Synopses & Reviews
This old van,and#160;and#160; she passed one,
shining in the rising sun.
and#160;
With a click clack ricky rack,
ready for some fun,
This old van says,
andldquo;Goodbye, one!andrdquo;
and#160;
and#160;
Take a rollicking ride in This Old Van, a joyful take on the classic childrenand#39;s counting song. As the colorfully painted vintage vehicle, driven by a really cool pair of grandparents, rolls down the highway, it passes one train, two bulldozers, three tractors, and four semis, right up to ten muddy jeeps. And along the way, luggage flies off, horns honk, and the hurrying van zigs and zagsandmdash;till it arrives at its destination JUST IN TIME! You wonand#39;t be able to resist singing every fun verse out loud.
Review
"... sweet-natured story about a dog's hunt for the perfect puddle ... Norman's storytelling bounds along with an energy to match that of Percy ...Yamaguchi, illustrator of the self-published
Sick of Being Sick, seals the deal. Pug devotees will be all over roly-poly Percy's enormous and expressive eyes, surreptitious attempts at infiltrating the pigs' wallow, and all-around gleeful splashing in puddles large and small." and#8212;
Publishers Weeklyand#8220;Through playful, alliterative sentences, as well as simple rhyme, Norman carries children, alongside Percy, on a curious journey to define homeand#8212;and the and#8220;perfect puddle.and#8221; A read-aloud that charmingly explores the depths of friendship, security, and community.and#8221; and#8212;
Booklist Onlineand#160;
Review
"Gershator and Walker's bunnies from Time for a Hug (co-authored by Mim Green, 2013) return to explore the seasons and reasons for bathtime. With the same tender affection between the two rabbits found in the first book, the parent-and-child pair makes its way through the seasons, with lots of opportunities for mess. . . .and#160;The rhyming story finishes each vignette with the refrain, 'What time is it?' Children will quickly chime in: 'Time for a bath!' In this household, bathtime is a good time to make things fresh and new again. The gray parent bunny is watchful and loving, receiving the reward of a towel-wrapped, worn-out little one, peacefully drifting off to sleep. Walker's soft tones and engaging full-page spreads spill over with gentleness . . . the familiar pattern and loving characters still charm. Will the book convince a child that bathtime is a happy time? It won't take many reads to get them to want to try and find out." and#8212;KirkusReviews.com
Review
"[A] sweet, brief rhyming tale celebrating hugs at any hour of the day . .and#160; . The pleasingly predictable rhyme will have preschoolers chiming in all the way to the page where the covers are pulled up. Worth a pause and may well inspire a hug or two." and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
Review
Praise for the picture book edition of If Itand#39;s Snowy and You Know It Clap Your Paws! andldquo;A wintry riff on the popular participation song, with a cast of appropriate cold-climate animals. . . . Normanand#39;s solid variations on the preschool song are completely singer-friendly, supported by Woodruffand#39;s crisply drawn, smiling animals, in watercolor, colored pencil and pastel. Consistently entertaining and engaging. All together now!andrdquo; andmdash;Kirkus Reviews
and#160;
andldquo;Hereand#39;s a cheerful and humorous take on the old, familiar tune . . . Begging to be sung at storytime, the lyrics roll off the tongue easily. Search no longer for the book to brighten long, dreary days. Once children learn the verses, they will sing this tune all winter long. Pair with Ten on the Sled (2010), also by this talented author-illustrator team.andrdquo; andmdash;Booklist
Review
andldquo;Conahanandrsquo;s soft pastel palette and comically inventive, Peter Maxandndash;inspired illustrationsandmdash;from the grinning, wide-eyed bulldozers to the hard-hatandndash;wearing mountain goatsandmdash;are reminiscent of the Saturday-morning-cartoons of the 1960s. . . . This intergenerational romp filled with sight gags and puns will keep readers humming as they pore over each detail-packed page.andrdquo; andmdash;Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Celebrate the imaginationand#8212;and the love between father and sonand#8212;with this new board book edition of the fun, rhyming, and totally original story. On a hot summer's day, a young boy playfully sets out on a and#8220;crocodaddy huntand#8221; in the lake. Following the creature's shadow, dark and wet, he's soon taking a wild ride on the grinning croc's back. And when they leave the water, something wonderful happens: Crocodaddy transforms intoand#8230;just DADDY. Bright, energetic illustrations (complete with wily crocodile in Dad's swim trunks) highlight the story's humor and warmth.and#160;
Synopsis
Celebrate the imaginationand#8212;and the love between father and sonand#8212;with this new board book edition of the fun, rhyming, and totally original story. On a hot summer's day, a young boy playfully sets out on a and#8220;crocodaddy huntand#8221; in the lake. And when he leaves the water with the grinning croc, something wonderful happens: Crocodaddy transforms intoand#8230;just DADDY. Bright, energetic illustrations highlight the story's humor and warmth.
Synopsis
Percy the Pug loves puddlesand#8212;big puddles, small puddles, swamp puddles, stomp puddles. But no puddle is perfectand#160; . . .and#160; until he finds one with three friendly piglets. But protective Mama Pig says NO PUGS and chases Percy away! Irresistibly illustrated by Keika Yamaguchi, Kim Norman's tale about a persistent pug and his pursuit of friendship in puddle paradise brims with warmth and charm.and#160;
Synopsis
Winter, spring, summer, and fall: In every season kids get dirty, so in every season kids need a bath! Go through the year with little bunnyand#8212;splashing in puddles, rolling in grass, eating a drippy banana split, and painting pictures. And when there's a mess, it's rub-a-dub-dub from head to toe. This adorable follow-up to Time For a Hug will make bath time fun!
Synopsis
A favorite childrenand#39;s song (andquot;Ten on the Bedandquot;) gets a delightfully slippery, slide-y twist! In the land of the midnight sun, all the animals are having fun speeding down the hill on Caribouand#39;s sled. But as they go faster and faster, Seal, Hare, Walrus, and the others all fall off . . . until just the caribouand#39;s left, only and lonely. Now, a reindeer likes flyingandmdash;but never alone, so . . . all the animals leap onto the sled again! This beloved story is new in paperback, and itand#39;s ideal for reading, counting, and singing along with, over and over.
Synopsis
A hug feels good.Let's hug again.
We'll hug at nine.
We'll hug at ten.
When is it time for a hug? Anytime! This feel-good storyand#8212;now in paperbackand#8212;assures kids there's plenty of love to go around the clock.
From the moment Little Bunny wakes up in the morning until the moon comes out and the stars shine, every hour includes a warm hug from Big Bunny. Whether they bake or build, bike or hike, a caring hug always feels just right. This is a book that is generous with love, and full of the sweetest illustrations you've ever seen.
Synopsis
If itand#39;s snowy and you know it, roll a snowball up and throw it,
if itand#39;s snowy and you know it, clap your paws.
and#160;
Now in board and perfectly abridged for the youngest readers: another irresistible winter-themed romp from Kim Norman and Liza Woodruff, the team behind the delightful Ten on the Sled! This humorous variation on the classic song andldquo;If Youand#39;re Happy and You Know Itandrdquo; introduces a group of adorable animals playing joyfully in the snow. They ice skate on a lake, catch snowflakes on their tongues, sculpt snowcritters, and make a frosty fort. But can they go with the flow when their wild adventure drifts in a surprising direction?and#160;Young readers will laugh and sing along!
Synopsis
Take a rollicking ride in This Old Van, a joyful take on the classic song. As the colorful vintage vehicle rolls down the highway, it passes one train, two bulldozers, three tractors, right up to ten muddy jeeps. With some dodging, honking, and zig-zagging, this old vanandmdash;and grandparentsandmdash;arrives JUST IN TIME! The irresistible rhyme will have kids singing out loud.
Synopsis
A favorite childrenand#39;s song gets a delightfully slippery, slide-y twist! In the land of the midnight sun, all the animals are having fun speeding down the hill on Caribouand#39;s sled. But as they go faster, Seal, Hare, Walrus, and the others all fall off . . . until just Caribouand#39;s left. Now, a reindeer likes flyingandmdash;but never alone. So all the animals leap on again!
and#160;
Synopsis
When Scott builds a bot, a bippity-bot, sparks fly . . . and his entire classroom goes wild. Before long, fiery ants and carnivorous plants, a freaky frog, a big-bellied boa, and an exploding andquot;volcanoandquot; have wreaked total havoc. Can Scottand#39;s bot, which started it all, manage the mess? Cheers for the handy hero! A cumulative story with fun that grows and grows and GROWS.
About the Author
Phillis Gershator has written many picture books for children, including When It Starts to Snow (Henry Holt), Rata-Pata-Scata-Fata (Star Bright), Time for a Hug, and Time for a Bath (both Sterling). Her mother, Mim Green, who was an artist, puppeteer, and champion hugger, inspired the Time for a Hug collaboration. The pair also collaborated on Who's Awake in Springtime? (Henry Holt), which Booklist called and#8220;A playful and inviting bedtime tale.and#8221; Phillis worked as a children's librarian for the Brooklyn Public Library and the St. Thomas/St. John Department of Education. She lives with her husband and frequent coauthor, David, in the US Virgin Islands. For more information about Phillis and her coauthor Mim Green, see phillis.gershator.com.and#160;David Walker is the illustrator of numerous children's books, including The Night Parade (Scholastic), Bears on Chairs (Candlewick), Time For a Hug, and Time For a Bath (both Sterling), to name a few. He paints in his studio in Chapel Hill, NC. To see more of David's work, please visit his website at davidwalkerstudios.com.and#160;