It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? was initiated by Sheila at Book Journey, and adapted by Kellee at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts with a children’s/YA focus – perfect for a children’s librarian like me. This weekly roundup is a great way to discover new blogs and bloggers, share recommended (or not so recommended….) titles, and add to your ever-growing to-read list.
Title: Red & Yellow’s Noisy Night
Author: Josh Selig Illustrator: Little Airplane Productions
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Publication Date: 2012
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book
Publisher’s Summary: “I believe that The Olive Branch can help make a real difference in our world.”–Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Red and Yellow live together in the branches of an olive tree–but these two friends are as different as can be, and sometimes have trouble co-existing peacefully. Red wants to play loudly on his strummy, while Yellow longs for sleep. This adorable bedtime story about tolerance and conflict resolution is based on an animated TV show that currently airs on over 100 channels around the world.
My Two Cents: I really didn’t expect to like this book. It’s an adaptation of a cartoon show that I’ve never heard of, and it’s all about “tolerance and conflict resolution”, which sounds either gag-inducing or snooze-worthy (I prefer picture books that impart their messages with a subtle hand, and don’t hit children over the head with overt morals).
I actually found this book downright adorable. The illustrations aren’t too slick or computer-generated, and actually have a bit of hand-drawn charm. Red and Yellow are utterly charming, and have a bit of an Elephant and Piggie, or even Laurel and Hardy vibe, with a zany little character (Red), and a larger, more deadpan character (Yellow). I’ll admit it, I found Red’s “strummy” too cute for words – from now on, I’ll be referring to my ukulele as a strummy.
The two characters come to a mutually-beneficial compromise in which Red gets to play his strummy, and Yellow gets to sleep. Despite the creators’ rather intense-sounding mission to “create original media that helps children around the world learn about conflict resolution and mutual respect, “Red & Yellow’s Noisy Night” is nowhere near as preachy or saccharine as I had feared it would be. Instead, it’s a simple, quite charming little story about two friends finding a way to get along.
Title: Those Magnificent Sheep in Their Flying Machines
Author: Peter Bently / Illustrator: David Roberts
Publisher: Andersen Press Ltd.
Publication Date: 2014
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book
Publisher’s Summary: The sheep on the hillside were munching away, much as they always did, day after day, when suddenly something went ZOOM overhead! “Let’s go and see what it is!” they all said. And so begins a ripping, round-the-world adventure as the magnificent sheep take to skies in their spiffing, yellow flying machine…
My Two Cents: Love it!! This ridiculous picture book about a group of sheep who go on a joyride in an airplane is a joyous adventure with a distinctly British flavour. The title, setting and style of the illustrations are a cheeky take on the 1965 British comedy film Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines; Or, How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes.
The motley collection of sheep embark on an adventure around the world in their purloined plane, escaping all sorts of dangers, like hungry crocodiles and a mutton curry-loving Maharaja, before realizing that home is where they really want to be.
Some of the humour in this picture book will likely fly over the heads of most little readers (pun somewhat intended), but adults will likely have a chuckle, and the zaniness of the premise is likely to appeal to kids (there’s nothing quite like animals committing crimes – think Moo!)
Now, tell me, what have you been reading this week?
Both of these picture books sound like so much fun. I love to fly (even though I don’t any more), so I would love to see the sheep’s antics with their plane.
Sometimes you just have to be silly and have fun with reading, right? 🙂
They do sound just silly, but there are books that are great for the little ones, and these fit. Love that idea of “Those magnificent Sheep. . .”
You could definitely have some with that book, talking about what other adventures the sheep might have with their plane, or imagining what other animals might get up to if they had a plane! Lots of fun to be had, and you could even tie it into geography lessons, learning about different countries the sheep might fly to next! Love books that inspire me. 🙂
Oh, I love “Noisy Nights” and so glad you came by The Reader and the Book!! You will love “Librarian’s Night Before Christmas, Ms. Jane, the Librarian!!
Definitely sounds like a winner, I’ll want to share that one with my coworkers, too! Thanks for stopping by my neck of the woods. 🙂
Isn’t it great when books pleasantly surprise us?
It’s a wonderful reminder for me to check my assumptions at the door when it comes to books, because you really never can tell what will be inside those covers.
These are unfamiliar titles to me – thanks for sharing them! 🙂
Sometimes I just prowl my children’s area looking for books I’ve never read before – I always see the new ones when they come in to the library, but we have so many on our shelves that I’ve never even seen! I like cracking open the vaults a bit sometimes 🙂