Title:

Opening Lines:

Over 100 years ago, as the stars swirled in the sky, as the Earth circled the sun, as the March winds blew through a little town by a river, a baby boy was born. His parents named him Albert.

Synopsis (from Chronicle website):

A boy rides a bicycle down a dusty road. But in his mind, he envisions himself traveling at a speed beyond imagining, on a beam of light. This brilliant mind will one day offer up some of the most revolutionary ideas ever conceived. From a boy endlessly fascinated by the wonders around him, Albert Einstein ultimately grows into a man of genius recognized the world over for profoundly illuminating our understanding of the universe.

Jennifer Berne and Vladimir Radunsky invite the reader to travel along with Einstein on a journey full of curiosity, laughter, and scientific discovery. Parents and children alike will appreciate this moving story of the powerful difference imagination can make in any life.

Activities:

Young Kids:

Discovery Station – Compass and magnet games. Good for preschoolers – 2nd grade.
The Why Files - Einstein’s theories are presented in a simple and straightforward manner. The site includes articles about the speed of light, gravity, black holes, and space-time. Recommended for 4-6th grade students.

For Teens & Adults:

Einstein: Image & Impact – Explores Einstein’s life through historical accounts, photographs and sound clips by the American Institute of Physics.
Einstein Archives Online – Comprehensive information about Einstein’s life. Digitized manuscripts.

Why I Like This Book:

When I first heard of this book, I was like I HAVE to read it. I mean it’s about Einstein!!  Then I was like wait it’s about Einstein … there is so much to cover and a lot of it is theoretical physics. How in the world is the author going to discuss that in a picture book, it seemed like a very daunting task to me. But I had faith since this book was written by one of my favorite authors Jennifer Berne (Manfish, Calvin Can’t Fly). Ms. Berne DELIVERED on writing a book that is informative and captivating and sure to engage scientists young and old.

Kids will be engaged from the beginning when they learn Einstein didn’t talk until he was three, or that he loved to asks questions all the time much to the chagrin of his teachers. Kids will learn that Einstein was always wondering about the world around him, whether it be about a beam of light or how sugar melts in tea. It was this inquisitiveness that propelled Einstein to keep learning and questioning and eventually discovering some of nature’s secrets.

The illustrations are quirky and whimsical, appropriate for describing Einstein and his eccentricities. I particularly enjoyed the spread discussing atoms where the illustrator use “dots” to color in the pictures instead of a solid color. See illustrations from the book at Chronicle’s website.

The endpages contain additional information on Einstein’s theories, personality, and pacifism.

This book can be used in elementary science classrooms.

Check-out these other great reviews.

• Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast - has sample page spreads
• Kid Lit Reviews
• Toronto 4 Kids

This review is part of Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Book series. Visit her site to see the other books recommended.

Disclosure: I received my copy of this book from the publisher Chronicle Books. This review nevertheless reflects my own and honest opinion about the book.

I have a special treat this time. I have an extra copy of this book that I will be giving away. Leave a comment by May 16th 9pm PST for a chance to win.

Title:

Author: Marsha Diane Arnold
Illustrator: Jamichael Henterly

Publisher: Dial Books, 1995
Book Type: Fiction
Ages: 4-8
Themes: Bravery, Perseverance, Jungle Animals, India

Excerpt:

The Name Day Celebration was only one week away.

“My name shall be Bahadur Shikari – Mighty Hunger,” declared Number One, scouting the veranda for mice.

“I’ll choose Rang Birange Kapare – Calico Colors,” added Number Two as she sat grooming her long fur.

….

“And you, Number Four,” asked Two, turning to the small gray kitten who had finally pulled his head from beneath the pillow “What will your name be? Smallest of All?”

Synopsis (from Amazon Website):

As the Name Day celebration approaches, a young kitten tries to deserve a noble name, by following the path of the beautiful Bengal tiger.

Activities:

Discussion guide on Naming ceremony, Indian culture, and even a tiger quiz from the author.

Tiger Crafts – simple paper crafts, origami, balloon animal

Basic info and photographs of Bengal tigers at National Geographic for Kids.

Learn more about tiger hunts and naming ceremony on Wikipedia.

Why I Like This Book:

A tale of a small cat who proves that he can be something more than what he appears.  The authentic text and vibrant illustrations transport the reader in time to the jungles of colonial India.

Number Four is a meek, small grey cat who yearns to be mighty and courageous, and have such a name. With Naming Day only a week away, Four sets out on a daring journey to learn how from the “Magnificent One”, a Bengal tiger. Four is not dissuaded in his quest by the jungle creatures who mock him. He doesn’t cower against the snarling tiger. Four remains persistent and follows the tiger for days and nights, learning how to survive. He saves the tiger’s life during a hunt thereby earning a powerful and wise name, Bangali Sher Ka Dil – Heart of the Tiger.

The illustrations done in watercolor and pencil are rich and bold, bringing to life the hot, humid jungle teaming with wildlife. Henterley has done a splendid job of conveying a range of emotions from the pensive Four looking into the rain puddle, to Four being startled via a close-up shot of the snarling tiger, to the tiger hunt scene showing just the tiger and Number 4 with the background a blur.

I enjoyed this book for its text and rich imagery with a great message that “you can be more than what you appear”. I loved seeing the inner strength of the cat revealed via each of the obstacles culminating with Four using his wisdom during the tiger hunt. The author uses accurate words to describe the colonial time period and jungle setting: master, veranda, langur (monkey), and beaters (men who play the drums during a tiger hunt). The Hindi names chosen have an accurate meaning too.  I love this last scene with Four in front on Naming Day with all the jungle animals in the background. Read this book and be transported to old-world India.

Below are some photographs of tiger hunts. These are from the Bangalore Palace in southern India.

Check-out these other great reviews.

• Excellent Kids’ Books has additional illustrations.
• Miss Marple’s Musings

Highlights from this experience:

• Having my girls help me with the acts of kindness. My 6yr old holding me accountable, by asking me what my RAK count was every day.
• Several folks telling me they were inspired to do Random Acts of Kindness
• Brainstorming RAK ideas with friends
• Seeing kids using some of the items left (toys, books)
• Making someone’s day with a RAK

If you would like to learn more about the kindness movement checkout the website Random Acts of Kindness. When coming up with my RAKs I referenced the following two posts, What a Ride!: My Birthday was Awesome and 366 Random Acts of Kindness, and adapted the ideas to what worked for me. The first post had a list of simple ideas that can involve kids; the second post had a lot of charity organizations. For my 40 RAKs I wanted to thank the people around me as well as do random acts for people I didn’t know. My belief was everybody can use an act of kindness.

Here is my list of 40 RAKs. Enjoy!

#1 – Paid the bill for a father of two girls that was standing behind me at the LEGO store.

#2 – Left fancy chocolates, cookies in the company break room

#3 – Surprised my Pilates instructor with a cup of coffee

#4 – Gave a homeless person a $5 gift card to McDonald’s

#5 – Gave the librarians at our local library a box of chocolates. They are always so patient and helpful as I always have a ton of books on hold under three different library cards, across three different loan systems. It can be quite complicated sometimes.

#6 – Brought donuts for my co-workers. Normally one of the managers brings donuts every Friday, so it was fun confusing my colleagues as I brought the donuts on a Thursday.

#7 – Box of chocolates for the children’s librarians at another local library

#8 – Left a Large tip tonight during my birthday dinner.

#9 – Box of chocolates for the staff at my kids’ gymnastics club

#10 – Treated my girlfriends to dinner.

#11 – Wrote a gratitude letter to my baa (maternal grandmother) with the help of my mom. This act of kindness also made my mom happy too, bonus.

#12 – Wrote a gratitude/get well card to my Aunt.

#14 – Donated some toys to my Mother’s Helper. She redistributes them to other kids that she cares for.

#15 – Left some current magazines for others to read at the gym.

#16 – Gave each of the members in my writing group a book on writing great characters.

#17 – Donated a $5 McDonald’s gift card to a person in need.

#18 – Pushed the swing of a 4yr old at the park and ended up making a new acquaintance with the mom.

#19 – Gave chocolates to our pediatrician’s office and donated some books.

#20 – Gave activity packs, books, and DVDs to the children’s ward at the local hospital. This was a lot of fun, as the kids came up with the painting sheets idea.

#21 – Donated old coats, DVDs, and books to the family homeless shelter.

#22 – Sent words of encouragement to a new mom that was going back to work.

#23 – Gave a friend a voucher for a free ski lift ticket

#24 – Paid the bill for the person behind me at the drive-thru

#25 – Watched a movie tonight with my girls instead of doing my own stuff (clean the house, surf the net, etc).

#26 – Hid scratcher lottery tickets in two books at a book sale

#27 – Paid the parking meter for some people

#28 – Gave scratcher lottery tickets to the workers at Subway

#29 – Gave a homeless man a $5 gift card to McDonald’s.

#30 – Left jump ropes and hula-hoops at the park for kids to enjoy.

#31 – Gave out scratcher lottery tickets to the service staff at work

#32 – At Target gave a re-usable bag to the person behind me since she didn’t have one. The retailers no longer give out plastic bags as our city has a ban on them.

#33 – Corralled some lost shopping carts.

#34 – Gave a small thank you gift to a co-worker for helping me out with some customer debug issues.

#35 – Donated some clothing for local foster kids. For those of you living in California, Sleep Train is currently running a Pajama Drive til March 3rd. Just drop of new PJ’s, underwear, or socks and they will be distributed to foster kids in your local community. 

#36 – Left coins at the vending machine

#37 – Gave the neighbors some homemade Texas chili

#38 – Started a mini-library at my kids’ gymnastic center

#39 – Made two micro-loans via KIVA

#40 – A BIG  thanks to all my family and friends for their in-person and on-line continuous steady stream of likes and positive, uplifting comments. Coming up with nearly 40 unique RAKs was a bit hard, but having you all by my side made it easier.

A belated Happy New Year to all my wonderful readers. I am writing this post about a week later than I would have liked too, however that is a good sign for me. It means I am sticking to my New Year’s resolution on meeting my weekly writing goals before blogging. More on that shortly.

2012 was an awesome year for my blogging. Increased the readership multiple-fold, partially due to establishing a presence on Facebook and Twitter. I wrote 68 new posts this year the majority of which were picture book reviews that were contributed to Perfect Picture Book Friday, Children’s Bookshelf, Kidlit Blog Hop, and the Carnival of Children’s Literature. I highly recommend you check out these sites for other great kidlit reads or information on children’s literacy. It has been an absolute joy conversing with you about great kids’ books. The top 5 read posts of the year were:

One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Tale
Where is the Green Sheep?
The Big Orange Splot
Cookies: Bite-Sized Life Lessons
See Inside Your Body

Interesting since the Big Orange Splot and See Inside Your Body were posted in 2011. These posts were all popular with SEO, since people (most likely educators) were searching for the book title plus activities. Susanna Hill from Perfect Picture Book Friday was onto something when she required all reviews to have activity ideas. Thank You Susanna.

While my blogging year was good, I did not generate enough new picture book material.

• Completed five drafts for the 12×12 Picture Book Challenge (instead of 12). An excellent community of PB writers. Sign-up is going on for 2013 here. I highly recommend it and will be doing it again this year.
• Completed PiBoIdMo 2012 (come up with 30 PB ideas in 30 days). This was my third time participating and it was easier for me to come up with ideas than in year’s past. Yeah!
• An almost polished version for my PB concept story.
• Attended SCBWI Illustrator’s Day, East Bay Regional Conference, and several smaller workshops.
• Took Anastasia Suen’s Picture Book Writing Workshop
• Participated in two wonderful critique groups.

My goal for this year is to get more picture book content generated. This year I am trying to stick to this priority order:

• Complete PB writing goals for the week
• Social Media (12×12 related, reading blog posts on the craft)
• Writing Book Reviews

I feel this change is necessary if I am going to get up the initial learning curve of PB writing. I do still plan to tell you about the greatest in children’s books. I do not know what my blogging schedule will be at this time. Right now I am trying to see if I can keep up with my weekly writing goals and will then determine if I can create a blogging schedule that I can keep to.  I will still be updating my Goodreads on a regular basis, if you would like to follow me there.

My writing goals for the year are :

• Have my PB Concept story polished by March 2013
• Submit PB concept story to several publishing houses in 2013.
• Write 6-8 new drafts
• Have three polished manuscripts by the year-end.
• Complete Character-Driven Workshop from Picture Book Academy
• Attend one writing conference, possibly Books of Passage in June or a Big Sur Writing Workshop put on by Andrea Brown.

Since I only seem to get things done by creating deadlines. I created sub-tasks for each of my writing goals for the year and put them into Google calendar. I then printed out the task list and hung it in my office, so it stays at the forefront of my mind.

On the reading front, I just finished reading-aloud The One and Only Ivan to my 4.5yr and 6.5yr old girls. They loved it. Next we are reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and I told them we could watch the movie, most likely the old animated one. The girls are really starting to enjoy doing read-alouds and I hope to continue it throughout the year. I also read 200+ books this year.

What are your reading or writing goals for the year?

Wishing you all a Happy Holiday Season!

Best Interactive Book:
Tons of Trucks
Author: Sue Douglas Fliess – Illustrator: Betsy Syder – Publisher: HMH Books
Ages Birth-4. Colorful, engaging concept book that will have kids pushing, pulling, lifting, swinging, and spinning as they learn about trucks.

Best Concept Book:
Happy
Author & Illustrator: Mies Van Hout – Publisher: Lemniscaat
Ages 2-5. Vibrant, beautiful pastel drawings of fish, each depicting a different emotional word. So simple, yet powerful.

Best Nearly Wordless Book:
Good News Bad News
Author & Illustrator: Jeff Mack – Publisher: Chronicle Books
Ages 2-5. Best friend mouse or rabbit go on a picnic and experience a series of good/bad events. With just four words the author does an amazing job expressing deeper themes of attitude and friendship while keeping it comical.

Best Read Together Book:
Oh, No George!
Author & Illustrator: Chris Haughton – Publisher: Candlewick Press
Ages 2-5. Great book to read at storytime. Kids will enjoy jumping in to finish sentences and trying to figure out what George will do next.

Best Friends Book:
Squid and Octopus: Friends for Always
Author & Illustrator: Tao Nyeu – Publisher: Dial Books
Ages 3-5. Imaginative, endearing set of stories of two underwater friends. Cute illustrations.

Best Book with Characters to Read Aloud or Act Out:
Duckling Gets a Cookie
Author & Illustrator: Mo Willems – Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Ages 2-5. Cute story on manners. Duckling gets a cookie by asking politely but pigeon isn’t happy and launches into a tantrum. Great fun reading pigeon in a loud, exasperated voice and duckling in a soft, sweet voice.

I’m Bored
Author: Michael Ian Black – Illustrator: Debbie Ridpath Ohi – Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Ages 3-8.  High energy book about a potato that thinks kids are BORING, and a girl sets out to prove him wrong. This book is blast to read out loud, be sure to put some spunk into it.

Best Sibling Book:
Another Brother
Author & Illustrator: Matthew Cordell – Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Ages 3-8: Davy’s life is turned upside down by not one or two but twelve little brothers.  A book every parent, older sibling, and younger sibling can relate too.

One Special Day
Author: Lola M. Schaefer – Illustrator: Jessica Meserve – Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Ages 2-4. Spencer is strong like a bear, funny as a monkey, but what will he become when his new sibling arrives? A sweet story that has minimal text that interplays well with the gorgeous illustrations.

Best Action-Packed Book:
The Three Ninja Pigs
Author: Corey Rosen Schwartz – Illustrator: Dan Santat – Publisher: G.P. Putnam Books
Ages 4-8. A rhyming, fractured-fairy tale that packs a one-two punch.

Best Fractured Fairytale Book:
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
Author & Illustrator: Mo Willems – Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Ages 4-8. Clever, witty, completely original re-telling of a classic. Goldilocks walking into the dinosaurs house was no accident but a trap!

The Three Ninja Pigs (see above)

Best Christmas Book:
The Christmas Quiet Book
Author: Deborah Underwood – Illustrator: Renata Liwska – Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Ages 3-6. Cuddle up with your kids under a warm blanket and some hot cocoa. Discover the quiet joys of the holidays.

Best Squabble in a Book:
Chloe and the Lion
Author: Mac Barnett - Illustrator: Adam Rex – Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Ages 5-8. Quirky, innovative book about cooperation and the partnership between words and pictures in a book. The squabbling between Adam and Mac is laugh-out-loud hilarious.

Best Classic Feel Book:
A Home for Bird
Author & Illustrator: Philip C. Stead – Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Ages 3-8. Reminiscent of classic Frog & Toad stories, filled with small adventures, wonder, and most importantly compassion and heart.

Extra Yarn
Author: Mac Barnett – Illustrator: Jon Klassen – Publisher
Ages 4-8. It may look like just another picture book, but it’s not. A beautiful tale on generosity.

Best Spooky Book:
Creepy Carrots
Author: Aaron Reynolds – Illustrator: Peter Brown – Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Ages 4-8. Twilight Zones meets the carrot patch, you may never look at carrots or anything else that is your “favorite” the same way again.

It is 12-12-12 today and time to celebrate the first year of 12×12 in 2012 Picture Book Challenge. While I only finished 5 drafts this year, it has still been an amazing year connecting, learning, supporting, and being supported by my fellow picture book writers. It is such an awesome community, you guys are GREAT!

A Big, Big thank you to the amazingly, talented, organized, and creative Julie Hedlund (check-out her Beastie Boys song).

I can honestly say I don’t know where I would be in my writing without the wonderful 12×12. If you are a picture book writer, check-out the info for 12×12 in 2013, it just gets better and better.

Since I LOVE 12×12 for its repository of knowledge and supportive nature. Here is my very quickly done riff off of “WE WILL ROCK YOU” by Queen.

We Will Rock You – 12×12

<stomp – stomp – clap>

Buddy you’re a young writer, fast learner
But you need to join 12-by-12 today
You think you’re an ace
You big disgrace
You need to check-out 12-by-12′s knowledge base

We will we will rock you — EDITORS!
We will we will rock you — AGENTS !

Buddy its hard road, long road
But 12-by-12′s says you’re gonna make it someday
Put your butt in its place
Leave no blank space
Start writing words all over the page

We will we will rock you — EDITORS!
We will we will rock you — AGENTS !

Hope you are all having a good one so far. Just wanted to let you know I will not be posting any book reviews for the month of December. As much as I love reviewing books I need a bit of R & R. I will continue reviewing books in 2013. However, I need to re-evaluate how often I post reviews since between the day job, kids, and the blog I am spending very little time on my own writing. Will keep you posted.

I am currently working on a Best Picture Books of 2012, the list will be out within the next two weeks.

Below are the books I reviewed last month.

The Insomniacs
Tons of Trucks
Good News Bad News

Title:

Author & Illustrator: Jeff Mack

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2012
Book Type: Fiction
Ages: 2-4
Themes: Moods, Attitude, Friendship

Only Lines:

“Good News  …….  Bad News”

Synopsis (from Amazon website):

Good news, Rabbit and Mouse are going on a picnic. Bad news, it is starting to rain. Good news, Rabbit has an umbrella. Bad news, the stormy winds blow the umbrella (and Mouse!) into a tree.

So begins this clever story about two friends with very different dispositions. Using just four words, Jeff Mack has created a text with remarkable flair that is both funny and touching, and pairs perfectly with his energetic, and hilarious, illustrations.

Activities:

Checkout the companion activity kit at Chronicle’s website. Includes printable maze, connect-the-dots, and more.

Create your own good news/bad news story. Start off with a story starter like “a porcupine wins a balloon” which could be the good news. What is the bad news then does the balloon pop, does the porcupine fly away, or something else? The possibilities are endless. This could be a fun way to challenge kids to think creatively and see the upside to any situation.

Why I Like This Book:

A book that appears simple and comical at first, but has a deeper theme on attitude and friendship.

Rabbit is an optimistic, attentive friend, who is always pointing out the bright side to any bad situation. Mouse is a pessimistic, though in some case expected as he is getting the raw end of the deal (like the worm in the apple or getting splattered with icing). The book has a simple book design where each half spread shows a “bad news” scene (like mouse being grumpy about the rain) followed by a “good news” scene (rabbit offering an umbrella).  This back and forth between good and bad continues, with the situations ever-increasing until mouse has a double-paged spread where he screams “BAD NEWS” because he just can’t take it anymore. Here is where the emotion hits home as mouse for the first time notices his effect on his friend rabbit, who has begun to cry and wail “Bad News” too. The story ends on a satisfying note with a hug between mouse and rabbit and the line “very good news”.

This book is a visual story with a simple format that kids can easily follow. The bad news scene always correlates to the good news scene, hence the good news scene is used before the page turn. Because of this format kids will enjoy guessing what the bad news scene that is to come. This nearly wordless book with colorful, cartoon-styled artwork tells a visual story that will be attractive for kids just learning to read. Parents and teachers will appreciate the theme of optimism/pessimism. A great book to use for storytime.

See pages spreads from the book at The Children’s Book Review.

Bad News: This book will not be added to Perfect Picture Book Friday as it was already reviewed in September.

Good News: You get to read a great review by Erik at This Kid Reviews Books. Also check-out Carter’s review at Design of the Picture Book where she discusses the book design.

Creativity Time: Let’s create a good news bad news story of our own. I’ll provide the starter sentence. You provide a Good News or Bad News comment depending on the last comment made.

Good News – Porcupine and Skunk go to the circus! (first person to comment gets to pick which character is optimistic/pessimistic)

This book was nominated by Katherine Sokolowski for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Fiction Picture Book category. I am a second-round judge in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!

Author: Sue Fliess
Illustrator: Betsy Snyder

Publisher: HMH Books, 2012
Book Type: Fiction
Ages: Birth – 4
Themes: Trucks, Rhyming, Interactive

Opening Lines:

“Tons osf trucks before our eyes, in every color shape and size.

Big trucks, strong trucks, scoop and dig trucks.”

Synopsis (from Amazon website):

Big trucks, small trucks, dump trucks, tow trucks, and all kinds of other trucks can be found in this playful touch-and-move book. A backhoe scoops and digs, a cement truck spins, a tar truck oozes sticky tar, and tabs pull up and out to reveal surprises. The trucks eventually slow down for a rest, where little hands can lift the flaps to see animals snuggling up for sleepy-time—under a rising moon. Filled with vibrant art and adorable characters, this book gives a child everything he’s looking for when he presses his face against the fence at a construction site!

Activities:

Read more truck books, sing truck songs, or do truck crafts! (see this awesome post by Playing by the Book)

More links for truck crafts, printables (coloring sheets, mazes, word puzzles), and Pinterest boards on Cars & Trucks and Transportation.

Why I Like This Book:

Colorful, engaging concept book about trucks which have cute animals too. I fell in love with this book right away. The rhyming text has a good cadence, and the illustrations are just gorgeous. I love the way the colors just pop and the animals have a roundness to them making them appear child-like. The best part is the interactive aspect. The reader gets to pull, push, spin, swing, and lift as they explore all the different trucks. A unique aspect of the book design is that in some of the “lift” or “slide” parts, you don’t just see the rest of the truck but also the characters doing something fun or silly. Good feature which increases the re-readability and play-ability. Each spread shows the trucks at work. The final spread is a bedtime scene with parked trucks under a full moon. Lift the flaps to see how the animals are getting ready for bed.

Perfect holiday gift for any toddler, girl or boy!

This review is part of Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Book series. Visit her site to see the other books recommended.

Title:

Author: Karina Wolf
Illustrator: The Brothers Hilts

Publisher: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2012
Book Type: Fiction
Ages: 4-8
Themes: Sleep, Bedtime, Night

Opening Lines:

“The Insomniacs weren’t always a night family.

But when Mrs. Insomniac found a new job, Mother, Father, and little Mika traveled twelve time zones to their new home.”

Synopsis (from Penguin website):

The wonder of nighttime comes to life in this breathtaking debut.

When the Insomniacs move twelve time zones away for Mrs. Insomniac’s new job, the family has an impossible time adapting to the change. They try everything to fall asleep at night–take hot baths, count to one thousand, sip mugs of milk–but nothing helps. Venturing out into the dark, they learn there is a whole world still awake and a beauty in their new and unconventional schedule.

Ideal for bedtime reading, this gorgeous and lyrical story celebrates nighttime’s mystery and magic.

Activities:

Time Zones

• Simple way to teach at home is with a globe and flashlight, click here for steps.
• Online learning videos which explain the reason for 24 time zones and a discussion about the four time zones in the US.
• National Geographic has a time zone exercise suitable for upper elementary grades.

Nocturnal animals

• Pinterest board which has links to books and crafts related to nocturnal animals.
• Article by National Geographic Explorer on nocturnal animals with photos.
• Lesson plan for ages 0-5 from the Library of Michigan – contains books, songs, links to activity sheets, crafts
• Lesson plans for elementary classrooms – version of tag, create constellations with marshmallows, and more.

Go for a walk with your child, a nighttime outing, ask the child what he or she sees and hears.

Why I Like This Book:

An original, fresh twist on the traditional can’t fall asleep bedtime story.

I love that the family has to move because of Mrs. Insomniacs job (yeah mom!). But adjusting twelve hours is hard and the family struggles to find a way to fall asleep at night, hot baths, counting to a thousand, six mugs, of milk, even meditation — but nothing works. The family decides to go ask their animal neighbors. With flashlight in hand they walk through the forest and notice that darkness is full of life and decide to try living at night instead. This unusual schedule works for them as they get to enjoy the moon, stars, and trips to the flower market and bakery.

The illustrations are gorgeous and quirky, and have an Oliver Jeffer’s kind of feel. The color palette is muted yellows/browns for the day scenes and blues/grays for the night scenes, with hints of color for items such as the scarf, book, or flowers. Check out the trailer below.

Read the book and discover the beauty of the night, but don’t forget your flashlight!

This review is part of Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Book series. Visit her site to see the other books recommended.

This book was nominated by ReadyAnnie for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Fiction Picture Book category. I am a second-round judge in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!