PICTURE BOOK - Ella Who? by Linda Ashman

Illustrated by Sarah Sanchez

2017 Sterling Children's Books

HC $14.95

24 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  3.94 - 117 ratings

My rating: 5

Endpapers:  white background with 12 different "ropes" of leaves traveling from bottom to top of page.  Lovely.

1^st line/s: "The movers left the doors wide open.  That's probably how she got in."

My comments:  Super clever, funny, and cute story about a little girl whose family members are so "into" what they're doing that they pay very little attention to her (wise up, parents!).  The simple illustrations accentuate the story really nicely...this is the second Linda Ashman book that I've enjoyed tremendously!

Goodreads:  Mom . . . there’s an elephant in the living room. 
It’s moving day—and look who slipped in the door: an elephant! But when a little girl tries to tell her family about their unusual guest, the distracted grown-ups just say, “Ella WHO?” Even as children giggle at the girl’s adventures with the smallishpachyderm, and at the fun, recurring refrain, they’ll relate to the poignant theme about making—and sometimes letting go of—new friends.

Creaky Old House - Linda Ashman

A Topsy-Turvey Tale of a Real Fixer-Upper
Illustrated by Michael Chesworth
Sterling, 2009
32 pgs.
Rating: 4.5
Endpapers: Photos of the family members (9 + dog)

Linda Ashman's (Stella Unleashed, M is for Mischief) rhyme and rhythm within great storytelling continue to entertain me. This one is funny and clever...as usual.

"Our house is kind of old and creaky.
Porch is sloping, roof is leaky.
Windows drafty, shutters peeling.
There's a crack across the ceiling.
Paint's a little chipped and faded.
Might say it's dilapidated.
Still, each one of us --- all nine ---
thinks the house is fine, just fine."

Until a screw falls out of the front door dorrknob. And then a series of domino events take place that make the semingly tiny project escalate greatly. Fun, fun, fun.

Again - great storytelling, great rhyme and rhythm.

M is for Mischief - Linda Ashman

POETRY
An A to Z of Naughty Children
Illustrator: Nancy Carpenter
For: Kids, not too too young, though
Published: 2008
Rating: FIVE
Read: Oct. 21, 2008
Endpapers: Purple

This is going to be a favorite. An ABC book with alliteration, sophisticated vocabulary, poetry, and illustrations that have a little extra something, a different technique, very subtle and very fun. Nancy Carpenter uses what appears to be photographs of real items as part of her drawaings. Now maybe I'm wrong, but check out the pink cowboy boots from Evesdropping Eva, the orange frisbee from Fiendish Frankie, the shrubbery in Hiding Hal, the first place ribbons and trophies from Blustering Buster. A close examination of each page is in order!

Six to twelve-lined poems using alliteration and incredibly good vocabulary tell the stories of 26 very naughty children. Cleverly. Very cleverly. The poems stand alone, but the illustrations are a blast. I just want to read, and examine, and share, share, share. The middle schoolers loved it. The humor, the rhythm, the rhyming, the wording. They wanted to read it aloud to each other.

I always look forward to the letter X. This can be very telling about the cleverness and ingenuity of a writer. Check out Linda Ashman's X:

Experimenting Xavier

Xavier gets excited mixing extracts in the sink.
Mama takes exception, says, "You'll make us all extinct!"
Explains to him explicitly, "You lack the expertise
To execute experiments as difficult a these."

Xavier exclaims to her, "It's just a simple potion!"
But Mama cannot hear him on account of the...
EXPLOSION!

and I love Eavesdropping Eva (and NOT because it's primarily purple and lime green pages):

Eva enjoys hearing every exchange.
She creeps up to eavesdrop at very close range,
While people are eating, or out on a date,
At public events, or a private estate.
A whisper, an echo, and Eva appears,
Eagerly listening, straining her ears.
She'll sneak under tables, or lean from a ledge -
Uh-oh! Now Eva's gone over the edge.

Definitely, one of my favorites of the year.

Stella, Unleashed - Linda Ashman

POETRY
Notes from the Doghouse
Illustrator: Paul Meisel
For: Kids of all ages
Pub: 2008
Rating: 5 ***A New Favorite
Read (and purchased!): Sept. 13, 2008
Endpapers: Full double-page illustration of a hole in a garden with a bone sticking out! A

I stumbled upon this in the kid's poetry section at Barnes and Noble last night - it must be new - and I read it twice. I wish I knew some little kids with a dog, because the poems are wonderful. They're full of clever rhyme and great rhythm, from Stella the dog's point-of-view. 29 poems like "Don't Blame Me," "Hollywood Dog," "Dispatch from the Front Lawns" and :

WATER!

I swim in the ocean,
no matter how rough.
In rivers and lakes --
I can't get enough!

When I see a pool,
I dive like a sub.
I LOVE the water --
but not in the tub.

THE (almost) PERFECT HOST

I welcome guests with friendliness
(unlike the snooty cat).
Trouble is, I greet so well,
I sometimes knock them flat.

Colorful, edge-to-edge illustrations are delightful, truly enhancing the poetry. My favorite picture book so far this year! ! !

I found an interesting review and interview with the author at http://wildrosereader.blogspot.com/2008/04/stella-unleashed-poetry-book-review.html

Linda Ashman's website includes teacher lesson plan ideas! http://www.lindaashman.com/work2.htm