Friday, November 15, 2013

Learning from Picture Books: I Dare You Not to Yawn!

I Dare You Not to Yawn!

written by Helene Boudreau
illustrated by Serge Bloch

published by Candlewick, 2013


From the Publisher:

A yawn can land you in your pj’s and under the covers before you can blink and say "Baa baa black sheep." So clamp your mouth shut and look away from your sleepy dog, stay away from your cuddly blanket, and whatever you do, don’t think of baby orangutans stretching their long arms out for a snuggly hug. Otherwise, you might find your mouth opening wide and letting out a great big yawny yaaaaaawn -- hey, you were supposed hold it in! A hilarious read-aloud that is so much fun, kids will beg for it again and again, whatever the consequences.

Just try to resist this comical -- and infectious -- cautionary fable that will have even bedtime-avoiders gladly snuggling up for a nightly challenge.

My Thoughts as a Writer:
This is perfect to read at bedtime. The comic-style illustrations in this story are a lot of fun. I enjoyed how the writer took a simple idea and drew it out into a story full of tips for how not to yawn. The carefully-chosen sounds words add to the enjoyment of the story.    

This book would be a good one for studying pacing and page turns. For more information on Helene Boudreau’s process for writing this book, check out this interview with Debbie Ridpath Ohi -- Picture Book Writing Process: How Hélène Boudreau Wrote I DARE YOU NOT TO YAWN (Candlewick Press).  


My Thoughts as a Teacher:
This book would be a nice one to read to preschoolers or kindergarten students to promote a love of reading. It gives you that wonderful cozy feeling of a shared experience. I can also imagine reading this to my class during an inquiry on the human body...or to spark an inquiry, since it so easily lends itself to questions about why we need to sleep or why we yawn.

This book is one of the nominees for The Blue Spruce Award in the Canadian Library Association's Forest of Reading 2014.


If you're looking for more good picture books to read or to use in your classroom, check out Susanna Leonard Hill’s wonderful list of resources, Perfect Picture Books as well as her blog feature Perfect Picture Book Fridays.

16 comments:

  1. Such a fun pick. This would be a great bed time book. Tried to make it through your review, and yawned at the end. The power of suggestion! Great review and classroom suggestions.

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    1. Ha! Thanks for stopping by, even though it made you sleepy!

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  2. I've seen the cover around online, but didn't know how funny the book would be. It sounds great.

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    1. Yes, I thought it was great. And Debbie Ohi's interview about her writing process is very interesting.

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  3. Just the title of this book made me laugh out loud. I can't wait to read it!

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  4. One of my favs this year!

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  5. I'm ready to yawn. . .fun one, Andrea!

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  6. All I have to do is read the title and I'm yawning, Andrea :) Such a fun one!

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    1. I love the way such a simple idea turned into a complete story!

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  7. LOL. Honest, I actually yawned while reading this page. That's no reflection on the review :)

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  8. This is a very cute subject. Very clever, thanks for sharing, Andrea.

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  9. I look forward to reading this one. I read the post on Inky Girl. Ready to hold the book in my hands.

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  10. I can't wait to read this one! I love the title!

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