PPBF: City Shapes PLUS GIVEAWAY

Posted on June 17, 2016 by viviankirkfield

Perfect Picture Book Friday…I almost missed it. And then I realized that tomorrow is Saturday…the third Saturday of the month… the Will Write for Cookies Saturday which this weekend will feature the incredible Diana Murray.

I was lucky enough to win some swag from Diana…one of the items was an advance copy of her newly launching picture book, City Shapes. I fell in love with it!!! So I chose it for today’s review. PLUS, if you leave a comment telling us your FAVORITE city, you’ll be entered in the random drawing for a brand new copy of this brand new book!

City Shapes

Written by Diana Murray

Illustrated by Bryan Collier

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (2016)

Ages: 3 and up

Themes: City life, shapes, curiosity

Synopsis:

From Amazon:

From shimmering skyscrapers to fluttering kites to twinkling stars high in the sky, everyday scenes become extraordinary as a young girl walks through her neighborhood noticing exciting new shapes at every turn. Far more than a simple concept book, City Shapes is an explosion of life. Diana Murray’s richly crafted yet playful verse encourages readers to discover shapes in the most surprising places, and Bryan Collier’s dynamic collages add even more layers to each scene in this ode to city living.

Why I like this book:

Wonderful rhyming text encourages young children to join in with the reading.
I’m a New York City girl, born and bred…so this book is close to my heart.
The illustrations are magnificent…can I say that again? MAGNIFICENT!
Great read-aloud.
Parents and teachers can use this story as a springboard for a discussion on shapes or city life.

Related Activies:

Take a walk with your child whether you live in the city or in the country. Observe. Discuss. Then go back home and draw pictures of what you saw. You can help your child make his or her own book by stapling the pages together. Ask your child to describe what was seen and write that on each page.

Have a wonderful weekend! Please don’t forget to come back tomorrow for our wonderful interview with Diana Murray. And leave a comment telling us which city is your favorite one…you might be the lucky winner of a copy of Diana’s brand new book!

Perfect Picture Book Friday: Sit In

Posted on October 9, 2015 by viviankirkfield

I’m so excited about this weekend!

First off, today is Perfect Picture Book Friday. My book choice was inspired by the Picture Book Summit presentation of Andrea Davis Pinkney. Her picture books address sensitive topics like prejudice and discrimination and segregation in a way that even young kids can grasp.

SIT-IN: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down

Written by Andrea David Pinkney

Illustrated by Brian Pinkney Continue reading →

Perfect Picture Book Friday: The Retired Kid

Posted on October 2, 2015 by viviankirkfield

Are you ready for a brisk fall weekend?

That’s right…it’s FRIDAY!

And you know what that means—a Perfect Picture Book to review.

I mentioned last week that I’m writing a book about a boy who wants to play on his tablet more than anything else. He’s had enough of school, soccer, and all the other activities his mom wants him to do.

So when I found this awesome book, I knew it was another one I could use as a mentor text. And the funny thing is, even though I had never read it before, the activities the boy in this book wants to avoid, are pretty much the same ones as my main character. I guess that goes to show what many writing classes have taught me…there are only a couple of stories in the world. And my mission, should I choose to accept it (just saw Mission Impossible 4), is to put a unique spin or twist on it and tell it in my own voice.