Many know Grace Lin as the author/illustrator of a host of wonderful books for young readers, including WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON, a 2010 Newbury Honor book, LING AND TING: Not Exactly the Same, a 2011 Geisel Honor book, and the upcoming DUMPLING DAYS (January 2012). But did you know that Grace also has a shop on Etsy where she sells a limited selection of inkjet prints of illustrations and original paintings from published books and other projects?
Because only a small number of each of Grace’s prints are made available on Etsy, you won’t find today’s giveaway there. But… one lucky person will be selected to win her gorgeous print of Lissy enjoying a good book with friends. Could there be anything better to brighten up your or a loved one’s holiday?
To enter and have a chance to win aGrace Lin print, please leave a comment or contact us atreaderkidz at readerkidz dot com. Include GRACE LIN Giveaway in the subject line.
Happy Holidays!
*** Congrats to Heather S. – winner of the Grace Lin print!
How do the animals, people, toys and elves at the North Pole say good night on Christmas Eve? Not necessarily the same way you would. Cushman’s gentle, humorous, rhyming text and bright, bold holiday illustrations let reader and young listener find out, case by case. Nutcrackers, reindeer, robot toys, even gingerbread men bed down in this ideal holiday season read-aloud picture book.
To enter to win a copy of Doug Cushman’s Christmas Eve Goodnight please click HERE and remember to use the subject line ReaderKidZ Giveaway. Happy Holidays!
When Nancy Bo Flood’s poetics are combined with photographer Tony Kuyper’s creative eye, the result is a spellbinding picture book titled Sand to Stone And Back Again. The ever-changing topography of the majestic Desert Southwest is celebrated in each picturesque spread, each truly a work of art.
This book is one that you will certainly enjoy for a long, long time…maybe as long as it takes sand to become stone, only to return back again.
To win a copy of award-winning Sand to Stone and Back Again, simply contact Nancy via her website by clicking HERE. Be certain to type READERKIDZ GIVEAWAY in the subject line. We wish you all the best in the giveaway process.
Hanukkah begins at sunset on Tuesday, December 20th and what better way to welcome the holiday than with the gift of Erica Silverman’s newest book, THE HANUKKAH HOP, illustrated by Steven D’Amico! This lively bim-bopping celebration of the Festival of Lights is one you’ll want to share with family. And when you reach the page where the klezmer band appears, and the “Musicians are strumming and fiddling and drumming…” you, too may be inspired by the “biddy-biddy bim-bop” to “Dive! Jump! Pop! … at the Hanukkah Hop!” In fact, why not drop everything and listen to Itzhak Perlman playing Klezmer in the video below!
To enter to win a copy of THE HANUKKAH HOP, please click HERE or send an email to readerkidz at readerkidz dot com with Hanukkah Hop Giveaway in the subject line. Check out more of our favorite Hanukkah books HERE.
Congrats to Linda S. – winner of THE HANUKKAH HOP!
Okay, I’ll admit that when my nieces and nephews open their presents on Christmas Day their first exclamations of glee are for the Hello Kitty® Vans, XBox 360, or the new skateboard. When unwrapped, the books I’ve given them don’t usually elicit immediate squeals of excitement. However books are still the greatest gifts we can give to children in our lives. Fortunately for my status as a wonderful aunt, when all of the hoopla of the holidays settles down, they are thrilled with the books I have selected for them. Years later I still see the books on their shelves, they tell me how they wrote to the author (who kindly included an email address in the book), and they ask for another book like the last one. Books last long after the batteries die out and the sneakers are worn and frayed!
Each title selected reflects the gift givers thoughts about the recipient and demonstrates that we view that child as an individual with specific tastes and interests. Books show that you care about that child in ways that extend far beyond the latest fads and heavily advertised big-ticket novelty items. Oh, and books also make great family gifts that encourage reading together.
One of the neat things about children’s literature is that the classics and tried-and-true titles provide a continuing source of ideas with proven appeal year after year. But also consider giving some of these great new books. In addition to the suggestions made here, check out the various best of 2011 lists that are already coming out and ask your librarian or bookseller what’s hot.
This is a chili-infused version of the classic folk tale, Stone Soup. Set in Mexico, and spiced up with appropriate words in Spanish, hungry soldiers convince the townsfolk, who are reluctant to share what little food they have, to donate ingredients for a pot of cactus soup. Kids will enjoy recognizing the roots of a familiar story and the bright illustrations add detail to the tale. A completely Spanish edition is also available.
No one does pop-up books better than Robert Sabuda and this volume, featuring Rosen’s poetry provides a glorious look at each night’s menorah. Eight scenes with an accompanying poem cross time and place to tell the story of Chanukah. The paper engineered pages showcase scenes from an ancient temple to a modern city that will amaze young readers. This beautiful book will be enjoyed year after year and may inspire readers to try creating their own pop-ups. A link on Rosen’s web site provides instructions for making a pop-up Chanukah card.
One of the most beloved Christmas traditions is a viewing of The Nutcracker. Most performances stick with the standard arrangement but in 1960 legendary jazz musician Duke Ellington and his friend Billy Strayhorn remade the Christmas classic into their own jumpin’ jivin’ version. For children who love The Nutcracker, this book, beautifully illustrated by Don Tate, shows how breaking boundaries and trying new things can lead to exciting new ideas. The book also includes a CD of the resulting composition making this a great choice for family enjoyment.
The best picture books hold up to repeated readings and offer something for the adult who is doing the reading. Lichtenheld, who also illustrated books like Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton, imagines that all 26 letters of the alphabet live together in a big house. When E falls down the stairs and is laid up for awhile, O steps in to take her place with hilarious, and disastrous, results. Kids will enjoy trying to oliminato tho lottor “E” from thoir spooch, while parents will appreciate the wit and puns while everyone pores over the illustrations.
I’m a real sucker for dog stories, mysteries, and series. All combine in the Buddy Files. Originally named King, Buddy is adopted from the pound. He quickly bonds with his new family and shows his intelligence and bravery through his adventures. Now a trained therapy dog, Buddy is busy working in the school library, where children read to him, when he hears something sinister in the stacks. Of course, he has to investigate!
More than three generations of readers have enjoyed meeting Milo and tagging along on his journeys to The Land Beyond. Jules Feiffer‘s pen and ink sketches still illustrate this ingenious fantasy story but this special edition includes essays by other authors, including Maurice Sendak’s essay from the 35th anniversary of the book, photos of the author and illustrator, and other surprises. This is a story sure to be read for at least another 50 years!
The latest in the Toys Go Out series, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky, this book offers a timeless story of friendship that will remind adults of Toy Story or The Velveteen Rabbit. In this collection of six linked adventures, readers learn how Lumphy, StingRay, and Plastic came to live with the Girl. Destined to be a well-loved classic, this and other titles in the series are great for independent reading or family sharing.
Matt Faulkner’s books have earned awards and high praise: “exuberant”, “eloquent”, “your corn looks real!” I think that Matt Faulkner is the most brilliant author/illustrator of our time, but I admit, I may be a bit biased: Matt and I got married last December. To celebrate our first anniversary, I’d like to give a gift to the ReaderKidZ community – 4 fantastic book recommendations and a chance to win a piece of Matt Faulkner’s original art!Please send an email to me HERE or to kristenremenar at gmail dot com with “Matt Faulkner – ReaderKidZ Giveaway” in the subject line. Be sure to include your mailing address and hopefully I will draw your name for an original painting by Matt Faulkner from his book The Pirate Meets the Queen!
What would colored water taste like? Lulu and Jelly, two white children in the segregated South, imagine it must taste like orange, cherry, lemon, all the flavors of a rainbow. They decide to get a taste when they finally go into town. Confronted with the reality of racism in the 1960’s, the children end the story, disillusioned, wondering what color you have to be to get a taste of colored water. How do we talk with our children about tough issues like racism and civil rights? We can start by sharing beautiful, thought-provoking stories like this one.
If you’ve been looking for interesting “narrative non-fiction” (informational books that flow more like a story than an encyclopedia excerpt), here is the ideal book. Thanksgiving wasn’t a national holiday until 1863, after years of dedicated petitioning and letter-writing led by Sarah Hale. How many years? Thirty-eight! Sarah Hale wrote magazine articles, letters to politicians, and wrote to president after president asking that our nation come together in the spirit of thanksgiving one day of every year. Her story of patience and persistence will make you appreciate the holiday, and the power of the pen, that much more.
The Monster Who Eats Kids’ Vegetables shows up at dinnertime to help a boy who doesn’t want to eat his peas, but there’s a catch. The Monster will eat the peas if the boy gives him something in return. His soccer ball? His bike? Not (gasp) his dog? How far will the boy go to avoid eating peas, and what will he do if he doesn’t make the trade? Told in bouncy rhyme, this is a terrific read-aloud for the pickiest of eaters, especially if you do a big evil laugh – Mwahhhahahaha! – like Matt does when he shares it at school visits.
How did a boy who was poor, unschooled, and had lost his mother by the time he was ten end up becoming one of our nation’s greatest presidents? Stand Tall, Abe Lincoln is a biography in the “Turning Point” series, focusing on the early years of amazing people to see the obstacles they overcame and how they were helped along the way. A turning point in the life of Abraham Lincoln was when his father brought home his stepmother, Sally Bush Johnston. She had faith in Abe all along, even when he balked at a stepmother and three new step-siblings, and she filled their home with books. It’s so wonderful to share with kids a true story where the stepparents aren’t evil! Biographies are powerful because they are true, and some kids need to hear true stories to believe that even if they come from disheartening beginnings, they too can go on to lead incredible lives.
Why are kids drawn to books like the“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series? In part, because of the art. Kids, particularly reluctant readers, come into my library clamoring for books like Jeff Kinney’s “Wimpy Kid” books partly because of the doodles and drawings. All kids can “read” the drawings, and they’re inspired to doodle themselves (just not in the library books, I remind them.)
This holiday season, I am encouraging the inner artist while hopefully expanding someone’s reading repertoire. Give a child inspiration and the tools to get creative with great books and art supplies! And check back tomorrow for an extra special ReaderKidZ giveaway!
Elephants Can Paint Too! by Katya Arnold (Atheneum, 2005)
I am so in love with this book. Katya Arnold shows in amazing photos her two different painting classes, one for children and one for elephants. It’s so fun to see on one page a young boy holding a brush in his hand and painting a mural of brightly-colored dots, and on the next page, a similar dot painting being made by an elephant with a brush wrapped tightly in her trunk! There’s large, minimal text for young listeners and more informational text for older readers, but all ages will be astounded by the beautiful art elephants can paint. Give this book with a set of watercolors and brushes, or fingerpaints (along with a suggestion that nose-painting really should be left to the elephants).
Over in the Ocean in a Coral Reefwritten by Marianne Berkesand illustrated byJeanette Canyon (Dawn Publications, 2004)
You will not believe what Jeanette Canyon creates with polymer clay. Take a close look at this counting book and you’ll see that every swirl of water, every ribbon of seaweed, every intricate fish scale, is made with clay. Little readers will enjoy the rhyming and counting, but kids of all ages will be eager to try making their own clay creations with the tips from the artist included at the back of the book. Give this book and a pack of Sculpy polymer clay (or non-toxic dough for younger ones) and let kids form their own fun.
Ralph Masiello’s Ocean Drawing BookbyRalph Masiello (Charlesbridge, 2006)
Ralph Masiello has a fantastic series of drawing books for kids who like step-by-step instructions. I love how easy Ralph makes the drawing process. Following each simple line step led me to draw a squid that actually looked like a squid! This book, plus a blank pad of paper and colored pencils, will be a great gift for kids love to draw.
“Art is moving. Art is daring. Art is for playing. Art is for wearing.” Open this book and it’s like a mini-art-museum tour, with a cave painting from 15,000 B.C., a sculpture by Picasso, a mobile by Alexander Calder. Raczka keeps the text minimal and lets the art speak for itself, resulting in a gorgeous book that all ages can enjoy. Those who want more information about each piece of art can find it in the author’s notes at the end of the book. Give this book with oil pastels, scissors and interesting papers or fabrics, any art materials, and let kids be inspired by centuries of beautiful artwork.
Ish by Peter H. Reynolds (Candlewick Press, 2004)
Ramon loves to draw; at least, he did, until his older brother Leon laughed at his artwork. Now when Ramon tries to draw, none of it looks “right”. He crumples each page and tosses it on the floor. Ramon finds in his sister’s room a “crumpled gallery”, all the art he’d thrown away but which she treasured. “ ‘That was supposed to be a vase of flowers,’ Ramon said, ‘but it doesn’t look like one.’ ‘Well, it looks vase-ISH!’ she exclaimed.” Soon Ramon is filling journals with ish art, loose and free, even writing poem-ish writing, living “ishfully ever after”. For those of us who need permission to make art even when it doesn’t look “right”, this is a wonderful gift book. Give it with dry-erase markers and a dry-erase board in a picture frame, and encourage a child to make something “ish” every day.
Mission Statement
To provide teachers, librarians, and parents with the resources and inspiration to foster a love of reading in kids, K-5.
