Giggle Book Award: Forest Play

This month the Giggle Book Award goes to Let’s Play In The Forest While The Wolf Is Not Around by Claudia Rueda, a fun illustration of a traditional French and Spanish children’s play song. The book turns the song into a very cute story about a young wolf who is getting ready for school while his friends play in the forest outside his house.

After the second reading, the children in my life had the words mostly memorized, so each person selects a part and we ‘read’ (perform?) it together. For example:

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Me: Let’s play int he forest while the wolf is not around.
Child: Wolf are you there?
Both: I’m putting on my underpants!

As you can imagine, the mere mention of underpants inspires laughter. Yet, this book’s real appeal is the ability to participate in the reading. While the kids are speaking their lines from memory, they are also pointing out the text being read, (i.e., this is my part and that is your part) so it’s also an excellent learning tool.

Another quote:

“Wolf, are you there?”
“Yes, and I am very hungry! And I am going to eat…Pancakes! My favorite!”

Moon Man and Plums

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During the final12 days before Christmas, I am posting quotes from Santa’s letters – courtesy of JRR Tolkien. It’s a wonderful book and a grand idea. I wish I’d thought of it. 🙂

“The Man in the Moon paid me a visit the other day—a fortnight ago exactly—he often does about this time, as he gets lonely in the Moon, and we make him a nice little Plum Pudding (he is so fond of things with plums in!).”

Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien

Giggle Book Award: Red Riding Hood Deconstructed

The August 2015 Giggle Book Award!

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I’ve read this book many times to the kids in my life and listened to them quote the book back to me at random moments throughout the day. I honestly don’t know if they are remembering the book or the funny voices I make while reading it.

If you enjoy reading children’s books as though they were theatrical performances (yes, I do this), then this book is made just for you! In fact, this is a perfect candidate for a reader’s theater performance – if you are a theater student looking for Reader’s Theater (AKA: Chamber Theatre or Interpretive Theatre) material…you’re welcome.

Quotes:

“So let’s see if I have this right. The Red hood is on her way to help an old lady when she meets the Wolfman. He has an evil plan. He likes to dress up in girl’s clothes and eat people. He and Red have a big battle, and Red’s father puts an end to Wolfie.

Well…Sort of…

It’s not a very nice story, is it?”

The Cat, The Dog, Little Red, The Exploding Eggs, the Wolf and Grandma by Diane and Christyan Fox

Security or Identity?

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On the Steps of the Palace

“So then which do you pick:
Where you’re safe out of sight,
And yourself, but where everything’s wrong,
Or where everything’s right,
And you know that you’ll never belong?”

Into The Woods, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine

Good and Bad Out There

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This quote is a good example of the creepy…not scary, but creepy…nature of this book. Some of these stories may stick with you in rather unsettling ways:

He had read books, newspapers, and magazines. He knew that if you ran away you sometimes met bad people who did bad things to you; but he had also read fairy tales, so he knew that there were kind people out there, side by side with the monsters.

M Is for Magic by Neil Gaiman

This collection of stories was inspired by children’s stories, fairy tales and the like. However, this is Neil Gaiman – the stories are excellent, but they are not for children.

Scared and Prepared

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I Know Things Now

“Do not put your faith in a cape and a hood.
They will not protect you the way that they should.
And take extra care with strangers,
even flowers have their dangers,
And though scary is exciting,
Nice is different than good.
Now I know, don’t be scared.
Granny is right, just be prepared.
Isn’t it nice to know a lot?
..And a little bit.. not.”

Into The Woods, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine

Wishing, Wanting and Solitude

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Cinderella At the Grave

“I’ve been good and I’ve been kind, Mother,
Doing only what I learned from you.
Why, then, am I left behind, Mother,
Is there something more that I should do?”

“Are you certain what you wish is what you want?”

Into The Woods, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine

Her Own Rope

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Eve’s Mouth

“Now we’ve got to Rapunzel, she’s chilling in the tower
Waiting for the handsome prince
She’s sapped of all her power
Finally, one day, the handsome prince in town
Called up to Rapunzel, “Yo girl, let it down!”
But our dear Rapunzel was nowhere to be seen,
Yes our dear Rapunzel had learned something keen
“All that time alone kinda taught me how to cope,
So I shaved my head and I made me a rope!””

Built Like That by Alix Olson

Not Good, Not Nice, Just Right

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Last Midnight

“You’re so nice.
You’re not good, you’re not bad,
You’re just nice.
I’m not good, I’m not nice,
I’m just right.
I’m the witch.
You’re the world.
I’m the hitch, I’m what no one believes.
I’m the witch.”

Into The Woods, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine

Big Bad Makes Amends

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“The truth is so embarrassing, and what’s important is that I’ve changed. Really, I have.”

“Friends,” said the former menace, “it’s not enough for me to say I’m sorry. I have to prove it and repair my reputation. Here is your very own piggyback mansion.”

Tell The Truth B.B. Wolf, written by Judy Sierra and Illustrated by J. Otto Seibold