Submitted by county youth coordinator Janis!
Put It on the List by Kristen Darbyshire. Have you ever wished that Mom would buy that special something from the grocery store? Consider putting it on her grocery list. This book is an upbeat look at what happens when a graphic chicken family forgets to put things on their shopping list. When they realize the consequences of forgetting to write things on the grocery list, they do better at keeping the list up-to-date. Imagine peanut butter with no jelly, or milk with no cookies! The results are eye opening for the kids!
Food
Where is the Cake Now?
Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
Where is the Cake Now? by T.T. Khing is a fascinating wordless picture book about a group of woodland creatures attempting to have a picnic. The centerpiece of the picnic is two delicious looking cakes. First, everyone treks through the woods, across the river, and up the hill to the campsite. It’s quite a steep hill and everyone’s struggling to make it. Somehow along the way the cakes go missing. When the burglary is discovered, accusations fly! The mice dressed in black jumpsuits and carrying an oversized sack are the obvious suspects, and the chase begins! Check out this book to find out the true culprits of the cakes, as well as who is grafitti-ing the forest, why the mole is incredibly sick, and answers to a multitude of other mysteries.
Spoon
Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
Answering the call for more quality literature about the plight of kitchen utensils are Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Scott Magoon with Spoon. Meet Spoon, an average spoon, with a large spoon family (including Aunt Silver). He’s got a nice spoon life, but he’s a little insecure about his identity. All his friends seem so much more useful! Knife can cut and spread! Fork seems to go everywhere, from salads, to spaghetti, to cake. And Chopsticks are just so exotic. If only Spoon knew how jealous his friends are of him though! They don’t get to measure things, dive headfirst into bowls of ice cream, stir relaxing cups of tea, or snuggle with the other spoons in the drawer.
Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct
Submitted by Catherine from Lexington Park!
Have you ever been completely convinced you were right about something? You just knew it was true, but no one else seemed to care. This is what happens to poor Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie in Mo Willems’s Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct. Despite his protests, no one in his town will accept the fact that the beloved dinosaur Edwina is extinct. Finally, after explaining, protesting, and YELLING, Edwina listens to him – she is indeed extinct. But Edwina decides she doesn’t care. She’s too busy making friends and baking chocolate chip cookies to worry about being extinct. Will Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie worry about being right, or will he decide that being friends with a chocolate chip cookie baking dinosaur is even better than knowing everything?
Jellybeans
Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
Jellybeans by Sylvia van Ommen is strange and wonderful. It begins with a rabbit named George getting a text message. The message is from George’s friend, a cat name Oscar, who suggests they get together in the park to eat jellybeans and drink hot chocolate. When they’re sitting under a tree enjoying their snacks Oscar begins a philosophical discussion about what might happen when they die. Will they go to heaven? Can they meet up at the entrance? What if they don’t recognize each other? Is there going to be jellybeans in the afterlife? This book is a fantastic way to discuss the passing of a loved one in a kid-friendly style that is not scary, but hopeful.
Stanza
Submitted by Amanda from Lexington Park!
Stanza byJill Esbaum. Stanza is a book written in rhyme about a dog that is a bully by day but who, in the middle of the night, snakes off and writes poetry. Stanza is afraid that his talent will be discovered by his brothers, as well as his victims, and they will see it as a weakness, so he keeps it a secret from everyone. But then one day he sees an ad for a competition to write a jingle for Snappers Treats. Stanza stays up all night writing a jingle, and then the next morning he turns it in. Stanza dreams of winning first prize and buying lots of chicken pot pies. Stanza is so nervous that he checks everyday to see if he won …will he win or lose? And either way what will his brothers say when they discover his softer side? This is a very cleverly written book that will engaged readers with its words and illustrations.