Mr. Gumpy's Outing Ages 2-8

PREVIEW

It's a pleasant day, so Mr. Gumpy decides to go for a boat ride. Each barnyard animal begs to join him, and Mr. Gumpy agrees-as long as each behaves! Two children join the fun, and as soon as the boat is launched, everyone does exactly what Mr. Gumpy asked them not to do. The result? Splash! This tale fits right into the toddler's sense of humor.

Mr. Gumpy's Outing

By John Burningham

Illustrated by John Burningham

Edition: reprint, illustrated

Published by Macmillan, 1990

ISBN 0805013156, 9780805013153

32 pages Board Book for Birth - 2, Ages 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
The book won the 1971 ALA Notable Children's Book award, the 1972 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 1971, and the 1970 Kate Greenaway Medal.

Mr. Gumpy's little scow becomes a ...... miniature ark when he takes two children and one each of various domestic animals for a ride. But no one heeds Mr. Gumpy's conditions and soon ""The goat kicked/ The pig mucked about/ The children ... more » squabbled"" and so on until ""The boat tipped/ and into the water they fell."" But the water appears so warmly inviting, and the tea they all share after they swim to the bank and dry in the sun so satisfying, that the promise of the first glowing page is fulfilled. Burningham's sketchy yellow lines make the sun shine on his pages, and his animals -- sometimes jaunty, more often appealingly hesitant -- are his alone, unostentatiously distinctive. Mr. Gumpy has the bumbling charm of an English Mr. Hulot and his outing is an unqualified pleasure.

Kirkus Reviews Copyright (c) VNU Business Media, Inc.
A kind fellow warns his fleet of passengers (both humans and animals) about proper boat etiquette in Mr. Gumpy's Outing by John Burningham. Charming pen-and-inks alternate with ... more » full-color illustrations to chronicle the growing chaos until the boat capsizes. Though Mr. Gumpy does not scold his cohorts, the gentle message is clear. ( June)

Cahners Business Information (c) 2001

Books about using the Library & Books Ages 4-8

New to the Franklin County Public Library

"It started the summer of 2002, when the Springfield librarian, Molly McGrew, by mistake drove her bookmobile into the zoo."
In this rollicking rhymed story, Molly introduces birds and beasts to this new something called reading. She finds the perfect book for every animal--tall books for giraffes, tiny ones for crickets. "She even found waterproof books for the otter, who never went swimming without Harry Potter." In no time at all, Molly has them "forsaking their niches, their nests, and their nooks," going "wild, simply wild, about wonderful books." Judy Sierra's funny animal tale coupled with Marc Brown's lush, fanciful paintings will have the same effect on young Homo sapiens. Altogether, it's more fun than a barrel of monkeys!

Wild about Books

By Judy Sierra, Marc Brown

Translated by Marc Brown

Illustrated by Marc Tolon Brown, Marc Brown

Edition: illustrated

Published by Knopf, 2004

ISBN 037582538X, 9780375825385

40 pages Ages 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Come Along! on a rhyming trip through the library where endearing animals show readers how to quietly select a book that's JUST RIGHT!, using shelf markers and good book care along the way.
We're Going on a Book Hunt

By Pat Miller

Published by UpstartBooks, 2008

ISBN 1602130078, 9781602130074 32 pages

The Library Doors

By Toni Buzzeo

Illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott

Edition: illustrated

Published by Highsmith Inc, 2008

ISBN 160213037X, 9781602130371

32 pages
These are available from Highsmith Upstart Books

A lion starts visiting the local library but runs into trouble as he tries to both obey the rules and help his librarian friend.
Library Lion

By Michelle Knudsen, Kevin Hawkes

Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

Edition: illustrated

Published by Candlewick Press, 2006

ISBN 0763622621, 9780763622626

42 pages

Knudsen and Hawkes pick a perfect ...

... setting to express the idea that breaking rules can sometimes be a good thing. When a lion wanders into a small town public library the Head Librarian, Miss Merriweather, brushes off the ... more » protestations of her realistically officious colleague Mr. McBee and allows it to stay—so long as it keeps quiet, doesn't run and makes itself useful cleaning books and licking envelopes while waiting for storytime to begin. Anxious-looking patrons of all ages quickly become accepting ones in Hawkes's soft toned watercolors, and if Miss Merriweather's hair and dress seem a bit stereotypical, occasional CRT monitors balance glimpses of rubber date stamps and a card catalog in his gracious, old style interiors. When Miss Merriweather takes a fall, the lion roars to attract help, then slinks out in shame—but McBee redeems himself by bustling out into the rain to inform the offender that Exceptions to the Rules are sometimes allowed. Consider this a less prescriptive alternative to Eric A. Kimmel's I Took My Frog to the Library (1990), illustrated by Blanche Sims—and it doesn't hurt that the maned visitor is as huge and friendly looking as the one in James Daugherty's classic Andy and the Lion. (Picture book. 6, 7, 8)

Kirkus Reviews Copyright (c) VNU Business Media, Inc.

PreS-Gr 2, Ages 4, 5, 6, 7 -Miss Merriweather, head ...

... librarian and decorum-keeper, first meets Lion when he saunters past his stone counterparts and into the stacks. Scowling circulation assistant Mr. McBee seems intent on having the enormous cat ... more » ejected, but his boss declares that as long as he breaks no rules, he is welcome. The beast does misbehave though, roaring loud displeasure when storytime ends. At Miss Merriweather's reprimand, the contrite-looking lion promises to reform. In fact, he becomes something of a fixture in the building, dusting with his tail, licking envelopes, and serving as a stepstool for small patrons. Everyone appreciates him-except Mr. McBee. When Lion lets out another tremendous "RAAAHHHRRR!," the man bursts into Miss Merriweather's office to snitch-and there he finds her in distress, having fallen from a stool and broken her arm. Lion, la Lassie, has saved the day, but he is so chagrined by his own rule-breaking behavior that he doesn't return to the library. People miss him. Even Mr. McBee. A feel-good ending and a reminder that "Sometimes, there is a good reason to break the rules" bring the story to its most-satisfactory conclusion. Hawkes's deft acrylic-and-pencil pictures have appeal for generations of library lovers. They are rich with expression, movement, and detail. The lordly, lovable lion is a masterful mix-regal beast and furry friend-and the many human characters are drawn with animation and emotion. This winsome pairing of text and illustration is a natural for storytime and a first purchase for every collection.-Kathy Krasniewicz, Perrot Library, Old Greenwich, CT

Reed Business Information (c) 2006

Tar Beach Ages 4-8

Illus. in full color. "Ringgold recounts the dream adventure of eight-year-old Cassie Louise Lightfoot, who flies above her apartment-building rooftop, the 'tar beach' of the title, looking down on 1939 Harlem. Part autobiographical, part fictional, this allegorical tale sparkles with symbolic and historical references central to African-American culture. The spectacular artwork resonates with color and texture. Children will delight in the universal dream of mastering one's world by flying over it. A practical and stunningly beautiful book."--(starred) Horn Book. Tar Beach

By Faith Ringgold

Illustrated by Faith Ringgold

Edition: illustrated

Published by Crown Publishers, 1991

Original from the University of Michigan

Digitized Nov 15, 2007

ISBN 0517580306, 9780517580301

32 pages Ages 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

A Harlem-born artist expands on one of ...

... her distinctive ""quilt paintings"" to create a marvelously evocative book that draws on her own imaginative life as a child. As explained in a concluding note, Ringgold's ""Woman on a Bridge ... more »"" series, including Tar Beach (reproduction included), is now in the Guggenheim. Combining the traditional association between flying and the escape of slaves to freedom with her own fantasies as a child who delighted in the sense of liberation and empowerment she felt on a rooftop from which she saw stars twinkling among the lights of nearby George Washington Bridge, Ringgold has fashioned a poignant fictional story about eight-year-old Cassie, who dreams that she can claim the bridge (and freedom and wealth) by soaring above the city; she can even own the Union Building that her skillful father helped to build--though he is often out of work because he is denied membership in the union. The triumphant soaring of imagination over reality is beautifully expressed in Ringgold's bold, vibrant paintings, newly rendered to tell this story, and with details from the quilt's glowing patchwork as a delightful continue along the bottom of each page. Beautiful, innovative, and full of the joy of one unconquerable soul.

Kirkus Reviews Copyright (c) VNU Business Media, Inc.

The George Washington Bridge (which connects New Jersey and New York) was built in 1931 and is one of the first suspension bridges in the United States. Do a search.

Also try:

The People Could Fly (Gr 3-5 Lesson Plan)
I'm Flying
On Grandma's Roof

Mirette & Bellini Cross Niagra Falls Ages 4-8

Mirette & Bellini Cross Niagara Falls

By Emily Arnold McCully

Illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully

Edition: illustrated

Published by Putnam, 2000

ISBN 0399233482, 9780399233487

32 pages

In this book, Mirette and Bellini have been invited to walk across a wire over Niagara Falls. But when they arrive in New York, it seems they have been challenged by an imposter! Luckily, their new friend, young Jakob from Poland, discovers the imposter's special trick, and Mirette and Bellini succeed once more in high style, stunning the onlookers and giving us another thrilling high-wire story.

Feisty Mirette and Bellini have another ...

... high-wire adventure, this time at Niagara Falls, where they face dastardly treachery, but come through with skill and courage. Mirette and Bellini cross the ocean first class, as befits their fame ... more » and talent, but Mirette befriends Jakob, a boy in steerage who admires the tightrope walkers as they practice on deck. Jakob, an orphan, is traveling to New York City to live with an uncle. When the uncle does not arrive at Ellis Island, Bellini and Mirette vouch for him and take him to Niagara Falls so that he is not returned to his native land. There, Jakob is instrumental in uncovering the plot of the wicked Mr. Patch, a rival wirewalker, who sabotages Bellini's tight rope and almost causes the death of both performers. The happy ending includes triumph for Bellini, disgrace for Patch, the reunion of Jakob and his uncle, and the hint that Jakob will return in future adventures. McCully's watercolor and pastel illustrations are better than the plot. Depictions of life on the ship, at Niagara Falls, and on Ellis Island give the historical context and an interesting background to the plot. Balloon insertions give detail in the larger scenes and effectively extend the story. A weak addition to the series. (Picture book. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

Kirkus Reviews Copyright (c) VNU Business Media, Inc.

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Stupid Tales Ages 4-8

Clever, curious Max, a budding scientist, begins a logbook to record his hilarious experiments and ideas for inventions. In a journal-like style, his logbook also introduces us to his school, friends, family, and an inventive comic strip, Alien Erasers. But most touching of all is Max's struggle to adjust to his parents' impending divorce. And while Max tries to control the uncontrollable through his wacky scientific experiments, (like the robot that will keep his family together) he soon learns that Dad's new house has possibilitities of becoming a second home. MORE INFO LINK

Max's Logbook By Marissa Moss

Illustrated by Marissa Moss Edition: illustrated

Published by Scholastic, 2003 ISBN 0439466601, 9780439466608 48 pages

MORE INFO LINK

A revisionist storyteller provides his madcap, hilarious versions of children's favorite tales in this limited-edition, tenth anniversary collection that includes "Little Red Running Shorts," "The Princess and the Bowling Ball," "Cinderumpelstilskin," and others. A Caldecott Honor Book.

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

By Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith Illustrated by Lane Smith

Edition: 10, illustrated Published by Penguin USA, 2002 ISBN 0670035696, 9780670035694
32 pages Ages 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Reading Level Fluent 8, 9, 10, 11