Today is Friday – I have a children’s book review to add to the Perfect Picture Book resource list that author Susanna Leonard Hill is building on her blog. For more wonderful reviews from authors, educators and others who contributed today, please go here.

I’m immersed in writing and revising picture books these days…and one of the best ways to learn to do it right is to READ LOTS OF PICTURE BOOKS that have already been published! So I came home from the library yesterday with a HUGE stack…it reminded me of when I was a little girl and couldn’t wait to go to the library to take out as many books as I could carry. I’m sure you can visualize that tiny little child, barely able to walk because of the tall piles of books in her arms.

It was hard to choose…but I did! It is one of the new variety of picture books which engages the reader by actually talking directly to him or her…a unique technique that I will have to keep in mind as I formulate my next stories.

The Purple Kangaroo

Written by Michael Ian Black

Illustrated by Peter Brown

Publisher: Simon and Schuster (2010)

Ages: 4 and up

Themes:

Humor, imagination

Opening Lines:

“Hey kid! Guess what? I’ve got a supersecret, highly unusual, incredible and amazong magical power. I CAN READ MINDS. It’s true. In fact, I can read YOUR mind.

Synopsis:

From Amazon: The monkey narrator in this humorous picture book guarantees that he can READ YOUR MIND. What begins as a simple request to imagine the most spectacular thing in history turns into the story of a roller-skating, bubble-blowing purple kangaroo searching for his dear friend Ernesto on the moon. So by the time you finish this book, there’s no chance you will be thinking of anything BUT the purple kangaroo.

Why I like this book:

• Great INTERACTIVE read-aloud for younger children…older kids will enjoy reading it themselves
• Just for the sheer silliness of it
• Hilarious illustrations – the incredible Peter Brown

How a parent can use this book:

• Great read-aloud
• Opportunity for encouraging creative imagination – take turns guessing what the other person is thinking about

Related Activities:

Great kangaroo crafts here: http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/kangarooscraftsideasactivitieskids.html

Spending time with our kids can be lots of fun – if you are looking for a great resource book that provides dozens and dozens of quick and easy crafts and other activities for young kids, please check out my Show Me How book.