One Winter's Day
Author: M. Christina Butler
Illustrator: Tina Macnaughton
Good Books, 2006
The Snow Bear
Author: Liliana Stafford
Illustrator: Lambert Davis
Scholastic Press. 2000
Often, while visiting friends, my eyes go straight to their book shelves—each friend's house is a mini-library with new discoveries waiting to be found. Today, Alice was busy with her baby, her son Weston was playing happily in the sandbox, Mirette was building with bristle blocks, and I challenged myself to find my two favorite books from Weston's shelf. (By the way, I realized, while perusing, that Mirette has hardly any books about trucks and Weston has tons. It may be a whole other topic, but I started to wonder if Mirette has few books about trucks because she hasn't expressed interest or because we aren't that interested in the topic— Is it because she's a girl? hmmmm? Food for thought.)
I more than succeeded! There were so many potentials, but these are the two gems I bring to the blog.
The first one is called One Winter's Day. What drew me to this book is the adorable picture of a hedgehog on the cover with a bright red scarf, mittens, and hat (that you can touch and feel). The pictures are so cozy and warm—you feel like you are in the wind on a cold day, snuggling beneath your hat and scarf. The book is about sharing, friendship, and kindness. Warning: If you are even slightly hormonal, the end of this book may cause a tear or two.
The author has several other books that seem to form a series such as One Snowy Night and The Dark, Dark Night, but she does not have a website of her own.
Tina Macnaughton has a website and prints you can order for a child's room! I think her drawings would make a fabulous gift for a special kid and I'll definitely be bookmarking her site.
http://www.tina-macnaughton.com/shop/index.html
The other book that won my contest is The Snow Bear. Alice got this one from Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada. What I liked best about this book is the pictures, which are all bright aqua blue. The story is another beautiful, tear-inducing tale about the friendship between a boy and a bear.
Liliana Stafford's website is http://www.lilianastafford.com/books.html. She also has a lovely story on the back page of the book, explaining why she wrote the story.
Lambert Davis has a cool website. He speaks at schools and demonstrates the art of painting a picture while he's there. He then takes it home, frames it, and gifts it to the school. Too bad he lives in Australia. http://lambertdavis.com/index.htm
Showing posts with label friendship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friendship. Show all posts
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Book of the Day: Bob and Otto
Bob and Otto
Author: Robert O. Bruel
Illustrator: Nick Bruel
Roaring Book Press, 2007
This is a very special book. Nick Bruel, already a famed illustrator, found this story written by his dad after his dad died. There is a very sweet tribute to his dad on the jacket of the book and it is such a tender piece of writing. We both loved it.
The story is about two friends—one is a worm, the other is a caterpiller. One goes down under ground, the other goes up in the tree. They miss each other and Otto feels sad that he has to be a boring ol' worm, (spoiler alert) but they come back together in the end, each proud of their accomplishments. The point is, we each have to do the things that make us happy and productive and one choice isn't better than the other.
One thing Mirette really liked about this book is that you can trace the underground path with your finger and you can trace the path of the caterpiller moving up into a tree. We read this book in the summer and whenever we were gardening, we would look for Otto's. In fact, Mirette still thinks that worms are called Otto's and probably always will.
I like the book because it is such an apt metaphor for me and something I think about a lot. As I get older, I am accepting more and more my (and others') nature. For instance, my husband is very happy when he can be at home painting, cooking, or playing guitar. I am happiest when I am out in the world, in community. While I love my husband's sense of home and serenity (one of the many things I adore about him), I used to push him to be more like me. Or I would feel embarrassed that I was the only one at an event without my husband. When I accepted his nature and my nature, there was much more harmony for me and for us! I also see traits and temperaments in my daughter that are very different than my own and I am teaching myself to let her be her own person and discover the world in her own way.
All that in a kids' book. Geez!
Here is the link to Nick Bruel's blog. He writes a series called Bad Kitty, which is for 3rd/4th grade kids. It's not a particularly toddler-friendly website/blog, but here you go anyway:
http://www.nickbruel.com/22801.html?entryId=50f3c1b68dea719f4c6b9d3cd898bb85
Author: Robert O. Bruel
Illustrator: Nick Bruel
Roaring Book Press, 2007
This is a very special book. Nick Bruel, already a famed illustrator, found this story written by his dad after his dad died. There is a very sweet tribute to his dad on the jacket of the book and it is such a tender piece of writing. We both loved it.
The story is about two friends—one is a worm, the other is a caterpiller. One goes down under ground, the other goes up in the tree. They miss each other and Otto feels sad that he has to be a boring ol' worm, (spoiler alert) but they come back together in the end, each proud of their accomplishments. The point is, we each have to do the things that make us happy and productive and one choice isn't better than the other.
One thing Mirette really liked about this book is that you can trace the underground path with your finger and you can trace the path of the caterpiller moving up into a tree. We read this book in the summer and whenever we were gardening, we would look for Otto's. In fact, Mirette still thinks that worms are called Otto's and probably always will.
I like the book because it is such an apt metaphor for me and something I think about a lot. As I get older, I am accepting more and more my (and others') nature. For instance, my husband is very happy when he can be at home painting, cooking, or playing guitar. I am happiest when I am out in the world, in community. While I love my husband's sense of home and serenity (one of the many things I adore about him), I used to push him to be more like me. Or I would feel embarrassed that I was the only one at an event without my husband. When I accepted his nature and my nature, there was much more harmony for me and for us! I also see traits and temperaments in my daughter that are very different than my own and I am teaching myself to let her be her own person and discover the world in her own way.
All that in a kids' book. Geez!
Here is the link to Nick Bruel's blog. He writes a series called Bad Kitty, which is for 3rd/4th grade kids. It's not a particularly toddler-friendly website/blog, but here you go anyway:
http://www.nickbruel.com/22801.html?entryId=50f3c1b68dea719f4c6b9d3cd898bb85
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Book of the Day: Once Upon a Twice
Once Upon a Twice
Author: Denise Doyen
Illustrator: Barry Moser
Random House, 2009
One of the most pleasurable things about writing this blog is that it makes for a great conversation starter. People of all ages have favorite books from childhood and I keep finding myself surprised by the sheer volume of amazing kids' books and how wonderful it is to talk about the books that light us or our children up.
My friend Angela turned me onto this amazing book during a play date last week. The words are lots of fun and very playful. In fact, Denise Doyen makes Dr. Seuss look rather calm. Here's an example:
They runrunnel through the riddle –
Secret ruts hid inbetwiddle –
But one mousling jams the middle –
Whilst he goofiddles, others howl:
That would be enough in and of itself, but the illustrations are also stunning! The cover is a mouse pulling back the tall grass to peer up at the round full moon. The color scheme consists of rich blues and blacks.
This is author Denise Doyen's first kids' book, but she has a background in children's television and film. Barry Moser, however, is a seasoned illustrator with a wide range of credits to his name. He even illustrated The King James Bible (yep, I want to check it out for sure). I couldn't find a website, but here's an interesting interview.
http://www.underdown.org/moser.htm
Thanks Angela for the book tip and Mirette for letting me write this while she played with her doll house.
Author: Denise Doyen
Illustrator: Barry Moser
Random House, 2009
One of the most pleasurable things about writing this blog is that it makes for a great conversation starter. People of all ages have favorite books from childhood and I keep finding myself surprised by the sheer volume of amazing kids' books and how wonderful it is to talk about the books that light us or our children up.
My friend Angela turned me onto this amazing book during a play date last week. The words are lots of fun and very playful. In fact, Denise Doyen makes Dr. Seuss look rather calm. Here's an example:
They runrunnel through the riddle –
Secret ruts hid inbetwiddle –
But one mousling jams the middle –
Whilst he goofiddles, others howl:
That would be enough in and of itself, but the illustrations are also stunning! The cover is a mouse pulling back the tall grass to peer up at the round full moon. The color scheme consists of rich blues and blacks.
This is author Denise Doyen's first kids' book, but she has a background in children's television and film. Barry Moser, however, is a seasoned illustrator with a wide range of credits to his name. He even illustrated The King James Bible (yep, I want to check it out for sure). I couldn't find a website, but here's an interesting interview.
http://www.underdown.org/moser.htm
Thanks Angela for the book tip and Mirette for letting me write this while she played with her doll house.
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