LET'S CLAP, JUMP, SING & SHOUT; DANCE, SPIN & TURN IT OUT!

Name: LET'S CLAP, JUMP, SING & SHOUT; DANCE, SPIN & TURN IT OUT!
Author: Patricia C. McKissack
ISBN: 978-0-375-87088-0

GAMES, SONGS, AND STORIES FROM AN AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDHOOD

edited by Patricia C. McKissack ; illustrated by Brian Pinkney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 10, 2017

A comprehensive treasury of memories, verbal art, and play.

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An ebullient collection of African-American playtime lore, traced to its sources.

Newbery Honor–winning McKissack explains how “our earliest toys are our hands, feet, and voices.” Most children don’t realize the educational value of songs and rhymes. The rhythms just naturally pull listeners along, encouraging participation. But in addition to their role in fostering language development and motor control, rhymes also have a history woven through them, especially for children of color. Arranging them developmentally, McKissack shares hand claps, jump-rope rhymes, circle games, songs, and stories. Unexpected treasures include “Mama Sayings” and the apropos “Jump Tale” (which has a sneaky surprise at the end). Such familiar characters as Anansi and Br’er Rabbit share space with the intriguing history of “Amazing Grace” and the coded songs from the Underground Railroad. Each entry is preceded by a note from McKissack describing a rhyme’s origin or sharing a personal anecdote from her childhood memories. Recounting sitting on the porch with family, frenzied clapping on the playground, or making “a joyful noise” in church, there is an undeniable warmth and sense of belonging to these tales. Pinkney’s watercolor-and–India ink spot illustrations swirl through the pages, bursting with energy tapped from joy and rich tradition.

A comprehensive treasury of memories, verbal art, and play. (notes, bibliography, index) (Folklore. 1-10)

Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-375-87088-0

Page Count: 184

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
WHAT IS GIVEN FROM THE HEART
by Patricia C. McKissack ; illustrated by April Harrison

- BOOK REVIEW
WHO WILL BELL THE CAT?
by Patricia C. McKissack ; illustrated by Christopher Cyr

- BOOK REVIEW
OL' CLIP-CLOP
by Patricia C. McKissack ; illustrated by Eric Velasquez

- PROFILES
Patricia C. McKissack

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THERE'S A MONSTER IN YOUR BOOK

From the Who's in Your Book? series

by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Greg Abbott ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 2017

Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy—a raucous storytime hit.

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Readers try to dislodge a monster from the pages of this emotive and interactive read-aloud.

“OH NO!” the story starts. “There’s a monster in your book!” The blue, round-headed monster with pink horns and a pink-tipped tail can be seen cheerfully munching on the opening page. “Let’s try to get him out,” declares the narrator. Readers are encouraged to shake, tilt, and spin the book around, while the monster careens around an empty background looking scared and lost. Viewers are exhorted to tickle the monster’s feet, blow on the page, and make a really loud noise. Finally, shockingly, it works: “Now he’s in your room!” But clearly a monster in your book is safer than a monster in your room, so he’s coaxed back into the illustrations and lulled to sleep, curled up under one page and cuddling a bit of another like a child with their blankie. The monster’s entirely cute appearance and clear emotional reactions to his treatment add to the interactive aspect, and some young readers might even resist the instructions to avoid hurting their new pal. Children will be brought along on the monster’s journey, going from excited, noisy, and wiggly to calm and steady (one can hope).

Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy—a raucous storytime hit. (Picture book. 2-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-5247-6456-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: June 4, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A BEAR IN YOUR BOOK
by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Tom Fletcher

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A UNICORN IN YOUR BOOK
by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Greg Abbott

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A WITCH IN YOUR BOOK
by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Greg Abbott

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A BEAR IN YOUR BOOK
by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Tom Fletcher

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A UNICORN IN YOUR BOOK
by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Greg Abbott

- BOOK REVIEW
THERE'S A WITCH IN YOUR BOOK
by Tom Fletcher ; illustrated by Greg Abbott

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IN THE SKY AT NIGHTTIME

by Laura Deal ; illustrated by Tamara Campeau ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2019

A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world.

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A quiet book for putting young children to bed in a state of snowy wonder.

The magic of the north comes alive in a picture book featuring Inuit characters. In the sky at nighttime, snow falls fast. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a raven roosts atop a tall building. / … / In the sky at nighttime, a mother’s delicate song to her child arises like a gentle breeze.” With the repetition of the simple, titular refrain, the author envisions what happens in a small town at night: Young children see their breath in the cold; a hunter returns on his snowmobile; the stars dazzle in the night sky. A young mother rocks her baby to sleep with a song and puts the tot down with a trio of stuffed animals: hare, polar bear, seal. The picture book evokes a feeling of peace as the street lamps, northern lights, and moon illuminate the snow. The illustrations are noteworthy for the way they meld the old world with what it looks like to be a modern Indigenous person: A sled dog and fur-lined parkas combine easily with the frame houses, a pickup truck, power lines, and mobile-hung crib. By introducing Indigenous characters in an unremarkably familiar setting, the book reaches children who don’t always see themselves in an everyday context.

A tender bedtime tale set in a too-seldom-seen northern world. (Picture book. 3-5)