Laurie Keller

Geography has never come alive as brilliantly as it does here, in The Scrambled States of America, as a discontented Kansas precipitates a massive geographic upheaval with his desire to see something new. Tired of always being stuck in the middle of the nation, Kansas enlists his best friend Nebraska in his scheme to throw a party for the fifty states, a party that leads (yes!) to reorganization on a massive scale! As states move north or south, switching coasts and neighbors, their first show more reaction is enthusiastic: finally, something new! But then they all begin to long for the way things were...

An engaging exploration of the fifty states of the USA, this picture-book combines a madcap adventure-story - complete with many little amusing asides, as the states "speak" to one another, in the illustrations - with colorful, attention-grabbing acrylic and marker artwork. An appendix at the rear lists each of the states, with their nicknames, their capital cities, and their populations (now out of date, alas). One of those rare books that is as entertaining as it is educational, The Scrambled States of America proves the old adage that "There's no place like home!" show less

I bought this book for the bookshelf I set aside for my nieces when they visit; as the childless aunt with a lot of cats, it felt fitting that a book about manners should occupy that shelf; even though my husband technically saves me from the "Cranky Spinster Cat Lady" title, it still feels like a stereotype worth having some fun with. ;-)

Do Unto Otters is hilarious. It was so funny, in fact, that I immediately handed it to MT and told him he had to read it. It's central theme is the Golden show more Rule, and the main characters are a rabbit and a family of otters. It's beautifully illustrated and the real laugh-out-loud moments are the small drawings interspersed throughout the pages that illustrate examples of each facet to the golden rule (i.e. saying 'please' or 'excuse me'). Teaching readers how to say those courtesies in different languages (including Pig Latin - Ha!) is a distinctly nice touch.

This is a definite must have for any child's shelf, and one that makes learning courteousness a whole lot of fun. show less

I really enjoyed reading Arnie The Doughnut by Laurie Keller. First, I really liked the illustrations. They were very detailed and really enhanced the story. The thing I loved most about the illustrations was that even though the language could not be realistic for humans, the images connected it to a normal human activity. For example, the book said “2. Deep-Fried,” which humans would never do, but the image was of the doughnuts swimming in a pool. Another example from the book was that show more it said, “3. Cooled,” and the doughnuts were on the beach under an umbrella. Because the illustrations were representative of normal human activities, I feel like students will be able to connect to the book more. Something I also really like about the book was the characterization and the character development. I find it really cool when inanimate objects are the main character and think it makes the book and storyline very interesting! It was very interesting to see how Arnie started as a doughnut in a bakery and became a ‘doughnut dog’ by the end. Overall, Arnie The Doughnut by Laurie Keller was a very fun and entertaining book, and I really enjoyed reading it! show less

When Lance Vance's Fancy Pants Store announces that they will be selling potato pants, our tuber hero is ecstatic, having always wanted a pair. When he gets to the store however, he discovers that Eggplant, who pushed by him the other day, landing him a trash can, is in the store. Holding back, lest he be assaulted again, Potato watches all of his compatriots getting pants, until they are all gone. Or are they? When he finally works up the courage to go into the store, and winds up show more confronting Eggplant, he makes a surprise discovery...

With its alliterative text and lots of excited speech bubbles, I can see Potato Pants! making an excellent read-aloud at story-time, particularly for those young listeners who appreciate a silly sense of humor in their tales. My own funny bone, which is sometimes difficult to reach, wasn't really tickled here, but I can see that Laurie Keller's book will have appeal for many young children. I appreciated the message about forgiveness that is worked into the story, and think the bright, expressive artwork will keep many youngster's attention. Recommended to readers looking for new picture-books featuring madcap adventures and a silly sense of humor. show less