This week, I have chosen I Need My Monster for Perfect Picture Book Friday.

I Need My Monster

Written by Amanda Noll and Illustrated by Howard McWilliam

Publisher: Flashlight Press 2009

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Monsters, Humor, Imagination

Opening Lines: Tonight, when I looked under the bed for my monster, I found this note instead. “Gone fishing. Back in a week. —Gabe”  What was I going to do? I needed a monster under my bed. How was I supposed to get to sleep if my monster was gone?

Synopsis: (from Flashlight Press) I Need My Monster is a  unique monster-under-the-bed story for all monster-loving kids. The perfect balance of  giggles and shivers will keep you under your covers, and  you’ll soon be sleeping soundly.

Resources: Comprehensive Lesson Plan at Empowering Writers,  Activities from Flashlight Press, How to Make Your Own Monster, Monster Maker by Think Bank

Why I Like This Book: First off, I love the idea of a monster named Gabe. It’s so un-monsterly. And, the idea of a kid who NEEDS his monster is very creative. Ethan tries to replace Gabe, so that he can go to sleep. But it’s hard to replace a monster that has such wonderful characteristics…ragged breathing, nose-whistling, crabbling, uncut claws, and spooky green ooze. As you can see, the language is perfect for a monster book. Don’t you love the word crabbling? Although polite, Ethan turns down several monsters who would really like to sub in for Gabe. They aren’t quite up to his “monster” standards. The dialog between Ethan and those “applying for the job” is hilarious. . A plethora of well-timed action verbs, along with reach-out-and-grab-you illustrations, keep the anticipation at a monster level. You will NEED to turn the pages:-) The fact that Gabe is so picky about his monster and its level of scariness will have kids giggling, which will hopefully help them deal with their own monsters under the bed. And let’s face it, some kids just love monsters no matter where they are. In that case, this book NEEDS to be added to their collection of monster books.

Extras: Visit Christie Wright Wild‘s blog for an interview with the author, Amanda Noll.

Susanna Leonard Hill features Perfect Picture Book Friday on her blog. This is a wonderful resource if you are wondering what books to give as gifts, needing material for a lesson, and mainly just perfect for those who love to read picture books. Here is a list of books by category. This is very handy for finding books for lessons in the classroom, or for finding books on a particular topic to discuss with your children at home. Each book listed has a link to a review and information about that book. There is also an alphabetical list if you scroll down past the category list.

I am jumping up and down with excitement…Boing! Boing!…for Perfect Picture Book Friday. Today, I am reviewing a book by…drumroll…

The One! The Only! Juliet Clare Bell! (You could call that an overuse of exclamation points…but in this case…you’d be so wrong). Clare just happens to be in my critique group and she is awesome. She is not the only awesome member of my critique group. There are six others filled with awesomeness. In case you’re not in the mood for math, that would be eight in our group, which has turned out to be a really good number.

OK…OK…on to the review.

Don’t Panic, Annika!

Written by Juliet Clare Bell and Illustrated by Jennifer E. Morris

Picadilly 2011 (and others-see Notes below)

Ages 4-7

Themes: Childhood Experiences (remaining calm), Emotions, Determination, Problem Solving, Family

Opening: Annika was a panicker. She always PANICKED . . .When she dropped Moose in the pond . . . she PANICKED. “He’s fallen in! I can’t get him!” she shouted. “Try fishing him out with your net,” said Dad. “I CAN’T! shouted Annika.

Brief Synopsis: (From Amazon-UK) Annika is a panicker! She panics when her coat zip gets stuck on the way to a party. She panics when she can’t find her favourite toy at bedtime. Mum, Dad and her brother try to show her how to stay calm in a crisis. But when she gets locked in the house, with the only keys out of reach, it’s Annika who manages to solve the problem by herself.

Resources: I would consider this book a resource for parent’s and teachers who are wanting to teach a child skills for remaining calm. Clare is in the process of creating resources as we speak. They will be available for download from her website March 1, 2012. Also, Clare’s daughter, who shares the name of the main character, reads the book aloud on this YouTube video. She does an excellent job and is just precious in an Annika costume. Clare says that even though Annika shares the name of the main character, she doesn’t share the personality. As you can see she is not a panicker.

Why I Like This Book: Clare’s repetitive, rhythmic text  make this a book that children will want to hear/read again and again. Her characterization is spot on.  The book teaches some very useful skills that children can use for calming themselves in situations where they might be prone to panic. Even though there is a lesson to be learned, the book is a load of fun and not preachy in the least. Jennifer E. Morris’s illustrations will capture children from the beginning. When Annika drops her favorite toy, Moose, in the pond, you will want to jump in and rescue him yourself, because Jennifer has made him completely adorable.

Notes: Besides being published in English in the UK (Piccadilly Press) and Australia (Koala Books), Don’t Panic Annika!  and is published in Dutch in the Netherlands (Geen Paniek, Anniek! with de Vries Brouwers). It’s also coming out in Taiwan, in Chinese and English as a dual language edition (Chang Tan Int Publishing, 2012), and in Slovenian, too (Skrivnost).

Extras: Clare has another book coming out in early autumn with Barefoot Books. The title is The Kite Princess and will be illustrated by Laura-Kate Chapman. The main character is a princess named Cinnamon Stitch.  It will come with an audio CD read by Oscar nominated  Imelda Staunton 🙂 Oh…and I just learned that Pirate Picnic will be out in May, 2012, and is published by Franklin Watts. The Kite Princess and Pirate Picnic are alluring titles that I can’t wait to read. She has more details here on her website.

More Extras: Click here for an interview about how Clare became an author. And, for you writers, here is a blog post about her perfect picture book structure.

Susanna Leonard Hill features Perfect Picture Book Friday on her blog. This is a wonderful resource if you are wondering what books to give as gifts, needing material for a lesson, and mainly just perfect for those who love to read picture books. Here is a list of books by category. This is very handy for finding books for lessons in the classroom, or for finding books on a particular topic to discuss with your children at home. Each book listed has a link to a review and information about that book. There is also an alphabetical list.