At the end of each month, I hope to hold a giveaway featuring nonfiction picture book(s). Chronicle Books has graciously offered up 4 titles from their collection for our first giveaway. An Egg is Quiet is one of my personal favorites in this collection. I found it to be beautifully illustrated, simple in execution, and very well done.
Thank you Lara for supporting the Non-fiction Picture Book Challenge of 2012 with this wonderful collection of books which will be great in any classroom or school library. Don't forget to check out the Chronicle webpage for each of these books. They have included teaching guides to use with the books.
Here are the rules:
1.Though comments are very much appreciated, please do not enter any
personal information in the comments section (including your email,
website, etc.). If you do enter personal information, you comment will
not be posted.
2. You must complete the Entry Form to officially enter the contest. 3. The Contest runs from 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time on January 25, 2012 to 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on January 31, 2012.
4. You must be 13 or older to participate in this contest.
5. You do not need to follow the blog to enter the contest, but you will receive additional entry points if you are participating in the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge 2012.
6. If you are selected as a winner, I will notify you by e-mail. If
you do not respond within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.
7. Only those with US and Canadian addresses are eligible to enter this giveaway.
Today on the blog Ivy and Bean answer questions from their biggest fan, Andrea ("Andy"), a third grader at my school. Andy sent a letter to Ivy & Bean with some questions, and here is what they had to say.
Hi Andrea,
Ivy says: We’re glad to know that you like the books about us.
Bean says: Of course she likes them. Who wouldn’t like them?
Ivy: She’s asking us what books we like besides The Amazing Book of World Records.
Bean: I don’t like any other books.
Ivy: Yes you do. You liked that book called The World of Weird: Unbelievable Animals.
Bean: Oh yeah. I did like that one. And I liked that one about how to pan for gold. Even though I never found any gold.
Ivy: I just read a great book called Penny Dreadful.
Bean: I like Brave Potatoestoo!
Ivy: Now she asks whether we like being book characters. Do you?
Bean: I don’t care. Annie Barrows comes around and
sits in my backyard and asks us questions, and then she writes about
us. It’s no big deal.
Ivy: Yeah, I guess I don’t really care either. Annie’s okay, but I don’t know why watches us instead of anyone else.
Bean: And why she doesn’t just remember the things she did when she was a kid?
Ivy: Maybe she has a bad memory. She’s kind of old.
Bean: What’s the next question?
Ivy: Hobbies. What are our hobbies?
Bean: Horses.
Ivy: Really? You don’t have a horse.
Bean: Thinking about horses is my hobby.
Ivy: My hobby is cooking.
Bean: What do you cook? I’ve never seen you cook.
Ivy: I made toast this morning. That’s cooking.
Bean: I like toast.
Ivy: Now she’s asking about secrets. She says Ivy, does Bean have any secrets?’
Bean: You promised.
Ivy: I know. I won’t. I promised. Then she says Bean, does Ivy have any secrets?
Bean: Yes, but I’ll never tell. Even if you hang me
upside down over a pot of boiling oil, I’ll never ever tell, not even
for a million, gazillion dollars.
Ivy: And besides, it didn’t turn on anyway.
Bean: Right. But I’ll never ever tell not even if they shoot me out of a cannon.
Ivy: Do you want to be in a fashion show book? That’s the next question.
Bean: Do I get to decide what to wear?
Ivy: No, you have to wear a dress. Do you have a dress?
Bean: Nope. Guess I can’t be in the fashion show.
Ivy: And I have to wear pants.
Bean: You can borrow some of mine.
Ivy: Okay. Here’s her last question: Is there a continent that you both wish to travel to and why?
Bean: Easy-peasy. I want to go to Africa so I can see the cheetahs. They can run faster than any animal in the world.
Ivy: Okay, and then we’ll go to Antarctica, because hardly anyone goes there.
Bean: You want to see penguins?
Ivy: No, I want to see glaciers.
Bean: Okay. First Africa and then Antarctica.
Ivy: Bye, Andy.
Bean: See you later, alligator.
Thank you to the wonderful, and talented Annie Barrows (author and creator of the Ivy and Bean Series) for taking time out of her busy schedule to make one 3rd grade student the happiest girl in the world.
Thank you Andy for creating all of the great questions for Ivy and Bean. You rock!
Author: Hervé Tullet Publisher: Chronicle Books (March 30, 2011) Audience: Ages 3 to 7 Source: Personal Copy
Description for GoodReads: Press the yellow dot on the cover of this book, follow the instructions within, and embark upon a magical journey! Each page of this surprising book instructs the reader to press the dots, shake the pages, tilt the book, and who knows what will happen next! Children and adults alike will giggle with delight as the dots multiply, change direction, and grow in size! Especially remarkable because the adventure occurs on the flat surface of the simple, printed page, this unique picture book about the power of imagination and interactivity will provide read-aloud fun for all ages!
On the opening page of PRESS HERE, the reader sees a simple yellow dot on a clean white background and the simple words that invite the reader to "Press here and turn the page." I challenge anyone not to be tempted to "press here". Once you do "press here" and turn the page the journey has begun. Each page invites the reader, to press, rub, shake, tilt, or blow on the page. Each time, readers are rewarded with some kind of action on the subsequent page. Rubbing the yellow dot may make it change color. Shaking it moves all of the dots around. And blowing on the page just might send all of the dots flying. Every time I share this book with someone, I get the same response - smiles, chuckles, and enthusiastic interaction with the book.
There are books and then there are books. PRESS HERE is fun, simple, and brilliantly executed. In some ways, I like to describe this as an iPad app for people without an iPad. It should be noted that the book is designed in a way that also allows for heavy use. With a book that encourages interactions, it is critical that it can stand up to lots of handling. The pages of PRESS HERE are thicker and coated which will support frequently use.
If you are looking for gifts for young children in your life, or just like collecting unique books, I would seriously recommend this one. I am already making up a list of who will get a copy. Have fun watching the book trailer below.
Authors: Ralph Covert, G. Riley Mills Illustrator: Wilson Swain Reading Level: 3rd to 5th grade Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 21, 2009) Source: Personal Copy
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Description from GoodReads: This is no ordinary Nutcracker! This time, it's Fritz's story. The traditional Nutcracker tale gets turned on its head in this rollicking Christmas adventure, based on the hit musical A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas by the popular family music rock star Ralph Covert and playwright G. Riley Mills. Includes a bonus CD of songs from the musical, featuring a read-aloud track with the music and story woven together.
This holiday classic receives a modern redux with a change of point of view and rather than a ballet children are drawn into a video game. First, I will say up front that I have never been a huge fan of the original version which I saw performed on stage before reading it. Second, I have not seen the musical version that the book is based on. I am purely reviewing the book version.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this book version of the Nutcracker. Instead of being from Clara's point of view, it is told from Fritz's POV. The book begins with Fritz breaking Clara's nutcracker and being required to stay at home with an elderly neighbor while his family goes out to see the Nutcracker performed. Fritz also lost the privilege of playing his video game Mouse Hunter 5000. When the neighbor answers the phone, Fritz sneaks a chance to play his game. Surprisingly the Mouse King from the game has come alive. Fritz is then joined by a real live Nutcracker (a girl) and together they go after the Mouse King to save the day. Of course, a similar twist occurs at the end, where Fritz awakes and wonders if it was all a dream. He then meets the neighbor's niece Marie who looks surprisingly like the Nutcracker.
I am not sure what it says about me that it is easier for me to accept falling into a video game vs. having a regular dream (and no I did not grow up with video games) but the book really does have a feel of children trapped into the Mouse Hunter 5000 game. It is humorous and charming in it's own way. The illustrations are bright, busy, and have a magical quality to them. The over-sized heads and eyes of the characters provide a cartoon-like feel to the images.
If you are a Nutcracker purist, this might not be for you. However, if you like a little twist to your classics, then I would suggest giving a Nutty Nutcracker Christmas a chance. It is a nice addition to any collection, and may appeal a little more to boys than the original. My students enjoyed this alternate version and I hope yours do as well.
Note: The book is accompanied by a CD which includes 5 songs from the play and a read-aloud track with a musical background.
Author/Illustrator: William Wondriska Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 25, 2010) Ages: 4 to 8 years old Source: Publisher for review Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Description from GoodReads:
Look! A long piece of string. Let's follow it! Stunning in both its boldness and simplicity, this rediscovered classic by distinguished graphic designer William Wondriska, originally published in 1963, leads readers on a clever journey of discovery and delight.
There truly is a simplicity with this book that moves it into a whole other category. When I first held Wondriska's A Long Piece of String in my hands, I sensed this was something unique. As I turned the pages, I was greeted by a wordless story told basically by a piece of black string that leads the reader through a journey of illustrations. Each picture represents a different letter of the alphabet with this dark inky thread tying it together.
The simplicity of this re-issued 47 year old book is also in the dichromatic pages contrasting black string with orange-red illustrations. I couldn't help but chuckle at some of the depictions. A skeleton key for the letter K, or the old gas station for the letter G. However, most of the other pictures really stand the test of time. The jet plane looks remarkably similar to it's present day counterpart, and an alligator is still an alligator.
For those individuals who particularly enjoy collecting alphabet books, I would strongly recommend adding Wondriska's A Long Piece of String to their collection. As for teachers or parents, A Long Piece of String can be used to facilitate a conversation between adult and child about similarities shared by a present day alphabet book and one with a different history.
