The Giant Hug

There aren't many books that make me tear up. Perhaps it was the illustrations. Perhaps it was the incredibly sweet story. Perhaps it was because I recently dropped my only child off at college. Or, perhaps, it was a combination of all of the above! Regardless, The Giant Hug (2005) by Sandra Horning (illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev) is one of the sweetest picture books I've read in a long time!

The Giant Hug unapologetically launches right into the story, which is the best way to start. Hey, call me Ishmael! Owen, the young pig you see on the cover, decides he wants to send his grandmother a hug -- a real hug! But how do you send a live hug through the mail? And what would happen if you were to try? Owen finds out when his mother takes him to the post office. Owen starts out by giving Mr. Nevin, the postman at the counter, a giant hug. Mr. Nevin delivers the hug to the next postal employee in order to get the hug to its destination.

I won't read this book once to my kindergartners. In fact, I'll probably read it several times! This would be a great book to help them with remembering sequence and order. After reading it once, I would go over the steps required to mail a letter. Then perhaps we would go over the order in which the characters got their hugs. We could do it in reverse to find out how Owen got his return surprise. The next time we read it, I'll stop before turning the page and ask, "Who's getting a hug next?"

The Giant Hug will definitely have a place in my own classroom library!

Hot Rod Hamster Monster Truck Mania!

There are two reasons I picked up this book to review. The first is Cynthia Lord. I've read her books with my Battle of the Book students, and enjoyed every one of them. The second reason is the truck with the big tires. It feeds into my slight redneck tendencies that I sometimes exhibit.

Anyway, Hot Rod Hamster Monster Truck Mania! (2014), written by Cynthia Lord and illustrated by Derek Anderson, is a terrific picture book to read to young children. The book is all about a dog and hamster (all the characters are animals) going to the fair together. Hamster wants to go bigger and more thrilling with each ride. Dog, however, doesn't seem to appreciate the faster, scarier rides that Hamster is constantly seeking out. As they stroll through the fair and ride the rides, Hamster lucks upon the last 'ride' -- the ride that gives him his nickname, Hot Rod Hamster. This comes as a complete surprise to dog.

I've always enjoyed rhyming books and feel that rhyming structures are good for younger children. The best part of this book, however, is that it asks questions. That give young readers a chance to interact with the book, telling which ride, car or treat they would choose. The only problem I have with the book is that there are many character speaking balloons that don't rhyme or flow with the rhyming text. That breaks the rhythm of the story.

Regardless, I feel certain that the kindergartners I'll be working with this year will be hearing me read about the adventures of Hot Rod Hamster! Vrrooommm!

Dying to Meet You

There were approximately 20 books spread out on the table from which to pick. I don't remember which I picked, but it was NOT the book with the decrepit old house on the cover. Yet, I kept glancing at that book, wondering who was standing in front of the house. Why was he standing there? I made my choice and wasn't changing my mind, but I felt compelled to at least give it a chance and read the teaser.

It warned that you might die laughing. The next words that filtered in were "best-selling author" and "wicked case of writer's block." I still couldn't tell you what I picked, but whatever it was got tossed back into the pile. It was immediately replaced with the book with the decrepit old house on the cover!

Dying to Meet You (2009) is the first book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series that is written by Kate Klise and illustrated by her sister, M. Sarah Klise. While Kate is listed as the author, the book itself is written by the characters. It consists of a series of letters written back and forth from best-selling author Ignatius B. Grumbly, house occupant Seymour Hope and Olive C. Spence, the other house occupant who happens to be a ghost.

Ignatius rents the house for the summer, hoping to find some peace and quiet in order to jump start his newest book in a series (Ghost Tamer series) he had started. However, the current house occupants aren't willing to share the house with a grumpy old man who is full of himself. The three of them begin correspondence to each other immediately, making rules and hurling accusations. Ignatius' lawyer, realtor and a private investigator also begin corresponding. Add to this mess stories from the local paper, The Ghastly Times (whose motto is "Your Secrets Are Our Business"), and you've got a great plot to hold young readers' interest!