Duck! Rabbit!

By Amy Krouse Rosenthal; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

PICTURE BOOK

Sometimes, it's all about how you look at things, and in the case of this book, that is especially true! This book uses a visual puzzle and one person says, "Hey, look! A duck!" To which the other person replies, "That's not a duck. That's a rabbit!" And the debate is on! The bill of the duck can also be seen as the flapping long ears of a rabbit. The illustrations use a very bold black line to outline the animal, which makes it easy for children to really look at the puzzle and see both animals. We get to see them eat, hide away, and hop/fly throughout the book, which makes it great for children to see the duck....I mean, rabbit! This is a wonderful book to share and a great way to get a new "perspective" on things!

Super-Fun Poetry Books

In celebration of National Poetry Month (yes, I realize it was last month - I'm behind on this posting), I wanted to showcase some great poetry books we've recently added to our children's collection. For those of you who think poetry is boring, dry, or a chore to read, try these out - I promise you won't have to count out the meters!

Orangutan Tongs: Poems to Tickle Your Tongue


By Jon Agee

(ages 5 and up)



If you like tongue twisters, then this is the book for you! I stumbled my way through several of these, such as "Walter Witter called a waiter: "Waiter, over here! I want some water, waiter. Water, waiter! Is that clear?" Each poem is silly and the illustrations with their bold outlines perfectly match them. You're guaranteed a silly read with this one!

The Underwear Salesman: And Other Jobs for Better or Verse

By J. Patrick Lewis

(ages 7 and up)

Have you ever thought about what you'd like to be when you grow up? Maybe you haven't made your mind up yet. If so, check out this book of poems for some interesting job possibilities. There's jobs you've heard of like an auto mechanic and butcher. And then there are some wacky jobs, like a dictionary maker and banana picker. There's even a poem about me, the Librarian (well, not me, specifically, but it could be about me) and it says "No one has more fun than I!" So true! One of my favorite silly poems is about the Exterminator - "I come to de-bug what's under de rug." There's a job poem in this book for everyone!

A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk: A Forest of Poems

By Deborah Ruddell; Illustrated by Joan Rankin

(ages 4 and up)

Aaahhh...nature. Nothing smells quite as good as when you go outside and take in a deep breath of fresh air. Let's hope Pepe LePew isn't out and about stinking up the air! As the title states, these poems celebrate all the different aspects of nature and the animals that inhabit the forest. What's really fun about the format of the poems is they start at spring with everything waking up and finish with winter. One of my favorites is "Biography of a Beaver" - "Bucktoothed Cleaver/Tree Retriever/Building Conceiver/True Believer/Waterproof Weaver/Overachiever/Roll-Up-Her-Sleever-/Hooray for the Beaver!" If you enjoy the outdoors, you'll really like these poems!

Salt Water Taffy: The Seaside Adventures of Jack and Benny

By Matthew Loux

GRAPHIC NOVEL (ages 7 and up)

I'm planning a summer trip to Bar Harbor, Maine, so when I saw this graphic novel on our library shelf, I thought I'd give it a try to get into the summer holiday mood. It surely did! It's full of action and is very fast-paced. The illustrations are in black and white with a lot of bold lines, which give the characters energy. This story is about two brothers, eleven-year old Jack and eight-year old Benny. Their parents decide to take them (kicking and screaming) on a summer-long vacation to Chowder Bay, Maine, a tiny coastal town in the middle of nowhere. There is no TV...gasp! The batteries went out in the Gameboy...NOOOOOO!!! Now what are the brothers going to do? Thankfully, they meet Angus O'Neil, a local fisherman and he regales them with a tale about Old Salty, an enormous, elusive lobster (think Loch Ness Monster, only not a loch, but an ocean) who Angus tangled with back in the day. The boys are then thrown into a mystery - Dr. True's Salt Water Taffy Shop has been robbed! Not a piece of taffy remains, but why are there taffy wrappers along the beach? Will the boys solve the mystery? Will Angus prove Old Salty exists? You'll have to read this book to find out!

Chicken Cheeks

By Michael Ian Black; illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

PICTURE BOOK

Let's face it - nothing makes you chuckle more than jokes about rear ends! Adults, kids, everyone giggles when it comes to this part of the anatomy. Sometimes, books about bums can be off-color, but in the case of this giggle-inducing picture book, it is quite harmless yet hilarious. As the book description so aptly tells, "This is a story with a beginning, a middle, and a whole lot of ends." It starts off with a bear on a ladder looking up into a tree. What is out of his reach? That's a surprise, but what I will tell you is this industrious bear gathers the help of his animal friends to create a very tall "stack" in the hopes of reaching the top of the tree. It's during the stacking of animals we encounter a moose caboose, chicken cheeks, penguin patootie, and turkey tushy, to name a few. The simple rhyming phrases matching animals with their respective posterior ends makes for a giggle-inducing read. The illustrations are also wonderful, showcasing each animal as he precariously balances on top of another animal. My favorite illustration is of the turkey on top of the polar bear, and he is holding his nose as the poor turkey's tushy is on top of his head! You'll have to read this book to find out if the animals ever reach the top of the tree. This book is very funny, and doesn't depict butts in a toilet-humor way, so it's completely appropriate for young children. Parents, be prepared for repeat readings of this one!

Do You Love Me?

By Joost Elffers and Curious Pictures

PICTURE BOOK (ages 2-5)

This is an adorable book about the unconditional love between a parent and child. The child asks a simple question, "do you love me?" and the parent responds, "always, dear." The book is made up of these simple questions and reassuring answers about love and being needed. The computerized illustrations use bright colors on a solid background, which brings the focus to the creatures, who resemble elephants, bears, and rabbits. They have long, rounded noses, which they use to connect to each other and show their love. This is a wonderful story to share at bedtime. Enjoy!

Those Darn Squirrels!

By Adam Rubin; illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

PICTURE BOOK

If you have a father like mine obsessed with birds (and his beloved birdfeeders), then you'll get a chuckle out of this book! Old Man Fookwire is a grumpy curmudgeon who only likes birds. He likes painting pictures of birds and feeding the birds and the birds love their birdfeeders filled with seeds. Guess who else likes the birdfeeders? That's right - "those darn squirrels!" The squirrels start stealing the bird food, which makes the birds and Old Man Fookwire very unhappy. He doesn't like those pesky squirrels, so he devises a way to keep them out of his backyard. Do you think his high-tech force field will keep the squirrels away? You'll have to read this silly, fun story to find out. And make sure you share it with your dad or grandpa...heehee!

God's Dream

By Desmond Tutu & Douglas Carlton Abrams; illustrated by LeUyen Pham

PICTURE BOOK

This is a beautiful book with a wonderful message. It begins with a question - "what do you dream about in your loveliest of dreams?" It then asks you - "do you know what God dreams about?" He dreams about empathy towards other, sharing, and caring about each other regardless of race or religion. The illustrations are bright and depict children from different ethnicities, showing that it doesn't matter where you are from, you are still "brothers and sisters." This book is simply beautiful and a great one to share one on one with your child.