BOOKS BY BETHANY ROBERTS
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CAMEL CARAVAN Catch a ride with these dizzy dromedaries. You'll have a thumping good time! "Jumping and stumping on their way, a group of discontented camels leave the desert only to discover that there is no place like home. Bumped in boxcars and whumped by fussy bus passengers, they give up pumping bikes and stump on to a plane from which they jump with parachutes so that they can once again clump about the desert. Staccato phrasing and the rhyme make this a fun read-aloud. The 'ump' sounds readily invite enthusiastic participation as children thump, and occasionally slump, with these voyaging dromedaries. The various types of travel from trucks to boats are easily identifiable in the illustrations. The double-page spreads in a warm, softly bright palette of cut paper collage capture the mood and action of the text. The amusing expressions and positions of these five malcontents, whose broad shapes fill the pages, further enhance the fun. Lines that draw readers into the action also catapult their eyes beyond the boundaries of the pages. Youngsters will enjoy this merry romp with these 'ships of the desert. School Library Journal "inspired looniness" Kirkus "droll" Booklist Tambourine Books available from www.backinprint.com (Camel Caravan) |
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CHRISTMAS MICE! While the holiday mice are busy spreading holiday cheer, what is the cat up to? This delightful read-aloud captures all the anticipation and goodwill that come with this special season. "Joining their other books, the Christmas Mice are preparing for another holiday. They harvest a tree (a sprig) and decorate it, prepare cookies, and wrap presents. Then they venture outside to sing carols in the snowy woods. The cat has been lurking nearby and much to the mice's surprise he has left a present. They reciprocate. It is all told in a simple text that is filled with lots of onomatopoeia and with drawings that are full of charm. Young ones will surely enjoy the holidays with the Christmas Mice." Children's Literature "The pen-and-ink and watercolor art is charming." School Library Journal "Doug Cushman's engaging, whimsical drawings accompanies a fine holiday story of four jolly mice who prepare for Christmas.... A simple, fun holiday title for the young picturebook reader." Midwest Book Review Clarion Books |
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| DOUBLE TROUBLE GROUNDHOG DAY illustrated by Lorinda Cauley A squabbling set of twins learns the art of cooperation in this seasonal tale from Roberts. When Grampie Groundhog announces his retirement, fractious twins Gregory and Greta decide they each want the job. Like most siblings, twins or otherwise, the duo have no little difficulty sharing. Disappointment looms when Grampie selects just one successor, Gregory. However, when his anxiety over this new responsibility nearly ruins Groundhog Day, the pair discover that two is better than one-especially when they work together. Cauley's watercolor-and-colored pencil illustrations have a classic feel to them, featuring amber-hued, cozy home scenes that neatly complement the tale and capture the twins' antics with a keen and comical precision. The happy resolution of the story provides a satisfying conclusion and with its simple explanation of Groundhog Day, this warm-hearted tale offers readers an entertaining introduction to an annual event. (Picture book. 4-8) Kirkus Review Henry Holt and Company hardcover ISBN-13: 9780805082807 |
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| EASTER MICE illustrated by Doug Cushman Ready, set, let's begin the egg hunt! Hidden everywhere are colorful eggs of all shapes and sizes, but the littlest mouse sibling is distracted by the sights and sounds of the early spring day and doesn't find even one. Discouraged, he wanders off to sulk and ends up stumbling across the best egg of all--one that hatches into a surprise Easter friend. Brief, rhymed stanzas, classic illustrations in a rainbow of Easter colors, and a character preschoolers are sure to identify with guarantee EASTER MICE! will be as appealing and popular as the previous books about the holiday mice. |
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ELEVEN ELEPHANTS GOING UP! Eleven silly elephants teach the ordinal numbers as they wreak havoc in a department store from the first floor to the eleventh floor. "Eleven elephants running rampant in an elevator visit all eleven floors of a department store. Counting and the letter "L" are highlighted. Children will enjoy this colorful and whimsical story." Librarians Book Review Whispering Coyote Press/Charlesbridge |
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GRAMPS AND THE FIRE DRAGON Jesse and Gramps aren't sleepy, so they imagine pictures in the fireplace flames. Soon they see a fire dragon and the adventure begins. Can Jesse save Gramps from the not-so-scary dragon and lead them safely home? "Roberts' tale has a breathless quality that will keep children turning the pages" School Library Journal "celebrates both the delights of storytelling and the special relationship between grandparent and grandchild." Booklist "This book could be the springboard for adventures other grandpas and grandkids might have" Children's Literature "This is a celebration of imaginations and storytelling" Children's Choices for 2001(International Reading Association and The Children's Book Council) Clarion Books |
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| MAY BELLE AND OGRE: illustrated by Marsha Winborn |
| One summer night, May Belle meets an Ogre who wants to steal her pretty hat, her pretty gloves, and even her pretty feet with their toenails painted pink. At first May Belle is scared. But the Ogre turns out to be just a furry little Ogre. Then May Belle isn't scared at all. She also knows just what to do with that pesky Ogre-make a new friend! May Belle and Ogre sing songs, bake pies, and even paint their toenails pink. Readers will admire May Belle's spunky independence and delight in her fun with her bad-mannered buddy. "May Belle is a perky little blonde with fuzzy black eyebrows, freckles, and bare feet. She lives with her tiny dog in a cottage in the mountains, where she meets Ogre, a furry gray critter (with fuzzy black eyebrows) who seems in need of a friend. In three short chapters, May Belle and Ogre get to know each other, and Ogre becomes more civilized due to May Belle's no-nonsense guidance. First Ogre gets a bath, a pink bow, and pink toenail polish; then he learns to bake a blueberry pie; and finally he craves the warmth of a home and friends and moves in with May Belle and her dog. The easy-to-read text is interspersed with lots of sound-effect words in all caps, along with several short songs that May Belle sings, set in a different typeface in curving lines. Winborn's whimsical illustrations add clever touches to the overall effort, and her May Belle might be a country cousin of Sendak's Rosie. (Easy reader. 6-8)" Kirkus Reviews "A spunky heroine, buoyant text, and irresistible illustrations make this easy reader a real winner." School Library Journal Dutton Easy Reader |
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| ROSIE TO THE RESCUE illustrated by Kay Chorao Rosie is worried. Why aren't her parents home yet? The reassuring, heroic text and fun-filled illustrations address one of children's biggest fears while celebrating one little squirrel's bravery. Selected for the Bank Street's The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2004 edition "Dealing with a common preschooler fear, this amusing book will hit the spot with apprehensive youngsters." Henry Holt and Company |
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VALENTINE MICE! Fun to read-aloud, with endearing illustrations, this is a story young valentines will cherish. "The Valentine Mice make sure that every living creature receives a valentine message. Fun-filled and lively illustrations along with a short but wonderful text make this a great story of love, friendship, and acceptance." American Bookseller Pick of the Lists "Four bustling mice deliver Valentine's Day cards to animals living in a snowy forest. The rhyming text is cheerful and moves along quickly: 'More to deliver. Cross the pond./ Slide. Glide. Slip! Flip!' The smallest mouse is temporarily buried in snow.... Will the others find him? Can they pull him out? Not to worry. This holiday story would not be complete without a group hug to make the cold little creature feel better. The bright water-color cartoons add to the fun. The pleased expressions of the creatures receiving the cards are charming." School Library Journal "perky" Booklist "welcome balance of the real and the whimsical" Publishers Weekly "will draw the young reader in" Kirkus Clarion Books |
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THE WIND'S GARDEN This picture book's simple verse and vibrant illustrations contrast a beautiful, cultivated garden tended by a young girl, with a wild, wonderful garden created by the wind. "Roberts focuses on two parallel gardens- one carefully cultivated, the other a product of nature- in this cheery picture book. 'I planted a garden. The wind planted a garden, too,' announces the narrator, a lively girl with a green thumb and carrot-colored hair. As she charts the growth of both gardens, in simple phrases ('The wind didn't weed. Its garden just grew'), readers can see for themselves the contrast between the girl's carefully tended plot with its neatly ordered rows, and the result of what happens when the wind 'swirled around, throwing seeds to the ground, here and there and everywhere.' The narrator makes no ultimate judgments; instead she happily appreciates the beauty of both styles. Like the gardens themselves, Greenberg's vibrant, folk-art style gouache paintings burst with life, from the swooping curlicues used to indicate the wind to the zinnia-bright colors of the flowers and surrounding yard. Pink and purple sheets hang on the clothesline; a peach-colored house boasts a periwinkle door; a rolling line of blue hills anchors the horizon. This breezy tale ends with a few brief tips from the author on cultivating gardens both domestic and wild." Publishers Weekly "could inspire the reader to become a young gardener." Kirkus Reviews "A good book for reading aloud." Booklist "this book is a fine inspiration for discussing the role of people in natural spaces." School Library Journal "there is lovely symmetry here, and the dicotomy between the wild and the cultivated with its resonant philosophical implications is presented attractively and simply." Children's Literature Henry Holt and Company |
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