Berenstain Bears offer a great way to share the story of Easter

In The Berenstain Bears and the Easter Story (Berenstain Bears/Living Lights), the Bear cubs and Papa are candy-crazy this Easter! But Mama, with help from Papa, tells the cubs about Jesus’ resurrection and shows them that salvation is much sweeter than candy.  The book includes a colorful sticker set.

Stan and Jan Berenstain introduced the first Berenstain Bear books in 1962. Mike Berenstain grew up watching his parents work together to write about and draw these lovable bears. Eventually he started drawing and writing about them too. Though Stan died in 2005, and Jan in 2012, Mike continues to create the delightful Bear adventures from the family home and studio in Pennsylvania, in an area that looks much like the sunny dirt road deep in Bear Country.

The books feature a family of anthropomorphic bears who generally learn a moral or safety-related lesson in the course of each story. Since the debut of the first Berenstain Bears book, The Big Honey Hunt, the series has grown to over 300 titles, which have sold approximately 260 million copies in 23 languages.

Following Jan Berenstain’s death in 2012, acclaimed children’s author Jerry Spinelli said that “the Berenstains made a wonderful and lasting contribution to children’s literature.” Author and professor Donna Jo Napoli said, “Those bears have helped so many children through so many kinds of challenges that kids face, in such a cheerful and kind of energetic way.” The Washington Post’s Alexandra Petri wrote that the books were “timeless, timely, and kind-hearted, like all the best literature,” and acknowledged the Post’s 1989 piece by saying, “This is one of the times the kids have the right idea …”.

Alan Katz Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary of I’m Still Here in the Bathtub: Silly Dilly Songs

“I’m Still Here in the Bathtub turned 10 years old on April 1st! Thanks to all who’ve sung along and laughed along for the past decade!” wrote Alan Katz on his Facebook page.

“If you fear you might go on a rampage if you hear the lyrics to “Wheels on the Bus” even one more time, take heart: These reimagined, “silly dilly” lyrics can breathe new life into kid favorites like “Wheels,” “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” and even “Bingo,” reads an amazon.com review.

Just as they did with Take Me Out of the Bathtub, Alan Katz and David Catrow lampoon the classics with rowdy humor and fun-to-sing rhymes. “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”? Nope. Try “He’s Got the Whole Beach in His Pants.” “Frere Jacques” becomes “I’m a menace” and you can forget about old McDonald and his farm–that tune now tells the story of “My friend Donald’s catfish parm.”

Katz wisely keeps the lyrics from straying too far into bathroom territory, keeping the fun both palatable and genuinely funny, and illustrator Catrow (Plantzilla, Santa Claustrophobia) again proves an indispensable member of the team, with wry details and memorable characters,” said reviewer Paul Hughes.

 Alan Katz has written many books for children and adults, including the award-winning songbooks Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs and I’m Still Here in the Bathtub, Where Did They Hide My Presents?, Are You Quite Polite?, Elfis, and Stinky Thinking. He has also written family humor and puzzles for publications including Rosie Magazine, The New York Times and the New York Daily News. He will have a whole bunch of new titles released in 2007, including Don’t Say That Word!, Hairy Henry, and the trivia series That’s Right, That’s Wrong!Alan is also a writer-producer with extensive television credits. He was recently a producer on The Tony Danza Show, and created and executive produced a reality show pilot (‘Til Monday Do Us Part) for Oxygen Network He also co-executive produced Apparently Speaking and wrote Oh Baby, You’re on TV! for Oh!Baby, Oxygen’s video-on-demand network. In 2006, Alan created and wrote a series of Dove webisodes starring Felicity Huffman and directed by Penny Marshall.Alan was also a five-time Emmy nominee for his writing for The Rosie O’Donnell Show, and he contributed songs and comedy material to shows and specials such as The 1999 and 2000 Grammy Awards, The 1998 and 2000 Tony Awards, ABC’s A Rosie Christmas special, HBO’s Kids Are Punny, Fergie, and ABC’s Kids Are People Too. Alan has also created shows, developed concepts and produced pilots for TNN, VH1, and King World.

Alan also scripted episodes for animated shows including Taz-Mania, Goof Troop and Disney’s Raw Toonage (Emmy nominee for Best Writing). Alan also created and wrote long running stage shows including Glued to the Tube and The Wheel of Fortune Live Tour, and he developed and wrote the Nickelodeon Studios Live Tour at Universal Studios in Orlando.

Alan has written print, television and radio advertising and promotional campaigns for a wide array of consumer products and entertainment properties, including Pepsi, McDonald’s, Disney World, The Weather Channel, HBO, Showtime, and many of the Rainbow Media networks.

As a follow-up to Take Me Out of the Bathtub (McElderry, 2001), Katz packs the same child-appealing humor into sadly sloppy lyrics that don’t scan with the well-known tunes he has tried to fit them to, and which go on far too long. “I Always Lose” (to the tune of “Skip to My Lou”) starts with the loss of a parka, backpack, and tuba, and continues, “Turned around, lunch box was gone/Could’ve sworn I had a hat on/There’s no sign of baby bro Ron/He’s a pain, but he’s darling.” “No Medication” (to the tune of “Down by the Station”) does what most kids dream of doing: “No medication/Don’t care what the doc says/Won’t put that stuff in my belly/Tastes bad, you know/Mom sticks it in ice cream/Thinks that she can fool me/I flick it out the window/Look out below!” Unfortunately, the lyrics are even more awkward and less funny when read aloud instead of sung. Catrow’s over-the-top, zany, mixed-media cartoons may pull readers into this collection that promises fun, but only delivers frustration. – School Library Journal

Fairly Fairy Tales: a Techo-modern Version of the Three Little Pigs

What would a techo-modern version of the Three Little Pigs look like? Little Red Riding Hood? Cinderella? Solar panels, discos, and salons meet fairy tales when a child and mom read together at bedtime.

There are scores of children’s books, both picture and chapter, that revamp traditional fairy tales. What makes Fairly Fairy Tales different? The illustrations by Chavarri put the traditional story in a modern setting with technology.

Parents and children love to play “question” games: Would you eat spaghetti made with gummy worms? Would you wear your clothes backwards all day? Sometimes the answer is “yes” and sometimes it’s “no”–but the fun is in the asking. Gifted writer and educator Esme Raji Codell has writtten a book that incorporates fractured fairy tales with this kind of parent-child interplay to create a pitch-perfect combination of bedtime read-aloud and fairytales that will delight children and parents! The pictures by Elisa Chavarri  are bright and cartoony.
Booklist said:

Kids current on their fairy tales will appreciate the whimsical way Codell spins the basics by adding one oddball element to each story told by a mother to her recalcitrant boy at bedtime. In the tale of the Three Little Pigs, for instance, solar panels make an appearance along with the straw and bricks. After the boy checks off the tried-and-true elements of Little Red Riding Hood, red hood, wolf, and grandma, he has to pause to consider if shampoo can figure into the plot: NOOOOO! Well, maybe. Chavarri’s colorful, almost wordless two-page spreads imagine how the twists impact each story and are packed with details delighted readers will pore over. At Grandma’s Beauty Salon, for instance, several wolves, one wearing a Big ‘N’ Bad T-shirt, are getting their fur pampered. Baskets of goodies are for sale, and Grandma is painting the heroine’s nails with Lil’ Red polish. This fun outing will be a surefire winner whenever it’s read bedtime or not.

Codell’s text is simple, but actually very smart. She presents three elements that readers who are familiar with fairy tales will recognize, then throws in a fourth element that does not traditionally belong with the fairy tale at all. On the page this is show as pictures on a white background with the words above them.

This collection of mixed-up fairy tales begins with a mother reading to a child at bedtime. “Kiss? Yes./Water? Yes./Bedtime? NOOOO!” The retro illustrations, reminiscent of the 60′s carry the story forward. They artfully create zany and fun juxtapositions. For example, in the story of the Three Little Pigs, sticks, straw and bricks are followed by, “Solar panels? NOOOOO!” and the next page concedes, “Well, maybe,” as readers are treated to a double-page spread depicting hippie pigs hanging solar panels on their brick townhouse. They work next to a community garden where a folk music concert is taking place. Sharp-eyed readers will spot the first of many visual jokes, including a wolf strolling by, handing out flyers promoting wind power.

By adding shampoo to Little Red Riding Hood’s story, the grandmother becomes a manicurist at a beauty salon.  Red gets her nails done as the woodsman expertly shampoos the wolf’s mane.  An abundance of the little details filled with sly humor make this book really  fun to read. The salon contains baskets of sale items, including “Den Head” fur wax, and a copy of “WQ” magazine (Wolf’s Quarterly, no doubt) for waiting patrons to read. A disco ball hangs from the ceiling and  readers find Cinderella shimmying in a silver jumpsuit and platform heels. She dances with a suspiciously John-Travolta-esque Prince Charming. Meanwhile, a bellbottomed Fairy Godmother looks on and giggles.

The recurring refrain of, “Well, maybe,” finally comes in to play at the end of the book as the mother and child say, “Kiss? Yes./Water? Yes./Bedtime? Well, maybe,” leaving the child snuggled soundly into bed.

Fairly Fairy Tales is a nice, fun addition to the pile, great for sharing one-on-one.

Ungifted by Gordon Korman: action, laugh-out-loud moments, and seriously great characters.

The word gifted has never been applied to a kid like Donovan Curtis. It’s usually more like Don’t try this at home. So when the troublemaker pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks he’s finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up by one of the administrators, instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction (ASD), a special program for gifted and talented students.It wasn’t exactly what Donovan had intended, but there couldn’t be a more perfect hideout for someone like him. That is, if he can manage to fool people whose IQs are above genius level. And that becomes harder and harder as the students and teachers of ASD grow to realize that Donovan may not be good at math or science (or just about anything). But after an ongoing experiment with a live human (sister), an unforgettably dramatic middle-school dance, and the most astonishing come-from-behind robot victory ever, Donovan shows that his gifts might be exactly what the ASD students never knew they needed.

Ungifted, by Gordon Korman has a bit of everything: action, some truly laugh-out-loud moments, and some seriously great characters. Donovan is a character we can all relate to. Sure, he’s a troublemaker. With his poor impulse control and his recklessness, chaos follows him wherever he goes. But hasn’t everyone felt ungifted at some time in their lives? In fact, if Donavan has one gift, it is the gift of troublemaking. Then there’s Donovan’s quirky teacher, Mr. Osborne … every child’s dream teacher. Chloe, and Abigail, Noah, and Katie round out the cast of supporting characters and help create a great reading experience.

As an average student, Donovan is the proverbial fish out of water at the Academy, at least to start with. Soon though, he and the other students start to realize that Donovan is exactly what the Academy needed: a breath of fresh air and limitless creativity. Its short chapters alternate between several characters’ point of view including Donovan’s, some of his teachers’ and a few of his fellow students’ at the Academy.

Korman displays his usual knack for engaging prose by comparing the day to day life of highly gifted students and that of “normal” students. Expectations can shape the life of students (gifted or not ) and the work underscores this idea. It also shows how labelling in classrooms can be problematic and how separating talented students from the rest of the student body is not a “best practice.” This is especially true when it completely sets them apart and they don’t even get a chance to interact socially.The story’s steady progress makes for an entertaining read and I didn’t want to put the book down. The manner in Donovan manages to get away with his trouble-making tendencies as well as the hero-worship for his daring-do are reminiscent of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Donovan is a godsend to the two gifted kids, Chloe and Noah. Both,  understandably, wish their learning experience was not separated from the rest of the student body. They too want a more “normal” life.

EXCERPT:
UNEARTHED
DONOVAN CURTIS
IQ: 112

I want a refund from ancestry.com.
They traced my family all the way back to the revolution. And in all those forefathers and foremothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins, there was nobody like me. No bigmouth hung for treason; no “classe clowne” who they stuck in the stocks and threw rotten vegetables at. The closest match was this guy in the Civil War who jumped off a battlement, whatever that is. And he only did it because the Union army was firing on Fort Sumter. That’s what they put on his tombstone, anyway. It sounds like a pretty good excuse to me.
I did things like that. If there were any battlements in my neighborhood, I’d probably jump off them all. And not because of any army. I’d do it just to see what would happen. Reckless, my mother called me. “Poor impulse control.” That’s the school psychologist. “You’re going to break your idiot neck one day, or someone’s going to break it for you.” My dad.
He was probably right. They were all right. But when the thing is right there in front of me, and I can kick it, grab it, shout it out, jump into it, paint it, launch it, or light it on fire, it’s like I’m a puppet on a string, powerless to resist. I don’t think; I do.
It can be little things, like throwing darts at a pool float to test my sister’s swimming skills, or spitting back at the llamas at the zoo. It can be more creative – a helium balloon, a fishhook, and Uncle Mark’s toupee. It can even be the smart-alecky comments that got me voted Most Likely to Wind Up in Jail in my middle school the last two years running.
“Our fans are great; our team is nifty. We’re going to get blown out by fifty.”
See, that was probably not the wisest thing to say on the day of the big game against our basketball arch-rivals, Salem Junior High. But I didn’t just say it; I broadcast it over the PA system to the entire school. I don’t know why I did it. The rhyme was already fully-formed – the poster advertising the big game had planted it there. It was definitely going to come out. Why share it with only the two Daniels, who were with me in the office awaiting sentence for our spitball war, when there was a perfectly good microphone a few feet away, unattended and live. Okay, it wasn’t live. I had to flick the switch.
The howl of protest that went up all around the building surprised even me. It was like I’d gone from house to house, poisoning everybody’s dog. It was probably for my own good that I wound up in detention. If I’d been free in the halls at three-thirty, I would have been lynched. The sense of humor at Hardcastle Middle School didn’t extend to their precious basketball team.
“Why’d you say we’re going to lose, man?” asked Whelan Kaiser, starting center, peering down at the top of my head from his six-foot-four vantage.
Why? There was no logical explanation for what I did. It had to come from my DNA. That’s why I needed ancestry.com.
I was the only kid in detention that afternoon. All crimes had been forgiven in order to pad the audience for the big game against Salem, which had to have already started. All crimes except mine – dissing the basketball team. Even the Daniels – two-thirds of the spitball war – had been cut loose while I was doing time.
The Daniels weren’t at the game. I knew this because they were skulking in the bushes outside the detention room, making grotesque faces at me through the window. If they could make me laugh – and it wasn’t easy to hold back – I’d be in even more trouble. As it was, Mr. Fender was checking his watch every thirty seconds. He wanted to be at the game, not babysitting me.
Finally, he could bear it no longer. “I’ll be right back,” he told me sternly.
The instant he was gone, the window was flung open from the outside.
“Come on!” hissed Daniel Sanderson. “Let’s get out of here!”
“He’s coming back,” I protested.
“No, he’s not,” scoffed the other Daniel – Daniel Nussbaum. “He’s going to the office to watch the feed from the security camera in the gym. You’ve only got ten more minutes. If he’s any kind of basketball fan, you’re golden.”
I was out the window like a shot, breathing sweet free air. See what I’m saying? The open road called, and I took it. This time I’d needed a little help. That’s where the Daniels came in. They helped me a lot. They’d helped me to the office with our spitball fight, and helped me to the PA mike by daring me to do it. With friends like them, sometimes I wondered why I would ever need enemies.
I turned on them. “Thanks for letting me take the fall alone. Your support was really touching.”
Nussbaum shrugged innocently. “I couldn’t take credit for your poem.”
“It wasn’t a poem. It just happened to rhyme.”
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that,” Sanderson put in. “Don’t you think that’s kind of dorky? I mean, who rhymes anymore?”
Excerpt Used by Permission