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Counting Down the Days to the Holidays — In Poetry
This isn’t the post I’d planned for today, but my friend Jan shared an idea with me that I am enjoying so much that I pre-empted my own schedule to share it with you. Many people — especially families — enjoy Advent calendars at this time of year, whether ones that have pictures or lines…
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Punxsutawney Phyllis — Perfect Picture Book Friday
It may seem a little odd to feature a book about Groundhog Day just a few weeks before Christmas, but since I have been celebrating PPBF and Susanna Leonard Hill all week, I wanted to feature one of Susanna’s books, and she hasn’t yet written a book about December holidays. (That’s a hint, Susanna…) 😉…
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Susanna Leonard Hill — Interview!
As I continue this week-long celebration of the first year of Perfect Picture Book Fridays (PPBF), I am happy to be able to share with you all an interview with the founder of PPBF, Susanna Leonard Hill. Besides having a blog in which she encourages writers and readers with features such as PPBF, Would You…
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Celebrating One Year of Perfect Picture Books!
It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday/Susanna Leonard Hill Week on By Word of Beth! On November 14, 2011, author Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog featured a post that piqued my interest (to say the least). Reviewing picture books every week? Sharing resources to help families, classes and libraries more fully utilize those picture books? I didn’t have…
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Scrawny Cat — Perfect Picture Book Friday
Although this book does not have a Thanksgiving theme, it certainly speaks to the topic of gratitude. Also, since I’ve recently been in Minnesota, it seemed appropriate to share a book by a Minnesota author. Title: Scrawny Cat Author: Phyllis Root Illustrator:Â Alison Friend Publisher: Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2011
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Dreams Really Do Come True — The Great American Mousical
In the wonderful new musical, The Great American Mousical, the young theatre intern mouse Pippin sings a song called “What Do You Think of That?” in which he expresses his excitement and awe at finally being on Broadway, realizing his dream. The verse that begins “What do you think of that? Dreams really do come…
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Knots on a Counting Rope — Perfect Picture Book Friday
Title: Knots on a Counting Rope Author: Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault Illustrator: Ted Rand Publisher: New York: Henry Holt, 1987 (a different version of this book was published in 1966) Genre: Picture book, fiction
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Tribute to My Favorite Lady
About a week and a half ago I was watching a televised concert, and started singing along to one of the songs. Tears quickly began streaming down my cheeks as I realized that I was sitting exactly as my mother would have been sitting, and singing just the way she would have been singing —…
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Where Do Ideas Come From?
Sometimes that question seems almost as hard to answer as the dreaded “where do babies come from?” This is especially true when you’re searching for inspiration and it just isn’t appearing. Those of us who are participating in Picture Book Idea Month right now may sometimes ask the question in despair, wondering if we’ll be…
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A Walk in London — Perfect Picture Book Friday
Title: A Walk in London Author/Illustrator: Salvatore Rubbino Publisher: Somerville, MA : Candlewick Press, 2011 Genre: Picture book, fiction/non-fiction Audience Age: 5 – 8 years
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Looking Ahead to Opening Night (Looking Today at Winners!)
As you know, throughout October I ran posts about the upcoming production of the new musical The Great American Mousical at the Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Connecticut. I talked about many children’s books that have become successful stage (and screen) musicals on October 3, I talked about a quote from Katherine Anne Porter and…
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PiBoIdMo 2012
November is often seen as a rather gloomy month, as autumn gives way to winter in what can be a series of dull, grey days. My mother used to quote the poem by Thomas Hood that begins “No sun — no moon — no morn — no noon” … and ends “November.” Evocative and well-written…