Perfect Picture Book Friday: Bunny’s Book Club

Posted on February 3, 2017 by viviankirkfield

Hello friends!

It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday…and I’ve got a PERFECT PICTURE BOOK for you!

But we need to make THREE announcements first.

The lovely Susanna Hill is hosting her Valentiny Contest. For details on how to enter and win one of the fabulous prizes, go here.
Last week we promised a copy of Andrea J. Loney’s debut picture book, BUNNYBEAR…and the winner is…

JEAN JAMES

Congratulations, Jean! I’ll be contacting you ASAP so I can give your address to Andrea.

Next month we’ll be honoring Dr. Seuss with the #50PreciousWords Contest…last year we had an unbelievable 128 entries…and prizes galore. I’m putting the challenge together now…more details to follow. If you’d like to donate a picture book, book on the craft of writing, piece of art, critique, or whatever else you think would warm the heart of a kid lit writer, please contact me: viviankirkfield@gmail.com…I plan to list the prize donors and their bios and photos/book covers on the February 11^th contest post.

And now…hurray…I get to tell you how much I LOVE Annie Silvestro’s debut picture book!

BUNNY’S BOOK CLUB

Written by Annie Silvestro

Illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss

Publisher: Doubleday Books for Young Readers (2017)

Ages: Preschool – Grade 3

Themes:

Reading, libraries, friendship

Synopsis:

From Amazon:

Join Bunny for a top-secret trip to the library in a story that celebrates the love of reading.

Bunny loves to sit outside the library with the kids and listen to summer story time. But when the weather gets cold and everyone moves inside, his daily dose of joy is gone. Desperate, Bunny refuses to miss out on any more reading time and devises a plan to sneak into the library at night . . . through the library’s book drop!

What follows is an adorable caper that brings an inquisitive, fuzzy bunny and his woodland pals up close and personal with the books they have grown to love. A warm celebration of the power of books, Bunny’s Book Club is sure to bring knowing smiles to any child, parent, teacher, bookseller, and librarian who understands the one-of-a-kind magic of reading.

And the book has received glowing praise from major reviewers:

“A sweet salute to reading.”—Kirkus

“[Annie Silvestro] makes the pleasures of reading abundantly clear.”—Publishers Weekly

“Mai-Wyss’ soft, muted watercolor scenes sprinkled with charming, expressive cuddly animals is the perfect complement to Silvestro’s enchanting story about the love of books.”—Booklist

Opening Lines:

“Bunny loved books.”

Why I like this book:

I love books that encourage young children to become lovers of books and reading…and this book definitely does!
Wonderful read-aloud!
Encourages parents and children to utilize the library.
Beautiful illustrations team perfectly with Silvestro’s text.

RELATED ACTIVITIES

Photo courtesy: http://www.education.com

Paper bag bunny puppet

Paper bags are one of my favorite craft materials…they are inexpensive, easy to work with, and so versatile.

You will need: 1 paper bag, construction paper, scissors, glue, crayons or markets.

Cut out eyes, nose, whiskers, and ears from construction paper and glue on.
Use crayons or markers to add details.
Kids will enjoy role-playing with the puppet.
Visit https://www.education.com/activity/article/bunny-paper-bag-puppet/ for more fun activities for kids.

This book provides a unique opportunity to get a library card for your child if he or she doesn’t already have one. And please check out your local library…most libraries have an array of free activities for children and adults.

That’s all for today…but don’t forget to come back tomorrow:

WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

WITH

ANNIE SILVESTRO

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

PPBF: In the Small, Small Pond PLUS Library Week WINNERS

Posted on May 7, 2016 by viviankirkfield

Yes, I know. It is Saturday already. Which means I missed posting for Perfect Picture Book Friday.

Oh dear…and I promised to announce the three winners in the Show Me How Library Giveaway. So, if it is okay with all of you, I will pretend it is Friday. Does that work?

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of family visits to Chicago and several of its suburbs, as well as an inspiring week at the Wild Midwest SCBWI conference. Presentations by Candace Fleming, Lisa Wheeler, Lisa Cron, Kristen Fulton, Melissa Manlove, Linda Sue Park, Miranda Paul, Pat Zeitlow Miller, Jill Esbaum, and Casey Valiant filled my days. I reconnected with old friends like Kristen Fulton, Sarah Maynard, Angie Karcher, Lisa Rose, Pam Miller, and Stacy Jensen…and also connected with many new ones. If any of you writers or illustrators have not been to an SCBWI conference yet, I heartily encourage you to do so. They are PRICELESS!

My Perfect Picture Book Friday pick comes direct to you from the conference…I was lucky enough to win a copy of In the Small, Small Pond. Are you a fan of writing rhyming picture books? Or do you illustrate your own stories? Then this classic from Denise Fleming will be a great mentor text for you.

In the Small, Small Pond

Written and illustrated by Denise Fleming

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company (1994)

Ages: 2 and up

Themes: Pond life, nature

Synopsis:

From Kirkus:

“In the same format and gorgeous illustrative style, a companion to In the Tall, Tall Grass (1991, Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor), with the succinct rhyming text (“waddle, wade, geese parade”), in bold black, beautifully integrated into art created in the process of making paper from pulp dyed in brilliant colors. This time, the child observer is Oriental; and where the first book moved from noon to night, the implicitly suggested cycle here is from tadpole and gosling to “Chill breeze, winter freeze.” Another perfect introduction to nature for the very young.”

Why I like this book:

Sparse rhyming text encourages young children to join in with the reading.
The illustrations are magnificent…it was a Caldecott Honor Book.
Great read-aloud.
Parents and teachers can use this story as a springboard for a discussion on life cycles of various animals

Related Activies:

The author/illustrator is one of the most creative artists I know. I was blessed to see her in person at the WOW Retreat last year…her presentation on paper-making definitely wowed everyone! Why not try some simple paper-making with your kids?

Photo courtesy: http://tinkerlab.com

For detailed instructions: http://tinkerlab.com/how-to-make-paper/

For more paper-making ideas: http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/recyclingpaper.html

I hope you all find the time to give paper-making a try…it’s lots of fun!

And now it’s time to announce the winners of our National Library Week giveaway. Thank you so all of you who subscribed to my email list…I haven’t bothered you with any mailings yet…but I am hoping to get my newsletter out soon…and hopefully, that won’t be a bother to you!

As I had mentioned, many libraries are very limited in what new materials they can buy for their collections because of reduced revenues. The winners will be able to present their libraries with a copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. In the event your library doesn’t accept patron donations (many do…but some don’t), you are welcome to keep the book…or donate it to a local family shelter.

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

Sue Morris @ Kit lit reviews

Jane Heitman Healy

Sandy @ A Very Busy Mom

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I’LL BE CONTACTING YOU ASAP.

Thank you to all who have signed up already…if you haven’t and you would like to, just click on this link.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, dear friends and readers.

PPBF: My Name is Elizabeth

Posted on April 1, 2016 by viviankirkfield

Happy April Fool’s Day! Is it really April already? And hurray for Friday! That means it’s time to review a wonderful picture book. When you finish reading this post, please hop over to 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.

I think everyone will be able to relate to my Perfect Picture Book Friday selection. We all have a name…and I’m pretty sure all of us have had people call us by a nickname. Or two. Or three. Poor Elizabeth has FOUR!

My Name is Elizabeth

Written by Annika Dunklee

Illustrated by Matthew Forsythe

Publisher: Kids Can Press (2012)

Ages: 4 and up

Themes: Communication, respect

Opening Line:

“My name is Elizabeth.”

Synopsis:

From Amazon:

“Meet Elizabeth. She’s got an excellent pet duck, a loving granddad and a first name that’s just awesome. After all, she’s got a queen named after her! So she’s really not amused when people insist on using nicknames like Lizzy and Beth. She bears her frustration in silence until an otherwise ordinary autumn day, when she discovers her power to change things once and for all. In the process, Elizabeth learns about communication and respect — and their roles in building better relationships with family and friends.”

Why I like this book:

When I was a kid, my friends called me Viv. When I was teaching, some of my colleagues called me V. People often spell my name Vivien or Vivienne or even Vivianne. Unlike Elizabeth, I was always happy with whatever people felt comfortable calling me. But I totally understand how Elizabeth felt…and so will many children.
I loved the way Elizabeth dealt with the problem…she communicated what was bothering her and she stood up for what she felt was important…but she did allow her little brother to give her a nickname.

Related Activies:

Talk to your child about his or her name. Do they like it? Does anyone make fun of it? If they have a nickname, is it a derivative of their given name or something totally different.

NAME ZENTANGLE OR ZENDOODLE

You will need: Paper, markers or crayons.

Help your child write his name across a piece of paper.
Connect some of the lines to create shapes.
Fill in the shapes with designs.

Photo courtesy: http://imaginationsoup.net

Find detailed instructions for zentangles and zendoodles here: http://imaginationsoup.net/2013/07/15/diy-summer-art-school-zentangle-doodles/

Just a reminder…National Library Week is April 10-16.

In honor of National Library Week, I’m donating THREE copies of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. Wouldn’t it be awesome to present a copy of this valuable parent/teacher resource to your children’s librarian? Just subscribe to my mailing list. Three names will be chosen by Random.org at the end of April. Already subscribed? No worries…your name is already entered.

Many libraries are very limited in what new materials they can buy for their collections because of reduced revenues. Help your library receive a resource that will be used by parents and teachers for their kids. Just click on this link and subscribe to my mailing list. Three libraries will be winners!

Do you tweet on Twitter? Are you a fan of Facebook? Have you pinned anything on Pinterest yet? Please help me spread the word about the Show-Me-How Library Project by tweeting, posting and/or pinning.

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 sign up for my newsletter – doing so will nominate your local library to be the recipient of a copy of Show Me How!

Click here to sign up to receive my newsletter and other awesome stuff.