Perfect Picture Book Friday Explores, What If One Day…

This Perfect Picture Book Friday asks a question my dad once asked me… “What if one day…” To be clear, when my dad posed the question, our conversation centered around meeting beings from other planets. Dad was an astrophysicist, so pondering questions about the universe was normal.

“Do you suppose they would see a handshake as a friendly greeting?” I asked.

“It’s possible,” Dad said. “But… extending our hand to shake on another planet could be viewed as a formal contract in which ten goats are traded for a daughter’s hand in marriage. Or it might be taken as an invitation to cook us for dinner with a side of potatoes.”

“Okay, forget the handshake, if we make it to an inhabited planet, we’ll just smile.”

Dad shook his head. “In the animal kingdom, showing your teeth could be viewed as a sign of aggression.”

“True,” I said. “What about holidays? Do you suppose beings on other planets celebrate occasions like weddings and birthdays?”

The “What if?” conversation with my dad went on for some time, and I loved every minute. This brings me to today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday Review where what if questions center around Earth.

Title – What If One Day…

Written by  –  Bruce Handy

Illustrated by – Ashleigh Corrin

Published by – Enchanted Lion Books, 2023

Suitable for ages – 4-8

Theme – Celebrating the wonders of our world.

Opening – What if one day…

all the birds flew away?

Mornings would be quieter. Skies would be plainer. Worms could relax.

But there are BIRDS!

From Amazon – View Here

What if one day, all the birds flew away? Mornings would be quieter. Skies would be plainer. Worms could relax. What if there were no more bugs? What if there ceased to be day and night? By asking how our world would change if it lacked birds, water, or people, and how we would feel about that, this playful text from Bruce Handy (The Happiness of a Dog with a Ball in Its Mouth), accompanied by joyful art from Ashleigh Corrin (Layla’s Happiness), invites readers to celebrate the beauty and wonder of existence, and all that makes our world what it is.

Why do I like this book? — I was instantly drawn to this book and couldn’t wait to see the direction the “What if” questions took. What if all the birds flew away? This is the first question the book poses, and the sad image of a world without birds took away more than the birds… it took away their music, too. The questions make us think. I was delighted that each question, no matter how bleak the outlook, delivered a set of reponses that included one humorous answer.

I picture a classroom filled with lively discussions, hands flying up with answers to each what if question. I picture a project where children are asked to draw the meaning of each question. This would be a colection of art I would greatly enjoy seeing.

I hope you’ll gather with family and friends and ask what if questions to see where the answers take you. You might even play this game by yourself to create a prompt for a story, poem, or picture.

I’ll start you off

1. What if our pets could speak?
2. What if birds didn’t like to eat insects.
3. What if, instead of speaking, we could only sing?
4. What if the sun were a different color?

If you’d like to share a what if question in the comments, I would absolutely love it!

Until next Friday,

Leslie

An Ever-Growing Collection This Perfect Picture Book Friday

I was about five or six when I started collecting small treasures: a miniature rooster, a pink seashell, the cap from an acorn, a wooden spool, a straw star, an old type letter, a miniature dictionary, a doll’s teacup, and more. Much more. I kept my treasures in a cookie tin, and when I could no longer close the lid, I moved my collection to a bigger box.

Years later, I realized my little trinkets and toys would bring more happiness if I could see them. I stood my wooden animals on the window sill in my writing room, nested my shells and beach pebbles among my books, and filled an old type case with more treasures. For those of you who aren’t familiar with a type case, it’s a shallow, wooden box that is compartmentalized to hold moveable type used in letterpress printing- an ideal place to display my small and marvelous curiosities.

Of course, my tiny treasures are tucked here and there throughout my home, because seeing them brings me joy, and speaking of collecting treasures leads me to today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday Review of The Amazing Collection of Joey Cornell by Candace Fleming.

Title – The Amazing Collection of Joey Cornell

Written by  –  Candace Fleming

Illustrated by – Gerard DuBois

Published by – Schwartz & Wade Books

Suitable for ages – 4-8

Theme – Turning a collection of objects into art.

Opening – 

Joey Cornell collected everything… anything… that sparked his imagination or delighted his eye. “If I like it, I keep it,” Joey always said.

At first, he stowed his collection in his bedroom. But it grew… and grew… and grew, until…

From Amazon – View Here

Joey Cornell collected everything — anything that sparked his imagination or delighted his eye. His collection grew and grew until he realized that certain pieces just looked right together. He assembled his doodads to create wonderful, magical creations out of once-ordinary objects.

Perfect for introducing art to kids, here’s an imaginative and engaging book based on the childhood of great American artist Joseph Cornell, told by master picture book author Candace Fleming and lauded illustrator Gérard DuBois.

Why do I like this book? — The second I read the word ‘Collection’ in the title and saw the cover illustration of Joey Cornell pulling his red wagon, brimming with an eclectic collection of items, I needed to know more. I discovered a child, much like my younger self (and current older self), with a powerful attraction to interesting objects that hold memories or serve as pure curiosities. Reading how this young boy grew up to transform his treasures into art was a journey I enjoyed. From the first page to the last, the joy Gerard DuBois felt in illustrating this story was abundantly evident in his loving, vintage style.

Learn about Candace Fleming HERE.

Learn more about Gerard DuBoise HERE.

Collecting treasures is something many of us have in common. While I like miniature curiosities, someone else might enjoy collecting vintage picture books, musical instruments, postcards from their travels, stamps in their passport, maps, or recipes. Anything can become a collection. I hope you’ll take the time to write about something you love to collect in the comments.

Until next Friday,

Leslie

You Go First, This Perfect Picture Book Friday

Today, I’m sharing a wonderful, funny, and relatable picture book by author Ariel Bernstein called You Go First. As a special treat, I’ll post my interview with Ariel next Friday. And now, as with all of my blog posts, a memory that ties into my book review.

I couldn’t take regular physical education classes because of a congenital disability in my hip, so my high school suggested I take swim classes instead. I loved pushing off the pool wall and propelling myself through the cool water with zero impact, arms moving and circling as my legs fluttered. I wasn’t the fastest swimmer, but I was a happy swimmer. Then, things changed.

The teacher said the next week of class would focus on diving. I had hoped she meant from the side of the pool, but she gestured her clipboard at the diving board. All I could see was the tall ladder I would have to climb and the vast, empty space I would have to fall through. I wondered what would happen when I plummeted through the surface. Would I hit the bottom and not know how to make it back up?

The next week of class, I stepped out of line, again and again, to move further back. Oddly enough, the teacher noticed and announced that it was definitely my turn. I took my time climbing. When I managed to stand on the board, I inched my feet to the edge.

“Bounce, jump up, and dive,” my teacher said.

I tried to ignore her. The pool looked bigger, wetter, and deeper. I shook my head and backed up.

“You’re next,” the teacher said to another student.

The boy scaled the ladder and stood behind me. “Jump, already!” he ordered. “I want to get my turn before the bell rings.”

The pool blurred. Sounds blurred. I don’t remember jumping, but all at once, the water was coming at me FAST! Then, I was under the surface, heading for the blue-tiled bottom. My body must have known what to do because I burst through the surface, gasping for air. I’d like to finish this memory by telling you I overcame my fear of the diving board, but that’s not true. Unlike my experience, the characters in today’s picture book have far greater success with the tall ladder they encounter.

Title – You Go First

Written by  –  Ariel Bernstein

Illustrated by – Marc Rosenthal

Published by – A Paula Wiseman Book – Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers – 2023

Suitable for ages – 4-8

Theme – trying new things, friendship, putting others first

Opening – 

Cat and Duck, two very good friends, arrive at the playground. They wanted to go on the slide. But something was different. The slide was bigger. The slide was curvier.

Amazon –

Cat and Duck are very good friends and play together all the time, so when the new slide gets built, they can’t wait to try it out! Only, the slide is very big and curvy—what if it’s too big for Cat? As Cat and Duck move closer to the front of the line, Cat imagines everything that could go wrong until his worries start to rub off on Duck. Now Duck doesn’t want to go down the slide either.

Cat feels bad that Duck is missing out on the fun because of him. Can he find a way to make it right?

Why do I like this book? — Every child will, at some time, encounter an obstacle they need to overcome. In the picture book, You Go First, the obstacle is a tall ladder that leads to a big and curvy slide. Cat is, ironically, a scardey cat, afraid to try something new. Then, there’s Cat’s best friend, Duck, who can’t wait to go down the slide. For Cat, the slide isn’t merely exciting or fun… The slide looks too exciting and might provide too much fun! Cat, similar to me in my swimming memory, allows everyone in line to go ahead, claiming that it’s polite to let others go first. Eventually, all of Cat’s worries rub off on Duck, who no longer wants to go down the slide. Uh oh… Cat worries that Duck will miss out on something she wants. Cat feels very bad. To find out what happens next, you’ll simply have to get yourself a copy of You Go First.

Come back next Friday for my interview with Ariel Bernstein.

Until next Friday,

Leslie

Four-Legged Besties, this Perfect Picture Book Friday

The day I stopped at the pet shop to buy fish food for my Beta, I didn’t know I would leave with a new friend the size of a hamburger.

The store was busy that day. Dads and moms lifted their children to peer through the tanks at the colorful fish while other families crowded the bird room to consider adopting a parrot or a budgie. Seeing the long line at the register, I decided to look around and return when fewer people were checking out.

The reptile room was new to me and was also the least populated by shoppers. In the first terrarium, a group of sleepy lizards sunned themselves under a heat lamp. Further down, an iguana approached its food dish. As I watched lettuce pieces disappear into its mouth, a rhythmic thump-thump-thump caught my attention. I listened and decided the sound was coming from somewhere close to the ground. I looked into the terrarium on the lowest shelf and knew the tiny gecko couldn’t make such a sound.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

I got down lower to the ground, and what I saw hurt my heart. Another terrarium stood behind the gecko’s terrarium, completely out of sight and inaccessible. Through the shadows, I spotted a lonely tortoise, trying to climb the glass wall to escape. Each time it managed to raise its front legs against the glass, it slid back down with a thump. I couldn’t blame the tortoise for trying to escape its prison. A dirty bark floor surrounded a water bowl that offered a brown puddle, and the little food dish held a wilted lettuce fragment. The tortoise stopped climbing to look at me through its crusted eyes. I didn’t need time to consider my next move.

I found the manager and directed his attention to the neglected animal in his care.

“He’s sick,” the manager said. “When he’s better, we’ll put him out for sale.”

“How is he supposed to get better without clean food or water?” I asked. “And how is he supposed to get clean food and water when his terrarium is out of sight and out of reach?”

“I’ll have someone take care of it today,” he said.

As the manager walked away, I pulled out the gecko terrarium and reached back for the terrarium with the tortoise.

“What are you doing?” the manager demanded.

“I’m buying this tortoise,” I said.

“I told you he’s sick, and I’m not selling him until he’s better,” the manager snapped. “Besides, you don’t know anything about caring for a tortoise.”

“It doesn’t look like you do, either.” I took out the tortoise and held him close. “Along with this tortoise, you can also sell me a book about tortoise care, a water dish, a food dish, a heat lamp, and a terrarium.”

To this day, I don’t know if the manager agreed because of my determination or my watery eyes.

One month later, my new friend was completely well and exploring the garden.

Seven years later, my hamburger-sized friend is thriving and loves his morning neck massage and crunchy greens, which leads me to today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday review.

Written by  –  Nan Forler

Illustrated by – Yong Ling Kang

Published by – Tundra – 2022

Suitable for ages – 4-8

Theme – loss of a pet, friendhip, and compassion.

Opening – 

Rodney was an old pal. He was older than Bernadette, older than her dad, even older than Great-Aunt Clara.

“He is practically prehistoric! Bernadette told her class on Pet Day.

Day after day, year after year, Rodnew was there, loyal and true.

Amazon Review –  This comforting and gently humorous picture book about bereavement and the strength of friendship shows how a child overcomes the sadness of her beloved pet’s death.

Bernadette and Rodney are the best of friends. Rodney’s not so good at playing cards, but he’s great at staring contests. His favorite food is lettuce, though he eats it VERRRRRRY SLOOOOOWLY. And he’s such a joker! When Bernadette goes to sleep at night, Rodney is always there, watching over her from his tank. 
 
As the seasons pass, Rodney moves slower and slower, until one day he stops moving at all. Without Rodney, Bernadette feels all alone. She can’t stop thinking about him, but none of her friends seem to notice. Except for Amar.
 
Rodney Was a Tortoise is a moving story about friendship and loss. It shows the importance of expressing kindness and empathy, especially in life’s most difficult moments.

Why do I like this book? — This tender tale takes us on the emotional journey from loss to recovery in a way children can understand. Through beautiful storytelling, the author and illustrator create a strong bond between Bernadette and Rodney–a bond so strong that when Rodney passes away, the reader feels the loss and sympathizes with Bernadette when she disappears into a sort of protective shell. With the kindness and compassion of an observant friend, Bernadette begins to express her feelings, recovers from the loss, and moves forward again.

Learn about Nan Forler HERE.

Learn more about Yong Ling Kang HERE.

How to make a sweet paper tortoise Here on Amazon.

Until next Friday,

Leslie