If you’re in the Pacific Northwest, I hope you survived the snowpocalypse unscathed! It’s amazing the mayhem that 10-15cm of snow can cause an unprepared coastal city that likes to forget it’s actually still part of Canada, the nation famed for it’s arctic winters…Anyway, all that snow made for some great reading weather! Here are some books I’ve been reading recently:
Illustrated by Tim Hopgood, this adaptation of the classic song performed by Gene Kelly in the film of the same name is such a lovely, lovely book. I love sharing this one at babytime, with the babies being swayed along with the rhythm, it’s a wonderfully gentle way to end our programs. It works beautifully when sung aloud (I’m a big musical fan, so I know this song like the back of my hand), but can just as easily be read aloud like a chant, so don’t shy away if you’re not too keen on singing! Living in a rainy climate means finding the joy in even the wettest, gloomiest of days!
A lot of the families who participate in my babytimes are learning English together, which makes this illustrated collection of animal-themed idiomatic expression a perfect choice for sharing aloud. The pictures are very sweet, and the expressions are all ones that English language learners will commonly hear, so it’s really a very useful little board book for babytime. The only downside is that it is a little board book, so if you work with very large groups, this one might not be the best in terms of format, but it’s definitely worth mentioning.
If You’re Groovy and You Know it, Hug a Friend!
So….it’s not I Love My White Shoes, let’s get that out of the way, but I’ll still take any of Eric Litwin’s Groovy Joe books over Pete the Cat : The First Thanksgiving (*shudder*) or Pete the Kitty and the Groovy Play Date (barf) – I’m 100% #teamlitwin, at least when it comes to books. If You’re Groovy and You Know it, Hug a Friend is aa prett standard take on the classic children’s song that encourages children to get outside and make the world a nicer place, but it has been pretty popular at my library. Of course, it might be worth having a little chat with readers about hugging, since not everyone enjoys getting hugs, no matter how groovy the hugger might be.
This is a beautifully illustrated, lyrical ode to both a place and a moment in Canadian history that many Canadians have likely heard little about. Africville was a vibrant Black community in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that existed for more than 150 years, largely due to the hard work and dedication of its residents, until the city of Halifax demolished the community in the 1960s and forced locals to relocate. Shauntay Grant’s poetic text captures memories of a bygone time that still resonates with locals and visitors today. An afterward provides additional information on Africville, as well as sources for further information.
And a little Public Service Announcement – if you’re in the Vancouver area on Saturday, March 2, I’ll be at the Book Warehouse location on Main Street from 1-3pm signing copies of Queenie Quail Can’t Keep Up, freshly published and available for purchase! I would love to see you there, so I’m not left alone to harass random shoppers in the store and recommend books to them (as I have been known to do… #librarian). Oh, and there will be tasty treats to sweeten the deal! There’s never any pressure to purchase a book – you’re more than welcome to pop by, say hi and take a treat. 🙂
It’s Family Day today here in B.C., so I might not get to everyone’s posts right away, but be sure I’ll be popping around the blogosphere to find out what everyone’s been reading
I’m especially interested in Quiet as a Mouse. Just this week my neighbor was talking to me about a teaching project she’s doing where she questions children to see if they understand idioms. By the time she spoke with me, the children she’d spoken with didn’t understand any of the 5 idioms she asked them about. I’ve wondered if we just don’t use them as much as we once did. I’m adding this one to my list. Thanks for the shares and I hope you have a wonderful book signing at Book Warehouse, Jane!
I didn’t know there was a picture book of Singing in the Rain. I’m definitely going to have to check that out!
A book signing sounds like a lot of fun! How exciting!
Wish I could “pop in” & meet Queenie Quail, Jane. Congratulations! Thanks for the others, too, especially Singing In The Rain-so fun. I loved Africville about that town, all new to me.
Congratulations on Queenie Quail Can’t Keep Up! I have added the details of your launch to my calendar!
Africville is such a beautiful book. I think it was one of my favourite picture books from last year.
We have not had much snow at all where I am (about three hours north) but it is cold. I am looking forward to checking out our book next month. It looks so cute. We often giggle at the quails when we pop over to the Okanagan and your cover reminds my family of that. Have a great week.
I am also #teamlitwin. Congrats on the book launch! We have had tons of snow here in WI. It’s our snowiest February ever recorded. Eeep.