MY BIBI ALWAYS REMEMBERS - SIGNED COPY GIVEAWAY!

     I have a special treat for you today in honor of National Grandparents Day!

     Wait. You didn't know tomorrow was National Grandparents Day? If that's the case, here's a link to the history of the day. It isn't a day-off-from-work-and-school "public holiday" but its observance was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. And when you consider all of the things we could be celebrating, grandparents seem like a great choice! There's a link to a great card to share with grandparents near the end of this post, too. :)

     And if you know me at all, you'd probably guess that I'd be celebrating with a book. And you'd be right. In this case, a new book from the awesome author and illustrator team of Toni Buzzeo and Mike Wohnoutka.
     Regular blog followers of mine may remember that I reviewed the last offering by this team, JUST LIKE MY PAPA last September. Perfect Picture Book Friday posts don't start up from the summer hiatus until next week, so I'm jumping the gun a bit but I wanted readers to know about this new book if you want to find the perfect book for kids to share with their grandparents this weekend in honor of the holiday. Or any weekend. Shouldn't we celebrate grandparents all year long? Yep.
 
TITLE: My Bibi Always Remembers

AUTHOR: Toni Buzzeo

ILLUSTRATOR: Mike Wohnoutka

PUBLISHER: Disney Hyperion Books, 2014

INTENDED AGES: 3-5

THEMES: Animals, grandparents, Africa

Opening Line: RUMMMMBLE!
                      Thirsty little Tembo hears her Bibi across the wide, parched plain.

Synopsis: An easily distracted young elephant follows the herd as it searches for water. The oldest grandmother elephant carries the knowledge and skill to lead "the way to wet."

Why I like this book: Elephants fascinate me. My family are long-time supporters of The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. I've never been to Africa or Asia to see these creatures in the wild and I have a hard time wrapping my head around the concept of the vast space these creatures need to live as they should. I love the book's message about passing knowledge from generation to generation. The author stole my heart on the second spread when she wrote that the elephants were coming "one by one, step-step, searching for wet." The illustrations aren't overly fussy, but small details, like dust devils in the distance, transported me to the elephants' world. Be
Note: This is a Disney book, so I felt a Bambi-like moment of terror when Tembo wanders away and the illustration appears backlit by the setting sun with lions and hyenas in the foreground! Luckily, the problem resolves on the next page. Whew! The combination of anthropomorphism and reality worked well for me.

Activities/Resources: Ms. Buzzeo provides extensive materials to accompany her books. You can find Common Core teaching guides and activities , including a cool Reader's Theater Script on her website.
If you want to learn more about the plight of elephants in the wild, back matter in the book steers readers to the Amboseli Trust for Elephants at www.elephanttrust.org. General information about elephants can be found in many places including National Geographic's website and the kid-friendly Animal Fact Guide.
There are an equally large number of elephant craft choices out there. The paper plate elephant contributed by Leanne Guenther to DLTK's Crafts for Kids blog made me smile.

Enter to win a signed copy of this book by leaving a comment for me! One name will be drawn randomly from all commenters at noon on Tuesday September 9th. I'll announce the winner later that day.
Read author/illustrator Q & A's and enter to win a copy of this book on other blogs by clicking the links to follow the entire tour for this new book:

Friday, August 29:

·         The Children’s Book Review – Author Guest Post

Saturday, August 30:

·         Momma Drama – Author/Illustrator Interview and Review

Sunday, August 31:

·         Book Rock Betty – Review and Signed Giveaway

Monday, September 1:

·         Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – Author/Illustrator Guest Post and Review

Tuesday, September 2:

·         As They Grow Up – Review and Signed Giveaway

Wednesday, September 3:

·         Susan Heim on Parenting – Review and Signed Giveaway

Thursday, September 4:

·         Kid Lit Frenzy – Author Guest Post and Signed Giveaway

Friday, September 5:

·         Mundie Kids – Author/Illustrator Interview and Signed Giveaway

Saturday, September 6:

·         Noodling with Words – Review and Signed Giveaway

Sunday, September 7:

·         The Power of One Writer – Author Interview

Monday, September 8:

·         There’s a Book – Review and Signed Giveaway

And FINALLY, since I started this post talking about the link to National Grandparents Day, download a completely adorable card to make for grandparents from the author's website here. Just download and fold!

Remember to leave a comment to enter the giveaway! As a disclosure, an early advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for my review.