Fairy tales

There are so many fairy tales to share! The classics of course but recently there has been an increase in fairy tale variations. These fall into two categories: the traditional story with very different illustrations or a humorous change in the characters with the same plot line. Here are some examples of each: (All of these are available at the Astor Library!)

Classic fairy tales set in Africa by Rachel Isadora. Wonderful multicultural stories with beautiful collage illustrations.

Rapunzel

The Princess and the Pea

Hansel and Gretel

The Twelve Dancing Princesses

The Ugly Duckling

Variations that are humorous with a change to the characters:

Little Red Hot by Eric Kimmel

Jack and the Giant Barbecue by Eric Kimmel

The Three Little Tamales by Eric Kimmel

Jack and the Baked Beanstalk by Colin Stimpson

The Three Little Cajun Pigs by Mike Artell

The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems

Goldilocks and the Three Hares by Margie Palatini

Cindy Ellen: a wild western Cinderella by Susan Lowell

There are many many more of these available in our library! Ask me about them and I'd be happy to share them all with you!

May the 4th be with you!

Favorite read alouds?

Reading to or with your child daily is so important and it is fun! Some of my favorite books to read to my son are:

Duck on a bike by David Shannon

How I became a pirate by Melinda Long

Where's my t-r-u-c-k? by David Catrow

Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schaccner

Mice and Beans by Pam Munoz Ryan

Henry & Mudge by Cynthia Rylant

Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

Oh man, there are so many! I need to gather them together and take some photos.

What are your favorite books to read aloud with your children? 

Quote of the day!

I have been working on a large book order and it is so much fun! I wish I could spend all day tracking down the best books. I can't wait to have them all in the library! 

Quote of the day

Book Review - Flora & Ulysses

I just read the Newbery award winner for this year, Flora and Ulysses. It is by Kate DiCamillo, one of my favorite authors. 

I enjoyed this funny, fantastical tale of Flora and a very special squirrel, Ulysses. There is an unforgettable scene at the beginning of the book where a squirrel is accidentally vacuumed by a powerful outdoor vacuum. Then strange and amazing things happen. It includes short sections of illustrations in graphic novel format, Flora's favorite book to read is a comic. If you like superheroes, humor and adventure then you must read this book!!

Need an idea for a read aloud?

I love a good list of books and this one is great! This list is 38 books to read aloud with your kids. Some are picture books, some novels, some old, some new. All excellent! 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/alannaokun/books-for-kids

Book Review - The Year of Billy Miller

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes won a Newberry Honor award this year. Henkes is famous for his picture books including Chrysanthemum, Lily's Purple Plastic Purse, Wemberly Worried, Kitten's First Full Moon (a Caldecott award winner) and many others.

The Year of Billy Miller is divided into four sections, each focusing on a different person in Billy's life. Billy is just starting the 2nd grade and worried about being smart enough. After a misunderstanding with his teacher, Ms. Silver, Billy tries to show her he likes her by bringing her silver gifts. This moment allows them to talk in private and eventually Billy shares his worries. His fears are forgotten when Ms. Silver tells him that he is smart. This book is full of touching moments between Billy, his friends and family. It would be an excellent read aloud to a younger child.

 

Quote of the day

I couldn't put it down!

I have always been a fan of natural disaster movies. I love to see what new way the planet will be destroyed and how humans will rally together to overcome these new incredible obstacles.

This book, Life As We Knew It, is the ultimate disaster book. It centers around Miranda, a 16 year old girl in Pennsylvania. An asteroid is headed towards the moon and everyone is planning to watch this historic event. Scientists believed it would crash into the moon, creating a new crater and because of its size people would be able to watch this event without a telescope. The asteroid is visible and crashes into the moon but then the moon gets bigger! It moves closer to earth and it's orbit is permanently changed. Immediately changes start happening on earth, flooding, power outages and eventually much worse. What starts out as an inconvenience turns into a struggle for survival. This is an amazing story that I could not put down!