It feels like a lo-ong time since the last PPBF posts and if I am a bit rusty, I apologize. Plenty of other writing was done in the interim, and—lucky for me—plenty of reading, too!
Writing the PPBF post isn’t difficult. The books provide plenty of inspiration. The difficulty is in selecting which book to review. Yeah, a definite first world problem, too many beautiful picture books being published!
So what is this week’s selection?
Author: Toni Buzzeo
Illustrator: Mike Wohnoutka
Publisher: Disney, Hyperion Books, 2013
Audience: 3+ years of age
Themes: Growing Up, Lions
Opening: “ROAAAAAR! A warning echoes across the plain. Yellow moon peeks over the horizon. Kito peeks too. His papa paces and roars again:”
Synopsis: The text and illustrations take readers on a journey to the African savanna. Without showing any bloodshed it touches upon the themes of survival and THE LION KING-like cycle of life.
Why I like this book: The author wasn’t afraid to include “difficult” words like savanna, acacia, and wildebeest that give the story concrete images and expose listeners to great vocabulary. The subject is treated lightly, suitable for the very youngest readers even at bedtime! It leaves readers with the impression that the male cub and his father are part of a big happy family—but I suppose the harsh reality that a cub will have to kill it’s own father or leave in order to be king isn’t picture book material! The illustrations are lush and layered. My favorite shows the lions heading off to hunt at twilight while oranges and gold push the blue from the sky and the other animals are silhouetted in trees and on the horizon.
Activities/Resources: If you have one nearby, visit a wild animal park where you can see lions acting like lions. I’m not a personal fan of many zoos, but you can find lions there, too. The author’s website has a curriculum guide and Reader’s Theater script. The curriculum guide is a good resource for older readers but doesn't have the arts & crafts links I enjoy. For a fun lion mask cutout to paint visit first palette. The author also has an earlier book titled Stay Close to Mama using the same African setting and with giraffes as main characters. Honestly, I like her newer book better.
Thanks for visiting! I want to thank Danielle Smith, too, for the book giveaway on her blog There's a Book where I won a copy of Just Like My Papa.
This review is part of PPBF (perfect picture book Friday) where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. Along with tons of writing wisdom, she keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.
Love that proud cover illustration between father and son! What an engaging book for kids. Looks like the perfect PB for kids who love lions and wild animals. My grandsons were obsessed with lions, tigers and cheetahs. They would have enjoyed this story. What a lucky win!
ReplyDeleteDanielle gives books away almost every week. Get your name in there, Pat!
DeleteI like the father son look-alike faces on the cover! I just recently found out we have a big animal rescue reserve nearby, and that Walmart of all stores, supplies them with past date meat - 90,000 lbs a month!
ReplyDeleteWhat a grrr-eat thing to do with the past dated meat! I hate to think any of it goes to waste.
DeleteWe've just been to a lion safari this is perfect!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen lions outside of the zoo. A safari sounds wonderful!
DeleteI have not read this book yet, but I'm anxious to because it was illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka, who I love!, who illustrated Can't Sleep Without Sheep. I love your description of your favorite page. I want to see it right now :) Nice extension activities too!
ReplyDeleteI noticed the illustrator link but couldn't figure out how to work it gracefully into the post! He is fantastic. The shades of color mixed with silhouette brought the animals to life.
DeleteThose are some happy-looking lions on the cover. What's not to smile about!? Sounds like a cute book.
ReplyDeleteLion King without the bloodshed! Makes me smile, too.
DeleteLOVE. I find this so encouraging. I have a story set in Botswana and have included some difficult words, which one agent didn't like, but I do feel kids can embrace in context.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Joanna. How do kids learn new words if we don't share them??
DeleteThis book sounds super -- and I am certainly in favor of allowing kids to "read up" to difficult words.
ReplyDeleteLove lions!
Cheers to that. Thanks for stopping by, Beth. You're a busy woman with TWO blogs now, right?
DeleteHow cool that you won this! This was listed as one of the books that one of the editors at a SCBWI picture book event i attended loves (forget which editor though) so it's on my to-read list. I'm not a zoo fan either. I'd rather watch National Geographic or BBC wildlife videos...anything with David Attenborough is a hit with me! :)
ReplyDeleteThere are some narrators, like Attenborough, that know how to deliver facts without making them a boring drone. Now that I think of it, that's a perfect way to think about our pbs!
DeleteI love it when books contain sophisticated language. After all, these books are meant to be read to children, and kids - even young children - can learn a lot of language through context. How would you write about lions without mentioning Savanna and wildebeest? Am gonna look for this one.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sue. I'm sure Toni Buzzeo and Mike Wohnoutka are glad we're all lion fans.
DeleteSounds like a wonderful book. A fun way to learn about the African Savannah. Thanks for sharing this title.
ReplyDeleteNo animals in pants here! Those are nice, too but sometimes it's nice for the little ones to see "real" animals.
DeleteOh- lions are my favorite animal...I will have to look for this. [I corresponded with Joy Adamson (Born Free) and received two letters from her.] And my grandson loves giraffes - I'll have to look for the other copy.
ReplyDeleteLaura Anne, I read the whole series - Born Free, Live Free, Forever Free! There was a time I was ready to head for the African bush. But I guess if we all went there it wouldn't be the what it should be.
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