DIY Story Time: The Letter "R"

Are you ready for "R" Week? Read a few rousing books as you learn about this letter!

Written by Carmen Agra Deedy

Illustrated by Pete Oswald

Scholastic Press, 2020. Picture Book.

In two little houses, on two little hills, lived two best friends...

So begins the story of Rita and Ralph. Every day they meet to play beneath the apple tree. It's always fun and games -- until one roundly rotten day when a new game means someone ends up crying. Who knew it could be so hard to say "I'm sorry"? Just when it seems nothing will ever be right again, a surprising thing happens. The old friends try something new, that isn't new at all. Something they've done a hundred times...

Carmen Agra Deedy's brilliant storytelling combined with Pete Oswald's spirited illustrations make for a comforting tale of healing and true friendship. --Publisher

Red Light, Green Lion

Written by Candace Ryan

Illustrated by Jennifer Yerkes

Kids Can Press, 2019. Picture Book.

Inspired by a favourite childhood game (Red Light, Green Light), Red Light, Green Lion is a sweet, sometimes silly, and philosophical picture book that encourages friendship, sharing and literacy. As a green lion stands at a street corner waiting for a green light, a surprising sequence of events takes place. Each page turn brings something new that begins with the letters "li." And while readers may guess, each time, that it will be the expected green light, it usually isn't. First there's the green lion, then a storm, which brings green li--ghtning and rain, a lilac bouquet, a life saver, livestock, library books and lima beans. Eventually after much action and many surprises, the water recedes, the traffic light turns green - green light, finally! --Publisher

Falling for Rapunzel

Written by Leah Wilcox

Illustrated by Lydia Monks

G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2003. Picture Book.

When the prince spies Rapunzel high in her tower, he's convinced she is the girl of his dreams. Of course he thinks he can save her the traditional way, but this is no traditional Rapunzel. She throws down everything but what the prince asks for--including a surprise that makes all his dreams come true.

A hilarious fractured fairy tale with clever page-turns and vibrant, eclectic art that is perfect for funny Valentine's Day story hours. --Publisher

Comments

Funny Farm by Mark Teague 2009

There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester 2008

J Fiction 328 pages I almost didn't finish this book. I got to Chapter 4, and was just about ready to quit (a kind of slow story about a girl, name of Piper McCloud, who discovers she can fly, parents freak out, she becomes a social outcast, yadda, yadda) but suddenly, right there in Chapter 4, the story takes a sharp turn and becomes really interesting . Piper finds herself in the company of others like her, but not "fliers", and under the care and authority of Dr. Hellion. I won't even tell you any more. Read this book. Forester does a great job of keeping you wondering who's the good guy and who's the bad? Piper is a likeable, strong, endearing character that girl readers will enjoy. But don't NOT give it to boys! The main male character is an extremely intelligent young man who is one of the ones you wonder about . . . good or bad? This is a good one, well worth your time.

Review: The Factory

The Factory By Catherine Egan New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2025. Fiction. 306 pages. Thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle has been invited to join the Factory, a secretive research facility in the desert which ostensibly extracts renewable energy from the electromagnetic fields of its young recruits. But Asher soon realizes something sinister is going on. Kids are getting sick. The adults who run the Factory seem to be keeping secrets. And the extraction process is not only painful and exhausting, but existentially troubling. Asher makes a handful of new friends who help him with an investigation that turns into a resistance, which turns into...a cliffhanger! The Factory is a page-turning sci-fi with multidimensional characters, an intriguing plot, and refreshingly straight-forward writing. Egan weaves in detail about climate crises and social unrest, making the story's dystopian setting feel rich and plausible. With its sophisticated themes and accessible storytelling, I would recomm...

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog