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As a child, did you ever dream of owning an exotic pet, like a tiger or a giraffe? I wholeheartedly sang along with Gayla Peevey,“I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas,” and thought she made it sound so practical and reasonable. And she’d apparently done her research, too: the hippo was clearly no danger (being a vegetarian) and there was plenty of room to house him in the two-car garage (where she could also give him a massage).
Why have a cat or a hamster, my small self reasoned, when I could have a hippo instead?
In November’s featured title, Me and My Dragon by David Biedrzycki, the little boy decides that–while it’s okay for some kids to want a dog or a cat–for him, only a dragon will do. Readers of all ages will appreciate this imaginative and charming exploration of what it would be like to own such an exotic, fire-breathing pet.
The adorable, bright red dragon starts out small, showcased in the window of “Eddie’s Exotic Pets,” hilariously grouped with a tiny chihuahua and two concerned-looking puppies. But the adventure grows, along with the dragon, as the pair goes camping (fire-breathing dragons are perfect for making s’mores), trick-or-treats, and even helps the community by clearing some snowy driveways.
Parents wishing to raise only the most responsible pet-owners will also appreciate the little boy’s attentiveness to his new pet, which includes a check-up at the vet, daily walks, filling Sparky’s bowl with “Dragon Chow,” and regular bathtimes. Ask your readers to look for the tiny animal Biedrzycki has hidden on almost every page, and while BookChatting, talk about what kind of exotic pet they’d like to have. Discuss what kind of care a dinosaur would need, or where they’d keep their pet rhinoceros.
Log in to read or Bookchat with Me and My Dragon, and don’t forget to check out our Facebook page. Let me know what you think of November’s Book of the Month and share reading activities with other Readeo fans. I’d love to hear from you!
A special thank you to Charlesbridge for making this book available to read for free during November.
Dear Readeo Friends,
As you know from our other posts, songs can be a great way into literacy. With their repeated refrains, rhymes, and predictable patterns, familiar songs can be a great way to help young children recognize words.
We’ve added three more song storybooks by Iza Trapani to our library: I’m a Little Teapot; Baa, Baa, Black Sheep and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. You may recognize Trapani’s style—building a story on top of song lyrics and also her sunny palette—from Row, Row, Row Your Boat and The Itsy Bitsy Spider, also in the Readeo Library.
In her versions, the Teapot, Black Sheep and twinkling Star all come to life and lead readers on an adventure. These three selections were also suggested by one of our Readeo subscribers, early childhood educator Dale Bodenstein. Thanks, Dale!
We’ve also added three new books by Belgian author, Liesbet Slegers: Guess What I’m Doing?, Guess Where I Am? and Happy Halloween!.
The “Guess” books are part of a fun series that engage young children and new readers with bright, colorful illustration and simple text. Because of the interactive question-and-answer style, these books are perfect for BookChatting; play along with your young reader as you try to discover what the little boy is doing, or where he will end up at the end of a busy day.
Finally, we’re rounding out this month’s latest additions with a great book that will get your readers excited for October 31st: Liesbet Slegers’ Happy Halloween!.
With her genuine ability to empathize with and write about the first-time experiences of young children, Ms. Slegers tells the story of a fun-filled Halloween day from the perspective of a little girl. She spends her day carving pumpkins, enjoying pumpkin soup, and even receives a special invitation to a friend’s costume party. But as nighttime draws near, little readers are reassured as the girl puts away her costume, her candy, and–most importantly!–any spooky thoughts of ghosts or witches, and drifts off to sleep with sweet dreams.
Please let me know what you think of our new additions on our Facebook page. I’d love to hear from you!
Happy reading!
Kristen Johnson
If you’ve enjoyed our first few titles based on popular children’s songs, and given a new interpretation by Iza Trapani, then you won’t want to miss our latest additions. They’re perfect for reading using Readeo’s reader or for BookChatting.
For Mary Had a Little Lamb, the lamb is not always sure to go everywhere that Mary went. It strikes out on its own, lets loose the horse from the barn, and all sorts of trouble follows. The star of Shoo Fly! is a mouse that just wants a bit of peace and quiet, without the friendly-looking fly always interrupting. How Much Is that Doggie in the Window? based on the lyrics of a song by Bob Merrill, finds the boy hero struggling to save up enough for the pup in the pet store window. And finally, Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone? shows a dog’s adventures when he runs away after a scolding.
Please let us know what you think of our new additions on our Facebook page. We love hearing from you!
 Mister Bud is the beloved pet at the center of his household—until Zorro arrives, and the two must learn to get along. When you read Say Hello to Zorro! it’s hard to believe that author and artist Carter Goodrich owns no dog. He does, however, spend a lot of time with dogs, and he gets all the details right about how they spend their days: eating, walking and sleeping. We talked with him about his canine characters and his inspiration for them. Read the interview and then log in to read or BookChat with our July Book of the Month!
What gave you the idea for two dueling pups that ultimately become friends?
One of my brothers is the Pied Piper of dogs. He had a dog named Gus, a runaway that he rescued. I was driving around with my brother in his truck, and Gus was there, too. Gus saw a dog, leaned out the window and started barking. The other dog barked back. My brother translated: “What the heck are you looking at?” “You wouldn’t be so tough if you weren’t in that truck.” That’s when the light bulb went off.
We liked the way you set out Mister Bud’s schedule and built the story around it. One of our favorites is “Dinnertime.”
The dogs run the household. That scene of Mister Bud watching his dish–I’ve seen that many times. A lot of people respond to that one.
We liked how Zorro’s arrival upsets Mister Bud—until he discovers they have the same schedule.
There’s an honesty about dogs. They can’t lie. It’s all out there. I think that’s why people like them so much. It’s not all rosy, but Mister Bud and Zorro accept each other and learn how to cohabitate. There’s a lot we can learn from dogs.
Did you have fun imagining their conversations?
There’s no small talk with dogs. Just the essentials. If they do speak to each other, it’s only at a point when they’d normally growl or bark. They don’t do that often. It has to be a situation where that’s happening or could happen in life. It’s a bit of a mix of reality and fantasy. I try to stay true to that.
You have worked on covers for the New Yorker magazine and also on films before coming to children’s books. Would you say that one was more helpful than the other, in terms of creating a story in 32 pages?
I think doing any of that kind of image-making is just like movies. Every picture tells a story. If you’re not telling a story–even in just a single image–then nothing is really happening. I think that’s why I’ve met some success in character design for the movies. In a sketch, if there’s something in that character that people respond to, then it will succeed. A lot of stuff goes into the round file [trash]. It might even be a pretty good drawing or design. But if it doesn’t have that extra something to it, it doesn’t rate.
I’d love to see Mister Bud and Zorro on the big screen.
That’s tricky. If something arrives as a book, everyone makes their own movie [in their heads]. You have to make the movie so well that you don’t disturb that. One of the best movies ever made is that half-hour A Charlie Brown Christmas. It’s so simple and so perfect. That’s a great example of something that couldn’t have messed up anyone’s interior movie of that strip. Hold that up against, say, The Polar Express. Here you took Van Allsburg’s beautiful story, and you stretched it out to this feature-length film. The trick is boiling it down.
How did you create the illustrations?
I just used watercolor in these, and that’s new for me, and hard to do. I’ve always used pencils to flesh out the piece or correct the paintings and enrich the whole thing. But I thought when I started Zorro, these stories are really simple and have to be told as vignettes. I wanted it to be character-driven, and a step or two beyond sketches.
The best part of an image is the part I couldn’t control, the happy accident. When something strange would happen in a piece, it would always be better than something I might purposefully do. Like when Zorro is shifting position on the couch. I did a lot of takes on that. I was still working with pencil and trying to shape it and tone it. I thought, “I have to paint the couch really quickly, and it’s either going to hit or not.” There are little things where the paint did everything on its own,. But then I had to repeat it. And that was alright, too. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.
What’s next for Mister Bud and Zorro?
Zorro is based loosely on my aunt’s pug named Ozzie. I have dyslexia, so I called him Zorro. The Os and Zs I get all mixed up. Every now and then she’ll give Ozzie an outfit and I always feel sorry for him. He always puts up with it, but you can tell he doesn’t like it. It’s slightly crooked. He’s just enduring it. The next story is about that. Mister Bud is kind of neutral but doesn’t want his new pal to be upset. They have an adventure in the park and it all works out in the end.
Go to our Facebook page for information on how you can win your own copy of Say Hello to Zorro!
Jenny Brown is the editor for Readeo and oversees all book selection for the site. She has worked in the children’s book world for the past 25 years, holding positions with HarperCollins and Scholastic, and was the Children’s Books Reviews Editor for Publishers Weekly. She currently writes for School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and Shelf Awareness. Jenny graduated from Princeton University. You can read more from Jenny on her Web site, Twenty by Jenny.
Dear Readeo Friends,
Have you ever thought of songs as a way into literacy? With their repeated refrains, familiar songs can be a great way to help young children recognize words as they spot them over and over.
We’ve added two song-based children’s books to our library, THE ITSY BITSY SPIDER and ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT by Iza Trapani. You may recognize Trapani’s style—her sunny palette as well as the way she builds a story on top of song lyrics—from JINGLE BELLS, also in our Readeo Library.
In her version, the Itsy Bitsy Spider also makes its way into the kitchen, and ROW, ROW, ROW, YOUR BOAT stars a bear family in search of a picnic site. These two selections were suggested by one of our Readeo subscribers, early childhood educator Dale Bodenstein. Thanks, Dale! We’ll be adding more song storybooks over the coming weeks.
Please read or BookChat with these great new digital children’s books. And, follow us on Facebook page for a chance to win one of these new titles this week. We love hearing from you!
With all my best,
Jenny
Jenny Brown is the editor for Readeo and oversees all book selection for the site. She has worked in the children’s book world for the past 25 years, holding positions with HarperCollins and Scholastic, and was the Children’s Books Reviews Editor for Publishers Weekly. She currently writes for School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and Shelf Awareness. Jenny graduated from Princeton University. You can read more from Jenny on her Web site, Twenty by Jenny.
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