A BALL FOR DAISY, by Chris Raschka

A recent Caldecott winner - A Ball for Daisy is a story of loss — a little dog loses her favorite red ball to a much larger dog — but now it's also a story about winning:  Chris Raschka's book won the American Library Association's Randolph Caldecott Medal for best illustrated story.  Here is the NPR interview - http://www.npr.org/2012/01/23/145656652/caldecott-winner-chris-raschka-discusses-his-book

The author's biography - http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/chris-raschka

Other books by this author - http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Chris-Raschka/1786251/books

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear by Audrey Woods

Strawberries are my all time favorite fruit.  I put them in everything when they are in season.  I have this book as a big book and kids love it!

Who likes strawberries? The mouse does. The bear does. But the reader plays a vital role in this story. This is a tale of how a little mouse is tricked into sharing his strawberry before the big hungry bear can find it!

Here is the You Tube read aloud.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apvgbUckC-k, along with some fun activities - http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/LittleMouseRedRipeStrawberryandtheBigHungryBearPrintables.html

http://www.ideastream.org/common/worksheets/The_Little_Mouse_The_Red_Ripe_Strawberry.pdf

Mahalia Mouse Goes to College by John Lithgow

Mahalia Mouse and her family live underneath Dunster House, an old Harvard dormitory. Foraging for food for her younger brothers and sisters, Mahalia gets trapped in a backpack and then finds herself inside a classroom far from home. Mahalia, intrigued by the lecture, starts attending classes and soon becomes a full-time student -- all the while wondering about the fate of her family. But when graduation day finally arrives, Mahalia has a wonderful surprise waiting for her.
Written as part of his keynote address at Harvard's commencement, this latest book from John Lithgow (class of '67) incorporates his trademark witty rhymes and includes a CD of him reading the text at the commencement. Mahalia's story has an inspiring message for graduates or anyone whose success is worthy of celebration.  Here is a link to a video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jYoHcG-jHI

The author discussing his book - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwm9AUKmSu8

Here are some activities as well - http://www.teachermadecreations.com/MahliaMouseCollege.html

The Tale of Benjamin Bunny by Beatrix Potter

Recently a young friend received a bunny as a pet.  She named it Benjamin. 
I couldn't resist sharing this title.

When Mr. McGregor and his wife leave home in their gig, Benjamin Bunny and his cousin Peter Rabbit venture into Mr. McGregor's garden to retrieve the clothes Peter lost there in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. They find the clothes on a scarecrow, but Peter is apprehensive about lingering in the garden because of his previous experience. Benjamin delays their departure by gathering onions, which he wraps in Peter's handkerchief. He then takes a casual stroll around the garden, followed by an increasingly nervous Peter.

Rounding a corner, they see a cat and hide under a basket, but the cat then sits on top of the basket for hours, trapping the pair. Benjamin's father enters the garden looking for his son. He drives the cat from the basket and locks her in the greenhouse, then frees Benjamin and Peter, and punishes them for going to Mr. McGregor's garden by whipping them with a switch he had brought. Once home, Peter gives the onions to his mother, who forgives his adventure because he has recovered his clothes. Following his return, Mr. McGregor is puzzled by the scarecrow's missing clothes and the cat locked in the greenhouse.^[3]

Here is the link to download the audio http://lightupyourbrain.com/stories/audio-story-the-tale-of-benjamin-bunny/ as well as a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADNQ-dI5EEY

Let's Get Ready for Memorial Day - Memorial Day Books for Kids Memorial Day Books for Kids - Let's Get Ready for Memorial Day Let's Get Ready for Memorial Day by Lloyd G. Douglas

A girl's class prepares for Memorial Day by learning about the holiday from their teacher and making flags, and later she goes to a war memorial with her father to honor those who died.


Here are some more - http://barnredbooks.blogspot.com/2010/05/memorial-day-books-for-kids.html

Where the Wild Things Are . . .

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak has become a classic. Winner of the 1964 Caldecott Medal as the "Most Distinguished Picture Book of the Year," it was first published by HarperCollins in 1963. When the book was written, the theme of dealing with dark emotions was rare in children's literature, especially in picture book format for young children.

Maurice Sendak dies at 83, author of 'Where the Wild Things Are'

The endearingly popular children's book illustrator and writer radically changed the genre with tales of outsized monsters and frolicsome humor that tapped into the fears of childhood. He also collaborated on numerous operas, films and TV programs.

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-maurice-sendak-20120509,0,4823266.story

A Ride on Mother's Back: A Day of Baby Carrying around the World by Emery Bernhard, Durga Bernhard (Illustrator)

Happy Mother's Day!

Explores the ways in which people from a variety of cultures carry their young ones, and describes what children see and learn as they are carried. As her mother makes tortillas, a Guatemalan infant is rocked in a shawl tied around her mother's body. Riding in a sling balanced on his grandfather's hip, a young boy watches his father gather honey in the rain forest of central Africa. A section of notes, with background information and interesting tidbits about each culture, is offered in an appendix.  Here are some other titles - http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/mothers-day/kids-books/a-ride-on-mothers-back.html