Hello Everyone!
I haven’t posted here for a few months but tonight I would like to share something you perhaps have not seen.
I hope you enjoy it!
Do you have a favourite Tom Cruise movie?
Thanks for coming by. 🙂
Tom Cruise & James Corden join ‘The Lion King’ cast:
Posted in Miscellanea
Tagged friendship, humour, James Corden, musical performance, performance, The late late show, The Lion King, Tom Cruise
Title: Love, Triangle Author: Marcie Colleen Illustrator: Bob Shea Publisher: Balzer + Bray Date: October 3, 2017 Genre: children's picture book; age 4-8 Pages: 32 Price: $21.99 My rating: delightfully fun & educational at the same time
Love, Triangle by Marcie Colleen makes geometry fun – and it’s not even a math book! Or is it – in disguise?
Marcie Colleen introduces geometry to young readers through her lively characters – Circle, Square, and Triangle. Circle and Square had been friends “ever since they were a dot and a speck.” (Isn’t that a great line?) They were practically inseparable, the best of friends, and appreciated one another for their differences.
Circle and Square’s friendship took on an uncomfortable dimension when Triangle came along. They both wanted Triangle as their own friend and soon their friendship is in danger of collapse. In fighting over Triangle they cause a new problem for Triangle when he attempts to find a way to patch up the friendship between Circle and Square – which is illustrated with humour and play on words.
Marcie Colleen‘s use of language in Love, Triangle is easy and clever. The illustrations by Bob Shea are “spot-on”, amusing and visual of the geometric situations created through the text. His illustrations show geometric shapes for children to discover, and, combined with the text, makes this a wonderful book for classrooms. In fact, because of the benefits (simple geometry, word play, friendship, cooperation, and more) found in this book, Marcie is offering a free cross-curricular guide for teachers HERE.
Children and students are sure to love Love, Triangle by Marcie Colleen.
You can find Love, Triangle – written by Marcie Colleen and illustrated by Bob Shea – on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Goodreads, and when available on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and Chapters.Indigo.
Your comments are greatly appreciated by authors, illustrators, and this blogger. ♥
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
Book: Two Speckled Eggs Author/Illustrator: Jennifer K. Mann Publisher: Candlewick Press Date: April 22, 2014 Genre: children's picture book; 5-8 yr; K-3 Pages: 32 Price: $14.99 My Rating: a wonderful story about enjoying being oneself
Two Speckled Eggs, written and illustrated by Jennifer K. Mann, is a story to encourage uniqueness, showing it’s okay to not follow the crowd.
Ginger was having a birthday party to which she wanted to invite all the girls in her class at school – all except Lyla. Lyla smelled like old leaves all the time and she didn’t talk much. Ginger thought Lyla was weird. But, Ginger’s mother wisely said to invite Lyla too or she could invite none of them. Ginger invited Lyla, too.
Lyla was the first guest to arrive at the party. — Here’s where you begin really appreciating Jennifer’s illustrations, because you see what Lyla’s interests are and how she sets herself apart. — When all the other girls came they started playing the party games. Ginger soon began feeling disappointed. The other girls didn’t play any of the games right, but kind of took over and did things their own way. When it came time for cake, all the girls, except for Lyla, were fussy and thought they didn’t like it so wouldn’t eat any. They left Ginger and Lyla sitting at the table while they ran off to play. The two girls start to connect when a funny thing happens while they are enjoying cake together.
When Ginger opens her presents later, her favourite one was from Lyla who’d obviously put thought into what she wanted to give her. Ginger discovered that, even though Lyla didn’t care about being like everybody else, she was more fun and a better friend than all the other girls Ginger had thought she wanted to be around.
Two Speckled Eggs by Jennifer K. Mann is a story to which many children can relate. (And adults, too.) The illustrations are adorable and wonderfully expressive in their simplicity. In fact, the reader can appreciate the story just through the illustrations and not miss anything. It’s beautifully done.
Two Speckled Eggs – and don’t you love the title? – takes the reader from the hopeful anticipation of a little girl, through her disappointment, and into the realization of a new and unexpected friendship. That friendship shows her it’s not a bad thing to be different.
You can find Two Speckled Eggs by Jennifer K. Mann on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Goodreads, and when available on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and Chapters.Indigo.
Your comments are greatly appreciated by authors, illustrators, and this blogger. ♥
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
Book: Buster the Little Garbage Truck
Author: Marcia Berneger
Illustrator: Kevin Zimmer
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Date: April 1, 2015
Genre: Picture book; age 3-6; Preschool - 1
Pages: 32
Price: $14.99
My rating: A good story to encourage children to be
confident and brave
Buster the Little Garbage Truck, written by Marcia Berneger, is a story young children will relate to and understand.
Buster admired his father and all the other trucks who were big and capable. He wanted so much to be just like his father. He even practiced doing big truck things like lifting and beeping when he played with his best friend, Kitty, a small kitten.
One day his father took Buster along when he went to work. Buster was excited until all his dad’s friends came over and welcomed him with their loud honks and beeps. He was so afraid of the noise that he skidded to his daddy’s side and wouldn’t leave him all day. His dad didn’t know what to do about him.
At home again Buster tried to get unafraid, but he didn’t know how to not be scared by loud noises. How could he ever be like his dad and work with other big trucks if he is afraid?
One day Kitty was in danger. Buster tried to beep a warning, but he couldn’t be heard. He had to save his friend!
Buster the Little Garbage Truck is sweetly illustrated by Kevin Zimmer. Children will love the bright friendly tone of the pictures and will also enjoy finding out how Buster’s courage comes out. This is a very well told story to encourage little children that they, too, can overcome their fears.
You can find Buster the Little Garbage Truck by Marcia Berenger on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Goodreads, and on Chapters.Indigo if available there.
Please encourage an author and illustrator by leaving a comment.
Thank you for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
Book: SkyPig Author: Jan L. Coates Illustrator: Suzanne Del Rizzo Publisher: Pajama Press Date: April 1, 2016 - Canada; September, 2016 - USA Genre: children's picture book; 4 - 7 yrs; K - 2 Pages: 32 Price: $19.95 My rating: a sweet story of determination and friendship
If this book looks familiar to my regular readers, it is because I mentioned it in this blog post last year.
Here is Jan reading her book at the launch in May of 2016.
SkyPig by Jan L. Coates is a sweet story about friendship and determination.
Ollie, a little pig, wanted so very much to fly. He watched birds, and airplanes, and bugs, and things being blown in the wind, and he wanted to fly more than anything. His friend Jack, being an inventive boy, did all he could to try to help him attain his dream – even though everybody knows pigs can’t fly.
To launch Ollie airborne they collected leafy branches and fastened them onto his back. They climbed all the way to the top of a very high hill, and Ollie did his very best to fly. Just when he was thinking, “I’m flying! I’m flying, I’m …” Crash! he came down hard, and sadly limped home.
Since that unsuccessful attempt didn’t dampen Ollie’s determination, Jack helped him construct a kite (fail), then wings with feathers and things (fail), and more inventions to try to make Ollie fly. Nothing worked, and nothing made Ollie smile, until the day they discovered something wondrous.
Illustrator Suzanne Del Rizzo created amazing illustrations for Sky Pig. To quote: “The illustrations were rendered with plasticine, polymer clay, paper collage, milkweed fluff, watch gears, and other doodads.” Take a close look at the cover illustration to see many of those doodads.
Sky Pig was a selection for the 2016 Best Books for Kids & Teens, won the 2017 Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award for excellence in illustration, and was a finalist for the 2017 Shining Willow Award.
Sky Pig by Jan L. Coates is an inspiring story written with repetition of some phrases and humour children will love. Her word choices are delightful. Suzanne Del Rizzo‘s illustrations are gorgeous and complement the story perfectly. When you get to read this book, watch for two little friends who appear in almost every picture with Ollie and Jack, adding a smile for the reader.
You can find Sky Pig by Jan L. Coates on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Goodreads, and Chapters.Indigo when the book is available there.
Please encourage an author and illustrator by leaving a comment. Thank you.
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!
It’s getting so close to Christmas! I don’t know about you, but I’m still not ready. We have one more week to finish everything.
Today my husband and I are attending the wedding of a young lady who is our youngest daughter’s best friend. They met in elementary school so have been best friends for most of their lives, making this even more special. Our daughter is one of her bridesmaids. Fortunately yesterday was the snowstorm and frigid temperatures, today is much better.
Before I end this post I want to share with you something you may have not seen yet. It’s a gift experiment. If you can get all the way through it without a tear in your eye by the end, you did better than I did.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Any comments about the video? Did you shed a tear?
How are you doing with getting ready for Christmas or whatever it is you will enjoy this month?
Oh, and remember my final draw of 2016 is Tuesday night! Did you get your name in yet?
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings!
Posted in Miscellanea
Tagged best friends, Christmas, family, friendship, gift experiment, selflessness, snowstorm, video, wedding, winter wedding
Book: The Moon has a date with the Sun
Author: Marc Geller
Illustrator: Robert M. Henry
Publisher: Marc Geller
Date: February 8, 2013The Moon has a date with the Sun by Marc Geller is a fascinating story for children. The illustrations are fabulous – bright, cheery, realistic portrayals of cityscapes, day and night sky, and more colourful, beautiful pages by very accomplished artist Robert M. Henry.
The Sun is king of the sky, but he gets lonely even though he demands he is the only one who can take up space in his sky. A little cloud befriends Sun and suggests maybe he and Moon can meet. Moon is lonely too and is interested when the cloud mentions the possibility of her having a friend. Sun and Moon begin to have hope.
You have to read this yourself to see what happens. It’s a cute story, one which children will love to read or to have read to them. The words are rather advanced in places for the youngest ones, but it’s a great way to introduce words with their meanings in context. It also will teach them some historical facts in a fun way.
The Moon has a date with the Sun is quite a different story, well done and interesting, almost like a fable.
You can find The Moon has a date with the Sun listed on my BUY THE BOOK! page.
Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂
"The odd thing about people who had many books was how they always wanted more." - Patricia A. McKillip
Polilla Writes 