Tag Archives: spoonfuls of stories

Duck for President

Posted on June 2, 2015 | Comments Off on Duck for President

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Like When Dinosaurs Came with Everything and Monkey and Me, this book arrived in a Cheerios box in 2008 (as I’ve mentioned before, the best year ever for the spoonfuls of stories promotion in our house). Although they don’t get the legion of historical/political references yet, the boys love Duck (who was first introduced in Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type) and this book (in which Duck makes his way from the farm to the Governor’s Mansion to the White House and back home again) is very popular.

Author: Doreen Cronin
Illustrator: Betsy Lewin

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Monkey and Me

Posted on March 25, 2015 | Comments Off on Monkey and Me

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Monkey and me,
Monkey and me,
Monkey and me,
We went to see,
We went to see some. . .

A girl and her toy monkey imagine going to see all kinds of animals. That’s it, really (with one small visual twist at the end). Visual clues give a hint to what type of animal they will be going to see next (in the photo above, they are anticipating elephants), which is fun, and this is an outstanding read aloud; the repetitious refrain (quoted above) is perfect (if ungrammatical).

When the boys were very, very small, they each loved this book. Like When Dinosaurs Came with Everything, it arrived in a Cheerios box in 2008 (which was a truly banner year for the spoonfuls of stories promotion in our house). The version we have is very small and, well, it was free, so I had no qualms about flapping it about to make the boys laugh (especially on the bats page, to make the bats “fly”).

The boys have outgrown it now, but this book is highly recommended.

Author: Emily Gravett
Illustrator: Emily Gravett

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Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type

Posted on December 9, 2014 | Comments Off on Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type

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Farmer Brown has some problems.

It was bad enough the cows had
found the old typewriter in the
barn, now they wanted electric
blankets! “No way,” said Farmer
Brown. “No electric blankets.”

So the cows went on strike.
They left a note on the barn door.

Sorry.
We’re closed.
No milk
today.

Soon the hens join the work stoppage. And what are those seemingly-neutral ducks up to?

If workers’ rights are civil rights, as the slogan goes, we have a mini theme going this week. (When the boys stage a sit-in protest of my menu choices, I’ll have only myself to blame.) This book is very funny and I can’t read it aloud without hearing (and slightly mimicking) the Scholastic video version narrated by Randy Travis.

Author: Doreen Cronin
Illustrator: Betsy Lewin

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When Dinosaurs Came with Everything

Posted on January 9, 2014 | Comments Off on When Dinosaurs Came with Everything

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Today, dinosaurs come with everything!

Like George Shrinks, this book has an irresistible premise (instead of balloons or stickers, or other more common giveaway items, dinosaurs come with everything from a dozen donuts to shots at the doctor’s office) coupled with charming and witty pictures that expand the story well beyond its text.  The book loses a bit of narrative steam around its final third, but it makes a strong finish, sparks the imagination, and is a lot of fun to read aloud.

Author: Elise Broachs
Illustrator: David Small

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