The Thingity-Jig
This jovial frolic through the city and woods celebrates ingenuity and teems with whimsical wordplay—a delightful read for any STEAM storytime.
Under the light of a silvery moon, Bear wanders into people town and discovers a springy thing, a bouncy thing―a sit-on-it, jump-on-it thing! This Thingity-Jig is too heavy to carry home by himself, so Bear runs back to the woods and asks for help. Too bad for Bear, his friends are sleepy and shoo him away. So Bear invents a Rolly-Rumpity to wheel the Thingity-Jig home, but then it all gets stuck in the mud! How will Bear tackle this bump in the road? With a Lifty-Uppity, of course!
Get the Teacher’s Guide!
Autographed copies are available at:
South Shore Arts Gift Shop
1040 Ridge Road
Munster, IN 46321
(219) 836-7418
If you’d like a personalized copy, please call South Shore Arts Gift Shop and spell the recipient’s name. After I sign the book, the gift shop will mail it.
About the Author
Kathleen Doherty is a Reading Specialist and an Educational Specialist in Curriculum and Instruction. She’s written standardized test items for Pearson, Inc. in alignment with the Common Core Standards. She’s also won the Highlights Pewter Plate Award, the Highlights Celebrate National Poetry Contest, and a letter of merit from SCBWI’s Magazine Merit Competition.
Kathleen donates 100% of her author earnings to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
About the Illustrator
Kristyna graduated from Edinburgh College of Art and now lives in a beautiful village in Yorkshire. She draws quickly to give an energetic line quality to her illustrations, sometimes adding colour and textures digitally. She is constantly experimenting with new ways of mark making and enjoys working with a huge range of material, including textiles and ceramics.
Praise
“Doherty’s joyous, inventive, action-packed language begs to be shouted out loud. The moonlit night sparkles in town and city as Litten’s fanciful illustrations fill in the details of the tale and showcase Bear’s inventiveness. Little readers might want to create their own Thingity-Jigs. A delightful, rollicking, joyous romp.” —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“[An] intricately illustrated picture book that rejoices in creative play—and in imaginative takes on ordinary objects.” —Foreword Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“Making the most of Bear’s wacky, ingenious contraptions, the appealing artwork rewards curious viewers with visual details that reappear in different contexts as the story unfolds. The well-constructed text rolls along in a satisfying way, enhanced by the devices’ inventive names, which are uniquely fitting and great fun to read aloud. A dynamic, enjoyable picture book.” —Booklist
“With text as energetic and playful as Bear himself, the story builds a delightful anticipation for each new Rube Goldberg-ian invention. Atmospheric illustrations are washed in softly textured nighttime blues and are chock-a-block full of endearing detail…. With language that trips off the tongue and pictures filled with charming ingenuity, this is a read-aloud that will endure.” —School Library Connection
“Illuminating nightscapes, enveloped in rich purple shadows that contrast beautifully with the shining yellow light from windows. As the sun rises, the scenes masterfully transition to the warm orange morning…. Doherty’s text is at its most playful, with all manner of funny words, when Bear constructs his inventions. Her rhyming text on those pages is bouncy and fun…. A celebration of inventiveness, in both contraption and language, this book is a lovely addition to larger collections.” —School Library Journal