Jen's 2012 Book Giving Guide

    Christmas is quickly approaching and as I began my shopping today I thought perhaps you've started as well! Christmas is my favourite time of year and this year I am looking so forward to the smell of mulled apple cider, and our fresh pine trees, the sounds of my favourite Christmas album, and the crinkle of wrapping paper.

Below are my top recommendations for the book lover's in your life. If you shop through the link on Amazon you'll also be supporting this blog (and me) I hope the lists are helpful. It can be a challenge shopping for someone else. If you need a more personal recommendation just leave me a comment or send me an email.

Happy Shopping!

Be sure to share these lists with friends, grandparents and Aunts & Uncles!

This is Not My Hat–Blog Tour-Jon Klassen

As a fan of Jon Klassen’s award winning I Want My Hat Back picture book, I was thrilled to be invited to participate in the Global blog tour for his latest book This Is Not My Hat.  As part of the blog tour I had the opportunity to interview Jon:

Where does your artistic inspiration come from?
I think mostly I just like communicating. It's not even about communicating anything specific, I just really like the exercise of getting something across. I guess it's sort of proof that you're not crazy.

Growing up did you always want to be an author and artist? Who encouraged you?
I did always like drawing and writing, and I think I always hoped I'd be able to get a job doing something like that, because I didn't really get interested in many other things, or at least I wasn't very good at them. I've been lucky about encouragement. My parents always thought and still think that a job doing this is a totally realistic idea and a valid thing to spend your time on. They had that great balance of encouragement without the pressure. The more distance I get on it, the more lucky I feel about that. I don't think a lot of people get it.

What is your favourite thing about being a published author?
Having a book spine. A book spine with your name on it is a crazy thing to see. Also getting to sort of design them is really fun. How often do you get to design something with those kind of dimensions?

Do you have a favourite library memory? (can be a childhood memory or even now)
I think a lot of the libraries I grew up with were built in the 70s, and they have a certain way they felt inside. A lot of wide open carpeted spaces with weird raised carpeted platforms here and there, and big potted plants and very high ceilings with windows in them. It's frustrating to be in a place like that as a kid because all you want to do is run as fast as you can from one end to the other, and that's not really allowed, so you just walk around with your teeth clenched looking for book spines with the 'mystery' stickers on them until you calm

I was excited to read that you are originally from Niagara Falls, when was the last time you were back and what is your favourite activity to do when you visit?
Yeah! I try and go back a few times a year. My parents still live there. I really love driving down the parkway along the river. I used to bike it a lot, and it's still one of the nicest stretches I know of. I think Winston Churchill called it the best Sunday afternoon drive in the world, or something like that.

If you were a hat, what kind of hat would you be?
I wear a baseball hat almost all the time, so even though i might like something more original, it would be dishonest of me.


Any new books/projects in the works?
A couple, yeah! I'm working on another of my own, and another one with Mac Barnett, who wrote Extra Yarn. They are both at the stage where I take long showers and stare at nothing until the hot water runs out.

(Thanks a lot for the questions Jen! It's great to talk to somebody from the home province!!)

Thank you Jon! I have to say that interviewing and talking with authors is one of my most favourite things  about blogging and one of the reasons why I blog…feeling pretty blessed right now!

My Review

I'm happy to announce that I also have 1 copy of  the book and a "This is Not my Hat" hat (adult size) to give away. Check out My Little Bookcase tomorrow (October 16) for the next stop on the tour!

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Perfect Square by Michael Hall

Perfect Square by Michael Hall

Published by  Green Willow Books April 2011

Summary

A perfect square is transformed in this adventure story that will transport you far beyond 

the four equal sides of this square book. An entire world out of one simple square. This ingenious picture book celebrates how creativity can change the way one looks at a basic shape . . . or the world itself.

A fab colleague of mine introduced me to the amazingness of this book.  I used for a reading buddies program this past summer which is for children in grades 1-4. But I really think the book would have great applications for all ages as well and would make a terrific art lesson.

Ideas to Extend the Book:

• We provided metallic paper squares and had the children cut, rip and change them to create their own pictures. You could also take it a step further and have them create a story around their picture
• Using Tangrams- Tangrams are a puzzle made of 7 flat pieces that you can put together to form a puzzle, there are many combinations. There is even a folktale to go along with how they were created.- http://www.tangrams.ca/puzzles/puzzles.htm

Storytime with Shark in the Park

Shark in the Park by Nick Sharratt

Published 2002

This is one of my most favourite read-alouds EVER. Rhyming, simple illustrations, actions and funny makes for an incredible combination. It's perfect for our Summer Reading Club theme this year- Make A Splash.

In the story Timothy looks through his brand new telescope in the park and mistakes different animals for a Shark. The children will love shouting "There's A Shark in the Park" with you. I've created a game to go along with this book. I used google images and found photos of different water animals. I printed two of each animal I found (10 in total). I cut a large circle out of each animal....in an abstract way...and had the children pretend they were looking through telescopes and guess what animal they were seeing...I then showed them the picture of the animal whole. They loved this game and its a great tie-in......

Have you used Shark in the Park in story time? What games & activities have you done along with it?

Story Time with To Market To Market by Anne Miranda

I plan  to make Story Time at Lost in the Library a weekly feature where I post a  picture book I love along with suggested activities to do with the book. I'd also love to have a few guest posters....you don't need to be a story teller or librarian, you can just write about your favourite picture book and I'll add an activity or you can do the whole post if you'd like. If you are interested in participating just send me an email and we'll work out the date. Thanks.

Ok, so on to this week's book:

To Market, To Market by Anne Miranda

Illustrated by Janet Stevens

Published by Harcourt Childrens 1997

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig ... What's a poor shopper to do when her groceries have a mind of their own?

To market, to market is a nursery rhyme from my (much) younger days. I love the twist in this one where every item-in this case animal, gets up to mischief in the woman's home. I love her exasperation, the kids love pointing out where the animals are and what they are doing. Eventually the woman becomes so fed-up that she just makes soup for lunch. The illustrations are fantastic and there is high contrast between the black and white photograph like backgrounds and the bright colours in the animals, food and people. It's a favourite to share because the possiblities are endless for extension activities.

A few things you could try that have worked for me:

Art: we've done soup can art like Andy Warhol

Game: I've brought in (toy) food items and have set up a grocery game where the children "buy" the groceries to make their lunch.

Craft: I've provided clipings from flyers of different types of foods. The children glued their food choices to a paperbag template.

Songs: We've shared the tradition to market rhyme as well as the circle song "We're going to the Market"

Science: We've looked at the characteristics of the animals in the book-where they live, what they eat.

A Few Fractured Fairytale Favourites

I have always loved fairytales. They are layered with meaning and often history. The language is rich and they fulfill a part of the reading experience that no other type of book can even touch.


I also love having the opportunity to share them with the children and families that attend my programs at the library and I’m always surprised at how many are not familiar with these stories. I think it’s important that we continue to share them and their various versions so that they do not become forgotten.

I really enjoy sharing “fractured” fairytales in my Reading Buddies program. Reading Buddies is a program we offer for children in grades 1-4 who are reluctant or struggling readers. We offer them time to practice, and learn some new reading skills but my main goal is to show them that books and reading can be fun.

A few of my favourites to share:

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

            In this story we find out the “real” story. The wolf has been framed and is really not the bad guy.

Little Red-A Fizzingly Good Yarn by Lynn Roberts

“Little Red is happily taking a basket of ginger ale to his grandmother when he stops to gather apples in the woods. Who should grab his red cape, but none other than the wily wolf, who runs immediately to the grandmother's house to devour her and wait for Little Red to be next! With a new, happily-ever-after spin on the story, the boy tricks the wolf into gulping down the entire ginger ale at once, which triggers the wolf to hiccup his grandmother out of his belly” –good reads

I've read this story a few times to different groups and it always gets huge laughs from the kids and volunteers.

Once Upon a time, the End. (Asleep in 60 seconds)

By Geoffrey Kloske

Once upon a time, there was a grown-up looking for a book with very short bedtime stories for a kid who wouldn't go to sleep. So the grown-up picked up this book and read this flap and took the book home and read it out loud and they both laughed and fell fast asleep fast. Just like you. The end.
-goodreads

I LOVE this one it's great to share with the school-age crowd, they enjoy picking out all the parts the dad has cut out of the various fairytales.

Do you have a favourite fairytale that has worked for you in programs, story times or maybe just one that you have loved to read?

Storytime with Dog's Colorful Day

This week's story time was centered around Dog's Colorful Day: A Messy Story About Coloring and Counting by Emma Dodd
I enjoy sharing many of Emma Dodd's stories. I find they work really well for story time especially for the younger preschool age. In Dog's Colorful Day we meet a white dog with a black spot who moves through out his day getting spots of all different colours from various sources. As I read this story I have an enlarged picture of the dog on my board and I invite one of the children to come up choose the crayon colour and create a dot on him as we read. They love particpating and it's a great activity for developing colour recognition, listening skills and following directions.

A great companion book:

Lots of Dots by Craig Frazier

Published by Chronicle Books 2010

Take the Time by Maud Roegiers

Take the Time- Mindfulness for Kids

by Maud Roegiers

Published by Imagination Press

What do you notice when you take the time to stop, listen, and experience? This pensive and peaceful book encourages children to slow down and become deliberate with their day-to-day actions and thoughts. With gentle rhythms and soothing imagery, kids may be guided toward a quiet self-awareness and mindfulness. And when a day feels stressful or topsy-turvy, kids can use such self-awareness to calm down and feel better. Kids can then enjoy the beauty of the world all around them and fully savour life -goodreads

Not necessarily one I would recommend for the preschool age or for use in story time but as the parent of a ten year old who seems to rush through everything I really liked this one. Lovely illustrations and simple but well chosen text. My son and I read it together and discussed it's meaning. It would be great for a gift for an adult as well- as it reminds us to slow down-appreciate the little moments

 and take the time we need to think, heal and love. Recommended.

Story Time with the Hungry Hen

The Spring session at my branch starts next Monday and registration for programs has been crazy (which is awesome)

The first program of the session is inspired by this book:



Hungry Hen by Richard Waring

Published by HarperCollins

December 2001

The story follows a "hungry" hen who eats, and eats and the more she eats the bigger she gets. There's a fox in the story who is eagerly watching and waiting for the hen to get bigger and bigger, thinking that the bigger she is the tastier she'll be. I love this story. It's simple with very short text and a hilarious surprise ending which always gets laughter from the children and their parents.

It also allows for a lot of flexibility in finding companion books to tie in : Food animals eat, size, chickens, farm. . .

One of the activities we're doing is The Chicken Dance which is inspired by Oktoberfest-(a big event in my city)

Story Time with Pete the Cat

A colleague sent me a YouTube clip this week. And I instantly fell in love with this book. I've been "walking along and singing the song" everyday this week and I think driving all my co-workers crazy :)

I've ordered a copy for the library and for myself and I can not wait to use it in story time next session.

 

Pete the Cat- I love my white shoes by Eric Litwin

Published by Harpercollins

Summary from GoodReads

Pete the Cat goes walking down the street wearing his brand-new white shoes. Along the way, his shoes change from white to red to blue to brown to WET as he steps in piles of strawberries, blueberries, and other big messes! But no matter what color his shoes are, Pete keeps movin' and groovin' and singing his song . . . because it's all good

Story Time with Monkey & Me

Once a month I visit the daycares in the area for storytime. It's a great way to meet and visit with the children I wouldn't normally see here in a regular program. I look really forward to these visits.

Todays favourite story was:

 Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett

A cheeky little girl and her toy monkey swing irresistibly through the pages of this gorgeous playful book. Young children will love guessing what animal they are pretending to be, before shouting out the answers as the pages are turned to reveal the real creatures. Soon everyone will be waddling like a penguin, jumping like a kangaroo and hanging upside down like a bat!

 I use this one a little differently and tell it like a group chant where the children repeat after each verse. I also have them act out the animals as they appear on the pages.  Works well for preschool or toddlers. I've used it for my baby program as well and had the parents chant along. Recommended.