Month: April 2016

April 2 – International Children’s Book Day

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Written and Drawn by Henrietta by Liniers

About the Holiday

Each year since 1967 Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday has served as the date for Children’s Book Day. The International Board on Books for Young People, a non-profit organization founded in Zurich, sponsors the day to promote a love of reading. Seventy-five National Sections around the world alternate in hosting the event. The host for 2016 is Brazil, and this year’s theme is “Once Upon a Time.” A prominent author and illustrator from the sponsoring country prepare materials used to raise awareness of books and reading. Luciana Sandroni wrote this year’s message and the poster was designed by Ziraldo.

Children’s Book Day is celebrated with special events in schools and libraries, writing competitions, book awards, and opportunities to meet authors and illustrators. 

Written and Drawn by Henrietta

By Liniers

Henrietta’s mom gives her a new box of colored pencils, which Henrietta says is “as close as you can get to owning a piece of the rainbow.” She sits down to draw her own book and titles it “The Monster with Three Heads and Two Hats.” She begins with an illustration of a little girl, Emily, in bed at night. “I’m scaring myself…,” she thinks. Her thought is played out in her next page which shows Emily asking her stuffed rabbit if it will sleep with her because she’s scared of an unexplained Creak, Creak.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-written-and-drawn-by-henrietta-three-headed-monster

Copyright Liniers, 2015, courtesy of TOON Books

“Hmm…What’s that noise?” ponders the young writer. Her fears make it to the page—Creeak…Creeak…Thump…Crash…Boom. What are those noises, my favorite? Emily asks, her eyes now wide. The Noises! They’re getting closer!!

Henrietta knows that in a good story something always happens “suddenly,” and so she draws a mysterious hand and a mysterious foot emerging from Emily’s wardrobe. The plot thickens and finally the full terrifying monster with three heads pops out of the wardrobe.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-written-and-drawn-by-henrietta-in-bed

Copyright Liniers, 2015, courtesy of TOON Books

They acquire names from Henrietta’s imagination—Huey, Dewey, and Louie Bluie. . She is stuck for a bit as to how to go on, then gives Emily a question: What were you doing inside my wardrobe? The monster answers that it is looking for a hat. Emily joins them in their search, entering her wardrobe. She’s aghast to find that it is full of…clothes! (The wardrobe had been made in Narnia, the well-read Henrietta tells her cat, Fellini).

When the monster and Emily wonder which way to go, they meet a direction-giving mouse, and the story takes off—even Henrietta can’t wait to see what happens. She draws a huge pile of hats (she’s learned about “hat-o-logy” from the encyclopedia—the printed version!). The creature’s two heads with hats begs the third head to choose a hat before “the monster” shows up. Emily is terrified again—Another monster? What has Henrietta concocted this time? A monster with one head and three hats! This horrible beast suddenly appears and chases the crew through the wardrobe. Everyone is shouting Aaaaaaaaaaa—even the author.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-written-and-drawn-by-henrietta-wardrobe

Copyright Liniers, 2015, courtesy of TOON Books

Emily and the first monster lose the tremendous beast, ask the direction-giving mouse how to escape, and burst out of the wardrobe just in time. Henrietta thinks the story should have a happy ending, and before the monster with three heads and now three hats flies out the window, they give Emily a present. What could it be? Henrietta is so curious! It’s a wonderful hat, of course!

The End

“Now,” Henrietta says, “to find a publisher!”

This Toon Book by Liniers is a wonder as it reveals the inner-workings of children’s imaginations and the spontaneous nature of their brilliant creativity. Henrietta’s thought process as she conjures up her story is shown in neat comic-style panels with speech bubbles, while her story is depicted in colorful kid-like drawings and dialogue written in all capital letters. This interplay between the young artist/writer and her work enhances the fun, suspense, and surprise of this story-within-a-story. 

Ages 5 and up

TOON Books, and imprint of RAW Junior, LLC, 2015 | ISBN 978-1935179900

International Children’s Book Day Activity

Create Your Own Book

CPB - Comic Panel

It’s so much fun to let your imagination fly! Use this printable Comic Style Page to create a story as unique as you are!

Picture Book Review

April 1 – National One Cent Day

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A Dollar, a Penny, How Much and How Many? by Brian Cleary and Brian Gable Picture Book Review

About the Holiday

Do you pick up a penny on the street or step over it as worthless? If you do the latter, you might want to reconsider. Today we celebrate the one-cent coin and its historical and artistic significance. The penny has been in circulation since 1793 and derives its name from the English “penny” but is pluralized in the US as “pennies” instead of the British “pence.”

It wasn’t until 1909 that Abraham Lincoln’s face appeared on the coin as part of President Roosevelt’s initiative to improve the artistic nature of the country’s coinage. Roosevelt enlisted famed sculptor August Saint-Gaudens to design the new penny, as well as the other gold pieces in use at the time. While the designs of other coins have changed over the years, Lincoln has remained the iconic image on the copper-colored penny.

While a single penny may not buy much these days, added together they can still make a difference. And remember the old adage: Find a penny pick it up. All the day you’ll have good luck!

A Dollar, a Penny, How Much and How Many?

Written by Brian P. Cleary | Illustrated by Brian Gable

 

Part of the Math is CATegorical series, this book is all about money—what it looks like, what it’s used for, and how the different denominations add up to equal the same price for a desired or needed item. Each two-page spread relates in verse a little lesson. The book opens with a general definition of money: “Money is the term for coins and bills that people use / to buy things such as pizzas, pencils, planes, and chains and shoes.”

Kids learn the names of our coins, what they are made of, and the value of each. They discover that coins can be added together or mixed and matched—10 pennies equal a dime; two dimes and a nickel equal a quarter, and so on. The story moves to a dollar store, where the cats buy different items with various combinations of coins. Jenny has 4 quarters, while her brother has 10 dimes. Anna has 100 pennies and Zack is carrying 7 dimes, 1 quarter, and 5 pennies. Kids see that all of these combinations have the same value.

Paper money is up next. A short description of the minting process leads to a discussion of value as the cats purchase a $20 book with various bills.

Brian Cleary’s catchy rhymes and straightforward explanations make this a perfect book for introducing money, its value, and the mathematical concepts of addition, subtraction, and multiplication of using money to buy things.

Brian Gable’s well-known comical cats of the series walk kids through the pages as they ponder prices on items on the shelf and the amount of money in their pocket. The cats’ humorous expressions and silly situations turn this money math lesson into a funny and fun experience. The brightly colored pages focus on the coins and bills, which are clearly displayed, and the direct connections between this money and the objects being bought is obvious.

Ages 5 – 9

Millbrook Press, 2012 | ISBN 978-0822578826

National One Cent Day Activity

CPB - Penny matching

Count Your Pennies! Matching Game

 

Counting pennies can be so much fun! Saving them can be even better! Collect enough pennies and you can buy something special or donate to your favorite cause! In this printable Count Your Pennies! matching game, draw a line from the stack of pennies to the object they will buy.