Read Up: Surprise Endings

Expect the unexpected when you settle in with any of this set of five eye-openers!  You may find yourself going along, & going along, & going along, and... then... BAM!  A turn of events that came out of seemingly no place (though in one case I was HOPING for a certain ending--but not expecting it at all)!

 Penguin

Polly Dunbar

Ben gets a penguin as a gift, but it doesn’t seem to DO anything.  Is it even real?  The most oft-repeated phrase in the book is, “penguin said nothing.” One gets the distinct impression Ben is about to ask for the gift receipt by the time a gasp-worthy moment or two finally comes along! 

I Want My Hat Back

Jon Klassen

Bear has lost his hat, and he goes around asking all of the forest animals whether they’ve seen it.  Is (at least) one of the characters lying?  It’s fun to read this one in a deadpan voice—at least for MOST of the proceedings!

I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean

Kevin Sherry

 (previously mentioned here) 

 The biggest BOOR in the ocean, you mean!  Giant Squid gleefully points out that he’s bigger than jellyfish, bigger than turtles, bigger than octopus—the biggest thing in the ocean!  Or is he?  This is a book with a definite gasp, and perhaps a nervous chuckle!  I love the illustrations—and the window clings that came in the copy of the book I purchased!

The Duckling Gets a Cookie!?

Mo Willems

A new Pigeon book from Willems is always something to look forward to, so I picked this one up the second I saw it in the bookstore.  That adorable, annoying little duckling is also back; he asks for a cookie—using his best manners—and actually GETS one!  It seems to be chocolate chip with nuts, and Pigeon is furious!  There is a surprise twist at the end—one in which I learn how much Duckling & I have in common (in addition to that “adorable, annoying” description)!

 

Hungry Hen

Richard Waring & Caroline Jayne Church

This little hen spends most of the book eating & eating, and growing & growing.  I know the feeling.  Before long, a hungry fox enters the picture, and things don’t look so good for our heroine.  The fox makes his move, and…the book ends!  Almost just like that, but with a bit of a shock in-between.

 

 Do you have any favorite books with surprise endings?  Please let me know so that I can check them out!

Read Up! May Flowers

This time around, just a small Spring arrangement of books about gardening. All are blooming with fun & imagination, and can be enjoyed indoors or out.


Fran's Flowers
Lisa Bruce & Rosalind Beardshaw
Fran finds a flowerpot with a tiny bud growing inside, and she tries to make the bud flower. Did you know that pizza & ice cream are unlikely to make plants grow? It's fun to read this book along with the children in your life, and talk to them about their ideas as to what Fran is doing wrong.




 

My Garden
Kevin Henkes
The girl in this book knows her way around a garden, but she has big dreams about what a garden of her own would look like. Would you also like jelly-bean bushes?






Rose's Garden
Peter H. Reynolds
Reynolds is responsible for a growing list of beautifully-illustrated stories about amazing transformations in the lives of their young characters. The "Rose" here, with the help of a diverse group of new friends, cultivates a colorful garden in a formerly-dreary & neglected neighborhood. Reynolds books inspire.


Koala and the Flower
Mary Murphy
Poor little Koala lives with a couple of grownups who can only see things in black & white, and always think they have the answers to everything--without ever seeking out any actual information. Koala finds the place where information blooms from the shelves, and her garden soon flowers like magic.




 The Apple Pie Tree
Zoe Hall & Shari Halpern
Part storybook, part nonfiction, this book is the least fanciful of the set--but still asserts that apple pies grow from trees. The collage illustrations are beautifully done, and the pie recipe at the end looks full of possibilities.

Read Up! A Little Family Time

Fall & Winter are the cold & “celebrate-y” parts of the year, with warm thoughts often turned toward family.  There are so many wonderful picture books available on the topic—and my short list here (just eleven, I don’t want to overwhelm), doesn’t even scratch the surface.  What are some of your favorite books that feature family members having fun together?  Here are just a few of mine.

The Big Honey Hunt, by Stan & Jan Berenstain

Back before the the Berenstain Bears became a ubiquitous franchise, there was just small bear and his mom & dad.  This simpler, funnier era was my favorite, and The Big Honey Hunt is a great example.  Small Bear follows his dad on a stinging adventure, while Mother just waits for the moment they finally get back with the safer, store-bought stuff.

The Family Book, by Todd Parr

We Belong Together: A Book About Adoption and Families, by Todd Parr

“There are lots of different ways to be a family,” writes Todd Parr in The Family Book, and in his typically bright, colorful & simple style, he shows fanciful yet relatable families of all stripes—even skunk stripes!  Parr has individual books to cover mommies, daddies, grandmas & grandpas, and even one on adoption: We Belong Together.  The entire collection shares funny images that are sure to get kids giggling & talking.

Let’s Go, Froggy, by Jonathan London & Frank Remkiewicz

Froggy & his daddy are planning a bike trip & a picnic, but will they manage to get out of the house in time?  The story certainly reinforces the adage, “it’s always the last place you look.”  It’s always fun to imitate Froggy’s voice as he replies to his parents’ calls with a stretched-out, “wha-a-a-a-at?”

Oh, Daddy!  By Bob Shea

This book is worth picking up for the cool, bold art alone, but the story isn’t lagging either!  Little Hippo loves his daddy—and loves showing him how to do things.  In fact, Daddy wouldn’t be able to get dressed, get in the car, or even eat lunch without Little Hippo!  Great big fun.

Our Grandparents: A Global Album, by Maya Ajmera, Sheila Kinkade, & Cynthia Pon

Beautiful photos from around the world celebrate the joys shared by grandparents and grandchildren.  The book ends with “five things to do with your grandparents.”   A treasure of a book about treasured family.

Our Granny, by Margaret Wild & Julie Vivas

With gentle wit and lots of love, a pair of children talks about the fact that there are all kinds of grandmothers in the world—and the fact that the most special one to them is their own.  Grandmas at storytime always get a giggle out of the idea of a wobbly-bottomed granny who “marches in demonstrations!”

Lola at the Library, by Anna Mcquinn and Rosalind Beardshaw

Lola Loves Stories by Anna Mcquinn and Rosalind Beardshaw

What a great imagination Lola has!  She & her daddy load up on library books once a week, and Lola’s parents read or tell her stories every evening.  The next day, Lola’s play echoes the previous evening’s stories!  This is a family who really knows how to love & play together.  For more Lola & family, check out Lola at the Library.

Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen

Chloe is scared that when her favorite uncle gets married, she’ll lose him forever.  Over the course of this sweet and reaffirming book, she is assured that her family is actually growing to include another favorite relative.

What!  Cried Granny: An Almost Bedtime Story, by Kate Lum & Adrian Johnson

Patrick has arrived at his Granny’s for his very first sleepover there—but he seems to be missing a pillow, a teddy bear—and a few other things!  Granny will do whatever it takes to make sure Patrick has all of the bedtime essentials he needs, even if it takes all night!  Johnson’s bold, colorful art carries the weight of the story, and will have adults & kids smiling at this eager-to-please grandmother.

I hope you check these out, and maybe find some new favorites. If you’ve got some great books in mind—whether they fit in with this list or not—please share them with me!

Read Up! Some tasty tales

 

     Here’s a small serving of books, each with something extra—a recipe!  The stories stand on their own, of course, but the opportunity to bring the book into the kitchen with your family enriches the experience of the story, and demonstrates how reading is useful in many ways.  Additionally, it might even be an incentive for the little ones to try a new food!  As you read your way through the library, you’ll discover many more great stories with a recipe tucked in.

Bee-bim Bop! By Linda Sue Park & Ho Baek Lee

This rhyming book with a catchy repeated line is one of my favorites.  It’s beautifully-illustrated, and features a child who loves to help her family get ready for a meal.  Better yet, it just sounds fun--children at storytime always end up jumping in to chant along with the text!

The Giant Carrot, by Jan Peck & Barry Root

Another fun picture book with plenty of repeated phrases, this story finds a whole family dreaming of how they’ll eat this huge carrot—if only they can manage to get it out of the ground!  I still haven’t tried that recipe for carrot pudding.

The Ugly Vegetables, by Grace Lin

A little girl wishes her mom would plant beautiful flowers like their neighbors. When the ugly vegetables become soup, though, it's the neighbors who want to trade!

Cook-a-Doodle-Doo! by Janet Stevens & Susan Stevens Crummel

Fans of the Little Red Hen will be interested to learn that great-grandson is a baker, as well.  Rooster has a lot of help—but it is not necessarily helpful help.  The story is funny, there are a lot of lessons about kitchens & cooking along the way, and there’s a tasty recipe at the end.

Pizza at Sally’s, by Monica Wellington

Your little pizza lover will learn how the pies are made, as Sally (and her cat) prepare to open her pizza to a very appreciative & hungry neighborhood of children.

Eight Animals Bake a Cake, by Susan Middleton Elya & Lee Chapman

Animal lovers will love this story, which even throws in a bit of Spanish as it depicts eight good friends cooperating for a very sweet result.

And finally, a whole storybook full of classic tales:

Fairy Tale Feasts: A Literacy Cookbook for Young Readers & Eaters, by Jane Yolen, Heidi E.Y. Stemple, & Philippe Béha
Read Jack & the Beanstalk—and then make “Jack’s Magic Party Beans!” The story of Snow White includes Snow’s recipe for baked apples, and there’s a whole picnic basket of recipes to accompany Little Red Riding Hood!