I Need My Own Country!

I'm not a political gal, but I'm thinking... there are days when I need MY own country!
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Author: Rick Walton    rickcreation.com

Illustrator: Wes Hargis   weshargis.com

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books

175 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10010 www.bloomsburykids.com

Hook: "There comes a time in all kids' lives when they need to create their own country."

Our cute main character is having issues with a brother =) she needs to create a space (country) all her own, complete with her own flag, rules, and national anthem. She prepares for civil unrest, visits from foreign dignitaries, and past invaders who now come in peace. 

I love that this story begins in the endpapers, and carries through the title page to the first actual page of the book. The darling illustrations tell even more of the story than the words, and my kids loved finding the funny-faced goldfish on each page (he's the Secretary of the Navy =)

rating:  (5 stars)

I Hate Picture Books!

I really don't - I LOVE picture books, but Timothy Young's "too cool for school" character Max "HATES" them! I can't even begin to imagine what that's like.

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Author: Timothy Young ihatepicturebooks.com

Illustrator: Timothy Young 

Publisher: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.

4880 Lower Vally Road Atglen, PA 19310 schifferbooks.com

Hook: "I HATE picture books!"

Cute (and frustrated) Max hates picture books. Mainly, because each time he tries to mimic something that a picture book character does HE gets into trouble. For example, after his mom read  Harold and the Purple Crayon to Max, HE drew on the wall and got sent to bed without dinner! When HE tried eating "green ham" he threw up all over the kitchen. I guess I can see where he's coming from =)

My favorite part of the story is when Max is retelling the story "Are You My Mother" and he says "So you know what this book made me do? It made me cry! Like where you think the 'snort' is going to eat the bird, but then puts it back in it's nest...I LOVE THAT BOOK! I MEAN I HATE THAT BOOK! It was the first one I threw away. Wait...I do love that book.
I GOTTA FIND THAT BOOK!"

Cute story, cute illustrations, cute idea.

rating:  12345 (5 books)

LOVE it!

Is this not the coolest rug?? It's perfect for that reading nook of yours (and mine =)

 

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