Would You Read It Wednesday #172 - The Last Race (MG)

Hiya, folks!

How're things?

Here on Blueberry Hill, spring is finally really probably almost definitely thinking about coming!  We haven't had any snow for over three days, nor has the temperature gone below 20 at night.  This is progress, folks!

Also, the bear has been to visit.  He broke both the bird feeders out of the trees and carried one off into the woods.  I am not running a take-out service for bears!  Bird feeders are not cheap, and that bear owes me some money.  He does this EVERY YEAR!  (And I hear the wise-guy in the back saying, "If he does it every year, why don't you take the feeders down before he does?", and the answer to that, wise-guy, is uhhh....)

Last weekend I had the privilege of attending the New England SCBWI Conference in Springfield, MA. It was my first time going, and boy do they run a great conference!  I recommend going next year if you get the chance!  I got to hear some inspiring speakers - Dan Santat, Kwame Alexander, and Jo Knowles, among others - and perhaps even more importantly I got to hang out with some old friends and meet a couple of hitherto online friends who I have now gotten to talk to IRL!  There will be no photographs, however, because I prefer that you all think of me as tall, willowy and breathtakingly beautiful :)

Also, they had really good brownies :)  Not that I'm suggesting that chocolate is the most important feature of a conference...  but, well, I'm just saying... :)

Speaking of chocolate, let's start the day off right! :)

Something Chocolate this way comes... (and thank you Kathy for sending it my way - you are a treasure! :))

Use Ice cream cones, dip the top in chocolate, add fruit and
add your favorite fruit dip to the middle!! So easy!!
Follow me i am always posting awesome stuff!
https://www.facebook.com/raylene.j.smith

I think I've taken chocolate to a whole new level of healthfulness today.  (You're welcome Julie R-Z :))

Okay, now, if everyone could get their fingers out of the dip, today's pitch comes to us from Randy, a writer/illustrator who lives in a treehouse overlooking Dawson Pond in Pontiac, MI.  He doesn't have a website at the moment, but has a presence on Facebook, is involved with the Michigan chapter of SCBWI, and belongs to a good crit group.

Here is his pitch:

Working Title: The Last Race
Age/Genre: MG (ages 9-14)
The Pitch: Twelve year old Ben races 1/4 midget car that his Dad built for him. Soon after his first race, his Mom dies of breast cancer. The story is about how he deals with the loss. Will his life ever be the same again? Why can't he talk to his Dad like before?  Will he ever race again? Find out how his maternal grandfather becomes a mentor to Ben.

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Randy improve his pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in September so you've got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Randy is looking forward to your thoughts on his pitch!  I am looking forward to catching up on the PILES of work that have gathered while I've been revisiting colleges and attending conferences.  I say that as if I might actually ever catch up!  Ah, the power of optimism :)

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!!!

Perfect Picture Book Friday - Mossy

Thank goodness for Perfect Picture Book Friday!  It gives me an excuse to sit in the library or bookstore and read picture books :)

Today's choice is from one of my favorite author/illustrators.  And it's loosely related to Earth Day (which was 2 days ago) because it's about being kind to animals :)  I hope you like it :)

Mossy
Written & Illustrated By: Jan Brett
Putnam Juvenile, September 2012

Suitable For Ages: 3-8

Themes/Topics: consideration, kindness, animals in their natural habitat, perspective

Opening: "On a misty, moisty morning, a young turtle stood at the edge of Lilypad Pond.  Her name was Mossy."

Brief Synopsis: Mossy loves her pond.  She spends so much time in the damp coolness that first moss and then a garden grow on her carapace.  One day, she meets a handsome turtle named Scoot who thinks she's very beautiful, but just as they are on the verge of becoming friends, Dr. Carolina and Tory spot Mossy.  "She is perfect for the museum!" declares Dr. Carolina.  And so Mossy is carried away from her beloved pond and her new friend.  Dr Carolina gives her everything she thinks a turtle needs, but fails to understand that Mossy already had everything she needed.  It is Tory who sees that Mossy is sad.  So they come up with a way to keep Mossy at the museum but also give her what her heart desires.

Links To Resources:  The back jacket flap of the book tells about the real incident that inspired this story for Jan Brett.  The book provides a wonderful opportunity for discussion about animals in the wild vs. animals in captivity.  Why might it be good to take an animal out of its natural habitat?  Why might it be bad?  Have you ever captured anything (perhaps a caterpillar, a frog or toad, or a garter snake?) and kept it for a while?  How long did you keep it?  What happened to it?  Did you put it back where you found it?  A New York Times Q&A with Jan Brett about Mossy.  Jan Brett Coloring Pages (Mossy isn't here yet, but she may show up!)  Jan Brett Activity Pages (also no Mossy yet, but lots of other fun things to choose from!)

Why I Like This Book: Well, to start with, it's a Jan Brett :)  That means a good story and gorgeous art!  Add to that the fact that it's about a turtle who is a walking garden and what's not to like? :)  But the part I like best is how Tory realizes that Mossy isn't happy in captivity and makes sure that she is returned to her beloved pond.  It's a beautiful tale about doing what's right for someone else, and realizing when you've made a mistake (even with good intentions.)

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you!  I can't wait to see what you all picked!

Have a great weekend, everyone!  And maybe I'll see some of you at the SCBWI conference :)

Would You Read It Wednesday #171 - Monster Bakery (PB) PLUS Straight From The Editor x 2!!!

Well, hello there!  Fancy meeting you here!

Oh, right!  You're here for the chocolate.

We'll get to that in a sec.

First, I have to tell you what a big week it's been here at the Hill Homestead.  I have been to Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont.  I celebrated the 21st anniversary of my 29th birthday and joined the half-century club.  My husband and I celebrated our silver wedding anniversary.  And Princess Blue Kitty has a headlight that is almost out!

I know!

Not every week is that chock-full of love, travel, adventure, drama, and the knife-edge of danger (what if a policeman sees us before our beloved Subaru mechanic gets back from vacation to replace Blue's headlight???!!!  Edge-of-your-seat thrill ride - that's the way we roll around here!)

A week like this gives me a chance to pause and reflect (whilst driving), to look at all the blessings in my life and be grateful, and to think holy swiss cheese, Batman, when did I get so OLD?! :)

All this by way of saying if I owe you an email or haven't commented on your blog or etc., etc., that's why.  Blame it on senility :)

Now then, first on today's agenda we have Straight From The Editor for both February and March!

February - you will recall Kirsten's winning pitch for Finley vs. The Fly (PB ages 4-8)

When a pesky fly fixes his eye on Finley’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich, the game is on. Armed with a magazine, vacuum cleaner, and sink sprayer, Finley is determined to deliver a final blow to the buzz. But when Finley serves up the final swat and the fly lands — splat — on the sandwich, Finley wonders whether he’s really won after all.

Editor Erin Molta had this to say:

I really like the potential action of Finley vs. the Fly. However, Finley wondering whether he won after all is a bit of a downer and nobody likes a fly. Finley needs to be the victor in this story and it seems as if he’s not.

March - you will recall Carrie's winning pitch for Stepping Into Adventure: The Magic Rocks (PB ages 4-8)

Stepping Into Adventure: The Magic Rocks is the story of Jude, a boy who is on a quest to find adventure because boredom has captured him.  He discovers he cannot escape his suddenly dull days without the help of his step-mom.  This results in high-flying adventure and a discovery that they are even better together.  

For this one, Erin said:

This sounds interesting but you need to tie in the beginning and the last sentence.  A discovery that Jude and his stepmom are even better together implies that he thought they weren’t and that seems to be more a problem than boredom. Perhaps if you started the pitch with something like, Jude’s new step mom took some getting used to but Jude is incredibly bored…and then perhaps make it so that his step mom gives him some adventurous ideas. Then it becomes a family story with more of a hook than just alleviating boredom.

As always, I find Erin's comments very enlightening (thank you, Erin!), and I hope Kirsten and Carrie will find her thoughts helpful!

Now then.  You've been very patient.  And now your patience shall be rewarded.  It's time for everybody's favorite snack: Something Chocolate!!!

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chocolate-brownie-cookies

Really, when the name is Chocolate Brownie Cookies you just need to grab a cup of coffee or a glass of milk and dive in :)  (With many thanks to the lovely Teresa who supplied this deliciousness.  There was a rumor that Renee was going to test the recipe, but results have not been reported in! :))

Onward!

Today's pitch comes to us from Pat who says, "As an established food writer and cookbook author, my food obsession spills over into my children’s writing. I love reading and writing picture books, and am especially attracted to stories that have clever punch lines and subterfuge, diverse characters and themes are a bonus!  

Find me at--

Blog: Picklesandtea.org link

Twitter: @ediblewords 

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Monster Bakery
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Esme and her parents run The Ghoulangerie, a popular bakery in their neighborhood. Every day, maggot and mince meat pies, booger bagels with brain cheese, and bloody orange cupcakes fly off the shelves. However, the neighborhood is changing and their regular customers soon stop coming in. To bring in new customers, Esme comes up with a three-step plan: tweak their recipes, change their opening hours, and advertise. Nothing’s working until a crisis encourages Esme to push the limits of her creativity.

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Pat improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in September so you've got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Pat is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to watching the grass turn green.  It's happening folks! :)

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!!! :)

Perfect Picture Book Friday - Meet The Dullards

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, Everyone!

As you all know, I am behind (not even going to say how far!) in updating the Perfect Picture Book List.  One of my problems is that Blogger overloaded due to how much I was trying to put on that page.  I'm trying to sort out a better system.  Stacy, the wonderful and generous, put together a possible plan which I haven't had time to figure out yet, but in the meantime, at the very least, I have two (2!) things to mention.

1.  I am experimenting with using Pinterest for the theme lists, so many Perfect Picture Books, grouped by theme, are on Pinterest HERE.

2.  The complete alphabetical list of books that have been done through April 10, 2015, is on another blog HERE.  It is grouped into titles A-H, I-P, and Q-Z.  Although all the titles are listed, the vast majority have yet to be linked to their reviews because I haven't figured out how to get an eighth day into the week just for PPBF updating :)

There is a theme list on the new blog and it is complete - all the themes are listed alphabetically, and they connect to the Pinterest boards... but the Pinterest boards are only partially loaded.

There is a list of contributing bloggers on the right side of the new blog which I know is incomplete.  If you're a contributing blogger whose site isn't mentioned, please feel free to email me and I'll add you in - I just couldn't remember everything off the top of my head so have been adding slowly as I go along - and I apologize for not getting you up there already!

As I said, I've been experimenting, so things are a bit at sixes and sevens and this is a stop-gap measure until I can figure out what is going to work best for this amazing and impressive list.  In my dreams, I'd also like to list the books in a way that would be helpful to writers looking for mentor texts - examples of parallel stories, or wordless picture books, etc...  But like I said, I lack an eighth weekday... so we'll see :)

As for today's Perfect Picture Book, I have a fun one for you, because sometimes books should just be fun :)

Title: Meet The Dullards
Written By: Sara Pennypacker
Illustrated By: Daniel Salmieri
Balzer & Bray, March 2015, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-8

Themes/Topics: humor, family

Opening: "One day, Mr. and Mrs. Dullard received quite a nasty surprise. [art: children are reading books: Becoming One With The Tightrope and The Nicest Way To Befriend A Lion]  The Dullards collected the books and handed their children some nice blank paper to read instead.  Then they left the room to discuss the problem in private."

Brief Synopsis: Mr. and Mrs. Dullard are committed to raising a dull family, doing everything in their power to keep their children safe from the evils of applesauce cake, puppies, and thinking.  If only they knew... :)

Links To Resources: talk about family traditions: what are some things you do as a family? How are these things alike or different from what other people do with their families?  Do you think people are "weird" if they do things differently?  Discuss things to do together as a family.  In this book, the kids are completely focused on joining the circus while their parents concentrate on being dull - in a group or individually, think up and illustrate another Dullards story where the kids have a new plan and practice making the story say one thing while the pictures show another.  Why is this funny?

Why I Like This Book:  I have long been a fan of The Stupids and, more recently, The Dumb Bunnies.  The Dullards are full of tongue-in-cheek humor.  Mrs. Dullard faints at the sight of flowered wallpaper.  The Dullards' idea of fun is (actually!) watching paint dry.  And when Mr. and Mrs. Dullard see a snail crossing the driveway they pack up their family and move away from such dangerous excitement.  Meanwhile, readers (young and old alike) will enjoy the illustrations which depict the elder Dullards picking out paint (gray or beige?) oblivious to their offspring juggling paintbrushes, climbing on clotheslines and befriending puppies.  The contradiction of the text and the deadpan illustrations is entertaining every time through the book!  This book is just plain fun! :)

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! :)

Would You Read It Wednesday #170 - The Octopus Wants What It Wants (PB) PLUS The March Pitch Winner!

Are you familiar with Steve Martin from Saturday Night Live back in the old days?

You know that skit where he strums his banjo and sings, "I'm a ramblin', ramblin', ramblin', ramblin', ramblin', ramblin'  GUUUYY!"?

Well, that's me.

I'm a ramblin', ramblin', ramblin', ramblin', ramblin', ramblin'  GUUUYY, er, well I guess technically, gal!

I took Princess Blue Kitty for her very overdue oil change on Monday, loaded her up yesterday, and... you won't believe it... but right now, this very second, while you are here reading my blog (thank you so much for being here!) I am somewhere in the wilds of Pennsylvania at an institution of higher learning.

Basically, I am a chauffeur.

A ramblin', ramblin', ramblin', ramblin', ramblin', ramblin'  chauffeur :)

So anyway, whilst I'm touring the eastern United States, I am simultaneously presenting to you the winner of the March Pitch Pick, a delicious Something Chocolate, and a fabulous pitch from today's WYRI participant!  I'm such a multi-tasker.  (Er, ahem, that was a tiny fib.  A fiblit.  I am so not a multi-tasker.  I can't even talk on the phone and fold laundry because I get a crick in my neck.  You can thank Blogger's scheduling feature for making this presentation possible.)

So first off, let's have a round of applause for the winner of the March Pitch Pick!  It is Carrie with her PB pitch for Stepping Into Adventure: The Magic Rocks!  Congratulations, Carrie!  Your pitch is on its way to editor Erin Molta for her comments!

And congratulations to our other brave and talented pitchers for doing such a great job!  Everyone is a winner, really, just for polishing their pitch, putting it out there, taking the feedback constructively, and making the pitch even better than before.  Bravo to all of you!!!

After all that excitement, you probably need Something Chocolate.  Today's pitcher has requested Chocolate Cream Pie, and far be it from me to disappoint a pitcher :)

Can you say scrumdiddlyumptious?  Mmm-mmm!

Today's pitch comes to us from Ariel who says, "I'm a mom of two young children in New Jersey, which means I get to read a ton of picture books and pretend I'm reading them for my kids and not myself. I'm on Twitter @a3bernstein and write a blog, How to Raise Benevolent Dictators at https://a3bernstein.wordpress.com. I also believe that a day without chocolate isn't a completed day."

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The Octopus Wants What It Wants
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Sea creatures beware! Billie the octopus wants what she wants and she takes what she wants. But when Billie takes a boy from a fishing boat and finds out what it's like to have a friend, she learns what she really wanted all along.

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Ariel improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in September so you've got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Ariel is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight because as nice as hotels are they are not my own bed :)

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! :)

Perfect Picture Book Friday - High-Tailing It Out Of The State!

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, Everyone!

I'm just going to 'fess up right away.

I don't have a book today.

Not for lack of trying - I read a whole pile.  But none of the books in my pile particularly struck my fancy.  And my sister was visiting and there was a visit to the seamstress about prom dress alteration and college revisit planning and lameness diagnosis for Jemma who is very lame in the off fore (or at least that's what you'd say if she were a horse) (and by "diagnosis" I mean everyone is scratching their heads because really we don't know what's wrong except maybe it's her shoulder) and work, work, work, and etc. and I just flat out ran out of time.

And now, as you are sipping your coffee and happily anticipating loads of lovely Perfect Picture Books, I am high-tailing it out of the state!

That's right.

Princess Blue Kitty and I are heading to the Green Mountains for the day so that I can hear one child present her honors history thesis at the symposium... after which I shall return home in time to hear another child sing at Arts Night.

That's the plan.

Good lord willing and the creek don't rise! :)

So please, share amongst yourselves, visit each other, enjoy all the picture books on offer this week... and I'll catch up as soon as I can!

PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you!

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Have a great weekend, everyone!!! :)

Would You Read It Wednesday #169 The Princess And The Pee (PB) PLUS The March Pitch Pick

Howdy boys and girls!

I'm going to be so succinct today you won't even recognize me!

(That is because my sister is visiting from Georgia and I barely ever get to see her, so I'm taking advantage of the time :))

So straight down to business!

First off, the March Pitch Pick.

Our March pitchers have taken all your good advice to heart and revised their pitches for your consideration.  Please read through them and then vote below for the pitch you like best.  Hopefully we will not get a three-way tie this time! :)

#1 Donna - The Chocolate Train Wreck - ER - ages 6-9

Nine–year-old Abigail must do an essay about one of her favorite things. But train whistles or chocolate-chip-cookies don’t seem big enough for her paper and nothing new ever happens in Hamilton. That is, until an airborne diesel engine and 50 tons of chocolate create a delicious mystery still unsolved more than fifty years later.

#2 Maria - A Pup Called Freelance - PB ages 5-8

My dad and the other firefighters were just doing their job when they rescued the two tiny puppies. Back at the firehouse, one was quickly adopted, while "Freelance," who chewed on fire boots and hid under the ladder truck​, was headed for the pound. But all that would change during his overnight visit to my house. Despite his mischievous nature, Freelance had a "nose for danger." His heroic efforts to save us earned him a place in our home forever!

#3 Pam - Freedom's Eve - PB ages 5-8

Eight-year-old Eve-Lynn groans about attending Watch Night service. A night commemorating the vigil of December 31st, 1862, when her ancestors watched and waited for the dawn of a new day. Freedom from slavery. But it is 1962. Gathering in an old barn, with a bunch of old relatives holds little excitement for Eve-Lynn. She dislikes her old-timey name. A hush interrupts Eve-Lynn’s grumbling. Eve-Lynn comes face to face with her one-hundred-eight- year old aunt, Lil’ Eve, an former-slave for whom she was named. The old aunt's voice rings out with an ancestral song, signaling the start of Watch Night. It is a song Eve-Lynn loves but has never understand the words, until tonight. Will Eve-Lynn learn to honor the Watch Night tradition? Will she learn to appreciate the significance of her name, and its link to her rich heritage?


#4 Carrie - Stepping Into Adventure: The Magic Rocks - PB ages 4-8

Stepping Into Adventure: The Magic Rocks is the story of Jude, a boy who is on a quest to find adventure because boredom has captured him.  He discovers he cannot escape his suddenly dull days without the help of his step-mom.  This results in high-flying adventure and a discovery that they are even better together.  

Please vote for the pitch you think most deserves a read and comments from editor Erin Molta by Sunday April 12 at 5 PM.

Today's pitcher is sharing her own favorite Something Chocolate with us: Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream with thawed frozen raspberries on top!

YUM!!!  Help yourselves :)

Now then, today's pitch comes to us from Amelia who says, "I am a former teacher - preschool, elementary, and middle school, both general education and Spanish, and now I'm staying at home with two boys who love to roar at each other.  I've been a writer my entire life, and have my eyes set on a second career as an author, so I've committed to saying yes to every writing opportunity that arises in 2015, to see where that takes me!

Links:

http://www.ameliashearer.com

https://twitter.com/ameliashearer (@ameliashearer)

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmeliaShearer

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The Princess And The Pee
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 2-5)
The Pitch: When little Addy discovers an unexplored room in the family castle, her sister informs her that it holds The Royal Throne - a special seat only true princesses can use.  True princesses who are so sensitive they just can't play one second in a dirty diaper.  True princesses who are so clever they can sense wiggles and tinkles moving around even before they come out.  Addy knows she's a princess, but if she ever wants to see The Royal Throne for herself, she'll have to find a way to prove it!

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Amelia improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in September so you've got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Amelia is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to hanging out with my sister!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!!! :)

Perfect Picture Book Friday - Flap Your Wings

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, Everyone!

Since it's technically Spring, and since Sunday is Easter, I chose a book about an egg :)  It is another older book - almost 20 years older than last week's older book! - but it is one of my All Time Favorites!

Flap Your Wings
Written & Illustrated By: P.D. Eastman
Random House, 1969, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 3-8
Themes/Topics: assumptions, non-traditional family, unconditional love, responsibility
Opening: (this is actually the first three pages.)
"An egg lay in the path.
A boy came down the path.  He saw the egg.  "Someone might step on that egg and break it," he said.
He looked around.
He saw flamingos and frogs, and turtles and alligators.  "Whose egg is this?" he called.  But no one answered."

Brief Synopsis:  A little boy finds an egg.  He doesn't want it to get damaged, so he looks around until he finds the nest and carefully puts it back.  When Mr. and Mrs. Bird come home, they are surprised to find an egg in their nest... it wasn't there when they left!  But Mr. Bird says that if an egg is in their nest it must be their egg, so they must take care of it.  So they do... with very surprising results!

Links To Resources:  Ideas And Activities For Guided Reading, Incubation & Embryology Activities, use with An Egg Is Quiet (from PPBF link list), talk about what kind of animals, insects and reptiles lay eggs and how the eggs are the same and different.

Why I Like This Book:  This book is fun to read as a picture book, but is also an I Can Read type book that is very accessible to new readers.  The pictures are delightful - Mr. and Mrs. Bird's expressions are very entertaining.  But I really love the story because it doesn't go where you would expect.  It's funny.  And it's a great example of what agents, editors and reviewers mean when they talk about re-readability.  This book delighted me as a child, and delighted my children in their turn.  I've read it so many times that even now, years since I last read it to my kids, I can recite almost the whole book.  It's fun every time :)

If you get a chance to read it, I hope you like it as much as I do!

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Before we head off to our weekends, I just want to share a little housekeeping note for those of you who are new to Perfect Picture Book Fridays:

Perfect Picture Books are more than just reviews.

The thing that sets Perfect Picture Books apart is the resources.

It is our goal to make it easy for parents, teachers, and homeschoolers to expand on the use of picture books.

Essentially, we're handing them a great picture book and one or more activities they can use with it ready-made.

The resources you provide may be online links, but they don't have to be.  Many PPBF bloggers think up GREAT activities and discussion questions and recipes and games etc...

The crucial thing is that the book you post must have at least one good resource to expand on its use at home and/or in the classroom in order to be added to the comprehensive list.  And the resource must be ready to use - by which I mean, saying a book can be used for finger rhymes or a math activity doesn't help a parent or teacher who doesn't know any finger rhymes or math activities, so please tell us which finger rhyme and how to do it, or provide a specific math activity, etc.  Thank you so much!

PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you and see what terrific books you've chosen this week!

Have a lovely weekend, everyone, and Happy Easter and Happy Passover to those who celebrate!

Would You Read It Wednesday #168 - Don't Pinch Me! (PB)

Does everybody know what day it is???

Woo hoo!

It's April Fools' Day!

And Mother Nature is certainly April Fooling with us, as she continues to send snow!  Which I am ignoring.  Pointedly.

I hope you will all indulge me in a moment of shameless self-promotion (due to the fact that I never seem to remember ahead of time to do anything about this!)

Enjoy April Fools' Day high jinx and shenanigans with Phyllis and the gang!
Grab a copy for yourself, one of the littles in your life, your local library, etc... :)
Helpful purchasing links for your convenience:
AMAZON, B&N, INDIEBOUND, Merritt Bookstore

If you feel the urge to share April Fool, Phyllis! on FB, twitter, etc, Phyllis and I will be extremely grateful and will sing a song in your honor :)  It will go like this:

FOOORRR you're a jolly good fellow
For you're a jolly good fellow
Oh you're a jolly good fell-ooowwwwwww
And Phyllis and I love you!

As you can see, we worked hard on the music and lyrics, and we practiced our singing all night... which is why we might sound a little hoarse.

Neigh!

And now for your Something Chocolate!

Meatloaf with gravy, mashed potatoes, and peas!!!
Recipe HERE at Party Pinching
http://www.partypinching.com/parties-holidays/april-fools-day/

Tee-hee-hee!  April Fool! :)

The "meatloaf" is a chocolate rice krispie treat with chocolate sauce for "gravy", the "mashed potatoes" are half a cupcake with vanilla frosting, a yellow starburst, and a little yellow gel icing, and the "peas" are from the peas and carrots Jelly Belly pack!  Pretty clever, don't you think?  :)

Now that you're properly fortified (I mean, talk about a healthy breakfast! :)) today's pitch comes to us from Lidia.  Lidia Varesco Racoma is a graphic designer and mom in Chicago. She is owner of graphic design studio Lidia Varesco Design and children’s apparel line typebaby. She writes about juggling motherhood and small business on her blog Biz Mama, and has self-published a children’s book called City Kid: ABC.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Don't Pinch Me!
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: The pencil is always getting pinched at school as the preschoolers learn to write and he’s really cranky about it…until he realizes just how important his job is.

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Lidia improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in September so you've got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Lidia is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to when it stops snowing and gets above 20!  Which I know it is going to do soon!  I have faith.  It could possibly even happen today. You never know :)

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!  Happy April Fools' Day!  Happy April!  Happy Spring! :)