Perfect Picture Book Fridays Begins! - Llama Llama Misses Mama

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!  I'm off to a school visit this morning and....!

Welcome to the new feature - Perfect Picture Book Fridays!  I'm so excited about this!  I'm hoping it will become a really great resource for parents, teachers, homeschoolers, writers, and gift-givers :)  Here and on all the linked blogs, you will find highly recommended picture books along with fantastic ideas for how you can use them at home and in the classroom, often including links to classroom guides and activity pages, hopefully making life easier for parents and teachers and giving writers great examples of craft to study.  The books will be archived in the Perfect Picture Books tab above, organized alphabetically by age and subject, making it easy to find an age-appropriate book on a given topic for home, classroom, or gift.

(For those of you posting your own Perfect Picture Book, please add your link to the link list at the bottom so people can come over and find your recommendations and the resources you're offering!  For details on how to post, please click here.)

Without further ado, let's jump into our very first entry :)  There are so many wonderful books out there it was hard to choose, but we've got to start somewhere :)

Llama Llama Misses Mama
written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney
Viking Juvenile, March 2009, Fiction
Suitable for:  Preschool - Kindergarten (ages 3-6)
Themes/Topics:  first day of school, separation, missing a loved one.
Opening and brief synopsis:  "Llama Llama, warm in bed.  Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead!  Llama school begins today!  Time to learn and time to play!"  Llama Llama is excited for his first day of school, but when it's time for Mama to leave, Llama Llama doesn't feel so sure.
Links to resources:  Activity Kit, Llama Llama in the classroom, Same and Different Activity (click on "assets" then pdf)
Why I Like This Book:  Llama Llama's uncertainty and sadness over Mama leaving him at school are portrayed genuinely, and the story is told with such warmth and reassurance that children experiencing separation anxiety of their own are sure to feel comforted.  School is shown to be happy, engaging place.
For more books with resources please visit Perfect Picture Books!

I'm excited for Monday, the opening day of our Thanksgiving week contest!  I hope you've all got your stories ready to go (or will have them ready after the weekend :))  I can't wait to read them!!!

Before we go, here's our Farewell Fun Friday Foto.  Our final theme is THANKSGIVING, so here's mine:

my Thanksgiving :)

Now, whether you're looking for something fun to read with your child, a great book to add into a lesson plan, the perfect gift for your niece, or a shining example of picture book writing craft, click on the links below for some Perfect Picture Books!  I'm off to visit PK-3s!  Have a great weekend :)