Lost for Words

Lost for Words
by Natalie Russell
32 pages; ages 4-8
Peachtree publishers, 2014

Tapir has some pencils and a brand new notebook... but there's one problem: he doesn't know what to write. He stares and stares at the page, waiting for something to pop into his head. Nothing.

But his friends have no problems getting their thoughts onto the page. Giraffe is writing a poem. Hippo is writing a story. Flamingo is composing a song.

Poor tapir - the harder he tries to write, the more upset he gets. Until he gets an idea... instead of scribbling words, he draws the sun, and the mud where hippo plays. Tapir's whimsical drawings are great fun to look at, and a good reminder that there are many ways to tell stories. This book will make you want to grab a sketchpad and a handful of colored pencils and head outside to find your own stories to draw.

Today we're part of the Lost for Words Blog Tour.  Remember to stop by Peachtree's blog, and tomorrow check out what Patricia thinks about Lost for Words over at It's About Time . Review copy provided by publisher.

Jazzy in the Jungle

Jazzy in the Jungle
by Lucy Cousins
32 pages; ages 2-5
Candlewick Press, 2013

Theme: family,animals

Mama Jo Jo and Baby Jazzy are playing hide-and-seek in the jungle.

"Where are you, Baby Jazzy?"

The anteater doesn't see Jazzy. Neither do the snake and the bird. Maybe Jazzy is over by the Tum Tum trees... So mama lemur searches over there.

What I like: The bold illustrations and die-cut pages produce a multi-layered jungle. There are tall trees and understory plants. Then there are all of the animals that help Mama Jo Jo find Jazzy. They remind me of animals I drew when I was a kid - and now I really want a huge piece of manilla art paper and a set of fat crayons so I can draw some jungle scenes, too. Because it's hide-and-seek, we know Jazzy isn't lost... just hiding.

Beyond the Book activities: We all need more play in our lives, so instigate a game of hide-and-seek! You can take turns hiding, or hide a stuffed animal and give clues to where it might be hiding.

Make a frog puppet. Frogs of all types live in the rainforest jungle, and all you need for a frog puppet is a paper plate, some paper and paint. Here are the directions for making the puppet, and here are frog photos in case you want to make yours look like a real rainforest frog.

Today's review is part of PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review copy provided by publisher.

A Tale of a Tail

Churchill's Tale of Tails
by Anca Sandu
32 pages; ages 4-8
Peachtree Publisher

We've all lost things: a favorite pencil, an action hero, the math homework from last night. But what's a pig to do when he loses his tail?

Of all the things Churchill prized, his tail was the one he prized most. It wasn't too big or too fancy or even very practical. But it was his, and he liked it. Then one morning... his tail is nowhere to be found! After searching here and there, his friends suggest that he try on different animal tails.

Churchill tries on a zebra tail, a peacock tail, and a fish tail. Soon, the only thing Churchill wants to talk about is how much fun he's having trying on tails. But his friends want to play. Eventually (and I'm not gonna spill the beans here) Churchill finds his tail, which means he has more time to spend with his friends.

This is a fun book that leaves room for children to wonder what they might look like with a tail. Which will lead to some browsing through books to see what kinds of tails there are in the animal kingdom. And if a kid makes a tail, then he'll probably want ears to go with it....

Join the Blog Tour - check out what Patricia says about Churchill (and his tail) over at It's About Time Mamaw - and tomorrow catch the blog tour over at  Reading to Know. Make sure you drop by the Peachtree Blog to register for the free book giveaway.

Review copy provided by publisher