I just used That New Animal by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Pierre Pratt, in two storytimes: one for Kindergarteners and the other for a preschool class of four-year-olds. It was a hit both times. I really enjoyed the style of writing in the book, because it made it so easy to read aloud.
The book features the perspective of two dogs who are displaced when their family has a baby. “That Animal” is what they refer to the baby as. The reaction of the children when one of the dogs wants to eat the baby was wonderful. What a gasp went up! And then finally the ending where the dogs decided that it is really their animal: “To hate as much as they want to. And to like, just a little bit.”
Great read aloud fun for the kids, the reader, and the adults in the room.
Month: April 2005
Children's Illustrator Blog Ring
The Children’s Illustrator Blog Ring is a ring of children’s book illustrators who have blogs. You will see several of them appearing on my blogroll the next time I update it. There are a lot of gems here!
Guys Read
Guys Read is a site offered by Jon Scieszka that focuses on boys reading. The site talks about why boys don’t read like girls do and offers lists of favorite books for boys, including a new list of summer reads.
Orca Publishing
Orca Book Publishers is a publisher of books for children and young adults. Their website offers teachers’ guides, news, submission guidelines, and information on both their books and their authors.
LA Times Prize
Los Angeles Times Names Book Prize Winners
Doing It by Melvin Burgess has won the 2005 LA Times Prize for Young Adult Fiction!
Free Spirit Publishing
Free Spirit Publishing offers books that help children deal with life’s challenges. On their site you can browse the catalog and order online.
KidBibs
KidBibs is a website chock full of goodies. From lists of children’s book awards, to online specials, to homework help, raising a reader, and a collection of great sites all about reading. This is another site that will take some time to explore, but what fun it will be!
T. A. Barron
The Official Website of T.A. Barron offers information on his books, including The Great Tree of Avalon, plus a large collection of links to things like Q&A with the author, information for new writers, book awards, international editions, and much more.
Active Anime
ActiveAnime is a blog that offers information on anime and manga, including reviews, editorials, interviews, and a list of release dates.
Waking Brain Cells 