Wednesday, June 27, 2007

I'll Meet You at the Cucumbers by Lilian Moore, illustrated by Sharon Wooding

From the publisher:
Adam Mouse loves the country more than anything. No one could ever make him leave the beautiful blossoms and ripe vegetable gardens of the country. No one except Amanda. Amanda is Adam's city pen pal. So, when Amanda invites him to the city for her birthday, Adam decides to go. She picks a spot at the farmer's market. "I'll meet you at the cucumbers," she writes.

I Have A Sister My Sister is Deaf by Jeanne Whitehouse Peterson, illustrated by Deborah Korgan Ray

This book is about a young girl who has a deaf sister. Although there are some things her sister will never be able to experience or do, there is a lot she can.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt

Scardey Squirrel is scared of most things and will not leave his tree. He is well prepared, though. He has plans in case his worst fears should come true. When they do, however, he discovers something "uplifting".

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Berlioz the Bear by Jan Brett

Berlioz's cello has a strange buzzing sound, but it is not until his band's wagon gets stuck on the way to a ball that he discovers why his cello is making such strange noises and the problem is fixed.

Crictor by Tomi Ungerer

Madame Bodot is sent a pet boa constrictor and, although she is scared of him at first, he turns out to be quite agreeable.

Alphabetter by Dan Bar-el and Graham Ross

From the publisher:
Did you ever try to use an egg in place of a football? Or dress up a live quail in doll's clothes when you didn't have a doll? Or strap rag-dolls onto your feet in place of slippers? In Alphabetter, twenty-six boys and girls find themselves in twenty-six different predicaments when the alphabet refuses to cooperate with them. In the end, the solution turns out to be right on the next page, if only they can find it.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Sandry's Book by Tamora Pierce

This is the first of four books, each one named for one of the main characters. Each of the characters does not quite fit in with their family or culture and they find themselves together at a temple where they begin to learn to deal with their differences and the power they each posses.

Henny Penny by H. Werner Zimmermann

Henny Penny thinks the sky is falling and she must go and tell the king. Along the way she meets a number of other characters.

Where Are You Going Little Mouse? by Robert Kraus, illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey

Little Mouse has decided that his family doesn't love him and he's going to go find one that does.

Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet by David McLimans

This is a rather unique ABC book. Each letter of the alphabet represents another animal that is endangered. The scientific name of the animal is given as well as it's habitat, endangered status, and some other information. There is more info available on each animal at the back of the book.

The Philharmonic Gets Dressed by Karla Kuskin, illustrated by Marc Simont

I remember enjoying this book as a kid, but I now find it a bit dated.

From chapters.ca:
The 105 members of the orchestra are shown showering, dressing, travelling, and setting themselves up on stage for an evening's concert

Meet the Orchestra by Ann Hayes, illustrated by Karmen Thompson

A picture book that shows most of the instruments in an orchestra and explains a little about the sounds they make, where they sit, and how they are played.

Friday, June 15, 2007

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

From the back of the book:
Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who treated him with the utmost care and adored him completely.
And then, one day, he was lost.

Shrek! by William Steig

Many movies are based on books, and apparently Shrek is no exception. Like many other film adaptations, Shrek bears little resemblance to the original story, but I have to say I enjoyed the movie more than the book.

Liang and the Magic Paintbrush by Demi

Liang is a beggar boy who wants more than anything else to paint. One night in his sleep an old man gives him a magic paintbrush, but you have to be careful with a magic paintbrush!

The Runaway Dinner by Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman

This book is about a boy who sits down to eat his dinner when it gets up and runs off on him.

I have to say that I actually hated this book, but read it for yourself and find out.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

The House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert DeJong, illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Tien Pao's family is forced to flee from his village as the Japanese invading force sweep through China. Later he is separated from his family and must go on a long and dangerous journey to try and reunite himself with them.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

We Are on Our Own by Miriam Katin


A graphical biography of the World War II story of the author and her mother as they struggled to stay alive.

King and King by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland

The Queen is tired of ruling the kingdom and wants some time to herself, so she decides that her son must marry and start ruling the kingdom. She calls all the princesses she knows to come and try to impress the prince, but he is more interested in one of the other princes that shows up.

Come Out and Play, Little Mouse by Robert Kraus, illustrated by Jose Aruego

When little mouse accepts the cat's invitation to play, he doesn't know what kind of game the cat really has in mind.

A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams

From the publisher:
After a fire destroys their home and possessions, Rosa, her mother, and grandmother save and save until they can afford to buy one big, comfortable chair that all three of them can enjoy.After their home is destroyed by a fire, Rosa, her mother and grandmother save their coins to buy a really comfortable chair for all to enjoy.

Swine Lake by James Marshall, illustrated by Maurice Sendak

From the publisher:
When a lean and mangy wolf stumbles into the Boarshoi Ballet, he finds tasty pigs a-plenty, twirling and whirling in a performance of Swine Lake. Faced with all those luscious porkers, whats a hungry wolf to do? Well, something totally surprising, as it turns out.

The Irish Cinderlad by Shirley Climo, illustrated by Loretta Krupinski

From the publisher:
Ever since he was a baby, Becan's only worry has been his big feet--until his widowed father remarries. His new stepmother and her three daughters feed him crusts of bread and banish him to work in the fields. So Becan runs away. With the help of his only friend, a magical bull, he defeats a giant, slays a dragon, and rescues a princess. But before she can thank him, Becan disappears, leaving behind him one of his enormous boots. The princess scours the kingdom for the owner of the giant boot. Will Becan's feet give him away? And what will his fate be if they do?

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer

From the back of the book:
Zimbabwe, 2194: The three children of the wealthy and powerful General Matsika steal out of the house on a forbidden adventure - and promptly disappear. Their parents call in the best detectives in Africa, or at least the most unusual: the Ear, the Eye and the Arm, whose exposure to nuclear waste has given them powers far beyond those of other human beings. Their mission takes them to the underbelly of the city, where truth and lies are often the same; to the toxic and dangerous Dead man's Vlei, ruled by the tyrannical She-Elephant; to the swaying top of the luxurious Mile-High MacIlwaine Hotel. Yet the children stay just out of their reach. The evils of the past, the technology of the future, criminals with plans far beyond what anyone can imagine - can the Ear, the Eye and the Arm snatch the Matsika children from the heart of it all?

Friday, June 01, 2007

Disc World by Terry Pratchett


Terry Pratchett is one of the most prolific writers I know of. His Disc World series now consists of over 30 books. For the most part they do not have to be read in order, although it does help. There are a few sets of characters who occasionally interact, but largely have their own plot lines and can be read as a separate series. All of the books are hilariously funny. My favourites are the ones that feature the City Watch, Monstrous Regiment, and Reaper Man.

The books were written for adults, but many children will enjoy them, though they will probably miss a lot of the jokes.

For a full list of the books, try Wikipedia.

Shake My Sillies Out by Raffi

Like Down By The Bay, Shake My Sillies Out is a picture book with a Raffi song as it's text.

Perfect the Pig by Susan Jeschke

From chapters.ca:
Perfect the Pig longs for wings to fly away. When his wish is magically granted, he takes off for the skies and eventually comes to rest on the windowsill of an artist named Olive. The two become fast friends but when Perfect gets lost in flight, he is captured by an evil showman who forces him to perform tricks for money.

The Rainbabies by Laura Krauss Melmed, illustrated by Jim LaMarche

An old man and an old woman want a baby more than anything. When twelve very small babies appear in the rain and the moonlight one night, they are delighted.

Round Trip by Ann Jonas

This is a rather unique book. The story isn't very interesting, but the pictures certainly are. Read the book through the usual way, then flip it upside down and read it back again for a new slant on the illustrations

"Could Be Worse!" by James Stevenson

Grandpa does the same thing every day, and says the same thing no matter the situation, "Could be worse!" One day, however, he has quite an adventure.
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