Tomorrow Most Likely by Dave Eggers illustrated by Lane Smith

"Tomorrow most likely there will be a sky. And chances are it will be blue.

Tomorrow most likely there will be a squirrel. And chances are his name is Stu."

There will also be a meal, a door (that leads to the world), a song, a plane, a bright blue bug, an interesting smell, a stone, or you might ride a whale. 

"Tomorrow most likely will be a great day because you are in it and Stu is okay."

This book is sadly out of print (published in 2019) but you might find a copy in a library - I sure hope you do! Here is the Kirkus review. See more pages inside this book here. 

Written by celebrated author Dave Eggers and illustrated by Caldecott honoree Lane Smith, Tomorrow Most Likely is a heartfelt (and not-so-quiet) bedtime story that brings affirmation and comfort to young audiences. By juxtaposing the small and the grand, the familiar and the odd, what is and what can be, author and illustrator provide confidence to a little boy facing the big, wide world. Good Reads with Ronna

You could share Tomorrow Most Likely as a bedtime read aloud in your family or you could use it as a writing idea with a group of older students after a discussion about optimism!

My friend spied this treasure at a recent charity book sale - Lane Smith - I am a huge fan and Dave Eggers - his book for middle grade readers The Eyes and the Impossible is a book that still lingers with me over three years since I read it.

The Eyes and the Impossible

Companion book:

And try to find these:

The Big Question

Things to look forward to

Pablo Neruda Book of Questions

Do you Wonder?

Who is the world for?

A Gift for Nana by Lane Smith

 

"Does your Nana need a smile?" said the moon."

"No, my Nana already has a smile as bright as the sun' At this the moon grew quiet. 

And rabbit wondered if comparing his Nana's smile to the sun was not something to say to a moon."

Blurb: A thoughtful little Rabbit sets out to find the perfect gift for his Nana. He knows she will love anything he brings her but Rabbit wants this gift to be extra special. As he travels on his quest, Rabbit encounters an assortment of creatures-a crow, a smiling full moon, a stickler (whatever that is), a big fish, and a volcano. Each is certain they offer the best advice but nothing they suggest seems right for his Nana. It's not until Rabbit reaches the highest peak, that he finds exactly what he's been searching for.

Oh my goodness! This is such a wonderful book. It needs to be added to every school library and every public library.  Oh and you might want to add a copy to your own shelves too. 

The Grandmother rabbit does look a little more like a great grandma but this is a small point since she is a rabbit after all. I read this criticism in some GoodReads reviews but I have quite a few friends who are grand parents and they have their own elderly parents who are indeed great grandparents.

I love the way Lane Smith uses different fonts and different font sizes. You will recognise this from his other books. I used an expression the other day "coals to Newcastle" and my younger lunch companion had never heard of this. Here is an explanation: Selling, carrying, bringing, or taking coal to Newcastle is an idiom of British origin describing a pointless action. Newcastle in the UK, and Newcastle here in NSW are places that already have plenty of coal and in this book Grandma already has plenty of .... No I won't tell you but you might be able to guess.

I especially love the opening page of this book where the young rabbit explains it is not his Nana's birthday and not even a "major hare holiday" but rabbit really wants to gift his precious Nana a special gift.

A cozy story that will transport readers to faraway places. Kirkus Star review

Take a look at the trailer. 

Here are some other books illustrated by Lane Smith. 

It's a Book

A House that Once Was

I'm just no good at rhyming

Lulu and the Brontosaurus

The true story of the 3 little pigs! by A. Wolf

Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads by Bob Shea illustrated by Lane Smith

A house that once was by Julie Fogliano illustrated by Lane Smith

"Inside the house it is silent but creaking. We're whispering mostly but not really speaking. 

We whisper though no one would mind it we didn't. 

The someone who once was is someone who isn't. The someone who once was is gone."

This is an intriguing book with the most amazing illustrations. Near my home there is an abandoned house. I keep expecting to see someone either renovating it or knocking it down but it just seems to slump further each week into the tall grasses which grow around the perimeter. This house is in a prime location near a beautiful quiet lake. I am sure the land alone would be worth a huge amount of money. It is all just a mystery.

In A house that once was two children find an abandoned house. As they wander through they try to imagine why the people left; who the perhaps lived there; and what they might be doing now.

The text is a series of poems:

"Tiptoe creep

up the path

up the path that is hiding.

A path that once welcomed.

A path that is winding.

A path that's now covered in weeds."

"Or maybe it loves to just sit and remember stories of someone who we'll never know.

And maybe it likes it out there in the forest with the trees coming in where the roof used to go."

I highly recommend you read this review in the School Library Journal by Elizabeth Bird.

Turn off the sound on your computer and just look at this video and enjoy the exquisite illustrations in this book. There is a wonderful visual literacy lesson waiting to be developed around the three cover designs I have included above.  The end papers in this book are also luminous. Half way through this book the illustration style completely changes. This reminded me of the way John Burningham shows the dreams of Shirley in his classic books - Come away from the Water, Shirley and Time to get out of the Bath, Shirley. If you read A house that once was with a group of children (I suggest Grade 3 or 4) it would also be the perfect time to introduce these two books as comparison texts:

Take a look at my recent post about If you want to see a Whale also by Julie Fogliano.

Lulu is Getting a Sister by Judith Viorst illustrated by Kevin Cornell

a sister

Who WANTS her?

Who NEEDS her?

I have been waiting, waiting, waiting for this newest Lulu book to land on our shores in Australia - why did it take so LONG?

Naturally when my friend (a totally splendid Teacher-Librarian) gave me Lulu is Getting a Sister yesterday I DID NOT WAIT ONE MINUTE. I read it. I devoured it. I loved, loved, LOVED every word.

Have you met little Lulu? I do hope so. This is the fourth book about this feisty, loud and  opinionated only child. Wait a minute did I say 'only child'.  Take another look at the title. Lulu is about to get a baby sister and she is NOT happy. NOT HAPPY!

Mum and Dad know Lulu is bound to be upset so they have a plan. They have found a camp for Lulu called Camp Sisterhood:

"designed to provide a happy sister experience for girls accustomed to being an only child. As sisters-in-training (SITs), they'll work and play and share with younger children, having so much fun with their temporary little "sisters" or little "brothers" that they'll soon want permanent siblings of their own."

Lulu refuses to attend this camp so her parents offer her a set of bribes. Lulu agrees to attend if she can have one of the bribes -  the promised hot air balloon ride BEFORE the camp. What her parents don't realise is that "Lulu could hang around with a thousand little "sisters" and still not want a permanent one of her own. "

There are lots of rules about this camp experience. The "sisters" and "brothers" are aged five to eight. They are not babies - this has something to do with insurance as our narrator explains. Call-me-Debbie the camp director assigns nearly eight year old Mitzi to Lulu. Mitzi is almost as pesky as Lulu herself and she is a scrabble champion. Lulu expects to win every game but of course she doesn't. They play for four hours. The next day "Mitzi" challenges Lulu to a swimming competition. Lulu fails at this too and then she discovers she has been tricked. Mitzi as a twin sister called Fritzi and it is Fritzi who has won every swimming race.

It is against the rules as set by Call-me-Debbie, but Lulu demands a new younger sister. What she gets, though, is a new younger brother. His name is Sebastian and he adores Lulu. Of course Lulu does not adore him!

Kirkus use the term "chatty narrative" - I think this is the perfect description for the writing style used by Judith Viorst.

You can hear chapter 7 as an audio sample here. You can read more on the publisher web site.

For me this is a five out of five or ten out of ten book. I hope one day the publisher might consider selling the Lulu books as a box set. I would grab that box with both hands. This series would make a perfect read aloud for Grades 1-3 and it will also be enjoyed by newly independent readers.

I love the format, size, funny chapter headings - "chapter sixteen and one half" and the delightful illustrations. Kevin Cornell has illustrated book three and four of the Lulu series. Lane Smith did the first two. There are also heaps of funny side comments like this one:

"(Sebastian - I've always liked that name except it's one of those names that it's impossible to find a nickname for. Seb? Sebbie? Bastie? Astie? Tinny? Yinny? What? If anyone out there has a suggestion, please send a postcard to me. Meanwhile Lulu is calling him Sebastian.)" 

You don't NEED to read the Lulu books in order but if you find the three previous titles I do recommend you begin with book one, then book two, book three and finally this latest installment. I wonder if Judith Viorst has plans for another book about her brilliant character - Lulu. I don't mean to be rude but Judith Viorst was born in 1931 which makes her 88. If she has further plans for Lulu she might need to HURRY! Read my thoughts about the first three books by clicking the titles here:

• Book One Lulu and the Brontosaurus
• Book Two Lulu Walks the Dogs
• Book Three Lulu's Mysterious Mission

Rich vocabulary and a relatable theme make this an excellent chapter book for children moving beyond beginning readers and an entertaining selection for a classroom read-aloud. Highly recommended. School Library Journal

Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads by Bob Shea illustrated by Lane Smith

Drywater Gulch had a toad problem. 

Not the hop-down-your-britches kind of toad. 

Not the croaking-all-night kind of toad. 

The never-say-thank-you outlaw kind of toad.

I just love the word 'gulch'.  I have talked about this previously. A gulch is deep, narrow, steep sided ravine. In this book we are truly in cowboy country.

This book also has such a great cast of characters.
The Toad Brothers - who would "steal your gold, kiss your cattle, and insult your chili. Hootin', hollarin', and cussin' all the while."
The Mayor with the perfect name Mayor McMuffin
Ryan, the hero and new sheriff who rides into town (slowly) on his tortoise.

Can you handle a shooting iron?
Nope
Ride a horse?
Nope
Know any rope tricks?
Nope
Stay up past eight?
Nope

Ryan does, however, know a lot about dinosaurs.

When the bank is robbed Ryan knows the culprit is T-Rex. When the stagecoach is robbed, Ryan can see a Velocripator at work. The Toad Brother are outraged. They want credit for their crimes. Ryan, the Sheriff, explains he needs to put the criminal dinosaurs in jail.

"The Toads fought their way through the door of the jail, slamming it shut behind them. 'HA! You can blow them dinersores out your nose, Sheriff, this here jail of full up of real bonafide criminals.!"

Ryan has solved the problem, the gang are now in jail and everyone is happy. The question is did Ryan really know what he was doing? Did he understand reverse psychology at the tender age of seven and what adventures await his attention over the horizon?

Did you notice the word dinersores.  It is one of many delicious example of word play in this book.
diney-o-saur
try-lollipops
jerkosaurus

Every school library should have picture books for older students. Some I especially love are Mr Maxwell's Mouse, Grandad's Gifts by Paul Jennings and The Stranger. You can see my full list by clicking the subject link on my sidebar and here in my Pinterest collection. Here is a list with other ideas of picture books for older kids and adults too.

You can see nearly all of the illustrations from this book on the publisher web site.

This is a book from 2014 but it is a new discovery for me. I found it in my local public library and knowing other wonderful books by Lane Smith I was keen to read this one.  Take the time to read this interview with Bob Shea and Lane Smith - it is so funny just like this hilarious picture book. Take a look at this review on Nerdy Book Club.

Coming from Australia I am not sure I can do the right accent needed when you read this book aloud. Luckily I found a video. Take a look and a listen here to this piece by Storybook Theater. It is just perfect.  You could also use this book for a discussion about visual literacy concepts. There are some excellent ideas about this in Horn Book.


A crowd-pleasin’ knee-slapper that’ll have ’em rolling in the aisles, yessirree. Kirkus Star Review

Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads is extraordinary in tone, humor, slang and physical beauty, and surely belongs on any Caldecott short list.  It is a picture book masterpiece. Sam Juliano Wonders in the Dark

A great read aloud, this picture book is silliness through and through with a western twang. Waking Brain Cells

I'm just no good at rhyming by Chris Harris illustrated by Lane Smith

Yes this is a funny book but it is also a book for intelligent and sensitive readers. You will laugh (a lot) but you may also stop to think which is part of why I enjoy reading poetry.  This book is a must buy addition for any school library.

Chris Harris is a television producer working on shows like Top Gear.  Lane Smith is the perfect illustrator for this generous anthology. His work is more than decoration. He adds to the fun and meaning of every poem.

Here are two of the more sensitive poems that I like:

The Valleys shape the Mountains

The valleys shape the mountains
The shadow shapes the crescent moon
The chill of late December
Shapes the warmth we feel in June.

So next time that you're crying,
Just remember this small rhyme;
Your sadness shapes the happiness
You'll feel again in time.

I'm Shy on the Outside

I'm shy on the outside, but inside my head?
I'm not at all shy - I'm outgoing instead.

I'm chatty, I'm witty, I'm hilarious,
Funny and friendly and downright gregarious.

Ask me about me - I'll say, "I'm a cut-up!
Sometimes? I can't get get me to shut up."

Even though out here I'm minimal-worded,
Deep down inside? I am so extroverted!

I'm the life of the party here under my skin,
So keep knocking -
Someday I might let you in.

In so many classrooms teachers use the form acrostic as a way to have students create a simple poem. In I'm Just no Good at Rhyming you will find the perfect anti - acrostic poem.  It made me laugh and laugh.

L-O-V-E

L is for looking out for others.
O is for Open heartedness.
R is for -
Hey! There's no "R" in LOVE"!
I know, but I thought maybe I could that I'm for Respecting -
No! No! No! There is no "R" in "LOVE"!! Get outta here, R! Go on, git!
Okay that's more like it. Now let's keep going.

Another clever inclusion is the poem that references the work of the famous American poet Robert Frost.

Here is the final verse from the original:

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Here is the poem by Chris Harris

Two Roads

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - 

I took the one less traveled by ...

Since then I've been completely lost

Thanks for nothing, Robert Frost.

Image source: http://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com/2018/04/im-just-no-good-at-rhyming-by-chris.html

You might like to read this review in Reading Time. Betsy Bird writes a terrific review in the School Library Journal and here is an interview with Chris Harris. You can also listen  to a radio interview with Chris.

There are so many funny touches in this book. There is a list of poems that didn't make it into the book such as "I'm N-N-N-Not scared of G-G-G-Ghosts (I'm just C-C-C-Cold)" and "Dust! 482 lines About the Most Incredible Thing in the World."  Also check out the page numbers and then hunt for the poem that explains why so many pages are missing. You do need to read this book from the beginning through to the end because several poems evolve such as The Door. One more thing, do take the time to read the dedication page - it's such fun!

If you need a performance poem take a look at IF YOU EVER HAVE TO MEMORIZE A POEM OF TWENTY LINES OR LONGER AND DELIVER IT TO YOUR CLASS, THEN THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD CHOICE. It's on page 15.

Here is the cover of the paperback edition.

Huge thanks to a friend of mine who loaned me this wonderful book from her school library. I have been looking at it in shops for months and months wondering if I really did need this book for my home collection - the answer (now I have spent several hours with this book) is a resounding YES!

In the storied tradition of Nash, Lear, and Dr. Seuss, Harris joins forces with Smith to present over 100 original poems and illustrations dedicated to having some serious fun. Kirkus Star Review

There is plenty of humour with jokes and riddles (some deliberately very unfair) and puzzles, including a poem to read backwards and a duel between the letters d and b. The title belies the range within however, there is so much more than nonsense here. This is also a collection which is full of love and hope, warmly perceptive about being a child and growing up and being a parent observing this happening. Books for Keeps

Lulu's mysterious mission by Judith Viorst illustrated by Kevin Cornell

There was never any doubt I would love Lulu's Mysterious Mission.  I am a huge fan of Lulu.  Take a look at my review of her first two outings -  Lulu and the Brontosaurus and Lulu walks the dogs.

In this episode we have a new illustrator in Kevin Cornell but this does not detract from the fun. (Lane Smith illustrated the first two installments.)

"Lulu's dad explained that as much as they loved and adored their precious only child, they wanted to have - for the first time since they'd been parents - a private grown-ups-only vacation together.  And that even though they wouldn't be having the kind of fun they had with her fabulous Lulu, they would be having a DIFFERENT kid of fun."

Mum and Dad are going and so Lulu will need a babysitter.  Lulu is not happy. Let me say that another way Lulu is NOT happy.  Lulu is a plotter and so she devises all sort of plans to drive this babysitter away.  Oddly no matter how hard she tries Ms Solinsky is always one step ahead of her.

This book will make you laugh out loud.  You will cheer for our hero Lulu and admire her amazing babysitter.  Be warned you will probably read this book quite quickly then I recommend reading it all over again just for fun.

I love the use of white space, the whole page announcement of each chapter, the use of different fonts and even the colour of the paper!

"Eeny meeny miney mo, that babysitter's got to go
Hot or cold or sun or snow, that babysitter's got to go
Soon, not later; fast not slow, that babysitter's got to go
Up and down and to and fro, that babysitter's got to go
Forehead, belly, knee and toe, that babysitter's got to go
Ha-ha-ha and ho-ho-ho, that babysitter's GOT TO GO."

Great fun for Lulu fans old and new.

Lulu walks the dogs by Judith Viorst illustrated by Lane Smith

Writing book reviews it such a subjective thing.  This really struck me when I finished reading Lulu Walks the dogs.  I absolutely loved loved loved this funny and warm hearted little book. I liked it even more than the first Lulu installment which I also reviewed called Lulu and the Brontosaurus. And I am now excited to discover book three is coming soon.

When I finished reading Lulu walks the dogs I immediately clicked open the Kirkus review.  Read it yourself if you like but I was so disappointed the Kirkus reviewer did not really like Lulu walks the dogs.  He or she found "Viorst’s numerous authorial asides—in which the narrator insists on control of the storyline and stops for brief question-and-answer sessions with readers—come across as more confusing than clever because the voice and personality of the narrator are almost indistinguishable from Lulu’s."  I utterly disagree.  I loved all the little asides.  I always enjoy comments from an off stage narrator and in this book they work really well adding to the humour and also sustaining the mystery of why Lulu needs all this money.  The comments come as a repeated refrain.  "I really don't feel like discussing that right now."

Lulu needs money.  She won't say why but to get money she will need a job.

"Well may be you already know and maybe you don't.  Because Lulu first decided her jobs - or job - should be baking cookies, or spying, or reading to old people, and these jobs did not turn out too well. And maybe instead of writing a chapter about how those jobs did not turn out too well, I'm moving right along to Chapter Four."

What about the dogs?  Well they are hilarious too.  There is Brutus "an enormous, bigheaded, bad-breathed brute", Pookie (rhymes with DUKE and not BOOK) a teeny-tiny white fuzzball who must be carried until she needs to be placed gently under a tree to do what she needs to do and finally there is Cordelia, a German speaking Dachshund.  How will Lulu ever manage to walk these three very different dogs every morning before school?  Well the short answer is she won't - not without help and that help will come from Fleishman - her sworn enemy.

If I gave book stars Lulu walks the dog would be a five out of five or a ten out of ten or a one hundred out of one hundred book - I am sure you are getting the message here.  Rush rush into your library and read this book today.  I am sure you will love it too.

The true story of the 3 little pigs! by A. Wolf as told to Jon Scieszka illustrated by Lane Smith

Every part of this book is a cheeky delight.  On the cover you can see a pig reading a newspaper called Daily Wolf. Our hero A. Wolf - you can call me Al -  is seen huffing and puffing and two pigs are flying through the air. The back cover is a collage of newsprint with a central illustration of the scenes of the crimes - three little houses of straw, sticks and brick.

Reading this book aloud I seem drawn to using an American accent. Al wants to set the record straight. In his version he begins the day making a birthday cake for his "dear old granny".  He runs out of sugar and so sets off to borrow a cup from his neighbor  a pig who has built his house from straw.  Al has a bad cold and  his knocking dislodges a little dust. Al has a coughing fit and the straw house falls down.  "And right in the middle of the pile of straw was the First Little Pig - dead as a doormat!"  Al can see no reason to leave a ham dinner lying in the straw.  "So I ate it up."  He moves on through the neighborhood still in search of that cup of sugar.  The Second Little Pig has a house made of sticks.  Once again Al is overcome with a sneezing fit "And you're not going to believe it, but this guy's house fell down just like his brother's.  When the dust cleared there was the Second Little Pig - dead as a doornail."  Al now moves onto to the last house made from brick. The Third Little Pig is home and he calls out a terrible insult aimed at Al's dear old granny.  This makes Al mad, the police arrive with the media in tow and the rest as they say is history.

You can read an excellent detailed review and see some illustrations.  Here are some questions to use with a senior primary class.  There have been many theater productions of this book and here is a television advertisement you could share with senior students.  This book might also be a fun way to show how Venn diagrams work.

Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst illustrated by Lane Smith

This book is absolutely perfect in every possible way. I love the unconventional size, the bold cover design, the fabulous illustrations by the super talented Lane Smith, the cheeky narration by master story teller Judith Viorst and all the white space.

For all readers but especially those in Junior Primary classes this book is an absolute must read!! I find I am again puzzled that others did not shout about this little gem from the tops of the highest mountains. Thank goodness for the NSW School Magazine bookshelf list – this is how I discovered this wonderful book.

Lulu is a spoilt, bad tempered bully who wants a Brontosaurus for her Birthday. Yes I know they are now called Apatosaurus and I know dinosaurs and people did not coexist but suspension of disbelief is an essential part of all human imagination.

Lulu throws diabolical tantrums when she does not get her own way including shrieking until the light bulbs burst. After twelve spectacular days of these tantrums, Lulu finally declares she is leaving to find a Brontosaurus for herself. She packs a little suitcase and takes off. Her mum and dad, now totally worn out, sit down in their now quiet kitchen and drink a silent cup of tea.

While Lulu and later the Brontosaurus are the stars of this story, special mention must be made of the little suitcase. It seems to hold the most amazing things all ready for any predicament that befalls Lulu.

I am not going to spoil the plot by telling you how Lulu finds her Brontosaurus and what exactly happens when they meet but telling you there are three versions of chapter thirteen, the final chapter, you might realize Judith Viorst has created a lot of loose ends that need to be tied up.

I don’t usually rate the books I read but I must give Lulu and the Brontosaurus 11/10. Grab this book with both hands and don’t let go! My little paper back copy has the best cover much brighter than the hardcover edition. If you need a preview take a look at the last minute or so of this Scholastic promotion - Lulu is the last book they review but it is worth the wait.

It's a book by Lane Smith

I will let this one speak for itself! I love Web 2.0 but I also love books. All children should experience the joy of stories. A school library or any library is, of course, a great place to get your hands on all those books!

The little animation leaves out the page where the monkey says he will go to the library to get another book. Also the ending in the book is quite @@!!