Lemonade In Winter
Author: Jenkins, Emily
Illustrator: Karas, G. Brian
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2012
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Recommended Audience: Grades K-4
Plot Summary: A little girl and her brother make a lemonade stand in winter and find it hard to make a profit.
Personal Response: I loved the way the characters could not be dissuaded from what everyone knew was a bad idea. It was a great learning experience for them!
Literary Element: The repeated rhyme lent itself well to classroom participation - “Lemon lemon LIME, lemon LIMEADE Lemon lemon LIME, lemon LEMONADE! All that it will cost ya? Fifty cents a cup! All that it will cost ya? Fifty cents a cup!”
Illustrations: The beginning reminded me of The Snowy Day. The drawings had a colored pencil feel to them, that added to the dreary look of winter time.
Review: School Library Journal (August 1, 2012)
PreS-Gr 2, On a cold winter day as a mean wind blows and icicles hang from windowsills, Pauline and her younger brother, John-John, decide to have a lemonade stand. Gathering all their quarters (Pauline's favorite coins), they buy their supplies and make lemonade, limeade, and lemon-limeade. On their mostly empty street with the snow falling, they attract a few customers-Harvey walking his three dogs, Mrs. Gordon and her twins, Heather and Aidan strolling arm in arm, and five manicurists in puffy coats. Despite their advertising, entertainment, decorations, and sales, the children make only four dollars, which is less than the cost of their supplies but enough for two Popsicles. Karas's illustrations, rendered with brush and walnut ink in sepia tones, capture the half-light of an overcast winter day as the children, bundled in warm clothes, tend their stand and count their earnings. A last page, called "Pauline Explains Money to John-John," shows both fronts and backs of different coins and explains their worth. This quirky tale is a boon for young entrepreneurs, who will enjoy looking at the humorous details in the pictures as much as working out the math after each sale. Abounding with teaching possibilities, it's a solid selection for most libraries. -Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.
Promotion: This would work beautifully in an economics lesson since the book discusses advertising, supply and demand, and the cost of doing business.
Author: Jenkins, Emily
Illustrator: Karas, G. Brian
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2012
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Recommended Audience: Grades K-4
Plot Summary: A little girl and her brother make a lemonade stand in winter and find it hard to make a profit.
Personal Response: I loved the way the characters could not be dissuaded from what everyone knew was a bad idea. It was a great learning experience for them!
Literary Element: The repeated rhyme lent itself well to classroom participation - “Lemon lemon LIME, lemon LIMEADE Lemon lemon LIME, lemon LEMONADE! All that it will cost ya? Fifty cents a cup! All that it will cost ya? Fifty cents a cup!”
Illustrations: The beginning reminded me of The Snowy Day. The drawings had a colored pencil feel to them, that added to the dreary look of winter time.
Review: School Library Journal (August 1, 2012)
PreS-Gr 2, On a cold winter day as a mean wind blows and icicles hang from windowsills, Pauline and her younger brother, John-John, decide to have a lemonade stand. Gathering all their quarters (Pauline's favorite coins), they buy their supplies and make lemonade, limeade, and lemon-limeade. On their mostly empty street with the snow falling, they attract a few customers-Harvey walking his three dogs, Mrs. Gordon and her twins, Heather and Aidan strolling arm in arm, and five manicurists in puffy coats. Despite their advertising, entertainment, decorations, and sales, the children make only four dollars, which is less than the cost of their supplies but enough for two Popsicles. Karas's illustrations, rendered with brush and walnut ink in sepia tones, capture the half-light of an overcast winter day as the children, bundled in warm clothes, tend their stand and count their earnings. A last page, called "Pauline Explains Money to John-John," shows both fronts and backs of different coins and explains their worth. This quirky tale is a boon for young entrepreneurs, who will enjoy looking at the humorous details in the pictures as much as working out the math after each sale. Abounding with teaching possibilities, it's a solid selection for most libraries. -Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.
Promotion: This would work beautifully in an economics lesson since the book discusses advertising, supply and demand, and the cost of doing business.
I Want My Hat Back, Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor Book
Author/Illustrator: Klassen, Jon
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2011
Genre: Humorous Fiction
Recommended Audience: Grades K-4
Promotional Ideas
Plot Summary: Bear has lost his hat and is very sad. He asks a collection of characters if they have seen his hat. Then he remembers that rabbit was wearing a hat just like his. Let's just say he gets his hat back, and rabbit won't be stealing any more.
Personal Response: This is one of my favorite books. I love the humor in the simple dialogue - "Have you seen my hat?" A small turtle by a big rock responds, "I haven't seen anything all day. I have been trying to climb this rock."
Literary Element: As in many picture books, I Want My Hat Back uses repetition, but with just enough spin to make it interesting. The character who stole his hat is in the middle of the group of characters that Bear questions, but since Rabbit denies it, Bear doesn't realize that he's solved the mystery and continues on his quest. Eventually, he realizes his mistake and shouts, "YOU stole my hat!"
Illustrations: The illustrations are a wonderful part of this book. All the characters are simply drawn, with dead-pan expressions. There is a good use of color - a bright red background when Bear finally figures out what's happened to his hat, etc.
Review: Horn Book (November/December, 2011)
Klassen's animation and design skills are evident on every page in this sly, subversive tale. A bear has lost his red hat and is on the search. Each critter he questions -- fox, frog, rabbit, turtle, snake, and armadillo -- has the same dead-pan eyes, the whites of which are highlighted by the cream-colored background surrounding the sepia-hued animals. These first encounters all take place on the left-hand page, with repeated dialogue until the bear, giving up, finally falls flat on his back in bereavement for his missing hat. Here his eyes beseech the heavens. At the page turn, a deer looks into those eyes, asking, "What's the matter?" This simple question knocks free a recent memory (one that the young reader is just waiting to be recovered) and leads the bear to a red-hot concluson (and hot-red background color), spurring his race back to the thief. Adults and older children will chuckle mordantly at rabbit's sudden disappearance, while young children might actually wonder, with Squirrel, where the rabbit has gone. - Robin L. Smith
Promotion: I Want My Hat Back would be a great fiction hook for a science unit on animals or mammals, or for an introduction to non-fiction books on bears. It's an excellent read aloud.
Lucky Ducklings
Author: Moore, Eva
Illustrator: Carpenter, Nancy
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2013
Genre: Informational
Recommended Audience: Grades k-4
Plot Summary: A mama duck and her five ducklings on a walk encounter disaster when all five ducklings fall through a storm drain in the sidewalk. Firefighters come along to try to rescue them, but are unable to remove the grate. Another man helps by removing the grate with his truck, and the firemen are able to reach the ducklings. They are then helped by other citizens to the pond - their original destination. This is the true story of five lucky ducklings rescued in the town of Montauk, New York, in June of 2000.
Personal Response: The story is cute until you discover that it is a true story. Then the heroics of the firefighters and the caring citizens take on a whole new meaning.
Literary Element: The storytelling style is simplistic, yet engaging. Mama Duck has a few lines of dialogue. "'Whack-a-whack!' Mama Duck called to her brood. 'Follow me!'" There is also an element of pattern in the story telling. "That could have been the end of the story. But it wasn't, because..." is used at many points in the story when things get tense and look bad for the ducklings. The names of the human characters are the real names of the people involved in the Montauk rescue.
Illustrations: The art work was created using charcoal and digital media. There is an homage to Make Way for Ducklings on a page where traffic is stopped to get the ducks across the street.
Review: Booklist (February 15, 2013)
Preschool-Grade 1. Make way for these lucky ducks. After swimming to shore and finding a bite to eat in the park, Mama Duck and her five ducklings—Pippin, Bippin, Tippin, Dippin, and Little Joe—walk to town. But Mama Duck is the only one to make it across the road, as, one by one, the ducklings slip through the openings of the storm drain. Amid Mama Duck’s anxious quacking, three firemen and a quick-thinking resident with a pickup truck and a roll of cable manage to lift the grate and retrieve the ducklings from the storm drain. Based on an actual event in Montauk, New York, the heartwarming tale features delightfully fuzzy illustrations, some from the ducklings’ perspective, which highlight the concern and relief of townsfolk and Mama Duck alike. The refrain of “Oh dear! That could have been the end of the story. But it wasn’t because . . .” encourages participation from young listeners. Pairing with Robert McCloskey’s Caldecott-winning Make Way for Ducklings (1941) is a must.
Review: Horn Book (January/February, 2013) When Mama Duck takes her five ducklings for a walk from the park into a nearby town, she passes easily over the grate of a storm sewer, but each of the five ducklings trailing behind her falls, one by one, through the grate. Three firefighters and a bystander with a pickup truck and cable work together to remove the grate and rescue the ducklings, and the brood continues on its way. Realistic charcoal illustrations show the drama as it unfolds from many different perspectives, including that of the ducklings in the storm sewer, looking up at the worried faces looking down at them through the grate. Moore's expert use of pattern and repetition as she names each of the ducklings ("Right behind came Pippin, Bippin, Tippin, Dippin, and last of allâç¦Little Joe") is nicely echoed in individual illustrated vignettes and will make this a good choice for reading aloud. Even though the story is based on a true event that happened in Montauk, New York, in 2000, the book overall has an old-fashioned feeling. That may have something to do with another classic picture book about a mother duck leading her offspring through city traffic with the assistance of men in uniform. Certainly there is room for both, and this one has the added thrill of the storm sewer adventure. Kathleen T. Horning
Promotion: This would be an ideal book for teaching about newspaper articles. As many students bring in current events as a part of social studies class, having them take a brief article and turn it into a picture book fleshed out with details like in Lucky Ducklings. It would be an interesting lesson giving students opportunities to practice many skills.
Author: Moore, Eva
Illustrator: Carpenter, Nancy
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2013
Genre: Informational
Recommended Audience: Grades k-4
Plot Summary: A mama duck and her five ducklings on a walk encounter disaster when all five ducklings fall through a storm drain in the sidewalk. Firefighters come along to try to rescue them, but are unable to remove the grate. Another man helps by removing the grate with his truck, and the firemen are able to reach the ducklings. They are then helped by other citizens to the pond - their original destination. This is the true story of five lucky ducklings rescued in the town of Montauk, New York, in June of 2000.
Personal Response: The story is cute until you discover that it is a true story. Then the heroics of the firefighters and the caring citizens take on a whole new meaning.
Literary Element: The storytelling style is simplistic, yet engaging. Mama Duck has a few lines of dialogue. "'Whack-a-whack!' Mama Duck called to her brood. 'Follow me!'" There is also an element of pattern in the story telling. "That could have been the end of the story. But it wasn't, because..." is used at many points in the story when things get tense and look bad for the ducklings. The names of the human characters are the real names of the people involved in the Montauk rescue.
Illustrations: The art work was created using charcoal and digital media. There is an homage to Make Way for Ducklings on a page where traffic is stopped to get the ducks across the street.
Review: Booklist (February 15, 2013)
Preschool-Grade 1. Make way for these lucky ducks. After swimming to shore and finding a bite to eat in the park, Mama Duck and her five ducklings—Pippin, Bippin, Tippin, Dippin, and Little Joe—walk to town. But Mama Duck is the only one to make it across the road, as, one by one, the ducklings slip through the openings of the storm drain. Amid Mama Duck’s anxious quacking, three firemen and a quick-thinking resident with a pickup truck and a roll of cable manage to lift the grate and retrieve the ducklings from the storm drain. Based on an actual event in Montauk, New York, the heartwarming tale features delightfully fuzzy illustrations, some from the ducklings’ perspective, which highlight the concern and relief of townsfolk and Mama Duck alike. The refrain of “Oh dear! That could have been the end of the story. But it wasn’t because . . .” encourages participation from young listeners. Pairing with Robert McCloskey’s Caldecott-winning Make Way for Ducklings (1941) is a must.
Review: Horn Book (January/February, 2013) When Mama Duck takes her five ducklings for a walk from the park into a nearby town, she passes easily over the grate of a storm sewer, but each of the five ducklings trailing behind her falls, one by one, through the grate. Three firefighters and a bystander with a pickup truck and cable work together to remove the grate and rescue the ducklings, and the brood continues on its way. Realistic charcoal illustrations show the drama as it unfolds from many different perspectives, including that of the ducklings in the storm sewer, looking up at the worried faces looking down at them through the grate. Moore's expert use of pattern and repetition as she names each of the ducklings ("Right behind came Pippin, Bippin, Tippin, Dippin, and last of allâç¦Little Joe") is nicely echoed in individual illustrated vignettes and will make this a good choice for reading aloud. Even though the story is based on a true event that happened in Montauk, New York, in 2000, the book overall has an old-fashioned feeling. That may have something to do with another classic picture book about a mother duck leading her offspring through city traffic with the assistance of men in uniform. Certainly there is room for both, and this one has the added thrill of the storm sewer adventure. Kathleen T. Horning
Promotion: This would be an ideal book for teaching about newspaper articles. As many students bring in current events as a part of social studies class, having them take a brief article and turn it into a picture book fleshed out with details like in Lucky Ducklings. It would be an interesting lesson giving students opportunities to practice many skills.
The Art of Miss Chew
Author/Illustrator: Polacco, Patricia
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2012
Genre: Autobiography
Recommended Audience: Grades 2-5
Plot Summary: The young Patricia Polacco discovers her artistic talent due to the help of her beloved classroom teacher, Mr. Donovan, and her new art teacher, Miss Chew. Conflict arises when a substitute teacher comes in and tries to remove Patricia from the art class because she has trouble finishing her work and tests. In the end, Patricia’s art is entered into a high-school art show.
Personal Response: Patricia Polacco’s books always hit home emotionally, especially when you know that her stories are based on actual events from her life. It always amazes me the obstacles she has overcome to be the renowned author that she is. I loved learning about another piece of her journey.
Literary Element: Patricia Polacco works well with realistic dialogue, mixed with “asides.” “See how the light dances through the glass and makes a shadow pattern on the table?” Yes, I saw it. “Draw it,” said Miss Chew (p. 13).
Illustrations: The illustrations are typical of Patricia Polacco. They are bright water colors filling in pencil outlines. As usual, you can pick out Patricia in her work, and you know that the drawings of the characters are based on the real people from her past.
Review: Booklist (April 15, 2012 (Vol. 108, No. 16))
Grades 2-5. As a student, Patricia is often knowledgeable on academic subjects but fails tests. Fortunately, her teacher Mr. Donovan realizes that she simply needs more time for taking them. He also spots her art ability and refers her to Miss Chew, head of the high-school art department, who speaks with a heavy accent, calls her “Teresa,” and nurtures her talent. When a substitute teacher fails to understand Patricia’s disability and threatens to remove her from art classes, Miss Chew comes to the rescue. All ends triumphantly with an art show. Like the author’s previous Thank You, Mr. Falker (2001), this autobiographical story captures the frustrations of a student with an undiagnosed disability and stands as a tribute to two inspiring teachers. Illustrated with Polacco’s characteristic pencil-and-marker art, the moving memoir will resonate with any student who has struggled with reading and should also spark empathy among their classmates.
Promotion: This is an ideal book to use during art class orientation - to show the students that they can express ideas in art that may not come out well in writing. It's a place to feel successful.
Author/Illustrator: Polacco, Patricia
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2012
Genre: Autobiography
Recommended Audience: Grades 2-5
Plot Summary: The young Patricia Polacco discovers her artistic talent due to the help of her beloved classroom teacher, Mr. Donovan, and her new art teacher, Miss Chew. Conflict arises when a substitute teacher comes in and tries to remove Patricia from the art class because she has trouble finishing her work and tests. In the end, Patricia’s art is entered into a high-school art show.
Personal Response: Patricia Polacco’s books always hit home emotionally, especially when you know that her stories are based on actual events from her life. It always amazes me the obstacles she has overcome to be the renowned author that she is. I loved learning about another piece of her journey.
Literary Element: Patricia Polacco works well with realistic dialogue, mixed with “asides.” “See how the light dances through the glass and makes a shadow pattern on the table?” Yes, I saw it. “Draw it,” said Miss Chew (p. 13).
Illustrations: The illustrations are typical of Patricia Polacco. They are bright water colors filling in pencil outlines. As usual, you can pick out Patricia in her work, and you know that the drawings of the characters are based on the real people from her past.
Review: Booklist (April 15, 2012 (Vol. 108, No. 16))
Grades 2-5. As a student, Patricia is often knowledgeable on academic subjects but fails tests. Fortunately, her teacher Mr. Donovan realizes that she simply needs more time for taking them. He also spots her art ability and refers her to Miss Chew, head of the high-school art department, who speaks with a heavy accent, calls her “Teresa,” and nurtures her talent. When a substitute teacher fails to understand Patricia’s disability and threatens to remove her from art classes, Miss Chew comes to the rescue. All ends triumphantly with an art show. Like the author’s previous Thank You, Mr. Falker (2001), this autobiographical story captures the frustrations of a student with an undiagnosed disability and stands as a tribute to two inspiring teachers. Illustrated with Polacco’s characteristic pencil-and-marker art, the moving memoir will resonate with any student who has struggled with reading and should also spark empathy among their classmates.
Promotion: This is an ideal book to use during art class orientation - to show the students that they can express ideas in art that may not come out well in writing. It's a place to feel successful.
The Three Ninja Pigs
Author: Schwartz, Corey Rosen
Illustrator: Santat, Dan
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2012
Genre: Humorous Fiction/Fractured Fairy Tale
Recommended Audience: Grades K-4
Promotional Ideas
Plot Summary: The Three Ninja Pigs is set “once upon a time” where the three pigs are being bullied by a wolf. They train at a ninja school in various martial arts to be able to defeat him. The first pig attends for less than two weeks and drops out. The second pig learns a little more, but the third pig gets her black belt in karate. She, of course, saves her brothers, who then go back to ninja school. Eventually they all run a dojo together.
Personal Response: This was a very cute book that my third graders and I really enjoyed. This is a twist on the traditional three pigs story that I had not seen before. I love that the girl is the intelligent pig - which I have noticed in several recents remakes of The Three Little Pigs.
Literary Elements: The book has a rhyme scheme that is a little more interesting than your typical rhyming book. For example, “Pig One took beginner aikido to learn a few basic techniques. He gained some new skills, but got bored with the drills, and dropped out in less than two weeks.” It also includes a glossary in the back for the martial arts terms and pronunciations.
Illustrations: The art was beautiful – it had two artistic styles going on – the cartoonish parts that showed the ninja action, but on many of the pages, the background had wonderful traditional Japanese scenes painted in earth tones. The inside of the front cover has a beautiful painting featuring Mt. Fuji. The artwork throughout features traditional Japanese interiors and exteriors.
Review: Kirkus Reviews (August 1, 2012)
"Dedication and practice pay off," is the message these three pigs painlessly deliver. "Once upon a dangerous time," a wolf plagued a town with his huffing and puffing, so three pigs--two hogs and a sow--attend Ninja School to learn how to face him. Each studies a different martial art, but the two brothers quickly lose interest; the third pig alone earns all her belts. So when the wolf comes calling, it's no surprise when the brothers' skills are not equal to the task. "The chase carried on to their sister's. / Pig Three was outside in her gi. / 'I'm a certified weapon, / so watch where you're steppin'. / You don't want to start up with me!' " A demonstration of her prowess is enough to send the wolf packing and the brothers back to their training. Schwartz's sophomore outing is a standout among fractured fairy tales, masterfully combining rollicking limerick verse with a solid story, neither a slave to the other. The one quibble is the "Ninja" of the title--these pigs study the martial arts of aikido, jujitsu and karate. Santat's illustrations are done with Sumi brush on rice paper and finished in Photoshop. The colors, patterns and themes nicely incorporate those of Japanese art, and the setting, with its background mountains, cherry blossoms and traditional rooftops, is firmly Japanese. Have the contact info for the local dojo handy--readers will want to try out these martial-arts styles for themselves. (glossary) (Fractured fairy tale. 5-8)
Promotion: This title connects easily to many units of study – Japanese culture, fairy tales, fractured fairy tales, martial arts, doing your best. This would be great for introducing glossaries or pronunciation guides to your students.
Author: Schwartz, Corey Rosen
Illustrator: Santat, Dan
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2012
Genre: Humorous Fiction/Fractured Fairy Tale
Recommended Audience: Grades K-4
Promotional Ideas
Plot Summary: The Three Ninja Pigs is set “once upon a time” where the three pigs are being bullied by a wolf. They train at a ninja school in various martial arts to be able to defeat him. The first pig attends for less than two weeks and drops out. The second pig learns a little more, but the third pig gets her black belt in karate. She, of course, saves her brothers, who then go back to ninja school. Eventually they all run a dojo together.
Personal Response: This was a very cute book that my third graders and I really enjoyed. This is a twist on the traditional three pigs story that I had not seen before. I love that the girl is the intelligent pig - which I have noticed in several recents remakes of The Three Little Pigs.
Literary Elements: The book has a rhyme scheme that is a little more interesting than your typical rhyming book. For example, “Pig One took beginner aikido to learn a few basic techniques. He gained some new skills, but got bored with the drills, and dropped out in less than two weeks.” It also includes a glossary in the back for the martial arts terms and pronunciations.
Illustrations: The art was beautiful – it had two artistic styles going on – the cartoonish parts that showed the ninja action, but on many of the pages, the background had wonderful traditional Japanese scenes painted in earth tones. The inside of the front cover has a beautiful painting featuring Mt. Fuji. The artwork throughout features traditional Japanese interiors and exteriors.
Review: Kirkus Reviews (August 1, 2012)
"Dedication and practice pay off," is the message these three pigs painlessly deliver. "Once upon a dangerous time," a wolf plagued a town with his huffing and puffing, so three pigs--two hogs and a sow--attend Ninja School to learn how to face him. Each studies a different martial art, but the two brothers quickly lose interest; the third pig alone earns all her belts. So when the wolf comes calling, it's no surprise when the brothers' skills are not equal to the task. "The chase carried on to their sister's. / Pig Three was outside in her gi. / 'I'm a certified weapon, / so watch where you're steppin'. / You don't want to start up with me!' " A demonstration of her prowess is enough to send the wolf packing and the brothers back to their training. Schwartz's sophomore outing is a standout among fractured fairy tales, masterfully combining rollicking limerick verse with a solid story, neither a slave to the other. The one quibble is the "Ninja" of the title--these pigs study the martial arts of aikido, jujitsu and karate. Santat's illustrations are done with Sumi brush on rice paper and finished in Photoshop. The colors, patterns and themes nicely incorporate those of Japanese art, and the setting, with its background mountains, cherry blossoms and traditional rooftops, is firmly Japanese. Have the contact info for the local dojo handy--readers will want to try out these martial-arts styles for themselves. (glossary) (Fractured fairy tale. 5-8)
Promotion: This title connects easily to many units of study – Japanese culture, fairy tales, fractured fairy tales, martial arts, doing your best. This would be great for introducing glossaries or pronunciation guides to your students.
Is Everyone Ready for Fun?
Author/Illustrator: Thomas, Jan
Publisher: Beach Lane Books, 2011
Genre: Humorous Fiction
Recommended Audience: K-3
Plot Summary: Three cows find a sofa to play on, but it belongs to Chicken - and he does not like what they do - dance, wiggle, and jump on his precious sofa. At the end, exhausted, cows and chicken alike nap on the sofa.
Personal Response: This is one of my favorite books. The characters are so fun, and the movement is infectious.
Literary Elements: The repetition of the basic dialogue gets the audience guessing what will be the next idea that the cows have. "Is everyone ready for EVEN MORE FUN?"
Illustrations: The illustrations are typical of Jan Thomas - simple, colorful, and full of emotion.
Review: Horn Book (Spring 2012)
Three goofy cows jump on Chicken's red sofa. He objects, so instead they decide to dance on it. Again he objects, and so on. Thomas delivers laughs, with the tantrum-throwing "adult" animal and the persistent silliness for silliness's sake. The sofa--the spare cartoony illustrations' only prop--is used to great effect.
Promotion: This is one of the best books I've ever found for "a few extra minutes," or when the kids need to get up and move - while still learning. They love it so much it could be used (and practically is at our library) every week for grades k-2 to get everyone re-focused.
Author/Illustrator: Thomas, Jan
Publisher: Beach Lane Books, 2011
Genre: Humorous Fiction
Recommended Audience: K-3
Plot Summary: Three cows find a sofa to play on, but it belongs to Chicken - and he does not like what they do - dance, wiggle, and jump on his precious sofa. At the end, exhausted, cows and chicken alike nap on the sofa.
Personal Response: This is one of my favorite books. The characters are so fun, and the movement is infectious.
Literary Elements: The repetition of the basic dialogue gets the audience guessing what will be the next idea that the cows have. "Is everyone ready for EVEN MORE FUN?"
Illustrations: The illustrations are typical of Jan Thomas - simple, colorful, and full of emotion.
Review: Horn Book (Spring 2012)
Three goofy cows jump on Chicken's red sofa. He objects, so instead they decide to dance on it. Again he objects, and so on. Thomas delivers laughs, with the tantrum-throwing "adult" animal and the persistent silliness for silliness's sake. The sofa--the spare cartoony illustrations' only prop--is used to great effect.
Promotion: This is one of the best books I've ever found for "a few extra minutes," or when the kids need to get up and move - while still learning. They love it so much it could be used (and practically is at our library) every week for grades k-2 to get everyone re-focused.