Tag Archives: mo willems

Top Ten Tuesday: Spooooooky (or Not-So Spooky!) Picture Books

Posted in Children's by

toptentuesday2Welcome to another Top Ten Tuesday! Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s focus is all about our top ten Halloween favourites! Here is my selection of top…eleven…not-so-scary picture books. Some are funny, some are gently spooky, some are more contemplative, some surprising, all are (in my opinion!) terrific reads.

themonstersmonster
theboywhocriedbigfoot
thatisnotagoodidea
nightanimals
theblackrabbit
creepycarrots
themonsterattheendofthisbook
thedoghouse
thedark
theblackdog
bedtimeformonsters

The Dark by Lemony Snicket, illus. Jon Klassen
The Black Rabbit by Philippa Leathers
Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds, illus. Peter Brown
Night Animals by Gianna Marino
The Doghouse by Jan Thomas
The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone, illus. Michael Smollin
The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot! by Scott Magoon
Bedtime for Monsters by Ed Vere
That Is Not a Good Idea! by Mo Willems
The Monsters’ Monster by Patrick McDonell
Black Dog by Levi Pinfold

Be sure to check out some of the other Top Ten Lists!

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Must Read Monday (47): Looking at Fall 2016 Releases (Part 2)

Posted in Adult Fiction, Children's, Non Fiction by

Continuing on with a Must Read Monday feature on Fall 2016 releases!…

This week’s Must Read Monday is a little bit different. I’ve been looking through various sources (review journals, publisher’s sites, Goodreads, blogs, etc.) as is my norm, but my to-be read pile has grown tremendously in a short span! This is due, in part, to all of the incredible books that are slated for Fall 2016 release! Some favourite authors and/or illustrators are releasing new titles or sequels, and there are new-to-me and/or debut authors with terrific sounding and terrifically reviewed titles.

You can take a look at my picks for Part 1 here!

Here, in no particular order, are my picks for Part 2:

 

The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart
Expected publication: September 27, 2016 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel
Expected publication: September 20, 2016 by HarperCollins Canada

Foxheart by Claire Legrand, illus. Jaime Zollars
Expected publication: October 4, 2016 by Greenwillow Books

Today by Julie Morstad
Expected publication: September 2, 2016 by Simply Read Books

Nanette’s Baguette by Mo Willems
Expected publication: October 25, 2016 by Disney-Hyperion

Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke
Expected publication: September 6, 2016 by First Second

Mooncop by Tom Gauld
Expected publication: September 20, 2016 by Drawn and Quarterly

Razzle Dazzle Unicorn: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure by Dana Simpson
Expected publication: September 20, 2016 by Andrews McMeel Publishing

Happy as a Clam: The Twenty-First Sherman’s Lagoon Collection by Jim Toomey
Expected publication: September 20, 2016 by Andrews McMeel Publishing

Stephan’s Web: A Pearls Before Swine Collection by Stephan Pastis
Expected publication: November 22, 2016 by Andrews McMeel Publishing

*For the purposes of these posts, ‘Fall’ will include some August, September and October, possibly some November 2016 releases

Must Read Monday (22): The Story of Diva and Flea & Confessions of an Imaginary Friend

Posted in Children's by

Welcome to another edition of Must Read Monday! This feature is where I spotlight older, recent, or upcoming releases I am looking forward to. The lists will include all genres I like to read, everything from picture books to comics, children’s lit to adult fiction!

This week: a new children’s title from popular authors/illustrators Mo Willems and Tony DiTerlizzi and the latest children’s novel from author Michelle Cuevas. The Story of Diva and Flea is one book I have been so looking forward to. Many of Willems’ picture books are personal favourites and most all are wins for storytimes! DiTerlizzi’s work is not as familiar to me, but I know that his illustrative work is just stunning. I cannot wait to see the melding of these two greats. I recently finished reading Michelle Cuevas’s Beyond the Laughing Sky and absolutely adored it- I would highly recommend it for fans of Kate DiCamillo. or. I was initially drawn to the title because I had read that another favourite Julie Morstad illustrated the book; happily, I was taken in both the art and the gorgeous writing. Immediately after finishing Beyond the Laughing Sky I knew I would have to read the author’s latest, Confessions of an Imaginary Friend.

DIVAANDFLEA24820301The Story of Diva and Flea by Mo Willems, illus. Tony DiTerlizzi
Publication: October 13, 2015 by Disney-Hyperion

Diva, a small yet brave dog, and Flea, a curious streetwise cat, develop an unexpected friendship in this unforgettable tale of discovery.

For as long as she could remember, Diva lived at 11 avenue Le Play in Paris, France. For as long as he could remember, Flea also lived in Paris, France-but at no fixed address. When Flea flaneurs past Diva’s courtyard one day, their lives are forever changed. Together, Diva and Flea explore and share their very different worlds, as only true friends can do.

ConfessionsImaginaryFriend24041359Confessions of an Imaginary Friend by Michelle Cuevas
Publication: September 8, 2015 by Dial Books

Jacques Papier has the sneaking suspicion that everyone except his sister Fleur hates him. Teachers ignore him when his hand is raised in class, he is never chosen for sports teams, and his parents often need to be reminded to set a place for him at the dinner table.

But he is shocked when he finally learns the truth: He is Fleur’s imaginary friend! When he convinces Fleur to set him free, he begins a surprising, touching, and always funny quest to find himself—to figure out who Jacques Papier truly is, and where he belongs.