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National Day of the Cowboy is July 23!
Alice reckoned there was room for more than one cowgirl in Pennsylvania. So she and Lexis hopped up onto their ponies and trotted off down the trail.
–Alice From Dallas by Marilyn Sadler and illustrated by Ard Hoyt
Additional resources:
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In faraway Scotland, here was a famous lake called Loch Ness. And legend had it that deep in this lake lived a monster. No one had ever seen it. But guess what? The legend was false. In truth, way way down at the bottom of Loch Ness there lived not one but three monsters!
–The Lock Mess Monster, written by Helen Lester and illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
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“Don’t look back! Don’t look back, Soren! Believe!” But this time it was not Grimble calling. It was Gylfie. Just as they reached the stone rim, they felt a curl of warm air. And it was as if vast and gentle wings had reached out of the night, and swept them up into the sky. They did not look back. They did not see the torn owl on the library floor. They did not hear Grimble, as he lay dying, chant in the true voice of the Boreal Owl, in tones like chimes in the night, an ancient owl prayer: “I have redeemed myself by giving belief to the wings of the young. Blessed are those who believe, for indeed they shall fly.”
–The Guardians of Ga’Hoole, Book One: The Capture, by Kathryn N Lasky
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Eddie listened to the owls hooting, and to the little creatures scuffling in the grass outside. He pretended he was a boy living in the stone age, a bold and fearless boy, safe in his cave.
-Eddie’s Tent and How to go Camping by Sarah Garland
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Tonglong was wearing the ceremonial white jade armor traditionally reserved for China’s rightful ruler, and holding a white jade sword of similar significance. He glowed like a beacon in the bright moonlight, and seemed to think that his outfit should make the Forbidden City forces bow at his feet. It did not.
The Five Ancestors Book 7: Dragon by Jeff Stone
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‘How shall I put it, to a brain so much smaller and less clever than mine… The thing is, we are all, in a sense, supper. Walking, talking, breathing suppers, that’s what we are. Take you, for instance. YOU are about to be eaten by ME, so that makes you supper. That’s obvious. But even a murderous carnivore like myself will be a supper for worms one day. We’re all snatching precious moments from the peaceful jaws of time,’ said the Dragon cheerfully. ‘That’s why it’s so important,’ he continued, ‘for the supper to sing as beautifully as it can.’
How To Train Your Dragon (Book 1) by Cressida Cowell
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“There is water beneath me, and the air smells of salt and sunshine. What more could I wish for?” asked the dragon.
“Nothing. Nothing at all,” agreed Jenna.
–Septimus Heap, Book One: Magyk by Angie Sage
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Gylfie’s directness shocked Soren. He stopped blinking and looked straight at the Elf Owl. “Look. What did I just tell you? Everything here at St. Aggie’s is upside down and inside out. It’s our job not to get moon blinked and to stand right side up in an upsidedown world. If we don’t do that we’ll never be able to escape. We’ll never be able to think. And thinking is the only way we’ll be able to plan an escape.”
–The Guardians of Ga’Hoole, Book One: The Capture, by Kathryn N Lasky
Every family needs that special play time that just brings the whole family together as a team. For some families it’s a game like football, baseball or soccer. For the family in the Ninja! books by Arree Chung, it’s pretending to be NINJAS!
I strongly recommend reading these books together because the two stories, combined, illustrate the Ninja bond within the family illustrated.
Ninja!
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Ninja! is about Max, a young boy, playing pretend-ninja and causing trouble throughout the house. He wakes up his dad, steals his sister’s cookie and causes her to accidentally fall on her bottom (it was not intentional), which earns the little ninja some punishment time.
Oddly enough, according to the children in my life, the punishment is one of the funniest parts of the book – and it consists of nothing more than a picture of mom’s arm pointing and the little ninja leaving the kitchen, clearly downtrodden, with the words:
I have been shamed.
As mentioned in previous posts, I tend to use children’s books as an opportunity to indulge in a little reader’s theater. In this case, I point to the hand with an ‘uh-oh,’ which is usually echoed by the children because ALL children know what the silent point means. Then I read the words “I have been shamed” in a very dramatic ‘shamed’ voice.
Giggles galore.
Then the story takes a turn for the better as the little ninja makes amends with his little sister by giving her a costume and saying:
Baby sister, let me teach you the way of the ninja.
And they are off…
Ninja! Attack of the Clan
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Attack of the Clan features Max playing pretend-ninja alone but, this time, he doesn’t want to play alone – he wants someone to play with him. He trying to entice his sister, mother and father, but each one is fully absorbed in another task.
a misunderstanding between father and son leads Max to believe his father has agreed to play hide-and-seek when his father hasn’t even heard what Max was saying. End result? Max confronts his father, realizes the error, and returns to his room with hurt feelings.
This is a scenario most children fully understand.
Then, things change.
Maxwell, time for dinner!
So, Max heads downstairs, looking for the family, and finds dinner on the table but no one around – except the dog who is lapping up the soup. BUT, what Max does not know, but the reader DOES know, is that his entire family has bot on their ninja costumes and taken hiding places all over the dining room.
Surprise Attack!
The entire family jumps out and an epic pretend-battle ensues. First Max takes down dad by poking him in the belly button and tying him up with a jump-rope.
Then he give his mom a kiss and shouts:
The Kiss of Death!
Finally, it’s little sister’s turn.
The little ninja is elusive. She is small but powerful.
Little sister hides from Max long enough to jump on his back and lick his face.
SLURP!
I’ve been licked.
I love my ninja clan!
Between the drawings and the text,the readers theater opportunities are wonderful!
Giggles, giggles and more giggle!
The best part? The family is clearly having a wonderful time playing pretend and bonding through play.
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Wilson looked up. One star shone brighter and clearer than all the others. Wilson swallowed his tears. “That’s our star!” His little legs darted across the dark side to the bright side of the moon. And back to Hopper.
–Hopper and Wilson Fetch A Star by Maria Van Lieshout
