Duck! by Meg McKinlay

"Duck!" yells Duck as he runs around the farm yard. The other animals don't take kindly to being called ducks. But they've misunderstood him. Can he make them understand in time?

Thoughts: Too funny! This book will be a great addition to my farm storytime. The other animals' grumpy attitudes only add to the hilarity of the story. The illustrations are soft colored and not overly detailed. My favorite illustration is when Duck says "I said DUCK!"

Themes: Farm, Ducks

Illustrated by Nathaniel Eckstrom. Candlewick, 2019. Review copy provided by publisher.

Pick a Pumpkin by Patricia Toht

Join a family as they pick out pumpkins to celebrate fall. Choosing is just the start. Turning the pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns is the best part.

Thoughts: A wonderful story with great rhythm and interesting illustrations. I enjoy that Pick a Pumpkin, like Pick a Pine Tree, celebrates a yearly family tradition. When I was a kid, I don't remember where the pumpkin came from, but I do remember it was our job (the kids') to draw the face on with a marker and then Dad would do the carving. My favorite illustrations are the jack-o'-lantern lit up and the cover. I can see this book becoming an annual tradition.

Themes: Fall, Pumpkins, Halloween

Illustrated by Jarvis. Candlewick, 2019. Review copy provided by publisher.

Flannel Friday: Ice Cream

I made this set several years ago from patterns I found on Making Learning Fun. It's a great set to use during a summer storytime or a food storytime. I like to use it with the Elephant & Piggie book Should I Share My Ice Cream? 

I have two cones and four different colors of ice cream. I use this set in a couple of different ways. I let each child add some ice cream or I made a pattern and the kids help me continue the pattern.

Important Links:
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Once Upon a Slime by Andy Maxwell

Wait, did that say slime? Isn't it supposed to say "Once upon a time?" Maybe we should read the story and find out what's going on.

What I thought: Too fun! Slime is so popular with kids right now. This is a longer story so I probably won't use it in storyime, but it was great to share with first and second graders. They had fun trying to figure out who was sliming everyone. A fabulous addition to my fairy tales outreach arsenal. The illustrations are colorful and fun. I like the different styles of illustrations and the use of white space.

Themes: Fairy Tales, Elementary

Illustrated by Samantha Cotterill. Little, Brown, and Company, 2018.

Fairy Fairy Tales by Esme Raji Codell

Once upon a time in a land filled with solar panels, shampoo, spaghetti, disco balls, pinatas, and television... Wait a minute! "Once upon a time" is how fairy tales start and I don't remember anything like that in the fairy tales I've read. Well...consider the possibilities.

What I thought: Fairy tales with a twist--how fun and imaginative! A simple addition phrased as a question opens up a world of possibility. Kids pick up quickly on the yes, no, and well, maybe. I had great fun sharing this book with storytime kids and elementary school students. You could also use this book with older kids to inspire creative writing. Chavarri's illustrations are bright, colorful, and detailed. Codell also did the same thing with nursery rhymes in Maybe Mother Goose.

Fairy Tales Mentioned: Three Little Pigs, Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Goldilocks

Themes: Fairy Tales, Elementary

Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri. Aladdin, 2011.

Flannel Friday: Lions

I made two sets of five lions, one big and one small, to add to my lions storytime. I used a coloring page as a template. The lions were made in three pieces: whole lion, mane, and face. I used puff paint to outline and add faces.

I used the big lions for a "Five lions" rhyme and for a piggyback of "Teasing Mr. Alligator."

I used the little lions with the rhyme "Five [insert animal] in the bathtub." 

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

The Princess and the Pit Stop by Tom Angleberger

Fairy tale characters and nursery rhyme characters are having a race. The princess is in last place, but she's determined to win. Can she do it?

What I thought: I love the mixture of characters and the placement of familiar/traditional characters in a fresh setting. The car race has definite boy appeal. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and expertly show movement. I had fun sharing this book with first and second graders in February.

Themes: Fairy Tales, Nursery Rhymes, Cars, Races, Elementary

Illustrated by Dan Santat. Abrams, 2018.

Sleep Tight, Snow White: 15 Bewitching Bedtime Rhymes by Jen Arena

Say good night with fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters in this charming bedtime book.

What I thought: A clever collection with gorgeous illustrations. I enjoyed the mix of fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters (Snow White, Red Riding Hood, Princess and the Pea, Goldilocks, Little Bo Peep, Cinderella, Little Miss Muffet, Prince Charming, Wicked Queen, Sleeping Beauty, Little Mermaid, Hansel and Gretel, Beauty and Beast, Jack and Jill, and Little Boy Blue). I love all the different textures in the illustrations and that they are so different from the Disney versions. I also appreciate that the characters have different races. My favorite illustrations are Snow White, Red Riding Hood, and Hansel and Gretel. I had great fun using this book for my fairy tales storytime in February. We looked for the wolf, counted sheep, and talked about the fact that "Bella" wasn't just a name. I look forward to using this book next summer when the CSLP theme is "Imagine Your Story."

Themes: Fairy Tales, Nursery Rhymes, Rhyming Books, Elementary

Illustrated by Lorena Alvarez. Knopf, 2017.