Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, my friends! 

Do you love music? I do! All kinds! From classical to rhythm and blues. From jazz to folk. But best of all, I love rock and roll.

I totally cannot listen to this song without jumping up and dancing!

And today’s Perfect Picture Book review has EVERYTHING to do with Rock and Roll. But first, we need to take care of some unfinished giveaway business.

Lovely Melissa Stoller offered a copy of her book, SCARLET’S MAGIC PAINTBRUSH. And the winner is….

JAY REECE

She also donated a fabulous pb critique. And the winner is…

DIANE TULLOCH

Wonderful Viviane Elbee offered a copy of her book, TEACH YOUR GIRAFFE TO SKI. And the winner is…

DORIS IMAHIYEROBO

Fantastic Amber Hendricks offered a copy of her book, SOPHIE AND LITTLE STAR. And the winner is…

JILANNE HOFFMAN

And Amber also donated a super pb critique. And the winner is…

LINDA HOFKE

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE WINNERS AND A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE GENEROUS AUTHORS! I will reach out and connect you all. And by the way…the author of today’s book is offering a PICTURE BOOK MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUE to one lucky winner…so make sure you leave a comment later.

And now…TA-DA! 

ROCK AND ROLL WOODS

Written by Sherry Howard

Illustrated by Anika A. Wolf

Published by Clear Fork/Spork (September 2018)

Ages: 5-8

Themes: Making friends, Sensory Integration Disorder

Synopsis: From a starred review by Kirkus

 

When noisy new neighbors move into a bear’s quiet neighborhood, it takes him time to adjust in this debut picture book from author Howard and illustrator Wolf.

Kuda, a brown bear, loves the soft noises that fill his neighborhood, including a whooshing stream and the chirps of local birds. But during his walk, a new sound seems to attack him: “BOOM whappa whappa.” When Kuda asks Rabbit where the noise is coming from, Rabbit explains that they have new neighbors. Kuda’s surprised that Rabbit, Owl, and Squirrel all like the racket, and he soon goes home and buries himself in blankets and ear muffs. When he finds an invitation to a “ROCK & ROLL celebration,” however, he decides he’s had enough of being alone. He sees friends dancing and playing music, and he slowly lets himself feel the rhythm, too. Soon, the new fox neighbor invites him to jam with them. Howard’s clever, onomatopoeic text is full of sound-words that young readers will love, and her sensitivity in portraying Kuda’s difficulty in trying something new will resonate. An author’s note at the end describes sensory-integration issues and autism with clarity and compassion. Wolf’s adorable, stylized cartoon animals, and the rainbow-colored stream of the music, make the woods feel welcoming.

A tale that offers a kindred spirit for readers who struggle with change.

Why I like this book:

• As a kid, I hated going places I’d never been and meeting new people and I always got a headache at family gatherings because they were so noisy. I totally identify with Kuda, and so will many children.
• Wonderful text that kids will enjoy hearing over and over.
• Bold vivid colors in the illustrations really make the book pop!
• Important helpful back matter information about sensory intergration disorder and other sensory issues that many children (and adults) experience.

RELATED ACTIVITIES:

Photo courtesy: https://ourpastimes.com/rock-n-roll-art-crafts-for-kids

Turn up the rock and roll music while you do some of the craft ideas that you’ll find at: https://ourpastimes.com/rock-n-roll-art-crafts-for-kids-12288608.html

Thank you so much for stopping by today. And please do come back tomorrow when Sherry stops by to chat and share a treat with us on Will Write for Cookies.

Before you go, I wanted to mention again how important it is to connect with your local library to keep them informed of the wonderful new books that are launching. Librarians are so busy, they might not see every great book and you can help by recommending a book via an online request form or by going in and speaking with the library staff. I was thrilled to find out that the lovely Elizabeth Curry just got a message from her local library that they’ve agreed to purchase one of my debut pictures of 2019:

Selection staff has decided to purchase material based on your recommendation. We will reserve the item and notify you when it’s ready to be picked up.

Title: Sweet Dreams, Sarah: From Slavery to Inventor
ISBN: 1939547318 

YAY! Thank you so much, Elizabeth! And she also told me that they’ve already ordered Pippa’s Passover Plate for their collectionThe other thing that we can do to help increase the chance that these wonderful books will be a sales success is to leave reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and other review sites

Please don’t forget to leave a comment to be entered into the PB Critique giveaway. Have a wonderful weekend, my friends. And come back tomorrow to hear some words of wisdom (oh yeah…you better believe it) from Sherry Howard…and snag a not-to-be-missed holiday dessert recipe!