Tag: Kate DiCamillo

Try Incorporating Music into Your Storytelling!

- Brittany Leave a comment

March is Music in Our Schools Month officially designated by the National Association for Music Education. To celebrate, I have compiled a list of books that are written in song or have musical components to share with young people.

Wild Symphony by Dan Brown and illustrated by Susan Batori
Travel through the trees and across the seas with Maestro Mouse and his musical friends! Young readers will meet a big blue whale and speedy cheetahs, tiny beetles and graceful swans. Each has a special secret to share. (provided by Goodreads)

If You’re Happy and You Know It! by Jane Cabrera
With the help of adorable animals, sing and dance your way through this beloved children’s song.

 

 

La La La by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Jaime Kim
This nearly wordless graphic story follows a little girl in search of a friend. (provided by Goodreads)

 

 

Clarinet & Trumpet by Melanie Ellsworth and illustrated by John Herzog
A charming and funny picture book featuring the harmonious friendship between Clarinet and Trumpet. (provided by Goodreads)

 


Accordionly by Michael Genhart and Illustrated by Priscilla Burris
Abuelo and Opa both play the accordion. This book explores how one instrument can bring people of different backgrounds together.

 

Old MacDonald Had a Boat by Steve Goetz and Illustrated by Eda Kaban
A new take on the beloved children’s song, “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” and involves power tools and whole lot of noise!

 

The Seals on the Bus by Lenny Hort and illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Get ready to make animal sounds in this different rendition of “The Wheels on the Bus”! This is fun for all ages!

 

 

Music is in Everything by Ziggy Marley and illustrated by Ag Jatkowska
A picture book based on Ziggy Marley’s popular song celebrating music’s many forms, from the sounds of ocean waves to laughter in the family kitchen. It also includes a cute craft to do with your young person! (provided by Goodreads)

 

 

Music by Jill McDonald
In this board book, learn about the sounds that popular instruments make!

 

 

Sweet Child o’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses and illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin
This song means so much to me and my family. My mother listened to it on the way to the hospital to have me and then I listened to it on the way to have my daughter. When I found out about Zivion’s publication of this beautiful book, I was quick to preorder. The illustrations are so beautiful and it is a joy to bring back something so special to my family and have it on the bookshelf!

People Don’t Bite People by Lisa Wheeler and Illustrated by Molly Idle
This title is a family favorite in the Peacock house. Written in rhyme, Wheeler teaches children the dos and don’ts of using your teeth! Since this is written in rhyme, I have taken to singing it rather than reading it! Everything is better with song!

 

Play this Book by Jessica Young and illustrated by Daniel Wiseman
Congratulations, you are starting a band! Learn how popular instruments such as the guitar, make sound!

 

 

All of the above items are available through your favorite RiverShare Library! Is there a title missing that you enjoy to share with young people? I would love to hear about it in the comments!

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

- Ann Leave a comment

floraandulyssesHoly Bagumba!

Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo is delightful!  I was smitten with this charming, smart middle grade novel from page one.  DiCamillo (Tale of Despereaux, Because of Winn Dixie) is joined by illustrator K.G. Campbell to bring to life Flora Belle Buckman, a natural-born cynic in the body of a tween girl.  Armed with an extensive vocabulary, an abundance of comic book knowledge, and an eye for the truth, Flora makes for a wonderful heroine.

But she wouldn’t see herself as the hero of this tale.  The hero (I mean, superhero) is Ulysses, a squirrel who acquires the abilities to write poetry and fly after being sucked up by Flora’s neighbor Tootie Tickman’s  Ulysses Super-Suction, Mult-Terrain 2000X vacuum.  The story that follows includes a terrifying cat, temporary blindness, a shepherdess lamp, an unexpected villain, a giant doughnut, and much more.

While this comic book/chapter book hybrid is funny and silly, it is also very sweet.  The examination of changing mother-daughter dynamics as girls grow up is so beautifully executed and subtle that readers may not notice it until they’ve finished reading.  Flora and Ulysses is a great read for loyal readers of Kate DiCamillo and fans of Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead and Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman (or, really, anyone!)