Book of the Day: Pete's a Pizza

Pete's a Pizza
William Steig
(1998)

This book is hilarious!   It's raining outside and Pete is bummed, so his dad turns him into a pizza.   The funniest part is when his dad tickles him.   Pete's dad says, "Pizza's are not supposed to laugh."  Pete replies,  "pizza-makers are not supposed to tickle their pizzas."    By the time the pizza game is done, the sun is out and Pete can go out and play.   Besides the fact, that in our neck of the woods a little rain doesn't stop a kid from playing outside, there is a little moral here--make lemonade out of lemons.   But the real reason we love this book is that Mirette makes me act out all the steps--just like in the book and we both laugh hard and long.   It brings a certain silly intimacy our way and for that I do adore this book.

William Steig (1907-2003) was quite a Don Juan.  He had four wives, one of whom was  the sister of Margaret Mead.    

Other facts:
He never completed college
Played water polo
Has a brother that's telepathic
Started writing kids books in his 60's
He was a cartoonist at The New Yorker
He published drawing books for adults (Can't wait to check them out!  One is entitled Our Miserable Life.)
Shrek means FEAR in Yiddish
He loved Pinnochio as a kid
Wilhelm Reich was his therapist.  He sat daily in a Orgone box to try and collect orgasmic energy--what???
His parents were Jewish socialists
Sylvyster and the Magic Pebble was banned in various places for depicting police as pigs.
Pete's a Pizza was conceived in one night!


This is a VERY long article with tons of interesting other factoids about the author:
http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/resources/longbox/60/

New York Times Obit:   http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/05/nyregion/william-steig-95-dies-tough-youths-and-jealous-satyrs-scowled-in-his-cartoons.html?src=pm

A funny article on the Orgone machine:  http://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/29/arts/wry-child-unconscious-william-steig-90-art-life-mysterious-orgone.html?src=pm

Books for Kids about Fall--my list of favorites.

I've been reading a lot of BEST OF book lists for the fall season, so I decided to create my own list of fall favorites:


Apple
Nikki McClure
Abrams Appleseed (2012)

Nikki McClure is a local favorite as she lives in Olympia, Washington (a hop, skip and a jump away), writes about simple things like rain and the farmers market and has a very distinctive style.  In Apple, the pictures are black and white, except for the red apple.  Each alternate page has a single word such as fall, share, plant.   It's a very special ode to the apple and we love it!

http://www.nikkimcclure.com/


Little Green
Keith Baker
Harcourt Books (2001)

You may not think this one belongs in the fall list, but our family has spent many wondrous moment watching the hummingbird hang around our fuchsia tree this season.   The colors in this book are amazing and happy.  
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8749317886050281919#editor/target=post;postID=5570299668348101063


South
Patrick McDonnell
Little, Brown and Company (2008)

Told in comic strip style, this is a sweet book about fall, compassion, and friendship.  The best thing, no words--so your little one can read this on his/her own.

Lots of good looking books here:  http://muttscomics.com/default.aspx


Apples A to Z
Author:  Margaret McNamara
Illustrator:   Jake Parker
Scholastic Press (2012)

The title says it all!  A fox teaches us about apples.    In case you are wondering about the more unusual letters, x is the mark made in pies, y stands for yield (the amount of apples from a tree) and v is for varieties.   Gorgeous and interesting!

Margaret McNamara doesn't have a website yet, but she does have some great books on fairies coming out soon.  

Jake Parker is another well known cartoonist:  http://mrjakeparker.com/


Ghosts in the House!
Kazuno Kohara
Roaring Book Press (2008)

I love this book.  There is a sassy girl/witch who catches ghosts and put them in the washing machine.  The illustrations are black on red, with the ghosts looking like tissue paper.    It's super adorable.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/kazunokohara




Fall Mixed Up
Author:  Bob Raczka
Illustrator:  Chad Cameron
Carolrhoda Books (2011)

This is a funny one!  Get ready for laughter and lots of word play--"Hats cover hand.  Glove cover ears.  Bonfires cool off our fronts and our rears."  

http://www.bobraczka.com/about-me/index.html

http://www.chadcameron.com/ (noisy but cool!)

Book of the Day: Six Crows

Six Crows
Leo Lionni
Alfred A. Knopf  (1988)


We love Leo Lionni's interesting fables and collages.  Mirette loves Swimmy, Alexander and the Wind Up Mouse, and A Fish is a Fish, but Six Crows is a new one for us.   We love the fall theme, the picture of crows with ripped paper, and of course anything with a scarecrow wins Mirette's seal of approval.   I, of course, like the books that have morals because they usually remind me  of life's simple truths.   In this case, it's never too late to talk things over.


Here's a few interesting things about Leo Lionni (1910-1999):

  As many illustrators of his generation, he got started with a career in advertising.

He didn't start writing until he was around 60.  He was on a train without any art supplies and started tearing images out of magazines to tell a story to his grandchildren, thus inspiring him to use his collage method.  

He is the first children's author/illustrator to use collage as a medium.

He uses realistic color on a white background.

He is Dutch,  but lived in the United States and Italy.

He wrote 40 books.

He was an only child.

His mom was an opera singer.

As a kid, he collected all kinds of natural objects and many of his images stem from this time.

Being Jewish, his family got out of Italy and moved to the states right before the war.

He loved music.

He died of Parkinson's disease.

This website is full of information, profiles all of his books, a few videos and a touching piece written by his granddaughter:   http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/lionni/aboutlionni.php

Another site with some great information/lesson plans:  http://www.mermaidtheatre.ns.ca/onTour/leoLionni/Leo_Lionni_SG/index.htm


His obituary:  http://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/17/nyregion/leo-lionni-89-dies-versatile-creator-of-children-s-books.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

Parrot Tico Tango Revisited

A while ago I wrote this blog posting about the book:  Parrot Tico Tango:

http://miretteandmommy.blogspot.com/2012/03/book-of-day-parrot-tico-tango.html.

This book has been a continuous favorite of ours and is just a gorgeous book in every way.   One day
I was browsing in a small consignment shop on our island that a friend recently started.  On the table, there was a big pile of the Parrot Tico Tango books. 

"That's one of our favorite books," I commented.

"Did you know she lives on the island?"  Emma replied.

"WHAT!"

Today Mirette and I were lucky enough to listen to Anna White read her two stories and sing to a group of about 6 kids.  It was so sweet and she made it fun with her Spanish words and guitar playing.   I am thrilled that she lives here and seems such a warm and wonderful person!

We also got in a little chat about picture books.  She said that it's very difficult to publish rhyming books--publishers don't want them these days.  I think it's probably because so many rhyming books are god-awful and trite.    But how sad to pass up a book like this with rich, complex, intersting rhymes.      

Fun Fall Books

Here are some great ideas for books about FALL.

We've been checking some of them out from the library and there are lots of great new discoveries!

http://www.simpleasthatblog.com/2012/09/50-fabulous-childrens-books-for-fall.html

http://delightfulchildrensbooks.com/2011/09/18/autumn/

You can't go wrong with these two great sites!

Book of the Day: Rumpelstiltskin

Rumpelstiltskin
Paul O. Zelinsky
Houghton Mifflin Company (1989)

What a strange story--so chilling and horrific anyway you look at it.   I mean, the Queen ends up happily married to the King, but only because she could spin hay into gold--sounds like a great start to an intimate relationship.  

 But I do love these old Grimm tales translated and modernized.  I like reading something that was told years and years ago, but now with vivid pictures.     Plus, it's fun to do a funny voice for good ol' Rumple.  It makes Mirette laugh.

Paul O. Zelinsky http://www.paulozelinsky.com/paul.html lives in Brooklyn with his family.  He attended Yale and was inspired by a class he took taught by Maurice Sendak.   He also wrote Rapunzel and The Wheels of the Bus both of which are very acclaimed.  

By the way,  I'm back in business--or at least I think I am!

Short Chicago Takes: My Little Pink Princess Purse

My Little Pink Princess Purse
Stephen T. Johnson
Simon and Schuster (2010)

I'm not into promoting the princess thing and Mirette hasn't shown a huge leaning towards the phenomenon (yet!), but this princess book was completely captivating. 

It occupied Mirette for hours and I found it interesting myself.   It was the type of book I would have loved when I was a kid.    On Amazon, it is marketed as a gift novelty book (whatever that means).  Basically, it is the story of a purse of a young princess.  The reader can take out all kinds of things that are in the purse (a letter from her grandma with a key, a mirror that really works, a fan that unfolds, perfume that really smells).  It takes some dexterity to get the things in and out which is one of the reasons Mirette spent so much time with it--it was fun to take things out and put them in again.  And the moral of the story is:  Be yourself and be empowered!

I think an older child would also enjoy this book as you could make up more fantasy play while reading it.  

The author Stephen T. Johnson also wrote My Little Red Toolbox and a bunch of others in the same style.  He has other award winning books for children (A is for Art looks awesome!).  art in major museums, made a plan for the World Trade Center, art hanging in Paul Simon's house, an amazing piece on the NYC subway (worth going to the website just to see it).  He's known to be a very versatile artist who works in many mediums and his resume is kind-of off the charts amazing.  

He settled down in Kansas City with his family and probably wrote the books in part for his own kids.  

http://www.stephentjohnson.com/news/

If you want to see the book in action:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TScA7fwLCc&feature=relmfu

Short Takes Chicago: The Little House

The Little House
Virginia Lee Burton
Houghton Mifflin (1942)

And if I thought Harry the dog broght back memories. . .  This book was a favorite of mine as a kid and still is today.   Mirette loved it too. 

It's about a little house that is nearly swallowed by the big city.    I love how the house has feelings and a personality.    It also brings back some kind-of longing for a simpler time before urban sprawl--a life I can only imagine.   It's a sad book because it's so realistic.  If houses did have feelings, I think so many of them would be crying out.

Virginia Lee Burton reminds me a lot of Margaret Wise Brown  http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8749317886050281919#editor/target=post;postID=6830531492329285296, only a lot less eccentric.  She really changed the world of writing for children and also incorporated social commentary into her tales.   She was considering a career in dance, but chose art instead.  She lived in Massachusetts with her husband and two children.  Both her kids went to Harvard.  One is a renown sculpture artist, the other owns amusement parks.   

The best site I found on her:  http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/mike_mulligan/biohome.shtml


There's also a movie about her life, but the website is currently down.

Short Takes Chicago: Harry the Dirty Dog

Harry the Dirty Dog
Author:  Gene Zion
Illustrator: Margaret Bloy Graham
Harper Collins (1956)

Just back from a week long trip to Chicago.  I tend to define my trips by the books that I find along the way.  I'd have to say that Chicago was a roaring success.   This trip led me to my sister's attic and a book shelf filled with books belonging to my nieces and nephews (now teenagers).   How fun it was to sit with Mirette under the foos ball table (which happened to be pushed alongside the book shelf), ignoring the intense heat, covered in books from head to toe--so many great discoveries.   This was followed by a stint at my friend Stephie's house, dominated by princess books, but also some excellent discoveries. 

Join me for some short takes on the books we discovered while in Chicago.    You are in for a fine ride!

The Harry series is a blast from my past--what sweet memories and how weird that I had forgotten all about this wonderful simple book.  The plot is very similar to Dandelion:   Harry gets dirty and his family doesn't recognize him.   Harry is so adorable and mischievous.   (He is now up there with Biscuit, Spot, and Fergus in Mirette's list of favorite dogs).

Not much out there on Gene Zion.   After  he wrote the Harry series and his wife illustrated it (so many husband/wife teams in this field), they got divorced in 1968.  He never wrote another book.   And then he died in 1975.


His ex-wife went on to illustrate many other books!

Cool Book Four: The Black Book of Colors

The Black Book of Colors
Author:  Menena Cottin
Illustrator:   Rosana Faria
Translator:  Elisa Amado
Groundwood Books (2006)

For Mirette's third birthday her half-sister Lily baked her an orange birthday cake.   It tasted orange, so orange, that I mentioned to Lily that eating a piece of her cake would be a good way to explain orange to a blind person.

The Black Book of Colors does just that.  In this book, the blind person can imagine what the colors look like through the evocative words like black is the king of all the colors.  It is as soft as silk when his mother hugs him and her hair falls in his face.   Likewise, the sighted person can imagine what it feels like to use his/her sense of touch to experience a book.  

Menena and Rosana are both Venezuelan.   There are no English language websites on these two.

Wow--four reviews in one night.  All of the four books are award winners and each appeared on several best of lists.   I am seriously wowed by each of these books.  Happy reading.

Cool Book Three: Mirror

Mirror
Jeannie Baker
Candlewick Press (2010)

Another increbilly gorgeous, unique book that will potentially amaze you!   The pages of this book open out, so that each page is actually the equivalent of four pages.  One half is the story of a day in the life of an Australian family.  The other half is a day in the life of a Moroccan family.   One half is written in English, the other in Arabic.   The theme of the book is that "the inner person of a "stranger" may not be a stranger at all."  

Besides the cool idea (which would be cool in and of itself), the illustrations are breathtaking.   Jeannie Baker uses collage-- a mix of natural and artificial materials such as "sand, earth, clay, paints, vegetation, paper, fabric, wool, tin, and plastic."


Oh, I so want to read all her books!
http://www.jeanniebaker.com/index.htm

http://www.walker.co.uk/contributors/Jeannie-Baker-3387.aspx

Cool Book Number Two: Along a Long Road

Along a Long Road
Frank Viva
Little Brown and Company (2011)

This is a very super-cool book.  It's actually a 35 foot long painting and features a continuous road.  It was created on a computer using only five colors.  Viva is a graphic designer and often illustrates the cover of The New Yorker magazine.  Mirette has used her finger to follow along the road and has been talking about this one lots.

Watch it in action!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwL7gNrUA7Q


His website for the book with links to a teaching guide:
http://alongalongroad.com/

Cool Book One: There's Going to be a Baby

There's Going to be a Baby
Author:  John Burningham
Illustrator:  Helen Oxenbury
Candlewick Press (2010)

There's not (going to be a baby that is) in this family.   But this is the best book I have ever read on the subject of welcoming new brothers and sisters!   

The pictures are so endearing---yummy round heads and images of the baby doing all this funny stuff--like working in a bank and making pancakes.   Mirette thought it was hilarious even though there's no baby on the way, but it would also be a good one for pregnant moms to read to the brothers/sisters to be.  


John Burningham and Helen Oxenbury are a husband/wife team.  
Two interesting videos:
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/oxenbury/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/audioslideshow/2011/may/03/helen-oxenbury-audio-slideshow

This is an article about them writing the book together (their first collaboration).  In it, they talk about how the mom in the book is dressed very stylishly (a reminder to not ignore ourselves) and also how this book would be a great gift for an expectant mom.   

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/44746-q--a-with-helen-oxenbury-and-john-burningham.html

Book of the Day: The Paper Bag Princess

The Paper Bag Princess
Author: Robert N. Munsch
Illustrator:  Micheal Martchenko
Annick Press (1992)

Is your child princessed out?   Mine isn't, at least not yet, but she HAS declared that her favorite color is pink.  

Peggy Orenstein who is famous for her classic book School Girls, wrote a book called Cinderella Ate My Daughter:Dispatches From the Frontlines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture.   I found this book hilarious, interesting, and informative.   As a famous feminist, the author is happily keeping her child away from the girlie-girl culture, but her daughter goes there anyway.   She explains many things like how pink came to be the "girl" color (it used to be light blue) and how the marketers took off on the princess fantasy to make millions of dollars.   

The thing that has really stuck with me is her idea that there is nothing wrong at all with our children playing princess, but limiting their play to only one type of fantasy is, well, limiting.   My daughter can play princess all she wants, but I do want her to play builder, and vet, and train conductor, and butterfly too.  

By the way,   she has a super fantastic fun book list on her website.  Here's the link:  http://peggyorenstein.com/resources.html (and really her whole website is great).

On to the book of the day--The Paper Bag Princess!  This is a classic feminist tale.   It couldn't be less subtle.    But Mirette totally adores this book.   She likes seeing the dragon's fiery breath and asks to read it again and again.  Her eyes lit up when I took it along on a car trip the other day.   Spoiler alert:  After saving the Prince, the prince rudely tells Elizabeth (the heroine) that she should clean herself up and change out of her paper bag before taking him away from the dragon.  Elizabeth says that he is a bum (in the English version it was Toad)  and decides not to marry him, skipping off happily by herself.

Interestingly, the book is written and illustrated by men.  

Robert Munsch is quite a guy.   I have to admit I started crying when I read his bio.   http://robertmunsch.com/whats-new.   He does speaking engagements at schools for free and sometimes just shows up unannounced (Can you imagine).   He prefers to stay with families and many of his stories are based on children he's met (Princess Elizabeth was based on a girl at his preschool who would throw her jacket on the ground like a princess).  He develops his stories from telling them first (in fact, that's how he got discovered).  He has a a wild and manic way of spinning a yarn and sounds like quite a character.   Robert battles addiction and mental illness.   He also writes poems.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/conditions/how-robert-munsch-grabbed-a-lifeline/article4268136/


Here's a great bio on the illustrator Mark Martchenko:  http://www.annickpress.com/authors/martchenko.asp?author=251&author2=380

Sex Ed for Three Year Olds: It's Not the Stork

It's Not the Stork:  A Book about Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families, and Friends
Author:   Robie H. Harris
Illustrator:  Michael Emberley
Candlewick Press (2006)

I prescribe to the school of thought that it's a good idea to educate your kids about their bodies early on.    I've heard Amy Lang of Birds + Bees + Kids talks many times (both professionally and as a mom) and I really like her ideas.   http://birdsandbeesandkids.com/  

One day, Mirette was playing with some red and yellow play dough.  She tucked the yellow ball in the red ball and said,  "The yellow is in the mommy's uterus."   I was dumbfounded and kind-of proud too, but realized that I do often tell her the story of how she was born.  It's clearly interesting to her to think about how the body works.

It has recently come to the attention of our community that there is a level three sex offender residing here and also, even more disturbing to me, a man's iphone was found on a local playing field with child pornography on it.   That's made the moms around here start talking about teaching safe touch to our kids.  

So I bought the book mentioned on Amy's site even though it says 4 and up.   It's pretty wordy, but Mirette was captivated.  I kept saying, "should we put in a book mark and read more later?"  She'd reply,  "No mommy, read the whole thing."    

I thought it was extremely well done.   It doesn't avoid anything or mince any words (so some families may not like it for that reason), but it really is a very cute way of explaining with little cartoon pictures and a bird and a bee making funny comments along the way.

There is also Okay Touches, Not Okay Touches.

Before buying this book,  read this review to see if it's right for your family:
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/its-not-stork

Here's a great interview with the author:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFWQsZGwXyo

Book of the Day: My Woodland Wish

My Woodland Wish
Author:  Casper Babypants
Illustrator:  Kate Endle
Sasquatch Books (2011)

Hey y'all.  I haven't forgotten my blog, but here's the deal:   Whenever I have any of my very limited free time, I always think I will write AFTER I clean the house.   I want to write on a crisp, fresh table--sunlight streaming unto my sparkling dining room.  But, um, I have a three year old--one who takes great joy in messing up whatever I have just cleaned.  Sigh.

Suffice it to say, it's time to buck up and write regardless of the other things going to the wayside.

Here in the Northwest we have a star in the kid's music world--Casper Babypants.  We finally took Mirette to see him and I have to admit, he's kind-of spectacular.   The book My Woodland Wish is also, of course, a song.   The illustration and the idea for the story came from his wife Kate.   It's a very sweet book about the forest with engaging collage illustrations.  The song is soft and gentle, perfect for before bed.

Here's the link to the song and their website (the song can be downloaded for free):   http://www.babypantsmusic.com/fr_home.cfm

Casper Babypants was the lead singer and songwriter for The Presidents of the United States of America.  

The two of them have two other books, all with free downloadable music.

Kate Endle's illustrations are also found in magazines, greeting cards etc.  Look for her works at www.KateEndle.com.

Book of the Day: I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew

I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew
Dr. Seuss
Random House (1965)


Way back when, in my post entitled Zizzer, Zazzer, Zuzz http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8749317886050281919#editor/target=post;postID=388418645757093I3580, I talked about all our favorite Dr. Seuss books.  Sadly, we completely missed out on Solla Sollew.  In fact, I had never really heard of it before until Mirette got a copy for her birthday.

It now ranks as my number one all time Dr. Seuss favorite!!!  In fact, I kind-of beg Mirette to let me read it to her.

Why?  Well for one thing, it's super fun to read.   I jumped up behind him. Then all through that day The Wubble wubbedon in a wubble-some way.  The road got more bumpy, more rocky more tricky.  By midnight, I tell you, my stomach felt icky.

The other reason is that it's yet another book that includes a wonderful reminder to stay in the present and appreciate what we have.   We are not going to find what we are looking for in Solla Sollew On the banks of the beautiful River Wah-Hoo, Where they never have troubles! At least, very few.

Hope you have as much fun with this book as we have.

It's all in a Fairytale: Goldilocks and the Three Bears

I aquired a free poster of Goldilocks and the Three Bears which is hanging over Mirette's bed.  One day, I decided it was time to tell her the story.

 I started off with Goldilocks' mother allowing her to go into the forest as long as she stayed on the path.  We got to the part where she goes in the house and eats the porridge and sits on the chair and then, um, I forgot why she decided to go upstairs to the bedroom.  I made something up.  Thankfully, I remembered the part about the bears coming home.  "this porridge is too hot, too cold, just right--blah blah blah."  But what happens after they find Goldilocks?  I couldn't remember.  Also, I didn't want to make it too scary for her, after all she is only a toddler.  So I made up some ending where they went back and had dinner together.

I skimmed through a book called  The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales by Bruno Bettelheim.   Basically, he explains that fairy tales have many-a psychological-purpose.  Though the parent may be afraid to read the darker stuff, it's really empowering for the child.  Usually, it's about overcoming something dark, or learning how to cope with something.    So psychologically speaking, my need to sugarcoat Goldilocks was, perhaps, not needed.  

Anyway, all this to say that I decided to brush up on my fairy tales and learn what really went down in the forest with Golidlocks and the bears.  What I found is that  there is the stuff that is always the same and the stuff that changes from story to story (I guess that's the beauty of fairy tales--they are very flexible--stemming, I'm sure, from the oral tradition from whence they came).  

Before me sit six versions of Goldilocks.

1.  The very flamboyant Jan Brett's Goldilocks and the Three Bears  (1987)http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8749317886050281919#editor/target=post;postID=918195194777360091

2.  Golidlocks and the Three Bears (2003)  Retold by Jim Aylesworth, Illustrated by Barbara McClintock

3.  The 3 Bears and Goldilocks (2008)  by Margaret Willey, Illustrated by Heather M. Solomon

4. The Three Bears:  A Folk Tale Classic (1972) by Paul Galdone

5.  Goldilocks and the Three Bears (1988).  This one is a Caldecott Honor book though I have no idea why.  The pictures are not particularly amazing in my opinion.  http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8749317886050281919#editor/target=post;postID=1966727367403836666

6.  Goldilocks and the Three Bears (2008)  by Lauren Child; Photography by Polly Borland and Emily L. Jenkins.  This book is really cool.  It's written by the woman who does the Charlie and Lola series.  The photographers set up these amazing real live sets using dolls and a three foot high house.  


Why is she in the woods in the first place?
In two of the books Goldilocks just appears with no context (the books start off with the story of the bears).  In the other books, Goldilocks goes into the woods to get muffins in the next town, in search of adventure, to collect firewood, and to pick flowers.   In almost every version she is curious, or mischevious.

How does she stray from the path?
She chases a butterfly, a bird, or goes in search of the house because her mom tells her not to.  

Why does she enter the house?
She smells the porridge (yep, in every book it is porridge), she wants to play, and/or she's just curious.

Why does the chair break?
The "just right" chair isn't just right, she rocks on it too hard, or leans back too far.

Why does she go upstairs?
She sees the stairs and gets curious, she gets tired after eating all the porridge up, she rocks so hard on the chair that it tires her out.

What happens after the Bears find Goldilocks
The little bear gets to keep her red shoes that Goldilocks leaves behind, the bears never see her again, she decides to obey her parents from now on.

Of course, each book is written with it's own voice and funny details.   It's amazing how one story can offer so much uniqueness.  Though the bones are the same, the illustrations, voice, and details are all over the map.  

Suffice it to say, I think I have now brushed up on my Goldilocks storytelling.

Book of the Day: Bread and Jam for Frances

Bread and Jam for Frances
Author:  Russell Hoban
Illustrator:  Lillian Hoban
Harper Collins (1964)

I remember the Frances series from my own childhood.  Taking it home from the library with Mirette was akin to my visiting with an old friend. 

Frances, an adorable badger, only wants to eat bread and jam.  Her parents, in a move that's straight out of the parenting book Love and Logic,  do as she wishes.  Eventually she gets bored of eating only bread and jam thus imparting the age old wisdom--be careful what you wish for.  

I love kids books that teach something, but also remind us adults of some life truth.

Reading this book made me wonder, if the author and illustrator, husband/wife team, had some children that grappled with an issue like this.  The book is written from a very intimate angle.  

Time to investigate!

Russell Hoban (1925-2011) is a very well known fantasy writer.  In fact, it seems he is much better known and revered for his grown-up novels such as one called Riddley Walker.

As an interesting aside:  (From an excellent Salon.com article  http://www.salon.com/2011/12/21/russell_hoban_the_last_cult_writer/:   He was the kind of writer who inspired fans to celebrate his birthday by distributing sheets of yellow, A4-size writing paper (a recurring motif in his fiction) inscribed with favorite quotes in subway trains, parks and other public places around the world).   

His wife, at the time, Lillian Hoban illustrated the Frances books.  Just as I suspected,  the plot ideas were taken from the real life escapades of their four children.

A few websites say that the family went to visit London in 1969.  The family went home as planned, but Russell stayed in London, got divorced and had three more children with his second wife.   What the websites don't say is what really happened.  Was Lillian crushed or relieved?  How did the kids handle this?  Did they accept the new wife and kids?   These are the things I want to know, but the world wide web remains mum on the scandel this may have created.  (though I did read somewhere that he was estranged from his youngest daughter, the one that bread and jam is about).  

There's so much more on this guy--what a character, so check out the Salon article or this one in The Guradian.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/dec/14/russell-hoban

Book of the Day: Sleepover at Gramma's House

Sleepover at Gramma's House
Author:  Barbara Joose
Illustrator:  Jan Jutte
Philomel Books (2010)


Way back in August, I profiled Mama, Do You Love Me?   http://miretteandmommy.blogspot.com/2011/08/mama-do-you-love-me.html

It took me a while to realize that today's adorable book is writen by the same author, Barbara Joose.   Just like Mama, Do You Love Me? the language is extremely fun, interesting, unusual and playful.   Here's the opening three pages:  "goodie, goodie, goodie. . I'm packing up my little trunk my little overnighty trunk my nighty in my nighty trunk."   Isn't that fabulous?

Later in the story, Gramma and the little elephant switch roles.  Gramma begs for a story and her little grandkid elephant tells her one because she loves her "honey so."    This cracks me up in part because Mirette wil say things to me like, "okay honey bunch" and all my other pet names for her.    The book radiates love and warmth with the two of them falling asleep inside a hug.  Ahhh!

Too bad Mirette's gramma lives in Florida, she's been begging for a sleepover.

For information on Barbara Joose (and there's a lot of good stuff), see the above link.

Jan Jutte is from the Netherlands:  Here is his website:  http://www.janjutte.nl/engels/home%20test.htm

The two of them have teamed up for another book called Rowar!

Book of the Day: The Kissing Hand

The Kissing Hand
Audrey Penn
Illustrations:  Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak
Tanglewood Press (1993)

Found on my friend's Pinterest board (she said it made her cry every time she reads it), I decided to check it out from the library.  I wonder how I did  not know about this book during my School Counseling years.  I actually am  wondering why I didn't think of it--such a simple and clever idea that I can see really working.    There have been many a child (and parent) with separation anxiety over the years that would have benefited from this book.  

It's a tale about a little raccoon named Chester who wants to hang out with his mommy rather than go to school.   The mommy kisses his hand and explains that it goes straight to his heart and he can always think about the kissing hand when he feels sad or lonely.  Chester decides to give a kissing hand to his mom, so that she can also feel the love when they are apart.  

I recently went away for the weekend and although Mirette does not really have a big issue with separation, I tried this.   It was so great and it made me feel much better about leaving and it was a way to celebrate and acknowledge our love.

Audrey Penn wrote a companion book called A Pocket Full of Kisses.  This book is about Chester's indignation that his little brother also gets a kissing hand.  The mom has to explain that there is enough love to go around that his brother's kissing hand doesn't negate his kissing hand.  

Geez, just once could I read a bio. of one of these writers and not get totally immersed.   It seems like most of them have fascinating lives or do something else that is really interesting and Audrey Penn is no exception.  She was a ballet dancer and a choreographer for the Olympic figure skating team, but she had to stop after becoming seriously ill with arthritis (her blog indicates that she still suffers from these ailments).   She has many other books that look great and focus on helping children get through something.  A relatively new one is called Chester and the Big Bad Bully.

Another interesting thing about her is that she workshops her books at schools in the DC area.  So the kids actually help her with the re-writing process and give her ideas.   Her mom compiled a book of her journal writings called Happy Apple Told Me that was quite successful.   She developed the Kissing Hand idea when her daughter was afraid to go to kindergarten. 

Not to much on the illustrators but here's what I know:
Ruth Harper:  http://www.rutheharper.com/index.php?p=1_4
Nancy M. Leak:  A Maryland artist specializing in printmaking

Teacher's Idea for the first day of Kindergarten:  http://www.kinderthemes.com/thekissinghand.html

All kinds of kissing hand activities:  http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/KissingHandPrintablesandIdeas.htm

And more:   http://littlegiraffes.com/teaching-ideas/95/the-kissing-hand-activities/

Book of the Day: On the Day You Were Born

On The Day You Were Born
Debra Frasier
Red Wagon Books (1991)



Mirette turned three!   Her teacher asked us to bring some photos of Mirette as a baby and also to write up the story of her birth to read to the other kids.   After sharing with the class, the teacher read On the Day You Were Born.

What a special and meaningful ritual.  Apparently, Mirette was glowing throughout it and loved having the special story read aloud.   We have the book in our shelf as well and it's one of those in the same vein as Goodnight Moon that makes a perfect gift for a new babe.  (we got three of them as gifts when Mirette was first born).

Debra Frasier uses bold, celestial pictures to talk about all the things the earth was doing on the day your child was born:   "On the day you were born gravity's strong pull held you to the Earth with the promise that you would never float away. . ."   I guess it could be classified as kind-of new-agey, but it's a great one to celebrate the miracle of bringing a child into the world.  

Ms. Frasier grew up in Vero Beach, Florida on the beach and spent many long hours beach combing and making collages out of found objects.   She settled in Minnesota.  She sounds like a serious kayaker and canoer, even keeping a blog of her journeys (which I actually want to read at some point). I also discovered that she has many other books that look really cool! Her website is chock full of good stuff:  well thought out activities for parents/teachers to use, videos, books and her bio.   Here's the link:  http://www.debrafrasier.com/index.html

Need to Know: Birds

Birds
Author:  Kevin Henkes
Illustrator:  Laura Dronzek
Greenwillow Books (2009)

Another reason kids read is, quite obviously, the need to know.   One of the most beautiful things about being a mom is watching MIrette absorb information.  I am astounded when she blurts out something---like "Mommy, let's go plant a conifer tree."    Where did she learn that?  In this case, it was a lesson about trees at school, but books give our kids the opportunity to learn about such a wide range of stuff!

I am reading a book right now called Up.  It's about a mother and her young daughter who go hiking together.  The mom homeschooled her daughter and wrote that she and her husband decided to homeschool "because we feel children should be met where they are at, intellectually and otherwise."   I respect homeschooling parents, but for me--I don't feel like I know enough to be the sole provider of my child's education.  I find it thrilling when she learns something that I didn't teach her.   I wouldn't have ever thought to talk to her about conifer trees and I don't really know all that much about them, but I love that she knows that.

Likewise, books teach Mirette things I would never have thought of on my own. (and they teach me things too).   It reminds me of the Zen beginner mind, where us adults get this lovely chance to learn new things in a fresh way.   We've read books about loons, books about soccer, books about India.  

But the book I chose to represent The Need to Know is Birds.  In part, because it is so simple and so beautiful in its simplicity, but also because I read it to Mirette every night when she was a baby and it was the first book that she opened on her own (realizing that it was a book not a chew toy).  

Our favorite page is a snowy bare tree with one little red bird and text that reads, "sometimes, in winter, a bird in a tree looks like one red leaf left over." 

I have been a big fan of Kevin Henkes ever since I turned his book Chrysanthemum into a play for a forth grade class.    He lives in Madison, Wisconsin with his wife and two kids.  After my blog post yesterday on Peter Sis, Kevin Henkes seems like a boring kind-of guy.  He didn't defect, he doesn't write screen plays, his father didn't get stuck in Tibet for two years.   He just seems like a good solid man.  Here's his website with lots of videos, coloring sheets and a great q and a:  http://www.kevinhenkes.com/?page_id=154

Book of the Day: Komodo!

Komodo!
Peter Sis
Green Willow Books (1993)

Peter Sis is another one of those creative souls who has range and style!  In some ways, he reminds me a little of Steve Kellogg.   His books have tons of detail and fun stuff hidden within the pages.   Hey readers, sorry for the length of this post, but there are too many interesting things about this guy.

Komodo!  is about a boy and his parents who go to visit a Komodo dragon in Indonesia.  His parents find it touristy and annoying, but the little boy goes off by himself for a few minutes and runs right into a dragon (or is it his imagination?).

 The first page is an illustration of hundreds of children lined up for a school picture.   The text says, "it is always easy to find me in school pictures because of my dragon T-shirt."  Of course, Mirette and I madly search for the kid with the dragon shirt and, truth be told, she found it before I did.   There are also a lot of interesting perspectives, some as if you are in an airplane looking down on a crowd of people.

Peter Sis wrote another book called Madlenka that I really like and almost previewed for this blog.  It's about a little girl who has a tooth that is falling out. She goes around her NYC block to tell her grown-up friends and it's almost as if she has gone around the world.   It's a charming book with cut outs and the pleasure of having to turn the book around to read some of the text.  Yet, it is a little bit, well, insensitive in that her friends include  a French baker, an Italian ice cream truck driver, a German storyteller, an Asian shopkeeper, a Latin American grocer.   The criticism is that Europe got divided out into several different countries while the Asian shopkeeper sells all Asian things lumped together and the Latin America grocer  has little pictures on the side that are supposed to depict all of Latin America.  Included under people is a picture of a native with bow and arrow in a loin cloth. 

I guess this is yet another reminder to look closely at our literature and the secret messages it conveys to our children.   I have no doubt in my mind that Peter Sis was writing a book to celebrate diversity, but in the end it's a little bit offensive.  

His work includes wonderfully simple books like Fire Truck  and Ballerina,  artistically compelling books like Tibet Through the Red Box and a visual memoir of his life in Czechoslovakia called  The Wall:  Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain (a book I incidentally gave to a friend for a birthday gift because I thought it was so interesting).

As mentioned above, Peter Sis grew up in Czechoslovakia during the cold war. (You must read his memoir--it's fascinating).    He had a thing for Western culture--beat poets, the Rolling Stones etc.   His father was a film maker and his mother an artist.  He followed suit in both those directions with awards in both film making and illustrations. I can only imagine his delight when he collaborated with Bob Dylan.

 He came to Los Angeles in 1982 to make a film for the Olympics.  The Eastern bloc decided to ban the Olympics and he was told to come home.   Instead he was granted asylum and somehow met up with Maurice Sendak who helped him with his career.   He has done a ton of stuff like designing a set for the Joffrey Ballet and creating the poster for the movie Amadeus. He currently lives in New York with his two children. 

His official website:  http://www.petersis.com/index2.html

Wow, totally fascinating:   http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/01/05/sunday/main261975.shtml

Cool Video:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LovauoreX_k

Book of the Day: The Absolutely Essential Eloise

The Absolutely Essential Eloise
Author:  Kay Thompson
Illustrator:  Hilary Knight
Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers (1955)

We are on the fence about Eloise.   On the one hand, the books are long, long, long and Eloise can be a little bit annoying.   Mirette gets bored, bored, bored before the book ends, so we don't ususally read it in one sitting.

 On the other hand, there's something wonderfully fiesty about Eloise.   I think kids are drawn to characters that are doing things on their own (the need to achieve) and Eloise is that kid.  Dang, how fun would it be to run around a hotel for hours on end with no parents around (even in my mind today it conjures up dreams of my own childhood longings).

In fact, it reminds me of an experience I had while travelling in Zimbabwe, my friend and I spent a few nights in the newly aquired mansion of our friend.   It was completely empty and we had such a great time running around, pretending to be rich and famous.

But the thing that I love most about Eloise is the word play.   The way Kay Thompson is able to capture the cadance and reasoning of a child is amazing.  Here's some examples:   In reference to her nanny, "sometimes I hit her on the ankle with a tassel.  She is my mostly companion;"  Nanny "skibbles" over to slam the windows shut."  "Nanny likes her coffee hot hot hot An egg cup makes a very good hat;" "Once there was this most terriblest storm. . . and on and on and on"   

I also get the sense that Eloise would not be written in todays day and age.   It just has this old feel from some golden era of big hotels and lonely kids living in penthouse suites.  

The author, Kay Thompson, was a piano prodigy, a very well regarded voice  trainer, and a show woman. Eloise was her alter ego, a way to amuse her friends--she would tell Eloise stories or pretend to be her.  If she was late for instance, she would say:  I am Eloise.  I am six.    She wasn't expecting Eloise to be such a hit.   It turned into a huge franchise with clothing, dolls and get this---at the Plaza hotel you could call and talk to Eloise as well as eat Eloise type food at the restuarant. It reminds me of the current day fascination with American Girl Dolls.

She sounds a little bit mysterious--she'd never talk about her childhood, refused to be interviewed, and stopped some printings of her four other Eloise books (which have now been reissued).  She died in 1998.  

Hilary Knight (a man by the way) grew up on Long Island with artist/writer parents.  A friend of Kay's lived next door and set the two of them up.   The rest is history.  Knight has a painting up at the Plaza (the first one he did was stolen and never found).    There is also an Eloise room at the Museum of the City of New York.   Knight has illustrated many other children's books and still lives in New York, right by the Plaza Hotel. 

This website says it all (and way way way more ):   http://www.eloisewebsite.com/index.html

See ya at the Plaza.




   

Book of the Day: Hooray for Fish

Hooray for Fish
Lucy Cousins
Candlewick Press (2005)

Spring is a busy time for us (filled with fun, but also the stress of having too much on our plates)  and I am eagerly awaiting Steve's Spring break.  I feel overwhelmed and writing the blog has taken a back seat to simply getting through the days.   Oh yeah, it doesn't help that Mirette has been having night terrors nearly every night, causing severe disruption to all of our sleeping cycles.   Arrgh.

Suffice it to say, since I don't have time for a lot of research, I have  picked out a short beloved book to share with you all.   It's called Hooray for Fish!   Lucy Cousins also writes the Maisy series which we  adore.  I think her gift is simplicity.   Through simple prose and child-like illustrations, she is able to get right into the heart of a toddler.   Enjoy!

Lucy Cousins lives in England and gets her greatest inspiration from walking around Elementary Schools looking at the art work hanging on the walls.  

Here's a video of her talking about how she draws Maisy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gcZJhPfnak

And her Maisy fun club website:
http://www.maisyfunclub.com/

Book of the Day: The Parrot Tico Tango

The Parrot Tico Tango
Anna White
Barefoot Books (2004)

This is a stunning cumulative picture book about a special Parrot that we both adore!.  Tico Tango takes, steals, seizes, grabs, and snatches fruit from his friends.  Eventually, he takes too much and all the fruit falls to the ground to be disbursed among his friends.  There's a moral too--- "Tico Tango feels contrite-- he knew he had to put things right."

The pictures are bright and colorful, very tropical looking and the prose consists of beautifully rhyming couplets that flow from thine lips.  Here's a random page:  "The Parrot Tico Tango Had a round yellow mango, And he carried to his right A lemon small and bright, and on his left a fig , Which was purple sweet and big, And Tico Tango knew that he had to have it too, So he grabbed it!"

Anna Witte has written one other children's book called Lola's Fandango, about discovering your inner strength and spirit(Yep, I am going to take this one out from the library as soon as possible).   She also has written for a television series: 

From her website:   http://www.annawitte.com
TIKITIKLIP II, a series of short animated films based on the myths and stories of pre-Hispanic cultures of Latin America, was a finalist at the Prix Jeunesse International 2010 Festival. www.prixjeunesse.de
A clip from the first TIKITIKLIP series

Here is the song Tico Tango (which may be in the newer editions):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAnI3sQVIzI

Finally, it is worth mentioning that Barefoot Books is a very interesting publishing company started by moms.   http://www.barefootbooks.com/?bf_affiliate_code=000-0g7p-4828

























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Ode To Steven Kellogg

A Rose for Pinkerton
Steven Kellogg
Puffin Books (1981)

A Hunting We Will Go
Steven Kellogg
Morrow Junior Books (1998)

A My Name is Alice
Author:  Jane Bayer
Illustrator:  Steven Kellogg
Dial Books for Young Readers (1984)

Lately ,books by  Steven Kellogg have been randomly showing up everywhere and I am struck by the rich and lavish illustrations.   But also, the books take me back, well, somewhere.   I have this vague memory that perhaps Steven Kellogg came to my school for a visit when I was kid.   I asked my mom, but she doesn't remember.     At any rate, the illustration style seems familiar and comforting---like all that a children's book should aspire to be.  

The best part of his illustrations are that you have to look closely to see all the little details.   For example, in  A Rose For Pinkerton (named for his dog Pinkerton and his feisty cat Second Hand Rose),  a story about a kitten that wants to be a poodle and a Great Dane that wants a friend, there are all these little thought bubbles, signs that are funny such as Take Home a Spring Bouquet of Kittens, the dog dish that says Chow on it, the dog saying Lick, lick, lick, lick, and  a million other details that make it fun to look at.  An added benefit is that Mirette can enjoy these books for a long time on her own.  

A-Hunting We Will Go takes the English country song (and possibly game of chase) from the 1600's and plays on the tradition of making up verses.   In this case, the verses are all about getting ready for bed:  "Pajamming we will go!  Pajamming we will go!  Put the llamas in pajamas.  Find the fox a pair of socks.  Give each bear clean underwear. Then, with our friends in tow. . .a hugging we will go!"  It's very cute and again tons of details to explore with your toddler.

A My Name is Alice is based on a ball game that my mom taught me when I was a little girl.   You bounce a ball and say something like A my name is Alice and my husband's name is Arnie.  We live in Alaska and we sell Apples.    Every time you say a word that starts with A, you bounce the ball one time.   Sometimes when I took long walks with Mirette, I'd go through the entire alphabet as a way to fend off boredom or chill.   Here's an example from the book for the letter P: " P my name is Polly and my husband's name is Paul.  We come from Pittsburgh and we sell Pebbles.   Polly is a Puffin.  Paul is a Pig."   The window of the shop says Pebbles LTD: Rare specimens for Advanced Collectors.  then there are various signs in front of the pebble displays:  Precious Pebble, Assorted roadside pebbles, rare prize winning pebble, odd purple pebble, pond pebble, pebbles found in puddles.  Funny!

Steven Kellogg lives on a farm in Connecticut and has written over 110 books for children and won many awards.   His website http://www.stevenkellogg.com/page2.html has an awesome video of him speaking at the Library of Congress's National Book Fest.   He decided to be a children's book illustrator in Preschool and never lost site of his vision!!!   Geez!

  He has a great piece on his website about the power of picture books.  To him, it's like a stage, where turning the page itself creates dramatic movement.  He says, "The individual spreads are designed so that they crackle with graphic vitality. The characters seem to speak, cavort, and leap from the page so energetically that their life and movement are totally convincing."  He also says,  'There are limitless possibilities available to the artist, who sets up relationships and tensions between the illustrations and the text, allowing magical discoveries and subtle revelations to emerge in the areas between. When this happens, there is an uncanny fusion of all the elements, and the dynamic new expression that is created introduces young readers to the world of art." 

  My heart pitter-patters when I read something that so affirms why I love picture books.   I love you Steven Kellogg--thanks for bringing so many great books to my childhood and to Mirette's childhood too.

Book of the Day: Gordon the Goat

Gordon the Goat
Munro Leaf
J. B Lippincott Company (1944)


Mirette and I were at a birthday party.  The birthday girl wanted a piece of cake with a  pink flower, the other girl also wanted a pink flower.  I waited for Mirette to also ask for a pink flower, but much to my amazement she said that she wanted a green flower.  The other two girls decided that they too wanted a green flower.   I was elated!  Was my child a leader?

On the other hand, we were at the beach recently and Mirette started telling these older boys what to do.  "Hey guys, come over here to the beach," she demanded.  One of the boys wouldn't budge.  He said, "No, I won't do that."  Mirette looked shocked that he wouldn't bend to her will.    I worry about my only child being too bossy.

A mentor of mine turned me onto this great book which teaches kids the virtue of being a leader.  It's written in 1944, so it's a little preachy and blunt in it's message (no subtle metaphors here!), but it's still a great little tale.

Gordon has great intuition not to follow the lead goat, but does so anyway.  He gets swept up in a tornado and lands hard onto the ground, coming to the conclusion that from now on he will do his own thinking.  Hooray!  The pen and ink illustrations are simple, almost looking like a quick sketch, but lovely.  

Interestingly, there is another book that Mirette and I took out from the library called Gordon In Charge by Jill Newton.    It basically was a reversed version of Munro Leaf's book about a goat who is really bossy and learns how to be part of the group. 

Munro Leaf's list of books sound so old-fashioned.  He wrote:  Being an American Can be Fun, Manners can be Fun, Reading can be Fun, How to Behave and Why,  Grammar Can be Fun, as well as the famous The Story of Ferdinand.

Munro Leaf (1905-1976) was educated at Harvard and worked with Mr. Geisel creating pamphlets on malaria prevention for the war.  Here's his website though it's not exactly filled with interesting information:  http://www.munroleaf.com/.  Enjoy!

Book of the Day: Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
Simms Taback
Viking (1999)

Just as Mirette gets a free book each month from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, she also gets a Jewish-themed book from the PJ library once a month.

 All families raising Jewish children from age six months of age through eight years are eligible.  If you are in an area that supports this program, it's free.   I called them and they told me it would be sixty dollars for a subscription, but then I called again (because my friend offered to buy it for us) and we were suddenly eligible for our free books.   Yipee!

Alas, unlike good ol' Dolly, we find the books to be mediocre at best--great for learning about Jewish themes, but not  selected for their amazing drawings and word-play.  Just ask Steve, my non-Jewish hubby,  how he feels about reading Hoppy Hanukkah for the umpteenth time.  Groan.

All this to say, we FINALLY got a PJ book worthy of mention in this blog:  Joseph Had a Little Overcoat.  Yipee.   The book won the Caldecott Medal in 2000 and with good reason--the pictures, made using watercolor, Gouache, pencil, ink, and collage are stunning and the story is very clever.

Based on a Yiddish folk song, it uses cut-outs to show Joseph's coat becoming smaller and smaller--coat to vest to scarf etc.   The idea is that you can always make something out of nothing.   

The first thing I learned about Simms Taback is that he died December 25th, 2011 at the age of 79 of pancreatic cancer.   .   He won a Caldecott Honor for his book There Was and Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly and he also wrote a book called When I First Came to this Land (one of my favorite songs to sing with Mirette).   I also learned that he made posters for schools and libraries that you can buy.   They'd be great for a child's room.  He designed the first ever Happy Meal Box (okay that's kind-of weird in my opinion) and started the Graphic Artist Guild. Another cool fact:  he actually wrote the book in the 70's and it was under-appreciated.   He re-did it thinking today's society may be more interested in the topic.   Lo and behold, he was correct!  

Here's his obituary:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/books/simms-taback-writer-and-illustrator-of-childrens-boohttp://www.simmstaback.com/This_Is_The_Official_Simms_Taback_Site.htmlks-dies-at-79.html

And his website:  http://www.simmstaback.com/This_Is_The_Official_Simms_Taback_Site.html

Great interview:  http://www.creativeparents.com/simmsinterv.html

Book of the Day: Do Unto Otters

Do Unto Otters
Laurie Keller
Henry Holt and Company (2007)

Do you want your cavemanish toddler to learn some manners?  I do PLEASE!  Do Unto Otters is a very fun foray into the world of social graces.   There are so many special little things about this book, it's hard to know where to begin, but here goes. . .

Mirette laughs at the silly bunny singing doo-dee-doo.   There's lots of puns using the word otters---such as co--otter--ate instead of cooperate and a picture of the book Harry Otter.   Please, Thank You and Excuse Me are translated into five languages--Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Pig Latin (C'mon don't you think the Pig Latin part is kind-of cute).  There are lots of things going on and little pictures on the sidelines that are fun to look at--very cartoon-style.  Finally, and most importantly in Mirette's opinion,  one of the otters farts which Mirette finds hysterical. But mostly, I like it because I think the author found a really fun, non-preachy way to explore manners.    

Well, what do you know, Laurie Keller also wrote Arnie, the Doughnut which Steve got as a gift from a family.   Her website:  http://www.lauriekeller.com/aboutme.html 

Her blog:  http://lauriekeller.com/wordpress/open-wide-tooth-school-inside-classroom-ideas/
Lots of activity ideas on both these sites. 

Here's an interesting interview with the author:  http://www.kidsbookreview.com/2010/07/authorillustrator-interview-laurie.html

Laurie lives with her boyfriend and two cats in a little cottage in Michigan.   She likes Peanut M and M's and is inspired by Maira Kalma (my favorite too!). 

Book of the Day: No Two Alike

No Two Alike
Keith Baker
Beach Lane Books (2011)

Tomorrow I leave for a mom's trip to Aspen, Colorado.  I won't be hob-nobbing with the rich and famous (though last time I was there I did run into Kristen Davis of Sex in the City fame), but hanging with my best friends, one of whom lives there.

I'm suffering from mom's guilt--  What if something happens to me?  What if something happens to her?  What if she feels abandoned?  If I can get this past this, I am so excited for a weekend break!

I wanted to share a short and sweet book that my sister gave Mirette gave for Hanukkah.

No Two Alike is a rhyming story that coveys the message that "no two snowflakes are alike, almost, almost. . . but not quite."  The snowy illustrations are nature-filled, peaceful, and beautiful.

Keith Baker has illustrated many books, including LMNO Peas. He has a great website with another gorgeous introduction:  http://www.keithbakerbooks.com/.  If you click on the book icon, there's a little tutorial on making snowflakes.   Enjoy!

Book of the Day: And Tango Makes Three

 And Tango Makes Three
Author:  Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Illustrator:  Henry Cole
Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers (2005)

New York Fringe Fest about Tango

Leave it to my Mirette--social justice advocate in the making--to pick out from the library today And Tango Makes Three.  She had me read it to her not once, not twice, but three times in a row.

The story is based on a true tale about two male penguins that hook up at the Central Park Zoo and raise a little penguin named Tango.   It's  a very simple, peaceful, and celebratory way to explain how okay it is to be two dads raising a kid (or a penguin for that matter) without getting into a lengthy discussion about homosexuality.  It's also a really cool and beautifully illustrated story.  It makes me want to be at Central Park Zoo right now watching Tango play and swim.

As you may well imagine, this book has been banned and censored.  That's incredible--it's so sweet and innocuous.  But just to be fair to the other side. . .  Candi Cushman, education analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said the book is far from a “true story.” “It’s very misleading,” she said, “and it’s a very disingenuous, inaccurate way to promote a political agenda to little kids."  (from Wikpedia)

Justin Richardson, M.D. is a professor of psychiatry and wrote Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid They'd Ask).  He also gives a lot of parental advice on a variety of shows such as NPR's Morning Edition.  

Peter Parnell is a playwright and television producer who has a cat named George.

Here they are reading their book:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-8ehpyDwRA

The two of them teamed up to write Christian: The Hugging Lion. Also, a true amazing animal story.

Henry Cole:  Don't just walk to this website---RUN!!!   It starts with an adorable intro that made me laugh.   There are games that look engaging to a kid Mirette's age--puzzles and memory.  He has illustrated many books, some of which we actually have.   Yet another illustrator who has a website that radiates warmth.
http://www.henrycole.net/main.php?link=home
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNICWycmTtQ

Book of the Day: The Red Balloon

The Red Balloon
by Albert Lamorisse
Doubleday (1956)

Recently, we went to a party and Mirette acquired a red balloon.  She carried it around with her everywhere for several days, finally tying it on her bed post until it shriveled up. 

This reminded me of the book The Red Balloon which I haven't read since I was a kid.   I took it out from the library and boy did it deliver.  The book is actually photos of stills from the movie and depicts a young boy's relationship with a red balloon.  The boy, Pascal, doesn't question the magical properties of this balloon as an adult would which, in and of itself, creates a delightful reading experience.   However, what I think makes this a stand out is the way that so many powerful emotions are conveyed throughout the book.

Somehow, without the author telling us, the boy appears to be lonely.  He makes friends with the red balloon and his face expresses loyalty, joy, playfulness, kindness, concern,and caring.   He is the target of bullies which makes him scared and worried.  When his balloon pops, he feels grief.  And when all the balloons of Paris lift him off into the sky, he feels elated.

The author Albert Lamorisse is actually a film maker.  The short film The Red Balloon won an Oscar for the Best Original Screenplay in 1956.   Of course, we had to track it down and watch it.  Here's the youtube link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS_io-ZB5ZU (though we watched it on Netflix).   I'm not sure I would recommend watching it with your two year old.  Mirette liked it a lot, but was also kind-of scared.   The bully scenes are pretty intense.  She also went through every emotion right along with Pascal and the balloon,  "Mommy, the balloon is all alone; Mommy, why are those boys mean? and finally when he lifts off into the sky, "Where is the boy going? Where is his mommy and daddy?"

From my point of view, the movie is an incredible film.   Even if you don't want your kid to watch it, it's a brilliant piece of film-making.  I can see why it won the Oscar.   So much emotion, that even as an adult, I kind-of could almost sort-of think the balloon is really magic (or at least wish it was).
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Several interesting tid-bits about Lamorisse.   Pascal, in the book, is his actual son and the girl he befriends is his daughter Sabine. He told his kids a story a day and sounds like a very creative soul and fun father.  Sadly,  Lamorisse died in a plane crash while filming a documentary.  And, this is the absolute weirdest fact EVER, he invented the board game RISK.   (my step-daughters and husband love that game and introduced it to me--it's very clever and fun!).  

If you are wondering what happened to Pascal, he re-released his father's film and is making a sequel:
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=17253102&m=17253067

Books of the Day: On the Farm

G is for Goat
by Patricia Polacco
Philomel Books (2003)

Duck on a Bike
by David Shannon
The Blue Sky Press (2002)

Okay folks, this is my LAST paired book review.  I'm exhausted and Valentines Day is over (it was sort-of my Valentines theme).  Phew!  These two winners are both from our most recent trip to the library

G is for Goat grew on me after reading it a few times.  First I thought it was nothing special (which truthfully happens to me a lot with both books and music), but after a few reads, I was charmed.  One reason I like it is because everyone in our family adores goats.   I remember my year traveling in Nepal, how important goats were and how much personality they had.  Mirette, Steve and I recently went to a goat farm in California and  they pulled at our clothes which Mirette thought was so funny.  I think it's clever the way Ms. Polacco ties the entire alphabet to goats.  The drawings of the girls with bright colorful dresses and head coverings are so charming.  They look both hard-working, playful and calm at the same time.   I want to be right there with them.  

Many moons ago, the entire third and forth grade at my school trekked over to the high school to hear Patricia Polacco speak.  I remember her strong anti-bullying message.  She was very honest with her story of being teased and the pain that it brought her.   Her message to the children was very stern and very impassioned, bullying is not okay don't do it.  As the School Counselor I was thrilled!

Patricia's website is chocked full of information and activities.   Some interesting things that stood out to me--Patricia does not answer e-mails, you have to write a snail mail letter to her.  She has a farm in Michigan and holds events at her farm.   (Oh man, I have to go!).   There is a meteor that landed fairly close to her farm.   Abe Lincoln walked through her house.   She has dyslexia and didn't write her first book until the age of 41.  She owns goats.  She comes from a family of storytellers (Ukraine, Russian, Irish, and from the Bayou), and finally she is really beautiful and interesting looking.   http://www.patriciapolacco.com/index.htm

Duck on a Bike was read at library story time and I kept thinking about it afterwards, so I went back to take it out.  It's a funny story with bright colorful pictures, about a duck riding a bike.  All the other animals have a reaction to it--everything from jealousy to what a waste of time to I want a turn.  At the end, all the animals ride bikes and the humans don't even know about the spectacular event.  

David Shannon is the same guy that wrote No David!  He doesn't seem to have a website, but here's a his bio and a video interview:  http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/shannon/.  He gravitates towards michevious characters like David and the crazy duck who insists on riding a bike.   He lives in LA with his wife and young daughter, so I'm sure he will be writing many more books in the years to come.