Smarter than the SCOOPERS

Smarter than the SCOOPERS

Julia Cook, Author

Allison Valentine, Illustrator

National Center for Youth Issues, Fiction, 2012

Suitable for Ages: 4 and up

Themes: Abduction, Child Safety, Predators, Strangers

Opening: “I was outside playing with Zippy, my new baby rabbit, when I heard my mama calling me. I carefully set Zippy down into a cardboard box and ran inside the house to see what she wanted.”

Synopsis: A mother talks with her daughter about how people come in all shapes and sizes. There are people who are safe people you can go to if ever need help, like a teacher, a store clerk, a police officer, or a mother with children. But, she also explains there are people who aren’t so nice and are Scoopers who “scoop you up, take you away from your family, and try to hurt you.” She teaches her daughter some safety rules to help keep her safe. The little girl is tested when a neighbor comes to school to pick her up. She goes back inside the school and asks to see her “call list” and phones someone on the list to make sure it’s okay. At the grocery store a friendly stranger tries to talk with her and she walks away. She learns that a “scooper” may pretend to need help, or lure her to pet a dog. The girl thinks about everything her mother says and goes to play with her baby rabbit she captures and puts in a box. She comes to a very important realization and makes a big decision.

Why I like this book: Julia Cook’s book is an excellent tool to help parents, teachers, and counselors prepare children with the skills they need to be safe from child abductors. Cook uses the word SCOOP as an acronym to help children remember five personal safety rules. For many children, this could be a frightening topic, but Cook has done an excellent job of approaching this subject in a non-threatening manner. I love the ending when the girl realizes that she is a scooper after she tricks a rabbit away from its mama. What a great way to get a point across. Allison Valentine’s pastel illustrations are colorful and expressive.

Resources: With spring and summer around the corner, this is a good time to discuss personal safety with children. The book alone is a resource for discussion with children. It has back matter and safety rules for both children and parents. This is a book for home and the classroom. Visit Julia Cook’s website, to view the many books she has written.

Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.

Note: On Monday, March 25, I will be reviewing Sharon Draper’s new YA book Panic, about a teenage abduction. This is very important read for teens. There will be a book give away.

Making Friends Is an Art!

Making Friends Is an Art!

Julia Cook, Author

Bridget A. Barnes, Illustrator

Boys Town Press, Fiction, 2012

Suitable for Ages: 5-9

Themes: Friendship, Interpersonal relations in children, Life Skills

Opening/Synopsis: “My name is Brown. I spend a lot of time in a pencil box with a bunch of other colors. We are all different. Some of us are sharper than others. Some of us are long and others are short.” Brown is the tallest pencil in the box. This means he is the least used pencil in the box. And he doesn’t feel like he fits in very well with the others. “I don’t have much to smile about. I am Brown, tall geeky and lonely…that’s me!” Brown envies Red, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Green, and Purple who color and play together. Blue gives hugs. Orange likes to have fun. Green is honest. White keeps the peace. Pink listens. And everyone loves Red. When Brown talks to Blue and Green, he learns that if wants good friends, he has to be a good friend. So he asks all the other pencils why they don’t like him and learns a lot of surprising things about himself. It is Black who points out that “when all the colors are mixed together they make Brown.” He has all the colors inside him. Will he be able to use all the other colors to like himself, recognize his own strengths and be a better friend?

Why I like this book: Julia Cook has written a humorous fun and colorful book that all kids will identify with. What better way to teach kids about differences than through art. There are tall kids, short kids, popular kids, shy kids, happy kids and sad kids in every classroom. Differences add to the dynamics of the classroom. This book really focuses on helping children building interpersonal relationships with other children. Bridget Barnes’ illustrations are bright, lively and expressive. This title is the first in a new series of Julia Cook’s books focusing on relationship-building skills for children. It is perfect for the classroom.

Resources: There is a backpage at the back of the book with constructive tips for parents, teachers and counselors to work with kids in building the life skills they require to be a good friend. In the classroom, ask each child to pick the color of a pencil he/she feels they could identify with most and why. This will make for an interesting classroom discussion. Visit Julia Cook’s website, to view the many books she has written.

The “D” Word – Divorce

The “D” Word

Julia Cook, author

Phillip W. Rodgers, illustrator

National Center for Youth Issues, Fiction, June 2011

Suitable for: Ages 4 and up

Themes: Dealing with Divorce, Separation, Different Families

Opening/Synopsis: “My name is Otis. I used to be the happiest kid on the planet! This is a picture of my family and me…the way it used to be…This is what my family looks like now. My mom won’t even talk to my dad, and my dad won’t even talk to my mom.” Otis is so upset that he can’t even say the “D” word — divorce. His parents use Otis as their messenger and spy. Otis tells Gram that he feels like “it’s all his fault.” She wisely tells him he didn’t cause the divorce and he can’t control what is happening between his parents. Gram says they’ll still be a family, just a different kind of family. Otis finds a way to adjust to the divorce.

Why I like this book: As many of you may have guessed, I am a huge fan of Julia Cook’s books. Divorce is upsetting for children and they don’t know how to do deal with their feelings. Cook has written a very helpful book for children, families and educators. Cook, a former teacher and school guidance counselor, often heard students comment that they were the cause of the their parent’s divorce. She came up with three reasons that are very reassuring for kids going through a life altering divorce. This is an excellent book for children to understand that they aren’t the reason and what they can do to help themselves. And it is a guide for parents on how to deal with divorce with their kids. It’s a family book. Phillip Rodger’s illustrations are priceless. They are colorful, expressive and emotive. They capture the tone of her story.

Resource: The book is a resource on how to successfully deal with divorce. There is an introduction in the beginning from Julia Cook. She has a list of three C’s of divorce that she uses with children: I did not Cause it. I cannot control it. I’m going to have to learn to Cope with it. She also offers survival tips for parents. Visit Julia Cook’s website, to view the many books she has written.

I Just Don’t Like the Sound of NO!

I Just Don’t Like the Sound of No! (How about MAYBE?)

Julia Cook, Author

Kelsey De Weerd, Illustrator

Boys Town Press, 2011, Fiction

Suitable for: Ages 5 and up

Themes: Frustration, Obedience, Conflict Resolution, Interpersonal Communication, Life Skills

Opening/Synopsis: “My name is RJ, and I just don’t like the sound of the word NO! It seems like everybody always tells me NO. NO RJ this, NO RJ that…sometimes I think my real names is NO RJ!” RJ goes shopping with his dad and sees a box of smelly markers he really wants. He asks his dad if he will buy the markers for him. His father says, “No.” But RJ protests with “how about maybe or we’ll see?” When RJ gets home his best friend Sam invites him to sleep over at his house. RJ’s mother says “No, not on a school night.” RJ argues with ” how about I’ll think about it?” The same pattern continues at school and his teacher tells RJ that he needs to learn to accept “No” for an answer. She invites hims to become a member of the “Say YES to NO Club.” If RJ can learn to accept No for an answer from his parents and teacher, stay calm and learn how to disagree appropriately, he can add his name to the club’s Star Board.

What I like about this book: Julia Cook is one of my very favorite children’s authors. This book is the winner of the 2011 MOM’s Choice Award Honoring Excellence, and the National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval. Her books are all winners for me because they help children problem-solve, learn fundamental social skills of accepting “no” and disagreeing appropriately, or learning proper behavior for a range of situations. Her books are such a treat for kids, parents and teachers! Kids will laugh as they see and hear themselves in her stories. There are so many teaching moments.

Activities: The book itself, is an activity book with tips for parents and educators at the end. But, there is also an Activity Guide for Teachers with a CD and posters than can be purchased separately. Visit Julia Cook’s website for information and other resources. I have previously reviewed three other Julia Cook books on my blog. If you are interested in reading my reviews click on “My Mouth is a Volcano” “The Worst Day of My Life EVER!” and “A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue.” I’ve included pictures of the covers below. All of her books come with separate Activity Guides.

To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books. Or click on the Perfect Picture Book Fridays badge in the right sidebar.

Important Date: April is National Autism Awareness Month, which will be kicked off Monday, April 2, with an International Autism Awareness Day. Join Autism Speaks in the third annual “Light It Up Blue” day to help shine a light on autism. The entire world is going blue to increase awareness about autism. My website will feature an article on Monday, and will be blue!

Tattling and Squealing at School and at Home

With the beginning of each new school year, teachers across the country deal with tattling. I found the following books informative, resourceful and just plain fun for kids. Tattling is normal in young kids. Pre-school and elementary teachers might want to consider starting off the year reading these books to the classrooms to help their students understand the difference between tattling and telling when something is really important. Parents also face similar problems with siblings.

A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue, is written by Julia Cook and illustrated by Anita DuFalla for pre-schoolers to third graders. It is published by the National Center for Youth Issues. The author must have had my daughter in mind when she wrote this book. I would have loved to have had this colorful and creative book to use with her. Cook gets her point across with a wonderful teaching moment that is really quite humorous and guaranteed to make a child stop and think. Kids alike will be entertained by this book, yet understand its strong message.

Josh tattles so much at school that he has been nicknamed “Josh the Tattler.” He is so busy worrying about what everyone else is doing that he alienates himself from his classmates. At school the kids ignore him at lunch time and during recess . His mother is fed up with his tattling and tells him that if he doesn’t stop tattling, he’s going to get “Tattle Tongue.” A bad case will cause his tongue turn yellow with purple spots and it will start to itch. Each time he tattles his tongue will grow longer. She comes up with a catchy phrase that helps him stop and think at school before he starts to tattle. But, Josh has a dream about his tongue growing and meets that Tattle Prince who explains to him the difference between tattling and telling, and shares four basic rules. Josh has some choices to make.

Don’t Squeal Unless It’s a Big Deal, is written by Jeanie Franz Ransom and illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic for pre-schoolers to third graders. A great message for children accompanied with colorful, expressive pictures emphasizing how exhausting tattling can be for all involved. There are 19 students in Mrs. McNeal’s class. And 19 tattletales. Teacher McNeal does a wonderful job of asking the tattlers if they’ve talked with the accused student, have they been hurt, or have they tried to fix the problem first before coming to her? She comes up with a new rule that she prints on the blackboard: ” Don’t squeal unless it’s a big deal.” The piglets learn when it is the proper time to tell a teacher. Then one afternoon that rule is tested when something BIG happens. The children are left to their own resources and have to use everything they’ve learned to take care of the problem. The author is a school counselor and does an outstanding job of showing and not preaching to the students. She has included a guide for teachers and parents at the end. Kids will enjoy this book!