No Matter What

"… if you really love to write and you really love to tell stories and you really love to draw,
you just have to keep doing it no matter what anybody says."
- William Joyce*

Bookplate by Martin Ursell for My Home Library

*Via Muddy Colors

PPBF: Lady Liberty's Holiday

Today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick



Lady Liberty's Holiday,
fun fiction with informational backmatter

Lady Liberty's Holiday
Written by Jen Arena
Illustrated by Matt Hunt

Knopf Books For Young Readers, 2016
Ages 5-8, 40 pp.


Themes:
Educational, America, Vacation, Humor


Opening:
"Not long before the Fourth of July, Lady Liberty woke up feeling a little blue . . . despite being green.
"Year after year, she stood by New York Harbor, a torch in one hand, a tablet in the other."


Synopsis:
The Statue of Liberty is tired of the same scenery. When she confides her boredom to her pigeon friend, Moe, he convinces her to take a vacation. Just like that, Lady Liberty lays down her torch and walks off to travel the vast United States. She sends postcards to Moe about all the wonders of America. When the Independence Day fireworks celebration is cancelled because she is missing, Lady Liberty must rush home before the holiday is ruined.
The book includes an afterword of fun facts and a page of the real Statue of Liberty's history.


What I Love:
Come on, you aren't in love with this concept already? Both author and illustrator pull it off with flair. I love the use of postcards as a storytelling device. And Lady Liberty's adventures are hilarious. She travels to the Jersey Shore, but has to rinse off the sand in Niagra falls. You'll see her head among the presidents at Mount Rushmore and when she visits Yellowstone . . . well, you'll have to be surprised along with her. Lady Liberty realizes how much she loves America, and how nice it is to return to home sweet home.

Bonus: 


Fabulous Stutue of Liberty craft from Buggy and Buddy

1. Joanna Marple has written a wonderful and informative blog post on the Statue of Liberty.

2. Draw a kid-friendly version of the famous landmark on DrawWithRich. Combine it with salt painting fireworks, instructions from BusyMommyMedia.

3. ElementalBlogging has compiled some great homeschool ideas for studying the United States, including a state-by-state scrapbook.

4. I'd love to buy all 50 of the state cookie cutters from CheapCookieCutters and assemble a giant cookie map. Who's with me?

5. Follow the lesson plans on ReadWriteThink or benefit Leukemia patients on SendKidsTheWorld, by teaching about writing postcards. Then grab some American pen pals with the links and tips on RealClassRoomIdeas.

6. Visit the real Statue of Liberty in New York or take a virtual visit via The History Channel.

7. Check out these and more Perfect Picture Books at your local library.




Reviewed by Julie

Reviewed by Carrie



 

Reviewed by Erik

Reviewed by Jarm







Reviewed by Joanne



Reviewed by Clara

Have you reviewed a Perfect Picture Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!

Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday
for Friday, May 27, 2016 available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.

Confidence vs. Arrogance

"The problem with ignorance is that we don’t know it when we suffer from it."
-Kassandra Lamb*



Bookplate by Camille Monnet

*via Marcy Kennedy

PPBF: My Garden

Today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick

My Garden, by Kevin Henkes

My Garden
Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes

Greenwillow, 2010

Ages 2-7, 280 words

Themes:
Gardening, Imagination


Opening:

"My mother has a garden. I'm her helper. I water. I weed.

And I chase away the rabbits so that they don't eat all the lettuce.

It's hard work, and my mother's garden is very nice,

But if I had a garden..."

Synopsis:

A little girl delights in her mother's garden, but dreams of a magical garden of her own where sea shells and jelly beans grow, chocolate rabbits abound, and the flowers change color at her whim.

What I Love:
I love the style Henkes uses, part child's marker-drawing, part linocut, part fabric pattern. His pages are bursting with child-like colors and almost smell like spring. He captures the young narrator's voice flawlessly. For example, the carrrots in her garden are invisible, because she doesn't like to eat them!

Bonus: 

I found this umbrella garden on DIY Enthusiasts

1. The author/illustrator has produced a teachers guide for My Garden and other books on his website.
2. Kids Play Box designed an adorable jelly bean bush crafts inspired by this book. You'll find the instructions on their blog.
3. In the book, the garden unexpectedly sprouts buttons, old rusty keys, and umbrellas. Decorate your garden with colorful recycled key windchimes from Inner Child Fun. Faithtap showcases a dozen planter ideas from your closet including umbrella planters. DIY button stepping stones from Make Your Mark are brilliant!
4. The Science of Spring website is brimming with kid-friendly garden ideas including teacher packets for all grade levels.
5. Check out these and more Perfect Picture Books at your local library.

Reviewed by Loni

Reviewed by Laura

Reviewed by Penny

Reviewed by Patricia

Reviewed by Joanne

Reviewed by Diane

Have you reviewed a Perfect Picture Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!
Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday
for Friday, May 20, 2016 available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.

Be An Empath

"Writers don’t write from experience, although many are hesitant to admit that they don’t. If you wrote from experience, you’d get maybe one book, maybe three poems. Writers write from empathy."
 — Nikki Giovanni*



Autumn leaf bookplate

*via Word Dance

The Journey

"For most people, the road to publication is a long one...Take a moment to enjoy the small wins as they come along, and then do what you can to push forward."

-Mark Magro*



Bookplate art by Rieko Yamanaka

*Via Eastern Penn Points





 

Stay Screen-Free with Audiobooks

If you haven't had much luck convincing the addicts in your lives to join Screen-Free Week,  then why not try an audiobook. I used to be a purist—paper only—until I heard recordings of some of my favorite books like the ones below.


Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J. K. Rowling, performed by Jim Dale

Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale, performed by Full-Cast Audio

Books of Bayern #1, by Shannon Hale

And two fantastic choices of narrators for George Selden's The Cricket in Times Square: Rene Aubergonois or Tony Shalhoub.



Chester and Tucker's first appearance,
by George Selden

Find a bookseller near you:
IndieBound
NewPages



Celebrate Screen-Free Week, May 2-8, 2016