Spring is a wonderful time for a new book exploration!
Shirley Barber
ISBN: 780760723814
Publisher's Synopsis:
This is absolutely one of my kids' favorite books. The stories are creative and fun, but it's the excellent artwork that really sets this book above others. The pictures are richly colorful and highly detailed with plenty to look at and entertain even the most fidgety child while you read the text. The artwork in this book is simply stunning. Each picture is rich in detail and has a border that has elements of the picture reflected in it. As you read the stories, the pictures make you feel as if you are looking into Martha B. Rabbit's world. The first story is called Martha B. Rabbit and the unexpected Guests. It is about Martha and her friend Tabitha the cat preparing for a long, cold winter The second story is called Martha B. Rabbit and Daphne the Forgetful Duck The third story is called Martha B. Rabbit and Those Wicked Rats Again. The stories are creative and fun, but it's the excellent artwork that really sets this book above others. The pictures are richly colorful and highly detailed with plenty to look at and entertain even the most fidgety child while you read the text. Martha B Rabbit Tabitha Cat Daphne Forgetful Duck Rats.What is Springtime Goodness?
MrsK's Review: Read-Aloud
A visit with Martha B Rabbit is the perfect spring Storytime!
"Small brown birds sing,
Nestlings on wing,
Gone is winter frost and snow,
Skies are deep blue,
And all day through,
Forest dwellers come and go..."
Martha and Tabitha are discussing the fall colors outside of their apple-tree house. It is time to gather berries and nuts for those who will need food during the cold months. Not only will deer come to drink from the water hole, but many will stop by to get warm and cozy, as well as hear a story by the fire.
One sunny morning, Martha, Tabitha, and William Elf began preparing their streamside garden. Greetings were shared with Daphne and her six fluffy ducklings. Of course, six little ducklings can be a bit mischievous when at the local market.
Summer adventures lead into the fall and winter. The fairies' party is being planned until... the three wicked rats decide to steal the party food.
Gather around for this tale is to be told... How Martha and Tabby became so well known,
MrsK
Meet the Author:
Her first picture book Martha B. Rabbit - The Fairies' Cook was published by The Five Mile Press in 1988 and became an instant success. The following year it won first prize in the prestigious Critica Erba awards at the Bologna Children's Fair - an extraordinary achievement for a first book.
To date, Shirely Barber books have sold in excess of 10 million copies. They have been published in over 70 international editions in North America, Europe and Asia. Shirley's best-selling fairy title in Australia is The Tooth Fairy closely followed by The Enchanted Woods and Rainbow Magic. Shirley lives quietly in rural Victoria and continues to write and illustrate delightful storybooks enjoyed by children and adults alike.
Karen Wane
ISBN: 9781858543178
Publisher's Synopsis:
Designed to help improve numeracy, the book mirrors primary teaching methods to help ensure continuity and build confidence.MrsK's Review: Pre-2nd
Who is the ten family? What are jumping numbers? What's the difference between fish, a starfish, and an octopus? Why do sports teams double? How would you compare a giraffe with a porcupine?
Each of these questions can be found within a math puzzle. Will you know how to solve these problems?
This is a perfect 5 minute warm up before introducing mathematical functions... so much to ponder, learn, and remember,
MrsK
ISBN: 9780062845092
Publisher's Synopsis:
This My First I Can Read book is carefully crafted using basic language, word repetition, sight words, and sweet illustrations—which means it's perfect for shared reading with emergent readers. The active, engaging My First I Can Read stories have appealing plots and lovable characters, encouraging children to continue their reading journey.Read about more of Otter’s adventures in I Am Otter, Otter in Space, Otter Goes to School, Otter Loves Halloween! Otter Loves Easter! Oh No, Bath Time! The Best Job Ever! Hello, Sea Friends! and Let’s Go Swimming!
MrsK's Review: Beginning Readers
Otter wants to go on a fun trip. What reader doesn't? After all books take us around the world, we can become our own "pirates" of adventure. Not only does otter have an endearing personality, Otter's love for the library and all of its grand discoveries, it is Otter's voice that brings great conversations with any beginning reader. Igniting a desire to become a life-long learner is an everlasting exploration.
This is one of the sweetest stories, perfect for inspiring beginning readers!
MrsK
Meet the Author:
ISBN: 9781536235500
Publisher's Synopsis:
Dictionary wishes she could tell a story like other books. So, one day, she decides to bring her words to life. How exciting it is to finally have an adventure on her very own pages! But what will she do when her characters collide and everything gets all in a jumble, causing the most enormous tantrum to explode? This isn’t what she wanted at all! Luckily her friend Alphabet knows exactly what to do and sings a song that brings calm and order to Dictionary’s pages once again."One day, Dictionary decided to...
... bring her words to life."
MrsK's Review: 3rd+ Gr. Resource/Read & Discuss
Have you ever pondered that a Dictionary has all the words ever said? There within the dictionary's pages an alligator, a very hungry alligator appeared! Dictionary quickly learned that a "story was finally happening" within her pages!
This delightful tale is a perfect introduction to an often lonely, shelved book. Every reader will enjoy spending a moment or two with Dictionary and her chaotic tale. Yet, once Dictionary's tale is completed and the cover is closed... what type of discoveries could bring further adventures and tales to life?
As an educator, I wish I had this book for my classroom, once a month my learners would have had a creative writing day in which they would all "un-shelf" the dictionaries and create a tale for the day.
Have a word-playing time,
MrsK
Meet the Author:
Oliver Jeffers' work takes many forms. His distinctive paintings have been exhibited in galleries worldwide, and HarperCollins UK and Penguin USA publish his award-winning picture books, now translated into over 30 languages.In 2007, Jeffers was the official illustrator for World Book Day, and in 2008 Lost and Found became Oliver's first book to made into animation by London-based Studio AKA.
Jeffers won a NY Emmy in 2010 for his collaborative work with the artist and director Mac Premo, and in 2013 Jeffers co-directed the video for U2's Ordinary Love with Premo. Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Jeffers now lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
ISBN: 9781536222173
Publisher's Synopsis:
What if you could send fan mail to your fairy tale idols? And what if they wrote back? “Happily, ever after” takes on a new meaning in this book from actor-comedian-author Richard Ayoade and best-selling illustrator David Roberts.It’s once upon a time . . . as only the irreverently witty Richard Ayoade can tell it. In this series of letters organized by C. C. Cecily, Senior Secretary of the Fairy Tale Fan Club, the fairest of them all (and a few bitter foes) correspond with curious—and opinionated—fans. So, if you’ve ever wondered how a less-than-genius (and less-than-clothed) emperor fell for a certain con, how the Big Bad Wolf is handling meatless Mondays, or whether Rapunzel recommends going for the big chop, no need to look far, far away. Multihyphenate Richard Ayoade, author of The Book That No One Wanted to Read, hilariously imagines what questions modern children would have for characters such as Sleeping Beauty, Prince Charming, and Little Red Riding Hood—and what they might have to say in return. Complete with clever, spoof-gothic illustrations from David Roberts, this wry storybook may have even the Brothers Grimm cackling in their graves.
When is it "unwise to be what we are not?"
MrsK's Review: 3+Gr. Fairy Tale Resource
C. C. Cecily is the Senior Secretary of the Fairy Tale Fan Club. What a delightful job that would be, the possibilities of engagement with readers and their questions would be endless. I can only imagine what a classroom writing assignment would produce.
So... let's begin this humorous tale. What would you like to know from Little Red Riding Hood? Would you be asking how a wolf can swallow someone whole like Ira does? What would you ask Rapunzel, or the Little Mermaid?
Cinderella, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, and Hansel/Gretel responses are encouraging, yet full of characteristics that a reader of their tales rarely enjoys. Of course, the Big Bad Wolf and Rumpelstiltskin are a bit more poignant in their responses. Then there's Jack, he points out the disadvantages of having magic beanstalk beans. Humpty-Dumpty's truth attempts to point out that not every tale is completely retold.
Whether it is a frog activist or a princess/prince, or even C. C. Cecily... these letters and fairy land responses are sure to engage readers to write for clarifications or additional fairy tale truths...
May your reading be happily ever after,
MrsK
Meet the Author:
Richard Ellef Ayoade is a British comedian, film director, screenwriter, television presenter, actor, and author best known for his role as the socially awkward IT technician Maurice Moss in Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd, for which he won the 2014 BAFTA for Best Male Comedy Performance.
ISBN: 9781536234725
Publisher's Synopsis:
In an exciting wilderness adventure,
three cousins are cut off from their parents by a huge earthquake—and must hike long and treacherous mountain trails back to safety, with only each other to rely on.
During a hiking trip with their parents in the mountains of California, cousins Owen, Vivian, and Amy are finally allowed to camp for one night at a little lake all on their own. But when a massive earthquake blocks their return path, there’s only one way the long way around, through a wilderness filled with fierce animals, raging rivers, unstable weather, and high passes. The hardest challenges the cousins face, however, are the troubles they’ve brought with bold Vivian’s fear of starting middle school and of changes she can’t control, Owen’s lingering emotional scars from a car accident, and Amy’s desire to live in stories rather than in boring regular life. Drawing on courage and humor, the cousins weather storms, make the most of dwindling rations, and face their deepest fears in order to bring each other safely home. This gripping contemporary novel from celebrated author Anne Nesbet is bursting with excitement, rich natural settings, and characters who will have readers rooting for them all the way.
"Before they could even think...
an even louder roar, a terrible shaking roar...
WHOOOMPF!"
MrsK's Review: Gr.3-5 Reality Fiction/Adventure
How does your family outing stories... begin? For this cousin wilderness adventure, it begins with excited anticipation. While camping, they will have one day alone at a lake. Parents don't worry...
the adults will be staying at a lake close by.
Meet Vivian, she is preparing for middle school, and this grand adventure will be her chance to gain the confidence to face her fears.
Meet Amy, she is only eight and although she would rather stay close to the adults, she doesn't want to be considered "little" any longer.
Meet Owen, he is the girl's cousin. Even though his dad and aunt were raised having family trips to various parks, he isn't really a camper. Especially since the life-changing event that has caused such emotionally charged struggles. Yet, he has been delegated as the cousin chef. Why not try staying a night at a lake alone with his cousins.
Imagine being cozy within your tent after a day of being on a wilderness trek, you are finally snuggled into your sleeping bag and suddenly, there are "noises that shouldn't be happening, crashing and splashing noises." From the moment the cousins are awakened, nothing will be easy or the same. Will their individual strengths match their survival skills? Or could their food supply run out before they can be reunited with their parents?
Every family adventure creates more than memories... skills are being modeled... books provide further discoveries and insights. Did you know that during the summer there is more water in a river in the afternoon because the snow way up high has been melting all day?
Enjoy this adventurous journey together, you never know when a camping skill might become a lifesaving reality,
MrsK
"All the cousins were very fond of maps...
Vivian liked them because they were a tool...
Amy, because some of the best books about magical journeys had maps...
Owen liked them because of the contour lines..."
Meet the Author:
ISBN: 9781250292773
Publisher's Synopsis:
It's been almost a year since Coyote and her dad left the road behind and settled down in a small Oregon town. . . time spent grieving the loss of her mom and sisters and trying to fit in at school. But just as life is becoming a new version of normal, Coyote discovers a box containing her mom’s ashes. And she thinks she might finally be ready to say goodbye.So Coyote and her dad gear up for an epic cross-country road trip to scatter the ashes at her mom’s chosen resting place. The only problem? Coyote has no idea where that resting place is—and the secret’s hidden in a book that Coyote mistakenly sold last year, somewhere in the country. Now, it’s up to Coyote to track down the treasured book . . . without her dad ever finding out that it’s lost.
It’s time to fire up their trusty bus, Yager, pick up some old friends, discover some new ones, and hit the road on another unforgettable adventure.
"Sometimes stories start with a bang,
and sometimes stories start with a whisper,
and sometimes stories start with..."
MrsK's Review: 5-MS Reality Fiction
Since the Coyote and her father has "settled down from their road trip and into a house. "Coyote has been adjusting to a life in school, bullies, a school library refuge, and loneliness away from her "Yager" lifetime.
Just when she was getting a comfortable routine with the one girl from the school, the librarian, and the library lunch retreats, Coyote discovers her mother's remains. Her life will once again need to "hit the road." She must locate a poetry book that her mother had written down where she wanted her ashes to be scattered. Of course, Covid 19's shut down is a welcome surprise. Not only will they be on a "Yager" road trip, but they can also pick up Coyote's best friend as they head off into an unknown destination.
The quest will be to locate where Coyote had traded used books from their last trip. Which bookstores has her mother's poetry book? How far will she go before her dad finds out the book is missing? To what level of desperation will Coyote be driven?
It is a delight to be on the road again in Yager, with Coyote, Rodeo, Salvador, and few new sojourners. Personalities are brilliantly lively, the quest is worthy and frustrating. The treasure chase for a lost book is enticing. Most importantly, will the consequences of deceptions be worth the journey?
MrsK
"The funny thing about sadness, though, is that you can't
really run away from it. Not ever!"
Coyote's first Journey
Meet the Author:
ISBN: 9780593598856
Publisher's Synopsis:
Lucy Hart knows better than anyone what it’s like to grow up without parents who loved her. In a childhood marked by neglect and loneliness, Lucy found her solace in books, namely the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher’s aide, she is able to share her love of reading with bright, young students, especially seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, who was left orphaned after the tragic death of his parents. Lucy would give anything to adopt Christopher, but even the idea of becoming a family seems like an impossible dream without proper funds and stability.But be careful what you wish for. . . .
For Lucy, the chance of winning the most sought-after book in the world means everything to her and Christopher. But first she must contend with ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome (and grumpy) Hugo Reese, the illustrator of the Clock Island books. Meanwhile, Jack “the Mastermind” Masterson is plotting the ultimate twist ending that could change all their lives forever.
. . . You might just get it!
"Where are you going?
Five O'clock.
When will you be back?
By the lighthouse.
MrsK's Review: YA+ Playful Fantasy Fiction
According to the unique clock on Clock Island, not everything is as it appears. Jack Masterson is an author who owns an island. His children's book series has inspired many readers. Some have wished to be on Clock Island... some have even run away to the island. Yet, it's been years since Jack has published his 66th book.
When the publisher's decided to update the Clock series, they hired Hugo as the new series illustrator. The one condition, Hugo had to live on the island. Since Jack kept his rights to oversee the new illustrations, years went by without Jack writing a new story. Will Hugo leave Clock Island?
Lucy was one of the few "run-aways" to Clock Island. At twenty-six, she is currently working as a teachers-aide. One student suffered a nightmare at his home and needed a quick foster home. Lucy offered to look after Christopher. Her plans would be to adopt Christopher, but the authorities said she didn't have the funding to raise him in a steady home life. Is it by chance that the author of her favorite book series is offering a "Make a Wish" contest? Could she and Christopher finally be a forever family?
The contest was announced, a riddle had to be solved in order to gain an invitation to Clock Island and the contest.
"Why is a raven like a writing desk?"
Only four contestants were chosen, of course all four had been "run-aways." Noone knew the contest rules, yet all were sent the invitations, and the media circuit was going crazy over the prize, which of course would be the unpublished sixty-seventh book. "The game is a foot..."
Delightfully crafted. Characters aren't always what they seem. Riddles are frustrating. Facing ones' fears is a finale option,
MrsK
"The only wishes ever granted..."
Meet the Author:
