Tom Birdseye

Plug Honeycutt, a good-hearted young boy with a terrible memory, is dispatched by his fond mother to the store in this humorous Appalachian folktale, with strict instructions not to forget the soap. A series of unfortunate encounters along the way - each ending in disaster when Plug's chanting reminder to himself leads to misunderstanding - leave him in more need than ever of that all-important soap!

With an engaging narrative that just begs to be read aloud, and appealing, colorful show more illustrations that accentuate the humor of the tale, Soap! Soap! Don't Forget the Soap! would make an ideal storytime selection. I had a strong sense of recognition, when looking at Andrew Glass's artwork, but can't call to mind any of his titles that I might have read. Leaving that aside, this was a delightful picture-book, one I highly recommend to any readers with an interest in Appalachian folklore! show less

Princess Chauchau was the daughter of the Emperor of the Heavens, a celestial weaver who worked with the "shimmering threads of the firmament." Newlang was the heavenly herdsman with whom she fell in love, and - with the blessing of her father - married. But when love distracted the newlyweds to such an extent that they neglected their duties, the Emperor had no choice but to separate them, sending them to live on opposite ends of the Milky Way, and permitting them to meet just once a year, show more on the seventh night of the seventh month...

This legend of the stars, which can be found in both the Chinese and Japanese traditions, offers a mythological explanation of the stars Vega and Altair, and the Milky Way spread out between them. Celebrated on the seventh night of the seventh month - in China as Chi Hsi, the Festival of the Milky Way, and in Japan as the Tanabata, or Weaving Loom Festival - it is a poignant tale of love, long separation, and all-too-brief reunion. Tom Birdseye's lovely retelling, in A Song of Stars, is paired with beautiful, mosaic-like illustrations by Ju-Hong Chen. All in all, a wonderful retelling of a classic sky legend - highly recommended! show less

First of all, WHERE WAS THIS BOOK WHEN I WAS GROWING UP??? While reading this book I was taken back to my many years exploring the woods, building forts, and creating dams with my cousins. I was excited about many of the designs Birdseye was describing and wanted to go outside to test some of the structures. Unfortunately the weather did not permit me to do this. But you had better believe I am going to build some forts during my free time next summer!
I think this would be a good book to show more have available to kids in the classroom because if any of my students are like I used to be (and still am actually) they will use the ideas outside of school. Kids will actively explore their surroundings and use their creativity to build forts from unused materials indoors or from things commonly found outdoors. This is one of the best books I've read this year. show less

Eleven-year-old Tucker Renfro dreams of being a brave Indian warrior. He and his best friend have even made plans to kill a deer in the woods near Tucker's house when hunting season begins.
But Tucker's plans change when his nine-year-old sister arrives from Kentucky. He hasn't seen her since his parents got divorced seven years before, and now Livi wants to move in with the father and brother she's never known. Livi takes over Tucker's room and writes letters home to her mother, saying how show more wonderful her dad and brother are. At first, Tucker can't stand his sister. After all, he and dad were doing just fine living alone together. But gradually, Tucker becomes curious about his mother. Is it true, as Livi claims, that she wants them to live as a family together again? Is that why his father is trying so hard to get a job? And why Livi keeps imagining that they're getting along so well?
Only after a series of accidents that culminates in Tucker's first deer hunt does he discover that fantasy and reality are two different things, and that the truth lies somewhere in between. show less