Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Picture Books about Love

Posted on February 14, 2017 by carriegelson

It’s time for Top Ten Tuesday, a meme created by The Broke and Bookish.

This week’s theme? All about Romance – I am going to take liberties with this theme and stretch it and shape it to be all about love. Love as in romantic love or connection love. Deep friendship. True devotion. Care, concern, warmth.

The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage written by Selina Alko and illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko

A nonfiction title about Richard and Mildred Loving whose marriage and love were questioned because of their race. A story of determination, persistence and the power of love and family.

Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian and illustrated by Mike Curato

Love, love, love, love! Love because it’s love, not because it is celebrated in any particular way.

Pete and Pickles by Berkeley Breathed

This book celebrates love in the happiest and most joyful of ways. But it doesn’t scrimp on the realities of love: loss, pain, frustration, forgiveness, sacrifice. Love is all of it and this book delivers. It takes you on a journey sailing through a myriad of emotions and delivers you on the other side, changed. Better. Brighter. Exhausted.

I often tell people that yes, I have a picture book favourite even though I LOVE many books. This is it. This one here. How I adore this book!

The Day I Became a Bird by Ingrid Chabbert and Guridi

I am utterly enamoured by the illustrations in this book about a boy willing to be a bird to attract the attention of the girl he swoons over.

Hunwick’s Egg written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Pamela Lofts

Hunwick’s egg never hatched although it provided him with companionship, faith and an important secret. Yes, he realized his egg was not an egg at all but a perfectly shaped stone and he loved it all the more.

Herman and Rosie by Gus Gordon

Pancakes. Jacques Cousteau. Jazz tunes. The joy and the solitude of New York city. Finding someone who gets you and shares your quirky tastes. It all comes together in this delightful story.

Ida, Always written by Caron Levis and illustrated by Charles Santoso

A sweet tender story of loving and letting go.

Pierre in Love written by Sara Pennypacker and illustrated by Petra Mathers.

A beautiful picture book about being in love and being brave enough to admit it.

Bear in Love written by Daniel Pinkwater and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand

Finally bear and bunny meet, convinced they have each found the perfect friend. For bear it is a cute little bear and bunny thinks he was found a lovely big strong bunny. Confusion aside, the two friends sit together and chat and sing as the sun goes down. A feel good book that made us all smile!

City Dog Country Frog written by Mo Willems and illustrated by Jon J Muth

Willems’ simple text, pictures and words tell the tender story of friendship, the passage of time, young curiosity and calm wisdom.

Which book would you add to the list?

Monday June 27th, 2016

Posted on June 26, 2016 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Each week I share a reading photo of the week. This will be one of my last ones from my current school so I will share two!

Here are a bunch of writers writing thank you cards to donors who donated books to our school library. Writing about the books prompted much rereading.

I love this buddy reading photo with the little listener camped out in the box.

For our #classroombookaday, I have 3 weeks to share.

These titles “a boy and his bunny” etc. inspired many searches to figure out which book came first.

And some art pieces!

Join Jen from Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee and Ricki from Unleashing Readers and share all of the reading you have done over the week from picture books to young adult novels. Follow the links to read about all of the amazing books the #IMWAYR community has read. It’s the best way to discover what to read next.

Life has been busy, busy, busy. Applying and interviewing for jobs. Accepting a new job. Packing up. Writing reports. My husband down for the count with a bad bout of bronchitis. Not much impacts my reading life but for the last few weeks, it was put on hold. Yet, I have a few titles to share.

On the Blog:

Celebration: The new – I did get a job!

Celebration: Going with it Packing, boxes and perspective

Books I enjoyed:

Bear and Bunny written by Daniel Pinkwater and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand

I recommend this title just for the napping illustrations. Adorable.

There is a Tribe of Kids by Lane Smith

Dreamy. The illustrations here . . . it went instantly on to my Mock Caldecott 2017 list.

Fearless Flyer: Ruth Law and her Flying Machine by Heather Lang and illustrated by Raúl Colón

Stunning illustrations and such a story of Ruth Law and her dream to break flight records. She had vision, perseverance and talent. An amazing biography to share.

Oh, Brother!

A fantastic story to talk about blended families. A great find at my library.

Summerlost by Ally Condie

Beautiful on so many levels. A story of grief, friendship and a transformative summer.

Reading Progress updates:

2016 Chapter Book Challenge: 22/75 complete

Goodreads Challenge: 174/400 books read

#MustReadin2016: 19/30 complete

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: 26/100 titles

Diverse Books in 2016: 20/50 books read

Up next? I am reading Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

Monday February 25th, 2013

Posted on February 25, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you Reading?

I love Sunday nights when I reflect on my reading over the week and join Kelle and Jen’s meme to share books read from picture books to young adult novels.

Because I am really supposed to be writing report cards, my book descriptions will be shorter than usual. Report card writing has also interfered with my reading time. This week I only finished one novel: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, a Printz title by Benjamin Alire Saenz. But, oh, what a novel it was . . . So much I loved about this book. It was a truly beautiful read. Loved the relationship between mothers and sons. The respect for family. The search for who exactly one might be. I love the contemplative narration. The vulnerability revealed. Oh, did I adore this book . . .

Picture books I read:

Ten Birds by Cybele Young A great book to spark discussion! I personally love the illustrations. They are wonderfully quirky and odd. A counting theme but much more . . .

The Little Red Fish by Taeeun Yoo Library love and mixed up feelings of real and unreal as one travels literally, and not, through the pages of a book. Stunning!

These Hands written by Margaret H. Mason and illustrated by Floyd Cooper Such voice in the Grandfather teaching his little grandson what “these hands” can do. And then . . . what “these” hands cannot do because of racist ideas. Beautiful book. I need to own it.

Goal! written by Mina Javaherbin illustrated by A.G. Ford My students adored this book and wrote fantastic reviews. The illustrations are so full of life, the text beautiful to read aloud. I loved the celebration of play. These words in the text were my favourite: “When we play, we forget to worry. When we run, we are not afraid.”

The Monster Returns by Peter McCarty A sequel to Jeremy Draws a Monster – don’t think it would be as cute if read as a stand alone. But as a sequel, charming.

Looking for a Moose written by Phyllis Root and illustrated by Randy Cecil Wonderful combination of energetic playful language and sweet images.

“Have you ever seen a moose — a long-leggy moose– a branchy-antler, dinner-diving, bulgy-nose moose?”

Kite Day: A Bear and Mole Story by Will Hillenbrand Hillenbrand writes such whimsical, sweet stories. Adventure shared by two friends. Adorable.

Nonfiction titles:

Queen of the Falls by Chris VanAllsburg This was a fantastic read aloud that held my Grade 2 reading group on the edge of their seats. How could a 62 year old woman plan and execute a stunt such as going over Niagara Falls in a barrel? Here is the story of Annie Edson Taylor, determined to make her fortune by being the first person to go over the falls. A compelling and sad story.

Watch this video of VanAllsburg discussing creating the book:

Oscar and the Frog by Geoff Waring A cute little book that introduces concepts of growing and how different living things begin, grow and develop. I liked the connections between plants and animals.

I discovered that this book is part of an entire collection of Oscar books to introduce science/nature concepts to young readers. Would love to get all of the titles for my nonfiction collection.

Monday January 21st, 2013

Posted on January 21, 2013 by carriegelson

It’s Monday! What are you Reading?

A highlight of every week is linking up with Jen and Kellee’s meme to share all of my reading for the week from picture books to young adult novels. Such a fantastic way to learn of new titles from an avid reading community.

I read some very lovely picture books this week. Sharing my top five here.

Again, is it just me, or are there a plethora of bears in picture books? Not that I’m complaining. Love bears! But I sure do encounter them frequently.

Bear in Love by Daniel Pinkwater and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. This is an especially sweet and gentle story of kindness and friendship. I shared my students’ reactions to this story here.

Otto the Book Bear by Katie Cleminson I found this little treasure of a book about . . . treasuring books . . . at the bookstore today and it made its way home happily with me! Any book that celebrates reading, imagination and the love of books is an instant favourite of mine. So Otto is my new friend, the book promotor!

Cheer up your Teddy Bear Emily Brown by Cressida Cowell and illustrated by Neal Layton I always love Neal Layton’s illustrations which is what initially drew me to this book. Such a perfect read aloud for early primary students that touches on a sad mood that becomes contagious. Eventually, the little teddy bear recognizes that a miserable mood can be changed with a shift in attitude and then the sun comes out and so much more . . .

The Black Rabbit by Philappa Leathers Took me right back to when my children were little and shadows were absolutely fascinating – how they followed us, walked with us, joined in at unexpected times 🙂 In this story, a scary black rabbit seems to terrorize a little rabbit until . . .

Mr. Zinger’s Hat by Cary Fagan and illustrated by Dusan Petricic This is one of my favourite books of the week. A wonderful story about the power of storytelling and how it meanders this way and that between the narrator and the creatively involved listener. Always I adore books that feature interactions between generations – in this case it is young Leo and old Mr. Zinger who collectively “create” a story. And the storytelling continues once Leo has been “bit” by the storytelling bug. I read this at the bookstore today and think that I need to own it. A story you want to read and reread.

Early Chapter

Penny and her Doll by Kevin Henkes How I love that Kevin Henkes has created this series of books featuring Penny!

Violet Mackerel’s Brilliant Plot by Anna Branford I am so excited about Violet Mackerel! She is the brainchild of Australian writer Anna Branford and is such a breath of fresh air in this genre. A young girl who is an interesting young girl – not all pink and cutesy but really just real. She loves discovering interesting things, appreciates the cozy feel of her pajamas on a cool morning and sees treasure and joy in everyday things. More in this series will soon be released in the North American market.

I finished two novels this week.

Delerium by Lauren Oliver I found myself surprisingly connected to characters in this story and read through it very quickly. Of course, I want to read the next in the series but am wary of who will be there and who won’t be . . .

Every Day by David Levithan I am still feeling speechless after completing this story yesterday. Shook up my thinking in a number of ways. This novel asks you to suspend belief and takes you to some very interesting places if you can do just that. Made me think that much is random and yet, that really nothing is . . .

I’m currently reading Hattie Every After by Kirby Larson. With my children, we continue to enjoy The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver as our nightly read aloud.

Bear in Love

Posted on January 19, 2013 by carriegelson

Bear in Love written by Daniel Pinkwater and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand was our BLG book this week. Thank you to Deborah for sharing such a sweet, gentle story – an ideal story to hear as our school participates in The Great Kindness Challenge 🙂

This really is such a comforting little tale about kindness and being generous. A bear finds a carrot on a flat rock and decides to taste it even though he has no idea what it is. When he loves the crunchy flavour, he devours the whole thing and sets off on a walk through the woods singing a little tune about this delicious treat. The next day, there are two of these delicious orange things on the rock outside of his cave! This inspires more eating and another little song! Every morning there are more treats left for him and he begins to feel that someone must like him. A delightful feeling!

Gracie had a great question after the bear had made a few discoveries: “But how does he know that those are left for him?” We decided that they were left for the bear because somebody had left the treats on the flat rock outside of his little cave. Eventually, the bear decides that he will also leave gifts for this generous creature who has left him so many treats. He tries to stay up and keep watch to discover who it is but always falls asleep. Some of the gifts are so lovely – a carefully stacked tower of blueberries, a chocolate bar with just two bites missing . . .

Student reviewers respond:

Ethan: He was doing an act of kindness! The bunny started to give some carrots. I liked the book because it was happy.

Shereese: I like when Bear was falling asleep. I love the part when he left the blueberries. And when he was wondering who was leaving the gifts.

Kevin: My favourite part was when the Bear was hungry and then I felt hungry too. What’s the bunny’s name? He looks so cute. Where does he live?

Heman: I liked when the bear put the chocolate bar on the flat rock. My favourite part is when the bear put blueberries on the rock. The bear saw carrots on the rock and the bunny left a flower there.

Ashley: The bear was falling asleep. The bear was nice to the rabbit. I like the title because it has the word love. I like it because I love Ms. G.

Vicky: My favourite part was when the bunny thought the bear was a bunny and the bear thought the bunny was a bear. It was funny. I was thinking about my birthday when they were giving gifts. Whey did the bunny leave treats for the bear and the bear started to give treats?

Kelvin: Bear saw some carrots and he eats the carrots. then he saw two carrots and then three carrots and he eats them. Bear had some honey. He wanted to eat it all but he wanted to give some for a gift to somebody that gave the carrots to him.

Andrew: Where did the bunny get all those stuff? The bunny did an act of kindness. The bear was finding his friend. His friend was the bunny. I like the part when the bear found his friend.

Kassidy: I like when the bunny thought that the bear was the bunny. The bear put some honey near the rock and chocolate on the rock.

Arianne: I liked it when the bear found the carrot. He took a little bite of the carrot. He found three carrots. The bear found honey. The bear found a friend.

Grace: My favourite part is when he keeps falling asleep. It’s funny. Does he like the gifts? I also like it when he sings about how nice the bunny is. Why is the title Bear in Love? What’s he in love with? The bunny? The gifts? But I like this story!