KBWT - Lewins, Arnosky, Booktalking!

It's been a whole week since I posted here.  What??!!

Anyway, I follow Book Blog from Booklist Online and they offer excellent book reviews. Check out yesterday's review of Puffling Patrol by Ted and Betsy Lewin - two of my favorite author/illustrators.  Ted and Betsy don't seem to have websites of their own, alas, just simple bio pages.  But here is an amazing fact!  Ted Lewin was a professional wrestler in his late teens.  He tells that story in his book, I Was a Teenage Professional Wrestler, which he illustrates with drawings he did at the time and paintings based on those drawings.

Betsy Lewin has illustrated slews of books on her own, including the wonderfully expressive pictures in Doreen Cronin's Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type.  By themselves, the Lewins are marvelous and together...well, they are superb.

If you enjoy children's non-fiction you have to check out Anastasia Suen's blog, Booktalking.  There, I linked to her Monday post at the end of which she rounds up reviews by OTHER children's book bloggers - all on children's non-fiction.

All this talk of children's non-fiction and author/illustrators reminds me of Jim Arnosky!  And his alterego, Crinkleroot.  Check out Jim's page AND Crinkleroot's page for all kinds of great nature-loving info and activities.

We live in a fascinating world full of amazing creatures.  And we are lucky to have Ted and Betsy Lewin and Jim Arnosky to write books about it all.  Hie thee to a library on Thursday and check out some nature books.

And be careful with those fireworks!  Happy Fourth!  Visit the Liberty Bell Shrine in Allentown for a wonderful program at 1:30 pm tomorrow!

Kids' Internet Tuesday

Yesterday (approximately 53 minutes ago) was Kids' Books Website Tuesday - the day I share a blog or website (or two) devoted to children's books.  Enjoy.

 A Fuse #8 Production is written by book blogger and librarian, Elizabeth Bird.  The blog is hosted/sponsored/part of School Library Journal's amazing Internet resources for people who like schools, and libraries, the materials found in those institutions and the people who frequent both.  Book reviews - lots of book reviews - commentary on what's happening in the publishing world for children and teens - interesting stuff about authors and illustrators - it's all on this blog.  I check with Betsy's blog to keep on top of what's new and different in writing for young people.

For those of us who sometimes need picture books on a theme, check out 5 Great Books, a blog written by author and literacy consultant, Anastasia Suen.  Suen lists five recommended books on different topics.  Her choices are designed to appeal to beginning readers.

Suen writes for this age group, too, and she features one of her books every week on another blog, Anastasia Suen's Book of the Week.  If you read the sidebars of these blogs, you will find links to Suen's other online presences including a daily blog on Picture Books and another one on Chapter Books and an e-newsletter.  Fun, helpful and informative!  Thanks, Anastasia.