Today on PPBF I’m featuring another author participating in the WOW retreat.
Jill Esbaum, a rhymer, hits age-old childhood themes in new and creative ways.
(from worldcat.org) When a giant hand scoops up her mama, Teeny the tiny toad hops like lightning to her big brothers: “Mama’s stuck inside a bucket! Help!” “Don’t you worry, kid. We’ll save her!” the boys promise. But as the brothers bumble and stumble to the rescue, it becomes clear: brawn can’t always beat brains, and the smallest girl may be the smartest of all.
Writing: If you were Teeny Tiny Toady, how would you have solved the problem? Write a new ending to the story.
Reading skills: Identify the rhymes. Extend with more.
This book has won numerous awards. Nadine, the cow, claims that she’s not afraid of anything. Her friends call her bluff, and they head into the deep, dark woods.
For writers, this is an excellent book to examine rhyme and pacing. Also her character development – Nadine is pure child, faces her fears, and maintains her dignity.
This one deals with peer fear – a tough-guy dog who’s afraid his brothers will laugh at him if he exposes his love of writing poetry. The contrast between his street life and inner musings is fun and aptly illustrates the conflict between our outer and inner selves. The ending is great. Kids will get it from the illustration, but parents will chuckle at another level. Love this book!
Fellow writers will feel his pain: He scribbled and scrawled. Reconsidered. Erased. He wadded up papers. He pondered. He paced. He scoured his thesaurus. He struggled for rhymes. He started from scratch at least eighty-two times.
I love the theme of “Teeny Tiny Toady.” Big and loud isn’t always best — small and thoughtful might just get the job done. They rhyme sounds like it works well. I like quiet books. Also enjoyed your comments about Jill Esbaum’s other two books, “I Am Cow Hear Me Moo!” and “Stanza.” Fun to study an author’s rhyming style.
I’ve already added Jill’s books to my library– ❤ them!