The Hogan that Great-Grandfather Jack Built -- Review and Signed Copy Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

"Words are never too big for children as long as they are the right words." ~ Jane Yolen ~

Some Gifts for My Writer Friends:
Christie Wright Wild has been running a series of posts on her wonderful blog looking at story elements in picture books. Click HERE for the link for the latest one which looks at Patterns, but they are all worth checking out. If you are not reading her blog regularly, you are missing a lot. She also gives away picture book critiques. Check it out.

Writers Helping Writers has another wonderful post. Click HERE to find five writing exercises to get your writing juices flowing. 

I was visiting Writing for Kids (While Raising Them), Tara Lazar's wonderful blog which you can find by clicking HERE,  and she was telling about a new group blog for kids writers called GROG (GRoup blOG -- get it?). It's pretty cool. Take a look by clicking HERE.

Last week, I offered a copy of Shadows on My Wall by Timothy Young for one of you who was a follower with a U. S. address who left a comment. Grandmamiller met the criteria and her name was pulled as the winner this week. Congratulations, Grandmamiller! WooHoo!! I will be sending the book to you this week. If you didn't win, stay tuned for a very special giveaway.

There was a great deal of interest a couple weeks ago when I reviewed Nancy Bo Flood's wonderful picture book Cowboy Up! here. Several people mentioned being grateful for a book about the Navajo people. I was really glad to see that, because I knew what I had on deck for this week. Nancy has another terrific picture book about the Navajo culture. That's what I'll be reviewing today.

Title: The Hogan that Great-Grandfather Jack Built

Author: Nancy Bo Flood
Illustrator: Peterson Yazzie

Publisher: Salina Bookshelf, Inc.

Year: 2012

Intended Audience: Ages 3-7

Opening Line: This is our home, our Navajo hogan, that long, long ago, Great-Grandfather Jack built with his hands out of earth, water, and trees.

Peterson Yazzie

This lovely book is loosely based on This is the House that Jack Built and follows that structure to some degree, but is much richer. The story introduces the reader to the large, extended family of a Navajo family from the oldest to the youngest. Everyone in the family makes contributions to the well-being of the family in many ways. Great-grandmother greets the sun and gives thanks for all they have. Grandfather cuts and stacks wood for the winter, but also teaches the children games and star names and tells stories of the history of their people. Father works and brings home food. Mother weaves and the children help where needed. Grandmother cooks fry bread and mutton stew. And they all live in the hogan that Great-Grandfather Jack built.

Nancy Bo Flood

There is a wonderful musical quality underlying this sweet story that shows the closeness and caring of this family and presents some of what is important in their culture. All of this is presented on marvelous illustrations made with the colors of sunset and desert. I'm not sure what medium artist Peterson Yazzie uses, but the art has the softness of oil chalk. Throughout Yazzie weaves in shapes and designs that, with the colors he uses, call up Navajo images we would be familiar with through the pottery and blankets and rugs we've seen in museums and shops in the Southwest. (You can see more of his wonderful art by clicking HERE.)The combination of Nancy's story and Peterson Yazzie's artwork is stunning. This is a book that will be enjoyed by a far wider audience than young children. This is a Perfect Picture Book and to find more Perfect Picture Books, please visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog by clicking HERE. She always has a picture book review and links to many others.

I'm happy to report Nancy has offered to send a signed copy of The Hogan that Great-Grandfather Jack Built to one of you. If you are a follower or subscriber, please tell me that and leave a comment. If you have a U.S. address, I will put your name in the hat and draw one out next week. Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a comment.

 

Shadows on My Wall -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” ~ Albert Einstein ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Nancy Stewart posted some fascinating, albeit a little scary, information about how much people read by country. Click HERE to see this interesting information. 

HERE is a good article on 20 Common Grammar Errors almost everyone makes. 

Tara Lazar over at Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) had a post recently that should give us all a good laugh. Click HERE and brighten up your day.

Last Friday when I posted my first Perfect Picture Book Friday post, I was so excited to review one of Nancy Bo Flood's lovely books, Cowboy Up!, and be able to offer a signed copy to one lucky winner. I am happy to announce that the winner is the lovely Shannon Hitchcock. If you don't know Shannon, check out her web site HERE. She is author of a wonderful historical novel written in verse, The Ballad of Jessie Pearl. I reviewed it shortly after if came out. If you haven't read it, what are you waiting for? You can read my review HERE. Shannon, I'll be in touch. 

If you didn't win, read to the end for another giveaway and make sure to come back next week for something really special.

Today I have another sweet picture book to offer. 

Title: Shadows on My Wall

Author/Illustrator: Timothy Young

Publisher: Schiffer Publishing

Year: 2012

Intended Audience: Ages 3-6

Opening Line: The street lights make shows on my wall.

Most little kids are afraid of things they don't understand. Shadows can be really creepy and scary. Timothy Young's illustrations are a perfect representation of what goes on in a child's mind. The first picture shows kind of creepy looking shadows that are clearly bare tree limbs, but as the little boy's imagination takes over, those shadows become a lot of very scary things that only an imagination could create -- monsters, scary animals, pirates and others. But the boy finds that he can make shadows too, and he makes a shadow friend for one of the creatures. Soon he understands he can be in control of what the shadows seem to be. This is a lovely way for parents to help little ones understand how to use their imaginations to their benefit. In the back of the book. the author has included a lesson on making shadow animals. There is a link listed, but it seems to not work. 

I love the illustrations in this book. They are charming. Kids should love this book and get lots of giggles from it along with a pretty good lesson they won't even know they are learning. This is a perfect picture book.

Timothy Young

I have a gently used hardback copy of this book that would be perfect for any children or grandchildren in your life. If you leave a comment and are a follower (free and easy -- just check the right-hand column) and if you have a U.S. address, I will put your name in the proverbial hat for a chance to win this sweet book. If you spread the word -- Twitter, Facebook, your own blog, etc. -- let me know you have done that and I will give you an extra chance. Make sure you hop on over to Susanna Leonard Hill's wonderful blog to find more perfect picture books. There is always quite a list and Susanna always has a great book to tell you about. You can find her blog by clicking HERE.