GASTON

May is our month to recognize mothers.
What children’s book mothers go above and beyond?

Welcome to KidLit Gems!

Join us in a coffee-style chat about favorite children’s books and the elements that make them shine.

This month’s theme: KidLit Gems for Mom

NameplateAnnasGemIGASTON
Text © 2014, Kelly DiPucchio
Illustrations © 2014, Christian Robinson

GASTONCover450Picture
Book

Fiction

Age Range:
4-8 years

Grade Level:
Preschool-Third

Antheneum Books
for
Young Readers

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division

Awards

Kirkus, Starred Review
Horn Book Magazine, Starred Review
Shelf Awareness, Starred Review
Publisher’s Weekly, Best Summer Books 2014

Mrs. Poodle admired her new puppies, Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La, and Gaston. ~ Gaston

Gaston is a story about a delivery room mix-up that goes right. What’s not to love? It has humor. Fi-Fi? Foo-Foo? Ooh-La-La? I bet Kelly DiPucchio’s critique group spit cappuccino out of their noses when they first read these names out loud.

It has smarts. Alliterations please the ears: “There was much to see. Daffodils. Ducklings. Dogs.” Attention-getting cues engage: “Would you like to see them again?”

It has heart. Despite parenting alone and discovering a post-delivery mix-up, the canine supermoms, Mrs. Poodle and Mrs. Bulldog, raise well-adjusted,  thriving offspring. This is the perfect book for those who question their place in the world. While researching Gaston, I was surprised by nature vs. nurture debates.  My take: While every family situation is different, one element remains the same. Belonging isn’t about similarities. It’s about love.

Christian Robinson’s retro illustrations, including the Poodle and Bulldog family pictures; make me miss my sentimental supermom; and my fairly normal, but unique gold, orange, and green childhood.

~ Anna
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From that day forward the families met in the park every afternoon to play. Rocky, Ricky, Bruno, and Antoinette taught the poodle puppies a thing or two about being tough.

Likewise, Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La, and Gaston taught the bulldog puppies a thing or two about being tender. ~ Gaston

Gaston reminds me of Romeo & Juliet, two families from opposite sides of the tracks, circling their territory. This age appropriate picture book’s delightful alliteration, rhymes and Matisse-esque illustrations contribute to the age-old adage, “opposites attract”.  Children will delight as the “brutish or brawny” and the “proper or precious” unite. Three cheers for the mothers in this story that wisely, stand-by as Gaston and Antoinette explore their true identities. And unlike Romeo & Juliet, where the families are meddling, there is a happy ending to this love story.

~ Kristi


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GEM Ruby

Watch for Kristi’s pick next!

We want to hear from you!
What children’s book moms excel in the motherhood department?

I LOVE YOU, STINKY FACE

May is a month for mothers.
What children’s book makes you think of your mom?

Welcome to KidLit Gems!

Join us in a coffee-style chat about favorite children’s books and the elements that make them shine.

This month’s theme: KidLit Gems for Mom

NameplateLousGemII LOVE YOU, STINKY FACE
Text © 1997, Lisa McCourt
Illustrations © 1997, Cyd Moore

I LOVE YOU STINKY FACEILOVEYOUSTINKYFACE1Picture Book, Fiction

Age Range: 3-7 years

Grade Level:
Preschool-
2nd Grade

SCHOLASTIC,
CARTWHEEL BOOKS
A division of Scholastic Inc.

1998 National Parenting Publications Awards Honor Book

“But Mama, but Mama, what if I were a Cyclops, and I had just one big, gigantic eye in the middle of my head?” ~ I Love You, Stinkyface

Here’s one of my own family’s favorites! Imagine all the sweetness of the classic picture book Mama, Do You Love Me? but with dinosaur claws, slimy seaweed, and bug sandwiches tossed in. In I Love You, StinkyFace, author Lisa McCourt creates a bedtime exchange between a mother and son with just enough silliness to keep the ‘mush factor’ in check. The mother’s funny, reassuring responses validate each reader’s uniqueness. No wonder Scholastic snapped this up!

~ Lou
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“Then I would look right into your one eye and say, “I love you,” and I would sing to you until your one droopy eyelid finally closed and you fell fast asleep.” ~ I Love You, Stinkyface

How do you write a picture book that allows mothers to express their unconditional love for their children in a non-gooey, non-sappy, non-gushy way (even when we are gooey, sappy, and gushy)?  Author Lisa McCourt knows. You insert the magic word:  “stinky.” Add “dinosaurs,” “monsters,” and “aliens,” and gooey, sappy, gushy mothers can get away with saying the “l” word eleven times in a row–thirteen if you read the front and back covers. Love, love, love!

Cyd Moore’s thoughtful and playful illustrations, particularly the child’s embrace of the mother’s face and the one-eyed monster in pajamas, lift the story to a whole new level of wonderful. Children will love looking for the monkey, bunny, toucan, and tin man.

~ Anna
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“But, Mama, but Mama, what if I were a Green Alien from Mars, and I ate bugs instead of peanut butter? ~ I Love You, Stinky Face

I can’t think of a better board book tribute for mother’s day. Lisa McCourt’s I Love You Stinky Face is the epitome of a mother’s unconditional love. “Mama” is certain she can manage any creature her child morphs into and nothing can change that, not even a: skunk, slimy swamp monster or alien. Cyd Moore chose muted tones and playful, yet ominous creatures for the illustrations that strike the perfect balance of scary, yet quiet for a bedtime story. And, like life, there are scary creatures out there that just need a little maternal love to tame them. If only all the world had “Mama’s” wisdom.

~ Kristi


ILOVEYOUSTINKYFACE2Note:

These photos are from the abridged board book.

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Watch for my pick next!

We want to hear from you!
What children’s book makes you think of your mom?
Extra question for moms: What children’s book makes you feel motherly?