Picture Books

Peaceful Girl and I have read 5 fantastic picture books recently. 

Our rundown in no particular order:

1.  Front Porch Tales & North Country Whoppers (2007) by Tomie DePaola:  This is a homegrown book just waiting to be read aloud.  The language is fun and sleepy little girl was begging for more as we  made our way through the 10 little folk tales and tall tales.  Her favorite was "Big Gertie and Love at First Sight" which begins:  If ya are ever in Weston, Vermont, and ya drive north through the village on Route 100, you'll come to the Greendale Road on yer left.  The beginnin' part is paved, but as soon as ya git to the unpaved part, you'll be drivin' into the Green Mountain National Forest. 
Once you there you meet the lumberjacks and their cook, Big Gertie, who is "BIG and TALL and BIG-BONED and is a distant cousin of the Bunyon family.  Big Gertie is a good cook but overworked and the lumberjacks find a great way to help her.  Fabulous pictures add to the tales as well.

2. A Young Dancer; The Life of an Ailey Dancer(2009) by Valerie Gladstone, photographs by Jose Ivey:  This book followers a beautiful young dancer, Iman Bright, an Ailey student.  Iman balances dance with school work and violin lessons.  Easy-to-read so young readers will love discovering all it takes to be a well-rounded dancer.  The photos are often full page spreads, giving the feel of being right there with Iman.  Alvin Ailey Dance site.

3. Budgie and Boo (2009)by David McPhail:  I love David McPhail's The Teddy Bear and always enjoy using it as a read aloud at the library.  Kids really relate to this very compassionate tale.  This new one has two fantastic characters, Budgie is a bear and Boo is a bunny.  They both love to garden; Boo grows vegetables and Budgie grows flowers.  This one's message is simple; isn't it wonderful to have a special friend! 

4. Imogene's Last Stand (2009) by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter:  This is the cutest elementary historical fiction book with a very high-spirited heroine.  Imogene has always loved  history and works hard to clean up the Liddleville Historical Society so others can come and visit.  Instead, the mayor decides to raze the historical house and Imogene fights back.  Full of spunk, Imogene teaches the whole town a lesson is what's really important. 

5. Fancy Nancy; Poet Extraordinaire! (2010)by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser: Peaceful Girl has told me a few times that she is "beyond" Fancy Nancy and has moved on to other reading materials.  Hmmm, that is until her grandmother brought her this one!  See little girl loves poetry, thanks to her amazing 1st grade teacher.  This one brought out all the stops as the other Nancy books do with all that wonderful word play focused on creating poetry.  I think come April I might have to create my own Palace of Poetry in our library!  Fancy Nancy has her own website-click here!

All 5 picture books rate

 5/5 peaceful stars

Highly Recommended-Elementary