Best Book

We've been reading The Snow Globe Family by Jane O'Connor and S.D. Schindler. My Sweets brought it home from the city a couple of weeks ago, and we can't seem to get enough. I've definitely passed my love of snow globes onto the children.

On Stage

I absolutely love children's theater, especially when it's inspired by talented artists and authors that have a presence in our home.


Next month we'll be taking Buby and Bleu to Bardavon Opera House to see a live performance of Eric Carle's best works. Yum! I expect it to be well worth the drive... and extra fabulous because my mom will be in town visiting. We've read {and read and read} so many of Carle's 70+ books.


image via Carle's blog.

Fishing in the Air

We're reading so many wonderful and entertaining books this week that I can't possibly feature them all. But my brand new favorite is Fishing in the Air by Sharon Creech and Chris Raschka.


Grandma DJ gifted this fantastically illustrated hardcover to My Sweets for his birthday on Saturday. It's the tale of a father and son who embark on an early-morning fishing trip together and let their imaginations run vivid. My kind of book.

Book Week: Parenting

As long as it's Book Week and I'm documenting our favorite children's books, I might as well share my #1 parenting title. Now, let me just say I'm not one to read childcare how-tos in my spare time {meaning after midnight}, let alone recommend them to others. It's just not me. Or Tom. I think I've only cracked open our What to Expect series once since Bleu was born... for an emergency reference on tick removal.


But a year and a half ago Barnes + Noble asked me to write a Toddler 101 guide, and of course the first step in book writing is always research. I needed to know what every "expert" on the spectrum was saying {that day anyway} about discipline, potty training, sleep habits, nutrition, safety, etc. before I ever picked up the phone or turned on my computer. I was weeks away from delivering Bleu, and it was exhausting... and a tad disturbing... to delve into all the opposing philosophies, conflicting advice, misinformation.


Out of many the books I had sent to me, one stood out as a breath of fresh air. It was the only one I couldn't wait to pick up each night. Of course Tom and I were already 2 1/2 years into raising Buby {AP style} and already instinctively doing much of what Dr. William Sears and Martha Sears discuss in The Successful Child: What Parents Can Do to Help Kids Turn Out Well. Still, I found all 16 chapters of his book captivating. Fascinating. Smart. I had to stop myself from highlighting the whole thing {an old habit}.


Sears defines a successful child as an attached child--connected not just to family but to the world beyond. He told his boys that their success in life will not be measured by the money they make or the degrees they earn, but rather by the number of persons whose lives are better because of what they did.


Every child is different. Every parent is different. Every child and parent finds a different way that works for them. Obviously. But for what it's worth... I like this book. I'm not sure why so many people in our parents' generation roll their eyes when we say we happened to like something we read in a parenting book. That's silly. If I'm having an exceptionally trying day {of whining, crying and rivalry} I can flip it open to any random page and read a paragraph and feel centered again. And more patient and understanding. Everyone wins.


When that Toddler 101 assignment was complete, I kept just three other reference books for my personal library, including Elizabeth Pantley's No-Cry Discipline Solution, No-Cry Sleep Solution, and No-Cry Potty Training Solution. She and the Sears' have a similar style.

Book Week: Art

I've had technicolor dreams of this book ever since a particular cocktail party last November, during which I had an intensely gratifying conversation about children's lit with a pair Brooklynites who know all about Buby's Pollack-y painting tendencies.


Both suggested we immediately snag a copy of Patrick McDonnell's Art for Buby. It sounded perfect. I've thought about it ever since, but just never got around to completing an order online.


Here's a review from Publishers Weekly.


_______


Art serves as a boy's name and favorite pastime in this cheerful sequence, which echoes Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple Crayon. McDonnell (The Gift of Nothing) lures readers along with antic visuals and a catchy rhyming text about "Art and his art/ Can you tell them apart?" The boy stands about an inch-and-a-half tall in the squarish pages, and in one Jackson Pollock-esque spread, he is indeed covered in his medium.


Wearing his blue baseball hat backward and attired in Dennis the Menace fashion, he reaches with a brush to fill the vast white space all around him with red, yellow and blue daubs and spatters, zigzags and spirals, drips and dots. Then he grabs a thick black pencil and doodles a flat house, a basic tree and a cartoon dog. All this activity wears him out, and when he wakes from a nap, he sees his creations tacked to the fridge: "Held there by magnets/ (stars and a heart)/ Put there by mother/ 'Cause mother loves Art."


The hero, drawn neatly in a clean black line, with his compact body, shock of hair and giant smile, recalls everybody from Richard Outcault's Yellow Kid to Bill Watterson's Calvin. McDonnell takes a familiar topic-an imaginative boy who loves to draw-and injects this volume with an exuberant comic-strip sensibility. Ages 3-6. (Apr.)

Book Week: 7 Sentimental Faves

01. Little Boy by Alison McGhee and Peter H. Reynolds.

I stop to read this children's book every time I'm in a bookstore. Or Target. No kidding... I flip through it all the time and even gifted a copy to our nephew Mason last June. Yet we don't have one of our own. Which is a shame, because it reminds me of Buby and all of the little dude moments we've created together over the past four years. The intended audience is infants to preschoolers, but something tells me Buby would love this one always. And we should just get it.

02. Someday by Alison McGhee and Peter H. Reynolds.



We've had this treasure a while, but I just started reading it to Bleu. Simply, it's a mom's vision of her baby growing up. Someday. The years zoom by fast when you're raising little ones. This I know. So I like books that remind us to pay attention while we still can.





03. I Love You This Much by Lynn Hodges and Sue Buchanan.



This may very well be the book that started it all. And by "all" I mean Buby's love of bears. I've read the oversize board book to Buby since he was a newby. Now he has a stuffed Mama Bear and Baby Bear who oddly resemble the illustrations in this book, and he tends to them every night. In our house, I Love You This Much is a classic. Ours came with a music CD.




04. I Promise I'll Find You by Heather Patricia Ward.



I plucked this title from a 50-cent yardsale bin last year. It's dedicated to all the missing children of the world and in memory of one child in particular. Right now you're thinking... too sad. But it's not at all. The book is incredibly touching, and it rhymes ~ always a plus in our house. The pages are colorful and alive. God forbid any of our children ever go missing for 3 scary minutes in the grocery store or at a concert, somehow I feel better knowing they've read it. And that we will go to the ends of the earth to find them.

A sampling:

• "If I had a little rowboat, I'd row across the sea. I'd row, row, row and bring you back to me."
• "If I had a little choo-choo train, I'd chug on down the track. I'd chug until I found you, and then I'd bring you back."
• "If I had a little rocket ship, I'd shoot up to the moon. Oh, that would be the fastest way, I'd have you really soon."
• "If I had a little motorbike, I'd ride across the land. I'd find you and I'd reach you, and you would take my hand."
• "And if I had no other way, I'd walk or crawl or run. I'd search to the very ends of the earth, for you my precious one."
• "So remember this my darling, for it is very true. If ever you're apart from me, I'll search till I find you."

05. I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak.

This puffy board book and I joined forces before Buby could even sit upright. It's short and sweet and always seemed to elicit a good laugh from our guy. It could cheer him up nomatter what and is still relevant today.



06. How Do I Love You? by Marion Dane Bauer.

Turns out I'm a fan of illustrator Caroline Jayne Church. This is another lovely board book that My Sweets and I bought for Bleu girl on her first Valentine's Day. It counts all the ways a parent loves their child using basic nature comparisons to which our little ones can relate.

07. I Hope You Dance by Mark O. Sanders and Tia Sillers.



The song by Lee Ann Womack made me cry long before I became a mom. Then I had a baby, a son, and the words took on new meaning. Then I had another baby, a daughter, and the words hit me like a ton of bricks. It's timeless and a must-have for a mom of girls.

Book Week: New Baby

Early in my second pregnancy I happened upon this petite hardcover in a charming baby boutique. I stood still for probably 10 minutes studying every page. My Sweets walked up to me and asked, "What's that?" I had to have it. The little blond boy in Jeanne Ashbe's What's Inside reminded me of our almost two-year-old Buby, who was very into flap books. Come to think, he still is. It's the surprise element, I guess. In the end the boy gets a baby sister.


There would be many other new-sibling books during my second pregnancy. Cousins Sid + Lily sent Buby a copy of The Berenstain Bears' New Baby, which we read probably 500 times. In the end the boy gets a baby sister. Cousins Spencer, Grace and Parker sent Buby a copy of Mercer Mayer's The New Baby, which we read probably as much. In the end the boy gets a baby sister. Perfect.


But still, I'm partial to What's Inside. I'll always keep this book as a reminder of that time in our lives. All those months we anticipated our Bleu. It's the surprise element, I guess.

Book Week: Claire Freedman

It's no secret: Buby has a thing for bears, and that extends beyond his stuffed animals. We have a pretty healthy collection of bear books around here, and these two are our very favorite.


One Magical Morning and Good Night, Sleep Tight by the talented Claire Freedman.

Book Week: Oakey

These sweet stories of encouragement by Jillian Harker really resonate with Buby. We've been reading "Come and Play, Oakey" and "If You Hold My Hand" for a couple of years now.

In "Come and Play, Oakey" the little boy bunny is super cautious, much like our Bub. He is weary of falling when he climbs and getting water in his eyes when he swims. Oakey's dad helps him realize the joy of trying new things, and he passes that message onto his own friends {a squirrel, a dormouse, and an otter}.

Both hardcovers are wonderfully illustrated by Andy Everitt-Stewart.

Book Week: Custom Made

In case you missed my post about it last year, The First Adventures of Incredible You is one of the best books we've ever given to Buby. And not just because some of his fave people, places and things are seamlessly plugged inside. The illustrations by Jill Dryer Bartolucci are vibrant and inspiring. The story is sweet. I just love it. I read it with Buby again this morning, and he laughed at the mention of Grandma's applesauce.


In my opinion, customized books are way better when parents or primary caregivers do the ordering. The questionnaire for this one is short but too specific for just anyone to guess. Gift certificates are available here, and the company promises to come out with more titles in the future.

Book Week: Display Shelves

Click to enlarge.




I've always imagined built-in bookcases exactly like these with a one-inch lip so that our kids' favorite collections can face outward. Ready for the picking. I can't tell you how many of Buby's go-to tomes have fallen out of site/out of mind because they are filed away on bookshelves. Many random bookshelves.


Kelly Wearstler designed the shelves above for her boys' library off the kitchen, and they appear in Cookie's November '09 issue. Despite Wearstler's claim that similar styles are available at The Container Store, they are not. I've spoken with The Container Store, Ikea, and several other bookcase sources I've used as an editor and nobody has tall shelves with lips. Nobody.


I did however find several very handy, albeit less sophisticated, options at csnlibraryfurniture.com. Usually I cringe at anything RTA, but not this time. The basic natural wood/white motif jives with Buby + Bleu's playroom. Prices are reasonable, shipping on most items is free and fast, and the site offers a variety of book storage from dozens of manufacturers. Check it out.






01. Early Childhood Resources single-sided five tier in solid birch, $110.
Dimensions: 30"H x 36"W x 15"D.

02. Guidecraft big book four sided in Baltic birch, $214.20.
Dimensions: 44"H x 25"W x 25"D.

03. Wood Designs toddler three tier with additional storage, $61.74.
Dimensions: 25"H x 24"W x 9"D.

04. Steffy two-sided book storage center in birch veneer, $429.99.
Dimensions: 40"H x 48"w x 14.5"D.

05. Guidecraft two-sided five tier in birch plywood, $210.
Dimensions: 30"H x 36"W x 20"D.

06. Steffy single-sided four tier in birch veneer, $199.99.
Dimensions: 24"H x 32"W x 12"D.

07. Whitney Bros. New Wave five tier wall-mount display, $174.
Dimensions: 37"H x 34"W x 7"D.




Note: I also found similar models at homeroomteacher.com, discountschoolsupply.com, fatbraintoys.com, and amazon.com.

Book Week: Scholastic Picks

The catalogs came home in Buby's book bag last week, and he couldn't wait to dig in. He plopped on his belly and poured over them in meticulous detail. We don't often buy new books, since we are regulars at the village library ~ borrowing 6 to 9 titles a week ~ and we tend to score big in used-book bins. {Like... when we left a parade last month with an arm full of coveted reads for just 25 cents each. Score!}


Still, children's classics are sprinkled throughout every corner of our home, and we love to gift Buby and Bleu with new treasures every now and then. Scholastic's book club is optional each month and doubles as a way for Buby's classroom to earn free books. It's also a fun opportunity for him to partake in some book buying of his own. Our current order combines Nov/Dec, but starting after the holidays My Sweets and I have decided to give Buby a small budget and let him go to town. Scholastic's prices are great, and there are a whole lot of lessons tucked into that.


So. Thursday Buby asked me to reach for a Sharpie and read descriptions aloud. He circled away while explaining why he HAD TO HAVE each one of the titles below. Basically, any book I pointed to he wanted. He's very vulnerable to suggestion at this age. Heehee. I'm turning in the forms this afternoon, so we'll see several of these babies under the tree next month.







01. The Red Book by Barbara Lehman. The description reads, "A magical book. Enchanting wordless story helps develop storytelling skills." It's a 32-page hardcover with a Caldecott Honor for Unique Watercolor Illustrations. I know Buby fancies the fella on the front cover. I'm drawn to the simple images and rich storyline just begging for interpretation.


Before Bleu was born Buby and I would lay in bed at night with a wordless Little People book, and he'd narrate his own stories for me. In wonderful detail. A fantastic springboard for his budding imagination. I can't wait to do that again. Scholastic price: $10.











02. Puff, the Magic Dragon Book & CD by Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton. The description reads, "The classic song about a boy's friendship with a magical dragon." It's a 32-page paperback.


Several months ago the wee ones and I were in the kitchen prepping dinner when I had a Honalee flashback from the '80s. Suddenly I was belting out, "Puff the magic dragon lived by the sea..." Buby was instantly smitten. He begged me to finish the song, but I lost the words. He said, "Look it up on You Tube, Mama." {That's our go-to for random songs.} I found a shotty rendition of the original, of course sung by Peter of Peter, Paul and Mary. We danced around to it on repeat for weeks.


We asked our lady librarians if they'd seen a Puff book or DVD, and they said not in years. But they both had fond memories growing up with the friendly dragon and his valuable life lessons. So when Buby flipped the catalog open, saw the green dragon and sounded out the word P-U-F-F we screamed for joy. Both of us. There was no question... it's a must have. Scholastic price: $8.


Oh, and I just found the 1978 movie on Amazon, but don't tell Buby. We're thinking of ordering it for him for Christmas.

03. The Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keats. The description reads, "Award-winning illustrator Ezra Jack Keats' inspiring version of the beloved carol." It's a 32-page paperback.


This is Buby's song. All last year he HAD to hear the Josh Groban version in its entirety before being dropped off at school. And not just in winter. I think Buby's "Drummer Boy" obsession {from Groban's "Noel" album} lasted a good 8 months on repeat. We listened to it in the house and every time we were in the car.


Buby understands the story and its origins. We're eager to break out the CD again and swoon over this artist's interpretation of the song on paper. Scholastic price: $2 on sale. Can you believe it?

04. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. The description reads, "Harold creates everything in his world with just a crayon! Two classics celebrate the power of imagination." 48 and 64 pages.


We already own a Harold and His Friends Treasury hardcover {from Grandma DJ}, and it's one of Buby's all-time favorite reads. The four stories in that compilation are new to our nighttime reading regime, and I just love everything about them.


I ordered this two-pack for Buby for Christmas for just $8. It will be a thrill to unwrap... for all us. I would def. snag the 50th Anniversary Edition for any lil' book lover on your list.

05. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Tale of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems. The descriptions reads, "It's Dad to the rescue when Trixie's beloved stuffed bunny disappears. Heartfelt humor!" 40 and 48 pages.

Honestly, I don't know much about this series and don't like to buy blind, but Buby seemed so smitten. I am familiar with the work of Mo Willems, so I'm thinking he'll be happy. Initially Buby was drawn to the bunny on the cover. He's in the "Bunny" class at school this year, and his teacher does a lot to play up the theme. Of course all of our bunny books and old stuffed bunnies at home have enjoyed a resurgence since September.

Plus. Buby doesn't tuck in at night without his Baby Bear, Mama Giraffe, Daddy Bear, Moose, Monkey, Rabbit and others at his side. So I'm thinking he'll empathize with the main character. Just a bit. Scholastic price: $12 for the two books. We'll wait to order this one.

06. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Now that I'm sitting down with the forms, I cannot find the catalog page for this one. It's the first one Buby circled, so I'm thinking he ran off with it. If I don't find it before Bleu wakes from her nap, it'll have to go on a future order.


Buby is psyched about the wild animal costumes. He's seen the ads and knows it's on the big screen. Unfortunately the Spike Jonze film adaptation is not age appropriate. My Sweets and I both heard that it's too scary for children under 8. Buby scares easily and is going through an afraid-of-the-dark phase, so we'll wait for the DVD and preview it ourselves first.


But seriously. I can't believe we haven't read Sendak's classic with Buby yet. It's soooo him. Check out this Amazon review.

_________

Where the Wild Things Are is one of those truly rare books that can be enjoyed equally by a child and a grown-up. If you disagree, then it's been too long since you've attended a wild rumpus. Max dons his wolf suit in pursuit of some mischief and gets sent to bed without supper. Fortuitously, a forest grows in his room, allowing his wild rampage to continue unimpaired. Sendak's color illustrations (perhaps his finest) are beautiful, and each turn of the page brings the discovery of a new wonder.

The wild things--with their mismatched parts and giant eyes--manage somehow to be scary-looking without ever really being scary; at times they're downright hilarious. Sendak's defiantly run-on sentences--one of his trademarks--lend the perfect touch of stream of consciousness to the tale, which floats between the land of dreams and a child's imagination. This Sendak classic is more fun than you've ever had in a wolf suit, and manages to reaffirm the notion that there's no place like home.

__________

07. If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond. The description reads, "If you give a cat a cupcake, he'll ask for some sprinkles. And that's just the beginning." It's a 32-page hardcover.


We almost bought this book for Buby last December, since he's all about the "If You Give" series from Numeroff and Bond. We've checked out every Mouse, Moose and Pig tale from the library at least four dozen times. At least. Grandma J. bought him the Mouse Cookies & More: A Treasury for his birthday, and we read it just about daily. The CD inside the cover is a constant in our home. It's a fantastic collection I recommend to anyone.


As anxious as Buby and I are to read this one, we are not going to buy it. Librarian Barbara assured us, as of last week, that it's finally in the system and will be coming to a library near us very soon. Free is cheaper than $16.

08. The last book we ordered was Stuart Little by E.B. White. It's a classic. Buby's never read it. Scholastic price: $2.

Book Week: Because...

I'm declaring a Book Week here on this blog. Because I live with an insatiable bookworm and haven't posted his literary likes/dislikes in a while. Because Scholastic has put the prospect of new books on the brain. Because four years ago I realized I prefer fabulously written children's tomes over adult fiction... any day. Because I'm forever seeking out the classics I missed in my own childhood.


Because someday I'll want to look back and see what we were reading... right now. Because winter is coming, and there's nothing more heart warming than two cutie pies cuddled up with a stack of rhymes. Because I appreciate author recommendations before the holidays and figured you might, too. Because I crave better art and copy than most publishers are giving us, and I suspect you feel the same. Because I'm hoping you all share with me your own family's list of must-reads.






Photos taken 11.7.09.

Even Steven

Have you read Even Steven and Odd Todd by Kathryn Cristaldi? It's a Scholastic Hello Reader Math book, and we picked it up for 5 cents in a church book sale. This title is awesome and hilarious and so reminds us of our Buby and Bleu. Buby is Steven all the way. Perfectionist. Socks pulled up to his knees. Shirt buttoned up to his neck. Jacket and tie.


In the book Steven walks his sweet little neighborhood and goes from bakery to library to post office. He likes pancakes and clean dishes. He gardens and blows smoke out of his ears when people ruin his hard work. He puts onions and olives on pizza. He is neat and particular and competitive and likes to do things in even numbers. Buby equals Steven.

Buby Rabbit

Buby's classroom at school is nicknamed the Bunny Class. One of the titles they currently are reading is Little Rabbit Goes to School by Harry Horse. Buby has told me all about it, but I haven't seen the book myself. I can't wait to pop in one afternoon and take a peek.

Happy Fourth

Happy freedom. Happy cherry pies. Happy chocolate chip cookies. Happy pool parties. Happy sunscreen. Happy kite flying. Happy festivals. Happy scenic drives. Happy fireworks. Happy families + friends. Happy long weekend, everyone.



P.S. Loving this library book.

First Play

"Moo! Moo! Want to eat some grass?" That's Buby's big line in Eric Carle's The Very Busy Spider. He will shine as the cow next Wednesday in his school's performance of the classic boardbook. It might just be the shortest play ever, but I am so proud to go and see him perform.

Dr. Seuss

Happy birthday to Theodor Geisel. Buby's fave title just might be "Dr. Seuss's ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book!" We read it nightly. It's a fun one.




"Oh, the Places You'll Go" was the first thing I ever gave to My Sweets {for his graduation back in 1993}. It was the first time I ever wrote on an inside cover. Who knew we'd go where we did... and have that on our shelf today.

Geisel wrote "Happy Birthday To You" in 1959, and it became a new family tradition for us in September 2008 when Grandma DJ + T.G. crayoned up the inside cover for Buby.

Will Walk for Books

We walked to the library yesterday after lunch. Buby thinks he owns the place. Specifically, he thinks he owns all the mouse, moose and pig books inside. Of course, he knows that we borrow + share with others, but he doesn't believe in term limits. It's cute. So, again, we walked out with everything there by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond. I thought about buying him the treasury collection for Christmas, which I believe has his favorite four plus a few others. But what's the fun in that?

If you Give a Pig a Party

If you Give a Moose a Muffin

If you Give a Pig a Pancake

If you Take a Mouse to the Movies

If you Take a Mouse to School

If you Give a Mouse a Cookie

When Buby walked up to the counter with his stack of six, he said to the librarian...


Buby: "I'm wearing a very colorful scarf today."


Librarian: "Yes, you are."


Buby: "And I have a red shirt, a colorful scarf, and black pants for my winter concert at my preschool. I'm so CITED!"



He's so proud of that colorful scarf. The school sent home a note last week saying that all the children in Buby's class should wear red shirts, dark pants, and a colorful scarf to the winter recital. We searched high and low for a kid scarf in February. Finally we found one ~ one that is so Buby ~ at Old Navy for just $4. Score!


P.S. The visor is just Buby being his silly self. He wanted to wear it out, and I told him it wasn't warm enough. So he threw his winter hat on top.