Tickle Your Funny Bone! – English Titles in BrailleThe following titles are available from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) Library in Toronto. The original print format has been transcribed into braille and the print and braille formats have been bound together so that a visually impaired parent can read with a sighted child and vice versa. ANDREW’S LOOSE TOOTH ROBERT MUNSCH Poor Andrew can’t eat his breakfast! He has a loose tooth and it really hurts. When Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko team up to tackle this typical childhood dilemma, the result is guaranteed to be hilarious. Based on a story that Munsch frequently recounts to live audiences, this boisterous tale rolls along with the refrain "Ooh, ooh, ooh! It’s a loose tooth! I know what to do!" But it seems nobody really does know what to do. Mom can’t pull it out with her fingers and Dad can’t budge it with his big pair of pliers. Neither the dentist nor the tooth fairy is any more successful, even though they resort to some rather unorthodox tooth extraction procedures. Finally, Andrew’s best friend Louis takes matters into his own hands, comes up with an ingenious solution and saves the day! Available in grade 2 print/braille from the CNIB Library in Toronto.
BATS ABOUT BASEBALL JEAN LITTLE AND CLAIRE MACKAY Nana is bats about baseball. Once the baseball season begins, it is almost impossible to talk to her about anything else; but Ryder tries anyway. As Nana settles down to watch a Jays game, Ryder asks, "do you think I should be an ornithologist when I grow up? I could be like Grandpa Winger and study birds." Nana doesn’t seem to hear. "The Jays play the Orioles today," she says as she nestles into a chair with Ryder perched at her side. Ryder giggles at Nana’s witty puns. He’ll trick her next time. Soon a hilarious linguistic battle ensues with Nana catching every one of Ryder’s "curve balls." Saucy cartoon-like watercolours complement the humorous word play, making this book a winner from beginning to end. Available in grade 2 print/braille from the CNIB Library in Toronto.
CAN YOU CATCH JOSEPHINE? STÉPHANE POULIN When Daniel finds Josephine in his school bag during class, he panics and hides the cat in his desk. Josephine escapes and Daniel is forced to run all over the school trying to catch his wayward pet. Once caught, the two are sent to the principal’s office where Daniel’s fear turns to surprise. Available in grade 2 print/braille from the CNIB Library in Toronto.
COULD YOU STOP JOSEPHINE? STÉPHANE POULIN Daniel and his father visit relatives in the country and they discover Daniel’s cat, Josephine, hidden in the car. Josephine leads Daniel on a wild romp through the farm as he tries to catch her. Available in grade 2 print/braille from the CNIB Library in Toronto.
A DIFFICULT DAY EUGENIE FERNANDES Melinda is having one of those days. She couldn’t sleep last night, and things haven’t gotten much better during the day. When she has to take a bath, it’s the last straw! She decides to just hide under the bed. Available in grades 1 and 2 print/braille from the CNIB Library in Toronto.
THE FABULOUS SONG DON GILLMOR Born into a musical family, little Frederic is named after that musical virtuoso Frederic Chopin. His doting mother, Mrs. Pipkin, thinks he is beautiful and, more importantly, musical. But no matter what instrument he tries, he seems to come up flat, until the moment he attends a concert and falls under the spell of the conductor. The wooden spoon which he has carried with him since infancy becomes his baton and... a star is born. The music is discordant at first, then melodic in the final pages, as Frederic finds his niche and conducts the Pipkin Family Orchestra in his wonderfully fabulous song. Available in grade 2 print/braille from the CNIB Library in Toronto.
HAVE YOU SEEN JOSEPHINE? STÉPHANE POULIN Daniel lives in Montreal with his father and cat Josephine. Daniel and Josephine are inseparable – except on Saturdays, when Josephine always disappears. But where does she go? Daniel decides to find out. Josephine is fast and leads Daniel on a chase around the neighborhood. Imagine Daniel’s amazement when he tracks Josephine to the Gagnon’s cat-filled backyard, where Mrs. Gagnon hosts a cat party every Saturday, complete with refreshments. Available in grade 2 print/braille from the CNIB Library in Toronto.
MORTIMER MOONER STOPPED TAKING A BATH FRANK B. EDWARDS What a pig! As the week progresses, Mortimer Mooner goes from bad to worse. On Monday he stops wearing his tie, by Friday his trotters are dirty, his hair uncombed and his teeth unbrushed. On Saturday he doesn’t take his bath. No wonder Mortimer’s grandmother refuses his hug on a Sunday visit! That’s when Mortimer decides to clean up his act and is rewarded by a hug, a kiss and some lunch. Available in grade 2 print/braille from the CNIB Library in Toronto.
MY MOTHER’S LOVES: STORIES AND LIES FROM MY CHILDHOOD STÉPHANE POULIN Supposedly based on Poulin’s childhood, a mother and her nine children live together in a tiny house – a house so tiny, that it’s impossible to fit all the furniture and the family in the house at the same time! The unused furniture is stacked in the yard until the eventful day when the garbage collector takes it by mistake. Romance ensues, the mother and garbage collector (complete with his brood of five children) marry, and all live happily ever after in the tiny house. Available in grade 2 print/braille from the CNIB Library in Toronto.
ONCE UPON A GOLDEN APPLE JEAN LITTLE AND MAGGIE DE VRIES In this fractured fairy tale, everything seems to go wrong. Goldilocks lives with the Seven Dwarfs, a princess kisses a reluctant dragon, and a prince rescues the Wicked Witch of the West. Available on 4-track cassette and in grades 1 and 2 print/braille from the CNIB Library in Toronto.
PRINCESS PRUNELLA AND THE PURPLE PEANUT MARGARET ATWOOD Princess Prunella is proud, prissy, and preoccupied with her appearance. When she will not give a wrinkly-wristed Wise Woman any food, the Wise Woman promptly pronounces a spell on Prunella. Until the Princess performs three Good Deeds, her nose will appear like a purple peanut. Available in grades 1 and 2 print/braille from the CNIB Library in Toronto.
SNOWED IN AT POKEWEED PUBLIC SCHOOL JOHN BIANCHI Days at Pokeweed Public School are always fun, but the best day ever is when a snowstorm forces the students to stay at school overnight. How will they manage? But Ms. Mudwortz, the "best teacher in the whole world", and Principal Slugmeyer are up for the challenge. Everyone ends up having a wild time! Available in grade 2 print/braille from the CNIB Library in Toronto.
TRAVEL FOR TWO: STORIES AND LIES FROM MY CHILDHOOD STÉPHANE POULIN What happens when the mother of ten children (not counting the dog) wins a fabulous cruise for two and all the children, plus the dog, decide to become stowaways by hiding in the trunk? Imagine! Only Stéphane Poulin could sweep us into the ensuing series of whimsical adventures. Let yourself fall under the spell of this incredible tale and the playful narration that will whisk grown-ups back to their childhood. Bon voyage! Available in grade 2 print/braille from the CNIB Library in Toronto.
THE TROUBLE WITH JUSTIN DON GILLMOR Justin is the messiest person in the world. When his mother tells him to clean his room, he finds a strange assortment of things, including two circus-clowns, a moose, and a football team. Available in grade 2 print/braille from the CNIB Library in Toronto.
WHEN VEGETABLES GO BAD! DON GILLMOR Ivy won’t eat her vegetables. Her mother tells her they’ll go bad if she doesn’t eat them, which is fine with Ivy. When her mother isn’t looking, she hides them in her pocket. But in the middle of the night, they do go bad, and now they’re out to get her! Available in grades 1 and 2 print/braille from the CNIB Library in Toronto. Copyright. The National Library of Canada. (Revised: 1999-9-8). |