30 Days of Picture Books - On Earth by G. Brian Karas

It's Day 5 of Picture Book Month, and it's Nonfiction Monday, so today what's on my mind is information. Facts, if you will. We don't always stop to think how much cold hard data comes at us in the form of the picture books we read as kids, but it's a lot, really. For little ones, a picture book might be their first introduction to dinosaurs, to air travel, to plants and trees. We've certainly read some stellar nonfiction on these topics and many others. In fact, Sprout learned most of the names of fruits and veggies from a terrific picture book on the subject, and to this day, every time we go in the produce section together, he chants, "Broccoli, cauliflower, shout it out!". (Okay, so we get a few looks.)

Lots of times bookstores and libraries keep picture books they deem "nonfiction" in a separate section from your Splat the Cats or your Fancy Nancys. So it requires a bit more looking around to find these kinds of titles, but it's worth it. Sprout pores over a large format book on (what else) trains I brought home, and he's learned so much from it that I swear he can instantly identify each different type he sees.

Today's choice is from the nonfiction shelves -- On Earth by G. Brian Karas. We checked this title out because we'd been having discussions about seasons and time change, and I needed a little backup to explain the whole notion in a simple way. I wanted something that would give an overview of the basic concepts, but not in a dry or boring fashion. The great thing about picture books is you can generally find multiple titles on a topic, selections suited to different age ranges so you can choose what's appropriate.

On Earth fills the bill nicely, as Karas explains the rotation of the Earth and movement around the sun, and how that impacts our seasons. With large format paintings brushed with just a hint of whimsy, he demonstrates how the weather is different according to what time of year it is, and also discusses the passage of time. Best of all, he carefully explains that there's a difference in seasons between the Southern and Northern hemispheres. The page illustrating this just blew Sprout's mind -- "snow up here but sun down there?" -- but it gave us a chance to talk about how his family in Ethiopia experiences different conditions because they are closer to the Equator. I'm always pleased when we can make connections between life here and life in his birth country, an opportunity that comes up frequently when we read together.

"On earth we go for a giant ride in space, spinning like a merry-go-round." This is the first sentence of Karas's excellent picture book, and one that I think represents factual titles quite well. Obviously you'll want more detail if reading to an older child. But the ability of a skilled author to translate complicated concepts into a succinct bit of imagery relatable to a young child is quite impressive.

Next time you're looking for information, don't just head for the computer -- give the picture book shelves a browse, and see how you can help your child learn and connect with books at the same time.

On Earth by G. Brian Karas, published by G.P. Putnam's Sons

30 Days of Picture Books - Duck, Duck, Goose by Tad Hills

It's Day 4 of Picture Book Month and it seems like time to think about lessons. We all learn about the world in a variety of ways, most of which are firsthand experiences but some of which are based on what we glean through other channels. We learn by watching others, by listening to our parents (or not, as the case may be), and of course by reading. Picture books teach us about the sphere we live in as well as those far away or even those of imagination. And when we visit those imaginary realms, we often bring back knowledge that helps us when we face a similar situation in "real life".

For the youngest readers picture books provide the building blocks of things like color and shape. For slightly older kiddos, life lessons are coming into play. Suddenly the focus becomes not basic concepts like opposites and ABCs, but basic relationship skills like getting along with others and taking your turn. By modeling situations your kids will encounter at school or with friends, picture books provide opportunities to role play and think through difficult scenarios.

Duck, Duck, Goose by Tad Hills is a title that's great for talking about the friendship dynamic. We're fans of Duck and Goose around these parts. I think we got through the board book Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin approximately 6,000 times in the first autumn and winter Sprout was in our family (luckily it's a pretty fun read).

In this episode of their ongoing adventures, a new face enters the picture: a small grayish duck aptly named Thistle. She's a prickly sort, too, the best at everything -- if you don't believe it, just ask her. Goose very quickly feels left out of Duck and Thistle's adventures, especially since Thistle just wants to best Goose in every contest she can think of. Disheartened, Goose heads off for some quiet time, and Duck realizes just how much he misses his very best friend. Soon the two are reconciled, and they find a way to let Thistle have her way -- even while they do the things they two like best.

Tad Hills just gets kids, which you quickly discover by reading one of his excellent titles. Kids and adults alike will be charmed by his perfectly adorable characters, and then they'll discover how much Hills has to teach readers, about the nature of friendship, about getting along with others, about the simple pleasure of kicking a ball around a meadow.

And those are the kinds of lessons we could all use, couldn't we?

Duck, Duck, Goose by Tad Hills, published by Schwartz & Wade Books

30 Days of Picture Books - The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney

It's Day 3 of Picture Book Month, and what's on my mind today is story. Sure, picture books are all about illustrations, but the story's pretty important too, right? Word choice had better be spot on in a picture book, nothing out of place because you're communicating a narrative all in the scantest of lines. I don't know about you, but if there are more than a few paragraphs on each page, I'm sure to have a restless little one on my hands, and then we're off to find another choice. So the first credo of picture book writers would seem to be choose your words carefully.

But what if you decide not to choose your words at all? I'm speaking, of course, about wordless picture books, something that might not immediately seem strong in narrative, but which have a hidden strength that goes beyond the written word. You see what's so great about wordless books is that you get to tell the story any way you want to. Kids love this - it's what they do, after all, as pre-readers when they sit down to "read" a book to their stuffies. And with the wordless picture book, adults get to experience that phenomenon too. The book's creator gives us the framework within which we can emphasize whatever aspects and nuance seem most significant to us.

In our home library, one wordless book in particular stands out, and for good reason - it's easily one of the best examples of the genre out there. I'm speaking of Jerry Pinkney's The Lion & the Mouse, a Caldecott Award Winner and all-around gorgeous piece of graphic storytelling.

The plot is of course based on the fable by Aesop, wherein a tiny mouse is captured by a lion who then, for whatever reason, lets the mouse go. And soon the lion finds himself in trouble, as he is ensnared by hunters - but the little mouse and his friends come to the rescue, chewing through the net that holds the lion and setting the mighty king of the jungle free. As in all fables, we have a lesson to take away: always perform an act of kindness when you have the opportunity, for you never know when you will need kindness in return.

In Pinkney's skilled control, the narrative becomes so much more. Honestly, if you're looking for visual splendor you couldn't do better. Even the end pages are a feast for the eyes, as we're taken immediately into the landscape of Eastern Africa, where Pinkney's version is set. Young readers will love poring over the detail of each page, noticing the curls in the lion's mane or the spiderweb clinging to a strand of grass. And they'll revel in the chance to tell you a story, if you let them - one time through is all most kids are likely to need before they want to relate the tale in their own words, a recounting that's never the same twice.

Linger over the experience of The Lion & the Mouse together, for it really is the kind of book you want to visit again and again.

The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney, published by Little, Brown

30 Days of Picture Books - Otis by Loren Long

It's the second day of Picture Book Month and today I'm thinking about time travel. One of the biggest benefits of reading with young kids is that as adults we get very few opportunities to revisit our childhoods. Sure we can put toys up in our cubicle and be first in line to every Pixar movie. But these types of activities usually happen with one (or both) of our feet still squarely in the adult world, sadly. It's very hard to shut off your adult mind and be purely childlike

But reading with a child -- ah, that's a different matter entirely! When we read picture books we experience the joys of reading in both present and past tense. Not only are we living the experience with our little ones, we're also stepping back in time to our own growing-up years. And, in a beautiful stroke of synchronicity, we're making memories our kids will revisit later in life.

Today's pick for our 30 Days of Picture Books series is Otis by author/illustrator Loren Long. If you know this book, you'll understand why it hearkens back to another time, and if you don't, I suggest you seek it out immediately. (Really. I mean it.)

Long's crafted a slice of nostalgia in this book, one of our family favorites. Otis is a small red tractor who loves his life on the farm, especially playing games like ring-around-the-rosy with his friend the little calf and the other farm animals. One day the farmer comes into the barn with a big brand-new tractor and displaces Otis entirely. Otis is very sad, and not even the little calf can cheer him up. And then the little calf herself goes missing, and when she turns up, she's stuck deep in Mud Pond. The farmer tries everything to rescue her but only one person has the gentle touch needed to coax the calf out of the pond - and Otis has his place once more.

I can't even begin to do the illustrations in this book justice, but let me tell you that they are, in a word, unforgettable, reminiscent of classic works like Lentil or  The Story of Ferdinand (which Long mines for inspiration in the sequel also). It says something that sometimes when we're done reading, Sprout will just leaf through the pages on his own, drinking in the images. Otis is cheerily red with a retro design, while the new tractor is glisteningly modern with sick-making yellow paint. And when I say that Otis leaps off the page - well, you'll have to see for yourself, but trust me, it's like Loren Long captured the spirit of a three-year-old boy in the form of a vintage tractor. You just can't help but grin.

We love Otis, both in this first offering and in Long's equally excellent sequel, Otis and the Tornado. Putt puff puttedy chuff!

Otis by Loren Long, published by Philomel Books

30 Days of Picture Books - Kiss Good Night by Amy Hest

Happy November Everybody! Can't quite believe that the calendar has turned over to the eleventh month, but there are lots of things to celebrate in the next 30 days. Some people are writing novels, some people are remembering adoption, others are just glad the campaign ads will be over soon!

In our family, November's great for lots of things, especially being thankful. And one of the biggest things we are thankful for is picture books.

Picture books are pretty amazing, when you think about it. So much of the world open right there before you, your first taste as a child of the sense of wonder and mystery that surrounds us. Picture books help us be global citizens, build togetherness, develop literacy, spark creativity, teach us the building blocks of everyday life. And such riches are available to anyone -- just crack the cover and dive on in.

In celebration of November as National Picture Book Month, we're going to feature a new picture book every day. Stay tuned for some classic favorites as well as some relatively new finds that we just adore. And we'd love to know what your best-loved picture books are -- fill us in by leaving a comment here on the blog or contacting us via Facebook or Twitter, and check out our Pinterest board "30 Days of Picture Books", because we'll be adding a new title every day!

 

 

Today's title is a recent find of ours, one that we love as much for its message about family togetherness as for its cozy nature. Kiss Good Night by Amy Hest is a perfect book for a fall bedtime, when the wind and rain are howling outside and inside everyone's snuggled up in the covers. "It was a dark and stormy night on Plum Street," the book begins, but inside Sam Bear is getting ready for bed. Mama remembers just about everything he needs: a bedtime story, a cuddly nest, all his best friends and a glass of warm milk. But Mama's forgetting something that Sam Bear really needs in order to get to sleep!

Little ones will love guessing along as to just what it is Mama's forgotten (okay, they'll probably get it right off -- Sprout did -- but it's still fun to pretend we don't know!). Hest's sweet story is captured perfectly with illustrations by Anita Jeram, the talented artist behind another gentle tale of mother and child, Bunny My Honey. I love that Sam's whole world is right inside that room at day's end - when what more does anyone need than a cozy bed, a good book, and the comfort of a kiss good night. Bedtime bliss!

Kiss Good Night by Amy Hest, published by Candlewick Press (they believe in picture books!)