Bob, NOT Bob! by Liz Garton Scanlon & Audrey Vernick illustrated by Matthew Cordell

image source: Amazon.com

By Mary K.

Bob, Not Bob! by Liz Garton Scanlon & Audrey Vernick illustrated by Matthew Cordell (2017)

The cover and title page instruct those reading this sweet, silly tale out loud to read it “as though you have the worst cold ever” and therein lies the joke. When Louie catches a cold, all he really wants is his Mom. But how to you let Mom know you need her when your nose is all stuffed up and saying her name sounds like “Bob?” Oh, and it just so happens their pet dog’s name is...you guessed it! Bob. Through several days of illness Louie gets more and more frustrated as he calls for him mom and instead of the snuggle he wants his dog comes running. This leaves everyone confused until, finally, his Mom just decides to lay down with Louie (and Bob). There are a few smaller vignettes in the illustrations that may make the book a bit more difficult to share with large groups, but smaller storytime crowds, especially older preschoolers and young elementary school students who’ve experienced feeling just like Louie, will enjoy this relatable tale. While the reader will really need to ham it up and make the effort to sound stuffy, the payoff in laughter and engaged listeners will be well worth it.

Themes/topics: family, illness, mothers, dogs, pets

Sample text from two spreads:

"The next day, Little Louie was even sicker. His lips chapped and his eyes gunked. As for his nose, you can’t even imagine. So he just lay there getting hot and sweaty, which sounded like “Hotten Smetty.” “Who’s Hotten Smetty?” asked his sister. “No. Not SMETTY, SMEDDY! And HODD!” Tessa didn’t know who Smeddy was. Hodd either.

Mom would understand. “BOB!” called Little Louie. His dog, Bob, came running. And slobbering. “NO! BOB! NOT BOB!” Tessa looked at him like he was cuckoo. So did Bob"

Back Catalog Posts: Jazz Baby by Lisa Wheeler and Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

 

Image source: Amazon.com

By Mary K. 

Jazz Baby by Lisa Wheeler and Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie (2007

On the dedication page, we see daddy putting on a record while looking slyly over at baby’s crib. This begins a musical party where hands tap, fingers snap, momma and daddy sing while everyone dances - including baby! More and more family join in the good times, until the music quiets down and baby’s rocked to sleep with an “Oh, yeah!” Just try and read this story aloud without tapping your toe or clapping your hands! Christie’s illustrations move with the music in bodies with elongated curved limbs, and through it all, baby is the center of attention. Baby’s whole family bops to the beat in this surefire baby or toddler storytime hit.

Themes/topics: jazz, music, babies, family, stories with a beat, dance, noise

Sample text from two spreads:

"Cousins BOOM-BOOM. Neighbors hip-hop. Rompin’-stompin’ Baby goes BOP-BOP-BOP!

Mama swings high. Daddy swings low. Swingin’-singin’ Baby says, 'GO, MAN, GO!'''

New Contributor!

I'm so pleased to share that Mary Kuehner will be joining me in writing reviews for Everyday Diversity!

Mary and I became friends and colleagues way back in the days of organizing and launching Flannel Friday as an intentional community and website. She is an incredibly knowledgeable early literacy librarian, a fantastic storytime presenter, and writes a great blog of her own, Miss Mary Liberry as well as acting as a joint chief of Storytime Underground and doing amazing work with CLEL. We are lucky she has time for us over at Everyday Diversity.

For now, I'll be indicating who is writing the review at the top of the post, and Mary will *mostly* be focusing on pulling titles out of the back catalog so they are easier to find and search.

We'll try to focus on titles that are still in print, and will make sure to mention if a title has become hard to find.

As always, feedback is welcome and we'd love to hear if Everyday Diversity has been helpful to you in creating more inclusive storytimes and collections.

Best,
Anna

Back Catalog Posts: Lola Reads to Leo by Anna McQuinn

Image source: Amazon.com

Review by Mary K.

Lola Reads to Leo by Anna McQuinn and Illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw (2012)

Lola loves to read (check out her earlier books Lola Loves Stories and Lola at the Library). So when she learns she is to have a new baby brother, naturally she wants to share her books with the boy. When Leo arrives, Lola helps out by reading to him: duck stories while he’s in the bath; potty stories while he’s having his diaper changed. She does other things too - helping with laundry and dishes while Leo is sleeping - but the family always ends their day with a story. The illustrations are colorful and large and Lola is depicted as a happy child who wants to help. This story of book love (and how books are great for sharing as a family) is perfect for toddler or preschool storytimes.

Themes/topics: family, new baby, siblings, reading, books

Sample text from two spreads:

“Leo cries a lot. Lola wants to cheer him up, so she tells him a story.

It turns out he is just hungry. Lola holds her best bear story while Mommy feeds him. She and Mommy read it together"

Rosie and Crayon

Rosie & Crayon by Deborah Marcero (2017)

Rosie and her pup Crayon are best friends. The short, poetic text tells readers how Crayon fills Rosie's world with color and happiness, and each spread beautifully highlights a different color. Of course, pets don't last forever, and Rosie is plunged into a sad gray world. One day a neighbor shows her a missing pet poster--he's lost his cat Inky. Rosie half-heartedly searches for the missing cat, and when she finds it she allows herself to remember Crayon and feel happy alongside her sadness. Instead of breaking, she finds her heart has grown. A grief/losing a pet story that isn't too intense for storytime fills a valuable gap, and this one fits the bill nicely.

Themes/Topics: pets, grief, loss of a pet, colors, friendship, dogs, cats

Sample text from three spreads:

Until one day, after a long and colorful life, Crayon was gone. 

The sky filled with clouds that pinched out the sun. 

Black became suitable. White worked like an eraser. And gray could mask almost anything. Rosie's heart zipped itself up, and the world became a cold, colorless place.  

 

Phoebe Sounds It Out

Phoebe Sounds It Out by Julie Zwillich illustrated by Denise Holmes (2017)

I love when a book surprises me. I expected this book to be a bit didactic, or at the very least follow the proscribed path of struggle, positive attitude, success/belief in self, but instead it allows Phoebe to just...be. It doesn't need to connect the dots for the readers, and I love that. Today at school the children are practicing writing their names, but Phoebe's name doesn't match the letters and sounds she has learned. After procrastinating and goofing off a bit, Phoebe gives it her best shot. Instead of telling readers what it should be, or having Phoebe learn a Lesson, her "Feeby" is simply accepted and praised by her teacher, "What a great start."  A perfectly encouraging and sweet story that makes a perfect tie-in for any name-writing activity.

Themes/topics: school, writing, names, individuality, phonics

Sample text from three spreads:

Phoebe had seen her name before. Mama had even stitched it on her ladybug backpack. But it started with a "P" and a had a whole lot of other letters that didn't make sense. Phoebe figured her mother had made a mistake. She didn't want Mama to feel bad about it, because everyone makes mistakes, even mamas. 

Phoebe put down her pencil and picked up another one. Then she held it under her nose and pretended it was a moustache. Ms. April was floating around the table singing quietly, "Just sound it out." 

Phoebe sounded out the first letter of her name. "Fffff." This was certainly not her her name began on her backpack. P was for popcorn and pencils. She knew the letter that made the right sound: one line and two sticks.  

Shawn Loves Sharks by Curtis Manley pictures by Tracy Subisak

Shawn Loves Sharks by Curtis Manley pictures by Tracy Subisak (2017)

Shawn loves sharks. No, he really loves sharks. But when the predator project at school is announced, Shawn gets...Leopard Seal. And Stacy, his favorite person to torment when pretending to be a shark at recess, gets Great White Shark. Sharks eat Seals. But Shawn learns to appreciate seals, and enjoys running from the Shark, er, Stacy during recess. Shawn goes from being a great shark, to a great seal, to a great friend. A sweet story about predators, open-mindedness, friendship and sharing, this would be a good fit for school visits, classroom read-alouds, and older storytimes.


Themes/Topics: sharks, friendship, sea, ocean, school visits, school stories

Sample text from two spreads:
At home, Shawn looked through his shark books hoping that what he remembered about sharks and seals was wrong. It wasn't wrong.
He hoped Stacy wouldn't find out. She found out.

Tuesday on the playground, Stacy leaned close and said, "Did you know that sharks eat seals?" Shawn nodded. "But not if they can't catch them!"
Stacy opened her mouth very wide and ran as fast as she could, but she couldn't catch Shawn.