Title: My Grandfather’s Coat Author: Jim Aylesworth Illustrator: Barbara McClintock Publisher: Scholastic Press Year: 2014 Word Count: 614 My Grandfather’s Coat is based on the old Yiddish folksong, “I Had a Little Overcoat.” The song was later turned into a story called “The Tailor” which I first heard told by Judy Sima during a youth… Read more »
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“Otto, The Book Bear”: A Charming CHARACTER
Title: Otto, the Book Bear Author/Illustrator: Katie Cleminson Publisher: Disney Hyperion Year: 2011 Word Count: 318 If you’re looking for a great study in character, look no further than Otto, the Book Bear. In this charming story, we meet Otto, a bear who lives inside a book, but who comes to life when no one… Read more »
“Abuelo” Shines with Bilingual Word Play
Title: Abuelo Author: Arthur Dorros Illustrator: Raul Colon Publisher: Harper Year: 2014 Word Count: 351 My husband is from Colombia. We met in Spain. And now we are raising our Colombian-American son to be bilingual in that bastion of multiculturalism, Ohio. (Don’t get me wrong — I love Ohio! It’s just not the first… Read more »
Introducing the CHARACTER of “Backhoe Joe”
Title: Backhoe Joe Author: Lori Alexander Illustrator: Craig Cameron Publisher: Harper Year: 2014 Word Count: 500 (estimate) Last November I completed Tara Lazar’s Picture Book Idea Month challenge, and lucky me, I was the winner of a prize — a copy of Backhoe Joe by Lori Alexander! The book just arrived in the mail, and… Read more »
Have a Hoot with WORD PLAY in “Little Hoot”
Title: Little Hoot Author: Amy Krouse Rosenthal Illustrator: Jen Corace Publisher: Chronicle Books Year: 2007 Word Count: 364 If you’re looking for a cute bedtime book with a twist, Little Hoot is perfect. This adorable story turns the tables on traditional bedtime books where children do anything and everything in their power to buy a… Read more »
