Dressed for Success

Ducks Don’t Wear Socks
By John Nedwidek
Illustrated by Lee White

Picture book time! Silly animals make for fun stories!

Summary
Adorable little Emily is quite the serious girl. When we meet her, she’s reading The Big Book of Serious Things. So when she meets Duck outside one day and notices he’s wearing socks (while riding a unicycle and juggling, no less), she points out to him that ducks don’t wear socks. But Duck just says he has cold feet and rides off!

Emily continues to encounter Duck around town, always observing him in a new item of clothing. Duck always has a reason for his attire. After a few of these meetings, Emily begins to feel a smile creep up her face, her serious demeanor wavering. And by the end of the book, Emily surprises Duck with an unusual outfit of her own!

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Rating: Up ‘Till Dawn

Duck is just the guy to make you smile. His responses to Emily's "Ducks don't ..." comments cracked me up, and I loved his adventurous nature. Kids and adults alike will be curious to see what Duck will show up wearing next, and the conclusion of the book is just perfect.

Recommended for all ages! For extra enjoyment, wear a pair of silly socks while reading!

Sit. Stay. Read.

Dog Loves Books

by Louise Yates

A book-loving dog. How can I not share this with you?

Summary

Dog is a book lover of the truest kind. He loves everything about books -- the smell, the feel, all of it! One day he decides to open a bookstore of his very own. But on opening day, no one is there. After two confused customers stop by, Dog begins to feel down. But then he realizes he is surrounded by books, and he begins to read. Dog forgets that he is alone and loses himself in the great stories between the covers! And when a real customer who wants a book comes in, he knows exactly what to recommend, since he's been doing so much reading.

Worth staying up past bedtime?

Rating: Early Morning Hours

As with all picture books, it’s easy to get through this in one sitting, but it still deserves a rating that would imply late-night reading! Dog is so sweet! I loved the art in this book and Dog's expressions reminded me of those I've seen on many a real pup. The message of the book is a great one: when you read, you can be transported to any time and any place, no matter what's happening right around you!

Recommended for ages 5 and up.

Oh, Bull!

The Story of Ferdinand

by Munro Leaf

illustrated by Robert Lawson

There are some books that I am happy to read over and over again, simply because the story or characters make me smile every time. The Story of Ferdinand is one of those books, and I have to admit that I've had days where I pull it off the shelf at the library simply to lose myself in its lovely simplicity for a few moments.

Summary

Ferdinand is not your typical bull. While the other bulls in his pasture like to run and jump and butt heads, Ferdinand is content to sit quietly under his favorite tree and smell the flowers. One day, a group of matadors come to check out the bulls and choose one for the big bullfight that's coming up in Madrid. An unfortunate incident involving a bee results in Ferdinand being carted off to Madrid, where he finds himself being cheered (and feared!) by all the excited citizens at the bullfight. However, when Ferdinand makes his entrance in the ring, he happily plops down to enjoy the scent of the flowers that all the women have in their hair for the occasion. His sweet nature gets him carted right back to his pasture, where he is free to be his sweet, peaceful self.

Worth staying up past bedtime?

Ferdinand is absolutely worth staying up for! The Story of Ferdinand is one of those books that just makes me smile, and I'm happy to read it anytime. The illustrations are fantastic - simple black and white drawings, but very expressive, and detailed enough to hold your eye. Ferdinand himself is a wonderful character, and a perfect example of how appearances don't indicate everything about someone.

Recommended for any age.

Eat Your Veggies ... Err, Garbage.

Gregory the Terrible Eater

by Mitchell Sharmat

I met Gregory many years ago. Had we actually been friends, I’m pretty sure we would have gotten along. You see, Gregory does not like to eat foods that are considered "normal" for him, and as young child, my eating habits may have been seen as a little odd, too (at least to other children, especially in our current world of sugary snacks and prepackaged everything). As I toddled about in my preschool world, I happily snacked on carrot sticks, raisins, crackers and peanut butter. Candy wasn't on my radar, just as garbage and other “typical” goat foods are not on Gregory’s.

Summary

Gregory's parents are worried about their son. Try as they might to tempt him with all sorts of yummy foods fit for a goat - tin cans, boxes, coats, pants - he has no desire to eat these "normal" foods. Instead, he asks for cereal, toast, orange juice, vegetables, eggs, fish, bread, and all manner of foods that his parents just don't understand. In desperation, they take him to the doctor, who says that picky eaters like Gregory must slowly learn to appreciate proper foods. So his parents add a shoelace to his spaghetti, some chopped up rubber heel in his string beans. He begins to enjoy the new foods, and progresses to eating things like his soup AND the soup can, and his ice cream AND the carton it came in. Gregory’s parents are pleased, and Gregory happily announces that he is “learning to like everything.”

Unfortunately, Gregory goes a little wild with his new array of food choices, and a binge follows. After a fitful night when he has agonizing dreams and stomachaches from the abundance of food he just ate - eight flat tires, a three-foot piece of barber pole, a broken violin, and half a car - he realizes that he must take his foods in moderation. His parents see the sense in this as well, and they all enjoy a balanced breakfast of scrambled eggs, two pieces of waxed paper, and orange juice.

Worth Staying Up Past Bedtime?

Yes, oh yes. Gregory’s tale is hilarious and a great lesson in learning moderation. Just as Gregory learned to not overindulge in any one food, kids will see that they should not do so either. If you will allow me to get on my soapbox for a moment, I will also say that I think stories like this are particularly relevant today, given the fact that so many children are subsisting on prepackaged, sugary foods that have little nutritional value. The illustrations are fun and colorful, and the story moves along at a comfortable pace. I would love to see this story used in preschool storytimes and as a way to open discussion about trying new things.

Reviews

This delicious book turns on its head what is healthy and what is junk food. It will not only delight young readers, but will hopefully have the intended consequence of teaching children and parents a lesson about improving children's' eating habits. - Children’s Literature

Nocturnal Adventures

Bats at the Library
by Brian Lies

Summary
After their nightly activities of foraging and flying, a group of bats is hanging around (literally!) feeling a bit bored and wondering what to do with the rest of their evening. When word comes that a window at the library has been left open, they quickly make their way over. Brian Lies Bats at the Library is true to its title, as the group spends a joyous evening exploring the shelves, discussing books, playing with the photocopier, and eventually sitting down to a story time reading that draws each bat in until daybreak.

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Yes! I throughly enjoyed this book. From hanging upside down with the bats as they debate the evening's activities, to splashing in the water fountain, to settling down for story time, I felt like I too, had visited the library with these excited creatures. As a lifetime library patron, I appreciated the sense of fun that author and illustrator Lies brought to the bats visit to the library, portraying it as a place for fun, learning, and exploration. The illustrations frequently incorporate the bats point of view, giving readers a new perspective, and the illustrations that accompany the story time reading are a wonderful montage of famous figures in children’s literature - all imagined with bats in the lead roles, of course.

Reviews
Lies’s (Bats at the Beach) much-lauded bats are back and the library’s got them—thanks to a window left open by an unsuspecting (or perhaps sympathetic) librarian. Although the young ones initially misbehave (they make photocopies of their bodies and turn the water fountain into a splash pool), Lies cuts them a little slack: “It’s hard to settle down and read/ when life flits by at dizzy speed.” Story time settles everyone (upside-)down, and soon the furry creatures are “completely swallowed up” in books, giving Lies comic license to bat-tify the signature visuals from classics like Make Way For Ducklings; Pippi Longstocking; Goodnight, Moon and Peter Rabbit. As with its predecessor, this book’s richly detailed chiaroscuro paintings find considerable humor at the intersection where bat and human behavior meet. But the author/artist outdoes himself: the library-after-dark setting works a magic all its own, taking Lies and his audience to an intensely personal place. - Publisher's Weekly

In the Library
Ask children what their favorite library activities are and what they would do if they found themselves there after dark.

Just as the bats imagined themselves in the roles of famous characters throughout literature, ask children who their favorite characters are and which ones they would be and why.

Module 1 / SLIS 5420
Aug. 31-Sept. 6