Hello dear friends!

It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday…so you know we are going to have a super picture book to review. Actually, it is one of the brand-new 2017 debut picture books. And the author, Peter McCleery, will be our guest on tomorrow’s Will Write for Cookies.

But as is often the case, we need to make a few announcements first.

1. The ReFoReMo Challenge will be getting underway on February 27…you can still  find out more about it and register here. ReFoReMo is an excellent way to earmark a month to read LOTS of picture books that you can use as mentor texts. Thanks to Carrie Charlie Brown and Kirsti Call for all of their work in organizing this for the kid lit community. I’m honored to have been asked to contribute the blog post for March 21.
2. Last week we offered a copy of MR. FUZZBUSTER KNOWS HE’S THE FAVORITE. And the winner is…

SHERRI JONES RIVERS

Congrats, Sherri…I’ll be in touch and we will get a copy of the book to you.

3. And this weekend, we are giving away a copy of today’s wonderful picture book, BOB AND JOSS GET LOST. So please don’t forget to leave a comment below.

4. A dear friend, Michelle Eastman, is on a mission to put books in the hands of children in this country who have none. With the help of the VNS of Iowa, MARCHing Books to Kids will allow incarcerated parents to record their voices reading a book…then the VNS will send the book AND the recording to the child. What a positive impact this can make for children who are separated from a parent! The book you send might make all the difference in that child’s life. Any book is welcome…but can you imagine how special it would be for these kids to get books actually SIGNED by the author or illustrator?

5. And last, but definitely not least, I hope you are all thinking about your #50PreciousWords. Contest opens March 2. I JUST finished mine…after all, it wouldn’t be fair to expect you to write a story in just 50 words or less if I didn’t give it a try. I know you will laugh when you read it…hopefully because it is funny…and not because it is hopeless.

And now, thank you for your patience…it’s time for our #PPBF review.

Bob and Joss Get Lost

Written by Peter McCleery

Illustrated by Vin Vogel

Publisher: HarperCollins (2017)

Ages: Preschool – Grade 3

Themes:

Friendship, ingenuity

Synopsis:

From Amazon:

Perfect for fans of I’m Bored, Bob and Joss Get Lost! is a hilarious story about two friends who get shipwrecked on what may or may not be a deserted island.

“I’m bored,” Bob said, “Let’s do something.”

“Let’s take a boat trip,” said Joss.

“We will get lost,” said Bob.

We won’t get lost,” said Joss.

From debut author Peter McCleery and esteemed children’s book illustrator Vin Vogel comes a fun, comical escapade where two best friends get more excitement than they bargained for. Full of bold illustrations and clever one-liners, Bob and Joss Get Lost! is sure to have young readers laughing along.

Opening Lines:

“Bob was bored.”

Why I like this book:

• This book is FUNNY and so darn REAL. The characters are funny. What happens to them is funny. But what I love most is that I could relate to these two friends…so different from each other…but so perfect for each other. I know many people who are just like Bob…no matter where they are or what they are doing, they are bored. And I think kids who hear this story will identify with McCleery’s characters.
• The illustrations are perfect for the text…Vin Vogel captures the frustration of Bob…and the Zen-like acceptance of Joss. And his use of words as art packs a great punch for the story.
• I read this with my 8-year old grandson and he LOVED it. When we finished, he took the book and read it through again, on his own.

RELATED ACTIVITIES

MAKE A MAP

 Photo courtesy: http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org

1. Take a walk with your kids. Make a note of stores, parks, other landmarks.
2. Draw a ‘picture’ of the area you traveled.
3. More maps here: http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/makemapstreasuremapscraftsideasdecorationskids.html

Look at a globe…identify the continents, bodies of water…have children find where they live, places they have visited.

Have a wonderful weekend, dear friends…and please come back tomorrow for:

Will Write for Cookies

With debut picture book author

PETER MCCLEERY