Reading Aloud Bill Peet

 This morning the blog Across the Page has a wonderful salute to the books of Bill Peet, and recommends several favorite titles for reading aloud. The post reminds me that we still need to read Peet's autobiography.

Although I missed these books as a kid, I  "discovered" Peet, a Disney cartoonist and author of more than 30 works for children, through listening an audiotape of The Caboose Who Got Loose with my son, when he was about five. As I've mentioned here before, The Spooky Tail of Prewitt Peacock makes us laugh every time, especially given one of the funniest visual jokes I've seen in a kids' book. Junior also likes Farewell to Shady Glade, an environmentalist story published in 1966 and still just as relevant. Really, you can't go wrong with Bill Peet's work.

Image from Powell's Books.

Comments

[Sarah N.]

I love Bill Peet! Chester the Worldly Pig was one of my childhood favorites but I was thrilled to discover Capyboppy and The Caboose Who Got Loose with my kids.

[Susan (Chicken Spaghetti)]

I'm putting Chester the Worldly Pig on the list since we haven't yet read it. Thanks!

[Melissa Wiley]

I remember Jim Trelease raving about Bill Peet in The Read-Aloud Handbook. He used to do a Bill Peet week with his students, I believe. But the only Peet I've read is Capyboppy! As far as I can remember.

[Stephanie]

Thank you for this post - I was unfamiliar with Bill Peet and look forward to adding them to our list!

[BookMoot]

He was wonderful. I had one teacher at my campus who used his books every year with her third graders. I would pull them for her, automatically, at the beginning of the school year. She was a wonderful teacher. I need to email her and tell her that I am thinking of Bill Peet today. Thanks for this memory.

[Janet]

It's really amazing, the exuberance in his books and pictures. They're such fun to read aloud.

Have you ever read No Such Things? My daughter requested it for Christmas last year, and for me it's up there with Prewitt Peacock in the laugh department.

[Julie]

You are so right! Bill Peet is THE BEST! He is, hands-down, our favorite children's author. My son's favorite is The Wump World...though we love them all. My son and I review many children's books.

If you'd like to take a peek, visit my Children's Book Review page: http://fromcatwhiskerstocleanwindows.typepad.com/catwiskerstocleanwindows/childrens-books---reviews/

And...if you want to purchase books...I'm so blown away by what this book company does...they have almost ANY book you can image (including BILL PEET!!!), they offer FREE SHIPPING in the U.S. on ALL orders, they support literacy efforts worldwide, AND they help to reduce our carbon footprint. Wow--I was blown away when I learned what a difference they make: http://fromcatwhiskerstocleanwindows.typepad.com/catwiskerstocleanwindows/2010/02/any-book-you-are-looking-for-they-have-it-and-free-shipping-in-the-us.html

Thanks for all of your great posts!