It's World #giraffe Day! Here are five picture books to celebrate. . . #giraffe #worldgiraffeday #wildlife #africa #zoo #safari #nature #animals #conservation #giraffes #animal #worldgiraffeday2017 #giraffesofinstagramv#storytimecpr #picturebook

A little late but we couldn't let #juneteenth pass without sharing the 2015 #pala #carolynwfield nominated book, "Juneteenth for Maizie" by #floydcooper. . . . #juneteenth #family #love #community #juneteenth2017 #celebration #2017 #june #summer #history #blackgirlmagic #storytimecpr #picturebook

All is quiet this Saturday morning while thinks are being thought. #picturebooks #storytimecpr #chrishaughton

Exploring picture books with the word "library" in the title. #storytimecpr

November is Picture Book Month! Now that the feasting is finished, today’s pick is Turk and Runt: A Thanksgiving Comedy by Lisa Wheeler and Frank Ansley. #pibomo #picturebooks #storytimecpr

About the Book

From the Booklist review: “Funny from beginning to end, this hits every note smartly, from the oblivious parents' hopes for Turk, their multitalented son, to their less accomplished son, Runt's, clever asides. The last page, which shows the turkeys masquerading as snowmen for the Christmas rush, is a fitting finish. It's hard to imagine story and art working together any better than this. The watercolors move the action right along, and Ansley's got all the turkeys' expressions--pride, fear, horror--down pat. That's not easy when your subjects are, well, turkeys!”

Why We Like It

In the vein of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type  (Doreen Cronin) and Bob (Tracy Campbell Pearson), Runt shows mindfulness and determination, persistence and dedication, beyond his small size, saving his brother and his whole family from the typical fate of most barnyard turkeys. Readers will understand Runt’s antics right away, rooting for him as he thwarts each Thanksgiving threat, cheering when his family finally realize what’ s really going on, laughing at Runt’s family’s plan to survive the Christmas season. Ansley’s art is comical and action-oriented. Turk and Runt is an easy choice for story time and a fun favorite for shared reading

There Was  A Tree

About the Book

The cumulative folk song “And the Green Grass Grew All Around” goes to Africa in this lively picture book with bright, clear, colorful collage, double-page spreads that show a small boy with his mother in the African savanna, pointing at a hole in the ground, a spreading acacia tree, a branch, and a nest. The colorful borders include pieces of bright Kente cloth along with bands of geometric designs. Isadora uses rebus icons in each chorus, which are explained in a final list, a confidence building device for readers in the early literacy stage. Sheet music and the full text are available at the back making this book a complete resource for classroom use.. A bright and engaging addition to story hour standards appealing to young preschoolers as well as to older kids beginning to read.

Why We Like It

Rachel Isadora is an iconic name in the picture book format and her artwork covers a range of styles and tones. There Was A Tree is a warm, bright, eye-catching book to share with an audience or as a cozy, intimate share one-on-one. The use of rebuses, the music, and the elements making up the illustrations speak to three of the five Every Child Ready to Read skills: play, sing, and talk, respectively.

I Am A Story

What It's About

This picture book imagines the story of story—from the story's point of view. Bright, stylized illustrations move the reader from an ancient campfire to a - coming full circle - modern-day one, making key stops along the way as the tale proudly narrates through the page turns. Together words and illustrations capture a broad range of storytelling methods and platforms: from cave art and hieroglyphics through theatre, radio, television, to digital. The struggles of access as story prevails through time, contrasting wealthy private libraries with public libraries and showing failed censorship attempts are also quietly addressed; some may say too quietly, but this is not a book of political haranguing... it is an unapologetic celebration of humanity's singular gift.

Why We Like It

Powerful storytelling through simple sentences and bold imagery (reminiscent of 1960's line art animation) creates an almost jazz feel to the reading experience. For the older audience the book can serve as a jumping-off point for more in-depth study of communication through history. An excellent choice for read-aloud with a wide range of ages and for classroom discussions, too.

"No"-vember is Picture Book Month and this week we're sharing books with the word "no" in the title. Today we share "No Fits, Nilsson," by Zachariah O'Hora. #pibomo #picturebook #storytimecpr #paauthor

"No"-vember is Picture Book Month and this week we're sharing books with the word "no" in the title. Today we share "The Book With No Pictures" by B. J. Novak. #pibomo #picturebook #storytimecpr

November is Picture Book Month! In honor of Guy Fawkes Day (November 5), today’s pick is Eugene Trivizas and Helen Oxenbury’s “The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig.” 

About the Book

Kirkus Review says it best: “Never mind the other incarnations of this tale--classic, fractured, rapped; this inversion will have children giggling from the outset. Sent into the world by a mother who wears hair curlers, three ``cuddly'' wolves build a brick house, then try to fend off a snarling thug of a pig who demolishes it with a sledgehammer.”

The successive houses are stronger and the pig’s escalating responses are correspondingly (and somewhat startlingly) aggressive. But the unexpected, exceptional twist at the end saves this tale from merely being one of loss and destruction. The wolves sagely decide on a different course of action and the pig pulls a ``Ferdinand, not only reforming but making it a happy menage … quatre. This latter-day plea for a peaceable kingdom reckons once and for all with the question at the core of this familiar tale--why must pigs and wolves be enemies? Oxenbury provides dauntingly well- executed watercolors, offering such charming contrasts as an angular modernistic concrete home in an otherwise pastoral setting.” (Kirkus Associates. 1993)

Why We Like The Book

Trivizas’ version of the classic tale has a very modern tone and young audiences (Ages 5-10) will connect quickly to the re-worked plot and the easy humor, and, after being surprised and not a little relieved, agree with the ultimate wisdom of the wolves final choice of construction material and the big bad pig’ s cheer-worthy transformation.

The illustrations are classic Oxenbury: Warm, detailed (especially the body-language and facial expressions), perfectly attuned to and magnifying the humor of the text. The reader is drawn in and carried along the increasingly worrisome sequence of events and is correspondingly relieved by the story’s charming twist at the end. A great read-aloud for group story times and a delightful read one-on-one.

November is Picture Book Month! Today's pick is "Nanette's Baguette" by Mo Willems. #pibomo #picturebook #storytimecpr

We're attending the #BookBuzz at the @freelibrary and there are so many titles to share! #picturebook #storytimecpr (at Free Library of Philadelphia)

November is Picture Book Month! Today's pick is Katie Haworth and Jane Ormes's "Little Honeybee". #pibomo #picturebook #storytimecpr #LittleHoneybee

About the Book

“In this lovely board book with flaps, Haworth counts different types of flowers from one to 10, as a snowy winter scenes gives way to a field in bloom...Bursts of bright floral color pop against the pale backdrops of Ormes’s silk-screen prints, abuzz with springtime activity.“ —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Children and adults alike will enjoy a romp through the charming, bustling garden she brings to life. This attractive title, which combines counting practice with a tour through a lively garden, invites and rewards leisurely exploration.” —Kirkus Reviews 

Why we like it

This is a very tactile book. The silk-screen print illustrations create a textured look and the illusion of being made of fabric, cardboard, and cut-outs. The 25 flaps scattered throughout the book extend the simile and reinforce the visual conceit. The illustrations themselves are in the primitive, provincial style that gives an air of newness and nature perfectly fitting the tone and subject of the book. The cover and pages have a slightly spongy feel, which will add another dimension to one-on-one sharing.

A beautiful, simple, nature focused counting book for the preschool set.

November is Picture Book Month and it’s also Aviation History Month! Today’s pick is @bradmeltzer’s “I Am Amelia Earhart”. #napibomo #picturebook #storytimecpr

About the Book

We can all be heroes. That’s the inspiring message of this lively, collectible picture book biography series from New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer. “Kids always search for heroes, so we might as well have a say in it,” Brad Meltzer realized, and so he envisioned this friendly, fun approach to biography – for his own kids, and for yours. Each book tells the story of one of America’s icons in an entertaining, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers, those who aren’t quite ready for the Who Was series. Each book focuses on a particular character trait that made that role model heroic. For example, Amelia Earhart refused to accept no for an answer; she dared to do what no one had ever done before, and became the first woman to fly a plane all the way across the Atlantic Ocean. This book follows her from childhood to her first flying lessons and onward to her multi-record-breaking career as a pilot. This engaging series is the perfect way to bring American history to life for young children, and to inspire them to strive and dream.

Why we like it

The illustrations are reminiscent of "Mutts" and "Calvin & Hobbs," which combines the fun of cartoons the respect that Amelia Earhart has earned. The illustrated Amelia stands out on the page drawing young readers into her larger than life story.

The text is suitable for readers up to third grade without simplifying the story of Amelia Earhart and her incredible life.