The Childrens Book Review » ABC’s: Alphabet

The Children’s Book Review Turns One

Bianca Schulze — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:04:32 +0000

Have you ever heard the expression: time flies when you are having fun? Sure you have. It’s an expression that certainly rings true for the Children’s Book Review. March 18 marked our first anniversary, and so I thought I would share with you some of our highlights.

In fall 2008, The Children’s Book Review was selected for inclusion in the American Library Association’s Great Web Sites for Kids. Thank you to the ALSC’s GWS Committee members who voted for us.
All of the author interviews were so much fun, but making my first podcast from my interview with Emily Gravett was a gratifying moment — click here to check it out. Click here to read the interviews from the following fabulous authors: Graeme Base, Bonny Becker, Tomie dePaolo, Deborah Diesen, Bobbie Hinman, Ingrid Law, Jon Scieszka, David Shannon, and Eric Wight.
Growing my team from me to three, with two enthusiastic book lovers. The first addition was Luisa LaFleur. Her specialty is reviewing bilingual books for “budding linguists”. Our latest induction is Amanda Lynch — an English major, book selling (and lover) extraordinaire — stay tuned for an official introduction.

Our favorite wordless picture books that scored a review:

Wave

by Suzy Lee

Reading level: Ages 2-6

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Chronicle Books (April 16, 2008)

Review: Click here.

Wonder Bear

by Tao Nyeu

Reading level: Ages 3-7

Hardcover: 48 pages

Publisher: Dial Books (September 18, 2008)

Review: Click here.

South

by Patrick McDonnell

Reading level: Ages 3-6

Hardcover: 48 pages

Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (September 1, 2008)

Review: Click here.

Our favorite picture books that scored a review:

I Lost My Kisses

by Trudie Trewi n

Reading level: Ages 2-8

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Orchard Books;
1 edition (January 1, 2008)

Review: Click here.

Chimpanzees of Happy Town

by Giles Andreae(Author), Guy Parker-Rees (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 2-8

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Orchard Books; 1 edition (October 1, 2006)

Review: Click here.

The Apple Pie That Papa Baked

by Lauren Thompson (author) and Jonathan Bean (illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 2-8

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Children’s Publishing (July 24, 2007)

Review: Click here.

Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?

by Carmela LaVigna Coyle

Reading level: Ages 2-8

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Rising Moon (February
25, 2003)

Review: Click here.

Monkey And Me

by Emily Gravett (I really enjoyed her playful website)

Reading level: Ages 2-6

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing (March 4, 2008)

Review: Click here.

Someday

by Alison McGhee (Author), Peter H. Reynolds (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 2 – 6

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Atheneum (February 27, 2007)

Review: Click here.

Hello Day

by Anita Lobel

Reading level: Ages 0 – 5

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Greenwillow (March 25, 2008)

Review: Click here.

The Little Yellow Leaf

by Carin Berger

Reading level: Ages 3-6

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Greenwillow (August 26, 2008)

Review: Click here.

Our favorite multi-concept, or interactive books that scored a review:

Alphabet

by Matthew Van Fleet

Reading level: Baby-Preschool

Hardcover: 20 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (April 8, 2008)

Review: Click here.

Who Ate All the Cookie Dough?

by Karen Beaumont

Reading level: Ages 3-7

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (May 27, 2008)

Review: Click here.

Our favorite novels, graphic novels, and chapter books that scored a review:

Clementine’s Letter

Sara Pennypacker (Author), Marla Frazee (Illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 7-10

Hardcover: 160 pages

Publisher: Hyperion (April 1, 2008)

Review: Click here.

Kenny & the Dragon

by Tony DiTerlizzi

Reading level: Ages 8-12

Hardcover: 160 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing (August 5, 2008)

Review: Click here.

Nicholas in Trouble

by Rene Goscinny (Author) Jean-Jacques Sempe (Illustrator), Anthea Bell (Translator)

Reading Level: Ages 7 – 10

Hardcover: 132 pages

Publisher: Phaidon Press Ltd (October 31, 2008)

Review: Click here.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

by Jeff Kinney

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Hardcover: 224 pages

Publisher: Amulet (February 1, 2008)

Review: Click here.

The Willoughbys

by Lois Lowry

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Hardcover: 176 pages

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books; 1 edition (March 31, 2008)

Review: Click here.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

by Brian Selznick

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Hardcover: 544 pages

Publisher: Scholastic Press (January 30, 2007)

Review: Click here.

Savvy

by Ingrid Law

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Hardcover: 352 pages

Publisher: Dial (May 1, 2008)

Review: Click here.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

By Avi

Reading level: Ages 9-12

Paperback: 240 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins (August 10, 2004)

Review: Click here.

Our favorite videos:

BOOK BY BOOK: the making of a monkey man from Jarrett Krosoczka on Vimeo.

The five most popular pages visited:

Thank you to everyone who has made our first year so great. And most importantly, thanks for reading!

Animalia: Graeme Base

Bianca Schulze — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:46:08 +0000

Animalia

by Graeme Base

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (September 15, 1986)

… “Animalia came from a great love of animals and a desire to create a book with huge amounts of detail and things to discover. That was the sort of book I remember enjoying as a child,” says author Graeme Base. …

A book that I vividly remember from my childhood is Animalia, written and illustrated by Graeme Base – Base was born in England, moved to Australia with his parents at age 8, and is still living there. It is an alphabet book jam-packed with amazing detailed illustrations of animals, and teamed with a short poem featuring words beginning with each letter. Every page contains loads of animals and objects to spy, which is wonderful to keep children and parents a-like happily engaged. There is also a picture of a boy to be found on every page, which just so happens to be a picture of Graeme Base as a child. Animalia has been honored and awarded numerous times – rightly so!

After celebrating its 20th aniversary, Animalia has now become a television series based on the book, which airs in Australia, Canada, England (BBC) and the United States (PBS).

Links:

Animalia TV website.

TV Review – Animalia – The New York Times.

Interview with Graeme Base at RIF Reading Planet.

Animalia DVD Press Release – by David Lambert, at TVShowsonDVD.com.

2008 Animalia Coloring Calendar

Animalia – Television Series – a post by Yvonne Russell, at Grow Your Writing Business.

Alphabet

Bianca Schulze — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:26:22 +0000

Alphabet

by Matthew Van Fleet

Reading level: Baby-Preschool

Hardcover: 20 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (April 8, 2008)

If you are familiar with Matthew Van Fleet’s New York Times Bestselling book Tails, and you love it, you will not be disappointed with his latest book, Alphabet. It is a sensory delight with its lift-the-flaps, touch-and-feels, and scratch-and-sniff pages. The book is so well made that you can let your toddler go to town pulling and pushing this alphabet masterpiece. From the bouncing kangaroos to the beautiful blue dragonflies, there’s something in this book for everyone. And those who need an extra challenge will enjoy spotting the four plants and animals that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Alphabet is a beautiful book to have and to give as a gift!