My pick for this week’s Perfect Picture Book Friday is a classic favorite “Corduroy” by Don Freeman.

 

 

 

 

Title: Corduroy Author/Illustrator: Don Freeman Publisher: The Viking Press a division of Penguin Books (1968) Scholastic Inc.

Ages: 3-7

Synopsis/Opening:

Corduroy is a bear who once lived in the toy department of a big store.

Day after day he waited with all of the other animals

and dolls for somebody to come along and take him home.

This book is about a little toy bear named Corduroy. He longs for a home of his own and a child to love him. He thinks that maybe it’s the missing button on his overalls. So he goes on an adventure inside the store to find a new button. It’s a sweet story of the longing for being loved and belonging somewhere.

From the publisher, Scholastic:  Don Freeman’s classic character, Corduroy, continues to stir the hearts and imagination of children and adults around the world. Published thirty years ago, this children’s book, in which a bear leaves the safety of his department store shelf in order to do almost anything to be adopted by a little girl, is one of the most endearing… and enduring in existence. Instilling the theme of hope and compassion, there’s no doubt that this beloved picture book will continue to be a favorite for each new generation awaiting to have their own “Corduroy” experience.

Born in San Diego, California, Freeman moved to New York City in the 1940′s to study art while making a living as a jazz trumpeter. He died in 1978, leaving his beloved audience with a treasury of classic children’s stories. Corduroy is a story that all children can relate to.

Themes:  Adventure, belonging, kindness/compassion/generosity, emotions, exploration, friendship, hope, love

Activities:

United Teaching Discoveries has a number of fun activities and guides

Scholastic has a teacher’s guide and activities

An idea for a home project would be to find an old toy and fix it up. Sew new clothes or find new clothes for it. Patch up the places it is worn.

Coloring Pages for Corduroy:

Twisty Noodle

Scribd

thefirstschool.ws

 

 

Why I love this book:  Well, besides the adorable illustrations, one can’t help but feel sadness for this little bear. We’ve all had favorite toys we’ve cast aside. Whenever I go to a store and see a sad little stuffed bear I always think of Corduroy. And yes, sometimes I do buy it It is a wonderful story of love and wanting to be loved. This story has a theme that we all can relate to.

Perfect Picture Book Fridays are a weekly blog event where participants review some of their favorite picture books. The posts are compiled on author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website. They are categorized by theme to help parents, educators and readers find the perfect picture book easily. To learn more, please visit Susanna’s site where you will find the complete PPBF’s library.

 

For this week’s Perfect Picture Book Friday I chose the Shel Silverstein Classic, The Giving Tree.

 

 

 

 

Title:  The Giving Tree

Author/Illustrator: Shel Silverstein

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (1964)

Ages: 7 and up (the Publisher has it listed for 10+)

Themes:  Growing up, cause and effect, friendship, giving, acceptance

Synopsis:

  Once there was a tree

And she loved a little boy.

And every day the boy would come

And he would gather her leaves

and make them

into crowns

and play king of the forest.

This is a delightful tale of the friendship and love of a little boy and his beloved tree. The tree is always there for the boy, all through out his years. It is a story of love and friendship told in the perfect way that Shel Silverstein was known for.

From the publisher:  Once there was a little tree … and she loved a little boy.

So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein.

Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk … and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave.

This is a tender story, touched with sadness, aglow with consolation. Shel Silverstein has created a moving parable for readers of all ages that offers an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another’s capacity to love in return.

Activities:

Shel Silverstein.com has a wonderful collection of activities, downloadables and even an app!

Unique teaching resources.com has some great ideas on using the book in the classroom

The Web English Teacher has some lesson plans

Easy Fun School is a homeschool site with neat ideas for use with the Giving Tree

Lesson Planet has a list of various lesson plans that help to: build ethical conscience, developing healthy snacks, learn poetry, etc.

Arbor Day.com has a wonderful program of giving the gift of a tree!

Arbor Day.com also has a link to volunteer to help plant trees in or near your community

Another wonderful resource at Arbor Day.com is the children’s activities page. Full of fun ideas for children and their families

Why I like this book:  I was reminded of this book when LeVar Burton read it during the World Read Aloud day on the Google Ed Google+ page. He read The Snowy Day and The Giving Tree. It was really wonderful! Most of you will remember LeVar as the host of the award winning PBS kids show, Reading Rainbow (And Star Trek The Next Generation and Roots!). Unfortunately, Reading Rainbow is no longer on the air, except maybe in rerun form. But, some exciting news that he shared was that Reading Rainbow is being reincarnated as an app! Kids will be able to use it for free. Such a great idea! Here is the video of LeVar reading as well as information on World Read Aloud Day and a Q&A with him:

The Giving Tree is a wonderful tale of growing up and the value of friendship. I really love the message of this book. Even though the reading is fairly simple, the concepts are a bit complex. So maybe that is why the publishers chose an older age bracket for it. I personally think younger children would enjoy it, but that, I guess, is up to the parent

Here is The Giving Tree movie I found on Youtube. It’s from 1973 and is narrated by Shel Silverstein.

 

 

Perfect Picture Book Fridays are a weekly blog event where participants review some of their favorite picture books. The posts are compiled on author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website. They are categorized by theme to help parents, educators and readers find the perfect picture book easily. To learn more, please visit Susanna’s site where you will find the complete PPBF’s library.

 

March 7, 2012 is World Read Aloud Day! Here is a great video from litworld.org .

And here is a video that I created of me reading one of my favorite picture books, Goodnight Moon.  I hope that you find a way to celebrate today and promote world literacy! Please visit Lit World for some great resources to help you, your school, or your community to promote literacy for everyone!

World Read Aloud Day 2012 – Goodnight Moon from Loni Edwards on Vimeo.

Thanks for watching my video!

 

First of all, Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss!  Hooray! PBS is having a marathon today of Cat In The Hat episodes. Check your local listings for times and channels. Also, be sure to pop on over to Seussville to enjoy fun and games. It’s also Read Across America Day! Go here for downloadables on how you can participate in this fun event.

 

© USPS

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 Now back to today’s other important business!

This week’s Perfect Picture Book Friday selection is a family favorite:  Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman

 

Title:  Go, Dog. Go!  Author/Illustrator: P.D. Eastman Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (June 12, 1966)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Beginning reading, humor, animals, colors, counting, concepts

Synopsis:  With the use of just 75 words, this book for beginning readers is a delightful story with dogs, dogs and more dogs!

Amazon writes:  Life lessons? Romance? Literary instruction? Go, Dog. Go! offers all this and more, wrapped up in one simply worded, warmly hued package… Not only will this book inspire peals of laughter in kids, it will also help them make the magical connection between those mysterious black squiggles on the page, and the words they hear and speak. 

The canine cartoons make an elementary text funny and coherent and still one of the best around.– School Library Journal.

Beginner Books was co-founded by Phyllis Cerf with Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), and Helen Palmer Geisel (wife to Dr. Seuss). The first in this line, was Cat in the Hat which was published in 1958.

Activities:

Here is a pdf of a flyer with all sorts of fun ideas for Go, Dog. Go!

And here is another pdf from Child’s Play.

Why I like this book:  Besides being a family favorite, I love the humor of this book:  “Do you like my hat?” ” I do not.” “Good bye.” “Good bye.”

The drawings are Suessical…is that a word?    But you know what I mean. The words are simple and catchy. Perfect for the beginning reader.  I love P.D.’s other books also, such as Are You My Mother?. You can tell he was a A protégé of Dr. Seuss. His books have that same whimsical look to them and fun writing.  You can also tell that he used to work for Disney.  His characters have a look to them that reminds me of the vintage animated Disney characters. This book is also available in a small board book which is perfect for tiny hands. It is a shortened down version of the original.

And for your viewing pleasure, here is a video I found on Youtube. It is adorable:

 3yr old Billy ‘reads’ Go, Dog. Go!

Perfect Picture Book Fridays are a weekly blog event where participants review some of their favorite picture books. The posts are compiled on author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website. They are categorized by theme to help parents, educators and readers find the perfect picture book easily. To learn more, please visit Susanna’s site where you will find the complete PPBF’s library.