All tagged Foundational Skills

If You Were a Dog

If You Were a Dog

Debbie Gonzales
Discussion/Activity, Picture Book

If you could be any kind of animal, what would you be? Would you be a dog that goes ARRRROOOOOOO? Or maybe you would be a sharp-toothed dinosaur that can CHOMP, STOMP, ROAR! Perhaps you might want to be a hopping frog that goes BOING, BOING, RIBBET! But maybe you would want to be the best kind of animal of all: a child!

With joyful, impressionistic illustrations from Caldecott Medal–winning illustrator Chris Raschka and spare, rhythmic text from author Jamie A. Swenson that invites playful interaction, If You Were a Dog is the perfect read-aloud for your favorite little animal.

Maximillian Villainous

Maximillian Villainous

Debbie Gonzales
Picture Book, Discussion/Activity

Maximillian Villainous is a monster who doesn’t have the heart to be a villain. His famous family pulls pranks on the likes of Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, and Max spends his time undoing them. So when he brings home a bunny to be his sidekick, Max’s disapproving mother hatches a plan. She challenges Max and the bunny to become a devious duo; otherwise . . . the bunny hops. If they want to stay together, Max and the bunny have no choice but to go against their nature. They blunder into villainy with comical effect until Max discovers that embracing his good heart may just be the key to pulling off the most devious deed of all and winning his family’s acceptance

Vampire Baby

Vampire Baby

Debbie Gonzales
Discussion/Activity, Picture Book

When Tootie gets her first teeth, it's clear to her big brother that she's no ordinary baby. But how to convince Mom and Dad?

It happens overnight: little sister Tootie goes from cuddly, ga-ga-googoo, I-want-my-ba-ba baby...vampire baby. Now she's sinking her pointy fangs into everything -- furniture, toys, and especially her big brother ("Youch, Tootie No bite " ). Mom insists that it's just a phase, but Tootie's brother knows better. Just look at her hairline Or the fact that all her favorite foods are bloodred With perfect comic timing, Kelly Bennett and Paul Meisel give a fresh slant to the new-baby story, proving that even monstrous little arrivals have a funny way of staking their siblings' affections.