PPBF: The Smell of Wet Dog

Author/Illustrator: Barney Saltzberg
Publisher: Neal Porter Books, 2024
Age: 4-8
Themes: dogs, poems, drawings

Opening: I love dogs.

Summary: (from my library’s catalog) Part silly, part stinky, all special, this collection of 27 poems centered around human’s best friend features lively and loveable artwork and is perfect for dog lovers, those who love a dog lover or those who are simply dog-curious.

I picked this book because: I love to recommend poetry picture books especially for reluctant readers. Instant feeling of success with every poem, so no pressure! Kids poetry is often humorous and informative but also a great introduction to poetry in general, long before you develop a fear of not-getting-it from your HS English Lit teacher! (Some of mine were indeed inspirational!). This title is pure fun!

Resources/activities: what better invitation to write your own poems inspired by something you love and to draw something you love! Read more poetry books!

For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.

PPBF: A History of Information

Posted by julie rowan zoch

Author/Illustrator: Chris Haughton, addl. Text and research Loonie Park
Publisher: DK Publishing, 2024
Age: 3-7
Themes: information, communication, mass media

Opening: Minouche, Pasha, and Amir live peacefully in Myriam and Sami’s home.

Summary: (from my library’s catalog) This book is inspired by the ‘History of Information’ course created at the University of California, Berkeley by Paul Duguid and Geoff Nunberg.

I picked this book because: I am a fan of Haughton’s picture books (OH NO, GEORGE! Is my favorite!), and I was intrigued by the notion of a book about information for kids. I am opposed to books claiming to teach kids in one go how to discern between “facts” and “alternative facts”, so this approach with an emphasis on learning the history of communication and how important it is in our development of critical thinking. Bright, inviting, “easy to digest”, and definitely worth re-reading!

Resources/activities: this would be a terrific addition to a classroom shelf and to read with the class yet spread out over the school year; Each chapter could be divided for deeper research and research assignments.

For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.

PPBF: Non Stop

Posted by julie rowan zoch

Author/Illustrator: Tomi Ungerer
Publisher: Phaidon Books, 2020, orig. Diogenes, 2019
Age: 4-8
Themes: shadows, hope, survival

Opening: Birds, butterflies, and rats were gone. Grass and leaves had withered.

Summary: (from my library’s catalog) In this final masterpiece from the late Tomi Ungerer, Earth is devastated and empty. Everyone has escaped to the moon, except Vasco. Luckily, Vasco has his shadow to guide him, and he finds little green Poco, someone to care for and bring to safety. Nonstop dangers await Vasco and baby Poco at every corner, but Vasco’s shadow rescues and guides them through destroyed cities and apocalyptic landscapes to safety. It’s a timely, thought-provoking tale of friendship, trust, and hope.

I picked this book because: I read a post by Nick Bruel, author of the BAD KITTY series, in which he wrote: “I picked up a book last night that I had no idea existed until I’d seen it. “Non Stop” was Tomi Ungerer’s last picture book, and it is glorious. The setting is post apocalyptic. The mood is dreamlike. The tone is consistently tense. And yet I found this to be one of the most uplifting picture books I’ve come across in a while.

“Non Stop” features a character named Vasco whose face we never see as he’s guided by his own shadow through one perilous setting after another. Along the way, he encounters creatures, aliens perhaps, who he helps in the most selfless way. His acts of kindness are in contrast to the destruction that’s all around him. There are small clues as to what brought about the devastation Vasco has to endure, but Ungerer was smart enough not to make any messaging heavy-handed.

Simultaneously surreal and poetic, I wish I was brave enough to have created a work like this. It really shows how much of a master Tomi Ungerer was at his craft.”

I can only add that Ungerer’s illustrations are as fresh as any of his older work and equally as brilliant!

Resources/activities: read more titles from Tomi Ungerer. See this older post of mine with a big list.

For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.

PPBF: A Hundred Thousand Welcomes

Posted by julie rowan zoch

Author: Mary Lee Donovan
Illustrator: Liam Cho
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2021
Age: 4-8
Themes: cultures, languages, hospitality

Opening: Welcome, friend. Welcome. Dear neighbor, come in.

Summary: (from my library’s catalog) Introduces scenes of hospitality and the word for “welcome” in more than twelve languages and cultures. Includes apronunciation guide and information about the languages featured in the book.

I picked this book because: like most authors, I have always loved other languages and cultures. I have fond memories of pouring over an old French comic book of my father’s, hoping to understand it better the more often I looked! This book welcomes the reader to explore another family, another culture and language on each page. May there always be room for more books like this to bring the world closer together.

Resources/activities: research where each welcoming word comes from and find another to add to a personal list; borrow books from the library in a language you don’t speak – what can you guess from the illustrations?; ask a neighbor over for a chat or bite to eat, and ask them about their family heritage and customs.

For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.

😃 When you enjoy a book, please support authors and illustrators by posting reviews online.

PPBF: Tove and the Island With No Address

Posted by julie rowan zoch

Author/Illustrator: Lauren Solvoy
Publisher: Tundra Books, 2024
Age: 4-8
Themes: Tove Jansson, island-life, imagination

Opening: The Summer Tove turned seven, her family, as they did every summer, packed a boat with only what was essential and moved to an island with no address.

Summary: (from my library’s catalog) Tove and her family go to the island with no address every summer. After checking to make sure that everything in thecabin is exactly as it should be, young Tove sets off on an adventure. She finds some interesting salvage on thebeach, she visits the grotto and she offers to babysit her strange little friend’s five wild daughters. But when theweather takes a turn, Tove finds this task is more than she bargained for… Through Lauren Soloy’s brilliant art and storytelling, this imagined day on the island with no address pays tribute to Tove Jansson’s wild and beautiful imagination and explores both the exhilaration of adventure and the comfort of coming home.

I picked this book because: I am all about encouraging kids and their imaginations! And this one is not only a glimpse and homage into the author and artist’s young life, but an absolute celebration of all of the above. The illustrations are sumptuously atmospheric and certainly a ‘place’ where kids will love to explore, on the page and in their heads. Enjoy!

Resources/activities: read a few Moomin books, and then a few more; draw Moomins, create your own personal Moomin; discuss imaginary creatures then draw one!

For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.

😃 When you enjoy a book, please support authors and illustrators by posting reviews online.

PPBF: Miss Leoparda

Posted by julie rowan zoch

Author/Illustrator: Natalia Shaloshvili
Translator: Lena Traer
Publisher:! Enchanted Lion Books, 2024
Age: 4-7
Themes: animals, transportation, green-living

Opening: Miss Leopards slept in a tree.

Summary: (from my library’s catalog) When Miss Leoparda isn’t sleeping in her beloved tree home, she drives the bus, taking her animal friends around town on their animal business. Every day, all of the bus’s seats are taken … until the day something amazing and new appears: a little car that speeds off into the distance, leaving clouds of smoke in its wake. Intrigued, the bus’s passengers each get a car of their own, one by one, until the day that Miss Leoparda is the only one left on the bus.

I picked this book because: I was captured by the title AND the illustrations, but loved the way the content was delivered without being hit-em-over-the-head didactic. Deceptively simple storyline meets gorgeous textures and palette, and I secretly want to get stuck in a traffic jam with these characters!

Resources/activities: discuss mass transportation where you live, in places you’ve visited, even where improvements could be made; ride a bus!; draw yourself taking a preferred method of transportation.

For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.

😃 When you enjoy a book, please support authors and illustrators by posting reviews online.* (*snagged from my dear friend and critique-partner’s blog posts: HERE)

PPBF: The Den That Octopus Built

Posted by julie rowan zoch

Author: Randi Sonenshine
Illustrator: Anne Hunter
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2024
Age: 4-8
Themes: octopus, habitat, life cycle

Opening: This the ledge of sandstone and lime, layered with shells cemented by time, that shelters the den that Octopus built.

Summary: (from my library’s catalog) “The solitary and ingenious octopus is a master of disguise and invention, creating her den out of the objects of the ocean, from shells and rocks to tiny glass shards. Using creative methods of hunting and construction, the octopus prepares for the biggest task of her life: motherhood. With one last, poignant gesture of love, the mother octopussends her hatchlings on their way, starting a new cycle of life for the tiny offspring who face peril of their own. Offering deeply informative back matter, including an author’s note, a glossary, and fascinating “octo-knowledge” (did you know that octopuses have nine brains, including one in each of their independently operating arms?), this third in a series from author Randi Sonenshine and illustrator Anne Hunter continues the work of gently introducing children to the reality of the animal world.”

I picked this book because: I have loved experiencing this series as it has unfolded. Brilliant writing and sublime illustrations, again and again! I’m also glad the world has been learning so much more about creatures like the octopus and that today we have books that make the interest in them so accessible – and beautiful!

Resources/activities: visit an aquarium if possible (even if they don’t have octopuses!); read companion books, like Octopuses Have Zero Bones, by Richardson/Antinori; make fun paper crafts like this one pictured below:

For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.

PPBF: Spider in the Well

Posted by julie rowan zoch

Author/Illustrator: Jess Hannigan
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books, HC, 2024
Age: 3-6
Themes: spiders, wishing wells, newspapers

Opening: Once upon a time there was a newsboy.

Summary: (from the publisher) Breaking News: Wishing Well Broken! The townspeople of Bad Göodsburg are up in arms. With their beloved well busted, none of their important, generous, kindhearted wishes are coming true! Time to send that good-for-nothing Newsboy to investigate….

I picked this book because: of the cover! great eye-catcher, so bright, such a fun, graphic style. BIUT was one over by both the format – chapters – and the kind of tall tale I have been missing. Will make a terrific read aloud too!

Resources/activities: write some eye-catching headlines for a classroom newspaper, including art to match; make a newspaper based on a favorite fairy tale; recreate the characters with collaged paper.

For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.

In just 4 days my latest book will release! SOOO EXCITED!!! Check it out at the top of the post HERE

PPBF: Alya and the Three Cats

Posted by julie rowan zoch

Author: Amina Hachimi Alaoui, transl. Nathaniel Penn
Illustrator: Maya Fidawi
Publisher: Crackboom! Books, 2023
Age: 3-7
Themes: cats, infants, new baby

Opening: Minouche, Pasha, and Amir live peacefully in Myriam and Sami’s home.

Summary: (from my library’s catalog) Myriam’s belly is becoming rounder and rounder, like a balloon! Minouche, Pasha, and Amir, her three cats, are worried. How will their lives change with the arrival of baby Alya?

I picked this book because: I found this is such a wonderful way to introduce the apprehension and worry a young person might feel awaiting the arrival of a new baby through the eyes of three curious cats! The illustrations are warm and humorous with just the right amount of texture and detail to make you feel like one of the gang!

Resources/activities: give an anatomy lesson on a doll; teach how to hold, burp, and dress a baby; discuss how children feel about a new arrival – do your feelings differ from those of the cats?

For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.

PPBF: Pepper & Me

Posted by julie rowan zoch

Author/Illustrator: Beatrice Alemagna
Publisher: Hippo Park , 2024
Age: 3-8
Themes: falls, scabs, wounds

Opening: Yesterday I fell. I tripped on a cobblestone—and oof!

Summary: (from the publisher) When a little girl falls on the street, scraping her knee, her father tells her not to worry, that ‘a beautiful scab will form.’ But she does worry! The scab is not beautiful and it’s keeping her from bending her knee! When will it ever go away? By the time the scab–who she has named Pepper–falls off, something astonishing has happened: the girl has come to feel affection for the scab and has a hard time letting go.

I picked this book because: I’m an Alemagna fan and will pick up any book she makes! The use of color, the energy in her lines, expression in postures, and fun! This story is dear to my heart, as I remember well. The long, hot days of summer sitting on the old railroad tie in front of the Kelly’s house comparing scabs, leg and arm hair, and perhaps a few bruises. Big stuff in those days! Enjoy this experience with a lovable character and her new scab.

Resources/activities: Discuss what we can do to clean a wound after an accident, why we use creams and bandages, what the purpose of a scab is, and how to take care in keeping it clean. Of course you must compare who has the biggest, smallest, and which is in the most interesting spot!