopsticks_Activities_Guide.pdf

Why we like it: 1) A clever, refreshing tale for adults and children alike, Chopsticks shines with witty word play about a topic many people can relate to. With visual and textual word play (being ‘whisked’ away by a whisk, for example), it’s a great book to jump into a discussion about puns.

2) I highly recommend this book if you have children/students who are twins! Some of you reading this blog may not know that I have a twin sister, who is my best friend, my other chopstick! I love how this book encourages you to step outside of you comfort zone and learn independence, something which can be especially daunting for twins. Awhile back, I wrote a guest post on my friend Nicky’s blog entitled “The Twinkling of Twins”. Check it out if you’d like to read more about my experience…and a funny twin story too!

Chopsticks. “To standing on our own and to sticking together!”

PS. I’ve come across some cool blog posts about dads this week, so with Father’s Day coming up, I think I might post about that on Sunday. If any of my fellow bloggers have stories about their dads, I’d love to read them!

When I Was Small by Sara O’Leary

Today is Perfect Picture Book Friday and have I got a charmer for you!

When I Was Small (Simply Read Books, 2011) is the third of the ‘Henry’ books written by Sara O’Leary with illustrations by Julie Morstad.

Suitable for: Ages 3+

Genre/Theme: Childhood, Family, Imagination; Fiction.

Selection: “Henry wishes he had known his parents when they were small. Tell me a story, he begs his mother. Tell me a story about when you were small too.

When I was small, says his mother, my best friend was a ladybug.

When I was small, says his mother, I couldn’t wait to grow up. Because I knew one day I would have  a small boy of my own.”

Synopsis: Curious little Henry from the award-winning books When You Were Small and Where You Came From has a new question for his mother in this charming new picture book. “What was it like when you were small?” he asks. His mother proceeds to describe her adventures to him, all about when she was little – very little! (SimplyRead Books)

Why we like it:

1) I like it how they have interpreted “small” as in ‘tiny’. The mother’s fantastical stories about sleeping in a mitten, swimming in a bird bath, feasting on a single raspberry, and wearing the same size shoes as her doll are fun and whimsical and pique children’s curiosity.

2) The ink and watercolour illustrations have a nostalgic feel to them, inviting kids and adults alike to enter into that imaginative world.

I definitely recommend When You Were Small as well. It’s similar in that Henry asks his father what he (Henry) was like when he was small (tiny). My son was asking about how we carried him in his shirt pocket afterwards… Here’s the book trailer for When I Was Small:

Resources: I think a creative writing activity in which children could write a few lines and draw a picture about what they could do when they were ‘small’ would be fun and get their imaginations going.

For a list of more great picture books with resources, check out Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog here.

Night Boy by Ann Laurel Carter and Ninon Pelletier (and giveaway!)

My eyes were first really opened to the wonders of our night sky when I took an astronomy course at UBC with Peter Newbury, an amazing teacher whose passion is teaching people about astronomy, and teaching others how to teach it WELL.

Space is truly one of the last frontiers and the discoveries being made by scientists and astronomers fascinate me. In high school, I had never heard of horse head nebulas, supernovas, galaxy clusters, or gravitational lensing. E=MC2 was myth, not method.

Anyhoo…this brings me to a picture book that approaches some astronomical subjects in a fun way…the lovely Night Boy (Orca Book, 2012) by Anne Laurel Carter.

Opening: “Night can’t sleep. He’s waiting to play/ his favourite game with his big sister, Day.

“Be patient,” Day says. It’s not dark yet. You can’t look for me until after sunset.”

Night counts to ten, throws the moon up high/ and spreads out his blankie to darken the sky.

“Come and find me!”Day calls. “As soon as you do, we’ll race back home, and then I’ll look for you.”

Synopsis: Night is a boy who knows it’s much more fun to play than go to sleep. When the sun sets, he travels through the night sky in a spaceship with his teddy. Night’s favourite game is hide-and -go seek, which he plays each evening with his older sister Day. But why can’t he ever find her? (Orca Books)

Why we like it:

1) The author has created a fun story in verse that introduces kids to the wonders of the night sky. Night Boy paints with stars, sprinkles constellations, spills milk to create the milky way, and wears a cape of aurora borealis, among other space-capades.  My three year old is captivated by space and while this story is fantastical, it also has piqued his interest and got him asking questions about the Milky Way and Aurora Borealis.

2) Ninon Pelletier‘s illustrations are bold and playful…I would love to post some on here, but of course will respect copyright laws and instead direct you to check out the Night Boy website here for more of a sneak peak!

***Giveaway: I have one copy of Night Boy by Anne Laurel Carter with illustrations by Ninon Pelletier for a reader. Please leave a comment about who you would like to share this book with and a winner will be drawn at random May 25, 2012. Open to Canadian residents only.

photo credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua Strang

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin and James Dean

Happy Friday, everyone! Today I am participating in Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Book Friday…Check out her blog for great books and resources recommended by writers, teachers, parents, etc.

My choice for today is Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons which was just released on May 1, 2012 by HarperCollins.

Author: Eric Litwin

Illustrator: James Dean

Theme: Song; numeracy; subtraction. Coping: “stuff will come and stuff will go, but do we cry?”

Synopsis: Pete the Cat is wearing his favourite shirt-the one with the four totally groovy buttons. But when one falls off, does Pete cry? Goodness, no! He just keeps on singing his song- after all, what could be groovier than three groovy buttons? Count down with Pete in this rocking new story…(from HarperCollins)

Selection: “Pete the Cat put on his favourite shirt with four big, colourful, round, groovy buttons. He loved his buttons so much he sang this song…My buttons, my buttons, my four groovy buttons…Pop! Oh no! One of the buttons popped off and rolled away. How many buttons are left? 3! 4-1 equals three. Did Pete cry? Goodness, no! Buttons come and buttons go. He kept on singing his song”

Why we like it: My son is always drawn to picture books that include a song. He adores Pete the Cat and I find him charming too…he’s calm, cool, and collected and if he had a motto it would be, as the Brits say, ‘keep calm and carry on’…Also, the cutest thing about my son singing the song? Pronouncing “buttons” with an east coast accent (minus the ‘t’) like the kids and Eric in the book trailer:

Resources: There are activities (mostly related to the two other Pete the Cat books) on the HarperCollins website here. The song downloads are here. Pinterest has some links to various blogs with crafts and activities. I find it kind of strange that some bloggers charge money to download their activities that are based on James Dean’s images and Eric Litwin’s ideas. What do you think about that?

My own idea is an activity to appeal to kinaesthetic learners. As it is a great book for teaching numeracy, specifically subtraction, my suggestion is to:

1) Stock up on some buttons (hit up thrift stores), enough for each child to have four or they could bring some from home.

2) Read the story once and then hand out 4 buttons to each child. Have children stand in a circle and a basket/bucket/inflatable pool in the middle. They can listen to the story, dance with their buttons and when you come to the part where the buttons “pop” off, have children take one of their buttons and throw it into the bucket. It will be a fun yet visual and tactile way to learn subtraction.

In Vancouver the other day I was at my favourite children’s bookstore Kidsbooks, and snapped a photo of their window display of Pete.

window display of Pete the Cat at Kidsbooks (Vancouver)

Not only are they promoting the new book, but also Eric Litwin’s visit to the Vancouver International Children’s Festival. I’m planning on taking my son to see him…anyone else taken their children to a Pete the Cat performance?!

Doors in the Air by David Weale (plus giveaway!)

“Living Town” is the name my son gave to a place he goes to in his dreams/imagination. He’s been talking about it often since he was two and his descriptions are often detailed, vivid, and matter of fact. Living Town sounds like a perfect place and I sometimes wonder if he has actually been given a glimpse of heaven!

Which brings me to today’s book review, Doors In The Air, by David Weale.

Publisher: Orca Books, 2012

Illustrator: Pierre Pratt

Ages: 3+

Selection: “Doors, doors/ That’s all I know/ Look for the doors/ Wherever you go/

Just close your eyes tight/And reach out your hand/ Then slip through a door/ To a faraway land”

Synopsis: “In Doors in the Air, a young boy marvels at how doorways can take him from one place to another. He is especially enthralled by the doors of his imagination, which he refers to as “doors in the air.”

Why I like it:

1) It’s an Ode to Doors…The narrator (little boy) celebrates the possibilities of doors and how they keep him from being trapped or stuck. He moves from talking about his house doors, to those he enters when he dreams and imagines.

2) Written in verse, it flows nicely and reads like a poem. While it explores an abstract theme, it’s done in a way little ones can relate to.

3) The illustrations by Pierre Pratt are lively, with bold acrylic colours, inviting the readers into the door dreamscape.

———–>Giveaway! I have one copy of Doors In The Air for a reader. Unfortunately this is only open to Canadian residents (for shipping cost reasons!). Just leave a comment below telling me either who you would share this book with or if you had (have?) an imaginary place/friend you went to when you were young. Winner will be drawn at random Thursday April 26, 2012.

photo credit: Katerha on Flickr

“You are, you see,

The silver key

To open up the lock” (from Doors in the Air by David Weale)

Spork by Kyo Maclear

“So, what ARE you, anyway?”

This is a question many of my interacial friends grew up being asked. My children, no doubt, will be asked it too. And while those of you who know me know I hate the term ‘halfer’, it’s a word that many use to describe children of ‘mixed’ race. I think all children are whole and don’t like to use language that suggests they are anything but. One friend of mine grew up thinking she was ‘half normal’ as she was always asked if she was half. I’m not a fan of ‘mixed’ either, preferring interacial, or multiethnic. An article I read in National Geographic awhile ago interviewed a man who lived in Hawaii, and he was talking about how everyone is ‘chop suey’ there. Having spent time living in Hawaii, I get what he’s saying. But I think we’re all chop suey too.

Where am I going with this??

Today I’m reviewing Spork by Kyo Maclear.

Illustrated by: Isabelle Arsenault

Published by: Kids Can Press, 2010

Ages: 3+

Themes: Acceptance, Uniqueness, Diversity, Interacial Families.

Opening: “Spork was neither spoon or fork…but a bit of both. He had a mum and a dad…who both though he was perfect just the way he was. But Spork stuck out.”

Synopsis: Spork sticks out. In his kitchen, spoons are spoons and forks are forks. Mixing is uncommon. Even though he tries to look more spoonish and then more forkish, Spork never gets chosen at mealtimes. He seems destined to life in the drawer until one day something arrives that doesn’t care about cutlery customs. Will this be Spork’s chance to finally find his way to the table? (Jacketflap, KidsCan Press)

Why I like it:

1) Kyo Maclear, who identifies as a ‘spork’ herself, has created a fun and clever “multi-cutlery” tale that celebrates individuality and diversity. I appreciated reading her meaningful story behind Spork which can be found here.

2) The mixed media and digital illustrations by award winning Isabelle Arsenault are fantastic and add playfulness and whimsy to the story. With sparse splashes of colour on largely grey, silvery, earth tones, it feels like you are hanging out with a bunch of forks and spoons for sure!

3) While there is a clear message regarding acceptance of those who look different (i.e.interacial), young children may not pick up on that, and that’s ok. It’s a sweet story about someone/thing that is different and trying to find out where they belong.

Resources: Storytime suggestions to accompany Spork as well as a Spork certificate for children for being unique can be found here.