Whos stronger, the Wind or the Mountain?

I was very curious about this book 'You are not small' with its ads on goodreads. The sparse illustrations ramp up the curiosity. Some characters reminded me of the ones in 'Where the Wild things are'. with very few sentences and drawing strokes, big concepts of comparision and perspective are introduced.

The Fourteenth Goldfish

In a very simple manner, very serious issues have been dealth with. The goldfish mention may fool the reader that it is one of those made up things that you have to use a bit of suspended belief. But just like the umpteen goldfish that replace the last one so it seems immortal to the little girl Ellie. Many truths and lessons accumulate in this small book. Knowing the truth of gold fish life term is the metamorphism akin to whats in store for about to be teenager Ellie. Between new and old friends, she gets a peek into her new teenager friend who is her grandfather, a scientist. From him she learns and finds her passion, just like her parents want her to find one. She learns of the two way edge sword called science.
author Jennifer Holm has very cleverly used the plot elements of having a character duo of the granddaughter and grandpa translatable to her age. Award worthy work.

Monster in the Rocks

The author asked in a workshop about the smallest owl. And here I thought - burrowing owl. somebody said Pygmy owl. But we are told, there is an even smaller owl, the elf owl who is the narrator of this story.
The illustrations need a special mention, not only do they maintain the unique look from 'Rattlesnake Rules' but each page gives you a look at the wonderful Sonoran desert landscape with cacti, some flowering. The lesson is learnt by Gambel Quail chicks to stay off the trail and be wary of monster who doesnt look like one.

Snake Swim Ring and Rattlesnake Rules

Coogam 40'' 3D Snake Swim Ring Inflatable Pool Float Color Rubber Open-loop Inner Tube Water Donut Rafts Foam Toy for Adults Kids Summer Outdoor Beach Playing Decoration (Red)

I am trying to dispel my fear of snakes by learning about them and treating them as part of nature. 'Rattklesnake Rules' makes the rattle snakes look very cute with each having a hat, bow or some personal effect like that.
It is funny that mama snake has to tell the baby snakes not to be afraid of their rattles. The book shows how the world gets on well with every one following rules, just like traffic.

The author Conrad Storad is an amazing person. He conducts writing workshops at Tempe Public Library.

Duck in the Fridge

The ruckus in the house with so many animals reminded me of a story from high school where Rampal the tailor had a big family to deal with along with lots of pets and horses.
The illustrations in the book are adorable with the animals calling the place their own.
But if this is back filling the story of how Mother Goose stories are effective in helping anyoone fall asleep, I am not thrilled. It could have been some nondescript book but then the jokes of the stories wouldnt find place in the story.
My only qualm with the book is banking on the Mother Goose characters as I am left wondering how would it have been independent.

Over the River and Through the Wood

 St Nicholas 
Magazine for young folks
The Giraffe
Artful Antics

Artful Antics
The Bashful Earthquake



What Katy did and Katy didnt poems
Naming the Kitten
Wide Awake
On the Tree Top
Swinging on a birch tree 

Lets Build

The book is about forging good memories in a parent-child relationship by making something together. The child learns about the planning that goes into making something concrete and the joy of accomplishment of something useful. A beginning page in the book has a tape. At the time I got this book, we had a tape on the counter for making a vegetable garden. Father and daughter worked in the garden for hours together and reminded me of fort building characters of the book. Sharing activities with your child is fun and if it comes with rhyme, even more.
The illustrations are simple and keep the focus on the building in progress.

Southwest story time

Chandler Environmental Education Center

Go Away Big Green Monster

Go Away Big Green Monster

I am Otter

I am Otter by Sam Garton

This story is of an otter capable of utter mess. The page spread showing the mess is so beautiful that I went into each nook and cranny of the page and laughed at what the things were. It is a humorous story. A tale of friendship in which a teddy goes through a trial. Poor Teddies always bearing the brunt of friends. The book has verses but because of its strong visuals, it is fair to call it a picture book.

Ten Busy Brownies

mythologicalbrowniesforkids
 Brownie folklore
 This book reminds me of The Elves and the Shoemaker
I didnt know of any brownies other than the ones made to eat until I read this book. These brownies are adorable with their shiny huge buttons which seem magical. The indefinite forms in the illustrations are as mind bending as the acceptance of the brownies existence.
The pages are very engaging. the vines and the cobbled cottages will have you not just counting but story telling and describing.

Whos Who at the Zoo

Never Ever shout in a Zoo

With Zoo theme at day care, my daughter read this book yesterday.
I didnt guess what would happen if you shouted in a zoo. The illustrations of all the animals of the zoo in one activity creates immediacy.
The verses itself catch on to you fast as each line adds a new word like a magnet attaching links. Remind sme of my poem Count to believe.

Never mail an Elephant

Mike thaler

Its Zoo theme this week.
From the title, I thought the story was going to be about sending a letter to an elephant. But the actual story is different. Next time I look for a stamp, I am always gonna think about reams and reams of stamps needed to mail .. you will know what, when you read the book.
Today my daughter read this at her day care.

Comfort Toy

A colleague told about this book.

Finding your green thumb

To begin with its funny, pea pods with names. Arlo is one plucky Fellow. He overcomes many obstacles and grows up literally and metaphorically. I was fascinated by Mendel's experiments. Once a relative gave us lot of peas from his farm. We had peas curry to the point of fatigue, while a handful in biryani go a long way to make it special. But I never learnt how they grow until I read this book. Now I'm gonna grow some peas in the garden.
The busy illustrations with sparse words highlight Arlo's activity.

Too much Ballet for a day

The cover looks very cute but there stops the novelty. What follows is an encyclopaediac sketches of bunnies doing all the hard moves of ballet. All this in one day. Phew! Too much crammed on a page.

My Yellow Umbrella

 
Good story until the kids are ready for 'The Umbrella Man' by Roald Dahl
Growing up I was more fascinated with my 'duckback' raincoat than umbrella. While watches and umbrellas are a statement opportunity for kids, this book is an Alice in the reverse story in the sense that the little girl here gets to navigate different situations with the help of her yellow umbrella.
This book reminded me of 'Sora and the Cloud'. In the genre of kid getting imaginative with a prop, using the umbrella as a parachute and then as a float makes you wish for that magic wand which is panacea.
The simple illustrations with broad span of same colours have a soothing effect.

1/10/15

PS: Duck is a kind of tightly woven canvas.

Flight School

The illustrations of the book will floor you. The light shock wave kind of contours for the animals, with pencil marks has an absolute newness to it. The pages move through like a video. the zoom in and out  and the top view of the school crew, once the penguin is in flight make you wonder if you are the one with the camera.
Now in the air
Now in the water, the book has a verve to it. Having just read Flamingo Sunset, its a nice continuation to have the flamingo as a  teacher.
This book is a good opportunity for animal behavior discussions.

Alphabet Workshop

I have seen Alphabet House by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace, an alphabet book with house-hold objects that start with the same letter on a page. So what is different about this book? Its best put in the book description

"Steampunk is fun!
Steampunk is imaginative!
It's making something new out of something old.
It's dressing up in clothing from long ago.
It's inventing machines out of hardware and found objects.
It's creating a make-believe world!"

If you had to tell the behind the scenes workings of alphabets or their nativity story, the Workshop is a good place. The big pictures of the alphabets are fun to watch and decipher what they are made of.
I like the F faucet , J with the trumpet design in it. My daughter keeps asking for the hickory-dickory dock clock in G. while you are on a page identifying the objects that begin with that letter, you can introduce the baby to other interesting objects too.
The mice are cute with their antics.
The book has an artistic quality to it with its mix and match style.