Monday Finds...

Sorry I’ve not been posting for a bit, but between nasty colds and a week off from work, I haven’t had much time at the computer! My toddler has kept me busy in between bouts of spring cleaning and some quality time with my husband. But I’m back now and plan to be a bit more active for a while—as long as this cold doesn’t wear me down again! Here’s a few discoveries from the picture book shelves for the week!

The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups by David Wisnniewski—a funny, clever and absolutely subversive picture book for a middle grade reader! Things like why we really have to eat our vegetables (if we don’t, they’ll eat us) and drink our milk (atomic cows). The text is pretty dense and the subjects would be scary to a young crowd, so best save this for third grade and up!


Chester by Melanie Watt—here’s book that breaks the fourth and maybe the fifth wall. Chester is a cat that is unhappy with his story and has gotten ahold of a big red marker and taken liberties with the book. Chester immediately starts telling the story his way despite the author stepping in and trying to restart the story. The battle of wills between author and Chester reminds me vaguely of that old Daffy Duck cartoon where he battles it out with the illustrator. Might be more appreciated by the adults than the kids—but still a very funny book. Ages 5-8.

Alphabeasties and other Amazing Types by Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss—I’m not sure this book will be loved by kids, but it’s a really neat look at fonts and how they can be used to create images. Each letter is used to shape something that begins with that letter—my favorite is the image of a rearing unicorn. It’s a great book for those that love various alphabet books—but may go over the head of youngsters who are still learning the alphabet.


A Book by Mordicai Gerstein—Another unusual book that breaks the fourth wall. A girl who is a character in a book decides she wants a story of her own but doesn’t know what kind of story that is. She walks through and rejects genres on her journey until she finds the right kind of story for her. Cute, almost graphic novel style, but I think it will appeal more to 1^st grade and up than younger readers.


Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman—Okay, I admit I love this book and have only recently been reminded of how much I enjoyed reading it to kids. We go through days of the week where minor calamities affect different family members and farm animals, and each time, it’s chickens to the rescue! This book wouldn’t be half so funny without the hysterical illustrations. It’s worth quite a few chuckles and isn’t a half bad read to a Pre-K thru Kindergarten audience.

Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad