Picture Book of the Day – Page 9

Norman, Speak!

Norman, Speak!
by Caroline Adderson (Author) and Qin Leng (Illustrator)

Booktalk: A boy and his family who adopt a dog that just can’t seem to learn the things other dogs do. Norman won’t respond to commands. He doesn’t even know his own name. During a chance encounter with another dog owner in the park, the family is very surprised to learn the reason for Norman’s confusion; he “speaks” Chinese instead of English! And so the family enrolls in a language class…

Snippet:
We went over to the man. He was talking to both dogs, and both dogs were listening. We didn’t understand a word he said.
Then he turned to us and asked, “Is this your dog?”
“Yes,” we said.
He laughed. “Your dog understands Chinese. Did you know that?”

Imani’s Moon

Imani’s Moon
by Janay Brown-Wood (Author) and Hazel Mitchell (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Imani wants to touch the moon. She is eager to achieve something great, just like the heroes do in the stories Mama tells her each night. But how can a tiny girl soar so high in the sky?

Snippet:
“Look at tiny Imani!” the other children teased.
“She’s no higher than a lion cub’s knee!”
“Careful,” they called to her.
“Don’t let the meerkats stomp on your head!”
“Mini Imani! You’ll never accomplish anything!”
Day in and day out, the children teased her, and Imani began to believe them.
Every night, Imani’s mama lifted her spirits with stories. This night, Mama told her of Olapa, goddess of the moon who fought a great battle against the god of the sun and triumphed.

Vibrations Make Sound

Vibrations Make Sound
by Jennifer Boothroyd (Author)

Booktalk: Young readers will learn how vibrations make sound that we can hear with simple text for beginning readers.

Snippet: Sound is what we hear.

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

The Hero In You

The Hero In You
by Ellis Paul (Author) and Angela Padron (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Meet thirteen real-life American heroes from Chief Joseph to Rosa Parks with a song, facts, and a famous quote for each in this picture book collection of song lyrics with a music CD.

Snippet:
THE HERO IN YOU
Everybody’s got a story
of all their troubles, all their glories
Tell me yours, you cannot bore me
I love to listen to you

All your bumps and all your scratches
All your holes and all your patches–
It’s you! It’s true! You have no matches
There’s a hero in you

Hear Ellis Paul sing the title song!.

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up will be hosted by The Poem Trail.

Cast Away on the Letter A: A Philemon Adventure

Cast Away on the Letter A: A Philemon Adventure
by Fred (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: On an ordinary day in the countryside, Philemon falls into a well on his father’s farm and lands . . . on the Atlantic Ocean — literally on an A-shaped island complete with unicorns, centaurs, and exploding clocks. He begins a wild and whimsical journey home through a fantasy world as original as Alice’s Wonderland, as richly imagined as Little Nemo’s Slumberland, and as exciting to explore as Oz.

Snippet: From the TOON BOOKS

I’m Brave!

I’m Brave!
by Kate McMullan (Author) and Jim McMullan (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Meet a brave fire engine at work!

Snippet: In position now..
Chocks? Under my wheels!
Hydrant wrench? Open the valve!
Twin connector? Double supply!
Pump? Gimme pressure!
Nozzles? Get ready!

The Soda Bottle School

The Soda Bottle School
by Laura Kutner (Author), Suzanne Slade (Author) and Aileen Darragh (Illustrator)

Booktalk: In a Guatemalan village, students squished into their tiny schoolhouse, two grades to a classroom. The villagers had tried expanding the school, but the money ran out before the project was finished. No money meant no wall materials, and that meant no more room for the students. Until they got a wonderful, crazy idea: Why not use soda bottles, which were scattered all around, to form the cores of the walls?

Snippet: The empty bottles weren’t strong enough to build a wall, so students stuffed the bottles with trash to create eco-ladrillos. Using small sticks, they shoved old chip bags, grocery sacks, and plastic trash into the bottles.

See how they made the bottles into eco-ladrillos and built a wall.

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

By Day, By Night

By Day, By Night
by Amy Gibson (Author) and Meilo So (Illustrator)

Booktalk: In this picture book poem, we see people all around the world do the same things in different ways— work and play, laugh and cry, and wonder why.

Snippet:
We’ve work to do and loads to bring
and tales to tell and songs to sing.

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up will be hosted by Jama’s Alphabet Soup.

Frank!

Frank!
by Connah Brecon (Author, Illustrator)

Booktalk: Try as he might (or might not), Frank is a bear who is always late. And when he starts school, the trouble really begins.

Snippet:
Things really begin going wrong when Frank started school.

On the first day, Frank didn’t arrive until everyone had gone home.

See the book trailer.

Toucan Can!

Toucan Can!
by Juliette Maclver (Author) and Sarah Davis (Illustrator)

Booktalk: Enjoy this mad-cap rhyme as Toucan demonstrates all the things he can do! Can you do them too?

Snippet:
Toucan can do lots of things!
Toucan dances!
Toucan sings!

This week’s Poetry Friday Round-up will be hosted by Writing the World for Kids.