An ornery giant catfish that does not like singing causes trouble for the residents of a little town called Pleasant, until Steamboat Annie teaches him a lesson.

Whether used for thematic story times, program and curriculum planning, readers' advisory, or collection development, this updated edition of the well-known companion makes finding the right picture books for your library a breeze. Generations of savvy librarians and educators have relied on this detailed subject guide to children's picture books for all aspects of children's services, and this new edition does not disappoint. Covering more than 18,000 books published through 2017, it empowers users to identify current and classic titles on topics ranging from apples to zebras. Organized simply, with a subject guide that categorizes subjects by theme and topic and subject headings arranged alphabetically, this reference applies more than 1,200 intuitive (as opposed to formal catalog) subject terms to children's picture books, making it both a comprehensive and user-friendly resource that is accessible to parents and teachers as well as librarians. It can be used to identify titles to fill in gaps in library collections, to find books on particular topics for young readers, to help teachers locate titles to support lessons, or to design thematic programs and story times. Title and illustrator indexes, in addition to a bibliographic guide arranged alphabetically by author name, further extend access to titles.

Do you remember your first book crush? You know, the first time a book completely captured your imagination, transported you to a magical place, or introduced you to a lifelong friend you will never forget? In Book Crush, popular librarian and reading enthusiast Nancy Pearl reminds us why we fell for reading in the first place—how completely consuming and life-changing a good book can be. Pearl offers more than 1,000 crush-worthy books organized into over 100 recommended reading lists aimed at youngest, middle-grade, and teen readers. From picture books to chapter books, YA fiction and nonfiction, Pearl has developed more smart and interesting thematic lists of books to enjoy. Parents, teachers, and librarians are often puzzled by the unending choices for reading material for young people. It starts when the kids are toddler and doesn’t end until high-school graduation. What’s good, what’s not, and what’s going to hold their interest? Popular librarian Nancy Pearl points the way in Book Crush.

This valuable reference guide provides suggestions of picture books set in more than 70 countries in each continent of the world, along with standards-based activities. Reading the World with Picture Books presents an exhaustive collection of booktalk options with picture books that are set in the major countries of each continent. Hundreds of children's books with an international flavor are organized by continent and then by country, and suggested activities accompany the titles, encouraging students to interpret information related to historical or geographic concepts and use problem-solving skills. Activities range from those appropriate for beginners to experienced researchers/writers. All call for high-level thinking and most provide opportunities to respond in creative ways. In addition, all of the activities are keyed to selected national standards in language arts and social studies. The picture books suggested are not only excellent choices to capture a booktalk audience's attention and educate young readers about world culture, but also to demonstrate how human beings have adapted to the various environments of the world.

For young listeners the folktale is a perfect gateway to the exciting worlds of culture and literature, and Del Negro’s book invites their engagement with proven techniques and original story scripts that can be used by experienced as well as beginning tellers.

This book serves as both a textbook and reference for faculty and students in LIS courses on storytelling and a professional guide for practicing librarians, particularly youth services librarians in public and school libraries. Storytelling: Art and Technique serves professors, students, and practitioners alike as a textbook, reference, and professional guide. It provides practical instruction and concrete examples of how to use the power of story to build literacy and presentation skills, as well as to create community in those same educational spaces. This text illustrates the value of storytelling, covers the history of storytelling in libraries, and offers valuable guidance for bringing stories to contemporary listeners, with detailed instructions on the selection, preparation, and presentation of stories. It also provides guidance around the planning and administration of a storytelling program. Topics include digital storytelling, open mics and slams, and the neuroscience of storytelling. An extensive and helpful section of resources for the storyteller is included in an expanded Part V of this edition.