"The creatures shine with stardust, they're splashed with morning dew. In song and dance and stillness, they share the world with you." ~ from Helen Frost and Rick Lieder's Step Gently Out
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Holiday reading Season's greetings. Ngā mihi o te wā. We wish you and yours all the best for Christmas and the New Year from Christchurch City Libraries.
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New and Recently Released!
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Happy birthday Madame Chapeau
by Andrea Beaty
A Parisian hat maker matches her customers to their perfect hats but lacks her own ideal match in life until one birthday when she ventures out in her favorite bonnet, which is snatched away by a crow, leaving her to consider a range of offered alternative hats. By the creators of Iggy Peck, Architect.
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The baby tree
by Sophie Blackall
After learning that his parents are expecting a baby, a young boy asks several people where babies come from and gets a different answer from each before his parents gently set him straight. Includes advice on answering questions about reproduction.
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My Grandfather's Coat
by Jim Aylesworth; illustrated by Barbara McClintock
A cleverly repurposed coat is at the center of this cosy multigenerational tale. The narrator's grandfather, a tailor, loves his handsome blue coat. When it becomes threadbare, he sensibly turns the coat into a jacket...which eventually becomes a vest...and then other, ever-smaller items, until nothing remains -- except the story. Warm, lively illustrations show how the tailor and his family change over time, and repeated phrases give the story a soothing, singsong quality. Readers who relish the nostalgic charm of
My Grandfather's Coat
will also appreciate Simms Taback's
J
oseph Had a Little Overcoat, which is based on the same Yiddish folk song.
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The last king of Angkor Wat
by Graeme Base
Arguing who among them would make the greatest king of Angkor Wat, Tiger, Monkey, Water Buffalo and Gecko engage in a race that proves each creature's strengths and weaknesses in a lavishly illustrated tale by the award-winning author of Animalia.
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Once Upon an Alphabet: Short Stories for All the Letters
by
Oliver Jeffers
From the madcap mind of bestselling author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers comes a unique and deliciously weird alphabet book. Since "stories are made of letters," Once Upon an Alphabet offers a story for every letter, from "An Astronaut" to "Zeppelin." Filled with vocabulary-expanding words to savor, the stories range from silly (a yeti with a yo-yo) to strange (a pair of puzzled parsnips) to scary (a typist-eating monster), and all are illustrated in Jeffers' distinctive, scribbly style. Though the length and gently twisted tone of this quirky read may not be for everyone, it's perfect for older kids with a taste for the offbeat.
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The Iridescence of Birds: A Book About Henri Matisse
by Patricia MacLachlan; illustrated by Hadley Hooper
"If you were a boy named Henri Matisse..." This biography of the well-known artist is written as a question, asking children to imagine themselves in the cold, gray environment of Matisse's childhood, which was brightened by his mother's creativity and appreciation for nature. The lyrical story is both beautiful and easy to understand; equally beautiful are the bold shapes, expressive lives, and natural hues in the illustrations, which hint at Matisse's own artistic style.
The Iridescence of Birds
will pique the curiosity of budding artists, who can learn more about Matisse in
Henri's Scissors
by Jeanette Winter.
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Earth space moon base
by Ben Joel Price
Offbeat rhymes and colorful, retro-style illustrations evoke a funny little world where a spaceman, a robot and a cheeky monkey use a most unusual method to protect Earth from hungry, googly-eyed moon aliens.
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Blizzard
by
John Rocco
When snow begins to fall, John is thrilled -- snow means no school tomorrow! Soon, however, the flurries becomes a blizzard, blanketing the houses and streets. The deep snow is fun to play in at first, but things get tense as the food begins to run out. Determined to help, John bravely sets out on a supply run. Can one little boy in tennis racket snowshoes do enough to help his whole neighborhood? Find out in this funny, inspiring winter adventure based on the real experiences of Caldecott Honor-winning author and illustrator John Rocco.
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And two boys booed
by Judith Viorst
A collaborative tale by the
author
of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and the
illustrator
of the Ivy and Bean series finds a well-rehearsed little boy becoming progressively more nervous while watching fellow acts at a school talent show, in a tale complemented by 10 novelty flaps.
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Underwater Dogs: Kids Edition
by
Seth Casteel
Even the most elegant dogs can look pretty silly if you catch them at the right moment -- like when they leap into a pool in pursuit of a toy! Eyes goggling, tongues lolling, bubbles streaming out behind them, the swimming pooches in Underwater Dogs appear so goofy and exuberant that kids will want to keep turning pages until they've seen each and every one. Peppy rhyming captions accompany the photos in this playful, giggle-worthy collection, which reminds readers that "if you just jump in, you might have fun along the way."
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A Little Book of Sloth
by
Lucy Cooke
Is there anything cuter than baby sloths in pajamas? Or a great big cuddle puddle of sloths? Fans of all things furry and adorable will find it difficult to choose a favorite page in this photographic tour of a Costa Rican sloth sanctuary. While older kids will appreciate the fascinating facts and the breezy, jokey text (“baby sloths are Jedi masters of the hug"), the whole family will “awwwww” in unison at the plentiful color photos of these lovable, lackadaisical animals.
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Step Gently Out
by
Helen Frost; photographs by Rick Lieder
From sparkling dew to evening starlight, this quiet, lovely poem covers a day in the lives of nature's smallest wonders. Close-up photographs of insects -- including flashing fireflies, singing crickets, and bees in flight -- reveal the wealth of detail that can be seen by those who are willing to "be still, and watch." Combining thoughtful verse, stunning photos, and intriguing facts, Step Gently Out is a great choice for young naturalists, as well as for families looking for a calming bedtime book.
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Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World
by
Juliana Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Gerald R. Ulich; photographs by Zoo Berlin
Baby polar bear Knut was born at the Berlin Zoo to a mother who didn't know how to raise him. Zookeeper Thomas Dörflein stepped in to be little Knut's foster parent -- a commitment that meant he wouldn't leave the zoo grounds for four months. In addition to telling the story of the baby bear's first year, Knut highlights the threat that global warming poses to polar bears' natural habitat and suggests ways that kids can help. Even tots who are too young to appreciate the illuminating narrative will love the adorable photos of Knut.
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Swim, Duck, Swim!
by Susan Lurie; photographs by Murray Head
Despite encouragement from Mama and Papa Duck, fluffy little Duckling refuses to swim: "I told you once. I told you twice. I don't like to get wet." Crisp, full-page colour photographs capture Duckling's fear, stubbornness, and eventual triumph ("Look at me! Hooray! I'm not afraid") with such vividness that children can understand the action even without the loosely rhyming text, which is geared towards beginning readers.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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