November 18, 2011

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 :)

39 comments:

  1. JoannaNovember 18, 2011 at 7:14 AM

    Hope your PK-3 visit goes well, Susanna! Have added my first link and look forward to us all compiling together, a great PB list.

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  2. catherinemjohnson.comNovember 18, 2011 at 7:53 AM

    Have a great school visit. Love your photo and picture book. This is such a cool idea! I can't wait to read the Thanksgiving entries either. HAGW!

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  3. JessNovember 18, 2011 at 10:24 AM

    My 2-year-old LOVES this book! We read it at least once a week :)

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  4. Abby FowersNovember 18, 2011 at 11:05 AM

    What a cute book! I hooked by the title and cover alone. So cute!

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  5. DarshanaNovember 18, 2011 at 11:18 AM

    I like your "Would You Read It" section, just added it to my blogroll.

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  6. Patricia TiltonNovember 18, 2011 at 11:22 AM

    Susanna, enjoyed your classic selection. A great book to review. Funny that many of us selected animal books on the first Perfect Picture Book Day. Have a great school visit.

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  7. Coleen PatrickNovember 18, 2011 at 2:39 PM

    Congrats on the first perfect picture book Friday! Have a great weekend Susanna!

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  8. Tracy MacDonaldNovember 18, 2011 at 2:39 PM

    Susanna,
    Finally got my link up. This book is a favorite with my youngest and I love the simplicity of it. Have a great weekend!

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  9. Susanna Leonard HillNovember 18, 2011 at 9:01 PM

    Joanna, Catherine, Jess, Abby, Darshana, Pat, Coleen, and Tracy - thank you all so much for your support of the inaugural Perfect Picture Book Friday! Especially those of you who took the time to write a review in the right format including the most important part - the resources!!! I hope everyone who wrote one linked up _ I'd hate to have missed any! Have a great weekend and I;ll look forward to your Thanksgiving Contest entries next week :)

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  10. elizabethanneNovember 18, 2011 at 10:12 PM

    I'm skidding in at the last minute! Just added my link, and am so looking forward to being a part of this fantastic project.

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  11. patientdreamerNovember 19, 2011 at 2:34 AM

    Oops! I missed this one. It was those cute baby cheeks I saw before, that threw me..lol.
    Will I be allowed to join in the next one, Susanna?

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  12. Susanna Leonard HillNovember 19, 2011 at 7:08 AM

    Beth - I'm SO glad to have you! :)

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  13. Susanna Leonard HillNovember 19, 2011 at 7:11 AM

    Diane - of course! Absolutely! We'd love to have you :)

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  14. Rosalind AdamNovember 19, 2011 at 9:23 AM

    This is a fabulous idea. Well done for taking the initiative on this one. I love that Llama and it's a great topic for kids. I shall pop along and look at the other suggestions now. Thanks :-)

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  15. Susanna Leonard HillNovember 19, 2011 at 9:30 AM

    Rosalind - I'm so glad you like it! Maybe you'd like to join us next week? :)

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  16. Kerry AradhyaNovember 19, 2011 at 12:34 PM

    Ooh, what a fun new feature. Great idea! I look forward to checking out all the "perfect picture books" people recommend in the coming months, and I hope to add to the list from time to time as well. By the way, Anna Dewdney is one of my favorite PB author/illustrators, but I didn't know about the resources you listed to go along with her book!

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  17. Susanna Leonard HillNovember 19, 2011 at 12:49 PM

    Kerry - I'm so glad you like the idea, and I hope you'll join in! :) I love Anna D. as well - such warm and genuine stories, and such appealing art! Thanks for stopping by to check it out!

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  18. AnonymousNovember 19, 2011 at 1:08 PM

    I love this idea! Hope I can join next week. Or are you having one because of Thanksgiving? I wasn't able to write a story because of both my husband and I had minor surgical procedures this week but will try harder next time. I can't wait to read the entries.

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  19. Janet JohnsonNovember 19, 2011 at 1:52 PM

    One of my favorites! It's so clever and so fun to read aloud, and so TRUE! :)

    Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!

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  20. Christie Wright WildNovember 19, 2011 at 9:17 PM

    Just a quick off-topic question: How do you pronounce your first name? Like piranha, or like banana?

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  21. Susanna Leonard HillNovember 19, 2011 at 9:24 PM

    Christie - like banana :)

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  22. Christie Wright WildNovember 19, 2011 at 9:28 PM

    Thanks! My sister's middle name is Suzanne. Now I can confidently read your name correctly.

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  23. Susanna Leonard HillNovember 19, 2011 at 9:41 PM

    Christie - :) Thanks for joining in on Perfect Picture Books - you always do such great reviews and already have ideas for how teachers/parents can make use of books. Can you do me a favor as we go forward and list the themes/topics of the book so I can list it in Just Right Books (which remains linked back to your blog)? Because I often haven't read the books and can't guess!

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  24. Christie Wright WildNovember 19, 2011 at 9:55 PM

    Sure. The topic of Martina is finding a suitable husband. The theme is "be yourself," I think.

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  25. Susanna Leonard HillNovember 19, 2011 at 10:25 PM

    Finding a suitable husband... a topic no child can get enough good stories about :)

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  26. Cally JacksonNovember 20, 2011 at 3:03 AM

    This is such a wonderful idea, Susanna. If I read picture books on a regular basis, I'd definitely participate. Hope you get lots of fantastic entries and it becomes a great resource of parents, teachers and writers! :-)

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  27. Susanna Leonard HillNovember 20, 2011 at 6:50 AM

    Thanks, Cally! Hey, how's your challenge coming along? Did you beat your husband? :)

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  28. Julie HedlundNovember 20, 2011 at 1:14 PM

    I am so in love with this new series! I'm going to check out the links this week and will add my own next week!

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  29. Susanna Leonard HillNovember 20, 2011 at 2:27 PM

    Oh, I'm so glad you like it Julie! And yay! I can't wait to see what you come up with! :)

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  30. Susanna Leonard HillNovember 20, 2011 at 8:21 PM

    Clar - I hope you and your husband are OK! No worries about missing the contest - we'll be having another next month for the holidays :) And yes, we will have Perfect Picture Book Friday this week, but not Would You Read It.

    Janet - I know - I just love Llama Llama! He's just so cute!

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  31. Peggy EddlemanNovember 20, 2011 at 10:26 PM

    I LOVE picture books that play with words in such fun ways!

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  32. Empty Nest InsiderNovember 21, 2011 at 4:49 AM

    Llama Llama is absolutely adorable, as are the children in your Thanksgiving photo! When my older son was about 21/2, he gave his pacifier to the Llama at a nearby farm. We told him that's what his teeth would look like if he continued to use it. Your new Friday feature is an excellent idea! Julie

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  33. J.C. MartinNovember 21, 2011 at 4:58 AM

    What an adorable cover and title! And definitely a useful read for kids about to start their first year at school!

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  34. Susanna Leonard HillNovember 21, 2011 at 6:32 AM

    Peggy - I admire Anna Dewdney's ability to keep coming up with fun rhymes for llama :)

    Julie - I'm so glad you like the idea! And how funny that your son gave his pacifier to a llama = maybe there's a story in that! :)

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  35. StinaNovember 21, 2011 at 10:20 PM

    I LOVE the Llama Llama series. I haven't read this one. I'm going to have to check it out. :D

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  36. Susanna Leonard HillNovember 22, 2011 at 6:51 AM

    Stina - all the Llama Llama stories are wonderful, but this one is my favorite!

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  37. Kerry AradhyaNovember 22, 2011 at 1:12 PM

    Hi again, Susanna. Any chance you have a button (or are toying with the idea of creating a button) that other bloggers can put on their sites to help advertise (and remember about) Perfect Picture Book Fridays? I would love to add it to my blog if you do :)

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  38. Susanna Leonard HillNovember 22, 2011 at 9:54 PM

    Kerry - it's interesting that you mention that :) I was thinking about the very same thing. I just have to figure out how to do it! :)

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  39. Shannon LawrenceNovember 24, 2011 at 1:17 AM

    Wonderful idea! Thanks for the recommendation. I've only read one Llama, Llama book with my kids, and we only discovered it this year.

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