There are few phrases that fill you with as much anticipation as those 4 little words! (Okay. "I made chocolate cake" is right up there too. Or, if you're me, "time for Grey's Anatomy" which is actually a little like "once upon a time" although my faith was badly shaken by the season finale... but I digress.)
When you hear once upon a time, you just know something good is coming! You settle in, get comfy, and eagerly await whatever comes next!
Well, I feel the same way about 4 other little words - Perfect Picture Book Friday! When I hear those words, I just know I'm about to read about a whole bunch of terrific books I can't wait to get my hands on!
And the one I'm going to share with you today is all about that once upon a time...! :)
Written & Illustrated By: Kate Duke
Dutton Children's Books, 1992, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 3-8
Themes/Topics: creativity, storytelling, imagination, girl power
Opening: "'Tell me a story,' said Penelope one night after supper.
'What kind of a story?' asked Aunt Isabel.
'A good story,' said Penelope.
'All right,' said Aunt Isabel. 'A good story is the hardest kind to tell, though. We must put it together carefully, with just the right ingredients...'"
Brief Synopsis: At Penelope's request, Aunt Isabel makes up a story using all the necessary ingredients. A When, a Where, and a Who. Romance, a Problem, and Villains! But when beloved Prince Augustus is in danger from Odious Mole and Bad-Egg Bat, who will come to his rescue?
Links To Resources: probably the best thing you can do with this story is use it as a springboard for creativity, writing, and storytelling activities, one-on-one or in a group. Some online resources to enhance the fun are Scribblitt and Story Starters. And illustrating the stories (before or after) is always fun too!
Why I Like This Book: the story is fun and engaging, and the art is absolutely charming. But even better, it is actually a how-to manual for how to write a story! While Aunt Isabel is making up a story for Penelope, readers are learning how to make up their own stories. This applies to adults as well as kids :) Whether you're a child, a parent, a teacher, or a writer (or any combination thereof :)), I think you'll enjoy this one!
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
Before we all head for the PPB list, I just want to thank the fabulous Natasha over at Writes By Moonlight for bestowing the Kreativ Blogger Award on me! As you all know, I am terrible at these awards, and as you can tell by how impressively brief I'm being today I'm unusually pressed for time, so I'm going to skip the questions and random facts and trying to pick other people to give the award to for now. But do please pop by and visit Natasha!
PPBF bloggers, please add your post-specific links below! I will be popping around reading when I can, and then spending as much of this holiday weekend as I can appropriate trying to choose finalists in the Birthday Contest!
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend everyone!
