Thanks today goes to Frank, Christina and Thomas, my niece and nephews who first introduced me to "Skippyjon Jones". My one regret about this book is that it wasn't around when my kids were small. I would have loved to have been able to read it out loud to them. A story about a hyperactive kitten is definitely our type of story.
Skippyjon Jones is a Siamese cat with an active imagination. Emphasis being on both "active" and "imagination".
Skippyjon always starts his adventures with a catharsis of some sort. In his first book, Skippyjon Jones is sent to his room as a punishment for pretending he was a bird. Of course being a bird meant he had to eat worms for breakfast. Obviously that didn't sit well with his mother.
While bouncing on his bed, he catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror. In a Spanish accent he says, "Holy Guacamole! My ears are too big for my head! My head is too big for my body!"
Skippy then decides he is a Chihuahua named El Skippito. He bravely fights bad guys with his great sword fighting abilities. The results, as you can imagine, are hilarious.
Skippyjon Jones' pictures are bright, exaggerated and colorful. In the text, he uses a lot of Spanish. This helps children learn a second language. Learning aside however, this book is just plain fun. The adventures, expressions and mannerisms of Skippyjon Jones will leave you laughing from start to finish.
"Skippyjon Jones" is written and illustrated by Judy Schachner. She lives in Pennsylvania with her family which includes 2 Siamese. In 20004 she won the E B White Read Aloud Award for "Skippyjon Jones". In addition to the Skippyjon books, she has written "Yo, Vikings", a book based on her daughter's real life quest to acquire a viking ship, "I know an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly", and "Willy and May", in addition to others. All of her books are illustrated with her unique illustrations.
Besides "Skippyjon Jones:, there are other five other Skippyjon books. All of them are funny and imaginative. All of them will bring a good deal of enjoyment to whoever decides to read them.
Skippyjon Jones is a book that reminds us how much fun it can be to be a kid again. Imagination shouldn't be under utilized. Go out there and fight the banditos....but no more worms for breakfast!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Stellaluna
When I go out with my dog at night, one of the things I love to watch are the bats as they do their nightly dance in search of insects. When the kids were little we used to sit outside on hot summer nights and watch them fly overhead. I've always been a fan of bats, as long as they were outside and not stuck in the house!
Bats belong in their proper environment, as Stellaluna finds out.
Stellaluna is a baby fruit bat. At night, as her mother flies out looking for delicious fruit to eat, with Stellaluna cuddled against her mother's body. Stellaluna's mother loves her very much and will do anything to protect her. But one night the mother is attacked by an owl, and drops Stellaluna. Stellaluna lands in a nest with three baby birds. When the mother bird comes back to find her there, she agrees to adopt Stellaluna, but Stellaluna must follow the rules of the nest. No flying at night, she must eat the bugs and worms that the mother bird feeds her, and she cannot hang upside down.
Stellaluna does her best to listen to her new mother, but it is not easy for her. She always feels different from her nest mates, and wonders why. One day as she and her bird family are out flying, it becomes dark. The other birds hurry back to the nest, because they can't see but Stellaluna continues to fly. Eventually she stops to rest, but rather than hanging upside like a bat, she rests like a bird. Another bat comes along to ask why. Stellaluna tells the other bat her history. To her joy, the other bat turns out to be Stellaluna's mother! Finally Stellaluna understands what it means to be herself.
Stellaluna was written and illustrated by Janell Cannon. Janell Cannon was a librarian who incorporated her love of animals with an understanding of what it meant to be different. With that theme in mind, she came up with several wonderful books. Stellaluna was her first book. Janell Cannon came up with the concept when doing a library project on bats. She wanted the bats to be shown in a positive light, but the only books she could find were out of print. So she decided to write and illustrate her own book that showed bats in a positive light.
In addition to Stellaluna, she has written about a hyena, Pinduli, a cricket named Crickwing in which she tackles the concept of being a bully, and Verdi a tiny spotted snake. She also wrote a story about creatures called Fuzzheads. All of her books are simply written and beautifully illustrated.
Now that it is summertime, sit outside and enjoy the story of Stellaluna. As it gets dark look up in the sky and watch the bats in their nightly ballet!
Bats belong in their proper environment, as Stellaluna finds out.
Stellaluna is a baby fruit bat. At night, as her mother flies out looking for delicious fruit to eat, with Stellaluna cuddled against her mother's body. Stellaluna's mother loves her very much and will do anything to protect her. But one night the mother is attacked by an owl, and drops Stellaluna. Stellaluna lands in a nest with three baby birds. When the mother bird comes back to find her there, she agrees to adopt Stellaluna, but Stellaluna must follow the rules of the nest. No flying at night, she must eat the bugs and worms that the mother bird feeds her, and she cannot hang upside down.
Stellaluna does her best to listen to her new mother, but it is not easy for her. She always feels different from her nest mates, and wonders why. One day as she and her bird family are out flying, it becomes dark. The other birds hurry back to the nest, because they can't see but Stellaluna continues to fly. Eventually she stops to rest, but rather than hanging upside like a bat, she rests like a bird. Another bat comes along to ask why. Stellaluna tells the other bat her history. To her joy, the other bat turns out to be Stellaluna's mother! Finally Stellaluna understands what it means to be herself.
Stellaluna was written and illustrated by Janell Cannon. Janell Cannon was a librarian who incorporated her love of animals with an understanding of what it meant to be different. With that theme in mind, she came up with several wonderful books. Stellaluna was her first book. Janell Cannon came up with the concept when doing a library project on bats. She wanted the bats to be shown in a positive light, but the only books she could find were out of print. So she decided to write and illustrate her own book that showed bats in a positive light.
In addition to Stellaluna, she has written about a hyena, Pinduli, a cricket named Crickwing in which she tackles the concept of being a bully, and Verdi a tiny spotted snake. She also wrote a story about creatures called Fuzzheads. All of her books are simply written and beautifully illustrated.
Now that it is summertime, sit outside and enjoy the story of Stellaluna. As it gets dark look up in the sky and watch the bats in their nightly ballet!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Babar King of the Elephants
I always enjoyed reading about Babar growing up. Once my children were born I again picked up Babar's books to read to them. They also enjoyed the adeventures of Babar and his many friends and family.
Babar's story opens with his mother being shot by hunters. After her death he travels. Alone,Babar arrives in a big city. There he is spotted by a charitable woman who takes him in, clothes him, educates him by showing him the finer points of good society. One day his cousins Arthur and Celeste come to the city to find Babar. When they find him, they tell Babar he must go home because the old king has died.He has eaten a poisonous mushroom. After Babar returns, the council elects him as its new king. With Celeste as his wife he establishes the land of Celesteville. Together King Babar and Queen Celeste lead their people into a new age of enlightenment.
Jean de Brunhoff, the original author of the Babar series, wrote the books based on his wife Celeste's bedtime stories for their two young sons. Born in 1899 to a publishing family, Jean de Brunhoff wrote and illustrated 7 books in the Babar series before his untimely death at age 37 of tuberculosis. His last two books, Babar and His Children, and Babar and Father Christmas, were written, but the illustrations were only done in black and white. Jean's brother Michel arrainged to have the books published and had Jean's older son Laurent, who was 13 at the time, do the coloring.
After a gap of six years, the next Babar book was published, written by Larent de Brunhoff.
The 13 year old artist trained himself over the years to replicate his father's art, and thus was able to continue the legacy that so many children love.
Laurent de Brunhoff has continued the Babar series to this day, with well over 30 books, including one published this year. In addition to Babar, Laurent has written another children's books as well including Anatole and his Donkey.
Interesting enough, the Babar books are not without their critics. Some have commented on their being political in nature. We have a king, although the king is elected. Then the king goes on to fight wars, and annex countries. Some have been said to comment on the western influence of the books, other on colonialism.
Obviously there are many people who read too much into what is a delightful children's story. Babar is fun to read at any age. Whether you read it in it's original French, or in English, the stories will leave you happy.
Babar's story opens with his mother being shot by hunters. After her death he travels. Alone,Babar arrives in a big city. There he is spotted by a charitable woman who takes him in, clothes him, educates him by showing him the finer points of good society. One day his cousins Arthur and Celeste come to the city to find Babar. When they find him, they tell Babar he must go home because the old king has died.He has eaten a poisonous mushroom. After Babar returns, the council elects him as its new king. With Celeste as his wife he establishes the land of Celesteville. Together King Babar and Queen Celeste lead their people into a new age of enlightenment.
Jean de Brunhoff, the original author of the Babar series, wrote the books based on his wife Celeste's bedtime stories for their two young sons. Born in 1899 to a publishing family, Jean de Brunhoff wrote and illustrated 7 books in the Babar series before his untimely death at age 37 of tuberculosis. His last two books, Babar and His Children, and Babar and Father Christmas, were written, but the illustrations were only done in black and white. Jean's brother Michel arrainged to have the books published and had Jean's older son Laurent, who was 13 at the time, do the coloring.
After a gap of six years, the next Babar book was published, written by Larent de Brunhoff.
The 13 year old artist trained himself over the years to replicate his father's art, and thus was able to continue the legacy that so many children love.
Laurent de Brunhoff has continued the Babar series to this day, with well over 30 books, including one published this year. In addition to Babar, Laurent has written another children's books as well including Anatole and his Donkey.
Interesting enough, the Babar books are not without their critics. Some have commented on their being political in nature. We have a king, although the king is elected. Then the king goes on to fight wars, and annex countries. Some have been said to comment on the western influence of the books, other on colonialism.
Obviously there are many people who read too much into what is a delightful children's story. Babar is fun to read at any age. Whether you read it in it's original French, or in English, the stories will leave you happy.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad day.
From the very moment he wakes up, poor Alexander faces one of those days that makes him wish he could have stayed in bed.
Judith Viorst brings to us a wonderful story about five year old Alexander who finds some days are just not that much fun. Each moment of the day, from when he wakes up to find gum in his hair, to the end, when his brother steals Alexander's pillow, is documented in funny, short clips.
Some of the things Alexander is forced to endure that terrible day include, cavities, plain white sneakers, cereal and mud. The injustice of it all makes him want to move Australia.
The author of this book is Judith Viorst. Judith Viorst has written for both children and adults. She did a series of books on Alexander. Alexander and his two brothers Nick and Anthony were all named after Viorst's sons. The series is based on the troubles that her children had growing up. As we read about their misadventures, we can laugh, but our children will relate to Alexander completely.
Besides the Alexander series, Judith Viorst wrote the book, "The Tenth Good Thing about Barney". In that story, Judith shows how a grieving pet owner copes with the loss of their pet cat.
Judith Viorst understanding of a child's mind is academic as well as sympathetic. She holds a degree in psychology which has helped her capture not just how a child feels, but how he thinks.
The illustrator of the Alexander series is Raymond Cruz. One of the things that brings the story alive to the child is how Cruz illustrated the book. In the series, Alexander alone is in color, while everything else is in black and white. A very telling clue into how a child thinks.
The story of Alexander is a universally enjoyed story. Everyone can relate to Alexander. After all, who hasn't had a day when they wish they could move to Australia?
Judith Viorst brings to us a wonderful story about five year old Alexander who finds some days are just not that much fun. Each moment of the day, from when he wakes up to find gum in his hair, to the end, when his brother steals Alexander's pillow, is documented in funny, short clips.
Some of the things Alexander is forced to endure that terrible day include, cavities, plain white sneakers, cereal and mud. The injustice of it all makes him want to move Australia.
The author of this book is Judith Viorst. Judith Viorst has written for both children and adults. She did a series of books on Alexander. Alexander and his two brothers Nick and Anthony were all named after Viorst's sons. The series is based on the troubles that her children had growing up. As we read about their misadventures, we can laugh, but our children will relate to Alexander completely.
Besides the Alexander series, Judith Viorst wrote the book, "The Tenth Good Thing about Barney". In that story, Judith shows how a grieving pet owner copes with the loss of their pet cat.
Judith Viorst understanding of a child's mind is academic as well as sympathetic. She holds a degree in psychology which has helped her capture not just how a child feels, but how he thinks.
The illustrator of the Alexander series is Raymond Cruz. One of the things that brings the story alive to the child is how Cruz illustrated the book. In the series, Alexander alone is in color, while everything else is in black and white. A very telling clue into how a child thinks.
The story of Alexander is a universally enjoyed story. Everyone can relate to Alexander. After all, who hasn't had a day when they wish they could move to Australia?
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