Tag: Kate Messner

Reading Activities: Shark Girl by Kate Beaton

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Shark Girl
Author: Kate Beaton
Illustrator: Kate Beaton
25 February 2025
Roaring Brook Press
48 pages

Book description from Goodreads: “When Shark Girl is captured by an evil fishing captain’s net, she makes a vow… for REVENGE!

With the sea witch’s help, Shark Girl becomes a human sailor and launches a plan… for MUTINY!

But Shark Girl needs the help of her crew mates before she can enact her plan. Will Shark girl SINK… or SWIM?

Bestselling creator Kate Beaton has created a subversive and hilarious spin on the classic little mermaid fairy tale that will inspire little readers to seek their own revenge on behalf of justice!”

Need some reviews of Shark Girl?

Reading Activities inspired by Shark Girl:

  • Before Reading–From looking at the front cover: 
    • What words come to mind when you think about fireworks?
    • What do you notice first about Shark Girl’s appearance? How is she the same as—or different from—a typical mermaid?
    • The word shark can feel scary; how does the art make Shark Girl seem friendly, fierce, or both?
    • Where do you think this story takes place—deep in the ocean, on a ship, or somewhere else? What clues help you decide?
    • If you could ask Shark Girl one question before opening the book, what would it be?
    • The tagline says she’s “part shark and part human.” What challenges or adventures might that create?
    • Look at the background colors and shapes. What mood do they set for the story you’re about to read?
  • After Reading–Now that you’ve read the story: 
    • What makes Captain Barrett’s fishing practices harmful to the ocean?
    • Why does Shark Girl think revenge is the answer at first—and what changes her mind?
    • How does the crew react to Shark Girl over time? What helps them become allies?
    • Where do you see humor in the artwork or dialogue, even during tense moments?
    • The sea witch “lives for drama.” How does this character move the plot forward?
    • What panels or spreads were the most exciting or surprising? Why?
    • What does the ending teach about teamwork and ethical choices?
  • Sea-​Change Comic Strip
    Using six small panels, retell a key moment—Shark Girl breaking the net, meeting the sea witch, or launching the mutiny. Add “sound-​word” effects like SNAP! or WHOOSH! and bright colors to match Kate Beaton’s comic style.
  • Captain’s Catch: Sustainable or Not?
    Draw two buckets. Label one Overfishing and the other Ethical Catch. Cut out or sketch different sea creatures (tuna, shark, sea turtle, etc.). Research (or guess together) which catches are sustainable and place them in the right bucket. Discuss why some choices protect the ocean better than others.
  • Shark Teeth Smile Masks
    Fold cardboard or heavy paper into a half-​mask that covers just the mouth. Cut zig-​zag “shark teeth,” paint it ocean-​blue, and attach string to wear. Practice three Shark Girl expressions: determined, surprised, and triumphant. What emotions do those pointy teeth show?
  • Mutiny Map
    On a big sheet, draw the ship Jellyfish and the crew. Plan your own (kinder!) mutiny: list five changes you’d make to help the ocean—maybe recycling on board or rescuing bycatch. Illustrate each change with simple icons or mini-scenes.
  • Sea-​Witch Bargain Jar
    Decorate a clear jar with sea colors and glitter. Write small “promises to the planet” on scraps of paper—use less plastic, pick up beach litter, learn about sharks. Each time you fulfill a promise, add a shell, bead, or pebble to the jar until it sparkles like magic.
  • Books, Books, and More Books! Check out these real-​world picture books about ocean wonders, identity, and standing up for what’s right:

 

The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs by Kate Messner, illustrated by Matthew Forsythe
The true story of Ken Nedimyer, who sparked a movement to restore damaged coral—showing kids that one person’s passion can help the sea thrive.

 

Flotsam by David Wiesner
A wordless seaside adventure where a mysterious camera reveals hidden ocean life—perfect for sparking curiosity about underwater worlds.

 

Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
After seeing dazzling mermaids on the subway, Julián dreams of being one too—and finds loving acceptance in his abuela’s embrace.

 

Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Juana Martinez-​Neal
A salty sea captain thinks he prefers solitude, until a lively girl and the ocean itself nudge him toward friendship.

 

Thank You, Earth: A Love Letter to Our Planet by April Pulley Sayre
Stunning photographs and poetic lines create a heartfelt “thank-​you letter” to our planet, inviting readers to notice and protect nature.

Picture Book List: 15 Picture Books About Books

On By Only Picture BooksIn Bonus Goodies5 Comments

Calling all bookworms and bibliophiles!

Today, we’re turning the pages on a delightful collection of picture books that celebrate the magic of stories. From heartwarming tales about libraries to whimsical journeys into the world of words, these 15 gems are sure to spark a love of reading in young hearts.

So snuggle up with your little ones, open a book, and let the adventure begin!

**If I missed your favorite picture book that’s about books, tell me in the comments!**

Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children’s Day/​Book Day by Pat Mora, illustrated by Rafael López (March 2016)

From Goodreads: “Take a ride in a long submarine or fly away in a hot air balloon. Whatever you do, just be sure to bring your favorite book! Rafael López’s colorful illustrations perfectly complement Pat Mora’s lilting text in this delightful celebration of El día de los niños/​El día de los libros; Children’s Day/​Book Day. Toon! Toon!

Includes a letter from the author and suggestions for celebrating El día de los niños/​El día de los libros; Children’s Day/​Book Day.”

  • 40 pages
  • Reading Age: 4–8 years

The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak (Sept 2014)

From Goodreads: “Warning! This book looks serious but it is actually completely ridiculous!

A book with no pictures?

What could be fun about that?

After all, if a book has no pictures, there’s nothing to look at but the words on the page.

Words that might make you say silly sounds… In ridiculous voices…

Hey, what kind of book is this, anyway?

At once disarmingly simple and ingeniously imaginative, ‘The Book With No Pictures’ inspires laughter every time it is opened, creating a warm and joyous experience to share—and introducing young children to the powerful idea that the written word can be an unending source of mischief and delight.

If a kid is trying to make you read this book, the kid is playing a trick on you. You will end up saying silly things and making everybody laugh and laugh!

Don’t say I didn’t warn you…”

  • 48 pages
  • Reading Age: 4–8 years

Charlie Cook’s Favorite Book by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler (June 2006)

From Goodreads: “Charlie Cook has a favorite book. It’s about a pirate, who also has a favorite book … about Goldilocks, who also has a favorite book … about a knight, who also has a favorite book .… This hilarious pattern continues throughout the story, right to the satisfying and surprising end.”

  • 32 pages
  • Reading Age: 2–4 years

Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris LessmoreThe Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce, illustrated by Joe Bluhm (June 2012)

From Goodreads: “Morris Lessmore loved words.
He loved stories.
He loved books.
But every story has its upsets.
Everything in Morris Lessmore’s life, including his own story, is scattered to the winds.
But the power of story will save the day.”

  • 56 pages
  • Reading Age: 4–8 years

How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills (July 2010)

From Goodreads: “Learn to read with this New York Times-bestselling picture book, starring an irresistible dog named Rocket and his teacher, a little yellow bird. Follow along as Rocket masters the alphabet, sounds out words, and finally … learns to read all on his own!

With a story that makes reading fun—and will even help listeners learn to read—this book is ideal for kindergarten classrooms and story hour or as a gift for that beginning reader. Fresh, charming art by Tad Hills, the New York Times bestselling author/​illustrator of Duck & Goose, will make this a favorite.”

  • 40 pages
  • Reading Age: 3–6 years

How to Read a Story by Kate Messner, illustrated by Mark Siegel (May 2015)

From Goodreads: “Step One: Find a story. (A good one.)
Step Two: Find a reading buddy. (Someone nice.)
Step Three: Find a reading spot. (Couches are cozy.)
Now: Begin.
Accomplished storytellers Kate Messner and Mark Siegel chronicle the process of becoming a reader: from pulling a book off the shelf and finding someone with whom to share a story, to reading aloud, predicting what will happen, and—finally—coming to The End . This picture book playfully and movingly illustrates the idea that the reader who discovers the love of reading finds, at the end, the beginning.”

  • 36 pages
  • Reading Age: 5–7 years

The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers (April 2007)

From Goodreads: “Like many children, Henry loves books. But Henry doesn’t like to read books, he likes to eat them. Big books, picture books, reference books … if it has pages, Henry chews them up and swallows (but red ones are his favorite). And the more he eats, the smarter he gets—he’s on his way to being the smartest boy in the world! But one day he feels sick to his stomach. And the information is so jumbled up inside, he can’t digest it! Can Henry find a way to enjoy books without using his teeth? With a stunning new artistic style and a die-​cut surprise, Oliver Jeffers celebrates the joys of reading in this charming and quirky picture book. It’s almost good enough to eat.”

  • 32 pages
  • Reading Age: 3–7 years

Let Me Finish! by Minh Lê, illustrated by Isabel Roxas (July 2016)

From Goodreads: “When our young hero settles in to read, the last thing he wants is for some noisy animals to ruin the ending of the story.

But ruin it they do.

And as it turns out, the boy is quickly approaching a surprise ending of his own! Maybe he should have listened to the animals after all.…

This silly, timeless picture book with a clever meta twist introduces debut author Minh Lê’s witty text and Isabel Roxas’s eye-​catching illustrations.”

  • 40 pages
  • Reading Age: 3–6 years

The Library by Sarah Stewart, illustrated by David Small (April 1995)

From Goodreads: “Meet an unforgettable bibliophile.

Elizabeth Brown doesn’t like to play with dolls and she doesn’t like to skate. What she does like to do is read books. And now that she’s grown up, her collection has gotten so big all the shelves are collapsing. Her front door has disappeared entirely. What in the world will she do? The reclusive Elizabeth Brown surprises everyone wit her splendid solution.

In charming verse and elegant watercolors Sarah Stewart and David Small celebrate one of America’s grandest institutions.”

  • 40 pages
  • Reading Age: 5–9 years

Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (July 2006)

From Goodreads: “An affectionate storybook tribute to that truly wonderful place: the library.

Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, is very particular about rules in the library. No running allowed. And you must be quiet. But when a lion comes to the library one day, no one is sure what to do. There aren’t any rules about lions in the library. And, as it turns out, this lion seems very well suited to library visiting. His big feet are quiet on the library floor. He makes a comfy backrest for the children at story hour. And he never roars in the library, at least not anymore. But when something terrible happens, the lion quickly comes to the rescue in the only way he knows how. Michelle Knudsen’s disarming story, illustrated by the matchless Kevin Hawkes in an expressive timeless style, will win over even the most ardent of rule keepers.”

  • 32 pages
  • Reading Age: 1–3 years

Little Red Reading Hood and the Misread Wolf by Troy Wilson, illustrated by Ilaria Campana (July 2019)

From Goodreads: “A retelling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood, starring our bookish heroine Red and a misunderstood, book-​loving wolf desperate for a good story.

Little Red Reading Hood loves–you guessed it–reading! She applies everything she learns from books to the real world. So, when she sets off to take her sick grandmother a homemade treat, she’s prepared for anything that comes her way. In keeping with the original story, Red is in for a surprise when she arrives to find a wolf disguised as her grandmother. But this is no ordinary wolf… This is the Misread Wolf, who’s after something more delicious than your average snack. He’s desperate for a bedtime story and knows Little Red Reading Hood might just be his only hope.”

  • 32 pages
  • Reading Age: 4–8 years

Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn, illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw (June 2006)

From Goodreads: “Learn about the library, checking out books, and story time with Lola.  Every Tuesday Lola and her mommy go to the library. Lola meets her friends there. They share books and don’t have to be quiet all the time. The nice librarian tells stories. There is a big machine that buzzes Lola’s books in and out, and she can take any books she wants home with her. Lola and her mommy always stop for a treat on the way home. No wonder Lola loves the library.

This gentle story of growing with books encourages little ones to discover the joy of reading as well as getting them ready and excited to visit the library.

Sweet, bright illustrations are from a kids-​eye point of view. Perfect for a lap read or story time, the first in Lola series, LOLA AT THE LIBRARY is a book young readers will fall in love with.”

  • 32 pages
  • Reading Age: 1–3 years

Read the Book, Lemmings! by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Zachariah OHora (Nov 2017)

From Goodreads: “Aboard the S.S. Cliff, First Mate Foxy reads an interesting fact: “Lemmings don’t jump off cliffs.” But Foxy can’t get the lemmings on the Cliff to read his book, too. They’re too busy jumping off.

After a chilly third rescue, exasperated Foxy and grumbly polar bear Captain PB realize their naughty nautical crew isn’t being stubborn: The lemmings (Jumper, Me Too, and Ditto) can’t read. And until Foxy patiently teaches his lemmings to read the book, he can’t return to reading it, either!”

  • 40 pages
  • Reading Age: 2–8 years

Tomás and the Library Lady by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Nate Wragg (Feb 2000)

From Goodreads: “Tomás is a son of migrant workers. Every summer he and his family follow the crops north from Texas to Iowa, spending long, arduous days in the fields. At night they gather around to hear Grandfather’s wonderful stories. But before long, Tomás knows all the stories by heart. “There are more stories in the library,” Papa Grande  tells him.  The very next day, Tomás meets the library lady and a whole new world opens up for him.

Based on the true story of the Mexican-​American author and educator Tomás Rivera, a child of migrant workers who went on to become the first minority Chancellor in the University of California system, this inspirational story suggests what libraries–and education–can make possible.  Raul Colón’s warm, expressive paintings perfectly interweave the harsh realities of Tomás’s life, the joyful imaginings he finds in books, and his special relationships with a wise grandfather and a caring librarian.”

  • 40 pages
  • Reading Age: 3–7 years

Wolf! by Becky Bloom, illustrated by Pascal Biet (March 1999)

From Goodreads: “A wolf learns to read in order to impress a group of farmyard animals he has met.”

  • 32 pages
  • Reading Age: 4–8 years

2024 ALA (San Diego) Conference Report

On By Only Picture BooksIn Event Coverage6 Comments

It’s been some time since I’ve been to an ALA conference (Orlando, I think and maybe Chicago before that). But in my new role as Editorial Director of Bushel & Peck Books, I was happy to cross the entire country and spend a week in San Diego. Here’s some of what I saw and did. Enjoy!

**This is not a chronological accounting but rather organized by how/​when I found the photos I wanted to share.**

 

Wizards of the Coast had some GREAT swag. I even scored a physical copy of Monster Manual on the final day!

 

Here’s the Bushel & Peck Books booth, with the bus that drew crowds nonstop. Yes, we bought a bus from the city of Fresno and remade it into a bookmobile. We had a constant flow of people popping in to see what it looked like inside.

 

Rebecca Walker was signing Time for Us, a picture book about children’s caregivers.

 

Of course, Dan Santat was there doing a ton of signings. We chatted a bit about him doing an OPB interview at some point. Fingers crossed that his schedule permits that! (Sidekicks is a fun, fun book.)

 

Yep, there were robot things buzzing around.

 

Here’s Vicki Johnson, the author of Molly’s Tuxedo.

 

Here’s author/​illustrator Steve Breen signing copies of Sky & Ty.

 

Kate Messner signed copies of The Kids in Mrs. Z’s Class: Emma McKenna, Full Out.

 

Sophie Blackall signed copies of her picture book Farmhouse.

 

Blink-​182 was playing a show one of the conference nights, and Petco Park was right by my hotel, so I sat outside and heard a couple of songs while watching the evening go by.

 

Bushel & Peck had a Pop Top Stage event with a lot of their authors. This is David & Stephanie Miles–the owners–introducing the event.

 

The author of the Stormbringer series (G.R. Boden) did a signing.

 

UNLV professor and literary rock star Jarret Keene signed copies of Decide & Survive: The Attack on Pearl Harbor and Heroes of World War II: 25 True Stories of Unsung Heroes Who Fought for Freedom while charming the crowd.

 

Carole Boston Weatherford was there, too, signing Bros and other books.

 

It was hard to miss the promo for Sherri’s cool-​looking new picture book.

 

I got to see parts of some of the Chapter One Stage events as I hustled from meeting to meeting. Wish I could’ve stayed longer at this one!

 

Have you read The Maid and the Crocodile? Jordan Ifueko was signing copies at ALA.

 

Ngozi Ukazu was signing as well. Barda is terrific!

 

Lee Wind was signing copies of The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities around the World.

 

Kwame Alexander stopped by the Bushel & Peck Books booth and chatted for a while. He’s a hoot!

 

Lesa Cline-​Ransome mugs for the camera with a fan whose copy of One Big Open Sky just got signed.

 

This was one of the coolest booths going–Fred Koehler’s Ready Chapter One is worth checking out if you don’t already know about it.

 

Here’s Joyce Uglow (in the dino mask/​hat), a new Bushel & Peck Books author doing a signing with the ARCs of the picture book STUCK!, which is about the La Brea Tar Pits. I was working on the final edits for this right up until I got on the plane to head to CA.

 

Kemper Donovan signed copies of Loose Lips.

 

Kate DePalma signed copies of Let’s Celebrate! Special Days Around the World. Like a pro, she blew the ink dry before handing over a signed book to a fan.

 

Jenni L. Wash was signing copies of Ace, Marvel, Spy: A Novel of Alice Marble.

 

Ellen had another good book to launch. Her fans were everywhere!

 

Yep, San Diego is a sports city. Confirmed!

 

And I thought gas was expensive in Florida.…

 

I made it fairly far from the conference center in my quest to find great local food. There were tons of fantastic options here.

 

I made it to Balboa Park and visited a lot of the museums (after the conference). Here’s the Old Globe Theater, which wasn’t running anything the week I was there. 🙁

 

The Gaslamp District was right next to the conference center, so I visited this area many, many times for food, meetings, and just ambiance.

 

Here’s a cool LEGO sculpture at one of the Balboa park museums. I think this was at the Fleet Science Center.

 

Loved seeing this promo for Loren Long’s The Yellow Bus. (OPB created some activities to pair with it–check those out right here.)

 

And here’s the Bushel & Peck Books bookmobile, driving away from the convention center and heading back home to Fresno.

 

And that’s pretty much it, folks. Maybe next time I’ll get away from my press’ booth a bit more to get a wider range of photos. We’ll see!