June 15, 2009 at 9:12 pm (ages 4-6, ages 7-9, animal stories, funny stories, nature, picture books, poetry)
Title: A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk
Author: Deborah Ruddell
Illustrator: Joan Rankin
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
ISBN-13: 987-1-4169-4211-5
ISBN- 10: 1-4169-4211-4
Summary: Hilarious poetry about several different forest animals!
Butterfly’s Notes: Goofy illustrations accompany these cute poems about animals found in Eastern woodlands. The only out-of-place animal is the badger, but his poem is so adorable that you’ll forgive him right away!
Categories: ages 4-6, ages 7-9, animal stories, funny stories, nature, pictures books, poetry
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January 22, 2009 at 11:01 am (ages 4-6, ages 7-9, animal stories, funny stories, nature, picture books, profound messages)
Title: The Mixed-Up Chameleon
Author/ Illustrator: Eric Carle
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
ISBN: 0-690-04396-1
0-690-04397-X (lib. bdg.)
0-06-443162-2 (pbk.)
Summary: A chameleon at a zoo envies the traits of other animals and imagines what it might look like if it had the skills and body parts of other animals.
Butterfly’s notes: It may be fun to imagine, but at the end of the book the chameleon realizes it would be better off to remain a chameleon. Though it may still wish it had the abilities of other animals, the chameleon finds it is happy to be itself.
Categories: ages 4-6, ages 7-9, animal stories, funny stories, nature, pictures books, profound messages
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January 22, 2009 at 10:43 am (ages 4-6, ages 7-9, animal stories, funny stories, nature, picture books)
Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Author/ Illustrator: Eric Carle
Publisher: Philomel Books
ISBN: 0-399-20853-4
Summary: The story of a caterpillar from egg to adult and the various (silly) things he eats.
Butterfly’s notes: A clever layout makes this book enjoyable to kids. Also, the caterpillar is cute!
Categories: ages 4-6, ages 7-9, animal stories, funny stories, nature, picture books
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January 21, 2009 at 5:06 pm (ages 10-12, ages 7-9, funny stories, picture books)
Title: Some Birthday!
Author/ Illustrator: Patricia Polacco
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0-671-72750-8
Summary: Little Patricia is upset when her father seems to have forgotten about her birthday. Not only is there no evidence of presents, cake, or a party, her father suggests the family try to get a photograph of the Monster at Clay Pit Bottoms! Patricia is scared, but she tries to be brave and tough it out with her brothers until they come face-to-face with the Monster!
Butterfly’s notes: I love Patricia Polacco’s artistic style. This book is an ordinary story, but a funny and cute one.
Categories: ages 7-9, ages 10-12, funny stories, picture books
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January 20, 2009 at 5:49 pm (ages 4-6, ages 7-9, animal stories, funny stories, picture books, poetry)
Title: Dinner at the Panda Palace
Author: Stephanie Calmenson
Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
ISBN: 0-06-021010-9
0-06-021011-7 (lib. bdg.)
Summary: Mr. Panda ushers in guests to his restaurant, the Panda Palace. A crisis emerges when a small guest asks to be seated in a seemingly full house.
Butterfly’s notes: A good book for practicing counting and learning different types of animals. Each sucessive party admitted to the restaurant is a different species and number of animals.
Categories: ages 4-6, ages 7-9, funny stories, animal stories, picture books, poetry
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January 20, 2009 at 4:16 pm (ages 4-6, ages 7-9, animal stories, funny stories, picture books, profound messages)
Title: Horton Hatches the Egg
Author/ Illustrator: Dr. Seuss
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 0-394-80077-X
0-394-90077-4 (lib. bdg.)
Summary: Horton the Elephant vows to keep watch over an egg until the mother bird (Mayzie the lazy) returns. After many trials and difficulties, the egg starts to hatch, but who will be the true parent? Horton, who sat faithfully by the egg for months, or Mayzie who laid it?
Butterfly’s notes: This is one of my absolute favorite books to read aloud. There is something so unbelieveably loveable about the character Horton!
Categories: ages 4-6, ages 7-9, funny stories, profound messages, animal stories, picture books
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January 14, 2009 at 9:49 pm (ages 7-9, animal stories, funny stories, picture books)
Title: The Bee Tree
Author/ Illustrator: Patricia Polacco
Publisher: Philomel Books
ISBN: 0-399-21965-X
Summary: When Mary Ellen says she’s tired of reading, her grandfather knows just the thing to do- he takes her out to hunt for a bee tree. It’s a long, exciting trip, and along the way many different people are swept up in the action! In the end, Mary Ellen learns a valuable lesson about reading and honey.
Butterfly’s notes: How exciting it sounds to look for a bee tree! I am personally of the opinion that this book should be accompanied with a honey treat if at all possible.
Categories: ages 7-9, animal stories, funny stories, picture books
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January 10, 2009 at 10:02 pm (ages 4-6, ages 7-9, animal stories, funny stories, picture books)
Title: Lilly’s Big Day
Author/ Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
ISBN-10: 0-06-074236-4 (trade bdg.)
0-06-074237-2 (lib. bdg.)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-074236-2 (trade bdg.)
978-0-06-074237-9 (lib. bdg.)
Summary: Lilly has always wanted to be a flower girl even more than she wants to be a surgeon or a diva or a hairdresser. So when her teacher, Mr. Slinger, announces that he’s getting married, Lilly naturally assumes he’ll ask her to be the flower girl. But Lilly is in for a surprize when Mr. Slinger tells her that his niece, Ginger, will be the flower girl at his wedding. Will Lilly have to give up on her dream?
Butterfly’s notes: As always, Lilly exhausts the adults in her life with her energy and determination. Luckily, she continues to delight her readers.
Categories: ages 4-6, ages 7-9, animal stories, funny stories, picture books
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January 10, 2009 at 9:49 pm (ages 4-6, ages 7-9, animal stories, funny stories, picture books)
Title: Wemberly Worried
Author/ Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
ISBN: 0-688-17027-7 (trade)
0-688-17028-5 (lib. bdg.)
Summary: Wemberly worries about everything. When it comes time for her to go to school, she worries more than ever. Luckily, her new teacher Mrs. Peachum has just the solution.
Butterfly’s notes: Wemberly is an adorable character. She is every kid that was ever nervous about school. Kevin Henkes delivers great drawings as usual.
Categories: ages 4-6, ages 7-9, animal stories, funny stories, picture books
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January 10, 2009 at 9:40 pm (ages 4-6, ages 7-9, animal stories, funny stories, picture books)
Title: A Weekend With Wendell
Author/ Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
ISBN: 0-688-06325-X (trade)
0-688-06326-8 (library)
Summary: When bossy Wendell comes to visit for the weekend, Sophie can’t wait for him to leave (and neither can her parents)! But despite his wild energy, Wendell turns out to be a good friend.
Butterfly’s notes: Wendell is one of those characters parents will find funny even if kids don’t. He is bratty, energetic, and careless despite becoming a friend in the end.
Categories: ages 4-6, ages 7-9, animal stories, funny stories, picture books
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