The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown (Mac Barnett and Sarah Jacoby)

I was curious about this book. I've read a ton of Mac Barnett books and I wondered who Margaret Wise Brown was. Surprise! She is the author of iconic books like Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny. Apparently, she wrote over 100 books!

It did not seem important that
any one wrote these stories. They were true.
And it still does't seem important!
All this emphasis today on who writes what
seems silly to me as far as
children are concerned."

- Margaret Wise Brown

It tells you all sorts of interesting facts about the books she wrote and about her. Patience and Fortitude (the two lions in front of the New York Public Library (who also appear in Lost in the Library and The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil Frankweiler) You really get a god feel for the eccentric and amazing Margaret Wise Brown in this story. I loved it!

This would be a great book to read to start off our biography writing project!

Goodreads says:

A dazzling picture book biography of Margaret Wise Brown, the legendary author of Goodnight Moon, Runaway Bunny, and other children’s classics, that is as fearless and groundbreaking as the icon herself was—from award-winning, bestselling author Mac Barnett and rising star illustrator Sarah Jacoby

What is important about Margaret Wise Brown?

In 42 inspired pages, this biography by award-winning writer Mac Barnett vividly depicts one of the greatest children’s book creators who ever lived: Margaret Wise Brown, the author of Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny, and The Little Fur Family. Illustrated with sumptuous art by rising star Sarah Jacoby, this is essential reading for book lovers of every age.

A Child of Books (Oliver Jeffers)

This is ones of those books I want to look at again and again. I'm not as skilled as my students at taking the time to really soak up all that is in the illustrations of a book, but this one definitely made me want to stop and pause. Love it!

Goodreads summary:

I am a child of books.

I come from a world of stories.

A little girl sails her raft across a sea of words, arriving at the house of a small boy. She invites him to go away with her on an adventure into the world of stories... where, with only a little imaginaton, anything at all can happen.

Irresistibly engaging characters by Oliver Jeffers set sail and chart their way through Sam Winston's fascinating typographical landscapes in this extraordinary ode to the power and promises of storytelling. Forty treasured children's classics and lullabies are featured in the pictures, providing endless opportunities for discovery, memories and sharing.

Woven together by a simple story line, the one-of-a-kind illustrations in a A Child of Books provide an unforgettable reading experience that will inspire and encourage readers of all ages to explore, question, and imagine timeless stories of their own. 

Any Questions? (Mary Louise Gay)

We read this book as part of the International Reading Association's read aloud day. They get everyone to read the same book the same day and then calculate how many kids read the book. It's fun. We got everyone in our school to read it.

This book is kind of like having an author visit. Marie-Louise Gay speaks about how she writes, what it's like to be a writer, etc., and takes us through the writing process. It was a long story to read, but my class enjoyed it.

Goodreads summary:

Many children want to know where stories come from and how a book is made. Marie-Louise Gay’s new picture book provides them with some delightfully inspiring answers through a fictional encounter between an author and some very curious children — together they collaborate on writing and illustrating a story. Marie-Louise Gay has scribbled, sketched, scrawled, doodled, penciled, collaged, and painted the words and pictures of a story-within-a-story that show how brilliant ideas creep up on you when you least expect it and how words sometimes float out of nowhere, asking to be written. Any Questions? presents a world inhabited by lost polar bears, soaring pterodactyls, talking trees, and spotted snails, with cameo appearances by some of the author's favorite characters — a world where kids become part of the story and let their imaginations run wild, becoming inspired to create tales of their own. At the end of the book, she provides answers to many of the questions children have asked her over the years, such as "Are you Stella?," "How did you learn to draw?," "Can your cat fly?," and "How many books do you make in one day?"

How I Discovered Poetry (Marilyn Nelson)

I'm not much of a poetry person, but this book somehow appealed to me. Each poem is vignette and a small look into Marilyn Nelson's life. I didn't know Marilyn Nelson at all prior to reading this book (did I mention I'm not much of a poetry person?). I chuckled at her comments about Lot and his wife and the flea and then her Mama swatting her leg while she giggled. I felt a little sad about when she brought up people's unkind words towards her and the troubles with racial tension in the states in the 50's. I felt her wonder when people thought she tried to do well in school to show off. And I felt proud of her teachers that encouraged her with writing.

A lovely book. Easy to read. Lots to think about.
I think it would be a great book for middle school or high school...even in Canada.

Kate DiCamillo "Sightings"

I don't know what they call it, but there is some name to the situation where once you have something you notice it everywhere. You get a silver car and suddenly you notice that everyone has silver cars. Well, for me, lately, I keep reading about Kate DiCamillo. Is it just because we are reading her book, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane for book club? Or is it just a coincidence?

I read a blog post on Kirby Larson's blog, by a guest blogger.

Then I read that she has been chosen to be an ambassador for children's lit for all the USA (read about that here)

Okay. Maybe it isn't that I am seeing things about her everywhere...just the first two blogs I opened up tonight.

Strange coincidences!

...I just wish I could figure out how to connect with her on Twitter!