This Picture Book Life

the thing about yetis + edible play dough yeti craft!

01.26.2016

The Thing About Yetis by Vin Vogel (2015).

The title of this book refers to yetis plural, but we get to follow one particular yeti and his little furry buddy to illustrate all the things about yetis.

And the thing is, yetis love winter. They are abominable snowmen after all. But let it be known this pair is not abominable at all! Cute and zany are the words that come to mind.

(click image(s) to enlarge)

They’re downright childlike! Our yeti loves hot chocolate and snow castles and pretending to be Godzilla. Our yeti plays in the snow with human kids in the most good-natured way.

He may be built for the cold, but winter can be a bit much even for him—our yeti gets pretty poofy when his fur finally dries after a day in the drifts.

Our yeti can even become down in the dumps with all that snow.

Which leads us to a little known fact: yetis love summer! Our yeti loves sand castles too!

This is a book for winter and dreaming of summer. Or for summer and dreaming of winter. Or really, any time you feel like following a sweet, cute-pie yeti who likes to pretend he’s Godzilla.

Big thanks to Penguin Young Readers for images!

The minute I saw this book, I thought, “Yeti craft!” And then I thought, “Edible yeti craft!”

These sweeties are made from edible play dough. And while I wouldn’t recommend eating them whole (definitely not!), if little hands get in little mouths, this recipe makes it safe. I also took edible to heart and completed the craft with candy. Everything is edible!

The play dough was very simple to make and so therapeutic to play around with.

What you need:

For the play dough:

A 12 ounce tub of whipped topping (I used Cool Whip)

3/4 of a 16 ounce box of cornstarch

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

Bowl

Wooden spoon

For the big yeti’s face:

2 Blue candy melts

2 mini chocolate chips

Dab-N-Hold edible adhesive

1 pink Sweet Tarts Chewy

Toothpick

For the little yeti:

2 mini chocolate chips

1 pink gummy candy

2 blue Sweet Tarts (earmuffs!)

Winter setting:

Toblerone snow capped chocolate mountains

Powdered sugar (or flour or mini marshmallows…)

Summer setting:

Sweet Tarts Chewy candies (or any colorful candy for sand)

Seashell chocolates

Orange/yellow gummy sun

You can, of course, play around with all this and make it totally your own with what you’ve got on hand.

To make the play dough, I followed this recipe from Kids Activities Blog. Combine a whole (thawed) tub of whipped topping and the olive oil and then add in corn starch mixing with a wooden spoon. You can add corn starch bit by bit until it gets to a consistency that’s easy to work with. Then, shape your yetis by rolling a big ball of dough and squishing it into an oval. Then taper the top part slightly. Next, roll three small tubes of dough and adhere them to the respective yeti’s heads as hair.

For the faces, luckily all the candy sticks right into the dough! It’s that simple! For big yeti’s eyeballs though, I used Dab-N-Hold to adhere the mini chocolate chips in place. Finally, use a toothpick to carve simple mouths into their faces. That’s it! Then rip open some bags of candy and set whatever scene you’d like!

Voila!

Putting them in snow was so much fun (and worth the clean up). I also can’t help but smile at little yeti’s candy earmuffs.

And we can’t forget a summer scene too! Yetis also love the beach.

My favorite detail is that chocolate mountain range. To yetis!

picture books on opposites

picture books for pairing

01.19.2016

These picture books explore opposites, but not just in terms of stripes or colors, in terms of characters as well. And in both cases, they not only show us what it means to be opposite—horizontal or vertical; black or white—they demonstrate the saying that opposites do, in fact, attract!

Mister Horizontal & Miss Vertical by Noémie Révah and Olimpia Zagnoli (2014).

(click image(s) to enlarge)

Two characters, one drawn to tall, the other to long. Miss Vertical is a fan of elevators, hot air balloons, and bungee jumping. Mister Horizontal likes scooters, naps, and the ocean. And yet, they’re a perfect match.

This is a wonderful book to illustrate a concept, which is a great skill on its own. But it’s so much fun along the way, thanks in large part to the poppy design that dances on the page in all directions. So bold. So graphic. So Olimpia Zagnoli!

Miss Vertical’s gestures are straight and up and down. Mister Horizontals are curved and round. Together, they’re an X and O.

That’s my one of my favorite spreads, Miss Vertical dangling from a tree, the forest background a lot like her shirt. And the perfect pop of red shoe.

The story was inspired by this photograph by René Maltête. So in a spoiler alert, these two have a child at the end of the book. And the child isn’t exactly like mom or dad. Nope, neither type of stripe will do!

Big thanks to Enchanted Lion Books for images!

Black Cat, White Cat by Silvia Borando (2014).

And now, another kind of opposite! Black and White cats, from the tips of their noses to the tips of their tails. And they like opposite settings, which help them stand out—night and day!

Black Cat likes daytime, when dark-colored swallows soar. White Cat likes nighttime, when bright stars twinkle. But they’re not stuck in their ways. They’re curious cats, adventuring into the reverse unknown.

And there, on the way to new things, they meet. I imagine it’s dusk, but it could be sunrise too. Each experiences new things: fireflies and bumblebees. They discover how much they like to be together.

And at the end, six kittens! And neither black nor white at that. You’ll have to read the book to find out their colorful surprise! (Hint: it’s not a tomato and tasty as juice.)

A pair of picture books. Two love letters to contrast.

pom pom panda gets the grumps + pom pom panda craft!

Picture Book Crafts

01.12.2016

Pom Pom Panda Gets the Grumps by Sophy Henn (2015).

Sophy Henn‘s debut, Where Bear? was exceptional. (See my post on what makes it A+). And her second picture book does not disappoint.

Pom Pom is cute as a button. He’s in a mid-century-inspired world with colors that pop while remaining pastel.

(click image(s) to enlarge)

But he can’t find his blanket, his hair’s all messed up, and it’s generally a rotten day. You know the kind. To this, Pom Pom says, “Harrumph!”

He takes it out on his friends when they try to play with him. He yells, “Go Away!” which is kind of like a “harrumph” blown up. The whole page explodes in red and Pom Pom’s friends are smart enough to flee.

Pom Pom is left very very alone. He realizes his mistake—that he let his grumps get the better of him. You know the feeling.

He repairs. He plays with his friends. And then, well, something small happens. Again. This may not be the end of Pom Pom’s journey. Because really, don’t we all have to learn things over and over in order for them to stick?

Thanks to Sophy Henn for images!

This is a book that calls out for a craft! That cute Pom Pom! This one’s super easy to make too.

What you need:

Black construction paper

White computer paper

Scissors

Pencil

Fabric glue (Elmer’s might work too)

One large white pom pom (like this)

Shave off the sides of the pom pom with scissors to make a more square-ish shape for Pom Pom’s head.

Cut out ears, a tiny sliver of a mouth shape, and the main eye patch shape from black paper. (I traced from the book, which always helps.) Then cut out white u’s from white paper. Glue all the parts in place.

You can cut out some starry shapes as well for Pom Pom’s background if you like.

Voila!

You might also be interested in making a Beekle character!

picture book life advice

PICTURE BOOKS +

01.05.2016

I often look to picture books for nuggets of wisdom, so here are ten with life advice found in their themes. May they be your literary fortune cookies for the new year!

Sidewalk Flowers by JonArno Lawson and Sydney Smith (2015).

A masterful wordless story wherein a girl and father walk home through a city. Only she notices the little blooms of color, collecting them for what becomes a special purpose.

My Pen by Christopher Myers (2015).

Even when you don’t have much influence or money or age, you have the power of your own pen to create something all yours, something limitless.

Tough Guys Have Feelings Too by Keith Negley (2015).

This book cracks me up while hitting at something astute. Superheroes, lucha libre wrestlers, and race car drivers all cry sometimes, just like you.

Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian, illustrated by Mike Curato (2016).

Weddings are wonderful opportunities to embrace tradition and change. Meet worm and worm, a lovely couple who knows top hats and veils don’t define them.

Little Kunoichi The Ninja Girl by Sanae Ishida (2015).

A ninja girl who isn’t quite a ninja yet. A little samurai who’s not quite a samurai yet. They help each other. They practice. They aren’t perfect, but that’s not really the point.

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mallick, illustrated by Sophie Blackall (2015).

A historical story inside a bedtime story for a boy. A soldier and a bear cub. An enduring character based on a real life friendship.

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet (2014).

A treasure box of a book about finding the right word and following your passion/obsession/preoccupation/fixation.

Ballet Cat: The Totally Secret Secret by Bob Shea (2015).

A brilliant picture book with a message for those of us who don’t like to speak up for fear of upsetting others’ feelings. After all, a good friend wants to hear what you have to say!

Bernice Gets Carried Away by Hannah E. Harrison (2015).

Poor Bernice. This birthday party is not going her way. And then it takes her up, up, and away! On the way down, she figures out how sharing with others brings its own happy.

My Red Balloon by Kzuaki Yamada (2014).

After a day spent searching for a balloon, a girl, a bus driver, and animal passengers lose it just as they’ve found it. But then, the sunset! Another red balloon that is there day after day, a constant to count on.

You might also like 15 Creative Lessons on Creativity from Picture Books.

my one item gift guide

PICTURE BOOKS +

12.08.2015

The World Belongs to You by Riccardo Bozzi, illustrated by Olimpia Zagnoli.

I found this gem browsing a store in my neighborhood. I read it. I cried. I read it to my husband that night. He cried. There was something so hopeful and true about this picture book I wanted to buy it for everyone I know.

This is a gift you could give a friend, a relative, a co-worker, or an entire family. A quick, wise read, a great design specimen, a festively-colored cover.

It’s beautifully designed and lovely to ponder. The text is super simple, but so engaging and resonant when you imagine it directed at either a child or adult. There’s an acknowledgement of pain from the very first. “You are free. Hopefully.” But that potential for pain, throughout, is balanced with growth and the potential for joy.

Some might feel this book isn’t actually for children at all, but the illustrations show me it is. A ghost, bold shapes, a bike, ice cream, a rainbow. But it’s the kind of book that can walk someone through childhood and way beyond it. Through intellectual pursuits, through heartache, through friendship, through failure, through sadness, through successes big and small.

Even the sentiment of the title, beginning, and close: you, reader, the world belongs to you. And you belong to the world. Isn’t that something we need to remember at this time of year, always? That the world is ours but that we have an obligation to the world as well. That we’re all connected. That red and green are complementary colors. Different. Related. Opposite sides of one wheel.

Thanks to Candlewick Press for the second two images!