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The Year of the Picture Book – Freight Train by Donald Crews

the1stdaughter — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:30:14 +0000

Freight Train by Donald Crews

Clear bright illustrations show all the cars of a train bringing the reader the excitement of movement through day and night, country and city.

Winner of a Caldecott Honor in 1979.

There’s also an iPhone Book app for Freight Train that incorporates the sequel, Inside Freight Train, as well. Take a look at the book trailer:

Pick Up Freight Train by Donald Crews:

Interested in learning more about our feature “The Year of the Picture Book“? Please check out our opening post and be sure to leave your recommendations as well as links on that post. Thank you so much for your participation!

The Year of the Picture Book – A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. and Erin E. Stead

the1stdaughter — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:30:18 +0000

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead

THE BEST SICK DAY EVER and the animals in the zoo feature in this striking picture book debut.

Friends come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In Amos McGee’s case, all sorts of species, too! Every day he spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it’s time they returned the favor.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee was the 2011 Bank Street – Best Children’s Book of the Year and the winner of the 2011 Caldecott Medal.

Take a look at this very neat video from Erin Stead about creating this fantastic book:

Pick Up A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead:

The Year of the Picture Book – Nothing Like A Puffin by Sue Soltis

the1stdaughter — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:30:59 +0000

Nothing Like A Puffin by Sue Soltis and Illustrated by Bob Kolar

A puffin is an amazing creature. It’s completely unique and one-of-akind. A ladder is nothing like a puffin. A house is nothing like a puffin. A newspaper is nothing like a puffin. . . . But wait! Who would have guessed? Could these things be more alike than you think? Young children will love following this mischievous puffin in an entertaining exercise in creative classification– and are guaranteed to start looking at everyday things in a whole new way.

There’s nothing like this book! Bold, charming artwork enlivens a fun and clever game of compare-and-contrast for curious kids and puffin lovers alike.

We’ve been reading this one for a few weeks now and will be reviewing it soon, but I had to mention it. It’s fantastic! What I should point out is that to many of you the illustrations may seem familiar and there’s good reason…Bob Kolar! He’s illustrated some of our very favorite books including the book, Alpha Oops! H is for Halloween by Alethea Kontis, which we reviewed not too long ago. If you loved his other illustrations you certainly won’t want to miss this one either! Take a look at a few of his others:

Pick Up Nothing Like A Puffin by Sue Soltis and Illustrated by Bob Kolar:

The Year of the Picture Book – Henry in Love by Peter McCarty

the1stdaughter — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:30:29 +0000

Henry in Love by Peter McCarty

Henry is a bit of a dreamer and not much of a talker.Then there’s Chloe, who says what she thinks and knows how to turn a spectacular cartwheel.
This is the story of how one blueberry muffin makes all the difference.

This is our favorite of Peter McCarty’s books, which is why I choose it, but please don’t let that stop you from picking up one of his other fantastic picture books:

Soon to be released is his sequel to Henry In Love simply titled, Chloe. I’ve already had the privilege of reading it and I’ll tell you, it’s marvelous! You will want to read it as well as this one, I’m positive!

Pick Up Henry in Love by Peter McCarty:

Book Review: Bizzy Bear – Fun on the Farm by Benji Davies

the1stdaughter — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:30:11 +0000

Bizzy Bear: Fun on the Farm by Benji Davies
Published by Nosy Crow
Pages: 8
Ages: 1 and up
Buy It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Powell’s Books | Indiebound | Book Depository
Publishers Summmary:

Push and pull the sliders!
Introducing Bizzy Bear, the busiest bear on the block! With chunky sliders to push and pull, these robust little board books are perfect for active toddlers. Rich in visual detail and with touches of humor, they are set to become firm favorites in the family library. Bizzy Bear’s off to lend a hand on the farm. Toddlers can help him count the ducks, feed the goats, and f ind the eggs before he waves bye-bye.

Littlebug Crows: “Bizzy Bear is the best! It would be super neat to work on a farm all day with all the animals everywhere. My favoritest would be the kitty I think, but the doggies and the cows are neat too.

“Oh! I think the rooster is the funnest page! He pops up and then you see the baby chickies, the mouse and the mamma chickens. At the very end the farmer waves goodbye on his tractor. Bizzy Bear is super cute and his day on the farm is the bestest!”

Mom’s Two Cents: Bizzy Bear is ready for a day on the farm! He’s planning to visit the ducks, feed the sheep, collect the eggs and have a fun day around all of the animals that can be found in this exciting place. Follow along and move the pieces as Bizzy Bear spends his day having fun on the farm.

Before I knew these were interactive board books I fell in love with Bizzy Bear. Isn’t his little face simply adorable?! The illustrations for this series happen to be one of my absolute favorites and they’re so appealing to little kiddos. When the first two books arrived Littlebug was instantly in love with Bizzy Bear. She pulled and pushed and watched as he made his way around the farm and it’s inhabitants. It was wonderful to see her interact with the book almost before I had any opportunity to even do so myself and once we could sit down and read it together her face just lit up.

One of the most impressive aspects of the Bizzy Bear: Fun on the Farm board book is it’s actual sturdiness. That may seem odd, but if you’ve ever been around a destructive toddler the last thing you want to give them is an incentive to rip a book apart by providing things to pull on. Well, in the case of the Bizzy Bear board book series the quality is so impeccable that it’s extremely difficult for a toddler to rip it apart, not to mention they most likely won’t want to because they’ll enjoy it so much. That being said, they may still rip and pull but hopefully they’ll only manage to pull the ducks out, “one, two, three.”

Bizzy Bear: Fun on the Farm by Benji Davies is another delightful title from publisher Nosy Crow that will have toddlers giggling with joy and parents enamored with a very cuddly looking character. An interactive day on the farm with pull, push and turn tabs made in such a way that strong toddlers will have a difficult time pulling apart, makes this not only a visually appealing read but physically fun as well. Bizzy Bear is just the sort of character toddlers love to interact with and carry with them where ever they go. This is a fun day on the farm that won’t be soon forgotten and certainly one to be shared with the little ones in your life!

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 1 to 3. Introduce your toddlers to an interactive push & pull series they won’t soon forget. Perfect for “little paws”!

Here’s a look at this delightful book as it’s read to two young kiddos:

Also available as a marvelous iPad & iPhone app! Look for our review of that coming in the next couple of days!

Today’s post is part of our month long celebration of all things Nosy Crow. Make sure to stop by the Nosy Crow site for more information about this title and more. For more information about our Book Publishers 101 feature take a look at this month’s opening post.

Also be sure to enter our Nosy Crow Giveaway for a chance to win a copy of this book as well as many other fantastic titles by Nosy Crow!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Nosy Crow, for coordinating many of this month’s features and reviews! Connect with them on Twitter and on Facebook!
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our various affiliate relationships.

The Year of the Picture Book – A Place for Fish by Melissa Stewart

the1stdaughter — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:30:14 +0000

A Place for Fish by Melissa Stewart and Illustrated by Higgins Bond

This fact-filled, colorful look at the amazing world of fish includes a call to action to protect these beautiful creatures.

In this simple introduction to fish and ecology, Melissa Stewart shares with young readers the behavior and beauty of fish and describes specific ways people can help protect them and their natural habitats.

Children learn basic facts about fish, including where they live, what they eat, and how they benefit plants and other animals. Sidebars throughout the book contain information on human action that has harmed fish and on the many ways people can protect threatened fish populations, such as by preserving reefs and other marine habitats and by restricting overfishing in sensitive areas. Pointers on how youngsters can help fish in their own community are also included.

Stewart offers children a glimpse into the interconnectedness of our world and shows how the actions of one species can inadvertently harm another. Bond’s colorful, realistically detailed watercolor illustrations highlight the diversity of fishes and their habitats-from the Lahontan cutthroat trout in Nevada’s lakes to the spotted trunkfish native to Florida’s coral reefs.

Our family happens to be huge fans of Melissa’s writing and the Turkeybird especially loves all the little facts & details he learns while reading her wonderful books. Make sure to read our reviews for A Place for Fish as well as the double review for A Place for Birds & A Place for Frogs. Oh, and you don’t want to miss our 20 Question Interview with Melissa and the Turkeybird!

Pick Up A Place for Fish by Melissa Stewart and Illustrated by Higgins Bond: