Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
Meet Gracie Rose, the heroine of The Great Gracie Chase: Stop That Dog! by Cynthia Rylant and Mark Teague. Gracie is very much like my dog, in that she likes her house to be nice and quiet. Unfortunately for her, painters have come to paint the kitchen, and generally disturb the peace she works so hard to maintain. Gracie barks and them to go outside, but something astounding happens–they put HER outside. Being upset, she decides to take herself for a walk, unwittingly starting The Great Grace Chase! Suddenly everyone is running after her yelling “Stop that dog!” She doesn’t want to get caught! She runs uphill, and through water fountains, until finally everyone is too tired to chase her. Noticing that it’s finally peaceful and quiet again, she returns home all on her own (much to the chagrin of the mob of people and animals that had been on her tail). I love the illustrations in this book, especially Gracie’s facial expressions. If your child is a dog lover they are sure to enjoy this adventure! See this book listed in our catalog
Things That Go
Flying High
Submitted by county youth coordinator Janis!
Flying High by Jorgen Stamp. Walter is a giraffe who wishes he could fly. He gets a book, and begins to build an airplane for himself. Sonny, the turtle, is his friend. He asks if he can also go flying. Walter tells his friend he’s too slow and cowardly, and hurts his feelings. The big day finally arrives, and Walter takes off in his airplane. He loves swooping and sweeping up in the sky with the birds. He ignores repeated warnings that a storm is approaching, and suddenly finds himself in the middle of a thunderstorm! His plane is hit by lightning and crashes into the lake. Sonny swims out and rescues him. The next day he builds another plane, only this time it has two seats, one for him and one for his best friend, Sonny. A good story about true friendship! See this book listed in our catalog
Raf
Submitted by Amanda from Lexington Park!
Raf by Anke de Vries and Charlotte Dematons. Raf is a stuffed giraffe, and he and Ben are best friends. They are always together. One day Raf is missing, and Ben has to go to bed all alone. Then Ben starts getting post cards from Raf, who has been found all the way in Africa! Raf sends Ben post cards all along his trip home. His final post card tells Ben that he will be home in time for Ben’s birthday! When Raf arrives home, Ben finds him very different from when he left. This book has great illustrations, and leaves a lot to the imagination. There is very little text, therefore much of the story is told through the illustrations. This is a great story for a kid who has a favorite stuff animal, or other comfort object. I know it warmed my heart! See this book listed in our catalog
Otis
Submitted by Tess from Lexington Park!
I’ve fallen in love with Loren Long’s Otis, the tale of a little tractor that could! Otis the tractor loves his farm. He loves to work! And he especially loves the calf that sleeps in the barn with him. They are best friends! They do everything together, until one day the farmer brings home a bright, shiny, brand new tractor, and Otis is put out to pasture. One day, when the farmer is about to enter her in a baby cow beauty contest, the calf gets stuck in the mud and no one can get her out! No one, that is, of course, except for Otis. Finally the friends are reunited! This story might not make the most sense, but it’s full of rich, emotive illustrations that I just can’t get enough of. Hopefully you and your child will love Otis too! See this book listed in our catalog
The Giant Hug
Submitted by Jill from Leonardtown!
The Giant Hug by Sandra Horning. “What do you want to send Granny for her birthday?” Asks Owen’s mother. “A GIANT hug,” is Owen’s answer. But the birthday gift has to go by mail. Does Owen mean he’ll send a picture of a hug? No, young Owen intends to send a real hug through the mail. So, his mother takes him to the post office, where they give Postmaster Nevin Granny’s address, and a giant hug. The hug is transferred along a long chain of postal workers all across the country, brightening everyone’s day in the process, until Granny’s own neighborhood letter carrier finally delivers Owen’s giant hug. Granny is delighted, and mails an equally special thank-you back to her grandson! Young readers will love seeing how the hug (and other mail) progresses through the postal network via neighborhood carriers, small-town and big-city post offices, a variety of trucks, and even an airplane to arrive at its destination.
Moonpowder
Submitted by Allana from Leonardtown!
Moonpowder by John Rocco. Eli Treebuckle likes to fix things, and as we quickly find out he also fancies himself an inventor. He has just fixed the radio, and is listening to it when his mother tells him it’s time for bed. “Sweet dreams” she tells him, however, Eli hasn’t had “sweet” dreams for months. His dreams are more like nightmares. Mr. Moon pays him a visit that night and takes him on a strange and wonderful adventure to the Moonpowder factory. Mr Moon tells Eli that moonpowder is a “magical marvel, a masterful miracle, a mystical masterpiece……”
Moonpowder, it turns out, is the essence that makes sweet dreams. So, Mr. Moon flies Eli off to the factory where his fixing services are required, and he flies him in a life size helio-rocket copter, the very thing that Eli himself has designed and is in the process of building! While at the factory, Eli has a nightmarish episode inside Mother Nature’s closet. This is a beautifully written and illustrated story with shades of Roald Dahl.