A Fox Found a Box by Ged Adamson

Fox find a mysterious box that makes music. It keeps all the forest animals entertained until one day it stops working. What will the animals do?

Thoughts: A delightful story with a surprising end. This will be a great addition any storytime. The watercolor illustrations suit the story and Adamson makes good use of white space and different layouts. My favorite illustrations are dreamy music, rock out, and beautiful view. This book would pair well with The Thingamabob by Il Sung Na.

Themes: Forest Animals, Foxes, Boxes, Music

(Schwartz & Wade Books, 2019.)

The Thank You Letter by Jane Cabrera

This story opens with a party and ends with love.

Thoughts: Such a sweet book and it's about one of my favorite things...mail! Grace's thank you letters are perfect and funny. They really sound like a child wrote them. I can't wait to use this book for storytime. The illustrations are colorful with bold, black outlines. I especially like the end papers with their many envelopes. This is a book to encourage writing, thankfulness, and love.

Themes: Mail, Birthdays, Love, Give Thanks

(Holiday House, 2019.)

Dinothesaurus: Prehistoric Poems & Paintings by Douglas Florian

Witty poems present readers with eighteen different dinosaurs as well as reflections on the beginning and the end of dinosaurs.

Thoughts: I had so much fun sharing these poems with first and second graders in "Dinovember." The poems are witty and often tongue-in-cheek. I love that the poems and illustrations match so well. That's the beauty of the author and illustrator being the same person. My favorite poems are Iguanodon and Stegoceras. This book pairs well with Prehistoric Actual Size by Steve Jenkins.

Themes: Dinosaurs, Poetry


(Beach Lane Books, 2009.)

One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller by Kate Read

It starts with one fox and ends with one fox. What happens in the middle might surprise you.

Thoughts: I shared this book recently during my number storytime. I prefacing my reading by telling the kids it was a scary book and read it in a suspenseful voice. It's simple, but the story is fascinating. It reminds me a little of Plume by Isabelle Simler. The illustrations are lovely--bright and colorful with good use of white space. "Mixed media with collage and painting" might be one of my new favorite illustration styles. My favorite illustrations are sly eyes and 100 angry hens. The publisher's website has an activity kit that includes storytime ideas as well as activities for kids (counting, naming, coloring, and origami).

Themes: Counting/Numbers, Foxes, Chickens, Farms

(Peachtree, 2019.)

If Monet Painted a Monster by Amy & Greg Newbold

This new book from the Newbolds follows the same format as their previous two books. They wonder if  a specific artist painted a monster, what would it look like? Readers are introduced to sixteen artists and what their monsters might look like.

Thoughts: Another hit from this husband and wife team. Now that there are three books in the series, I can totally see the books becoming the idea behind an art program at my libraries. Monsters are another kid friendly topic and I can't wait to add this title to my monsters storytime in October. Again, I love that If Monet Painted a Monster includes an invitation to readers to create their own monsters. The back of the book includes a Meet the Artists section and Greg Newbold's Advice for Artists.

Themes: Monsters, Art

Artists Included:
Edward Hopper
James Abbot McNeill Whistler
Dorothea Tanning
Paul Cézanne
Maurits Cornelis Escher
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Giuseppe Arcimboldo
René Magritte
Henri Julien Félix Rousseau
Franz Kline
Frida Kahlo
Robert Louis Thompson
Thomas Hart Benton
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Helen Frankenthaler
Claude Monet

(Tilbury House Publishers, 2019.)

If da Vinci Painted a Dinosaur by Amy & Greg Newbold

Like their first book, the Newbolds again wonder if a specific artist painted a dinosaur, what would it look like? Readers are introduced to nineteen artists and what their dinosaurs might look like.

Thoughts: Another hit from the team of Newbold and Newbold. Their choice of topics, first snowmen and now dinosaurs, have so much kid appeal. The back of the book includes a Meet the Artists section, a Meet the Dinosaurs sections, and Greg Newbold's Advice for Artists. Like If Picasso Painted a Snowman, this second book also includes an invitation to the reader to create their own dinosaur. I haven't had a chance to use this book in storytime or schools yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

Themes: Dinosaurs, Art

Artists Included:
Leonardo da Vinci
Edgar Degas
Cassius Marcellus Coolidge
Katsushika Hokusai
Mary Cassatt
Grandma Moses
Frida Kahlo
Qi Baishi
Henri Matisse
Andy Warhol
Diego Rivera
Franz Marc
Aaron Douglas
Harrison Begay
Alma Woodsey Thomas
Mark Rothko
Loïs Mailou Jones
Marguerite Thompson Zorach
Edvard Munch

(Tilbury House Publishers, 2018.)

If Picasso Painted a Snowman by Amy & Greg Newbold

This book wonders if a specific artist painted a snowman, what would it look like? Readers are introduced to thirteen artists and what their snowmen might look like.

Thoughts: This is such a clever idea. It's a fun and sneaky way to introduce kids to art. I love the invitation at the end for readers to create their own snowman. I've used this book both in storytime and when I read to first and second graders. In both instances, I ask the kids if they like each painting. If I were to turn this book into a program, I would keep track of their responses. The back of the book includes a Meet the Artists section and Greg Newbold's Advice for Artists.

Themes: Winter, Snowmen, Art

Artists Included:
Pablo Picasso
Joseph Mallord William Turner
Roy Lichtenstein
GEorgia O'Keefe
Gustav Klimt
Claude Monet
Pablita Velarde
Jackson Pollock
Salvador Dali
Paul Klee
Marc Chagall
Georges Seurat
Piet Mondrian

(Tilbury House Publishers, 2017.)

Chomp: A Shark Romp by Michael Paul

Chomp introduces the youngest listeners and readers to a variety of sharks using comparisons or opposites.

Thoughts: I'm always looking for a good shark book to add to my storytime repertoire and this one fits the bill. Simple text paired with realistic, colorful illustrations makes this book fascinating. I can't wait to use it for my next shark storytime.

Themes: Sharks, Ocean


(Crown Books for Young Readers, 2019.)

Flannel Friday: Unicorns

I found a template on JoAnn to make these unicorns. Puff paint details.

I found two rhymes to use with these: one from Story Time Secrets and one from MotherReader.

Important Links:
Flannel Friday Blog/Website
Flannel Friday Tumblr
Flannel Friday Pinterest
Flannel Friday Facebook Group

Roar: A Dinosaur Tour by Michael Paul

Roar introduces the youngest readers and listeners to dinosaurs by offering comparisons among the different types of dinosaurs.

Thoughts: This book was perfect for my dinosaur storytime. During storytime we actually looked at the book twice. I read it though and then went back and identified the dinosaurs for the kids. They knew some of the more common ones. Simple text paired with colorful illustrations makes this a storytime hit. I like the illustrations so much that I'm tempted to use them as patterns for a felt set for my flannel board.

Themes: Dinosaurs

(Crown Books for Young Readers, 2018.)