I've been falling for giraffes lately. And Geraldine is no exception. From the jacket flap: "No, no, NO! Geraldine is not moving. Not to this new town where she's the only giraffe. Not to this new school where she has no friends. Not to this new place where everyone only knows her as That Giraffe … Continue reading Geraldine – Perfect Picture Book Friday
I stumbled across this book in our school library. It was lying face up, and I couldn't resist such a terrifying title juxtaposed with an adorable little crocodile. Little Achilles, the crocodile, has grown tired of eating his morning bananas. And despite his mother's protestations, he turns up his long nose and says, "...I'd really … Continue reading I’d Really Like to Eat a Child – Perfect Picture Book Friday
I have to tell you, the minute I saw the cover of this book, I was smitten. And then the first spread captured what was left of my heart: Nerdy Birdy and Vulture are best friends but they don't see eye to eye. (Illustrators take note of the Hello Birdy lunchbox.) Nerdy Birdy and Vulture … Continue reading Nerdy Bird Tweets – Perfect Picture Book Friday
Behold, the Chupacabra!!! What's a chupacabra you may ask? No one really knows what they look like, for they've never been caught. The name literally means "goat sucker." When Ana Aranda, the illustrator for this book, was growing up in Mexico, she and her friends told stories about the chupacabra. How you shouldn't let your … Continue reading The Chupacabra Ate the Candelabra – Perfect Picture Book Friday
Folks, when I read Mike Allegra's (children's book writer extraordinaire) post this morning, I couldn't stop laughing. Oh, yeah, Mike prefers laughing rats over laughing cats. Here you go, Mike: The answer to the often-repeated question "How do you know if you've got a character-driven book?" lies within his hilarious anecdote. And for those of you … Continue reading There’s No Story Like “Snow Story”
Jilanne Hoffmann 