In the hands of a gifted artist anything can become a work of art – even common expressions and tabloid stories, as readers will see in the following picture books.
The Cat’s Pajamas
Ever wonder what it would really look like if someone really “graduated with flying colors,” “grabbed the tiger by the tail,” or “used their noodle”? Well, now artist Wallace Edwards brings these everyday idioms and figures of speech to life in The Cat’s Pajamas, a brilliantly painted funny animal picture book filled with literal translations of popular idioms.
Kids will love the whimsical animal pictures that show a camel “cool her heels” by dipping them in ice cream cones, a hen who “got her ducks in a row” by making them part of her rowing team, or a cow who decides to “go with the flow” while surfing. And just when it seems as if the reader has seen every outrageous painting in the book, the last page reveals other hidden surprises that’ll get readers re-reading the book all over again!
A highly creative picture book, The Cat’s Pajamas is a great way to not only provide kids with laugh out loud entertainment, but also give teachers with a way to introduce lessons about idioms. The book also includes a helpful list of all the idioms used and their actual definitions which will be useful to kids who may get a bit confused over what it means to have “a lot to draw on” after seeing an elephant tattoo her big ears.
The Daily Comet: Boy Saves Earth from Giant Octopus!
Hayward Palmer always thought his dad had a crummy job. After all, what self-respecting reporter would want to work for The Daily Comet, a notorious tabloid that publishes stories about flying spaghetti monsters and Bigfoot sightings?
But that all changes on “Go to Work with a Parent Day” when Hayward walks the city beat with his dad and discovers how bizarre the city can really be. Slowly, Hayward realizes that his dad’s photographer Alfonzo bears an uncanny resemblance to Elvis Presley and that their cab driver might be a member of the Bigfoot Relocation Program!
Still Hayward is skeptical – could all these strange sightings be just a bunch of hoaxes and scams? Then, a chance meeting encounter with a miracle elixir salesman and a giant mechanical octopus not only lets him deliver The Daily Comet’s biggest scoop but also makes him part of the story too!
Best known for his Moonbear picture books and tales of smart mice, writer/artist Frank Asch teams up with his son Devin for this laugh-out-loud father-and-son yarn. Devin Asch’s photorealistic artwork depicts an entertaining 1950s world reminiscent of classic science fiction and horror films like Tarantula and It Came From Beneath the Sea!, while the story itself will have great appeal to kids and adults who enjoy films like Men in Black or Monsters vs. Aliens. A great picture book for kids full of nostalgia and nonsense (although younger kids may need help catching all the pop culture references).
Find more picture books with amazing illustrations at Funny Animal Picture Books, Child Picture Books with Fun Illustrations, and Whimsical Read Aloud Picture Books.
Edwards, Wallace. The Cat’s Pajamas. Kids Can Press. 2010. ISBN: 978-1-55453-308-4
Asch, Frank and Devin Asch. The Daily Comet: Boy Saves Earth from Giant Octopus! Kids Can Press. 2010. ISBN: 978-1-55453-281-0
Michael Jung - Michael Jung is a professional writer, children’s literature specialist, and online book dealer whose articles, reviews, interviews, ...
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