Clancy with the Puck by Chris Mizzoni February 1, 2010

Clancy with the Puck by Chris Mizzoni

Canadian kids love books about ice hockey, and Clancy with the Puck is a favourite of many of my students. Mizzoni’s picture book tells the story of Clancy Cooke, a player who had been watched from a very young age, and who, ‘once he’d scored, (would) stop to flirt and brush his flowing curls’. Clancy is  traded to the Hogtown Maple Buds, a ‘sorry desperate team’. Of course, Clancy revolutionizes the Maple Buds, and scores the goal that gets them into the play-offs.  However, in their Stanley Cup final game, Clancy fails to score a vital penalty, and finds his star diminished. As the book concludes, we find Clancy still at the rink, but he is no longer the star of the team; now, he drives the Zamboni.

I like this picture book because it doesn’t have the happy ending one would expect. Students are always surprised that Clancy doesn’t score the winning goal, and that he is not the hero at the end. We often discuss whether or not Clancy is happy in his new role as the driver of the Zamboni (my students tend to think he is), and whether fame and fortune, and the associated expectations, can be difficult to deal with. I recommend this picture book for older elementary students, particularly for those who are obsessed with sports.

Other picture books focusing on ice hockey include The Farm Team by Linda Bailey, The F Team by Anne Laurel Carter, Where’s my Hockey Sweater by Gilles Tibo and, of course, the much-loved Canadian classic by Roch Carrier: The Hockey Sweater.

Pink! by Lynne Rickards January 22, 2010

Pink! by Lynne Rickards

I work in a girls’ school where all things pink-related are popular, and this picture book is no exception… Patrick the Penguin wakes up one morning to discover that he has turned pink overnight. Patrick is distraught – boys are not pink! Browsing through a book with his father, however, he does realize that some birds (and boys) ARE pink – flamingoes – and decides to set off to Africa. The flamingoes are very welcoming when Patrick arrives, but when they all nap standing on one leg, and later fly to the nesting ground, Patrick realizes that maybe this is not the right place for him either…

My students thoroughly enjoyed this picture book about the penguin who doesn’t quite fit in. We had a wonderful discussion about what may have turned Patrick pink, and about what we could do to make people who might feel excluded feel better. Of course, when Patrick returns to the South Pole his classmates realize how much they missed him, and that his pink feathers really make no difference at all!

The King has Goat Ears by Katarina Jovanovic January 20, 2010

The King has Goat Ears by Katarina Jovanovic

Every time the king has a haircut, a new barber is summoned to the palace to do the job, and is then never seen again. In fact, the barbers are then employed in the palace, because if they were to ever leave they would share the King’s secret: he has goat ears. When young barber Miro is summoned to the palace to cut the King’s hair, he compliments the king, and is allowed to go back into the town. Of course, he now has a burning desire to tell everyone his secret, and must be content to yell the secret into a hole. Unfortunately for Miro, when the shoots grow out of the ground in the spring they whisper ever so gently “the king has goat ears…the king has goat ears,” and the secret is out…

This picture book is Jovanovic’s first picture book for children, and is a retelling of an ancient Serbian folktale. The book is wonderfully illustrated by Philippe Beha; he uses collage and bold illustrations to enhance the story; the pictures of the king admiring his goat ears are lovely! The book is a great read aloud, and has been popular in my library with all grades. It works particularly well when discussing issues such as body image, secrets and loyalty with a class, and can also be enjoyed by a wide variety of readers.

Bradley McGogg, the Very Fine Frog December 11, 2009

Bradley McGogg, the Very Fine Frog by Tim Beiser

Bradley McGogg, the Very Fine Frog is a wonderfully old-fashioned picture book.  The high quality paper and lovely watercolour illustrations by Rachel Berman make this an enchanting read.  Told in rhyme, this is the story of Bradley McGogg, who lives rather happily in his hollowed-out log until one day he realizes he is getting thin, and he must go out to find some food.  He visits his neighbours, and is offered many mouth-watering delicacies, such as ‘cheddar with chives and a peppercorn dusting’, and ‘carrots covered in honey’.  Bradley is not impressed with these offerings, and makes his excuses to avoid eating the fancy foods.  When he finally arrives back home his log is filled with bugs – ‘His house was a-crawl with a pest infestation’ – which is exactly the kind of food he was looking for all along!

This book works exceptionally well as a read-aloud, and has been enjoyed by students in many different grades in my library. It would also work well as an introduction to a unit on healthy eating or ecosystems.

The Pirate and the Penguin by Patricia Storms December 3, 2009

The Pirate and the Penguin by Patricia Storms

Author Patricia Storms visited my school in November; her presentation on the life of a writer and illustrator, and her ‘how to draw cartoons’ workshop was a hit!  Although she has been an illustrator for many years, this is Storms’ first author credit.

Both Pirate and Penguin are fed up with their lives.  Penguin yearns for somewhere warmer, as well as some adventure, while Pirate is fed up of following treasure maps that don’t lead to any riches!  Storms’ illustrations are wonderful; her wide-eyed characters show great expression, and they enhance the story perfectly.

This is an excellent book for primary students, who will be captivated as they follow the adventures of the pirate and the penguin around the world.  Fans of The Pirate and the Penguin should also try Thirteen Ghosts on Halloween by Robin Muller – this book is illustrated by Storms – it’s a spooky tale set to the rhyme of The Twelve Days of Christmas.

The King’s Taster November 23, 2009

The King’s Taster by Kenneth Oppel

Kenneth Oppel is an award-winning Canadian author, who writes primarily for older elementary and middle school students.  However, his latest book, The King’s Taster, is a picture book aimed at younger students.

Max is a dog, and he is the king’s taster.  He tastes all of the king’s food, to make sure it is not poisoned, and eats any food that drops on the floor.  He belongs to the chef who, as Max proclaims, is the best chef in the kingdom.  However, when a new king is crowned, he refuses to eat the food, and pushes it away.  Max and the chef are horrified; they set out on a trip across the globe to find the finest foods to feed the new king, but he still refuses to eat.  Is there anything they can do to remedy the king’s loss of appetite?

This is an excellent book, but what makes it truly wonderful are the illustrations.  Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher have brought Oppel’s words to life; their pictures are full of energy and expression.  This book works well as a read-aloud – it is a funny story – but it is also ideal for a small group of children to share and to pore over.

Grumpy Bird November 19, 2009

 

 

 

Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard

 

Jeremy Tankard’s wonderful book, Grumpy Bird, is a favourite in my library. Bird is grumpy when he wakes up.  So grumpy, in fact, that he decides he is too grumpy to fly.  As he walks around his neighbourhood he meets up with his various friends including Sheep, Raccoon and Fox.  They soon help Bird forget he was ever grumpy in the first place.

The bold drawings, and simple repetition make this a great book for younger students, but older students and staff have enjoyed it too. It never fails to bring a smile to my face as I read it, and it is wonderful as a read-aloud.

We were lucky enough to host Jeremy for two author visits last year; his presentations were wonderful, and our students were enthralled.  Fans of Grumpy Bird will be thrilled to hear there is a sequel available; in Boo Hoo Bird, Bird recovers from a bonk on the head with a little help from his animal friends…

The Retired Kid November 17, 2009

The Retired Kid by Jon Agee

Brian is fed up of being a kid.  He goes to soccer practice, he walks the dog, and, of course, he goes to school every day. So one day he goes home, and tells his family that after eight years, he needs a break, and is retiring.  Brian heads to Florida, to the Happy Sunset Retirement Community, where he meets lots of interesting retired people, and participates in activities such as golf, long afternoon naps and drinking Wally’s prune juice smoothies. However, Brian becomes increasingly disillusioned with his new life.  One of his new friends advises him to think of the ‘good old days’, and as Brian reminisces about life at school he realizes that maybe it wasn’t as bad as he first thought…

I have shared this picture book with a number of grades, and it generates excellent discussions each time.  My students are enthralled by the story, and love the idea that Brian takes matters into his own hands, and does something to change his life.  We talk about the fun activities that you can do when you retire, and we also talk about all the fun things you can do at school, and it is an ideal book for sparking discussions with students about time management, and juggling activities.  This is a great read-aloud that would be an ideal introduction to a curriculum unit that focuses on community, or on family or seniors issues.