When Lions Roar
by Robie Harris
IL by Chris Raschka
Someone gave my grandson an innocuous stuffed doll with BIG eyes.
When he saw it, his eyes got even bigger than “the scary guy’s.” (that’s what he called him). I wish I’d had this book with me then. With Robie Harris’s short yet powerful sentences and Chris Raschka’s bursts of heartfelt illustration, everyday terrors (to kids) spring up but quickly get squashed.All you have to do is close your eyes and command the “scary” to go away. Peace and happiness are restored.
PS “Scary Guy” stayed in the closet for a day until, miraculously, it disappeared.

Bogeyman 101 (A Survival Guide) arriving in August

Rocking Horse Press is publishing Bogeyman 101 this August!

Off beat for off beat parents and teachers

Knock! Knock! Knock! Who’s There? By Phillippe Goosens didn’t just surprise me. It made me laugh out loud. At first, I worried along with Bear when knocks from suspicious characters came in the middle of the night. A ghost, an ogre, a wolf and a witch, that’s who seem to want to come in. When Bear finds out it is his friend Archibald who’s knocking, he throws open the door. But Archibald has a surprise for bear. He brought new friends, the ghost, an ogre, wolf and witch.

To continue on an “off beat,”

 read a Mammoth in the Fridge by Michael Escoffier, illustrated by Mathieu Maudet. The mammoth’s embarrassment, the understated reaction from the family and firemen who chase him, make this story hilarious. How did the mammoth get in the fridge? Who put him there? That’s for you to find out.

Usually I pick books that make me laugh. Not this time. The Invisible Boy made me smile-sigh.
We all remember what it's like to be ignored, don't we? Sometimes it feels worse than being mocked.
What made The Invisible Boy special was that it's our hero, quiet Brian, who solves his own problem. He shows compassion to a new kid, who, instead of being ignored, like Brian is, is ridiculed. A nice addition is a bibliography at the back for adults and kids if they want to read more about "quiet" kids.

by Trudy Ludwig, 

Illustrated by Patrice Barton