"An effervescent city child dances through a hot summer day until a thunderstorm brings welcome relief. Executed in collages made from color photographs, imaginatively redefined in unexpected juxtaposition....A wonderful concept book, grounded in ordinary events yet touched with magic, that will strike a familiar chord with preschool audiences while enlarging their perceptions. An auspicious debut!"--Horn Book.

From the invitations to the suggested books, games, activities, and themed party snacks, this book makes it easy to plan a fun literacy event from start to finish. Picture books, storytime readings, and parties are always popular with children because they find them highly entertaining. These activities can also be very educational. When children are engaged and enjoying themselves, the learning process is naturally enhanced. Picture Book Parties! contains 25 fun, storytime party ideas that will help teachers, librarians, parents, and students celebrate popular picture books, supplying all of the ideas and guidance to have great picture book parties in a classroom, school, library, or home setting. Each of the book's chapters is dedicated to a storytime subject and party theme, containing a themed party invitation template, suggested picture books, party games, party center activities, and themed party refreshment ideas and recipes. Picture Book Parties! also includes a bonus chapter that offers a multitude of ways for teachers, librarians, and literacy coaches to connect students to their favorite authors.

Every child is entranced by the magic of story, regardless of national boundaries. Many of the most memorable childhood stories have their origins in other countries. Exposing children to this multi-national body of literature introduces them to the great diversity of people and cultures that populate the world at a young age, enabling them to become more thoughtful and generous individuals. Children's Books from Other Countries is a complete and current guide to international children's literature. The concept of a bibliography of international children's literature is not new. In the past, many books have accomplished this task. The last two decades, however, have not yet produced a current reference source devoted to international children's books. Children's Books from Other Countries wonderfully rectifies this lack of attention. An introductory essay provides an overview of the field including a discussion on the rationale of sharing international books with children, a brief history of the children's literature movement, related books and awards, and basic information about the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) and its American branch, the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY). An annotated bibliography contains over 700 titles from 29 different countries printed between 1950 and 1996. All titles are available in English; many have been translated and others have originated in other English-speaking countries. The titles are organized by genre and have been selected for their high quality. They are primarily targeted for children ages 0-14, although a few outstanding young adult titles are included. Winners of the Mildred Batchelder Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Medal are listed in the appendix. Indexes include Author-Title Index, Country of Origin Index, and Subject Index. Affordable and readable, this timely resource is certainly a "must" for librarians and teachers, and other professionals working with children. Sponsored by the United State