In the words of the Von Trapp children . . .

Actually they're the words of Rodgers and Hammerstein, but no matter. The point is, this is my last post at The Picture Book Project. There are only so many hours in the day, and , in the words of Johnny Mercer, "something's gotta give." That something is The Picture Book Project. I'm going to leave the blog up, but after today there'll be no more active posting. I hope you've enjoyed it!

Early last month, the children read and discussed several books by Don and Audrey Wood. I promised to let you know how the Woods fared in EK and PK Top Book voting. The children read King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, The Napping House, and The Little Mouse, the Red, Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear. The EK kids also read Heckedy Peg, Piggies and Quick as a Cricket. As you can see, The Little Mouse wiped out the competition in PK.

The EK kids had two rounds of voting. Heckedy Peg won in the first round, which meant it went on to compete in the second round.

Heckedy Peg proves that you just can't beat a good old-fashioned-type of fairy tale. It won the second round to become Top Book of the week in EK.

We'll continue to vote for Top Book each week, and the children will even blog about books from time to time, but I'll be writing about that over at the new Hogarth Country Day School website. In the meantime, here's the last Picture Book Project blogging done by a few of the EK and PK kids a couple of weeks ago. They talked about their favorite Don and Audrey Wood books.

Katherine: (Bidgood was her favorite.) I liked the part when they had to go fishing in the bathtub. This was my favorite because I liked all the water.

Skyler: (Bidgood was her favorite.) It was funny when they ate all the food in the bathtub. The king told the boy to clean up all the food in the bathtub. He [the boy] didn't like it. And he [the boy] didn't like the steam. I want to talk about a different book now. It said, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! It was a funny part. And this is a funny part because he's going to pick up a big, giant strawberry. We have strawberries at home! We have strawberry drinks. You have to blend it with strawberries inside. And we make banana drinks at home. It was funny when he was picking the strawberry up, because he was pointing his nose up. That was funny.

Summer: (The Big Hungry Bear was her favorite.) It was about the mouse. He thought the bear was trying to eat the strawberry. He was trying to get the strawberry. He wrapped it with the thing [chains]. He put glasses and nose and a mustache and put the strawberry on a seat, and he did the same thing.

Emelyn: (The Big Hungry Bear was her favorite.) I like it when the mouse putted it in chains 'cause he didn't want the bear to eat it. And I like the other one where he cut it in half so they could share. He shared it with the bear. I want to look at another one. This one [Heckedy Peg] I liked, too. They let the witch in 'cause they gave the witch pipes. She was going to give them a pot of gold. She turned them into food.  I liked the cheese . . . I liked all the things the witch was going to eat. I liked this part. The mommy knows which one wants what. I like this one, too. The mom turned them back into kids. That's what I like.

Eva: (Heckey Peg was her favorite.) A witch came to their house and said, "Let me in! Let me in!" And they wouldn't let her in because their mother said that strangers are not allowed in the house. And then the witch said, "Burn some fire on the twigs to light my pipe." And then they said, "Our mother won't let us touch fire." And then she said, "If you do what I say, then I'll give you this." And then they looked in a bag full of gold and she said, "If you let me in I'll let you have this gold." They let her in, and they burned the fire and lit her pipe, and then she turned them into food. And then she took them to her house. And then the mother arrived and then she called her kids, but they weren't there. So she went all the places the witch went, and up to her house, and then she went to her house and the witch wouldn't let her in because her shoes were too dirty and her socks were too dirty and then her feet were too dirty. And then she said she would cut off her feet but she just hid them under her dress. And then the witch let her in the house and she found all her childs were food and then she know what they wanted and she pointed to all the food and it turned back into their childs. See! I think that's the witch, but it looks more like a man. Oh, it is the witch! And then she ran, and the witch fell off the bridge.

Olivia: (Bidgood was her favorite.) The king wanted to go into the bathtub. The little boy brought the water upstairs and then they [the king and the knight] played in the bathtub. The knight wanted to have a fight. They wanted to have a battle. Then the boy cleaned it all out. Then they ate in the tub. They really did eat in the tub. They made food lambs and food birds and a food swan. Then the boy took it all out. Then they fished in the tub. They fished in the tub after all. See? And then, you know what happened next? The boy cleaned the fish all out and the lily pads. Then they danced in the tub. Dit-ta-dit-ta-dit-too-doo! Then, look at his face because he took the plug out! Then he had to go all out again. The end!

Lindsey: (Big Hungry Bear was her favorite.)The bear will eat the strawberry so the mouse ate it. The bear will run and run and get it because the bear will eat it.

Alexis:(Big Hungry Bear was her favorite.) The big mouse and the strawberry. The mouse runs on the bear. The bear was growling and then the mouse was scared. The mouse was running with the strawberry. Then he shared it in pieces.

Anna: (Big Hungry Bear was her favorite.) The bear run away from the mouse. When it's all tangled up [the strawberry is in chains] he has a key. He hid from his strawberry. He cut a knife from a strawberry. He cut it and eat it and all share it. The candles is blow out and he ran away from the bear.

Luke: (Big Hungry Bear was his favorite.) The bear wants to eat the strawberry. The bear really has sharp claws. The bear was eating the strawberry. The bear ate the mouse. The bear ate the ice cream. I like spider webs. [NOTE: The bear didn't eat the mouse. Don and Audrey Wood's stuff isn't that dark!]

EK Kids See How the Woods Stack Up

Don and Audrey Wood have created some of my all-time favorite picture books. Their 1986 Caldecott Honor Book King Bidgood's in the Bathtub is, in my opinion, close to picture book perfection. I've been reading this story to my students for 20+ years and it never fails to delight. It has all the elements necessary to capture and keep a preschooler's attention.

Visually, it's stunning. The costumes are lavishly detailed, and the medieval setting rings completely true. The characters' facial expressions and body language leave no doubt as to what's going on in the story. It could almost be a wordless picture book, but I wouldn't lose one syllable of text.

Audrey Wood knows how to tell a story that preschoolers want to hear. She knows that this young audience needs a storyline that can be summed up in one short sentence, like this: King Bidgood's in the bathtub and he won't get out. The scene is set for the hapless little page, who has to haul the water and mop up the mess. He looks to the adults in the book for help. "King Bidgood's in the bathtub and he won't get out! Oh, who knows what to do?"

The queen, duke, knight and the rest of the king's court are all sure they can coax Bidgood out of the tub, but of course they can't. They can't because Audrey Wood knows Rule Number One of picture book writing. If you're going to have a child hero, that child hero must solve his or her own problem. So the page is left to deal with Bidgood, who proves that it really is good to be king as he battles with his toys in the tub, eats lunch in the tub, fishes in the tub, and holds a masquerade ball in the tub.

Finally, with the king's court dripping wet and calling for help, the page takes matters into his own capable hands and pulls the plug. The problem is solved by the child hero, and the king is left fleeing the draining tub wrapped in a towel that reveals just a hint of royal behind. Do Don and Audrey Wood know their audience, or what?

We actually read three books by Don and Audrey Wood in EK last week. In addition to King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, we read The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear as well as Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear!

EK Kids Respond to Don and Audrey Wood

Brady K. talked about The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear:  We didn't see the Bear. He [the Mouse] hided the strawberry under a blanket from the Bear. I like the book 'cause the Mice ate the strawberry.

Dev talked about King Bidgood's in the Bathtub : This guy [King Bidgood] was still in the bathtub. He was keep on eating some stuff. They [the king's court] called for help. He [our hero, the little page] pulled the wire [plug] out and he [King Bidgood] ran away.

Daniel talked about The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear: It was about the Mouse carrying the ladder to pick a big ripe, red strawberry and the narrator on the radio or us, I don't remember, we said, "What about a big hungry Bear? He can smell a ripe, red strawberry from a mile away. Especially picked ones. No matter where it is or who's guarding it or where it's hidden. Or only if it's cutten in half and shared with the big hungry Bear." And that's the end!

Arthur talked about Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear:  I like when the Bear gave the Mouse the present. I think cheese is in the present.

Keegan talked about King Bidgood's in the Bathtub while looking at the illustration in which the Knight and King battle in the tub:  Is this a real story? [I tell Keegan this is a work of fiction.] But were the real ships like this? Like the toy ones? I mean are these like the toys back then? [I said that possibly kings would have had such grand toys.] I would like to have all the men [toy soldiers] and that bridge. And I don't even know what that is. It looks like a cannon. And by the way, I have karate tonight. This is my favorite page because it has all the toy ships. And this is the Knight! He's going to get rusty in that water. And look at that ship. It's sinking. There were bridges like that back in the day.

Sophie talked about The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear: Well, the Bear really wanted that strawberry because he really sniffed it and he really wanted it. The Mouse guard it and hide it, and there was one thing to do. Split it in half and eat it. He shared it with the big hungry Bear.

Brooke B. talked about The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear: I liked it because when the little Mouse said, "I'm going to pick this red, ripe strawberry." "Little Mouse, have you ever heard of the big hungry Bear? Oh, how he loves red, ripe strawberries. Even ones that just got picked." The red, ripe strawberry got ate by the little Mouse.

Bella talked about King Bidgood's in the Bathtub:  He's [King Bidgood] putting his hand out because he wants to get this guy [the Knight] in the bathtub so he can fish [battle]. Then he got wet. Then the Queen came. She wanted the king to eat. Then what happened then she got wet 'cause in the bathtub. And then these guys came then they got fishing. They fished in the bathtub. And then he [the Duke] got all wet. And then all these guys [the King's court] came. They danced in the bathtub. And then that guy's [our hero, the Page] just sweeping the mop. Look it! Everybody's saying, "Help!" He [the Page] pulled the drain then all the water came out. He [King Bidgood] just had a face and he got out of the bathtub. Finally!

Leah talked about Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear! "because Christmas is coming up!":  The Bear really likes presents and the Mouse didn't know the Bear liked presents. And then he looked out his window and he saw the big cave and then he wrapped all the presents up. He put them in the blanket because he was guarding it from the big hungry Bear. And then he was scared of the Bear. He was crying because he didn't want the presents away. Then he dressed up like Santa so the Bear wouldn't get his presents and then he put a little bit of presents in the blanket and then he took off to the cave with the presents. He was sharing his presents with the Bear so the big hungry Bear wouldn't see the Mouse's Christmas presents. And then he ran super fast so the Bear wouldn't eat him. Guess what? I have this book [Red Ripe Strawberry book] at home.

[I love the fact that Leah interpreted the Mouse's actions not as an altruistic gesture toward the bear, but as payment to leave him and his presents alone. Maybe that bear's last name is "Soprano."]

Hayden talked about The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear because "I love strawberries.":  A hungry Bear almost is going to eat the strawberry so the Bear and the Mouse are going to share it. The Mouse got a ladder to get the strawberry.

Brooke N. talked about The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear: The Mouse got a ladder and he was trying to get the strawberry and he was trying to pick it down in his door and he was trying to dig it but he locked it up and he hided it. He thought the Bear was going to eat it. And he [the Mouse] eated it.

Allison talked about Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear!: He [the Mouse] puts the star on the top. He puts decorations on the door. Santa bringed presents. The Mouse put bricks on the door because of the big Bear. He was going to go inside of Mouse's house and take all the presents. He [the Mouse] locked up the presents. He was sitting on the presents. He was crying because Santa won't come. Santa put on his boots and his hat and he put a red suit on and Santa was going to the Bear's cave and then he bringed presents.

Annalee talked about The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear: The big hungry Bear he wanted to eat the big ripe strawberry. He [the Mouse] dressed the strawberry up. I think he hid it because I think he got it first because he wanted to eat it because he got it first. He [the Mouse] ate it.

John talked about The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear. He actually started his discussion at the end of the book, and then flipped around through the illustrations as he talked: I liked when the Mouse split the strawberry in half and shared it with the big hungry Bear. And I liked when the Mouse was shivering with fear. And I liked when the strawberry and the Mouse were in disguise. And I  liked when the little Mouse was guarding the strawberry. He locked the strawberry up in chains and he put tacks on the floor and put wood on the door. And I like when the little Mouse was going to bury it. And I like when the little Mouse was taking the ladder out of his house and was going to pick the strawberry. And I like when the little Mouse was running with the strawberry above him. And I like when the Bear went BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! And that's it!