4th April International Carrot Day

Yesterday at school we had our Easter Hat Parade and there were lots of carrots featured on hats and that got me thinking about how many picture books feature carrots too. In fact there is a book on this year's UKLA Book Award shortlist that has a carrot as a main character, Colin and Lee Carrot and Pea. This shortlist is chosen by students and teachers so the books have stood up to classroom reading scrutiny.

As it happens to be International Carrot Day on the 4th April, when the students get back from Easter break the first display of books they will see as they walk through the library doors will be celebrating carrots.

There they will see:
• Colin and Lee, Carrot and Pea by Morag Hood

• The Giant Carrot by Allan Manham & Penny Dann
• Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds
• Too Many Carrots by Katie Hudson
• Carrot Soup by John Segal
• Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens
• Chickens Can't See in the Dark by Kristyna Litten
• Lottie and Dottie Sow Carrots by Claire Burgess
• The Princess and the Pea and Carrots by Harriet Ziefert
• Dozy Bear and the Secret of Food by Katie Blackburn & Richard Smythe
• Carrots Grow Underground by Mari Schuh
• Planting Radishes and Carrots by Faye Bolton
• The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
• When Carrots Ruled the World  by David LeBarron
• Parrot Carrot by Jol & Kate Temple
• Wolfish Stew by Suzi Moore & Erica Salcedo
• Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French & Bruce Whatley
• T-Veg: The Story of a Carrot Crunching Dinosaur by Smitri Prasadam-Halls


What have I missed?

24th February Peter Brown

Peter Brown is one of the illustrators who has just been honoured in the Caldecott Medal list for his illustrations in the book Creepy Carrots written by Aaron Reynolds, and today is his birthday. His website offers so much information that can be used with children and I can't wait to share his first book about his dog that he wrote and illustrated when he was six. This will be so inspiring for children who see themselves as writers. Also in an interview here, about his book The Curious Garden, Peter Brown's  answer to the question, 'Do you have any advice for you readers?' is 'Be curious'. What a great focus for a study of his books? I want to put all of his books out for my book club  and then send them off to read and peruse them with that instruction, 'be curious'. Then I would show this video and this one too. When we get together to discuss what they have found I will be able to see where their curiosity has taken them. It would be wonderful to use the See Think Wonder questions as a focus.

What I find admirable from the interviews is that Brown’s goal is simple, “to make books that kids really want to read, to help prevent reluctant readers like myself.”

“I try to make stories that are really fun, but there’s also a bit of a lesson in there, secretly,” Brown admits. “I don’t want to turn kids off, but a story without a lesson is not really a story.” For Brown, it’s connecting with his readers that’s important. “I spend a lot of time thinking about my readers when I’m coming up with a story, and I think I know what my audience needs."