Read Across America and A PRIZE!!!

I will not post contestants' responses until all entries are in so that no one has an unfair advantage :)  But be assured if you posted your answers, I've got them!

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!  Not even one speck of rain, ice or snow (except for the thigh-deep stuff still on the ground) :)  So in celebration of this beautiful morning, Read Across America, and April Fool, Phyllis's Book Birthday yesterday (and because it is Wednesday and we all need a little fun to boost us toward the end of the week) I have decided to host a game/contest with a PRIZE!!!

Anyone who has hung around this blog for any length of time knows I can't go very long without some kind of contest :)

So here it is:

Since it's Read Across America week and we should all be encouraging kids to enjoy the delights of reading, I will post 25 first lines of well-known picture books.  Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to identify the title and author of each book!

The prize?  (Well, I think it's a prize!)  The winner will receive a personalized signed copy of April Fool, Phyllis (it is her book birthday after all) hot off the presses!

The rules are:
1.  You must be a follower of this blog.
2.  You must list all 25 titles and authors correctly.
3.  You must post your answer by 5 PM EST Sunday March 6 (see how nice I'm being - giving you more than the usual 2 days?)

I will announce the winner in Monday morning's post, with plenty of time to mail the book before April Fool's Day!

Happy Reading with your kids and happy writing your contest answers everyone!  Good luck and have fun!

Here are the first lines:

1.  This is Olivia.
2.  When I leave home to walk to school, Dad always says to me, "Marco, keep your eyelids up and see what you can see."
3.  The day Helen gave Martha dog her alphabet soup, something unusual happened.
4.  Chester Raccoon stood at the edge of the forest and cried.
5.  This is the house.  The house on East 88th Street.
6.  The big hand of the clock is at 12.
7.  One day Little Sal went with her mother to Blueberry Hill to pick blueberries.
8.  I'm Emily Elizabeth, and I have a dog.
9.  Ava had a hard time falling asleep.
10.  Once upon a time there was a Little House way out in the country.
11.  In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines.
12.  Once upon a time there were four little rabbits, and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter.
13.  Lilly loved school.
14.  Harry was a white dog with black spots who liked everything, except... getting a bath.
15.  The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another his mother called him "WILD THING" and Max said, "I'LL EAT YOU UP!" so he was sent to bed without eating anything.
16.  One evening, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight.
17.  Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young duck named Ping.
18.  Chug, chug, chug.  Puff, puff, puff.  Ding-dong, ding-dong.
19.  Farmer Brown has a problem.
20.  In the great forest a little elephant is born.
21.  Little Nutbrown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare's very long ears.
22.  In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf.
23.  Once there was a tree... and she loved a little boy.
24.  Once upon a time there was a very old man and a very old woman.
25.  One Christmas Eve, many years ago, I lay quietly in my bed.

P.S.  I discovered this was surprisingly hard to make difficult!  So many first lines include the character's name, which totally gives it away!  Next time, I think I'll try last lines!  But at the very least, this will hopefully give you all a list of great books to read with your young friends... :)

I will not post contestants' responses until all entries are in so that no one has an unfair advantage :)  But be assured if you posted your answers, I've got them!