This page has been updated and improved!
Showing posts with label Humor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Humor. Show all posts
Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth by Alison McGhee
This is the story of a little girl who is about to enter first grade. It is a hilarious look at the fears all children have when facing this turning point in their lives.
"I have a secret...First Grade starts today, and I' m in BIG trouble"
"It's a known fact that Mrs. Wilson, the first-grade teacher, is a three-hundred-year-old alien who steals baby teeth from the students. How do I know?" A Second Grader told me!"
I am not sure who will enjoy this work more, the child or the adult. This author has a wonderful sense of humor which shines through on every page and ever line. The story follows this little girl through her first day of school and her more than humorous attempts at protecting her baby teeth.
The art work by Harry Bliss is cute to say the least and fits the story line perfectly. Do take note that each and every picture should be examined very thoroughly...actually examine it two or three times, as there are dozens of subtle little pictures and quirks here and there; you are sure to miss several upon only one read. The "tooth gags" are endless and are sprinkled liberally about the pages.
I truthfully am not sure if I like the text or the art more in this one.
Of course the book has a good serious lesson that kids need to catch-on to quickly, i.e. don't believe all the tall tales your older school mates and siblings tell you and that reality is not as bad as what your imagination might bring you.
It should be noted that many of the visual humor in this book may be a bit too sophisticated or the little ones but that does not matter. This does not distract from the overall work and there is certainly no law that says that an adult should not be able to enjoy a book as it is being read to a child.
I very much recommend this one and if you are unlucky enough not to have kids to read it to, go ahead and give it a shot anyway, you will love it.
"I have a secret...First Grade starts today, and I' m in BIG trouble"
"It's a known fact that Mrs. Wilson, the first-grade teacher, is a three-hundred-year-old alien who steals baby teeth from the students. How do I know?" A Second Grader told me!"
I am not sure who will enjoy this work more, the child or the adult. This author has a wonderful sense of humor which shines through on every page and ever line. The story follows this little girl through her first day of school and her more than humorous attempts at protecting her baby teeth.
The art work by Harry Bliss is cute to say the least and fits the story line perfectly. Do take note that each and every picture should be examined very thoroughly...actually examine it two or three times, as there are dozens of subtle little pictures and quirks here and there; you are sure to miss several upon only one read. The "tooth gags" are endless and are sprinkled liberally about the pages.
I truthfully am not sure if I like the text or the art more in this one.
Of course the book has a good serious lesson that kids need to catch-on to quickly, i.e. don't believe all the tall tales your older school mates and siblings tell you and that reality is not as bad as what your imagination might bring you.
It should be noted that many of the visual humor in this book may be a bit too sophisticated or the little ones but that does not matter. This does not distract from the overall work and there is certainly no law that says that an adult should not be able to enjoy a book as it is being read to a child.
I very much recommend this one and if you are unlucky enough not to have kids to read it to, go ahead and give it a shot anyway, you will love it.
The Ozarks
The Adventures of Ook and Gluk,
Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future
by Dav Pilkey
Okay, I know what some of you might be thinking, but I have to say that my children adored this book. In fact, in the three weeks we've had it my daughter La-La, age 10, has probably read it 3 times, and my 8 year-old son, Dave has probably read it 20 times -- really!
For those of you who know about Captain Underpants, The Adventures of Ook and Gluk contain all of the familiar elements -- with some nice additions. It has Flip-o-rama, for example, and that thing that Pilkey does with the signs. You know, where they read perfectly normally before his characters get a hold of them. But are remarkably silly after they've been blasted.
Before: I drink warm apple juice from the Pitsburg Fruit Juice Company.
After: I drink arm Pit Juice.
The additions are bad spelling and more of a plot, with an actual moral or two. Honest, there's this whole environmental aspect to the tale. And a bit of clever plotting that involves time travel and 'relative perspective'.
The bad spelling, by the way, is there because this book is supposed to have been written by George and Harold (Beard and Hutchins) from the Captain Underpants series. And since they're not the sharpest students you get: oposites, surfise, philosofy and other travesties.
Oh, and there's also 'cave talk':
Lesson #1
I like Candy = me like candy
Lesson #3
My grandmother doesn't think this book belongs in the school library = Grandma no fun
THE SKINNY:::
No doubt, there are adults who don't admire the Pilkey books, but I love them. They are silly, with gross, juvenile humor which is precisely why libraries can't keep them on the shelves, and, in fact, keep having to reorder them because they wear out.
Children --both boys and girls -- love the goofiness. They love not being serious and Dav Pilkey gives them what they want... in a variety of modes. There's his physical humor, his contextual humor, word humor, story humor.... Whether for visual or written reasons, these books motivate children to love reading and so they get my 5-Star approval.
I thought my son might have problems with the misspellings, but they didn't slow him down.
Somewhere in the X-burbs
Word Count: 4,373
Page Count: 176
Accelerated Reading level: 2.5 / points: 1.0
AR quiz: 138974
Lexile: GN420L
- Publisher: The Blue Sky Press
- ISBN-10: 0545385776
- sample pages available
Other Dav Pilkey books:
1. The Adventures of Captain Underpants (AR 4.3)
2. Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets (AR 4.7)
3. Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space (and the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Zombie Nerds) (AR 4.4)
4. Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants (AR 4.7)
5. Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman (AR 4.4)
6. Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy, Part 1: The Night of the Nasty Nostril Nuggets (AR 5.2)
7. Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy, Part 2: The Revenge of the Ridiculous Robo-Boogers
8. Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People (AR 4.7)
Chicken Big by Keith Graves
Keith Graves is kind of a brilliant guy. I mean he has written a story that's a great read-aloud and which had my two children and myself racing to the end to see what happens.
The story begins with an EGG BIG being laid. Out from it pops a really huge chick. He's so large in fact that the other chickens don't recognize what he is. They stand around using various modifiers that mean BIG until the Smallest Chicken, who isn't "the sharpest beak in the flock", exclaims that Big Chick must be an elephant.
The chickens then come to the conclusion that an elephant doesn't belong in a coop, and they shove him outside. Things might have gone badly from there except that the next day there's an incident with an acorn. The Smallest Chicken gets bonked on the head, panics, and sends the others running -- for don't ya know, the sky is falling. They are in a serious tizzy until Big Chick calmly points out that there's nothing wrong and that it's only an acorn falling from the tree, the way acorns do. Big Chick then announces that acorns are tasty, which is quite unfortunate because the silly chickens then conclude that Big Chick must be a squirrel. They do this because in their tiny little chicken minds they associate squirrels with acorns.
The rest of the book proceeds with similar hilarity as the chickens keep misidentifying a single act with a particular critter or item. Dryness with Umbrellas, Warmth with Sweaters, for example.
THE SKINNY:::
I really like that this isn't some vacuous story. There are actually some real good ideas to consider here.
After we read the book through twice in a row, we talked about where the chickens had gone wrong. That they had jumped to conclusions without enough information. It was an opportunity for me to give my 'scientific method' and 'logic' pitch. After which we talked about how we should give others a fair chance before labeling them based on how they look.
Don't worry though if your children are younger. Chicken Big is a great read-aloud and they'll enjoy it for the zany characters and fun artwork.
For teachers who want to add it to their classrooms, or parents looking for a book for their children to practice reading, Chicken Big is written at the 2.7 AR level.
Pam
Somewhere in the X-burbs
Somewhere in the X-burbs
- Accelerated Reading level : 2.7
- Hardcover: 40 pages
- Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 18, 2010)
- ISBN-10: 0811872378
- There is a peek-inside at Scribd
A Nuisance of Cats by HC Fargot
I notice that in the Amazon product description this book has been designated as appropriate for ages 4-8, and indeed it is!
But my goodness I can assure you that this little work is just as appropriate for any age and in many ways an adult reader; a cat lover, will have a much higher appreciation for this book that the younger reader. It is most certainly one of those books that young and old alike can share...perhaps on a different level, but share they can!
To be honest, this is one of the most unique and quirky books that I have had the pleasure of reading in a long, long time. It is an alphabet book; from A to Z...that much is traditional. It is a small picture book of cats; that too is traditional. But the author, working in apparent perfect sync with the artist, Wrolf Bronesby, has come up with a most enchanting, amusing and delightful formula; the likes which I simply have never seen before.
The author, H.C. Fargot has used the first letter in each cat's name to roll through the alphabet. As an example we have:
"D is for Dahlia debating a snail." This is accompanied by a painting or drawing showing a cat who is in an apparent deep conversation with a snail that is setting on the rim of a pot of red flowers. Here I am at a loss for words! I am having a lot of difficulty describing this illustration. The use of blended reds, yellows, browns, and dark shades along with the expression in the thin yellow lines of the cat's eye sort of defy description. Visually the picture is stunning yet in an odd way the author's use of the word "debating" adds a new dimension to the already unique and picture. This is one of those cases where you would simply have to see and read it to know what I am talking about.
Then we have the letter "K" which reads:
"K is for Kafka killing some time." A picture of a smallish maniacal cat with wild deep blue eyes attempting to dismantle a coo coo clock with the bird very nearly in his clutches tells a story that could last for pages and pages. Such detail! Such conservation of words! But between the two; the picture and the text, we learn oh so much! Add to that the fact that it is rather cute and funny.
The entire book, gives us example after example; all in alphabetical order, of the foibles, silly situations (some not so silly), and messes our feline fur people are constantly getting themselves in.
It should also be noted that this author has a wonderful offbeat sense of humor. While the simple text along with the funny, whimsical and in cases, profound illustrations will have the little ones giggling, there is also some very sophisticated humor, subtle though it may be, that will give adult readers a good belly laugh, while at the same time, the lines the author uses will fly right over the heads of the younger crowd.
If you are a cat lover (I am double blessed, being a cat and dog lover), this is a little book you should really consider adding to your collection. I might add that the physical aspects of this book, printing, binding, paper grade, etc. is some of the best that I have seen in recent years. Folks, this little book is a class act all the way.
You might also want to check out two other books by this author:
Little Known School of Thought - The Fine Art of Jewish Suffering Without Guilt
A Deluge of Dogs - Hounds Without Bounds
The Ozarks
- Accelerated Reading level : not known
- Hardcover: 64 pages
- Publisher: Little Known School Press (May 3, 2010)
- ISBN-10: 0982515014
The Sunday Salon - This Week in Books will return next week. After the vacation-lag diminishes ;)
17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore by Jenny Offill
A Controversial book that our Don loves.
Controversy is not new to children's literature nor should it be. In the case of this book though, I fear some folks may have gone a bit overboard with their reactions. But first the book... and then a short discussion.
17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore is composed of a series of panels; the first showing a very imaginative and impish little girl doing things that have apparently upset some adults.
For example, we get to see our little imp gluing her brother's bunny slippers to the floor, and we consequently told that "I am not allowed to use the glue anymore." Then we are informed that "I had an idea to do my George Washington report on beavers instead." And that "I am not allowed to do reports on beavers anymore."
There are seventeen of these little scenarios addressing subjects from the misuse of beavers, to walking backward down the hall at school, to throwing cauliflower at her brother. Each item is absolutely hilarious. The illustrations, by Nancy Carpenter, are cute, well executed and appropriate. Adults will find as much humor in this little work as the children who read it.
Now, I have to admit that there was not one instance of our young lass acting out that I did not try myself at that age, including setting a kids sneaker on fire with a magnifying glass. Either I did it or a friend of mine did it. Kids have been doing these things since the beginning of time and they are still doing them. If any parent is so out of touch with their children that they think this work will cause "bad behavior", or that this book will teach their children to act out in an inappropriate way, then I must say that that parent has lost touch with what goes on in the life of their child, and lost complete contact with what goes on in the mind of their child.
Kids are not stupid. Even the youngest can recognize irony, even if they cannot actually define the word. Each child, unless they are psychopathic, knows what the little girl is doing is wrong and that there will be consequences to pay. Again, kids are not stupid...they know! One of the reasons the children laugh when this work is read to them is that they instantly recognize what the situation is. In many ways kids are a lot brighter about such things than we big people are.
Now I have read a lot of reviews on Amazon and I am a bit upset that there seems to be an almost coordinated effort to trash this fine book. There are a handful of reviews giving the book one star and if you read them closely, they all sort of sound a like. They are all written by reviewers who have, for the most part, only one review to their name. If you read the reviews on the many wonderful books in the Junie B. Jones series, you will find the same sort of thing going on. and by the same folks I suspect. It would appear that someone or a group feels rather strongly that all imagination, creativity and individualism should be crushed out of all female children and we should return to the "good old days." Cod-wallop! Now each parent has the ultimate responsibility to monitor and advise as to their child's reading. A concerted effort by a group of people who hold their life views and values as being the "only right ones," is not a good thing. This is called censorship thru written intimidation. It is a form of propaganda. It is bad!
This is a good book. I have read it to well over 200 children of the targeted age group and have yet to find one that did not enjoy it and have yet to find one that felt it was a handbook of sort on how to misbehave. Kids at this age do not need a handbook...they are bright enough to figure out for themselves as to how to get into trouble...trust me, I know!
Again, it is every parent's responsibility to watch out for their child. Caution should be taken though and each parent should make their own mind up. This review is my particular take on this book. Without knowing me personally, I would hate to think that a parent would mindlessly give or read this book to a child on my word alone. As a nonprofessional reviewer it is not my job to do your thinking for you, although I assure you that I have no hidden agenda one way or the other when it comes to this particular work. My views, along with others can be helpful, but ultimately you need to check the work out for yourself. This work is in most public and school libraries and is not that difficult to come by.
And one last thing... I usually do not like taking shots at other reviewers but in this case I will indulge myself. For those of you that feel the little girl in this story should be beaten, spanked, or otherwise physically abused for the things she did...shame on you! I would suggest you enroll in a parenting class or anger management class and if you are a teacher who wrote such a thing and actually believe it, then you really need to have a long talk with yourself and question yourself as to whether or not you made the right career choice. If you became known to me, or taught one of my kids or grandchildren, I would do what I could to have your certificate pulled. Bad, bad, bad....horrible in fact. Again...shame on you! Just a tip from someone who knows... beating a child does not work and as a matter of fact only makes the situation worse. Again, shame on you people!
Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
- Accelerated Reading level : generic level "2"
- Hardcover: 32 pages
- Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (December 26, 2006)
- ISBN-10: 0375835962
- amazon
Technical Stuff
Lexile: AD750L
Just Waiting for the Bell!
by David Wehmeyer
Sometimes I run across a book that has me chuckling from the first page all the way through to the last sentence. But seldom do I find one that does that and gives me hope, inspiration and a general nice feeling about life. This was most certainly one of those reads!
I recently wrote a review on a marvelous collection of inspirational stories from teachers. And I made the statement in that review that beyond a doubt teachers play the most important role in our society today-- bar none.
As I look back over my past, beginning with kindergarten and attending grad school, on through a very fulfilling work career and delightfully exciting and even more fulfilling personal life, raising a family and living in general, I realized that no group of people, family included, has had more influence on my life; every aspect of my life! I am what I am today because of my teachers. I have also observed the state of life of teaches for many years now. I can think of no profession that is quite so under paid, under appreciated, has a more day in and day out grinding task to perform, and so much responsibility. Those “easy jobs” where you only work part of the year and have summers “off” are a complete myth. A teacher is “on” 24/7, three hundred sixty five days of the year.
David Wehmeyer has been an elementary school administrator for over eighteen years now and has been nice enough to share some of his experiences in this position with us with this little work. This is a collection of short recollections of his trials, tribulations, victories and inspirational events that have marked his wonderful career. I must admit that I found myself chuckling from the first to the last page when I read this work, and at the same time found myself profoundly grateful that we have such men and women guiding our children through a most difficult period in their lives. The book, while certainly funny, was also quite comforting.
Mr. Wehmeyer uses a nice crisp prose to tell his story. Nothing fancy, simply quite readable. The author has the wonderful ability to laugh at himself and his foibles which adds an extra charm to the book. He also gives us a very comprehensive inside look into just what administrators and teachers face on a daily basis and it is bound to increase the admiration and respect we should all hold for these wonderfully dedicated people.
The book is broken down into 27 short chapters, each being the separate story taken from the author’s work life as a school administrator. The subject matter is wide, the experiences quite varied and I must say, rather surprising. He address aspects of this important job that those not familiar with the system may not consider; ducks in the hall, tattooed hostile parents and their hostile kids, snow days in Texas, the unenviable task of presenting the “puberty talk” to fifth graders, obnoxious local press, becoming a hot-dog and a plethora of other events we normally would not associate with this position. All these and more are masterfully handled by the author with a sense of humor and positive outlook.
Simply put…this book is well written and was a pure joy to read.
This work would of course make an ideal gift for any school principal, teacher or young person contemplating becoming a teacher. It is a book that should also be read my any parent or grandparent of school age children.
I do highly recommend this read!
Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
- Accelerated Reading level : none found
- Paperback: 176 pages
- Publisher: Tate Publishing (December 22, 2009)
- ISBN-10: 1607999773
Squiggle by B.B. Wurge
This is one of our "Best of the Year 2009 Books"
Well I have to say that this was one fun read! B.B. Wurge has a quirky sense of humor, quirky outlook on live and a wonderful imagination. Add these factors to the further fact that he can write and writ well, and you come up with a winner.
Now I will say right off that I was put in mind of the Lemony Snicket series right from the start and I can assure fans of those books that if they like them, then they will certainly enjoy this one. I happen to be a Lemony Snicket fan so I was quite in my element here. We have the same smooth crisp writing that is the Snicket trade mark and also the sudden and unexpected turns that make you think of the author "did he really say that?" All in all, this entire book is an absolute hoot.
Very briefly, we are introduced to a really, really rotten and spoiled little girl. We are actually talking beyond rotten. This kid had no redeeming features what so ever. That being said, we also have a set of parents that, to say the least, have few if any parenting skills. Anyway, our rotten and obnoxious little girl is setting in bed, where she spends most of her life, chugging soda (Coconut Bacon Cheddar Cola) and eating her favorite snack (Salami Surprise Deluxe Potato Chips) while doing the only thing she ever does which is watching T.V. and throwing temper tantrums while her parents cower in another room. Hey, the kid throw stuff at them. Anyway, she is visited by a magical creature, a Mr LeFuzz who is NOT an ELF, but rather a Lesser Spotted Pickfloo. He has been sent by the department of magic and lives on top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Will the transformation from girl to monkey make our obnoxious child a better child? Will she be able to recover her headless body? And what about the evil villain? Is the half mad professor who takes her home from the zoo all that he seems to be? Are his bearded wife and nine year old boy all they seem to be? What do you feed a artificially stuffed toy monkey who is constantly hungry? Will her parents who are actually quite thrilled of being rid of her change their minds?
You can see the hilarious silliness this book is taking right from the beginning. Anyway, Mr. LeFuzz gives Lobelia (that is the little girl's name, although her parents often refer to her as "Lobotomy.") a magic formula which is to make her happy. Lobelia misuses the magic potion and her head blow off and her soul or life force is immediately transferred to a small stuffed monkey.
And so the adventure begins. We are taken through the streets and zoo of New York and on to Paris France! Along the way we are treated to an entire cast of very, very strange and wacky characters; each stranger than the one before. I will give you a spoiler here and tell you the book has a happy, if bizarre and unexpected ending, but that is it...for the rest you will simply have to read this work yourself.
This work will appeal to its targeted age group and will appeal to grown up little kids (like myself). The word play, surprise twists and off beat humor will have the kids laughing out loud and you chuckling to yourself. I found very little, if anything, to dislike about this work.
Like another reviewer here, I was a bit concerned over the little girl's head exploding and did raise by eyebrows a bit over the reference to such things as eyeball collections, but surprisingly the author has been able to pull this off and this is actually a rather gentle book with very little violence and the sequence of events leading up the exploding head are actually rather hilarious.
This is a good read and I strongly suspect that we will be hearing more from this author.
Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
- Accelerated Reading level : none found
- Paperback: 178 pages
- Publisher: Leapfrog Press (October 1, 2009)
- ISBN-10: 0981514898
related posts: Billy and the Birdfrogs by Wurge
This is one of our "Best of the Year 2009 Books"
Captain Killgore is Brilliant
Captain Kilgore put this up at Photo Bucket. It's brilliant. (And no, this mom wouldn't let the Pigeon drive.)
Pigs Make Me Sneeze!
by wonderful and marvelous Mo Willems
Pigs Make Me Sneeze! is a cute book that certainly had the little ones worrying at first. You see as the book opens Piggie is cartwheeling up to Gerald, as happy as can be. Gerald is delighted, as usual, to see his friend. But then it begins. Gerald begins sneezing and sneezing. In fact, his giant elephant sneezes blow Piggie all around. But he just can't stop. Which is when he frighteningly concludes that he just might be allergic to pigs.
The drama is heightened when Gerald leaps to the conclusion that this sneezing could be the end of their friendship. To find out if that is the case, he visits a new character, Dr. Cat. Dr. Cat is examining him when the sneezing begins again. And guess what? Gerald concludes he's allergic to cats as well.
Is this the end of Piggie and Gerald's friendship? Will Gerald have to find a new doctor? Well... you'll have to read and find out.
Talking Points:::
Written at the first grade level --AR generic "1"-- Pigs Make Me Sneeze! is a cute story in the Elephant and Piggie Series.
Though not our favorite, it's well worth tracking down and reading. The artwork is typical Mo-- which is to say wonderful. And I really like the message that you coincidence does not mean causality.
It's a good Read-Aloud.
Pam
Somewhere in the X-burbs
Pigs Make Me Sneeze!
- Accelerated Reading level : generic "1"
- Hardcover: 64 pages
- Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (October 6, 2009)
- ISBN-10: 1423114116
related posts:
Elephant and Piggie
Pigeon
Other
Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken by Kate Dicamillo
In this book, Kate DiCamillo joins forces with Harry Bliss to produce a lighthearted book about a hen that longs for adventure... and gets it!Now those familiar with Kate DiCamillo know that while her books appear to be fables for young children that they often have a dark edge that makes them better targeted to older children. With "Louise" however, there was only one grim moment, where a pirate was sucked down into the ocean. This was handled well enough that I had no problem reading this book to my 6 year old son (he's the sensitive sort).
A great book. My children LOVED it. They thought the story was great, and they howled with laughter at some of Louise' antics. There are assuredly some references, like the one to Bogart and the African Queen, that only adults will get.
Talking Points :::
Wonderful book that's light-hearted and perfect for younger children. The artwork is bright and funny.
There are two underlying themes . The first is that while adventure is exciting ,that it is equally wonderful to be safe at home with family and friends. The second message is that reading and hearing about an adventure can be as good as 'living it'.
Kate DiCamillo is a Newbery Winner and National Book Award finalist. Her books can be seen in the following "carousel".
Harry Bliss is the award winning illustrator of "Diary of a Worm" and the New Yorker magazine.
Pam
Somewhere in the X-burbs
Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken
- Accelerated Reading level : 3.8
- Hardcover: 56 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins (September 23, 2008)
- ISBN-10: 0060755547
related posts: The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
The Cafeteria Lady from the Black Lagoon
by Mike Thaler, Illustrations by Jared Lee
The Cafeteria Lady from the Black Lagoon is certainly a kid pleaser. Mike Thaler's signature humor has just the sort of silliness that they love, and Jared Lee's artwork-- which has just the right sort of gross -- compliments his text wonderfully.
The story is about the arrival of a new cafeteria lady, whose name happens to be Wanda Belch. Her arrival is announced and pretty soon rumors are flying and the kids' imaginations get out of hand with them imaging all sorts of horrible things. Mike Thaler uses these rumors to convey the jokes and a subtle message about the nature of rumors.
For Example:
All the kids say that Wanda uses natural ingredients
in her dishes... (like) organic rats in her ratatouille...
Talking Points :::
"The Cafeteria Lady from the Black Lagoon" is a great spoof of the all things 'cafeteria'. Written at the second grade level it falls into the category of what I call 'motivational reading'. Which is to say that kids find it an enjoyable, quick read that motivates them to read more.
I like that this story isn't just empty calories. It packs an important message that rumors can be hurtful and erroneous.
Very young children might not 'get' the humor, and adults might want to consider whether making fun of school is a right message for the Kindergarten and under crowd. Certainly, I didn't start sharing this series my kids until after they both knew what school was really like.
Pam
Somewhere in the X-burbs
The Cafeteria Lady from the Black Lagoon
- Accelerated Reading level : 2.8
- Paperback: 32 pages
- Publisher: Scholastic (September 1, 1998)
- ISBN-10: 0590504932
Two New Books from Mo Willems!
Elephants Cannot Dance!
Watch Me Throw the Ball!
Fans of Mo Willems rejoice. He's got two new books out that feature the bespectacled Elephant and vivacious Piggie.
In Elephants Cannot Dance! Piggie wants to teach Gerald to dance. He shows her though that on page 11 of the "What Elephants Can Do" handbook that it says that elephants can't dance. To which the irrepressible Piggie answers: Gerald, it does not say that you cannot try!
This book is great fun and as usual there's a Mo twist to the plot that will entertain small fry and teach them a small life lesson
In Watch Me Throw the Ball! Piggie is really impressed by how far Gerald threw his ball and she wants to try too. Gerald tries to infer that there's a secret to throwing REALLY far, but Piggie insists that the key is to have fun.
Piggie takes her shot at it and my kids -- who are 7 and 9 and who ought to be too old for these books -- thought the results were hysterical. (Okay, I thought it was amusing too. Says something about Mo Willems that he has fans of all ages.)
This one has message about the value of fun, and like Elephants Cannot Dance! it's a great read-aloud and primer.
Pam
Somewhere in the X-burbs
Elephants Cannot Dance!
- Accelerated Reading level : generic 1st Grade (month has not been determined)
- Hardcover: 64 pages
- Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (June 9, 2009)
- ISBN-10: 1423114108
Watch Me Throw the Ball!
- Accelerated Reading level : generic 1st Grade
- Hardcover: 64 pages
- Publisher: Hyperion Book (March 17, 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1423113489
- Paperback: 64 pages
- Publisher: Walker Books Ltd (September 7, 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1406322199
related posts:
Elephant and Piggie
Pigeon
Other
My Rotten Life (Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie) by David Lubar
Some days just stink.
Nathan Abercrombie is having the worst day of his life. To say that it was horrible would be an understatement. First off, he's diss'd by the prettiest girl in school-- the one he just happens to have a huge crush on. Then he's chosen last during gym. And then... and then, in a foolish effort to ease the heartache of being stuck forever at the losers' table, he gets talked into visiting a mad scientist, where he accidentally gets doused with an experimental fluid that leaves him dying, one inch at a time.
I won't disclose the rest of the plot (nor the twist at the end), but suffice it to say that Nathan and Abigail (the mad scientist's neice) and Nathan's best friend Mookie, end up on a hunt for a cure for Nathan's zombie-like condition. A hunt that teaches them quite a few life lessons.
Wrap-Up:::
If you've got a kid who has a funny bone and who likes a little gross humor, point them at My Rotten Life.
It's a light-hearted book that they should amuse most kids (and mom's like me!). David Lubar's jazzy writing keeps the story moving along. And I swear he had me chuckling outloud on just about every page.
Funny and insightful, Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie ought make a good Read-aloud. Now that I've finished the book, I plan on sharing it with my 9- year-old.
No foul language. No unseemliness, unless you count a little rotting flesh.
Pam
Somewhere in the X-burbs
My Rotten Life: Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie
- Accelerated Reading level : generic 4th Grade
- Paperback: 160 pages
- Publisher: Starscape; 1 edition (August 4, 2009)
- ISBN-10: 076531634X
My Name is Chicken Joe
CD and Book
by Trout Fishing in America
I don't know how it is with your children, but my two –– boy and girl, currently 7 and 9 –– have reached the stage where Barney and the Wiggles are beginning to fail as entertainment. They don't mind even Barney as background music, but the songs aren't always catching their attention enough to stop them from squabbling in the backseat (a point which is very important to me and my sanity).
I've tried other music but it's either too old for them (Kidz Bop) or just not that great. BUT THEN CAME My Name is Chicken Joe. Oh my gosh, something for the whole family... real music! The instrumentals are tight and professional, and whichever of the guys is singing, he/they has a marvelous voice. Best of all, the songs are catchy and fun and as a result EVERYONE, including dad, likes this album.
The My Name is Chicken Joe CD comes with a sturdy book. Or perhaps it's the sturdy book that comes with the CD. In any case, it's a hard cover with thick shiny pages filled with sunny artwork by Stephane Jorisch.
The first song/story is fully illustrated and tells the tales of critters that can't be judged by their names. Chicken Joe, for example, is a cat; and King Kong is a parakeet. Subsequent lyrics have an illustration but are mainly there so that kids can read along and sing along with TFiA– which mine have certainly done. (TFiA = Trout Fishing in America. And here's their site.)
I mentioned before that the melodies were catchy. Certainly something that's a must-have for kids. The other thing that the songs have are clever lyrics, themes that children can relate to, such as "Why I Pack My Lunch" (“The lunch bell tolls, we go bravely, To chicken knuckles with toxic gravy, Cream of tea bags, wombat pelt...”) and “Fill It Up” (about filling up an ice cream cone 'all the way to the bottom').
Wrap-Up:::
Good music for adults and kids. Children younger than 5 will most likely like the melodies, but might not get all the school references.
This CD and Book combination shut down all arguments and struggles in our backseat and so gets my rave review. Dad and I like the word-play and the fact that there are lessons tucked into the verses. We will definitely be checking out other CD's by Trout Fishing in America. They are awesome.
Pam
Somewhere in the X-burbs
My Name is Chicken Joe
- Accelerated Reading level : unknown
- Hardcover: 36 pages
- Publisher: Secret Mountain; Har/Com edition (April 25, 2009)
- ISBN-10: 2923163494
Sunday in Kyoto
Song Titles:
Chicken Joe
My Best Day
I Can Dance
Something Sweet
It's a Puzzle
Fill It Up
Why I Pack My Lunch
LALA Land
Boiled Okra and Spinach
Hard Ball
Count on Me
Trout, Trout, Trout!: A Fish Chant by April Pulley Sayre
Popeye Shiner,
he looks mad.
Stonecat.
Blindcat.
Shad.
Shad.
Shad!
Waccamaw Killifish, see it pass?
Largescale Stone roller.
Bass.
Bass.
Bass.
Okay, I guess we aren't fish people so maybe that explains why we didn't care much for Trout, Trout, Trout.
My children (boy and girl; 4 and 6 when this was read and reviewed) were not gripped by the need to read this book again, nor to recite any of the words--something they typically do with anything that rhymes.
Considerations:::
Trip Park's artwork is wonderful and humorous, but to get your money's worth with this one I think you have to be into fishing more than normal people. My recommendation would be to check this one out at the library first. It might be that adult fisherman (and women) would enjoy it.
The Accelerated Reading Level a generic "2".- Paper or Hardback: 32 pages
- Publisher: NorthWord Books for Young Readers (March 25, 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1559719796
- ISBN-13: 978-1559719797
- Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.9 x 0.2 inches
Twelve Terrible Things by Marty Kelley
I'd like to suggest this humorous book as a library possibility. It has fabulous art and ought to appeal to kids of any age (I include myself), although, of course, the older you are the fewer times you are likely to peruse it.No. 1 on the list, to give you an idea of the types of 'terrible' we are talking about, is dropped ice cream. I mean who hasn't, as a kid, had your ice cream slide off your cone? The picture that accompanies "Oooopsie!" shows a larger than life kid-hand, two tennis shoes, a tightly gripped sugar cone and a blob of melting strawberry ice cream on the pavement. Arrgh. That is pretty terrible.
Another example is a dentist with his probe. And a mirror where a young boy is looking at the 'hair cut' his sister just gave him. LOL... unless it's you.
Honestly this is a pretty lightweight book, but it's so much fun I'm going to suggest that you pick it up at the library as soon as you can.
Considerations:::
Actually, if you are creative you can use some of the scenarios as conversation starters. The topics of monsters under the bed, and the dentist are two examples of issues for discussion.
The Accelerated Reading designation for 12 Terrible Things is a generic "4". This means that it's been determined to be at the 4th Grade level, but the exact month has yet to be calculated.
The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
I'm a pout-pout fish
with a pout-pout face
So I spread the dreary-wearies
all over the place
with a pout-pout face
So I spread the dreary-wearies
all over the place
As for artwork, you can see that Dan Hanna's drawings are bright, whimsical, and kid-friendly.
And look at our hero . Bless his heart, as soon as I saw him sitting on the library shelf, I knew I needed to take him home to see if the text lived up to the artwork. It surely does.The story, btw, is about our really glum looking buddy. You see, despite all the efforts of his friends to shake him out of his doldrums, nothing seemed to work. That is, until someone special came along. It's down-right amazing how a kiss can change everything.
Considerations:::
This is classic sort of book which should be considered for the home shelves. With good artwork, good rhyme and lots to talk about, The Pout-Pout Fish ought to appeal to kids as old as 9. Certainly my 7 and 9 year olds enjoyed it.
The Accelerated Reading Level for Pout-Pout is 3.0. Younger children should be able to read the refrain though with some practice.
What's There to Talk About
Folks that read my reviews on a regular basis know I love books that have lots to talk about, and which are rich in language. In Pout-Pout there are many things to discuss. For very young children there are colors and expressions to point out. For older children they are the sea critters to discuss -- clams, jellyfish, crabs, squid, octopuses, starfish, urchins, and puffer fish for examples.
For all children there are the marvelous rhythms and rhymes, and a rich vocabulary. New words might include aghast, statue, astounded, kaleidoscope (of mope), and scowl, amongst others.
One of the benefits of all this syllabic play is that children will be exposed to a variety of letter sounds and phonemes. All of which has been shown to increase reading and language skills.
Check this out at the library. I'd be surprised if you don't end up buying a copy. An excellent choice for a gift.
Destined to be a new classic, The Pout-Pout Fish has delightful illustrations and great rhymes.
The End is Near!
a review of Chicken Cheeks by Michael Ian Black
Chicken cheeks...
Turkey tushie...
Duck-billed platypus gluteus maximus!
CHICKEN CHEEKS is a goofy pleasure and the type of book whose principal merit is that it is a quick read that provides some chuckles.
The artwork by Kevin Hawkes is great. You might know him from "The Librarian Who Measured the Earth", "Weslandia", and "Velma Gratch". He provides equally wonderful drawings in CHICKEN CHEEKS, and he and Mr. Black sure had my kids chuckling.
Five Star art. Three Star concept. This is an entertaining book, but to be truthful it doesn't have what I think of as 'longevity'. That is, its not a book to read over and over for years to come, so I suggest you check it out at the library before considering it as a purchase.
The artwork by Kevin Hawkes is great. You might know him from "The Librarian Who Measured the Earth", "Weslandia", and "Velma Gratch". He provides equally wonderful drawings in CHICKEN CHEEKS, and he and Mr. Black sure had my kids chuckling.
Five Star art. Three Star concept. This is an entertaining book, but to be truthful it doesn't have what I think of as 'longevity'. That is, its not a book to read over and over for years to come, so I suggest you check it out at the library before considering it as a purchase.
CHICKEN CHEEKS
by Michael Ian Black
Illustrations by Kevin Hawkes
Page Count: 40
no AR information
Lexile: 1080L
updated August 2013
Duck! Rabbit!
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Tom Lichtenheld
Amy Krouse Rosenthal has written a ton of good books, but I think this has got to be our favorite. Duck! Rabbit! is just a lot of fun and my two kids have poured over the book ever since it arrived.
The story's roots are in the age-old optical illusion 
and Tom Lichtenheld has done a fabulous job in making the image simpler and more kid-friendly while keeping it's dual elements. I could spin my wheels describing the what the Duck! Rabbit! experience is like, but Chronicle Books has put together a movie that says-- and shows-- it all.Considerations:::
Duck! Rabbit! is great fun. My just-turned 7 and 9 year-olds love both the artwork and dialog.
The book has broad appeal and should find a good audience within the 3ish thru 9ish age range. It is an Excellent Read-aloud which I think could be used for a primer since the text is large, with simple sentences.
The book has broad appeal and should find a good audience within the 3ish thru 9ish age range. It is an Excellent Read-aloud which I think could be used for a primer since the text is large, with simple sentences.
The Accelerated Reading number for Duck! Rabbit! is a generic "1". This means that the vocabulary and syntax have been found to be at the 1st Grade level. The exact month within the 1st Grade hasn't been determined.
