Beep and Bah by James Burks

 I giggled all the way through - as did the two librarians I was reading it to. Generally, graphic novel picture books are hard to read aloud, but this book perfectly blends the visual and text to create a silly story that will keep small children and adults snickering all the way through.

Bah the goat, who never says anything but "bah!" gets up one morning, and finds a sock in front of his trashcan. He takes it down to his friend, Beep the robot, who never stops talking. Beep knows just what to do, "We must find its match!" and immediately they set off.

"Do you smell that, Bah?
That, my friend, is the smell of adventure.
or it could be this sock. Hard to say, seeing that I don't have a...nose." says Beep.

As they go up and down hills in a Seussian landscape, They meet an array of square farm animals, including a pig, chicken, ox, cow and more. They encounter quicksand, meteors, and travel underwater. No matter what happens, Beep is always enthusiastic, always ready to translate animal sounds, and always enthusiastic. When their journey is over, they may not have found the other sock (or have they?) but they certainly had an adventure!

The perfect comedic timing of art and text is a large part of what makes this so funny. As they encounter various animals, Beep's optimistic approach to their baas and clucks will spark off endless giggles as they contrast with the sometimes unexpected events.

Verdict: Read this in storytime to a variety of ages, take it on school visits, and listen to the laughter explode. Highly recommended.


ISBN: 9780761365679; Published January 2012 by Carolrhoda; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library.

Nonfiction Monday: Citizen Scientists by Loree Burns, photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz

I am always looking for books that will encourage kids to go outside and experience nature. I'm also always searching for books that will inspire kids to choose something they feel passionate about. I get frustrated to the point of screaming by the number of aimless children, especially middle schoolers, that I see every day. They have no hobbies, no interests outside of tv, celebrities, school gossips. They don't get excited about anything.

This book combines a love of nature with the intense following of passion and it's AMAZING.

Loree Burns, author of several great entries in the Scientists in the Field series, tackles four science projects that ordinary citizens - and kids - can get involved in; birds, butterflies, frogs, and ladybugs. We learn the history of the project, why it's important, how to participate, and hear the stories of some of the kids who are involved. Every page is studded with photos, facts, experiences, ideas, and information.

At the end of the book there are resources for each of the four projects - books, field guides, internet resources, and how to get involved. There's additional resources and bibliographies, a glossary, and index as well.

Verdict: An exciting and interesting book, I intend for this to be the basis of some great science projects in 2014 when the summer reading theme is science! I can't wait to get the kids involved and I hope reading this book will get some of them involved on their own.

ISBN: 9780805090628; Published February 2012 by Henry Holt; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

Flying off my bookshelf

1. Step Gently Out by Helen Frost, photographs by Rick Lieder Amazing photographs of insects but I felt the rhyming text was somewhat plodding, rather pedestrian. But then again, I don't really like rhyming picture books. There's an endnote identifying the insects, which I liked. Basically, everyone except me thought the text was amazing. I bow to the multitude and will try it in storytime.
2. Bertha and the frog choir by Luc Foccroulle, illustrated by Annick Masson Loved the funny frog illustrations, but the plot made me want to scream. Bertha can't sing and Lucy is too small for the frog choir, so they team up together. Eventually, the choir leader discovers their secret and Lucy gets her solo and Bertha's amazing cooking talent is discovered. I HATE HATE HATE this in books. You're awful at sports? Oh, you must have an amazing talent in art! You can't be creative? You're a math genius! You're no good at school? You must have a wonderful talent for empathy! Some kids are just average. They don't have a talent that's head and shoulders above the rest. That's why it's called an AVERAGE. I hate this give and take that if you are bad at one thing, usually what your parents want you to do, you must, obviously, have some hidden, amazing talent. ARGH!
3. More by I. C. Springman, illustrated by Brian Lies Have not previously been a fan of Lies' art, but this is really gorgeous. Very simple text about a magpie who collects more and more until it's way too much - then he weeds it out until it's just enough. I do wonder where all the extra junk went though...purchased for the library.
4. Pumpkin Mystery by Carol Wallace, illustrated by Steve Bjorkman I've bought some of the easy reader collaborations of this pair before, but I was disappointed by this one. I found the switches from the pets talking to the family talking confusing and not suitable for an easy reader where kids would have difficulty figuring it out.
5. Subway Story by Julia Sarcone-Roach I love her swashy illustrations, especially in Secret Plan but there's just no interest in subways in a small, rural, midwest town like mine.
6. House at the end of Ladybug Lane by Elisa Primavera, illustrated by Valeria Docampo Very pretty/shiny illustrations but  a seriously weird, weird story. Excessively neat parents (to the point where serious psychiatric care would be indicated) have a normally messy daughter. A fairy godmother grants her wishes which result in a series of weird creatures and the magical adjustment of her parents' personalities.
7. Wooden Sword by Ann Stampler, illustrated by Carol Liddiment Nice retelling of a folktale most children won't be familiar with, nice illustrations, but too much religion (prayers, references to God) for me to read this in storytime. Plus, I am personally more in sympathy with the man's wife who doesn't like living from one day's dinner to the next. What happens when they have kids? Get sick? Need new clothes? Repairs to the house? Yeah, I get the trusting God and having faith thing but...it still bugs me.

This week at the library; or, WAPL

I just love the way that sounds. WaaaaPL. WAPllll. WAPlll.

Monday - Computers were completely haywire, one of the chicks died, I arrived 30 minutes early to set up our Children's Book Week program (total stealth program - people write titles of books on a bulletin board and get a sticker and we try to make it up to 1,000 books), I went through applications for my summer temp aide, organized and sent my May book order, cleaned a ton of donations off my desk, helped people with the copier, put out new books, went over summer displays, and updated publicity, all before 2:30pm at which time I went home because A. I had forgotten to bring any lunch and B. I am working on Saturday. Called people for interviews when I got home, went to pick up comics for the library, realized I had forgotten the petty cash, and applied for an ALSC committee.

Tuesday - Came in a little later (again, working Saturday) and set up a Maurice Sendak display. Worked on publicity and book bundles. I cannot keep up, they are so popular!

Wednesday - Storytime, had some problems with chatty moms which I will deal with...later. More book bundles. Lakeland School visited and we read stories, played with the trains, and looked at the chicks. I talked to the teacher about changes we'll need to make next year when she will have some nonverbal children and some who need more structure. More book bundles. Messy Art Club with twirling ladybugs, which I used in storytime a few weeks ago and originally got from Make and Takes. Once it was well started, I left it in the hands of my aide and took off with our adult svs librarian and cataloger on the three hour drive for WAPL.

Thursday - I convinced my colleagues to skip the keynote (shoes vs. copyright - no contest, even though I hate shoe shopping. Besides, her shoe was BROKEN. It was an emergency!) Then the sessions started! I went to an AWESOME session on Exploration Station with Ashley Thiem-Menning from Appleton. Exactly what I needed to get started on the planning for my We Explore program in the fall and to revitalize my Messy Art Club. I skipped the luncheon speaker to check out the nearby bookstore (yeah, I don't do well with featured speakers). Then I went to a session on Technology with Kids and Teens - got an idea for an inexpensive media room. I attended a session on Easy and Fun Crafts to do with Adults by Annie Bahringer from Port Washington - best use of PowerPoint in the whole conference I think! I covered this one for our adults svs librarian. Then we visited a huge craft outlet/warehouse (new yarn!) and went for a long walk.

Friday - Our cataloger and I talked the adult svs librarian into getting up very early to go fudging! Alas, we were bitterly disappointed to discover that the promised fudge was no longer sold at the advertised venue. However, despite the lack of fudge, it was another awesome day since it started with a session on Stealth Programming with Amanda Struckmeyer and Marge Loch-Wouters. I am all revved up to do 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten this fall now and the ideas flowed vigorously! I thought Ashley Thiem-Menning's presentation yesterday was so great, I changed my plans and went to her second presentation on Taking Your Summer Library Program on the Road along with another Appleton librarian, Ellen Jepson. I can't do much with outreach of course, since there is only one of me, but I was really interested in their summer reading program for daycares which I think is something I could implement in the future.

Saturday - Fairly busy. Did quite a long bit of readers' advisory, kinda gave up on the 1,000 Book Challenge. This was a totally lame program. I admit it. They can't all be amazing, right? I'll do something different next year. On the bright side, the computers did not break down and the thirty seniors that I agreed to let use our teen room to plan their senior prank are coming NEXT Saturday, so it won't be me who deals with them! (they promised me they were going to be "very quiet")

Ellray Jakes is not a chicken by Sally Warner, illustrated by Jamie Harper

I'm very excited about this new beginning chapter book series. It has so many elements I've been looking for!

• Main character is a boy
• He's a minority in a suburb (more on that later)

The story: EllRay is the smallest kid in third grade and two of the biggest boys are picking on him. Why? He doesn't know. He also likes to make people laugh and it's getting him in trouble in school. So, his dad makes a deal - behave for a week and he'll get to go to Disneyland. This turns out to be as hard as EllRay thinks it will probably be, but he manages it in the end and even has a temporary truce with the bully, Jared.

I've been frustrated for a long time by the lack of minorities in everyday fiction. Not high concept, not celebrating culture, not historical, and not stereotyped settings. Not every Hispanic kid is a migrant worker. Not every African-American lives in a poor urban area. This is exactly the kind of character that the kids in my predominantly white, small Midwestern town will read about - because it's focused on people, not their race or culture, and whether the kids are a minority or not they can relate to EllRay who has identifiable problems. His race isn't ignored - he wishes there were more kids who looked like him "just so it would come out even" and it's a sensitive point for his dad and the other adults who are worried that he's getting bullied because of it, but Ellray knows that's not the point "Jared would have said something if it was. He is not the type of kid to keep things to himself. That much is obvious. Anyway, there are plenty of other things that could make him want to pick on me."

There's a lesson to be learned by EllRay of course - that words can hurt as much as punches and his jokes have repercussions. EllRay and his little sister both think and talk about kids' interactions in school - the way girls are often mean to each other and how it's different than the way boys are mean and how sometimes you're friends one week and not friends the next. The adults mean well, but as EllRay points out "outside is when school really happens for kids." The adults' interference sometimes helps, but sometimes causes more problems and in the end the kids have to figure it out on their own and it's not easy.

Verdict: This new series is funny with some good points for thought. Parents might be uncomfortable with the kids resolving their issues with a fight - but it's a realistic portrayal of how kids relate to each other and they can use it to discuss ways kids can resolve their issues on their own. We've had this series for about three months now and it's very popular! Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780142419885; Published May 2011 by Viking; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

Preschool Interactive: Print Motivation

[Notes and Responses 5-9-12: I forgot to reserve Honk Honk Goose, so we read Nic Bishop's Marsupials instead. We talked about Mother's Day and how we were going to read stories about special homes. I ended up skipping Anna Hibiscus and I'm going to have to ask the moms to keep their conversation down, as for the past few weeks several moms have gotten really chatty and some other parents are getting irritated. The craft was VERY popular.]

Dancing time and name tags: "List of Dances" by Jim Gill from Jim Gill makes it noisy in Boise Idaho
Introduction, welcome, and announcements: Join us for Messy Art Club this afternoon. We'll be making twirling ladybugs, like the ones you took home in your bags a few weeks ago, plus lots of other shapes. They'll make great Mother's Day presents!

Early Literacy Theme: Print motivation is a child's interest in and enjoyment of books and reading

Opening name song: The more we get together

Long story: Place to call home by Alexis Deacon

Movement/Flannelboard: 5 Little Frogs

Nonfiction: Honk Honk Goose by April Sayre

Flannelboard/Music: Cat goes fiddle-i-fee

Short story: Anna Hibiscus' Song by Atinuke

Early Literacy Aside: There are many ways to interact with books. We're going to tell this last story ourselves, because this is a wordless book!

Short story: The Umbrella by Ingrid Schubert

Closing song: Sunny Day

Process art: Circle garden (Mother's Day)
Prep: Cut a gazillion circles of different sizes
Children glue circles to construction paper and draw stems and leaves etc. Crayons, markers, glue.

Take Home Insert

Bawk and Roll by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Dan Santat

This sequel worked much better for me than the first book, Chicken Dance. I thought the first one was hilarious and would be great in storytime, but it turned out I wasn't the only one who missed the pop culture references and most of the kids just didn't get it. I think this one will work much better.

Marge and Lola, having won a talent contest in the previous book (recapped in photos on the title page) are off on tour with Elvis Poultry! At their first stop, McDoodle's Barnyard however, Marge and Lola freeze up. They try everything, but nothing works and they flop at barnyard after barnyard. They're about to be sent home when they remember what's most important and know just what they're missing and on their next stop at Dale's Dairy Farm, they moooove the cows - and Elvis Poultry too.

In glorious technicolor with sparkles everywhere they can be put, the chickens faint, flop and finally dazzle their way through this silly romp with a gentle reminder that performers need friends and fans too. Dan Santat's chickens and other barnyard animals are delightfully blocky and exuberant and the design of the book makes all the jokes moooove perfectly.

Verdict: You don't need the previous book to get started on this one and I think it will work well in storytimes. [Update: Yep, this one worked very well in preschool storytimes for both kids and parents]


ISBN: 9781402778377; Published April 2012 by Sterling; Review copy provided by publisher; Purchased for the library

Nonfiction Monday: Temple Grandin by Sy Montgomery

Sy Montgomery, author of a number of great entries in the Scientists in the Field series, brings to life an amazing, unique woman for middle grade readers.

Temple Grandin embraced the differences that made her childhood and teenage life so difficult to become a major influence on the livestock industry, an expert in animal behavior, an engineer, and a professor. She also advocates for autistic people, writes, speaks, and enjoys life. Her philosophy is not that she triumphed over her differences - those differences are what made her able to become the person she is and make a difference in the lives of humans and animals.

After an introduction by Temple Grandin, Montgomery plunges into her early life and explains what it's like to be autistic and try to survive in a world of sensations where you can't easily communicate. She moves from different periods in Grandin's life to her consultations with the livestock industry, engineering designs and on to explanations of what autism is, differences in brain functions, and how Temple Grandin uses her differences to make animals safe and comfortable.

The book moves rapidly and packs in a lot of information, but never feels cluttered or hurried. Most of the chapters begin with a story from Grandin's early life and end with a section on brain development and differences. The book is sprinkled with designs, photographs, and drawings and and ends with Temple's advice for kids on the autism spectrum, extensive bibliography and resources, and index.

Verdict: This book isn't just for kids on the autism spectrum, their families, or kids who interact with them. It's for kids who dream of doing something with their life and for those who need a focus and purpose. It's for teachers and librarians who want to inspire kids to make real changes in the world. It's also a fascinating story of one amazing woman and how she found her purpose in life. Recommended.

ISBN: 9780547443157; Published April 2012 by Houghton Mifflin; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

This week at the library; or, I am still sick

That's about all I have to say...I took off any time I wasn't at a program or on the desk and worked from home. Siiiiiiick.

Monday - Staff meeting. The chicks are not hatching! Why?

Tuesday - Battle of the Books. The elementary school librarians came Monday night to set up. We spread things out a little since they were badly cramped last year, and we also picked Tuesday when we could use the Community Room instead of the lobby. I let the volunteers and students in early (last year illicit people sneaked in. Tsk. Tsk.) and kept an eye on things until the successful conclusion. The chicks started hatching! I went home early to work on planning storytimes and programming.

Wednesday  - Only three programs! Phew. Preschool Interactive, Early Head Start visit, and Lego Club. I had promised I'd try some bilingual books on my own for Head Start, although I don't speak Spanish, and it went pretty well although it would have been better if I'd been able to rehearse the books. Preferably with someone who spoke Spanish. Doing titles with just a few Spanish books works better, at least for me, like Senorita Gordita. Only two Headstart families, but there were still some kids from PI who wanted to hear more  stories and some late arrivals who were delighted that they hadn't missed storytime after all. More chicks hatched!

Thursday - Just came in for my evening desk time. Not as many chicks hatched as we had hoped - only 3 out of nearly 40 eggs! We need to get a digital thermometer apparently. The egg donor brought in a brown paper bag full of chicks to supplement ours. They are very fluffy...

Friday - Desk in the morning. Then went home. Still feel Siiiiiick.

Outside my window: A first book of nature by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Mark Hearld

I am reviewing another poetry book! Shocking, isn't it? But this book is so amazing, I just had to review - and have it for our library. Although I put it in picture books, so it won't die a painful death in the 811s. There are more than enough dusty books back there as it is, thank you previous librarian or whoever it was that bought them.

First of all, this book is very...structurally satisfying. Forget ebooks on their dinky little screens, this book has heft. It's a nice, thick, weighty square with heavy cardstock pages. It makes me feel like picking up a ream of scrapbooking paper and flipping through it.

The reader is immediately greeted with a flock of birds and a "this book belongs to       " spread, making this a good present. Then we have a close-up of one of the birds on the title page and then a plunge into color on the table of contents. The poems are divided into seasons, spring, summer, autumn, and winter with 12-18 poems per section. Each season has a brief introduction and then, into the poems! All the poems include some kind of information about a natural phenomena or creature. There is a variety of styles and formats, as varied as the stunning art.

All the poems make great read-alouds and you could easily start at the beginning and work your way straight through the 100 pages. Or dip and nibble, try one season at a time, or a sample from each season. Ration yourself to one poem a day or gulp them all at once! The poems cover nature in the city, at the beach, on the farm, at night, in the rain, in the snow. Little surprises are popped in - five reasons chickens are funny, a recipe for berry crumble, how to build your own den. The book ends with instructions on saving seeds and feeding birds.

And then the artwork...I desperately wish I knew enough about art to explain why this art is so lovely! Happily, Seven Impossible Things can do that for me. I will just say that it is robust and colorful, beautiful without being trite, and endlessly inventive and appreciative and the beauty of nature with a running theme of birds.

Verdict: I have bought perhaps one poetry book a year for the past four years so when I say buy this, you know it's exceptional! I'm even going to buy a copy for myself sometime, it's just that lovely.

ISBN: 9780763655495; Published February 2012 by Candlewick; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library