Today is Perfect Picture Book Friday where I link up with Susannah Leonard Hill’s fantastic group of picture book writers, illustrators, librarians and others who contribute a picture book review and related resources for parents, teachers and children. 

Before I get to the picture book review, please bear with me because I have three very important things to share.

Important thing #1:

I am donating twenty-five copies of my book to libraries across the country and around the world.

 

National Library Week starts on April 8^th.  For me, the library has always been a place of wonder…as a child, I took out so many books that I looked like some alien being made of books as I walked along with my two little feet sticking out beneath the stack of books that rose higher than my head.  During my years of teaching kindergarten and then while parenting my own young children, the library was a treasure-trove of early childhood resources and programs.  These days, I keep busy doing the Show Me How Story-time program in local kindergartens, Pre-K’s and libraries, reading the classic picture books and doing the simple craft projects that are recommended in Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking (MoneyPenny Press, Ltd. 2010).

 

Would you like your local library to receive a free copy of Show Me How?

Budget cuts drastically reduce the number of books our libraries can purchase and all you need to do is leave a comment on this post, naming the library and telling why the people in your community would benefit from having the book available to them.  At the end of the month, twenty-five libraries will be chosen through Random.org and the people who did the nominating will get to present the book to their libraries.

Important thing #2:

If the library you nominate is chosen, would you also like to do a review Show Me How! on your website/blog site/newspaper/magazine?  I will be happy to include a second copy in the package, just for you!  So if you are interested in doing a review, please indicate that in your comment.

Did you know that the first public library in the United States was started in Peterborough, New Hampshire in 1833?

Did you know that Andrew Carnegie helped build more than 1700 public libraries between 1881 and 1919?

Do you know any other interesting facts about libraries?

I’m really excited about this…how many nominations will there be…and what states (or countries) will they come from?  Does anyone know how to put up a graphic of a map and pin the locations of the libraries that are nominated?

Important thing #3:

Donna Martin over at On the Write Track also has some exciting news!  She will be manning (or should I say womaning) a booth at the Children’s Festival of Reading in Knoxville, Tennessee on Saturday, May 19^th…and she is inviting authors and illustrators to donate signed copies of their books for her booth.  I’m mailing out two copies of Show Me How to her today.  This is an amazing opportunity to spread the word about your books…and, more importantly, encourage young people to become readers and lovers of books!

You can find out more about the event…and the giveaway she is hosting…when you visit her website.

Important thing #4:

Oh, that’s right!  I said there were only three!  But actually, Perfect Picture Book Friday is VERY important, so now, without further ado, my picture book selection!  And with nominations for your favorite library now open, this was definitely the Perfect Picture Book!

 

Dinosaur vs. The Library

Written and illustrated by Bob Shea

Publisher: Hyperion Books (2011)

Ages: 2 and up

Themes: Behavior, friendship, dinosaurs, libraries

Synopsis:

Dinosaur is going to the library…one of his favorite places.  As he walks along, he meets his friends…cow, chicks, turtle and owl, and he challenges them to a roaring contest (can you guess who is the winner?) and then invites them to come along with him.

At the library, he finds out that he must be quiet, especially during Story-time.  Can Dinosaur hold in his roar?

Why I like this book:

It’s definitely hard to hold in the roar…and young children will identify with dinosaur immediately.  What child has not been told, “Hush, be quiet!” in church or when an adult is on the phone or…at the library?  All of the books in author Bob Shea’s Dinosaur series are wonderful…this book is funny, the illustrations are charming and any book that celebrates reading must be a winner!

Related Activities

Every child should have his or her own library card as soon as your local library will allow it.  Make weekly trips to the library and check out the children’s programs that most libraries have going on…story-times for all ages, reading challenges with prizes, free movies and other special events.

HOMEMADE BOOKPLATES CRAFT PROJECT

Encouraging young children to love books and reading is one of the most important things a parent can do.  Does your child have his or her own bookshelf?  As parents, we know that we have to feed our children’s bodies.  Next time your child has a birthday, choose a book and start a collection that will feed the mind and spirit as well!

Bookplates add a special touch…they let your child know that “THIS BOOK BELONGS TO ME”. 

There are many instructions and printable bookmarks at the websites below.  Here is a simple one you can help your child make.

 

You will need: White or light-colored cardstock paper (or you can use construction paper or copy paper), markers and/or crayons, scissors, tape or glue stick.

1.      Cut the paper to the size you would like the bookplates to be (2 or 3 inches by 3 or 4 inches is a good size).

2.      Write the words: This book belongs to…and then your child’s name.

3.      Let your child decorate the edges and add his own design or pictures.

4.      You can also cut pictures out of magazines and paste them on the bookplate or use stencils.

5.      Roll a piece of scotch tape and use it to secure the bookplate in the book or use a glue stick.

6.      Tip: you might not want to tape or glue a bookplate in a vintage collector book.

Here is a picture of a bookplate that my oldest son and I made together over 30 years ago.  If the book looks familiar…it is!  Gift-Bear for the King is the book I reviewed last Friday.

 

Some great instructions for bookplate making at these websites…also free printable bookplates:

• http://www.myhomelibrary.org/bookplates.html
• http://www.bookhive.org/activities/bookplates   
• http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/bookplates.htm

Also at the Reading is Fundamental website: http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet/activitylab/color.htm

As well as at Dads Can Do

Other bookplate instructions are here.

And more are here.

And great info here

Did you know that someone has a blog devoted to bookplate collecting here?

I apologize for the length of this post…I hope you were all able to get through it! 

This post is part of a series for parents and teachers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays hosted by Susannah Leonard Hill.  Click on her link and find lots of other picture book suggestions with summaries and activities.  And please don’t forget to leave a comment, nominating your local library to be the recipient of a copy of Show Me How!

Related articles

• Picture book review: a trio of library books (thelupinelibrarian.me)
• Six Golden Sower Picture Book Nominees (allisonsbookbag.wordpress.com)
• Welcome Spring with Crafts at the Libraries (rcpldigitalpressroom.wordpress.com)
• You Belong @ Your Library (rochpublibrary.wordpress.com)