This absolutely darling, fun spirited book will capture the imagination of an elementary audience with it’s bold plaid, colorful pictures and crazy antics of the main character, a young girl. She happens to find a plaid, cursed purse in the park. She realized the magic behind the purse as everything around her turned plaid! The occasional repetition of “Piddly-Diddly-Doo” will have some reading or singing along with the refrain. When she turns the purse inside out, the plaid ends, and something new begins. You will have to wait and see the inside of the purse to get your ending to this colorful tale! Wonderful pictures and truly a fun experience reading this book about this plucky girl with the plaid purse. Recommended!
Author Archives: Annette McQueen
Nothing in Common, by Kate Hoefler, illustrated by Corinna Luyken
Beautiful pastel chalk pictures, by celebrated illustrator Corinna Luyken, create a beautiful picture storybook. It tells the story of this unlikely friendship between a boy wearing red and a girl wearing blue. Without using verbiage indicating the divide in the United States, it was an inference on the part of this reader as both people felt they had “nothing in common”. That is, until they realized they did both love the same thing and it was missing. An old man who walked his dog every day, is a part of both people’s day and they work together to solve the mystery of finding the dog. On this journey, they discover, in a subtle sense, that their emotions have more in common than they realized before the journey.
As the dog is reunited with his loving master, they all realize that you can love and respect each other even if you have “Nothing in Common”. A great modern day tale that easily fits into our contemporary lives. Recommended for you.
Curious George Votes, by Margaret and H.A. Rey
In keeping with the Curious George spirit created decades ago, this mischievous and curious monkey entertains us and also helps us to learn a bit about the voting process through his experience at an elementary school which happens to be voting on their favorite mascot. As expected, this monkey wishes to “write in” his choice for mascot to be a monkey instead of the “owl” or “tiger” being offered on the ballot. His hijinks throughout the school, includes “stuffing the ballot box” with his many of his votes over and over again. After finding the humor in his antics, the teacher allows the students to write in their favorite choice–which of course, is a monkey!
This may be an effective book for preschool and primary grades to explore the basic rules surrounding the voting process. A nice read and discussion platform for a school which is voting on a mascot. Classic pictures and lovable, innocent, choices made by our favorite monkey, make this Margret & H.A. Rey’s book, another nice addition to a classroom or home library series.
Our Subway Baby, by Peter Mercurio
A poignant story, based upon a true event, in the City of New York. This beautifully illustrated books begins with a man in the subway system underground in New York, spotting a bundle on the ground. As he approached, he realized that it was a baby! He reported to the authorities and immediately began caring for this babe until he was taken away to the local hospital. The man, named Danny, kept asking about him, and waiting for the foster system to locate his parents. As this did not happen, he was invited to apply for adoption! His partner at home, a man named Kevin, who had not thought of adopting or having a child, was open and enthusiastic to the idea of allowing love in where it had presented itself.
Both men went through the court system and earned the right to adopt this baby who was found on the subway! Their happiness was contagious and earned much respect and attention nationwide. They are still a family, to this day. Although the baby is now a student in college studying mathematics and computer science!
A contemporary book speaking truth to a contemporary topic: gay couple adoption. With the added twist of finding the baby on the subway! This is a beautifully written and illustrated book which teaches the underlying message of: “Love wins.”A must in your library.