Holiday weekend!

 In recognition that a lot of readers are off enjoying a holiday weekend, I'm holding my Perfect Picture Book Friday post until next week. It's a good one. Hint: Can't SQUASH my enthusiasm for it!
Hope to see you then.

WHAT JAMES SAID by Liz Rosenberg reviewed for Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

  Misunderstandings arise all the time. For kids and adults. The heat of the moment can make tempers flare unreasonably out of control. This book is perfect for those times. Some books are fun library reads. I recommend this one as a book to own.     

   I had to be MIA for a few Fridays and have two posts today to catch up a bit. Scroll up (or down, depending on which you started on!) to be sure you don't miss anything.

Title: What James Said                 
Author: Liz Rosenberg
Illustrator: Matt Myers
Publisher: Roaring Brook, Macmillan, 2015
Intended Ages: 4-8
Themes: Friendship, misunderstandings
Synopsis: When a comment from her best friend, James, is relayed back through a chain of classmates, a little girl takes the remark out of context, thinks James is saying bad things about her, and decides they're "in a fight."
Opening line(s): "I'm never talking to James again. We are in a fight."
What I like about this book: I have a serious crush on this book. The text runs slightly longer than average (541 words) and not a moment feels too long or wasted. The voice is fantastic, carrying authentic emotions without feeling preachy or moralizing.
     The friendship is between a boy and a girl. Great, right? Even better, it's an African-American boy and a Caucasian girl. Because race and gender play absolutely no part in the story, the illustrator may be the one to thank for this realistic reflection of childhood. Paint blotches from the artistic main character reinforce the emotional mayhem while ample white space on the pages keeps a tight focus on the main characters.
     Communication skills are HARD. Especially when feelings are hurt. And the little girl in this story does what many of us might when we hear something that hurts our feelings. Instead of asking James about it, she shuts down and closes him off with the silent treatment. Poor sweet James doesn't have a clue what's going on and tries his hardest to make his friend feel better. 
     The story mirrors the best and worst moments in childhood friendships. Timeless. Classic.

Resources/Activities: 

• View a slide show of images from the book on the publisher's website.

• Compare this book to Ame Dyckman's book Horrible Bear, another book about misunderstandings. Is anyone at fault in each book? Why or why not? Could either situation have been handled better?

• Discuss misunderstandings you have had. Did you ever get it straightened out? Is anyone owed an apology? Is it a funny story to share?

• Make a picture for a friend. 

• Make awards for friends or family members. Awards for funny joke-teller or homework-helper for example.

Thanks for stopping by today! Let me know if you've read this book. 
 
This review is part of PPBF (Perfect Picture Book Friday) where bloggers share great picture books. Organized and curated by author Susanna Leonard Hill, she keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. #PPBF

Trainbots by Miranda Paul reviewed for Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

  I had to be MIA for a few Fridays and have two posts today to catch up a bit. Scroll up (or down, depending on which you started on!) to be sure you don't miss anything.

  Do kids love trains? Yes.

  Do kids love robots? Yup.

  Put them together and what do you get?  Trainbots!   

Title: Trainbots                      

Author: Miranda Paul
Illustrator: Shane McG
Publisher: Little Bee Books, coming June 7, 2016
Intended Ages: 4-8
Themes: Trains, Adventure, Robots
Synopsis:   Good and evil square off with a toy delivery at stake. The trainbots have to work together when Badbots try to stop a delivery of toybots on their way for children to play with.
Opening line(s): "Trainbots drawing, sawing, building. 
                           Hammer, clamor, lots of gilding."
What I like about this book: Good rhyme is hard to do! Read the opening lines out loud. Hear the chugga-chugga rhythm? Ms. Paul maintains the quick pace throughout, varying rhythm enough to keep it from becoming sing-songy. The story reminds me of a fantasy version of The Little Engine that Could. No talking down to children here, the rich language will have train and bot lovers matching words and visuals in the illustrations.
   The spiky, angular badbots are larger than the trainbots, subtly reinforcing the message that little kids can work together and accomplish big things--bigger than the bad guys.
  My review copy was a pre-release F&G so I didn't see final art for the final several spreads, but I'm guessing there's going to be a market for cuddly toybots! 

Resources/Activities: 

• I googled "train activities for kids" and got a long list of possibilities! Preschool Express had some great simple ideas for crafting and games.

• For older readers- Make a list of all of the verbs in the story. Try to use each in a new sentence.

• Would you want a toybot? Why or why not? What else could the train bring? Ride a local train--what do you see (Trainbots?!).

• Reading builds up an appetitie. Mommy Moment's blog wants kids to eat their veggies--off the veggie train.  And Makinglearningfun.com has a savory twist using crackers and cheese.

Trainbots is available for pre-order. 

This review is part of PPBF (Perfect Picture Book Friday) where bloggers share great picture books. Organized and curated by author Susanna Leonard Hill, she keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. #PPBF

Note: My review is based on a Folded and Gathered review copy received from the author in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”