Duck! Rabbit! is the perfect read-a-loud book with its two narrators.  In fact, it was read very energetically by two librarians and it was well received by the kids.  When I got my hands on my own library copy, my husband and I both read it out loud together to the kids.  A fun book to read either on its own or in a group.

In Duck! Rabbit! the off page narrators debate whether or not the animal in question is a duck or a rabbit.  Where one sees ears, another sees a bill.  Where one hears rabbit sounds another hears duck sounds.  The illustrations vary little which I think is fantastic.

But really, no need for me to ramble on about it.   The video says it all:

A great book for kids to think about shapes in new ways.

Links of interest:  Amy Krouse Rosenthal website, Tom Lichtenheld website, more book blogger reviews.  Duck! Rabbit! is a  fiction picture book Cybil’s nominee for which I’m a panelist.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx age 4-8.
Publisher:  Chronicle Books.  March 11, 2009.
Hardcover, 40 pages. ISBN 0811868656
Duck! Rabbit! is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

In fact, I’ve just handed the book to my husband who’s looking at it for the first time.  He’s giggling.  He’s making comments.  He’s engrossed.  He’s just told me, “I like this one.”  Fun for kids, fun for adults.   The design is awesome.  Fantastic text.   Can’t really get much better than this.

I’m thinking that this book is worth adding into our collection.  But is it safe?  The book does eat people.  If it even catches a whiff of peanut butter and jelly on your fingers then you are in BIG trouble.  You don’t have a chance.  And do not let your little ones read this book – especially when it’s hungry.  (You should always assume that it’s hungry.)  You would be very  lucky indeed if you come away from the reading of this book unscathed.

So if I disappear it’s pretty much safe to assume that I have become a victim and will never be heard from again.  Here’s wishing me luck . . . .

Links of interest:  Mark Fearing website, The Book That Eats People is a fiction picture book Cybils nomination for which I’m a panelist.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx ages 4-8.
Publisher: Tricycle Press. August 11, 2009
Hardcover, 38 pages. ISBN 1582462682
The Book That Eats People is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

That is all.  Short and sweet.   Because this picture book is awesome and Betsy’s more awesome than I.

Links of interest:  Antoinette Portis website, more book blogger reviews.  A Penguin Story is a fiction picture book Cybils nomination for which I’m a panelist.
Genre:  Fiction Picture Book, approx ages 4-8.
Publisher: HarperCollins. December 23, 2008
Hardcover, 40 pages. ISBN 0061456888
A Penguin Story is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

After the funeral Becky and her family are expected to go back to normal.  But normal doesn’t exist anymore.  No one is happy anymore.  Becky stopped playing soccer and at school her friends don’t know what to say.  By the time winter rolls around again, Becky doesn’t feel so sad when looking at pictures of John.  One morning she laughed while watching her dog roll around in the snow.  And then one day, she had so much fun at a birthday party that she came home feeling guilty for “forgetting to miss John.”

Becky’s parents help her realize that John will always be her brother and that he’d want her to be happy.  While John’s memories would always make him a part of their family, Becky comes to know that she can still enjoy the things that they used to do together.

My only regret for the book is the cover art.  I don’t care for the orange and green background with the scrapbooking type photo holders.   It feels as though it doesn’t give justice to the story.  The illustrations are lovingly and realistically portrayed in watercolor.

I’d highly recommend Always My Brother for those who are seeking a  sensitive story that doesn’t discount the memory of a loved one after death and addresses the complex subject of loss, grieving and the recovery process.  I found myself very touched with Becky’s and John’s relationship and appreciated that the journey wasn’t an easy one by any means.

Jean Reagan is able to give an authentic voice to the book as she lost her own nineteen-year-old son a few years ago and draws upon her grieving experience and that of her daughter.   Jean is a local Utah author and it’s been my pleasure to chat with her a couple of times.  It is also my pleasure to have an interview with Jean which will be posted today.  Jean’s story is fascinating and it’s an interview that you don’t want to miss.

Blog Comment Prizes: Tilbury House will draw 7 lucky winners from all of those who leave comments on any of the participating tour posts (Nov.1-13) to win one of the following prizes:

• A copy of Always My Brother signed by author Jean Reagan (5 available)*
• A set of 10 winter notecards with art by illustrator Phyllis Pollema-Cahill (2 available)

* Winners are welcome to designate a grief center, school, or library to receive their signed copy in their place.  All winners will be announced after the tour.  US/Canada addresses only, please.

Twitter Prize: Everyone that tweets about the tour using the hashtag #AlwaysTour from November 1-13 will be entered to win a set of three children’s books from Tilbury House — your choice! Winners will be announced after the tour, US/Canada addresses only, please.

Do you have any additional titles to recommend on this subject?  Jean will be sharing her own, but I’d be curious to hear yours as well.   Any other ways that literature can help ease a child’s pain?

Links of interest:  Jean Reagan website.  Always My Brother is a fiction picture book Cybil’s nominee for which I’m a panelist.
Genre:  Picture book, ages 4-8.
Publisher:  Tilbury House.  May 21, 2009.
Hardcover, 32 pages.  ISBN  0884483134.
Always My Brother is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

In The Curious Garden, Liam is out exploring his very gray city in which there isn’t any kind of gardens, trees or greenery.  Nobody ever went outside.  Why would they?  It’s dark and dreary.  But Liam discovers a railway that had long stopped working and on the railway was the most startling discovery.  A little patch of struggling wildflowers and plants that are in desperate need of a gardener.  Liam didn’t know anything about gardening but he figured it out and as he did so the garden began to grow.  It wasn’t content to stay in one place and so the garden began to “explore.”  Slowly the garden began to overtake all that was barren and to turn the gray city to green.  And more gardeners began to pop up as well.  The entire city had blossomed.

I loved how many of the spreads were wordless.  I loved the illustrations.  They are just perfect.  Absolutely perfect.  I just want to pour over this one.  Obviously, this book is about taking care of the earth but it’s not preachy.  If anything, it’s about being thoughtful.  About nurturing something and reaping the awards.  It’s about creating something beautiful out of something that once was dreary and ugly.

The adult in me thought that this book was wonderful.  I want it all for me.  One that I will enjoy sharing with my boys and to let them know how important greenery is to me.  And man . . . the illustrations are killing me.

Links of interest: Peter Brown website, more book blogger reviews, The Curious Garden is a Fiction Picture Book nominee for the Cybils for which I’m a panelist.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book. Approx ages 4-8.
Publisher: Little Brown. April 1, 2009.
Hardcover, 40 pages. ISBN 0316015474
The Curious Garden is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

But first let’s talk about the story.  The text by Liz Garton Scanlon flows from one page to the next with a thoughtful tone that makes the reader pause to let the words sink in.  The story follows the day of a family beginning with a morning on the beach and their daily routine until the evening which is spent with family and friends.  The words are simple but convey that each moment is to be savored and is special.  That each of us have a place in this world and that simply by being a part of the world we are all connected.

All the world can hold quite still.
Nanas, papas, cousins, kin
Piano, harp, and violin
Babies passed from neck to knee
All the world is you and me
Everything you hear, smell, see
All the world is everything
Everything is you and me
Hope and peace and love and trust
All the world is all of us.

The illustrations add so much to the beautiful text.  Frazee shows the  young, the old, and different cultures.  I love how she also included a nursing mother.  It was the little touches like that that made me stop and linger over the pages.   This book is beautiful.  Simply beautiful.  The illustrations are visually stunning, cute, humorous, and breathtaking all in one roll.  It’s hard to pick a favorite spread but I remember gasping a little at this one:

Oh  my.  I’ve fallen in love again . . .

Links of interest:  Liz Barton Scanlon website and blog,  Marla Frazee website, more book blogger reviews,  Maw Books reviews of  Santa Claus, The World’s Number One Toy Expert, Walk On! A Guide for Babies both by Marla Frazee and  the Clementine Series by Sara Pennypacker illustrated by Marla Frazee.   All the World is nominated for a Cybils award in the Fiction Picture Book category for which I’m a panelist.
Genre:  Fiction Picture Book, approx ages 4-8.
Publisher:  Beach Lane Books.  September 8, 2009.
Hardcover, 40 pages. ISBN 1416985808
All the World is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Poor shy Jeremy lives on the top floor of a three-story apartment building.  Every day he looks down at the other boys and girls playing ball.  But he never goes outside.  One day, Jeremy takes out his fancy blue ball- point pen and draws a monster.  But his monster ends up to be pretty demanding and rude asking Jeremy to draw him a sandwich, a toaster, a record player, a checkerboard, a comfortable chair, a television, a hot tog, a telephone, and a piece of cake.  When the monster asks for a  hat so he can go out, Jeremy thinks with relief that he may be gone for good.

But the monster returns later that night and takes over Jeremy’s bed.  Jeremy’s a smart kid and the next morning draws the monster a bus ticket and a suitcase and helps him get out of town.  But once he puts the monster on the bus, he’s not in his room anymore.  He’s outside!  So . . . he plays ball with the neighbor kids.

I liked this one.  The illustrations are really cute.  I loved the pen and ink line quality to the blue monster.  I loved that the monster wasn’t scary.  Just very demanding.   I liked shy Jeremy and his problem solving skills.  My boys have casually looked through the pages of this one with interest although I haven’t sat down with them yet to read it cover to cover.  My four-year old is the perfect age for the short text.  The book has that special feel to it.  You just know it when you see it.

Links of interest: Peter McCarty website, more book blogger reviews, Travis at 100 Scope Notes has a much more eloquent review of this book than I do.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx ages 4-8.
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. September 1, 2009
Hardcover, 40 pages. ISBN 0805069348
Jeremy Draws a Monster is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Anyways, in Goodnight Goon a little werewolf is having a hard time going to sleep.  He names the things in his room which includes pictures of martians taking over the moon, three little mummies rubbing their tummies, moans and groans, a skull, and a pot full of goo.  After he names them he says goodnight one by one to each of them. He puts the monsters under the bed (so clever) and ends by saying goodnight monsters everywhere.

This has potential to be a really, really cute book but the illustrations were just not doing it for me.  My kids weren’t crazy about it either but I only tried it once on them.  And well, sometimes, especially my kids, need to be exposed to a book more than once.  So, it doesn’t seem fair that I’m sharing their reaction after only one reading but to tell you the truth, they never picked it out of the pile on their own either.  It just couldn’t compete with Where’s My Mummy or Leonardo the Terrible Monster this week.

But overall, I think it’s worth taking a look at this Halloween picture book to discover if it will be a new classic in your home.  Because your kids just might love it.

Links of interest:  Michael Rex website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre:  Picture Book, approx ages 4-8.
Publisher:  Putnam Juvenile.  August 14, 2008.
Hardcover, 32 pages.  ISBN 0399245340
Goodnight Goon is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

I have a fun video for you of us reading Leonardo the Terrible Monster together.  At one point, it gets most rambunctious.  Another book that we will be sad to return to the library and will be added to boys permanent wish list.

Links of interest:  Mo Willems website and blog, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx ages 4-8.
Publisher: Hyperion Book. August 23, 2005
Hardcover, 48 pages. ISBN 0786852941
Leonardo the Terrible Monster is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Little Baby Mummy doesn’t want to go to sleep, so he plays a game of hide-and-shriek with his Big Mamma Mummy.  But Little Baby Mummy gets scared and can’t find Big Mamma Mummy.  There are a lot of scary noises in the night and Little Baby Mummy is apprehensive about what he may discover.  But when he realizes it just your run of the mill (scary to us but not scary to him) Halloween characters, he’s not scared until it’s a little thing that makes him wish he was back home with his Big Mamma Mummy and being tucked in bed.

The illustrations are wonderful!  They are cute and they are funny.  They make my boys laugh.  And with it’s fun, lyrical text and page turning adventure, it’s as much fun to read for the parent as it is for the child listening to it.  This one is going down as a classic Halloween picture book that I HAVE to own.  Definitely seek this one out and share it with the children in your life this Halloween week.

Links of interest:  Carolyn Crimi website, illustrator John Manders website,  more book blogger reviews,
Genre:  Fiction Picture Book, approx ages 4-8.
Publisher:  Candlewick.  July 3, 2008
Hardcover, 32 pages. ISBN 0763631965x
Where’s My Mummy? is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.