Hello everyone, on this lazy Sunday!
(though, truthfully, I’ve been up since 7:30!)
But I spent a lot of this morning reading.
Some chapter books.
And this book too!
Title: A Ball for Daisy
Published by: Schwartz and Wade, 2011
Written by: Chris Raschka
Illustrated by: Chris Raschka
In one word: Playful.
In one sentence: Daisy loves her ball, so what will she do when something happens to it?
Favorite pages:
Likes:
- the playful style of the illustrations
- the sweet relationship between owner and dog
- and dog and ball
- the colors
- the watercolor backgrounds on the pages
- the way the illustrations are split up on the pages
Learns:
- wordless can be tricky. I do like this book, but I think I would like it more with words.
- Even though I liked the way the illustrations were split up, sometimes it was hard to follow where I should look next…but overall I liked the variation.
- Playful almost sketch-like illustrations work too!
- a story about loss can be as simple as a dog and a ball.
So, what did you read today, everyone?
I’m working on carving out the stamps to make the books
that Donna and Marcie won, and that you could win in the future too!
I am also putting the finishing touches
on a post for
PiBoIdMo….
I have it all drafted up and just need to add pictures.
Yeah.
*just*
anywho, here’s the bookshelf:
and hope everyone is having a great Sunday!
Enthusiastically yours,
Kathy Ellen and Singe Singe
Hi Kathy,
I guess everyone is having a lazy Sunday…or perhaps a busy one. š
I have the book you reviewed…it is on my library pile of to-reads. š
Today I read “Isabella – Girl on the Go” written by Jennifer Fosberry and illustrated by Mike Litwin. I loved the bold, but sometimes somewhat scary illustrations. I loved the text which totally mirrors how a young child thinks…I want to be a queen one minute…and I want to be an astromer the next. š I love the BIG words (yes, I am a believer in using some unfamiliar words in a picture book story…after all, young children are learning every minute, so we don’t have to ‘dummy down’ the language in a book). I love that we are taken to far-away places…great opportunity for discussion about world geography and cultures. I love that the mc is a strong female who dares to dream. Basically, I loved this story and I think kids will love it also!
I actually didn’t like Ball For Daisy. I mean I love the illustrations but I have a real hard time with the lesson. Things with great sentimental value can be easily replaced. Think what the story would be like if Daisy was a girl and another girl caused the death of her dog. Should we believe that dog can be replaced with another dog with no issue? Just something to think about.
Today I was busy writing a curriculum guide for a picture book that comes out this week. The research led me to read The Carrot Seed be Ruth Krauss. Now that’s an amazing lesson I can get behind! Persevere. Even when no one else believes in you. Love it. What a classic!
I haven’t read “A Ball for Daisy” — now after Marcie’s comment, I want to check it out to see what I think. (And Marcie, I, too, love “A Carrot Seed” — great book!)
Today I read “Senses in the City” by Shelley Rother. It’s a concept book, with bright photographs for illustrations that fill the entire page, with words in bright bold font on top of the photos, showing all the things there are to see, taste, touch, smell, and hear in the city. Since the book was published in Minnesota, I was hoping it was going to be pictures of Minneapolis/St. Paul, but I think it’s New York City. (Not that I have anything against NYC, I just wanted to have found a twin cities book!)
My 2 year old son loved A BALL FOR DAISY. Even without words to guide him through the book, he was able to connect with the story.
Marcie, I thought a lot about your comment and I agree with you that things with sentimental value can’t always be replaced. But, I can’t recall feeling that this book was trying to teach a lesson. For my son and I it was just a story about a dog and his ball. Nothing more.
Tonight we read The Mommy Book by Todd Parr. We are big fans of all of Todd Parr’s books and have read many of them numerous times. However, this was the first time we read this one. On the surface, his books seem simple and childish, but I have found each one very thoughtful and clever.
To get in the spirit of the month, I read an older Halloween pb called “Inside a House That Is Haunted” by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, illustrated by Tedd Arnold. I have a small collection of Halloween books. Anyway, this is great for young kids as it has some illustrations for the words; thus a rebus. This is a progressive story. “Here is the hand that knocked on the door and startled the spider that dropped to the floor inside a house that is haunted.” And it has a cute twist at the end š
I’m a bit behind in my posts, but yesterday I read PRINCESS IN TRAINING by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Joe Berger. Her texts is always so tight and fun, and I thought Joe brought a lot of life and personality to the page in his illustrations. The color scheme seems like something that might be right up your alley, KE!
Hi Kathy!
Okay, I am playing catch up with my posts so please bear with me…;~)
Today’s book was Sheep Trick or Treat by Nancy Shaw and illustrated by Margot Apple. I’m on a Halloween picture book kick and this was the first book I grabbed off the shelf at my library. I love the idea of sheep making costumes to go trick or treating at the barn. The author did a great job of the different “treats” they received and I really liked the “trick” they played on the wolves hidden behind the trees just waiting for sheep to walk by!
Donna L Martin
http://www.donnalmartin.com
http://www.donasdays.blogspot.com