VisitKellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Textsto see what they've been reading, along with everyone else who post their favorites.
I have a second post today HERE, sharing a book giveaway as part of a blog tour! Come visit! In this busy month, I wish you joy with family and friends and cozy times with a good book, wherever you are, whatever you celebrate.
Thanks to Candlewick for these two beautiful Christmas books.
It is a story of a homeless boy who discovers he can have his own Christmas tree. What he does with it and then the community shows a generous child making his own cheer in a sad situation. The illustrations are lovely and nostalgic with many snowy city scenes.
It's a beautiful lift-the-flap exploration of nature as little tree realizes it is not so alone as it thinks. Each page holds several flaps and the words tease readers to find what's being said by lifting the flaps. Some of nature's things are visible, but others hide, and in clever places, too. Where is the "brilliant goldfinch (that) sings?" and where is the field mouse "who needs a place to hide"? It's a great book to introduce come of the wonders of nature.
In brief poetic text, Suzanne Slade's shows the vision of President John Kennedy's challenge to go to the moon, covering the facts, the dangers, the community effort to complete the missions. She explains that it became even more imperative to finish what was started after the assassination of President Kennedy. After each mission, there are pages that show the basic facts and a picture of each astronaut. I noted that few are still living today. Throughout, real photos are there, along with Thomas Gonzalez' paintings that capture the action, the people, the places that until these space flights, no one had ever seen them before. They are stunning depictions of this marvelous history. It is a book to read, to savor, to then look again, being sure not to miss a thing. The backmatter adds more information, author's and illustrator's notes, a bibliography, source list for quotations and photo credits.
It's always fun to know of a new book and offer a giveaway! I'm happy to share in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Connie Bowman.
Here's a picture of the cover! Every child will like imagining this and giggle!
On my first read, I laughed and loved this cumulative tale of a father who happens to be the one who found that elephant! And, calm as can be, he takes the elephant, the one with "sharp shiny tusks" who doesn't "make a trumpet sound" or "charge at all" off to someone's bedroom. This father tells the story to an unknown person, says that creature "followed me quietly to your bedroom." Hmm, then I read the story to my young granddaughter, seven, and she was immediately in a hurry, laughing and saying things like "hurry up, turn the page". She had a tough time waiting to see what was next. The father in the story, however, continues to be calm as calm can be, even when he discovered a camel in his study, a cobra in front of his bedroom window, and a rhinoceros in the laundry room. Colorful and realistic illustrations by Kelly O'Neill add to the story's matter-of-fact pace. Those animals behave with surprising calm although I spied a bit of eye-rolling from the father. The story will be a favorite as kids gather ALL their favorite stuffies while getting ready for a dream-filled sleep. Here are some stars from Broadway singing about an elephant in the room and showing the book.
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Enter to win a copy of There’s an Elephant in My Bathtub by Connie Bowman, and a menagerie of stuffed animals!
One (1) winner receives:
An autographed copy of There’s an Elephant in My Bathtub
A menagerie of stuffed animals, as featured in the prize image
Nine (9) winners will receive:
An autographed copy of There’s an Elephant in My Bathtub
Giveaway begins December 1, 2018, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends December 31, 2018, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
Giveaway open to residents of Canada and the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older.
Connie Bowman is responsible for prize fulfillment.
Elizabeth Steinglass hosts our Poetry Friday today, celebrating J. Patrick Lewis' The Poetry of Us and her poem about her menorah for Hanukkah. Thanks for hosting, Liz!
Mary Lee Hahn, A Year of Reading, has again challenged us to write a haiku each day in December, this time to the hashtag #haikuforhope. In this ever-busy month, to take a few moments in contemplation and craft something that, to me, captures that time is a pleasure and a December gift. Thank you, Mary Lee, for this daily gift. Everyone is welcome to join in!
Here are the days of December thus far, including one for tomorrow:
