Month: March 2015

The Pout-Pout Fish

Author Deborah Diesen
Illustrator Dan Hanna
Children’s librarians are an asset to any book search. Amber, the outreach librarian at Sheppard Library, recommended The Pout-Pout Fish. I have to admit I would never have guessed, based on the title, that this book would meet my big-word and fun-to-read goals. But Amber knows good books.

Reading this book is so fun! The title character is that miserable, moaning person we all know. Giving voice to such challenging behavior through a cartoon fish allows mockery without meanness.  Be careful, though, kids are perceptive and often know just the person you have in mind as you turn on your Pout-Pout voice. As the whiny fish swims through the ocean, spreading gloom, he meets cheerful sea creatures. Each well-described friend shows up for one page, so read-alouders can be flamboyantly playful with voices, knowing we don’t have to remember and replicate them for return appearances of the characters.

Thankfully, the helpless Pout-Pout fish finds reason to smile and abandon his petulance, providing parents talking points about resilience, resourcefulness, and purposefulness. It could be a useful tool when talking about whining.

In addition to rare words, fun reading, and meaningful message, The Pout-Pout Fish presents the figurative phrase, ‘pearl of advice’. Figurative language is the foundation of humor and is fun to explain and enjoy with kids. The rhyming text is repetitive, and the illustrations are bright and bold, so it’s good for all ages. Start early. Read often.

Big words:

gloomy
glum
ever-present
winning
crosstown
tentacles
locomotion
scaly
slender
squiggly
squelchy
impolite
kaleidoscope
underside
unattractive
grimace
sulking
destined
brilliant
approaches
astounded
aghast
stone-faced

Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons

Author Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Illustrator Jane Dyer
Vocabulary, manners, and smiles are wrapped into this treasure recommended by fellow bibliophile, Antje. Each page of Cookies introduces a new word and defines it in terms of cookies. For example, a sheep in a purple sweater tells readers: “HONEST means, I have to tell you something. The butterfly didn’t really take the cookie–I took the cookie.” As a cookie fanatic, the definition that resonates most with me is: “REGRET means, I really wish I didn’t eat so many cookies.” Other important words we want our children to understand like envy, loyal, open-minded, content, wise, pessimistic and optimistic are all defined in terms of cookies. Jane Dyer’s watercolors add meaning and depth to Rosenthal’s brilliant words as a diverse cast of children and animals demonstrate meanings by cooperating, sharing, lamenting, and consuming cookies. There are also several instances of contrasting words: Greedy/Generous, Pessimistic/Optimistic, Fair/Unfair: defining opposites side by side helps kids to develop deeper understanding of words by seeing what they are not.

Author Amy Krouse Rosenthal has written two other Cookies books. Sugar Cookies: Sweet Little Lessons on Love and Christmas Cookies: Bite-Size Holiday Lessons are on my list to check out soon.

Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons is short, sweet, and ends on a thoughtful note; just right for a bedtime story.

Big Words:
cooperate
patient
proud
modest
respect
trustworthy
compassionate
greedy
generous
pessimistic
optimistic
honest
courageous
envy
loyal
open-minded
regret
content
wise

The Falling Raindrop

by Neil Johnson and Joel Chin
The Falling Raindrop is deceptively simple. It has few words per page and is a quick read with simple illustrations. Despite its simplicity, its themes are numerous and important: the water cycle; phase change; enjoy the moment; change is inevitable and can be good; life goes on. Read it to your toddler to teach new vocabulary and the concept of the water cycle. Read it to your older kids for the vocabulary layers and to teach them to conquer fears and enjoy the ride. Thanks to Elizabeth for the recommendation.

 

Big Words:
gathered
howled
flashed
boomed
rumbled
vanished
skimming
roaring
wisp
steam
airy