Bear and Bird: The stars and other stories

This is a perfect book for newly confident readers. It contains four very satisfying stories and full colour illustrations with just the right amount of text on each page.

The Spoon - Bear and Bird have had a falling out over a spoon so Bear writes a letter seeking a new best friend and he folds it into a lake and floats it out over the lake. Little does he know Bird finds the letter and so their correspondence begins. Eventually the letter writers decide to meet but what is going on? Bear sits at one table. Bird sits at a different table in the cafe. Both of them wait and wait for their new friend. The waiter brings over a delicious bowl of porridge and as you may have guessed the only way to eat this is with a spoon!

The Cake - Bear finds a yummy cake in a box hidden behind some bushes. Without thinking he gobbles up the whole thing but then he realises someone made this cake and now it is all gone. No problem Bear can make a new cake. Oh no - Bear has never made a cake in his life. Do carrots, nuts, honey, worms, flies, dung and bananas belong in a cake? Then along comes Bird. She made the cake and she has bought everything for a perfect picnic but oh no - there is no cake!  This story reminded me of Frog is Frog.

The other two stories are The Rock (it is really a rock?) and The Stars. 

These humorous, touching, imaginative stories are matched by illustrations with the same qualities. Naïve-looking, soft-colored flat backgrounds focus attention on the black-outlined animals, especially the textured, stuffy-like bear and simplified bluebird, both expressive and huggable. Friendship at its best. Kirkus star review

You could pair this book with:

I previously talked about the illustrator Jarvis and I mentioned the first book from this sweet beginner series. I think all three of these books (the next one is coming) should be added to all Primary school and preschool library collections. 

The third book featuring the friends Bird and Bear will be released late in 2024.

I have talked about Unlikely Friends in previous posts - click the label at the bottom of this post.

This Book is not a Present by Max Greenfield illustrated by Mike Lowery

I have put the covers of three books by Max Greenfield and Mike Lowery here - the first one is I Don't want to Read this Book (2021) but I actually borrowed the second one - This Book is not a Present (2022) from a library. The third title will be published later this year.

This set of books could be added to your tool kit if you are a casual or relief teacher. I think children from Grades 2-4 will enjoy the clever, direct dialogue and the funny cheeky comments by the narrator. Class teachers could also gather the books I list below and perhaps share one each week with a class. Here is a text sample from This Book is not a Present:

"How long is this book anyway? How many pages have I read so far? This better not be a chapter book. If this book is a chapter book I'm going to absolutely explode! I mean what type of person gives another person a chapter book and calls it a present!?"

When you turn the page you will encounter Chapter Two!! And of course the crazy narrator, despite his or her best intentions, does end up reading the whole book even though it should never have been given as a present. 

Children in my former school library loved The Book with No Pictures and Do not open this book. These three books by Max Greenfield neatly genre of books that "break the fourth wall".  Here are a few others:

You're finally here

Not related to the topic of books and reading my own favourite book that was perhaps the first one I encountered that broke the fourth wall was this one:

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood

I also adore sharing these two books by Anthony Browne:

The Best Christmas Ever by Chih-Yuan Chen

"The year had been tough for Little Bear's father. His business had failed and he couldn't find work. There was just enough money left to feed the family."

Christmas is coming. Everyone will expect a gift but there is no money for gifts. The family make some simple decorations from old clothes and small tree branches dusted with flour like snow. Little Bear is so worried. He is sure Father Christmas will forget his family. When they wake up on Christmas morning there are parcels under the tree but who did this? How did this happen? And even more amazing the presents are absolutely perfect. You will need to read this book at least twice to solve the mystery - I had to read it three times!

Here is a video of this book read in Cantonese.

The minimalist illustrations in a subdued palette convey the sadness of the parents, the hope of the children and the pleasure experienced in simple gifts. Kirkus Star review

Image Source: Chalk Academy

My first Christmas book for this year is so special but sadly it is out of print (first published in 2005). Chih-Yuan Chen is from Taiwan. Here is another of his recent books:

The Bad Trousers by Ros Asquith illustrated by Mairi Hedderwick

The bad trousers is a book from the Little Gems series published by Barrington Stoke and YES it is a gem. Robbie knows exactly what he wants for his birthday this year - a shiny red tractor with a real steering wheel. Early in the story we read that Robbie's granny loves to knit. Oh no! Does this mean Robbie won't receive that special tractor. Has granny knitted him something "special"?

Perhaps this text quote will add to your (and Robbie's) anxiety:

"Robbie's granny was called Granny Knit because she liked to knit. She knitted egg cosies and hot water bottle covers and bed socks and blankets and pictures and even curtains."

Notice how Ros Asquith builds this list from regular knitting to the truly absurd. Robbie has begged and begged his mum and dad for the tractor:

"It had a real steering wheel, and when you turned it the tractor wheels turned too. ... at his last birthday, his mum had said it was too big and cost too much - so instead he got a jigsaw puzzle with a picture of a tractor."

What will happen? Will Robbie receive the right present? And what about the new kittens that have just been born?

The Little Gems series are perfect for newly independent readers. I love the emotional arc of this story and the voice of Robbie. Fingers crossed for a happy ending. Here are some other books from the Littel Gem series. I loved The Bakery of Happiness; The Smile; and The first third wish. 

I think this series should be added to every school library collection. These books are just perfect for children in Grades One and Two with their appealing stories, colourful illustrations and warm stories. As a bonus they are all very inexpensive and there are plenty of titles (40) to choose from. On the Barrington Stoke web site these books are shown in packs but you can buy individual titles. The bonus puzzles and jokes under their covers and small size add to their appeal. Very highly recommended.

Andy Shane series by Jennifer Richard Jacobson illustrated by Abby Carter

Easy Fiction Treasures

The Barn Sale is the fifth book in the Andy Shane series.  In this story Andy Shane and Granny Webb are celebrating their unbirthday. Andy thinks up the perfect present. Granny Webb loves her binoculars but she has no case for them. The problem is Andy has no money so he gathers things from around his neighborhood and holds a barn sale. Everything is going really well and the money is rolling in until Andy discovers his friend Dolores has sold the binoculars. They were hanging on a hook in the barn and Dolores thought they were for sale.

Will Andy ever retrieve the precious binoculars and if he does will he still have enough money to buy a present for Granny Webb?

In just 58 pages of large print text sprinkled with lively illustrations Jennifer Richard Jacobson gives readers a very satisfying and realistic story with a perfect and yet surprising happy ending.

There are six books in the Andy Shane series beginning with Andy Shane and the very bossy Dolores Starbuckle (2005).

I am happy to discover all of these are still available. It is great to have easy chapter books for newly independent readers with very satisfying stories.  Here is a text sample which gives you an idea about the print size and spacing of the books in this series:

I have talked about several other middle grade books by Jennifer Richard Jacobson on this blog - Paper Things and The Dollar Kids.

Boa's Bad Birthday by Jeanne Willis illustrated by Tony Ross

What do you want for your birthday? Think about the most perfect present you ever received. Now think about the giver of this gift. I imagine the giver really thought about YOU and the the gift was a perfect fit. Even now, years later, you may still treasure this gift.

Now imagine you are a boa!  It is your birthday. All your friends have gifts but are they the right ones and are they given with you in mind?  Would you like a grand piano; a pair of sunglasses; colourful mittens; or perhaps a new hairbrush?

"It was Boa's worst birthday ever.

All his gifts were rubbish."

Then one more friend arrives. It's Dung Beetle and his gift (I know you have already guessed) is a pile of ...  It is true a dung ball is not the perfect gift but inside is a wonderful surprise.

The moral of this story is, ‘Never turn your nose up at a stinky present; you never know what delights it might hold in store.’ The sight of Ross’s Boa, sporting his conical party hat and showing a whole range of expressions from sobbing despair to snaky smiles is a real treat as are his depictions of the other animals bearing their self-centred offerings. Red Reading Hub

I would pair Boa's Bad Birthday with The Silver Christmas Tree by Pat Hutchins because this is also about anticipating and hoping for a perfect gift. Another book to look out for would be Thank you for my Yukky Present by Meredith Hooper illustrated by Emma Quay. You might also like to take a look at this little animated film - The Present - which would be good to use with an older group of students.

Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross are a perfect pair of book creators. They have collaborated on a large number of terrific books. My favourite is Mayfly Day.

If you are looking for other books about Boa Constrictors here are a few you might find in a school or public library. This could be a topic to explore as a mini theme with younger students and of course you would include some non fiction titles in your book bag too. Go to [597.967] to find them.

Lester's Dreadful Sweaters by KG Campbell

Before you read this book you need to notice the crocodile tail on the half title page swimming into the title page where he is fully revealed. This crocodile is heading for Cousin Clara's river side cottage. Luckily Cousin Clara is away but her cottage is consumed by the crocodile.

Lester hears the news and adds crocodiles to his list of "suspicious stuff starting with C." Then "he checked that his socks were even ...and combed his hair."  From this one page we can deduce so much about Lester. He is a neat freak. He likes things to be orderly and organised. He probably does not like change and his life which, until now, is safe and predicable.  Of course the arrival of Cousin Clara is sure to upset everything and if you read the title again you will certainly predict that these dreadful sweaters will be the cause.

Clara arrives with her knitting basket. She seems happy to sit and knit. No one is disturbed until the morning Cousin Clara presents Lester with a new sweater.

"It was shriveled yet saggy.
It had holes where it shouldn't
and none where it should.
It was a less-than-pleasant yellow
and smothered with purple pom poms.
It was DREADFUL."

Horror of horrors, Lester is forced to wear this ugly creation to school where he has to endure the whispers and taunts of his classmates especially Enid Measles who makes "a less-than-pleasant remark."

Lester is a problem solver - but he also a little sneaky.  "Later, Lester's sweater was discovered in the laundry, all stringy and shrunken."

Cousin Clara is not worried because she has plenty of wool. The next morning Lester is presented with another sweater:

"This one covered bits it shouldn't and didn't cover bits it should. It was an irksome pink and dotted with oddly placed upside-down-pockets. It was GHASTLY."

Lester wears this creation to school and suffers all over again. He needs to take action. Later the second sweater is discovered in the yard where it has been shredded by the lawn mower.

BUT Cousin Clara is unstoppable. She keeps knitting these dreadful sweaters in shades of pumpkin, olive and turquoise. The sweaters become a woolly mountain "of cruel colours, appalling polka dots, frightening stripes, starting tassels and things with six fingers."

Lester attacks them all. The scene looks like a massacre but there is one more and, oh no,  Lester is about to attend a birthday party for Enid Measles.  Remember his list of suspicious stuff starting with C?  One item on this list was clowns and Enid has clowns at her party. "Lester disapproved of clowns" but these clowns love his sweater. Have you spotted the solution to Lester's problem? Are we heading for that all important happy ending?

This is not a new book. It was published in 2012 but I am happy to see it is still available. KG Campbell is the illustrator of Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo along with some other books I need to explore. Lester's Dreadful Sweaters has a Kirkus Star review. In 2016 someone produced a musical stage production of this text. Here is a wonderful trailer. Read this detailed and thoughtful review by Elizabeth Bird in the School Library Journal. Here is a set of teaching ideas and book talk teasers. AND best news of all I found a Reader's Theatre script. Finally here is an interview with the author.

I would compare the character Lester with another boy who thrives on being organised - Alistair from the books by Marilyn Sadler.

If you enjoy books about sweaters, jumpers and knitting look for these in your library or take a dip into my friend at Kinderbookboard and her pins called Yarn Yarns.

Zoo Boy by Sophie Thompson illustrated by Rebecca Ashdown

Hello, dear reader.
Are you sitting, lying down, standing on your head, eating a jam sandwich comfortably?
Then I'll begin ...

Zoo Boy is one of those little books you might miss in all the flurry of new books arriving in our school library and that would be such a pity because this little book is terrific.  Yes it is a very funny little story of a boy who can talk to the animals in the zoo but it is also a poignant tale about the power of giving and gratitude.  It also contains the most delicious words such as scurrilous, mollycoddled and deplorable.

Zoo boy Vince lives beside a zoo. His dad is the zoo keeper and entry to the zoo is via a special Zoo Keepers' Song.  Today Vince has turned eight so it is time to join his dad in the zoo.

"Vince felt like the king of the castle  But before he had time to gloat and imagine all the ermine on his cloak and how big his crown should be, an enormous badger who smelt of old socks appeared from the scrubby shrubbery."

Vince discovers he has grandad's gift - the gift of understanding the language of animals.  This is thrilling but it is also a huge responsibility as the animals gather around Vince and make their demands.  These demands might surprise you :

Penguin - fish fingers
Flamingo - Battenberg Cake - the pink bits
Pig - free range eggs
Owl - sugar mice
Llama - Sherbet lemons
Goat - clover and denim shorts

Luckily down the road there is an Everything You Could Possibly Want For 99p Unless It's Slightly More Expensive Shop. The owner of the shop is "a ridiculously cheerful man called Leviticus Corkindale Percival Calamine Periwig Candlewick Throooob. But everyone just called him Bob."

I also adore the character names used by Sophie Thompson (an English actress) such as Fenella (flamingo), Horace (the helpful wild badger), Asquith (penguin) and Terry (orangutan).

There is so much to love about this book and I think it would make an excellent read-a-loud title for a Grade One or Two class.   When you pick up this book you might like to begin with pages 85 and 86. Events towards the end of this book are so distressing (dear reader) that the narrator inserts an early ending to spare you any pain.

If I haven't convinced you to read this book think about bunting made from a long string of stolen undies all lit by fireflies. Such fun!