Month: February 2012

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A Dress for Me!

I have a confession to make:  I live in an all male household. Yes, even the cats are boys. Sometimes I really, really need a “girly-girl” fix. The new picture book A Dress for Me! by Sue Fliess and illustrated by Mike Laughead is a perfect anecdote to all the maleness that surrounds me.

If you remember the fast-paced romp Shoes For Me! you know what to expect when Hippo goes on a shopping adventure. Told in flawless rhyme, this time Hippo is search of a new dress for school.

“Should we shop now?”

I say “Yes!”

Mom says I can choose

a dress!

Sometimes shopping is not an easy task, however. There are so many choices. Will Hippo ever find the right one?

Hearing and reading rhyming text is so important for language development, and I love the vocabulary introduced in this book. A Dress for Me! is a perfect book for the budding fashion designer or shopping diva, but also for anyone that has faced a challenge and wasn’t sure they could overcome it.

Some fun things to do to accompany the book:

1. Design a dress or other doll clothing

Gather:

  • Dolls or action figures
  • scraps of cloth
  • ribbons, colorful yarn
  • lace
  • beads
  • chenille
  • scissors
  • glue
  • small safety pins (optional)
  • sewing supplies (optional)

Drape the scraps of cloth around the dolls to get ideas. Skirts can be simply tied about the waist like a sarong. Adding a belt of ribbon, yarn or lace can cinch on dresses or tops. Cut holes in cloth to create arm holes. Most children will need little guidance once they get the idea.

No sewing is really needed, but patterns are available free online if you want to extend the activity further.

Even the leftover scraps from the dining room drapes look great on a doll.

2. Come up with your own poem about a shopping trip, or another adventure.

3. Plan a special shopping trip with your favorite little shopper.

Have fun!

Hardcover: 24 pages
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Childrens Books (March 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0761461485
ISBN-13: 978-0761461487

Review based on an arc supplied by publisher,

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Isabella: Girl on the Go

Have you discovered the Isabella picture books by Jennifer Fosberry and illustrated by Mike Litwin yet? There’s a new addition to the series coming out this month, Isabella: Girl on the Go.

Isabella is a purple-haired girl with an out-of-this-world imagination and boundless energy. In the course of a single day she takes a trip around the world and tries on different roles while never leaving her own back yard. During her adventure, she visits many famous places while “the father” helps add vocabulary and transitions from the Eiffel Tower to the Great Wall of China to Chichén Itza to the Statue of Liberty.

Mike Litwin’s equally imaginative illustrations add depth and humor. See how he creates an illustration step-by-step in this video. Fascinating!

In the back matter is a lovely synopsis of each of “the places that changed the world” that she visits with a small color photograph of the real structure, as well as a description of the jobs or roles she tries out. It is a great addition for discovering more when the questions start coming.

Isabella is going on a book tour starting next week. Check the Isabella:  Girl on the Go Tour for locations of events, a downloadable activity kit and a passport. If you are going to be in Arizona, you might want to catch Jennifer Fosberry at Changing Hands Bookstore’s Story Time Thursday March 1st, 2012 from 10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Let me know if you are going, and maybe I’ll see you there.

Reading level: Ages 4 and up
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (February 21, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402266480
ISBN-13: 978-1402266485

Book was provided by publisher for review purposes.

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Nonfiction Monday Gathering

Welcome to the February 13, 2012 Edition

of Nonfiction Monday!

Tomorrow, February 14, is a big day in the children’s book world. First of all, it is International Book Giving Day. Will you be participating?

It is also a special day because (drumroll please) the Cybils 2011 winners will be announced. Do you have a favorite nonfiction picture book or MG/YA that you are hoping will win?

We are celebrating and commemorating a number of events this week. Look for books for Black History Month, President’s Day, 200 Years of Charles Dickens and even National Children’s Dental Health Month. Thank you to everyone who participated.

(Note:  Title links go to the review posts, blog links go to the home page of the blog.)

For Black History Month, Jeanne has Back of the Bus by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Floyd Cooper at True Tales & A Cherry On Top.
Jeff at NC Teacher Stuff reviews an account of how human error led to disaster in The Great Molasses Flood: Boston, 1919 by Deborah Kops.
At her blog, A Teaching Life, Tara shares four books, three of which are picture books that commemorate Black History Month.
Jama says, “I’m sharing my love for Maira Kalman’s Looking at Lincoln,” today at Jama’s Alaphbet Soup in honor of President Lincoln’s birthday.
Myra tells us, “In GatheringBooks, Fats did a review of Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant that Ever Lived by Ralph Helfer – said to be perfect for Valentine’s Week. “
The team of Louise and Cathy have There Goes Ted Williams: The Greatest Hitter That Ever Lived
by Matt Tavareson on  The Nonfiction Detectives blog today. The book is being released tomorrow and they are offering a giveaway.
Ms. Yingling says, “For Black History Month, I have a review of Cynthia Levinson’s We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March” at Ms. Yingling Reads.
Andrea at RovingFiddlehead Kidlit reviews Baby Mammoth Mummy Frozen in Time! by Christopher Sloan, with Bernard Buigues.
Doret is in with Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by James E. Ransome, reviewed at The Happy Nappy Bookseller. (James Ransome taught himself to draw. It’s an incredible story).
At Booktalking, Anastasia highlights Rosa’s Bus by Jo S. Kittinger and illustrated by Steven Walker, another perfect choice for Black History Month.
Jennifer compares a selection of books on recycling at Jean Little Library. See what she found out.
Maeve wrote a post to celebrate the bicentenary of Charles Dickens at Yellowbrickreads.
Missing the real stuff, Even in Australia reviewed two nonfiction books about snow. (Turns out the blogger is actually from NYC, check her story).
Deborah reviewed Arctic Wolf by Laura DeLalb at The Swimmer Writer. She says, “this picture book takes the reader on a visit to two biologists who study the arctic wolf in its native habitat.” I’ll bet they were not missing snow.
At All About the Books with Janet Squires, Janet has selected If I Ran for President written by Catherine Stier and illustrated by Lynne Avril, right in time for President’s Day.
Heidi has a review of Uri Shulevitz’s How I Learned Geography at Geolibrarian. It is based on Shulevitz’s childhood memories of World War II.
Lisa is featuring Meltdown! The Nuclear Disaster in Japan and our Energy Future – released just in time for the one year anniversary – at Shelf-employed.
Sherry reports, “We read Africa Is Not a Country by Margy Burns Knight and Mark Melnicove,” at Semicolon Blog.
At Apples with Many Seeds, Tammy looking at a series of books that show how different cultures have contributed to different technological advancements.
For National Children’s Dental Health Month, Allison has reviewed Melvin the Magnificent Molar, by Julia Cook and Laura Jana, MD at Better With A Book.
Larry Dane Brimner booktalks Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene “Bull” Connor at Nonfiction Book Blast.
Let’s not forget Step by Step Experiments With Plants by Shirley Duke at Shirley’s Simply Science Blog.  Be sure to go see what great books Shirley has been writing.
At Wrapped in Foil we have The Great Molasses Flood: Boston, 1919 by Deborah Kops with a related hands-on science activity at Growing With Science.

Hope you have a

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by Booktalking to see who is hosting each week.