Fairy Tales

September 10 – Swap Ideas Day

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About the Holiday

Today is a perfect day to get together with people you love, trust, and respect—and even some who challenge your thinking—to discuss matters large and small. Not only might you gain a different perspective on your pals, but you all may come up with the next Great Idea!

The King and the Magician

Written by Jorge Bucay | Illustrated by Gusti

 

In a faraway land there once lived a King who was very powerful. Not only did he love power, he commanded that everyone in his kingdom obey and admire him. Tremblingly, his subjects reassure him every day that he is the most powerful man in the kingdom. One day, however, the King hears a rumor that down in the village lives a Magician who can predict the future. The King fears that this man will become more powerful than he, and he sends his spies to learn more. The spies return and reveal that not only can the Magician tell the future, he is loved and admired by everyone.

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Image copyright Gusti, courtesy of Abbeville Press

The King becomes terribly jealous and plots to do away with his most hated enemy. He devises a plot to trick the Magician. He will host a party, and at the end he will ask the Magician if he can truly predict the future. If the Magician says “No,” he will be exposed as a fraud, and the king will kill him. If the Magician answers “Yes,” the King will ask him to predict the date of the Magician’s death and would then kill him. The King is pleased with his scheme because either way, he will be rid of his rival.

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Image copyright Gusti, courtesy of Abbeville Press

On the night of the party, the King summons the Magician and asks him the fatal question. The Magician is more than just a seer or a sorcerer—he is wise. He looks at the King and states, “the Magician of this kingdom will die the exact same day as his King.”

Now the King is in a terrible quandary. He does not want to risk the possibility that this old man’s prediction is true. He must now protect the Magician in order to save his own life. He quickly concocts a ruse and asks the Magician to stay the night in the castle, saying he wants to consult with him about some royal matters. In fact, he just wants to keep an eye on him.

The Magician agrees. The next morning the King goes to the Magician and asks his advice on some kingly decisions. The Magician offers good suggestions, and the king accepts them. As the months go by, the King continues to rely on the Magician for guidance, and slowly the King learns to be fair and wise. He becomes the respected and admired ruler he always wanted to be.

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The King realizes that not only is the Magician a trusted advisor, he is a loyal and beloved friend. One day, wracked with guilt over his one-time plot to kill the Magician, the King reveals the story. The Magician listens to the King’s secret, and shares one of his own.

On the night of the party, the Magician says, I saw you reach for the hilt of your sword when you questioned me, and I knew your intentions. He then divulges that he made up the prediction of their shared death date to teach the King a lesson—one the King has learned. He says, “It is our lives that have become entwined, not our deaths.”

For many more years the King and the Magician live as friends and confidants. The kingdom grows stronger and the King kinder and more loved by his people. One day the Magician dies. The King is sad, and realizes he is no longer afraid of his own death. The King has learned the Magician’s lesson well, and even though his advisor is gone, he continues to make wise and beneficial decisions.

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Image copyright Gusti, text copyright Jorge Gusti, courtesy of Abbeville Press

Ten years later the King writes a letter to his son and heir. In his letter, the King cautions his son that at sometime in his life he may come across someone or something that “will arouse fear and jealousy in your soul.” He will want to destroy this person or thing to alleviate his fear, his father tells him. Instead, says his father, “open your heart or your home” because “what you thought was your most feared enemy, is really your most powerful friend.”

Jorge Bucay has written a classic tale of wisdom verses power wrapped around a clever trick. The story, full of intrigue and twists, initiates the kind of thought that leads to true enlightenment. The straightforward storytelling, beautifully paced over a lifetime of growth and change, builds suspense while lyrical descriptions create a beautiful flow that depicts both the quandary of the King and the kindness of the Magician.

Gusti’s lavish illustrations, reminiscent of hieroglyphics and Medieval tapestries, are rendered in dark, rich brown, rust, black, olive and blue hues that gorgeously depict the splendor of the King and his castle, but also signal the somber weight in his soul. The regal tone even extends to the gilded text. The King is drawn as an imposing figure, towering over everyone else in his kingdom, but his feet and hands are tiny, lending him a bit of a comical yet vulnerable air. The King’s eyes narrow with cunning as he plots his evil deed but widen in doubt and dispair as the Magician works his special brand of magic.

This lovely book—in both message and art—would be a wonderful addition to any child’s or fable-lover’s library.

Ages 4 – 8

Abbeville Kids, 2014 | ISBN 978-0789212047

While I take some personal days over the next couple of weeks, I am re-blogging some earlier posts with updated interior art, activities, and links, when available.

Swap Ideas Day Activity

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A World of Ideas Word Search

 

Creative ideas are a little like magic – sometimes seeming to come out of thin air – and can make the world a better place! Find the 21 words in this printable A World of Ideas Word Search about what swapping ideas can conjure up! Here’s the Solution!

Picture Book Review

 

September 2 – It’s Children’s Good Manners Month

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About the Holiday

As kids go back to school and interact with other students, teachers, coaches, group leaders, and others, this month is dedicated to the kinds of manners that promote good relationships and cohesive gatherings. Thinking about others and how your actions will affect them is part of being a great friend, teammate, or participant in any activity. Family life with parents and siblings is also better when everyone treats each other with good manners. So this month (and afterward) remember to say “please, thank you, you’re welcome, may I” and all the rest of the polite words!

Interrupting Chicken

By David Ezra Stein

 

It’s time for a certain little red chicken to go to sleep, and Papa is about to plunk his chick into bed when the subject of a bedtime story comes up. Papa agrees to read one of his daughter’s favorites—after being reassured that she won’t interrupt the story tonight. “‘Oh no, Papa. I’ll be good,’” she says.

So Papa opens Hansel and Gretel and begins to read. He’s related that Hansel and Gretel were very hungry and that while out in the woods they found a house made of candy. “Nibble, nibble, nibble; they began to eat the house, until the old woman who lived there came out” and invited the children in. “They were just about to follow her when—”… the little chicken can’t help herself: “Out jumped a little red chicken, and she said, ‘DON’T GO IN! SHE’S A WITCH!’ So Hansel and Gretel didn’t. THE END!”

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Image copyright David Ezra Stein, courtesy of Candlewick Press

Papa peers over the top of his story book and he and his daughter give each other a long look. “‘Chicken.’” “‘Yes, Papa?’” “‘You interrupted the story. Try not to get so involved.’” “‘I’m sorry, Papa. But she really was a witch.’” Papa understands, but he also tells little chicken that she should relax and try to fall asleep. His daughter agrees to be good if he reads another story.

Papa turns the page to Little Red Riding Hood. He reads about how Little Red Riding Hood’s mother gave her a basket of goodies to take to Grandma and warns her about the dangers in the woods. “By and by she met a wolf who wished her ‘Good Morning.’ She was about to answer when—”…the little avid reader can’t help herself again! “Out jumped a little red chicken, and she said, ‘DON’T TALK TO STRANGERS!’ So little Red Riding Hood didn’t. THE END!”

Papa puts the story book down and gazes into his daughter’s wide-awake eyes. She apologizes for interrupting a second time and suggests “one more little story” and promises to behave. Papa picks a most appropriate story for the third go-around: Chicken Little. He starts off with the unfortunate event when Chicken Little is hit on the head by an acorn and mistakenly thinks that the sky is falling. “She was about to run off and warn Goosey Loosey, Ducky Lucky, Henny Penny, and everyone on the farm the sky was falling when—”…the little chicken loses control yet again. “Out jumped the little red chicken, and SHE said, ‘DON’T PANIC! IT WAS ONLY AN ACORN.’ So Chicken Little didn’t. THE END!”

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Image copyright David Ezra Stein, courtesy of Candlewick Press

Papa is now flat out tired and—even though his little chick hugs him and vows that with only one more story she’ll fall asleep—out of stories. Little chicken exclaims, “‘Oh no, Papa. I can’t go to sleep without a story!’” Yawning, Papa suggests that his daughter tell him a story. She grabs her notebook and crayons and begins. “Bedtime for Papa by CHiKn Once there was a little red chicken who put her Papa to bed. She read him a hundred stories. She even gave him warm milk, but nothing worked: he stayed wide awake all—”

Suddenly, the sounds of snoring interrupt her storytelling. She looks up from her page to find her father fast asleep in her bed. She pats him on the head “‘Good night, Papa.’” she whispers before finally falling asleep herself.

David Ezra Stein’s Caldecott Honor book is a hilarious retelling of the nightly bedtime story scene in so many households. One story just isn’t enough, and familiar stories just beg to be finished by excited little voices. The father/daughter relationship in Interrupting Chicken is sweet and endearing, as the day-weary dad reads story after story and his daughter chimes in. Any parent or caregiver has gazed at their little charge in just the way Papa does, and they have all received the same knowingly innocent eyes back.

Stein’s glowing blue, green, and red illustrations of the adorable little chicken with her very tall comb tucked into bed and her father’s equally as long comb and waddles, cozy bathrobe and slippers will make kids fall in love with this duo. The stories Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, and Chicken Little are cleverly depicted in vintage black, brown, and white hues that are brilliantly interrupted by the little chicken and her well-timed warnings. In each even the original stories’ characters react to being so “rudely interrupted” and are left with dubious expressions as our little heroine saves the day.

Animated readings (there’s no way you’ll get away with just one!) will make Interrupting Chicken one of the favorite books on your child’s bookshelf.

Ages 4 – 8

Candlewick Press, 2010 | ISBN 978-0763641689

Don’t’ interrupt this funny book trailer!

Children’s Good Manners Month Activity

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Good Manners Matter! Word Search

 

Using good manners makes you and those around you smile! Find the 20 manners-related word in this Printable Good Manners Matter! smiley-faced-shaped puzzle! Here’s the Solution!

Picture Book Review

August 5 – It’s National Peach Month

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About the Holiday

Is there anything as delicious as a perfectly ripe peach? Native to China and classified with the almond, the peach is peachy in pies, tarts, fruit salads, and just on its own. To celebrate today pick some peaches from a local farm, farmer’s market, or grocery store and enjoy!

Each Peach Pear Plum

By Janet and Allan Ahlberg

 

This perennial children’s favorite “I spy” nursery rhyme book is a perfect read any time, but especially during the summer when it can be tucked away in a travel bag or picnic basket and enjoyed on the go. After the first introduction of “Each peach pear plum / I spy Tom Thumb,” in which readers are invited to find Tom who is happily reading high in a peach tree nearly hidden by leaves and fruit, every page offers another double challenge.

Building on the discovery in the preceding page, kids are given a hint as to the current whereabouts of the previous character and are also urged to find another nursery rhyme or literary favorite: “Tom Thumb in the cupboard / I spy Mother Hubbard” followed by “Mother Hubbard down the cellar / I spy Cinderella.”  This structure creates anticipation in even the youngest readers as they begin to recognize the pattern and wonder who is coming next.

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Copyright Janet and Allan Ahlberg, 1999, courtesy of Viking Books for Young Readers

Besides Tom Thumb, Old Mother Hubbard, and Cinderella, the Three Bears, Baby Bunting, Little Bo-Peep, Jack and Jill, the Wicked Witch, Robin Hood, and a deliciously plump Plum Pie are hidden in the book. What makes Each Peach Pear Plum a classic is the Ahlberg’s artistic magic, which is on gorgeous display in every illustration. The vivid, fine-line drawings spare no details in bringing the short text fully to life.

Humor abounds, especially in the depiction of the “hidden” character or characters, whose only appearance is an arm dusting a shelf, faces at a window, feet sticking out of tall grass, a camouflaged archer, and more. And perhaps the clumsy baby bear could use a bit of assistance! Kids will love pointing out the birds and bunnies, dog, cat, and other animals that also follow from page to page.

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Copyright Janet and Allan Ahlberg, 1999, courtesy Viking Books for Young Readers

Each Peach Pear Plum is also a wonderful introduction to the literature alluded to and will entice kids to hear all the stories contained in this forever favorite. Each Peach Pear Plum makes a fantastic gift for new babies or young readers and belongs on every child’s bookshelf.

Ages Birth – 5 and up

Viking Books for Young Readers, Penguin, 1999 | ISBN 978-0670882786 (Board Book Edition)

It’s National Peach Month Activity

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Peachy Picnic Find the Differences Puzzle

 

These two friends are enjoying a picnic and took two selfies. Can you spot the 12 differences between the two pictures in this printable Peachy Picnic Find the Differences Puzzle?

July 7 – Tell the Truth Day

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About the Holiday

While the truth may sometimes seem elusive, today’s holiday provides an opportunity to clear the air and resolve any misconceptions that might be lingering. If there’s a truth—either positive or a little harder to say—consider taking a chance today. You never know—the truth doesn’t always get you into trouble and it can lead to unexpected opportunities or relationships!

Tell the Truth, B. B. Wolf

Written by Judy Sierra | Illustrated by J. Otto Seibold

 

The Villain Villa Senior Center is getting a makeover. The Big Bad Wolf and his equally evil friends are doing the repairs. Suddenly, the air hums with the tune “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf.” “‘Quiet!’” the wolf shouts, “‘I have to answer my phone.’” It turns out that Miss Wonderly at the library wants B. B. to come in and tell the story of how he met the Three Little Pigs. He’s excited to take part, but one thing worries him: He wasn’t a hero in the story.

Rumpelstiltskin tells B. B. Wolf to spin the story; the crocodile advises a happy ending. B. B. Wolf changes into his best clothing and, vowing to try these suggestions, hurries over to the library. Ensconced in a cozy chair, B. B. begins with a song: “Hard luck always follows me, and Trouble is my middle name.” But this ploy doesn’t fly with one little attendee (a pig with the number 1 on his hat) who reminds B. B. that his middle name is B-A-D.

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Image copyright Jotto Seibold, courtesy penguinrandomhouse.com

Undeterred, B. B. Wolf launches into his story after amending his song to include that he is always blamed for any crime that occurs. It seems that one day B. B. Wolf was out innocently picking dandelions. While blowing on the puff to make a wish, he inadvertently blew down the straw house of a little piggie. The poor wolf was on the run as the piggie chased him. This version of events brings an oinkburst from the back of the room: “‘Tell the truth, B. B. Wolf!’”

As he ran, B. B. Wolf continues, he suddenly smelled smoke and dashed over to help. He found a little piggie playing with matches next to a pile of sticks that were on fire! He only blew on the sticks to put out the fire. From his place on a shelf Pinocchio thinks he sees the wolf’s snout growing bigger. Charged by this second piggie, B. B. Wolf says, he kept running until he collapsed at the door of a little brick house. Tired and thirsty the wolf begged to be let in. But the mean porker merely said, “‘Climb up on the roof and slide down my chinny-chin-chimney.’”

That ridiculous fib causes an uproar in the children’s section. “‘No one is falling for your story,’ cracked Humpty Dumpty.” And the Gingerbread Boy added, “‘It’s a cooked-up, half-baked tale.’” “Tell the truth, B. B. Wolf,” orders Pig 3. Deflated, B. B. Wolf lets out “a dismal huff and a small, sad puff.” He admits that he hasn’t told the truth because the truth is so embarrassing. But “‘what’s important is that I’ve changed. Really I have,’” he says. The three pigs demand that he apologize, and B. B. stutters over the words. Try as he might, B. B. cannot say it. But he can sing it!

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Image Jotto Seibold, courtesy of penguinrandomhouse.com

Down on his knees, he sings a heartfelt and perfectly rhyming apology. The Three Little Pigs take pity on their former enemy and give him a second chance. “‘But your middle name is still Bad,’” the third pig reminds him. Taking advantage of where he is, B. B. grabs a dictionary from the shelf and flips through the B words. He finds many to his liking, and before he leaves the library with an armful of books, he’s changed his name and even added a B! “‘From this day forward, I am the one and only Big Bodacious Benevolent Bookish Wolf,’” B. B. B. Wolf announces on his way out the door.

The wolf was even better than his word. Once home he straightaway began designing a big, beautiful house for his new friends, and when it came time to build it, all the villains helped. The Three Little Pigs were so thrilled with their “piggyback mansion” that they composed a song to thank B. B. B. Wolf: “The wolf was mean and vicious. / He thought piggies were delicious. / Then he lied and told a story / that was wrong and he was sorry. / Now he’s changed. He’s not pretending. / That’s a very happy ending!”

Judy Sierra writes a hilarious and enchanting story of personal reinvention which reveals that while people may not be able to escape their past, they can make up for it. Through fast-paced, clever dialogue and characters with a compelling stake in the action, Sierra’s howler of a story will have kids wondering what excuse the wolf will devise next. The circular plot line ties up the beginning and ending neatly and is a satisfying resolution to this favorite fairy tale in fractured form.

J. Otto Seibold has drawn the Big Bad Wolf as he has never been seen before. Sporting a kitschy plaid suit and green top hat, B. B. Wolf grows more and more disheveled as his falsehoods fall flat. The wolf’s tall tales are vividly illustrated to comic effect, bridging the wolf’s attempt to refurbish his reputation and the absurdity of his invention. Kids will love to point out the many storybook characters that populate the pages and will giggle throughout at the wolf’s misadventures.

Ages 3 – 8

Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2010 | ISBN 978-0375856204

Tell the Truth Day Activity

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Dot-to-Dot Coloring Pages

 

After the Big Bad Wolf admitted the truth, he and the Three Little Pigs made up! Here are two printable dot-to-dot coloring pages that bring them together for fun!

Picture Book Review

July 6 – National Fried Chicken Day

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About the Holiday

Fried chicken with its crispy outside and tender, juicy inside is the star of American Southern home style cooking. The tradition, brought to America by Scottish immigrants, is a favorite for summer picnics and has spawned many an on-the-go restaurant. There’s only one way to celebrate this holiday…well, maybe two—sink your teeth into some delicious fried chicken and devour today’s book!

Hensel and Gretel Ninja Chicks

Written by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez | Illustrated by Dan Santat

 

The times, they are a’menacing. A fox is prowling and has already chicken napped Hensel and Gretel’s ma, shaking up their pa. Hensel and Gretel know just what to do—they enroll at the 3 Pigs Dojo and “they trained in the art of ninjutsu / and practiced their wing throws and blocks. / They learned how to creep / without making a peep / so they wouldn’t fall prey to that fox.” Their training proves advantageous as the day soon comes when Hensel and Gretel have to put their training into practice.

One day they return home to find that their pa has also been nabbed by the fox. While they may be chickens the sisters definitely aren’t chicken so they go in search of their pop. They drop crumbs on their trail to lead them back home, but the forest grows “twisted and tangled” and they soon discover that the breadcrumbs are gone. Bravely, they trek through the woods until they see a light. “It came from a cottage of corn bread! / ‘Let’s eat!’ Hensel clucked with delight. / She nibbled away till she heard someone say, / ‘My dear, come on in for a bite.’”

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Image copyright Dan Santat, 2016, text copyright Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez, 2016. Courtesy of G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

Caught off guard, Hensel enters the house but quickly realizes her mistake when she sees a pan in the oven. In the corner she finds her pa locked away in a crate. The fox grabs her and adds her to the crate with her dad. While she is fattening up, the fox tells her, he’ll eat another hen from his stock. That hen turns out to be Hensel and Gretel’s mom! Meanwhile, Gretel has squeezed her way through the chimney “with ninja-like silence and speed.” She frees her ma and with “one feathered sweep” blocks the fox’s advance.

The fox fights back, but Mama comes to Gretel’s rescue with a well-aimed wok just as Hensel and Papa break free. But the crate doesn’t stay empty for long: “With one wicked spin, / Hensel kicked the fox in! / ‘You’re done with your chick-frying spree!’” Back home Hensel and Gretel are congratulated, and “from then on they made it their mission / to rescue, protect and defend. / They’d work night and day / to liberate prey / till bird-napping came to an end.”

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Image copyright Dan Santat, 2016, text copyright Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez, 2016. Courtesy of G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

Ninja pandemonium is back! This time the martial arts are served up chicken style in Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca J. Gomez’s take on Grimm’s Hansel and Gretel story. All the intrigue and suspense of the original is here, but blazingly spiced and fried up with delicious puns, sizzling verbs, and some of the most riotous rhymes you’ll ever read.

Dan Santat again lends his agile artwork to the springs, spins, and stealth of the world of the dojo. Feathers fly; the fox leaps, chops, and winces; and Hensel and Gretel perform some serious Kiya! Santat’s forest is gloomy and forbidding, the air shimmers with the force of well-placed kicks, and the large close-up images put readers in the middle of the action.

Everyone from small-fries to hens and roosters will flip over Hensel and Gretel Ninja Chicks. It’s a must addition to any child’s library.

Ages 4 – 9

G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2016 | ISBN 978-0399176265 | ISBN 978-1338203868 (Paperback, 2017)

Watch Hensel and Gretel kick some tail feathers in the trailer for their book!

To discover more books by Corey Rosen Schwartz as well as fun activities and how to be a Book Ninja, visit her website.

Activities, tips, books, and more by Rebecca J. Gomez can be found on her website.

A gallery of art, list of books, and more information about Dan Santat is available on his website.

National Fried Chicken Day Activity

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Turn Over a New Chicken

 

A long-handled wooden turner makes a plucky decoration for your room or kitchen! With a few simple additions, you’ll have a cute companion you’ll want to crow about!

Supplies

  • Printable Comb and Scarf Template
  • Long-handled wooded turner, available in kitchen supply stores
  • Red felt
  • Yellow bakable clay
  • Fabric, 12 inches square
  • A small piece of white felt or fleece (optional)
  • White paint (or any color you would like)
  • Black marker
  • Fabric glue
  • Glue gun
  • Paint brush

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Directions

  1. Paint the wooden turner, let dry
  2. Cut the scarf from the piece of fabric
  3. Make a beak from the yellow clay and bake it according to package directions

To make the comb

  1. Cut out the comb from the red felt
  2. Fold the felt in half and glue the end together with the fabric glue
  3. Cut short strips from the folded top of the felt, about ½-inch to ¾ -inch in length
  4. Round the corners of the strips slightly

To make the scarf

  1. Fold the fabric in half
  2. With the long, straight edge of the scarf template along the fold, cut out the scarf
  3. With the fabric glue, glue the two sides of the scarf together so that you have two “right” sides
  4. Let dry

To assemble the chicken

  1. Pinch the bottom of the comb together so that the strips open and the felt pleats a little
  2. With the glue gun attach the comb to the back of the painted turner, keeping the bottom pinched together
  3. Attach the beak to the front of the turner
  4. Draw eyes on the chicken with the black marker
  5. Tie the scarf around the neck of the handle, hold in place with a drop of glue in the back if necessary
  6. To make tail feathers in a turner with a hole in the handle, pinch together a small folded piece of white felt or fleece and push it through the hole in the handle of the turner.
  7. Cut or arrange to look like feathers

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You can find Hensel and Gretel: Ninja Chicks at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

 

June 25 – National Catfish Day

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About the Holiday

National Catfish Day dates back to 1987 when President Ronald Reagan proclaimed this holiday to promote the importance of the catfish farming industry and the nutritional benefits of catfish. This delicious fish is found mostly in Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, and Louisiana and is one of the most sustainable species of fish. Fried or blackened with spicy Cajun or other spices, catfish makes for a scrumptious meal! Try some today!

A Catfish Tale: A Bayou Story of the Fisherman and His Wife

Written by Whitney Stewart | Illustrated by Gerald Guerlais

 

Down in the bayou, so the story goes, there lived two young sweethearts named Jacques and Jolie. Jacques liked to “pole his skiff through cypress knees to his favorite fishing hole,” and Jolie cooked up peppery hot gumbo and sang “so true even the cicadas hushed up to listen.” One day Jacques hooked a big one, and when he pulled up his line a catfish sprang from the water. But this was no ordinary catfish. The wily fellow explained that he was a magic catfish and not at all a catch for supper. Jacques was so frightened that he freed the “jabbering critter” and took off for home.

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Image copyright Gerald Guerlais, courtesy of Albert Whitman & Company

When Jolie learned Jacques had given up their chance for a wish that could replace their shack with “a proper house where she could sing for a crowd,” she was steamed. Jacques thought everything was all right the way things were, but he hightailed it back to the swamp and asked that catfish for a house. The catfish was obliging and with a grin said, “‘Ah, tooloulou—if that ain’t the easiest thing to do.’”

In her big, beautiful house, Jolie entertained loads of friends and decided to take her show to all the cities down the river. All she needed, she said, was a paddle wheel boat. The catfish smiled when he heard Jacques’ request and said, “‘Ah, tooloulou—if that ain’t the easiest thing to do.’” Singing from the bow of her grand paddle wheeler, Jolie’s fans called her the Queen of the Mississippi, and she ate it up.

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Image copyright Gerald Guerlais, courtesy of Albert Whitman & Company

Jacques was miserable stuck in his stateroom with a pounding headache and no fishing pole, so he returned to the bayou to find his catfish friend. Meanwhile, Jolie took the New Orleans nightclubs by storm. With Mardi Gras approaching, Jolie had one more little favor to ask of the catfish, and with a “tooloulou” Jolie became Queen of Mardi Gras. She wore a diamond crown and a white satin gown. Even though things were a little rocky—the cheering crowds couldn’t hear her sing, and the Mardi Gras beads she tossed to her fans got tangled in her crown—she loved being queen.

Jolie wrote to Jacques and asked to become Queen of the Bayou. The catfish said his magic words and in no time Jolie was crowned Queen amid blaring musicians and applauding fans. Jolie smiled and began to sing. Suddenly, a fierce hurricane blew up, “snakes, alligators, and swamp creatures slithered up the riverbank. Ghosts, and goblins flew from the cemeteries and pirate skeletons escaped watery graves to dance in the streets.” And Jolie? She was swept up and unceremoniously dropped in a tree. From among the branches she called to a passing pelican, “‘Tell my husband to ask that catfish for one more little thing!’”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-a-catfish-tale-riverboat

Image copyright Gerald Guerlais, courtesy of Albert Whitman & Company

Jacques “paddled faster than an alligator could swish its tale” and asked that catfish for one last wish…, and what do you think he said? Well, he just slipped back beneath the water ‘cause he knew “Jolie didn’t need nothin’ more.”

A Catfish Tale includes a Bayou Glossary as well as a recipe for Seafood Gumbo by New Orleans native Hans Andersson.

Whitney Stewart’s tall tale of a magic catfish, the woman who learns enough is often enough, and the man who loves her will capture kids’ fancy. Jolie’s overreaching ambition and the catfish’s ready spell give children plenty of opportunity to join in with repeated phrases, and the well-paced suspense will keep kids engrossed in the action. The unique bayou setting and colloquial lilt sets A Catfish Tale apart as a rollicking story time romp with a bit of Cajun caution and a whole lot of magic.

Gerald Guerlais brings the mystery and flavor of the deep south to A Catfish Tale with moss greens and shadowy blues that well depict the bayou’s natural environment. Twisty Cypress trees dip their roots in still, lily pad-filled waters, shimmering lights glow in the nighttime swamp, and spooky critters teem in the stormy sky. The magic catfish wears an ever-present, easy-going grin, and a crusty, good-ol’-boy alligator spins the tall tale just the way he’s heard it. Children will love the scenes of the paddle wheeler and the festive atmosphere of Mardi Gras.

Whitney Stewart’s  A Catfish Tale, a deft retelling of  Grimm’s A Fisherman and His Wife, is a fantastic introduction to the distinctive qualities of the southern Mississippi region, one which kids may want to explore further!

Ages 4 – 8

Albert Whitman & Company, 2014 | ISBN 978-0807510988

To learn more about Whitney Stewart and her work as well as discover activities for children and teachers, visit her website!

View a gallery of illustrations by Gerald Guerlais on his website!

National Catfish Day Activity

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Catfish Coloring Page

 

The catfish is a most unusual creature! Add your own swamp or river setting to this Printable Catfish Coloring Page!

June 3 – Repeat Day

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About the Holiday

Remember how your brother or sister or friend used to repeat everything you said? Everything you said? Well, that has been made into a holiday! Today gives you the perfect excuse to do your favorite things twice! Go ahead, have two lattes, watch your favorite show twice, listen to an album over again! Whatever you do, just remember to double up on it!

Follow Follow: A Book of Reverso Poems

Written by Marilyn Singer | Illustrated by Josée Masse

 

When you ask someone, “Can you repeat that?” they often use the exact same words so you understand what they want to tell you. But what if the exact same words could have completely different meanings? That’s the brilliant concept behind Follow Follow. In this ingenious book, 17 classic fairy tales are told in verse (and reverse) from two opposing points of view that will forever change the way you think about exchanges of ideas and dialogue.

In Your Wish Is My Command, Aladdin and the Jinni trade wishes and their view of what freedom means. Six lines from this clever poem read from Aladdin’s perspective: “I no longer wish to be a slave / to lords, magicians, merchants, other urchins. / Jinni of the Lamp, / I am just a poor / young knave. / Give me all I crave.”

And then from the Jinni’s perspective: “Give me all I crave, / young knave. / I am just a poor / Jinni of the Lamp. / To lords, magicians, merchants, other urchins, / I no longer wish to be a slave.”

The Emperor’s New Clothes loses none of its impact in Birthday Suit, a humorous abbreviated telling from the King’s ego-centric thoughts and the little boy’s stunning revelation.

Just as the original tale of The Golden Goose presents a princess who can’t help but laugh at the ridiculous parade going by her window, Silly Goose reveals both sides of the princess’s personality.

Ready, Steady, Go! gets into the heads of both the too-clever-for-his-own-good rabbit and his persevering competitor of The Tortoise and the Hare. The lounging hare thinks: “That ridiculous loser! / I am not / a slowpoke. / Though I may be / the smallest bit distracted, / I can’t be / beat. / I’ve got rabbit feet to / take me to the finish line.” While the tortoise urges himself: “Take me to the finish line! / I’ve got rabbit feet to / beat. / I can’t be / the smallest bit distracted. / Though I may be / a slowpoke, / I am not / that ridiculous loser.”

Will the Real Princess Please Stand Up? peeks into two bedrooms where would-be brides to the prince slumber. One exclaims, “This bed rocks! / I feel like I’m sleeping on feathery flocks,…” but the other complains, “feathery flocks? / I feel like I’m sleeping on / rocks.” Who will win the heart of the prince?

The Little Mermaid, Puss in Boots, The Pied Piper of Hameln, Thumbelina, The Three Little Pigs, The Nightingale, and The Twelve Dancing Princesses are also touched with Marilyn Singer’s magic wand of poetry. Under her spell the perfect choice and placement of words combined with a simple change of punctuation can send the verse swirling in the opposite direction with surprising results. As readers encounter each fairy tale, they’ll wonder, “How does she do it?” But there’s no time to ponder—another terrific tale follow follows!

Like being on the cusp of competing realities, Josée Masse’s vibrant illustrations deftly represent the viewpoints of the mirrored verses. On either side of a subtly split page, the opposing characters tell their side of the story amid contrasting color schemes and flowing lines that bridge the divide. In Your Wish Is My Command, Aladdin dreams in his rooftop window of riches and freedom while the Jinni floats away from his lamp over golden rooftops. On with the Dance makes clever use of the half-page design as the king ponders the condition of his daughters’ shoes while they are pictured dancing in a regal hall that doubles as the king’s crown.

Follow Follow would be a welcome addition to any fairy tale or poetry lover’s bookshelf. And since Marilyn Singer and Josée Masse really know what Repeat Day is all about, you’ll want to check out their other books: Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reverso Poems and their newest, Echo Echo: Reverso Poems about Greek Myths.

English and language arts teachers will also find these volumes to be a wonderful way to teach point of view.

Ages 5 – 11 and up (anyone who loves fairy tales will want to read this book)

Dial Books, Penguin Group, 2013 | ISBN 978-0803737693                                                         

Repeat Day Activity

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Book Jacket Bookmark

 

When a book is long, you can’t always finish it in one sitting. If you forget where you left off, you can often find yourself reading the same section twice. That’s okay—especially on Repeat Day!—but this bookmark will help you remember your place and get you reading again in style!

Supplies

  • Printable Book Jacket bookmark 
  • Colored pencils or markers
  • Poster board
  • Scissors
  • Glue

Directions

  1. Color your bookmark in your own unique style
  2. Cut the bookmark out
  3. Glue it to poster board if you’d like to make it more durable