Geeks, Girls, and Me

You’ve probably heard of GEEKS, GIRLS, AND SECRET IDENTITIES by the great Mike Jung. In case you haven't, the story is about Vincent Wu (he's one of the so called geeks) who has a crush on Polly Wincot Lee (she's the girl, obviously). Vincent, along with a couple of his friends, is a major fan of the local superhero, Captain Stupendous. And that is where the secret identities come in. This isn’t your average superhero story. Yes there’s action. And Mayhem. And life threatening robots. And warring fan clubs. But you will be surprised! So is Vincent. This action packed middle-grade superhero story has great twists, meaningful moments, and just plain fun.

You know what else there is? Me!

Illustrated by Mike Maihack!

Ha! No, I have never actually ever lived in a city where I get text messages so I can run out and watch the local superhero fight the evil villain. It would be pretty exciting though. I know I’d get sick if I was flown through the air at warp speed while being rescued, and probably even while being secretly transported in a garden shed.

So where am I? Page 33, that’s where. And a few other pages later on. You see, Mike used my name in his book! How cool is that? (Yes, I know! It’s extremely cool!) Who am I? Mrs. Burnell, the nice smelling teacher who whips out her freakishly emotionless robot voice to get the kids in class under control when they get riled up.

No, of course, that's not really me. That's the magic of Mike's magnificent writing. What I have done is tuck the essence Mrs. Burnell's voice away in my brain for those times when I need kids to settle down. I have also bought some perfume. You see, Mike Jung may be able to tell the future. I started doing some subbing at school not long after GEEKS, GIRLS, AND SECRET IDENTITIES came out. Yes, Mike is one multi-talented man. He writes books... he plays the ukulele... he tells the future!

Why did Mike choose my last name to use in his book? I don’t know. Back in the old days before Mike was too famous and before I was so busy that I run around with garlic, beekeeping equipment, an extra change of clothes, my notebooks, my computer, a full on kitchen, and soccer balls in my truck just so I can keep up with life at any given moment, we used to play around on Twitter. Mike was the ruler of #mikesempire. He granted me a super powered sleigh with a hot chocolate maker and made me the roller skating queen. It was a glorious time in the empire when I spent my days rolling through the streets as fast as I could, and my nights sipping divine hot drinks.

So yeah, Mike knows my name. I’m not sure that it’s really an unusual last name, but I’ve certainly never read it in a book before. Or really heard it much of anywhere besides in my family until Burnell Taylor sang on American Idol. (Didn’t ever hear it as a first name until then either. I like it!)

And now, whenever I’m in the library and have a middle grade reader’s ear, I tell them about Mike’s book. (Okay, yes, I have done this to teens and adults too.)  I’d do this whether Mike had used my name for a character or not. But it’s fun to show them page 33 too. Yes, they think it’s stupendous.

GEEKS, GIRLS, AND SECRET IDENTITIES is published by ArthurA. Levine books. Read it! Or give it to a young reader. It's fast pace and humor is sure to appeal. Want to know more? You can read tons of great reviews about the book on Goodreads.

You can find Mike Jung on his little bloggy wog: http://captainstupendous.wordpress.com/

A café, an interview, and a review. Oh my!

It's been a busy week! My husband and I have just wrapped up the Grand Opening weekend of our café & gallery. I have an in-depth interview up at GotInterview.com. And Julie Hedlund chose Bedtime Monster for her Perfect Picture Book Friday post. People even said all sorts of nice things about my book, which made my breaks during my extra-super busy day on Friday, so much more fun! I even have 115 followers now here on my blog and 100 likes on my Facebook page. *waves* It's all so exciting! Phew. I'm going to go take a nap before our music jam starts in a couple of hours. Hope you had a fun week too!

Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake--and I Love Betty Bunny!

My friend Stella recommended a book she'd heard about at the SCBWI New Jersey conference. She said it was hilarious. So, of course, I had to check it out. I was not disappointed. BETTY BUNNY LOVES CHOCOLATE CAKE is laugh out loud funny!

Michael B. Kaplan wrote some amazing lines in this book. From beginning to end, I have laughed every time I've read BETTY BUNNY LOVES CHOCOLATE CAKE. And I've read it quite a few times. In the beginning Betty Bunny doesn't even know what chocolate cake is. The way she refuses the cake then falls in love with it is quite entertaining. When she announces her love of cake, her brothers and sisters have the greatest comebacks. Every scene in the book has some little joke in it that is bound to entertain.

One thing I definitely noticed about this story, besides it being so funny, is that each character in this book is well rounded and has their own personality. There's a lot going on in such a short amount of text. Stéphane Jorisch's illustrations are playful and add just the right touch of comedy. With the sweet story and fabulous use of humor, there's at least one agent who would love to find a picture book like it.

A question I tried to answer by reading the book to various children is, do they get the humor? Some of it seems more for the adults reading to the kids. We can see the way kids act and the caricature rings so true. I mean, I crack up when I read it, while my little one laughs at some of the jokes. Before reading the book my guy did not know what a handful was, even though he is one. But he knows now. Nothing wrong with learning a new word (and that you're a handful). For sure different jokes tickled different kids' funny bones. It's kind of like what you see in movies like CARS and THE INCREDIBLES. Jokes for the adults as well as the kids. I like that it's a picture book that will appeal to adult readers. Any way we can encourage adults to read to kids is a good thing!

BETTY BUNNY LOVES CHOCOLATE CAKE is written by Michael B. Kaplan, illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch, and published by Dial Books for Young Readers.

MY DAD, MY HERO by Ethan Long

Dads can be heroes... but maybe not in the superhero type of way. In MY DAD, MY HERO, Ethan Long shows us the ways one boy's dad is like a superhero. Not!

So dad has his own way of leaping tall buildings, his super strength is lacking, and shooting webs out of his wrists is pretty impossible. Why is dad still super and why is he a hero? Well, he might be able to see through walls, but the real reasons are the ones all kids can identify with.

The illustrations in MY DAD, MY HERO are funny! And they're done in a style that makes them jump off the page which adds to the comic feel of the story. It's a fun read for Father's Day--or anytime. Reading this one definitely makes me want to check out Ethan Long's other books! And I love ZE FRONK!!!

Bee Books!

Since my family is keeping bees the kids and I have, of course, been reading picture books about bees. You can learn a lot about bees from picture books! Here are a few of our favorites:


THE BEEMAN is about a boy and his grandfather who keeps bees. It's a really great introduction to beekeeping as it goes through the entire process from the smoker used to calm the bees to the different types of bees in the hive to the honey on the table. There's also a great nonfiction section at the end.










BUSY BUZZY BEE is interesting because it shows closeup photos of the inside of a hive and how the grubs grow into bees. My kids liked being able to see all the details so closely.










ARE YOU A BEE? does a nice job of showing how bees grow and live in the hive as well as how they collect pollen and what they do with it. The illustrations are really nice and it's a good read aloud.










As with all MAGIC SCHOOL BUS books, there is tons of fun stuff to read in INSIDE A BEEHIVE!








Check out one or all of these books and you're sure to know a little more about the world of bees, even if you're a grownup.

What a Surprise!

I woke up to find a nice review of Bedtime Monster in my inbox! It was a nice warm fuzzy feeling on such a cold, snowy Winter's day. (We got around two feet of snow overnight.) The review is by a librarian too, so it feels extra special. I love librarians!
You can check out the review if you like at Waking Brain Cells.

Brownie the Groundhog and the February Fox

Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox is not a story about Groundhog Day, although the date it briefly mentioned. Really, it's a story about waiting.  Brownie Groundhog is waiting for Spring. February Fox is waiting for a meal. He wants to eat Brownie Groundhog, but she's too tricky for him. Every time he's ready to eat her, Brownie tells him it's not time and gives him a job to do. Brownie is such a trickster and the fox so gullible, kids will get a kick out of it. And we all can relate to having to wait for something we want. The illustrations make this book feel like a nice Winter's day where a groundhog could definitely become friends with a hungry fox. It's a fun book to read while you're waiting for Spring!

Brownie the Groundhog and the February Fox is written by Susan Blackaby, illustrated by Carmen Segovia, and published by Sterling Publishing.

Here come the big,mean dust bunny! by Jan Thomas

I never would have guessed that one of my favorite bedtime reads would be about dust bunnies. They're cute, they're funny, and they rhyme all the time--except for Bob, he has a little trouble with that. The four sweet little dust bunnies put up with the big, mean dust bunny's bullying until they finally find a way to win him over.

The sparsely worded story packs in plenty of kid-friendly humor, but what makes this book extra special is the illustrations. Jan Thomas' use of the page along with the bold colors makes you feel like you're right there with the characters(especially when you're cuddled with your little one holding the book up close). The varied sizes of the text made my little guy excited about the different words and got him actually wanting to try to read them. No small feat for a kid that has an aversion to anything he suspects to be learning.

If you're looking for a fun bedtime or storytime read for the very young this is a book you should check out.

Here comes the big, mean dust bunny! is written and illustrated by Jan Thomas.

A Review! (and stuff)

Booklist reviewed Bedtime Monster, and it's a nice one. Yay! It's my first review so I'm excited! You can read it at booklistonline.com if you're interested.

Fun things have been happening with my little book and me lately. Yesterday eight copies of Bedtime Monster arrived at the library while I was working and I got to check them in. I put one on the shelf and one in a bedtime display to go along with my release party tomorrow. I've got my tail and monster tattoos ready to go. I have a create-a-monster craft all together. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get my monster origami craft finished up. It's been a little tricky getting the dotted folding lines in just the right place. I also got a nice write up in the local paper with a big photo of my book cover and a little photo of me. Just the way I like it. Ha! Tomorrow is definitely going to test the depths of my outgoingness. I'll be sure to tell you how it all goes.

Touch the Art

You know kids, they want to touch everything. It's good! Touching is a great way to learn. But what about fine art? They just might want to touch that too.

Sterling Publishing has a great Touch the Art series written by Julie Appel and Amy Guglielmo that's perfect to get the little ones interested in classic art. The books feature fine art with a kid friendly addition, something to feel.

In Catch Picasso's Rooster, the first page is my favorite. The art featured is The Rooster by Pablo Picasso (1938). It's bold and eye catching and has been made extra fun with the addition of a fluffy red feather where the rooster's comb should be. It makes you want to touch it right away. Many great paintings are featured in Catch Picasso's Rooster. Blue Fox by Franz Marc (1911) has a soft, shiny blue tail. The Tabby by Henri Rousseau (date unknown) has long, stiff whiskers. A Couple of Foxhounds by George Stubbs (1792) have little floppy ears.

Tickle Tut's Toes is another book in the series. It features Egyptian art found in different museums around the world. From King Tutankhaman's gold coffinette topped off with a golden ribbon to an ancient wall painting of Nefertari and Isis with a spakling jewel, learning about Egyptian art is made interesting for the little ones. A book on Egypt wouldn't be complete without a photo of the pyramids of course. This one has bumpy sides that are fun to feel. My kids loved running their finger up and down the pyramid because the bumps made a sound. They got so excited about it.

Short rhyming text guides readers through the pages of each book, although kids who can't read yet like to look through the books all by themselves. I gave these books to a two-year-old friend of mine and she sat right down and looked through them both very carefully, all by herself. For further learning there is a great addition at the end of each book for when the child (or parent!) is ready to learn more. In Catch Picasso's Rooster each artist is featured with a paragraph about his life and art. Tickle Tut's Toes tells about each artifact.

Catch Picasso's Rooster and Tickle Tut's Toes are just two titles in the Touch the Art series. Kid's can also Brush Mona Lisa's Hair, Make Van Gogh's Bed, Pop Warhol's Top, and feed Matisse's Fish. Touching the art is a fun way to introduce young children to fine art.

Catch Picasso's Rooster and Tickle Tut's Toes are published by Sterling Publishing.

My Christmas List

Christmas books are so fun to read throughout the month of December. Kid's minds are already swirling with possibilities of what is and what could be. There are lots of great Christmas books to choose from. Here's are some of the ones I read over and over again every season:

MERRY CHRISTMAS, SPACE CASE by James Marshall. This book was published in 1986(Dial BFYR) and it's just as fun today as it ever was. Buddy McGee's friend from outer space is coming to visit for Christmas, but if Space Case doesn't get there in time things could get ugly with the spoiled rotten Goober twins from next door. I want to tell you my favorite part of this story but I don't want to give it away so you'll just have to read it yourself. Suffice it to say, my boys absolutely love this book!


AUNTIE CLAUS by Elise Primavera is a newer classic--geez, it was published in 1999(Harcourt, Inc.). Time has apparently whizzed by me with this one. I remember when it came out! Okay, enough about me getting old. So, if you don't know, Santa Claus has a fabulous sister who lives in New York. Every year she goes on a mysterious business trip from Halloween until Valentine's Day. Sophie decides she is going to find out exactly what sort of business Auntie Claus is in, so she sneaks into Auntie Claus' luggage. Sophie has quite an adventure in the North Pole and when she finally meets up with Auntie Claus again she is able to figure out the meaning of Christmas. Yes, those Kringle kids are a little bit spoiled.


I'm sure I don't even need to tell you about HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS by Dr. Seuss(Random House, 1957). I will tell you that the Grinch is pretty scary to my littlest person, and he really doesn't like that the Grinch is so mean to his dog. But since the Grinch redeems himself at the end, it's an emotional roller coaster my little one likes to ride.



SANTA'S FAVORITE STORY by Hisako Aoki and Ivan Gantschev (Neugebauer Press USA, 1982) is a sweet story about the reason for the season. The animals find Santa in the forest and when they are afraid there won't be a Christmas, Santa tells them the story of a child born long ago in Bethlehem. The animals realize they were silly to think that Christmas was only about presents and they all go to Santa's to help him get ready to deliver presents because Santa is reminded of how fun his job really is. The illustrations in this book are absolutely gorgeous!


SNOWMEN AT CHRISTMAS written by Caralyn Bueher, illustrated by Mark Bueher (Dial BFYR, 2005) is a fun story about snowmen sneaking off to have a spectacular Christmas party in the park on Christmas Eve. It's fun to imagine all the snowpeople in town getting together to have a party and Mark Bueher's illustrations really bring the snow party to life.


I've saved my favorite book for last. I find this book to be pretty much perfect. PETER CLAUS AND THE NAUGHTY LIST is written by Lawrence David and illustrated by Delphine Durand (Doubleday BFYR, 2001). Peter is Santa's kid and he is on the naughty list--again. He feels bad for all the kids on the naughty list because he knows how it feels to have no presents under the tree on Christmas morning, so he decides to do something about it. Peter sneaks out with the reindeer and collects all the naughty kids because he thinks Santa needs to find out why they did naughty things before he decides they get no presents. The reasons the kids share for being on the naughty list are humorous. The things they say they will do to make up for the naughty thing they did are sweet. The illustrations are quirky and adorable. And there are some great lines in this book including, "I don't remember being bad this year." The answer,"Nobody ever does." Peter manages to save Christmas for the naughty kids and himself while making his dad, Santa, quite proud. Like Santa says, "All people do naughty things once in a while. It can't be helped."

What are your favorite holiday books? I want to know so I can check them out.

Retold Tales

Retold Tales are fun! Most of us are familiar with classic stories and nursery rhymes, but even if we're not, new twists and retelling can be great reads. I especially love them for storytime. I went searching for retold tales on my library shelves. Here's what I found and put on display:


Hush Little Dragon written by Boni Ashburn and Illustrated by Kelly Murphy. A mother dragon soothes her baby by singing him a rhyme. A fiendishly fun play on the Hush Little Baby lullaby, this mama dragon sings about snacks of the royal kind.






Young MacDonald by David Milgram in which Young MacDonald creates all sorts of mixed-up animals on the farm while the Old MacDonalds are away. He's got to set thing straight before the Old MacDonalds, aka his parents, get home.



Goldie and the Three Bears written and illustrated by Diane Stanley. Goldie can't seem to find a friend that is just right, until she happens upon Bear's house. Both the illustrations and the story are very sweet.




The Famous Adventures of a Bird-Brained Hen is written and illustrated by Jessica Souhami. It's a simple retelling of Henny Penny's story with colorful collage illustrations.











The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon by Mini Grey. This book takes a couple of characters from the classic nursery rhyme. It's great fun. The Dish and the Spoon run away together and become vaudeville stars, of course, there is some trouble along the way.


Tom Thumb retold and illustrated by Richard Jesse Watson is a beautiful book. Mr. Watson's amazing illustrations alone make it a must read. There is so much detail! I actually have a signed copy of this book from when Mr. Watson visited our library. In it he drew a big beautiful lion for my son(amazingly quickly I might add). It's a book that we treasure.


Bubba the Cowboy Prince: A Fractured Texas Tale by Helen Ketteman and illustrated by James Warhola. Bubba is the "Cinderella" of this tale. He's the stepson of a wicked rancher and has some really mean stepbrothers and the fairy godmother is a cow. This is one of my absolute favorite stories. The voice is spot on. It'll have you talking like a cowboy in no time.

I'd love to know what your favorite retold tales are.

Halloween Favorites!

Halloween gives us all a chance to dress up and be something else. Picture books create a world of their own full of imagery whisking us away to a different place. Picture books and Halloween seem to just go together. There are some great Halloween books that I love, and read every year. Here's the books I've been reading, over and over again, all month.



John Pig's Halloween written by Jan L. Waldron, illustrated by David McPhail is about poor little John Pig being too scared to go out to trick-or-treat with the rest of the piggies, so, he stays home. He expects a sad and lonely night, until a witch shows up at the door and shows John how to really party on Halloween. She sets him straight right quick. She doesn't want candy! John, the witch, and her cat, whip up some monstrously good food just in time for a crowd of monsters to arrive and party down. The story is written in rhyme and has such sweet illustrations. I love that real monsters don't eat candy, and the book has provided me with one of my favorite quotes, "You need savory snacks that real monsters can eat." I love it!



Bella Legrossi is messy. Boris Kleanitoff is extremely tidy. They don't make for good neighbors. They don't even like each other... until they dance. This is a great story about giving people a chance, even though they are different than ourselves. As we all know, opposites attract.

I so wish I had clothes like Boris and Bella wear so my husband and I could be them every year. I've always wanted green hair, and I am quite like Bella, so I could be messy all day and have an excuse! Boris and Bella is written by Carolyn Crimi and illustrated by Gris Grimly.



A Creepy Countdown is simply lovely. It's a fun little counting book, with a funny twist. Pus, it's a counting book that I can actually get my little guy to read with me. He has the best learning radar I've ever experienced. If there is any teaching whatsoever involved in a book, he's out. A Creepy Countdown isn't teach-y. Charlotte Huck has written the story so that it's just fun that happens to have numbers in it. It's the black ink on scratchboard illustrations done by Jos. A. Smith that I adore. They're just beautiful. The art in this book has inspired a story or two that I've written.



In Big Pumpkin, witch has grown a pumpkin so big she can't even get it off the vine. She seems to want the pumpkin all to herself because when others offer to help she's a bit resistant, witchy even. She tells them all,"It's big and it's mine but it's stuck on the vine." But, she wants pumpkin pie so bad, she reluctantly lets some others help. Funny how the smallest guy has the best idea. It's all about teamwork! Warning: me and my little guy played "It's big and it's mine but it's stuck on the vine," at the pumpkin patch. He pulled the pumpkin, I pulled him, he bopped me in the jaw, I saw stars. Luckily it works out alot better in the book. They even get pumpkin pie. Hey! I didn't get any pumpkin pie! Not fair. Big Pumpkin is written by Erica Silverman and illustrated by S.D. Schindler.



This is Simon Lester Henry Strauss, he's not afraid of this haunted house, and he's funny! There's loads of spooky stuff in this book, but Simon Lester Henry Strauss isn't afraid of any of it. He's so darn brave, which makes the ending all the more hilarious. My little guy laughs every time. This may be the book that inspired him to eat a spider, actually, but hey, he was fine. Everyone should try eating a spider once I suppose. Everyone... except me. I'm Not Afraid of This Haunted House is written by Laurie Friedman and illustrated by Teresa Murfin.



Snitched! This 800-year-old man's pumpkin has been snitched! Who would do such a thing to such an old man? There's some snarky characters in this book, The Vanishing Pumpkin, written by Tony Johnston and illustrated by Tomie dePaola. It's pretty darn funny. I love the rapscallion. I love the sassy old man. I love pumpkin pie--this is my third book on the list that has pumpkin pie in it. Think I can talk the kids into eating pumpkin pie instead of candy this Halloween? No, didn't think so.



Hic! Skeleton has the hic! hiccups. There's only one hic! thing that can hic! scare his hiccups away. Can you hic! guess what it is? Hic! Skeleton Hiccups is written by Margery Cuyler and illustrated by S.D. Schindler.



My little guy absolutely loves this book by Dave Horowitz, about the poor, Ugly Pumpkin. It's sad when the others treat the ugly pumpkin mean and we do feel very sorry for him, especially when he cries, "I am the Ugly Pumpkin!" in huge letters that cover the entire page. But, oh my gosh! The Ugly Pumpkin discovers he's something else, and takes us on into Thanksgiving.

What are your Halloween favorites? I'm always looking for more stories to add to my favorite reading list!

Ghosts in the House!

I've found a new Halloween favorite to put on my annual Halloween reading list--my favorite annual reading list, but really, it's a good book for any time of year. Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara is just about as cute as can be. A little girl and her cat move into a house, there is only one problem, you guessed it--there are ghosts in the house! Luckily this little girl isn't your average little girl, she's a witch. She has no problem rounding up ghosts. She even hopes for more. Did you know how how useful ghosts are after you wash them and hang them up to dry? They're amazing. You can make curtains, tablecloths, and blankets, and they have these sweet little faces on them.



Kazuna Kohara's art in this book is fantastic. The black on orange illustrations are perfect, and the ghosts float right over the top of everthing. You can see through them, just like you should. They are ghosts after all.

Ghosts in the House! written and illustrated by Kazuno Kohara, is published by Roaring Brook Press. (Sorry I couldn't get the cover photo any bigger. I'm graphically challenged.)

Urban Animals

Alligators climbing columns. Elephants supporting flagpoles. Shimmering seahorses. Donkey’s protecting windows. These are the types of creatures one may find when hunting those elusive urban animals. In her wonderful new book, URBAN ANIMALS, Isabel Hill guides us through the city, on the prowl for concrete creatures in their natural habitats.

As with great architecture, the many different elements in URBAN ANIMALS work together to make one fantastic whole. Photographic images are paired with charming rhyme that tip us off to what animal it is we seek; for hunting through URBAN ANIMALS can be a game too. The first page of each rhyme is a zoomed out photo of the building the urban animal lives on. A cute little illustrated creature sits at the bottom of the page as a clue to help readers know what sort of animal they are looking for. On the opposite page we zoom in on the animal we seek.

Isabel Hill has smoothly written architectural words into each rhyme. Words like bracket, cornice, and medallion. In back, the Architectural Glossary gives us definitions to spur further discussion. A simply illustrated city map shows the types of buildings these urban animals live on. Plus there’s a list of Animal Habitats. We get to find out exactly where each animal lives, including the building’s name, address, and the year it was built.

My older kids loved this book for the cool architecture and were interested in the new vocabulary words they discovered in the rhymes. My little one had lots of fun trying to find the hidden animals. My librarian loved the book for all that it offers to children. We all wished we had such beautiful and fun architecture where we live. URBAN ANIMALS is a great book to use to introduce kids to the beauty of architecture. They're bound to start looking closely at the built world around them. And who knows what they may find?

Urban Animals by Isabel Hill is published by Star Bright Books.

I've Got the Blues, The Daddy Longlegs Blues.

Even at first glance, I’m digging THE DADDY LONGLEGS BLUES, a groovy picture book written by Mike Ornstein and illustrated by Lisa Kopelke. On the front is an old school record covered with bugs and a laid-back Daddy Longlegs. I’m thinking most kids won’t even know what a record is, but this cover will give parents an opportunity to go old school and tell the little whippersnappers about the good old days. Makes me feel like digging out the old record player, blowing off the dust, and singing the blues.



This Daddy Longlegs, he’s got a reason for the blues, and boy does he play them. The multitalented Daddy plays a plethora of instruments and he never stops rambling. Lisa Kopelke’s fun illustrations keep us watching Daddy Longlegs, always on the move, playing a new instrument at every turn. He never loses his groove. It’s no wonder he’s a legend.

THE DADDY LONGLEGS BLUES, has a nice rhythm that keeps the flow bee-boppin along. Mike Ornstein’s fun humor may give you a giggle. Plus, he’s woven the fiction with facts in a way that isn’t intrusive or didactic, it’s just part of the fun. Did you know that daddy longlegs are opiliones? My little one does now.

The book also has a couple of great features after the story. There’s a glossary of blues terms defining words like funky and soul. The list of musical instruments played by Daddy Longlegs and their definitions is fun. Then there’s a page about “Daddy Longlegs and the Blues” which starts out, “Like many blues players, Daddy Longlegs are ramblers, wandering through life to their own funky rhythm.” Now that’s really bringing it all together.

THE DADDY LONGLEGS BLUES, written by Mark Ornstein and illustrated by Lisa Kopelke is published by Sterling Publishing.

My Dad And Me

I’ve often heard that there aren’t as many books about kids and their dads as there are about kids and their moms. Huh. Well, there are definitely some good ones about dads anyhow. One I just discovered is MY DAD AND ME by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and Susan Mitchell.

My Dad and Me is a simple story that shows kids having fun with their dads. The story follows the seasons. A child and father raking leaves in autumn, playing in the snow in winter, hiking in spring, playing at the beach in summer, and there’s a twist. Each page shows a different child and dad, and readers get to learn how children say dad in Hebrew, Mandarin, Hindi, and Spanish. My little guy really got a kick out of it.

Susan Mitchell’s illustrations are fabulous too. Sweet faces and playful scenes are made even more fun with foldout pages. They don’t fold out only once, but twice. I marvel at the planning and creativity it took to make the pictures come together. It’s just lovely, and fun for the little ones. The story is short and simple picture book perfection that my little guy wants to read over and over again.

MY DAD AND ME, written by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and illustrated by Susan Mitchell is published by Little Simon(2009). It was previously published as ONLY MY DAD AND ME by HarperFestival(2003).

Billy's Bucket

I've been wanting to talk about this book for a long time. It's one I go back to time and again.



It's Billy's birthday, and he wants an unusual present. He won't be talked into anything normal like a new pair of sneakers or a bike. No! Billy wants a bucket for his birthday.

Mom and Dad don't like the idea. Like mom says, "buckets are far too bucketty to be a birthday present." So starts Billy's Bucket by Kes Grey. After a little pleading, Billy gets his way.

Where does one go to get the perfect bucket? Buckets R' Us, of course. Once Billy finds his bucket, amongst a warehouse full of them, it's time for some adventure because when Billy fills his bucket with water it turns into... an ocean.

In his excitement, Billy tells his parents about the creatures is his bucket. Mom and Dad don't believe a word of it and have some good laughs over their sons "imagination". Boy are they in for a surprise.

I love that Billy knows just the right bucket to choose. It cracks me up that Billy's parents heckle him but Billy keeps right on being chipper about all the cool things he's seeing. I adore Garry Parson's illustrations; Billy's head appearing at the top of the ocean like a full moon.

Billy's Bucket is a bucket full of imagination and fun, and while I might omit a couple of adjectives, it certainly makes for a great story time read.

Billy's Bucket, written by Kes Gray and illustrated by Garry Parsons, is published by Candlewick Press.

Otto Grows Down

Jealously of a sibling is definitely something my kids can relate to. That’s why I was excited to get a copy of the new picture book OTTO GROWS DOWN by Michael Sussman. I wasn’t disappointed.





In Otto Grows Down, Otto’s little sister, Anna, spoils everything—by being born. When Otto makes a birthday wish that Anna was never born, strange things start to happen. Otto’s life switches into reverse! Everything goes backwards starting with Otto giving his birthday presents back to his friends, to a strange day at school, bringing in the trash, and to Otto’s joy, returning Anna to the hospital.

Otto soon realizes that all is not bliss. He keeps growing down. Plus he feels a little guilty for making his baby sister disappear. What's a boy to do when he’s only got five birthday wishes to try to get things back to normal, and fewer and fewer words to make wishes?

My entire family has had great laughs with Otto Grows Down. There are all sorts of funny backwards happenings to get a kick out of, one that may be a bit shocking or totally hilarious depending on your sense of humor. Otto Grows Down has opened up many discussions with my little ones as they imagine what it might be like to live life backwards and wonder what would happen if Otto didn’t figure out how to fix his wish. It’s also caused them to talk about jealousy and being kind to one another, which is always a good thing.

Otto Grows Down is the best book on sibling rivalry that I’ve read in a long time. Scott Magoon’s illustrations add the right amount of humor to the story. The dark pages set the mood and let readers know that something isn’t quite right. And when the love finally comes into the story, you can feel it.

I liked Otto Grows Down so much that I asked author Michael Sussman if he would grant me an interview. Not only was he kind enough to say yes, he’s also going to give away a signed copy of Otto Grows Down! Come back Thursday, April 2nd to read some great insights from Michael and enter to win a copy Otto Grows Down.

Otto Grows Down is published by Sterling Publishing.

An Orange in January

I love oranges in the winter, they're always so delicious, so full of flavor and color. When I saw the book AN ORANGE IN JANUARY, written by Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrated by Julie Maren, I had to pick it up.



The story follows an orange from the time it blossoms on the tree, to its getting plucked, then follows the orange's journey all the way through to the grocery store where a little boy chooses it. This boy loves his orange. He plays with it... he dreams about it... finally he shares it.

The illustrations by Julie Maren are irresistible. Bright and colorful, lots of orange, of course, but really, very warm. The depiction of the orange's journey is wonderful and one that is great for kids to think about. It's always enlightening to know where your food comes from, to know of the great journey it takes to reach your mouth.

The lyrical text and beautiful visuals show how an orange feels like summer, even in the coldest of months. It was just what I needed to get me through these last dreary days of winter.

An Orange in January is published by Dial Books for Young Readers.