The Hallo-Wiener

Title: The Hallo-Wiener
Author: Dav Pilkey
Publisher: Scholastic
Copyright: 1995
ISBN: 0439079462

Aptly named Oscar has a hard time fitting in with the other dogs at school. Oscar is a sweet and svelte dauchshund and his classmates are just a bunch of mutts. Regardless of that fact, they feel the need to poke fun at Oscar any chance they get for his "unusual shape and size." Things just get worse when Oscar's mother makes him a hot dog costume for Halloween. Kind dog that Oscar is, he saves the day when they find themselves in trouble on Halloween night.

I discovered The Hallo-Wiener a few years ago when I first began teaching. From the moment I picked it up, I knew I was in L-O-V-E. Being the mother of a wiener dog myself (now two wiener dogs,) I have a special place in my heart for these little critters. So while I may be biased because of it's precious little canine character, I always hear laughs from students and teachers alike when I read it out loud in my library. If you read only one Halloween book this year, make it The Hallo-Wiener. You won't be sorry!

Bee-Wigged

Title: Bee-Wigged
Author: Cece Bell
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Copyright: 2008
ISBN: 9780763636142

Jerry Bee is a big bee with an even bigger problem. He wants to make friends with people, but people aren't too keen to bee-friend a bee. All that changes when one day he finds an old wig on the ground and is (strangely enough) mistaken for a real boy instead of a boy-sized bee. Hilarity ensues as Jerry wins over the local school and eventually realizes that his wig is not in fact a wig after all...at least not in the literal sense.

Cece Bell's illustrations are abstract and whimsical, adding much detail to her already solid storyline. I highly recommend this book for it's silly story, witty word bubbles, colorful pictures, and excellent life lesson. Children and adults alike will enjoy getting to know Jerry Bee.

Scaredy Squirrel

Title: Scaredy Squirrel
Author: Melanie Watt
Publisher: Kids Can Press, Ltd.
Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 9781554530236

Scaredy Squirrel is a hilarious story about a neurotic squirrel and his agoraphobic tendencies. The aptly named Scaredy is afraid of many ridiculous things. Killer bees, germs, green martians, and sharks are just a few of the things that leave him shaking in his furry boots. Because of his fears, Scaredy lives a simple life of eating nuts and gazing at the view from his tree, always prepared for a disaster of epic proportions. One day, though, Scaredy is forced out of his nest and realizes that life is much more fulfilling with a little bit of variety.

This clever little book by Canadian Melanie Watt had me, quite literally, laughing out loud. From the first page's note to the reader (written by Scaredy himself,) I was hooked. Scaredy's quirky personality and irrational fears connect with readers at every stage in life from the youngest children to the most mature adults. Fans of Scaredy will be happy to hear there are several more books that follow Scaredy on his adventures as he heads further and further away from his tree.

Read this book now! I promise you'll thank me.

Skippyjon Jones

Title: Skippyjon Jones
Author/Illustrator: Judy Schachner
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Copyright: 2003
ISBN: 0525471340


Skippyjon is a Siamese cat with big ears and an even bigger imagination. One morning, his mother finds Skippyjon making mischief and sentences him to his room to do some "thinking." Instead of thinking, Skippyjon decides to do some bouncing. He bounces so high on his bed that he can see himself in his mirror and realizes that he isn't a cat after all. He's a Chihuahua! Donning his best Mexican accent, Skippyjon heads forth through his closet door and into the deserts of Me-hee-co where his alter ego Skippito Friskito saves the day for Chihuahuas everywhere.

Skippyjon Jones is an absolutely fabulous book. Children young and old will love the story of a cat-turned-dog and his great adventure. Schachner's writing is hilarious and her illustrations are just as good. The idea behind this book is so original that it was destined to be a hit before the first words were penned. I believe that Skippyjon Jones will fill the bookshelves of libraries, classrooms, and homes for years to come.

This book would be great for use in a bilingual Spanish/English library because of the use of both languages in this book. I think that children who come from Mexico would think it is very funny because of the silly uses of the Spanish words and they would also enjoy the fact that part of it is set in Mexico, even if only in Skippyjon's imagination. This book would also be a great way to introduce a unit on fiction writing for older students. A librarian could focus on Skippyjon's imagination and the story he tells in order to get kids thinking outside of the box.

The Graveyard Book

Title: The Graveyard Book

Author: Neil Gaiman

Illustrator: Dave McKean

Publisher: Harper Collins

Copyright: 2008

ISBN: 0060530928

.Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book is a charming fantasy that combines the themes of love, evil, friendship, responsibility, adventure, and more to bring together a very original story. At the beginning of the book, we find a man named Jack in the process of murdering a family. While it sounds terrible, there is very little detail and it is over almost before we realize it has begun. Although the father, mother, and daughter do not survive the attack, the 18 month-old son manages to slip out of his crib and walk across the street and up a hill to the neighborhood cemetary before the killer could find him. The inhabitants of the cemetary adopt him and name him "Nobody" or "Bod" for short. These cemetary "people" raise him, providing for all of his needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and education along the way.

This book was recommended to me by a local librarian a few months ago and I thought the idea behind it was quite strange. Once I began reading, though, I found the book to be a brilliant juxtaposition of worlds. The ghosts that Bod lives among were such lovely characters and the setting- a graveyard- was ingenious. I loved getting to watch Bod as he grew into a fine young man under the examples and tutelage of people long dead. I found myself wanting to know more and more about the characters and the reasons Gaiman did what he did. This book could've easily been stretched into several books. To me, the mark of a good book is one that leaves me wanting more...and this one sure did!

In a library setting, I would only introduce this book to ages fifth grade through high school. Because the book is so long, probably the best way to use it would be by giving a Book Talk or by including it in a unit on fantasy.

Riding on the coattails of the Twilight and Harry Potter crazes, I know this book would be a hit with secondary students!

Go here to listen to Neil Gaiman read The Graveyard Book.

George and Martha

Title: George and Martha

Author: James Marshall

Publisher: Sandpiper

Copyright: 1974

ISBN: 0395199727

George and Martha is a book of little stories with big heart! Originally published in 1974, I was surprised that I'd never read this book or any of it's companions before. George and Martha (named after our first president and his wife, perhaps?) are two hippopotamus friends who have many adventures together, both commonplace and extraordinary...but mostly commonplace. This particular book contained five short stories, each sweet and entertaining. My personal favorite began, "George liked peeking in windows." I think you can guess where it goes from there!

I think this book would be excellent to use in an early childhood setting because the stories are very easy to follow. While each individual story is short, they could be read seperately as introductions to lessons or even read in one setting. With lessons like friendship, manners, and even gravity, it's sure to entertain while teaching valuable lessons. The end of the final story ties in with the beginning of the first, bringing the book full circle.

I definitely recommend George and Martha for children AND their adult companions. Don't forget to check out the companion books that follow!

Love You Forever

Title: Love You Forever

Author: Robert Munsch

Illustrator: Sheila McGraw

Publisher: Firefly Books

Copyright: 1986

ISBN: 0920668364

While I'm not a huge fan of the majority of Robert Munsch's work, Love You Forever is a sweet book of a parent's love for her child. Each night after her baby son is asleep, the mother rocks him, singing "I'll love you forever. I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be." Even as the son grows, this continues each night...into elementary school, the teen years, and even moving into his own home. Admittedly it's a bit strange that the mom sneaks into her grown son's home to rock him, but in this story, it works. Eventually, the roles are reversed as the mother grows old and her grown son comes over and sings to her. When he arrives back home, he sneaks into his young daughter's room and begins the tradition over again.

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If you aren't a children's book afficionado, you may not know this, so I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Sometimes authors write childrens books for adults instead of children. Shocking, isn't it? This is one of those books. I don't really think children would be interested in it at all. Their parents, however, will be touched. I see Love You Forever as a book that was written perhaps to evoke emotion in parents, possibly to help parents realize how short the time is, or to even teach young adults to appreciate their parents more. I don't know for sure, because I haven't researched Munsch's purpose for writing this book. It seems to me, though, that the purpose really isn't all that important. It will touch different people in different ways and each will find their own purpose in the book. I've read or heard this book at least fifty times, and I never fail to let a few tears fall. From it I learned that life is short, parents are irreplaceable, and that bond is not one to be taken lightly. While a child could enjoy the repetitiveness of the song sung throughout the book and might even like the story, I would not recommend this book to read to young children in a classroom setting. I do, however, highly recommend it for adults or even for a parent/child storytime. I dare you not to cry!

Madeline

Title: Madeline

Author: Ludwig Bemelmans

Publisher: Penguin Books, Inc

Copyright: 1939, 1967

ISBN: 0670445800

Madeline is a delightful book about a young girl living in a Parisian boarding school. One night, Madeline wakes up crying because of a terrible pain. The doctor is called and she ends up in the hospital with appendicitis. All of her schoolmates miss her greatly and come to visit her in the hospital, later deciding they all want to have their appendixes removed as well!

I love the book Madeline as well as the companion books that came after. The tale is simple and fun and the pictures are whimsical, aligning perfectly with the story. For American children, there will be some unfamiliar expressions ("Pooh-Pooh" and "DAN-ton-ten-six") and concepts (boarding school,) providing teachable moments. If using this book in a library or classroom setting, teachers could use the famous settings in many of the pictures to teach a geography lesson about France for older students. In the early childhood storytime or classroom setting, this book would be great to use when teaching about rhyme. Madeline is a Caldecott Honor Book, so it could also be used in a Caldecott unit.

I highly recommend Madeline for it's easy to follow story, loveable characters, and excellent illustrations.