MAYAREADS

Goodnight Moon

2009-05-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

Like you need me to tell you anything about Goodnight Moon. We have two copies, and I'm sure you have more. But I have to tell you this story.

We've been reading Corduroy and Goodnight Moon religiously twice each day for a couple of months now, right before sleep. A long time ago a professor advised that I should always tell the name of the author and illustrator of each book I read. So I do. Why not?

Well, Nana babysat last night. When we came home she said she picked up the two bedtime books and read the title, "Goodnight Moon". Maya immediately said, "Marget Wi Brown, pictures Clem Hud." Which is her translation of, "By Margaret Wise Brown, pictures by Clement Hurd."

She always waits to show off to the new guy I guess.

Speaking of bedtime, here's how I found Maya the other morning. How does she sleep like that?

Who Am I?

2009-03-24T18:57:00.000-07:00

Last week at Jammies Storytime I had to give an apologetic look over to the librarians when we sang a song about Two Little Dinos, "...one named Quiet and one named Loud". This week when we sang it as Two Little Kittens, we left that verse out.

Maya got a little loud in the library herself when she figured out the book/toy Who Am I? (a novelty book by Begin Smart Books). It doubles as a mask with two eye holes in the middle and handles on the edges. Each page has a different animal face. Just hold the book up to your face and make a noise.

When Maya found the cat page she began running around the library, "MEOW! MEOW!" Thus our quick departure (of course we checked out the book and took it with us).

Now Maya did have trouble figuring out that she needed to point the kitty away so others could look at it. So at home we tried it in front of the bathroom mirror. That worked well.

Here's a picture of Maya in another disguise. See if you can guess which piano key plunker she is.

Good Luck Bear

2009-03-22T17:32:00.000-07:00

Maya's second birthday last week was close enough to St. Patrick's Day that we made it an Irish affair. We had corned beef and cabbage with shepherd's pie on the side. Not bad. On the day, Maya got a green bowler from her Aunt Marty, who loves all things Irish.

For storytime Tuesday night we inserted an appropriate book into our dinosaur theme. Good Luck Bear, by Greg Foley, is about a lucky little bear who is searching for a four-leaf clover. He's having trouble finding one, and the other animals aren't helping at all. Monkey says there's no such thing, Rabbit finds one but eats it, and Groundhog asks, "If you don't find one, does it mean that you're unlucky?"

Poor Bear feels like the most unlucky animal. But he is lucky. Why? Because he has a friend like Mouse, who brings to him not a four, but a five-leaf clover.

In the past, I usually ignored St. Patty's Day, because I couldn't find any books I liked. But now I'll keep this one on my list for years to come.

I mentioned Maya's birthday. Here's a picture of her blowing out her candles with a little help from Cousin Addy, who had experience from a couple months before.

Dinosaur vs. Bedtime

2009-02-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

If you're on facebook, you've seen those 25 Random Things About Me lists. One of Nathan's, a librarian friend of mine, is that his new favorite storytime book is Dinosaur vs. Bedtime, by Bob Shea. We of course immediately checked it out from the library.

Maya loves it. Like Maya (though she's building her lexicon daily), Dinosaur is a creature of few words. In fact his most used word is one of Maya's favorites - ROAR!

Dinosaur takes on all comers. "Dinosaur vs. a bowl of spaghetti! ROAR! ROAR! ROAR! CHOMP! CHOMP! ROAR! ROAR! ROAR! DINOSAUR WINS! ROAR! ROAR!" I think you can see the draw here. There are a minimum of three roars on each page.

A nice side effect is that Maya now trots around the house saying, "ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!" in various tones of voices. It's pretty funny.

Dinosaur finally meets his match when it comes to bedtime. The ROAR begins to be drawn out and turns into a snore. "Bedtime wins. Good night, dinosaur."

I suppose a bad side effect would be if Maya adds roaring to her anti-bedtime routine. So far so good.

Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See?

2009-01-24T12:19:00.000-08:00

Well, were in that stage when Maya pretty much wants to read one book, and one book only. For the last couple of months it's been Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?, by Eric Carle. She asks for it by name; "More Brown Bear, Brown Bear."

It's no wonder. This simple book has it all. There are, of course, animals. And there's repetition that Maya's already picking up on. And she's even just getting started on learning her colors with the end pages. In fact, Maya often forgets to read the book, choosing to just point at colors.

Oddly, aside from bear and dog, which were the first animals and animal noises she learned, Maya is really taken with the teacher. Before the holidays we were in a bookstore, and she started to say, "Teacher, teacher." Sure enough there was a poster of Brown Bear, Brown Bear showing the teacher.

So, I now can join Nicole in saying I have a side gig. Next week I'll start doing a pajamatime storytime at our neighborhood library as a volunteer. Patty and Maya showed their support by sewing for me a beautiful felt night cap. Now I'm off to find some bunny slippers.

Wabi Sabi

2009-01-24T12:09:00.000-08:00

It's Caldecott/Newbery time again. Here is my pick to win the Caldecott this year. Wabi Sabi, by Mark Reibstein and illustrated by Ed Young, is clever in both word and image (though for the award the committee must think only about image).

The book is verticle, which makes it difficult to hold open for a long time but is mighty clever. I suppose that is because Japanese is read verticly, isn't it? But the book does read left to right.

Wabi Sabi is the story of a cat with the titular name who goes on a journey to understand it's meaning. It's very complex, so this is definately a book for older readers.

The kicker for me, a fan of haiku, is that there are two poems on each page, one in English and one in Japanese. The translations for the later are in the back and do not adhere to the 5-7-5 format, which is an English adaptation. Both poems are actually part of the story. It's like a Sunday NYT crossword.

Ed Young uses a variety of media, mostly collage. But also photographs, drawings, etc.

All in all and absolutely beautiful book.

We are the Ship

2009-01-24T11:55:00.000-08:00

I would be happy if We Are the Ship won, too. Kadir Nelson is quickly becoming a favorite artist. He got a nod last year, but theoretically that shouldn't matter.

More later.

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

2008-11-14T19:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's time for one of those gratuitous dad posts. Our little girl's world has been pretty small thus far, but it's getting bigger all of the time. She's meeting more kids and adults, and she's just beginning to learn how to get along without Mama or Daddy. The little milestones that occur each day make me very emotional. I want to absorb everything for her, but I can't. I'm thankful that I know she has someone bigger than me holding onto her.

I'm talking about this after taking another look at Kadir Nelson's He's Got the Whole World in His Hands. It's such a beautiful book. I'm going to be keeping my eye out for this illustrator.

Amazing scenes of a family interacting with their world accompany the familiar song. We start big with a view of the heavens, then the San Francisco skyline at daybreak, then right to a boy holding a picture he drew of his family. "He's got my brothers and my sisters in His hands." It just gets better from there.

I highly recommend this inspiring book to all families.

Here's our little one out in the great, big world. As my grandmother used to pray over me, "Be round about her, Lord." God be round about you, too.

10 Things I Can Do to Help My World

2008-11-14T18:57:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, when we lost our camera, we hadn't downloaded the photos and videos of Maya playing in and around our new composter (I call it Darth Vader). It's full of scraps now, so we're probably not going to reproduce those. You'll just have to imagine. But here are Maya and I stealing leaves for Lord Vader from Uncle Wade and Auntie Katie when they weren't home (their trees are leafier than ours).

It's hard to imagine that preschoolers could enjoy a book about green living, but Maya really likes 10 Things I Can Do to Help My World, by Melanie Walsh. Some pages are die-cut to entice page-turners like Maya.

The tips are simple, like turning off the water when brushing teeth or making a recycle bin. There are two levels of text. I'll confess we just read the big "I" sentences. But there are short explanations for older kids.

Say Daddy

2008-11-14T18:45:00.000-08:00

I've been noticing that Maya is very good at learning the words we aren't stressing and ignoring the ones we are. For example, I've been stressing the word "book" since she was, oh, two weeks old. My professional pride was riding on that being her first word. Nope. But she will walk up to us and say, "Reeuuuu," which is her version of "read".

Say Daddy!, by Michael Shoulders and illustrated by Teri Weidner, is about just this phenomenon. Each family member reads to the new baby and at the end says, "Say Daddy" or "Say Nana." But baby doesn't comply.

Finally, the baby comes out with "Book." Everyone is pleased, though Daddy just won't give up.

There is a lot of text here, so I'd say this one is a little long for preschoolers.

Here's Maya showing off her reading skills and Mama's first attempt at pigtails.

Where's My Mummy?

2008-11-14T18:28:00.000-08:00

I guess it's a mummy theme. Where's My Mummy?, by Carolyn Crimi and illustrated by John Manders, is one of Maya's new favorites.

Little Baby Mummy wants to play hide-and-seek instead of going to bed. So he "tromped, tromped, tromped to the deep, dark woods, the spookery woods..." At each turn he hears scary noises. "Clank clink clank Woo boo woo Clank clink CLOO"

Each time it's a familiar face who tells Little Baby Mummy to get on home because it's dangerous out in the dark woods.

Finally he comes upon a truly frightening creature. A mouse. Luckily Moma Mummy is there.

Lots of great sounds. Even glubbing and gurgling.

Here's Maya raiding her loot. We of course ate her candy, but not before she mushed it up for an hour. Does etiquette dictate that we trade our candy for our neighbors', knowing that we'd be eating theirs? Ah, never mind.

She's a frog, BTW.

Ten Little Mummies: An Egyptian Counting Book

2008-11-14T18:20:00.000-08:00

Ten Little Mummies, a not-necessarily-Halloween-book by Philip Yates and illustrated by G. Brian Karas, is so clever and has such a catchy rhyme.

Ten mummies are bored in their tomb so they go out for adventure. One by one they are whisked away by various incidences. "8 little mummies committed hijinks. One was arrested for painting the sphinx."

Eventually one lonely mummy returns to the tomb to find that all her friends are back together.

For your kindergarteners or first-graders, this one will help with counting and Egypt-specific vocabulary when they get to that unit in school. You know they will. Right after pirates.

Boo, Bunny!

2008-11-14T18:09:00.000-08:00

All right, I know I'm late for Halloween, but I have to get a few of Maya's first trick-or-treating photos up here. We went to three of our neighbors' houses then came back to hand out our own candy. Patty and I were both off work for Halloween for the first time that I can remember. It was very pleasant meeting some new neighbors. Here is Maya knocking on a door (ours actually). Luckily she had been practicing "Knock knock".

Boo, Bunny!, by Kathryn O. Galbraith and illustrated by Jeff Mack, is a good introduction to trick-or-treating. It shows the bunnies being a bit scared, but having fun. Good mental preparation for your timid toddler.

The pictures are vibrant, and there is some great onomatopoeia.

Snowy, Blowy Winter

2008-11-11T10:32:00.000-08:00

It's another early winter day here in Minnesota. Maya hasn't been that excited about the snow thus far, but once it starts piling up on the ground, I think she'll get into it. Here are pictures of what may have been our last cookout.

Snowy, Blowy Winter, by Bob Raczka and illustrated by Judy Stead, is a fun winter book with an infectious rhyme. The best part are all the adjectives, real or made-up:
"Six more weeks of snowy blowy glowy frosty freezy stuffy sneezy strappy zippery icy slippery...." It goes on and on.
In the back is a recipe for Snowy, Blowy Ice Cream. That's right, a dessert made of snow. I'm a bit wary, but Patty swears she's gonna try it. I did put my foot down on where she gets the snow.
Mayareads got another nod from a website for parents by teens. We're on the list of 50 Best Dad Blogs. Thanks to the teens who chose us. Here's a link to their site:

http://www.onteenstoday.com/2008/11/10/50-best-dad-blogs/

Birthday for Cow!

2008-10-17T16:23:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COW!!!!!

If you look inside the front cover of A Birthday for Cow!, by Jan Thomas, today is indeed Cow's birthday (It's also Sari Long's birthday. Happy Birthday, Sari).

This is another of Maya's new favorites. We read through this one once or twice, then Maya turns back to the beginning and reads to us, careful to turn the pages correctly. Because of the nature of the book, she yells out her version of what we say when we read it and bounces up and down and side to side.

The reason for this animation is that almost every sentence in the book is a bold, red, all-caps exclamation. Pig and Mouse begin to prepare a cake for Cow's birthday. Duck is aghast. "Cake?!"

Duck makes several pleas to include "A TURNIP!" But Mouse and Pig don't agree.

Eventually Cow appears, and you can guess what she is happiest to see. But don't worry, there's a cake for Mouse and Pig to enjoy. Duck and Cow walk off into the sunset proclaiming the glories of turnips.

May I say again how much I love the way Maya interacts with books these days. She can tell if I try to skip a page, and she turns back to the missed one. She comments in her own way to the things she sees on the page.

Oh, and if you have some time, you should do a Google search for the title. I can't believe some of the other images.

Katie Loves the Kittens

2008-10-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, I slowed down there for a bit again, but I'll try to get a couple in this week. I've lost a little fire since I lost our camera. We'll get another one soon. Have to before Maya wears her new Halloween costume.

Maya is making so much ground in her interaction with books, and let me tell you, it multiplies the pleasure for me as well. She reacts to particular images on the page and responds to what we are reading. We have a couple new favorites home from the library that Maya brings to us over and over.

One is Katie Loves the Kittens, by John Himmelman. Katie loves Sue Ann's new pets, three tiny kittens. Only problem is, when she tries to play with them ("AROOOOO"), she scares them. Sue Ann scolds Katie, and Katie feels so bad about scaring the poor little kittens.

When Katie tries to control herself, she shivers visibly with excitement. After three failures, Katie falls asleep and wakes to find she has three new friends.

It's a sweet story with so many visual treats, like when Katie is trying to contain herself. My favorite is Katie trying to lick Sue Ann's face when she is being scolded. Patty's is the end page image of the kitten batting at Katie's rapidly wagging tail.

As we read, Maya tries to Arrooooo, she 'meeew's along with the kittens, and she helps Sue ann say, "No, no, no." She's breaking my heart, that one.

One of our readers just had a new little boy, and when I asked about board books, he said,"We've got a couple." I think a couple is far too few. How about a board book share, like the mom's groups do meal shares. If anyone would like to donate a book, go to my profile and email me. We'll come up with a plan.

Orange Pear Apple Bear

2008-09-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

Here is a perfect book for Maya right now. She loves fruit, but hasn't learned any of their names. She's working on banana and peach. But she is making progress on being able to call her stuffed bear by name.

Orange Pear Apple Bear, by Emily Gravett, is sort of an art book that cleverly manipulates those four words to create a lot of meaning.

The images are arranged in different orders, and the colors of the objects are fluid. This makes it possible to create pages such as "Orange pear/Apple bear".

Finally the bear eats the fruit one by one. "Orange, bear" then "Pear, bear" and "Apple, bear".
"There." (Okay, there are five words)

This is a great book for building vocabulary and practicing rhythm, rhyme, and changing your voice to change meaning. Be creative.

Early Literacy Tip of the Day

Speaking of food. The summer reading program theme around here was What's Cooking at the Library. The Saint Paul libraries created a reading wheel with some great ideas for how to incorporate literacy into grocery shopping, cooking, etc.

Here are a couple:

Make a shopping list together and cross out the names of grocery products as you put them in your cart.

Play I Spy - What do you see that starts with B? Banana, bread.

Count grocery items together as you add them to your cart.

Eat smart! Healthy food can increase a child's brain development and intelligence.

It's a nice well-rounded (remember it's a wheel) guide. I wish I had an online version to tell you about, but start with these. I bet you can come up with some more ideas of your own.

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

2008-09-29T18:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I think we now have another genuine favorite. Maya is getting to the other end of her stage where she cannot sit still long enough to read even the shortest book through. There are a few that really hold her interest, like All About Ama (see below) or a new pop-up of The Wide-Mouth Frog.

But Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, by Mem Fox and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, is the grand champion. Maya pulled this book off the bed and asked me to read it for her (Patty says she did the same with her the other day). So we read it. Then we read it again. And again. And again. Four times in all. I tried other books a couple of times. But we kept coming back to this one.

And something I noticed was that she seemed to be really concentrating on the illustrations. The spreads are indeed lovely, and the babies (Maya says, "Baby" when she brings us the book) are pudgy and cute.

The text is very sweet and engaging.

There was one little baby
who was born far away.
And another who was born
on the very next day.
And both of these babies,
as everyone knows,
had ten little fingers
and ten little toes.

The formula repeats itself several times introducing more babies two at a time. With each new pair, all of the previous babies look on as they show their digits.

The final baby is special. This baby is your own. And besides ten fingers and ten toes, this baby gets "three little kisses on the tip of its nose."

I think Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes is growing on me, too.

The Cuddle Book

2008-09-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

Maya added "achoo" to her vocabulary today. Grandpa sneezed twice and scared her. So he and Nana made a game of it, so that now whenever anyone sneezes, Maya say, "Atoo." Cute, huh?

Here's a cute book I've got to get back to the library tout suite because it's overdue. The Cuddle Book, by Guido van Genechten, is petite and adorable. The text describes how different animals cuddle.

Monkeys cuddle gently
and turtles cuddle slowly.

And in an homage to carrying your baby:

For kangaroos,
cuddling is easy
(because they are always so close)...

But it's not always easy:

...porcupines have to cuddle very carefully!

Have fun asking questions about why do you think that is. What do you know about crabs that makes cuddling so hard?

BTW, everybody say congratulations to Nicole, who is doing her first paid storytime tomorrow. Good luck.

Ducks Don't Wear Socks

2008-09-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

And somebody please tell Maya they also do not wear shoes.

The other day we were at the zoo watching the multitude of ducks in the duck pond. An older girl was talking to Maya when I heard her say, "Uh oh, there goes her shoe." I looked down to see Maya's kitty-cat Bobux floating in front of some mallards (Believe it or not, they didn't try to eat it).

We found a zoo keeper nearby who very kindly put on waders and went to retrieve Maya's shoe. As he plodded through the water all of the ducks took to flight and the kids began squealing. I thought, "Oh boy, aren't we making a scene." Luckily they were squeals of delight. After giving us back our lost kitty, the zookeeper shooed a few more ducks around because he liked the reaction he was getting.

The duck in Ducks Don't Wear Socks, by John Nedwidek and illustrated by Lee White, would have jumped at the opportunity to try on something new. Emily, a very serious girl, keeps running into Duck, who is always wearing something new-socks, a tie, or underwear. When Emily informs Duck that "...ducks don't wear ties", Duck always has reason. "Cold feet." "Big meeting!" "Pants on the line!"

Slowly, Emily's shell begins to crack. First she cracks a smile, then laughs to herself in bed, and finally goes all in and walks out of the house wearing something that even shocks Duck.

All About Ama

2008-08-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

This week I was at the international conference for librarians in
Quebec City. I met librarians from all over the world, and gave out quite a few Mayareads bookmarks. So we may get visitors from some other countries, which I am very excited about. Welcome to all of you librarians visiting.

Ivan from Singapore has already stopped in (See post below). He coordinates library services for teens for the entire country, I believe. Singapore has such an impressive library system. Their presentations were inspiring, and I got a great die-cut model of Molly the Mobile Library. You put it together and have a little cardboard bookmobile.

All About Ama, by Kathy Knowles, is a book I picked up at one of the sessions for Maya and her cousin, Addy. Kathy is an author in Manitoba who writes books for children in Africa. But you may purchase the books also, knowing that your contribution goes toward the production of more books.

Ama is a beautiful little girl who names and points to many body parts, from her head to her toes. She finishes by proclaiming, "That is all of me!" For those with children like Addy who are learning their body parts, this is a perfect book, with clear and simple photographs and a precise text.

Kathy has a lot of great books available. Here is her website:

http://www.osuchildrenslibraryfund.ca/

The conference was fascinating, but I experienced two problems. One is that I missed Patty and Maya greatly. I don't know if everyone wondered why I kept opening my cell phone but not making a phone call, but it was my only source of pictures of my two best girls.

The second is that, while America + better still = Canada, in the words of Pedro the Lion, "Canada's not what she used to be." What she is now is expensive. Be warned if you are planning a trip anytime soon. Our greens don't stretch as far as they used to.

Hush Little Baby

2008-07-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

So I like the melody of Hush Little Baby, but I've always been bothered by the words ("Daddy's gonna buy you"). Have you felt the same way? Well, luckily Sylvia Long has. Her version of Hush Little Baby I really like.

I'm going to assume she would be happy to have you sing this to your child instead of the materialistic one, and that you will want to go out and get the book with the pleasant illustrations once you read it. Here's the entire song:

Hush little baby, don't say a word,
Mama's going to show you a hummingbird.

If that hummingbird should fly,
Mama's going to show you the evening sky.

When the nighttime shadows fall,
Mama's going to hear the crickets call.

While their song drifts from afar,
Mama's going to search for a shooting star.

When that star has dropped from view,
Mama's going to read a book with you.

When that story has been read,
Mama's going to bring your warm bedspread.

If that quilt begins to wear,
Mama's going to find your teddy bear.

If that teddy bear won't hug,
Mama's going to catch you a lightning bug.

If that lightning bug won't glow,
Mama's going to play on her old banjo.

If that banjo's out of tune,
Mama's going to show you the harvest moon.

As that moon drifts through the sky,
Mama's going to sing you a lullaby.

Isn't that great? I once tried to change the lyrics myself when I was rocking Maya to sleep, but mine were too snide, especially when I got to diamond ring. Long's words are so gentle.

The image of rocking a baby to sleep, singing a lullaby is one of those that brings up feelings of warmth, peace, and love. But we all know sometimes bedtime can be anything but peaceful. Maya, like all babies, is so beautiful when she's sleeping. But occasionally she sprawls herself out like a drunken frat boy. Here's a photo of my little cherub sleeping.

Good Night, Little One

2008-06-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

Good Night, Little One, by Salina Yoon, is a lift-the-flap book with great repetition and lots of animals your little one will enjoy.

Each page asks about where a different animal sleeps. You lift the home to see the baby animals inside. "Where do ladybugs sleep? Under flower petals, with pollen to eat." "Where do zebras sleep? In tall grass nuzzled with the herd."

When your children are wanting to know everything about animals, this will be a fun book with lots of information to talk about.

The Juggling Pug

2008-06-26T15:05:00.000-07:00

The Juggling Pug, by Sean Bryan and illustrated by Tom Murphy, is a curious little book with a great rhyme. The text sounds a lot like something Shel Silverstein would write.

Here's how it starts: "Do you all know the story of the juggling pug? He started off juggling just for a hug. His town became famous, and folks grew quite smug." Every page rhymes with pug. The pug goes on to get into trouble, but nobody says anything because he is famous.

Finally a little girl says she has had enough and calls a town meeting to discuss the pug. The pug promises to reform his ways and go back to hugging. But when he happens along the home of his friend Doug, who isn't home, he shows that he is not completely reformed.

If You're Happy and You Know it: Jungle Edition

2008-06-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

Another version of If You're Happy and You Know It, this time by James Warhola, depicting animals showing their happiness in their own way has come along.

For me this one has it's ups and downs. First the ups. I like the variety of animals included, such as the monkey, elephant, and snake. And I really like that all the animals participate on each page. My favorite page is when the children's parents are calling them to go home. All of the animals are in suspended animation, acting silly and with "Uh oh" looks on their faces.

The down side is that there is just one line on each page, then the full stanzas are written on one spread in the back. This isn't really a problem. I just sing the book through anyway. And I try to strategically skip over that one page at the end.

So if this is your kids' favorite song, and there's a good chance it is, here you go.

I Love Cats

2008-06-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

The other day Maya and I went out into the backyard in the morning. There in the lilies was an interloper, a cat. Maya and I sat at the other side of the yard and watched. A few weeks back we had another cat sleeping behind the tomato plants. As our neighbor puts up the last bit of fence between our properties, I wonder how it will effect our neighborhood cats. I'll miss those guys, even the mangy one who lived in our shed all winter (Sorry, Fella, we tore it down).

You know those emails you get with all the pictures of baby kittens or puppies or hippopotamuses doing adorable things? Author Sue Stainton must have been inspired by those to make I Love Cats, illustrated by Anne Mortimer.

It's an homage to cats. There are very realistic drawings (except for the cat wearing sunglasses-wouldn't happen) of cats being cute. The text is simple and bouncy, merely declaring a love for cats and describing them.

That's the best part, literacy wise. There are so many great adverbs in this book. I think with an older child you could create your own book about dogs or babies, following this format.

Anyway if you're a sucker for those emails, like I am, I Love Cats is for you.

The Boy Who was Raised by Librarians

2008-06-26T07:25:00.000-07:00

Maya signed up for the Summer Reading Program at our neighborhood library yesterday, and we already have the first cupcake colored in and 30 minutes colored on the clock. I had to try to remember why we didn't sign up last year. Maya would have trounced that goal last year. This year she doesn't sit still as long, but I know we'll make it.

We've talked about narcissistic librarians before, but The Boy Who was Raised by Librarians, by Carla Morris and illustrated by Brad Sneed, takes the cake. It's the Mr. Holland's Opus for children's librarians.

Melvin is a very curious boy who lives at the Livingston Public Library. There are three very nurturing librarians there who take Melvin under their wings. No matter what question ("How many kinds of fish are in the whole world and all the lakes and all the rivers and all the seas?"), they always found the answer. "That's how librarians are."

The three librarians help Melvin in all his school projects, and when he goes on to achieve greatness, they watch from afar.

After years have gone by and the trio have aged, another curious child walks into the library. Guess who the new librarian is?

I'm welling up with tears just writing about it. What greater good can librarians provide for mankind than breed more librarians? Maybe we really are trying to take over the world.

Joking aside, The Boy Who was Raised by Librarians would make a great gift for your children's librarian. Let them know you appreciate them.

No Bed Without Ted

2008-06-23T18:20:00.001-07:00

I think I've mentioned that Maya isn't one for cuddling with dolls or stuffed animals. However, I should amend that she is beginning to give stuffed animals a hug once in awhile. So maybe we're on our way.

The little girl in No Bed Without Ted, by Nicola Smee, has definitely developed a bond with her teddy bear. She looks high and low in this lift-the-flap book, but can't find Ted, and "bed without Ted is not a good thing."

Finally her mother calls from outside. Ted is hanging on the line with a wink in his eye. He's clean and dry and ready for bed, and so is the little girl.

The highlight here is looking behind Grandpa. You lift the flap of Grandpa sitting on the couch reading his paper to find a bag of candy underneath. Sneaky Grandpa.

Duck's Key Where Can It Be?

2008-06-23T18:12:00.000-07:00

Maya is starting to know my habits. She knows that I usually keep the cell phone in my shirt pocket. If I'm holding her she'll start digging into my pocket to get it whether it's in there or not. I don't know if she'll be much help when I lose my keys. She'll just figure they're in the dish or my right pants pocket.

In Jez Alborough's Duck's Key Where Can It Be?, Duck just can't find his key. He looks everywhere, under the doormat, in the mailbox, etc. Finally he finds that they were in the ignition all along. Isn't that just the way?

Although Duck isn't really just absent minded. Frog is hiding his keys. Each time Duck looks one place, you can lift a flap to find frog hiding in another. When Duck looks there, Frog has already moved on.

Frog is just playing. He puts the keys where they belong, and he tries to stop Duck from driving off without his suitcase.

Big and Little

2008-06-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

Maya had her 15 month check-up today. I'm happy to report that she has indeed been growing. Her height is back up in the middle of the pack, and her weight percentage is in the double digits. Her head off course is still huge, apparently. You know I look at her and I don't see a kid with a balloon head, and nobody says as such. But on paper she should be a lollipop. Maybe you're all just being nice.

Big and Little, by John Stadler, is a treatise in perception of size. A mouse announces that Ellie the elephant is going to dive into the glass of water sitting on the table beside him. Can she do it? When Ellie slips and falls, the mouse runs for cover, but Ellie falls safely into the glass.

Each page is a fold out, with the mouse shown on the outside and Ellie shown on the inside. Only on the last page of course are you shown the whole picture, and there is a lesson in perception that you can talk with your kids about.

I had thought this book would be mostly for older children, but my preschool niece enjoyed it. I don't know how much she got the end, but I asked her questions along the way, "Is a mouse big or little?" "Is an elephant big or little?" "Is a mouse bigger than an elephant?"

Edwina The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct

2008-06-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

Our last guest reviewer is Natalia (2), who chose Edwina The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct, by Mo Willems. It is the story of Edwina, a dinosaur who everybody loves, and Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie, who "knew just about everything about just about everything". When nobody will listen to Reginald's scholarly arguments showing that dinosaurs are extinct, Edwina takes an interest. She is convinced Reginald is right, but she decides she doesn't care. In the end Reginald doesn't care either.

Natalia says her favorite part is "Edwina the dinosaur who doesn't was stinky" (Note the quotation marks).

Matthew's Truck

2008-06-22T19:41:00.001-07:00

Our next guest reviewer is Elaina (4). She chose Matthew's Truck, by Katherine Ayres and illustrated by Hidelo Takahashi.

Matthew likes his toy truck. He imagines himself driving his truck up huge, enourmous mountaions (the back of the couch) and splashing into deep dangerous lakes (the fish tank). Good thing the cat is always there to keep an eye on him.

Elaina says her favorite part is when Matthew carries a bunny in the back of his truck.

Sally and the Purple Socks

2008-06-22T19:31:00.000-07:00

We're going to have three quick guest reviews by our very special guests this week. Maya's cousins read a great number of books with us to work on filling up their reading records for Summer Reading at their library in Indiana.

I asked each of them to pick out there favorite and tell what they liked about it. Our first reviewer is Katiana (6).

Katiana chose Sally and the Purple Socks, by Lisze Bechtold. Sally gets some magical socks that grow and grow. She uses them as a scarf, a blanket, up to a circus tent until they shrink down again to perfect size.

Katiana says her favorite part is the circus.

Kidogo

2008-06-22T19:06:00.000-07:00

So you may have noticed in some of the comments from last week mention of a newspaper article. Yep, Maya and I made it big (sort of). Mayareads got a nod in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Father's Day.

The article is about dads who blog. There are some interesting ones I've since looked up, and I've actually been emailing with one of the bloggers. Here's a link to the article:

http://www.twincities.com/ci_9566588?IADID=Search-www.twincities.com-www.twincities.com

For those of you who found us through the article, welcome. Sorry to everyone for taking so many days off. We were blessed to have my brother, sister and their three girls with us all week. Just too busy having fun. But see above how Maya's cousins helped us out?

Today's book is about a tiny elephant who isn't content with being small. Kidogo, by Anik McGrory, evokes the vast, open regions of Africa and introduces us to many of the animals found there.

Kidogo (which according to the opening page means 'little') lives with so many large elephants who help him through his day. But he doesn't want to be helped. He doesn't want to be the smallest.

Kidogo goes searching for an animal his size. He doesn't find it obviously in the giraffe, hippo, or lion. But as he tries to make his own dust bath, he spies some ants. He helps them the way his parents had done for him (although the dust bath doesn't seem very popular).

In the end Kidogo realizes he isn't the smallest after all.

McGrory, who according to her bio spent time living in East Africa, does a wonderful job through words and pictures of establishing place for us. This is a very sweet book with a great deal of opportunity for further discussion about any number of new topics.

Young MacDonald

2008-06-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

So we have a very technologically savvy little girl already. Maya loves to type on the computer and talk on the cell phone. She sits in my lap and presses things on the laptop while I'm surfing. In the past she has managed to pull up functions I never knew existed. Once she called up the source info for the web page I was on.

We rarely let her touch the cell phone, since in the past she would suck on it and make the speaker fuzzy. But in a desperate moment to keep her awake in the car till we got home (been there, haven't you?) I pulled out a ringer (get it, ringer?). Maya managed to take three pictures, change our ring tone, and call my brother.

I'm sure if I could see her I would have seen her What? look, shown here when we caught her tearing open a package of outlet covers. So much for safety.

Another adaptation of a familiar children's song, Young MacDonald, by David Milgrim, is about a boy genius. It's a bit of an homage to Young Frankenstein, as our hero does experiments in cloning. He joins various barnyard animals together to make new species. I know it sounds disturbing, but the results are pretty cute.

Here's a sample verse:

Young MacDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o.
And on that farm, he make some Deese, ee-i-ee-i-o.
With a Hee-Honk here,
And a Hee-Honk there,
Here a Hee, there a Honk,
Everywhere a Hee-Honk.
Young MacDonald had a farm,
Ee-i-ee-i-o.

You know how I often say a book will take a little practice to read it smoothly. Definitely one of those here. But you might want to give Young MacDonald a try. It has to be seen to be believed.

Whose Baby Am I?

2008-06-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

Maya has been adding to her list of animal noises she can make, though we still cannot coax her to do them on demand. Every so often she surprises us with a new one. Her first was the bear. She would growl when we turned to that page in her animal book. Then she imitated the dogs in the neighborhood. Now she moos like a cow.

She seems to prefer books with photographs of animals to ones with drawings. However, Whose Baby am I?, by John Butler, has such realistic paintings that I think Maya will like this one.

And the animals are so soft and cuddly looking. Each pair of pages asks "Whose baby am I?" Then you turn the page to see the animal baby with it's mother.

This is a good one for beginners, as the proper names for the various animals is not given. For example, the author writes, "I am an elephant baby." He doesn't use the word calf until the very last page where all of the animals are shown with their proper names.

There is also a matching page toward the back with all of the baby and mother animals. So this book will grow with your child for awhile. While not a board book, the pages are tough enough for little hands.

And did I mention the adorable pictures? Look for it at the library and see for yourself.

You Go Away

2008-06-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

As you know I stay home part-time with Maya. Between myself, Patty, and Nana, Maya is able to be home all of the time. We feel very fortunate that we are able to do this. So many parents cannot. We are especially grateful to Nana.

Being at home and going to daycare or preschool both have their pluses and minuses. One minus is that Maya is used to being cared for by only three people. Recent attempts to use the church nursery have been met with LOOOOOUUUUUD resistance. So we've definitely got a little work to do if we don't want to wear out our lone babysitter.

Dorothy Corey has a simple book for just this occasion, You Go Away, illustrated by Diane Paterson. The text gets right to the point, giving examples of someone going away and coming back. As the book goes along the distance and time increase.

We begin with peek-a-boo. Then a little girl looks worried as mom walks out the door of grandpa's house, but rejoices upon her return. Dad goes to work in the morning and returns in the afternoon.

Then there is going to school. And lastly the parents are going away on a trip, but the children are sure they will return.

If you are preparing your children for any of these events, try this book out.

Carry Me!

2008-06-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

Hallelujah! We had two breakthroughs this week. Maya took her first steps the other day, and last night she did a lot of walking. She has a long ways to go before she's running around the playground, but she's on her way. I know everyone says we'll be wishing for the days when we didn't have to chase her around, but after five months of Maya walking all over holding onto our fingers, our backs are a little sore. I'll see if I can get some video on here tonight.

Rosemary Wells' Carry Me! is a touching book showing parent and child being close even as the child grows and becomes more independent. It comes in three sections: Carry Me!, Talk to Me!, and Sing to Me!

In the first section, the little bunny sings to her Mom and Dad, "Carry me into the garden Under the plum tree's shadow. Carry me over to hear the bees. Stuff my pocket with early peas."

In Talk to Me!, the little bunny can stand with help and is learning to be by herself, but she longs to hear her parents' voices. "Red eyes blink from moonlit wings. Tell me a story about these things."

In Sing to Me!, she can run and play on her own. "Sing me a winter song I'll sing you right along The old song we know...."

As Maya grows I know I'm going to miss those cuddly times, so I'll just make sure I'm there waiting when she comes looking for a pair of arms.

Here's a great daddy song for Father's Day. I change the words liberally to make it Maya's and mine.

Dance to Your Daddy

Dance to your daddy,

My little laddie.

Dance to your daddy,

My little lamb.

You shall have a fishy

In a little dishy.

You shall have a fishy

When the boat comes in.

Dance to your daddy,

My little lassie.

Dance to your daddy,

My little lamb.

You shall have an apple.

You shall have a plum.

You shall have an apple

When your daddy comes home.

Holly Bloom's Garden

2008-06-10T07:53:00.001-07:00

Maya and I were weeding the garden again yesterday. Maya is getting so good at finding things to do outside while I work in the garden. We make a few small concessions. I think a little dirt gets eaten each time (what my dad would call 'good clean dirt') and one of the herbs was sat upon. These are, in my opinion, small prices to pay for Maya getting to interact with nature.

I had thought Maya had found the first fruits of our labor. She saw a bright, red strawberry before I did and tried to pick it off. I wanted Patty to see it first, so we had quite a discussion about leaving it be for the time being. I was amazed. How did she know what to do? Turns out she picked and ate one the other day I hadn't heard about.

So our little garden is moving along. The family in Holly Bloom's Garden, by Sarah Ashman and Nancy Parent and illustrated by Lori Mitchell, has a real knack for gardening. The Bloom children all have foretelling names. Rosie and Bud grow big, beautiful plants. But poor Holly can't seem to make anything grow.

She goes to bed defeated. But after everyone is asleep she has an idea. She sneaks into her artist father's studio and works all night to create a big, beautiful flower garden in her own way. It's a great lesson in finding joy and satisfaction in your own strengths.

Here's our little picker in action:

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

2008-06-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

We had a milestone yesterday. Maya and I wanted to meet Auntie Kati and Cousin Addy at the Children's Museum, but Patty needed the car. So Maya took her first bus ride. It was a short jaunt downtown and back. We did miss our corner by four blocks, but nothing wrong with a little extra walking on a nice day. We have a good picture. I'll add it tonight, so check back.

Fortunately the bus driver was a person and not an animal. Lord knows what would happen if it were, say, a pigeon. Mo Willems warns us not to let that happen in Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Pigeon is short, and the text is not written in a narrative style. When it first came out years ago, I didn't really like it, to be honest. But it's grown on me, probably due to seeing how much fun kids have hearing this book.

The bus driver has to step out for a bit, and he asks us to make sure the pigeon does not drive the bus. The pigeon tries to coax us in so many ways. "My cousin Herb drives a bus almost every day!" "Hey, I've got an idea. Let's play 'Drive the Bus'!" And my all-time favorite, "I'll be your best friend!"

The best part about this is when the children get to shake their heads and yell, "NOOOOOOO!" for each one.

The illustrations are so sparse and child-like, can you believe Willems received a Caldecott Honor for them? He did. On closer inspection, I can see that he does such a wonderful job of conveying emotion with so few elements. A rising scribble lets you know when the pigeon is fuming. The pigeons one big eye says a lot with the smallest changes. And the page where the pigeon is really letting go is full of motion conveyed with just a few black lines (and some flying feathers).

Pigeon is great for big groups, but you can have a blast with this one no matter how many children are with you.

Way Up High in a Tall Green Tree

2008-06-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

So one of the next projects for our little yard is to make sure that we have an adequate climbing tree. We've got a lot of very tall bushes in the back, but only one tree. Unfortunately, the lowest branches are about seven feet from the ground. Maybe we'll have to find a way to make some steps up the trunk. Otherwise it's the cherry trees by the driveway.

The little girl in Way Up High in a Tall Green Tree, by Jan Peck and illustrated by Valeria Petrone, doesn't let anything get in her way. As she climbs she encounters a variety of tree dwellers.

One thing I especially appreciate about this book is the inclusion of some very unique animals you might not get to talk about unless you see them at the zoo. Along with the familiar butterflies, bats, and birds, our little climber encounters an ocelot, a kinkajou, and a gecko.

The catchy text gives some great descriptors, like "Way up high in a tall green tree, I spy a tree frog winking at me. Hello, tree frog. Google-eyed, tree frog. See you later, tree frog. Climb away."

At the top of the tree, she finds the moon. Climbing back down again, she finds Daddy. "Guess what, Daddy? I climbed to the top of a tall green tree!" Just as you're wondering where this little girl lives that she would see all of these animals, you find that she has actually been in her bed all along using her imagination (Are those real animals or stuffed?)

Early Literacy Tip of the Day

I read an article recently in a parenting magazine espousing the benefits of play for children. TV, Gameboys, and organized sports don't count. Kids need to use their imaginations. One of the suggestions is to take your kids outside, rain, shine, or cold. Looks like we're doing pretty good in that department.

Even babies learn this way. The author noted that when babies and toddlers drop things over the side of their high chair, they're learning. Looks like we're excelling in that department.

The Ultimate Guide to Grandmas and Grandpas!

2008-06-07T11:46:00.001-07:00

As she has so often done before, Nana really saved the day the other day with a short-notice visit. I suppose it helps that Maya has her wrapped around her finger. Nana days are great for Maya since they're all about Maya; none of that other stuff like broken sewers getting in the way of the fun.

Sally Lloyd-Jones has written a handy, if tongue-in-cheek, owners manual for grandkids, The Ultimate Guide to Grandmas and Grandpas!, illustrated by Michael Emberley. It begins, "When you have a grandma or a grandpa, you have to sing and dance for them and paint lovely pictures for them."

Having grandparents is a big responsibility for youngsters. "You need to scream and run away when they pretend to be a monster. And let them chase you around the backyard." But a kid's gotta' do what a kid's gotta' do. "You must always let them give you presents. And keep you up too late."

With all the humor in this book, Lloyd-Jones doesn't neglect to get down to the real essentials in the end. "But mostly, when you have a grandma or a grandpa, you need to kiss them. And hug them. And always love them. Because that's what grandmas and grandpas like best in all the world."

The illustrations depict a variety of animal "grands". "The Ultimate Guide..." would make a great gift for your folks to let them know how much you appreciate them.

Dooby Dooby Moo

2008-05-31T18:02:00.000-07:00

The theme of musical animals has a long history from Grimms' Brementown Musicians to Jarrett J. Krosoczka's Punk Farm (check out the Punk Farm website; the music is actually pretty good).

Doreen Cronin creates a winner with Dooby Dooby Moo, illustrated by Betsy Lewin. The characters you first met in Click Clack Moo are here. Farmer Brown keeps a close eye and ear on the animals in his farm, especially that crafty Duck. When he finds an ad cut out of his morning paper, he knows trouble is coming.

The ad is for a talent show at the county fair. First prize is a used trampoline. Though farmer Brown only hears snoring inside the barn, when the coast is clear, cows, sheep, and pigs practice their versions of old favorites. The cows sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star": "Dooby, dooby, dooby moo. Dooby moo, moo, moo, moo, moo." The sheep rehearse "Home on the Range". And the pigs do an interpretive dance.

Farmer Brown doesn't trust the animals on the farm by themselves (remember Giggle, Giggle Quack?), so he packs them in the truck when he goes to the county fair (convenient, no?). He leaves the critters snoring in the truck.

The cows do well. The sheep do even better. But the pigs are fast asleep. Duck steps up and does "Born to be Wild" - "Quack, quack, quack, quuuaaaaaackk!"

Do they win? Well, that when Farmer Brown listens outside the barn door he hears, "Dooby, dooby BOING! Fa la, la, la BOING! Whacka, whacka BOING!"

As always with Cronin, there are hilarious details such as footnotes and disclaimers, mice judging the rehearsals, and Farmer Brown wearing a disquise. If you're building a collection of the books in this series like we are, don't forget this one. You can have so much fun belting out the tunes.

Hey Mr. Choo-choo, Where Are You Going?

2008-05-31T12:40:00.000-07:00

I think I've mentioned before that Maya's favorite musician so far is Dan Zanes. She loves those acoustic guitar sounds. Dan Zanes does tasteful new songs, children's classics, and traditional songs that I can listen to and enjoy along with Maya.

Our favorite CD is still the one our friend Nicole gave to Maya before she was born, Catch That Train. It has a couple of train songs, classics like "Loch Lomond" and "Welcome Table", a couple of foreign language tunes, and even a protest song. Guests include Father Goose, Nick Cave, Natalie Merchant, and The Blind Boys of Alabama (weren't there five at one time?).

Check out the video for the title track on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWIYo-T4Dq8

Hey Mr. Choo-choo, Where Are You Going?, by Susan Wickberg and illustrated by Yumi Heo, is a great train book with a wonderful tune. Just listen to this:

Hey Mr. Choo-choo,
Red, white, and blue-choo,
Hey Mr. Choo-choo,
What are you doing?

Conductor call-call-calls.
I want to pull-pull-pull.
But I wait-wait-wait
Till my cars are full.

Isn't that great? The arrangement of the text as a whole is thematic. Each set of stanzas, which can take up two or more pages, begins with that first refrain but poses a different question. "What are you pulling?" or "Where are you going?"

I had a bit of trouble with the meter reading it through the first time, but with practice I think I could sing this book as well as read it. The wordplay and repetition are so much fun and feel great on your tongue.

Speaking of YouTube, I've been thinking I'd like to add a video component to this venture. Something like clips of reading stories and singing songs. How about some other ideas? What would be useful or entertaining for all of you?

Bears

2008-05-31T12:09:00.000-07:00

At over a year, can you believe Maya still doesn't really take to stuffed animals or dolls. Just puppets really, especially if they make noise. She doesn't have a blankie or stuffed animal she wants to hang onto. Weird, huh?

Bears, by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Maurice Sendak, is an homage to teddies everywhere. Is has a short, simple text, composed mostly of words and phrases that rhyme with 'bears'. "On the stairs", "Collecting fares", and "Millionaires".

The big draw for Bears is the illustrations. Everybody's favorite monster boy is the main character, and he spies bears everywhere doing everything. There are so many details to point out. You can talk about what individual bears are doing or what expressions do they have on their faces? And there are bears and bear faces to find in unlikely places, such as the lamp, the wallpaper, even the moon.

For babies, Bears is a nice, quick read. For talkers, this is a good book for rhymes. For preschoolers, it's a great sit-and-talk-about-the-pictures book.

Scarlette Beane

2008-05-31T11:49:00.000-07:00

Our little garden in our little backyard still looks pretty good after two weeks. We hope it will thrive. Maya loves being out in the yard. And now we can do work while she tools around on her own (We just have to keep one eye open for things being eaten). Patty made a couple of beautiful garden stones in Maya's honor.

Our hope is that Maya will continue to love being outdoors as she grows. The little girl in Scarlette Beane, by Karen Wallace and illustrated by Jon Berkeley, is born with not just a green thumb, but green fingers too. Her parents have a house and yard even smaller than ours.

When Scarlette is five she is given her own garden. After planting her seeds her fingers glow in the night. The next day her vegetables are so big the neighbors have to come with construction vehicles to harvest the crop, and everyone has to eat outside.

That night Scarlette sneaks out to plant more seeds in the meadow. Her fingers glow brightly again. The next day there is a castle made of vegetables, and they move right in.

Maya will of course have her own little garden plot as well someday. But we'll try to keep our expectations reasonable.

Here's a song about a garden worm from What Shall I Do with the Baby-O, by Jane Cobb. She recommends singing it while trying to change the diaper of your little wiggly worm.

Wiggly Woo

There’s a worm at the bottom of my garden.
And his name is Wiggly Woo.
There’s a worm at the bottom of my garden
And all that he can do,
Is wiggle all night,
And wiggle all day,
Whatever else the people do say;
There’s a worm at the bottom of my garden,
And his name is Wiggly, Wig-Wig-Wiggly,
Wig-Wig-Wiggly Woo-oo!

The Hello, Goodbye Window

2008-05-31T07:34:00.000-07:00

Maya loves her days with Nana. On those days she gets to play all day, no running boring errands. Most Nana days are at our house, but occasionally Maya gets to visit Grandpa and Nana's house. They have a patio door with a huge window. Maya can look out at the back yard.

The little girl in The Hello, Goodbye Window, by Norton Juster and illustrated by Chris Raschka, has a favorite window at Poppy and Nanna's house. It's the kitchen window overlooking the path to the front door. Since Poppy and Nanna spend most of their time in the kitchen, that's the window where you say "Hello" and "Goodbye".

The text describes an idyllic weekend with Poppy and Nanna. The window is good for playing peek-a-boo and making faces. The kitchen has drawers to explore, a sink for washing hands, and a table for coloring.

When it's dark the window becomes a mirror. When the lights are turned off, a solarium. The next day is filled with fun in the garden, except for nap time because "nothing happens until I get up."

The window is where you can get a first glimpse of visitors, such as a T-rex, the pizza delivery guy, or the Queen of England. Today it happens to be Mom and Dad. Goodbyes are waved through the hello, goodbye window.

The author is Norton Juster, of Phantom Tollbooth fame, so you know the writing is a pleasure to read aloud. The illustrations are quite colorful and eccentric. At first they may seem childish and messy. But a closer look shows why Raschka received a Caldecott for this one. There's quite a bit, so I recommend this book for the early grades.

Leonardo the Terrible Monster

2008-05-31T06:25:00.000-07:00

Maya's in that cute stage that I think most kids go through. She likes to be startled. On Wednesdays we go to have lunch with Mom at the hospital and are waiting for the elevator, and Maya jumps and squeals when the doors open and someone steps out. The unsuspecting stranger usually gets a big kick out of that.

Another huge one is opening and closing the garage door. We let Maya press the button. She can't quite bring herself to press it all the way in, but when we help her and the door starts to move, she jumps up and down in our arms and yells, "EEE, EEE, EEE, EEE." It's like she's scared and fascinated all at once. We're hoping this isn't a precursor to a fascination with horror flicks.

The monster in Leonardo the Terrible Monster, by "Your Pal" Mo Willems (gotta' like a guy who names himself that for kids), learns that really scaring people is not only hard, it's not as fun. Leonardo is just no good at scaring people. Frankly, they just think he's cute. He doesn't have "1,642 teeth, like Tony." And he isn't tall or weird.

Desperate, Leonardo decides he needs to "find the most scaredy-cat kid in the whole world and scare the tuna salad out of him." He does research until he finds Sam sitting alone. After he gives his best effort until Sam cries, Leonardo feels he has finally done it.

But Sam isn't scared. He's just upset over his mean big brother (which takes a gushing full page of writing to explain). Leonardo decides that "instead of being a terrible monster, he would become a wonderful friend." Of course part of being a good friend is scaring and chasing.

We once saw a video version of Leonardo with Mo Willems doing the narration. With Sesame Street on his resume, you know it's got to be good. Willems' reading style reminds me of Shel Silverstein. I highly recommend seeking it out. Knuffle Bunny was on there, too.

Big Kid Books I'm Reading

Speaking of monsters, there's a big scary librarian in The Legend of Spud Murphy, by Eion Colfer. I've been trying out some more light-hearted books for the Guys Read book club. This one takes just a couple of hours to read, even for me.

The mother of two mischievous boys decides to take them to the library twice a week for three hours. The librarian, Spud Murphy (so named for shooting kids with a spud gun), is notorious for hating children. She forces them to sit on a carpet in the children's section (one tiny bookcase).

When tested, Spud Murphy expertly throws a book stamp across the room and nails the older brother on the head. Scared into submission, the boys at first pretend to read books, then accidentally start to really read them. Turns out they love books. When they exhaust the children's collection, they go for an adult shelf (in Indiana Jones fashion).

Spud catches them, and at first she is livid. But when she realizes why they disobeyed, she realizes she has strayed from her calling, lets them take home the book (a romance novel-they were desperate), and vows to improve the children's collection.

I was at a training session for book club leaders, and the facilitator was describing some of the extra things he did to make the clubs more fun. I began daydreaming of having a contest to see who could accurately throw a book stamp across a room at a drawing of a boy on big paper. Just then the facilitator switched to talking about discipline. He said, "One hard, fast rule is absolutely no throwing things." Maybe I'm not the right guy for this job.

Baby Knows Best

2008-05-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

There are too zoos in the Twin Cities, and Maya and I, thanks to Nana getting a membership for us, went to both of them this week. She liked looking at a few of the animals she saw, but mostly she watched the chipmonks and geese and tried to find pieces of garbage on the ground she could pick up and eat (we really have to keep track of her).

The truth of the matter is well-captured in Baby Knows Best, by Kathy Henderson and illustrated by Brita Granstrom. Despite all the fancy toys she has, what does the baby want to play with? "The front door keys." What better book is there than a crumply, crinkly newspaper? And the best bath toy? "The old bath plug."

Sound familiar? How many times do you get together with other parents and talk about your baby playing with the cardboard box from a new toy? Henderson captures this well.

This is probably a great book to share with older brothers and sisters. Just remind them that they were exactly the same way. Grandma and Grandpa could tell them that you probably were too.

Fancy Nancy

2008-05-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

Awhile back I asked some librarians for suggestions on how to encourage Maya's creative side as she grows. One thing that came up several times was having some old clothes and accessaries in storage. Kids may use a single hat in so many different ways.

Though I'm hoping that it wouldn't lead to the tom-frillery seen in Fancy Nancy, by Jane O'Connor and illustrated by Fobin Preiss Glasser. Nancy likes all things fancy, and it shows in the way she dresses and the fancy French words she uses.

The trouble is the rest of her family just doesn't get it. Seeing a poster for dance classes at the supermarket, Nancy decides to hold "fancy lessons." Nancy's folks are very supportive. They attend the lesson and even take notes.

After dressing up in the most outlandish clothing the gaudy party go out for pizza and a lot of stares. Unfortunately, Nancy can't quite carry the fancy parfait (see, French) and becomes quite messy.

After a bath and a homemade parfait, Nancy and her parents say, "I love you." Because, in Nancy's fine opinion, "...there isn't a fancy-or better-way of saying that."

I suppose 'je t'aime' would work, but oh well. A great book for your fancy little girl.

"Slowly, Slowly, Slowly," Said the Sloth

2008-05-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Maya and I went to the zoo. Maya liked the tiny monkeys that came right up to the glass and the tiny African deer. She barely even noticed the giraffes even when we were standing a couple of feet away from them, nor the big gorillas. I guess she likes animals that are on her level.

We got a big surprise from the zebra. Whenever we get to the zebra page in her animal book, I just say, "This is a zebra. It has stripes," since I don't know what sound a zebra makes. Well, were we shocked when the zebra suddenly let out a long series of noises somewhere between a donkey and a howler monkey. I'm not sure I can (or want to) imitate it. I may just stick with, "It has stripes."

Maya also liked the mid-size monkeys (sorry, I don't remember the names) who were very playful and swung around on ropes and branches. The sloth in "Slowly, Slowly, Slowly," Said the Sloth, by Eric Carle, also hangs from a branch, but I doubt Maya would find him as entertaining.

As the other forest animals scramble around him, the sloth spends the entire book hanging from a tree, occasionally eating a leaf or sleeping. The sloth does everything, "Slowly, slowly, slowly." The animals ask questions, but the sloth doesn't answer.

Not until the jaguar has the audacity to call him lazy. After a lot of thought, the sloth lets out a lengthy explanation with many synonyms on how he is not lazy. He just likes a peaceful life. He likes to take things "slowly, slowly, slowly."

I was worried that this book would bore the kids in storytime. Not at all. I read "slowly, slowly, slowly" in a comically slow manner. Then I read his soliloquy like the guy in those old Micro Machines commercials (don't bother trying to define all the new words unless asked). Turned out pretty good. The children laughed quite a bit.

Here's a great song to go along with this story. Creep and run your fingers around the baby's belly as you sing.

Slowly, Slowly, Very Slowly

Slowly, slowly, very slowly
Creeps the garden snail.
Slowly, slowly, very slowly
Up the garden rail.

Quickly, quickly, very quickly
Runs the little mouse.
Quickly, quickly, very quickly
Up into his house!

Dog Heaven

2008-05-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

Today I took an online survey for another stay-at-home dad doing a graduate project. It concerned therapy for children. I was to imagine I have a 7 to 10-year-old child. For which issues would I consider having the child see a therapist. I answered no to the first few and worried that I would answer no to all of them (I also worried about how long the survey would be, because then I had to answer the 'why not' questions). I'm not inclined to consider professional therapy, I guess, because it's always seemed like a pretty severe solution to the things we go through in life. But a few of the situations got me thinking. There are some things I haven't encountered that Maya hopefully won't either, but should she, she may need some outside help. It was quite thought-provoking.

I like to think that books are good therapy, too. I've heard it's a good idea to read books to prepare children for difficult times in life well before they actually occur. They open the door for conversations about things like the family pet passing, or grandparents, or parents, or a friend. Then perhaps they may be prepared.

Dog Heaven, by Cynthia Rylant, and it's companion, Cat Heaven, are my favorite books about where pets go when they die. Heaven for dogs is just what the name implies-perfect. God knows what dogs need and enjoy, and he provides for them.

There are endless fields in which to run, ponds with geese to bark at, and children. There are dog biscuits shaped like cats and soft clouds to sleep on. Dogs without homes on earth are given special homes in heaven. Those that left family behind are given a chance to occasionally check in on them.

I like that God is a kindly old man dressed in farming clothes who enjoys looking after all of the dogs. Dog Heaven places a nice image in your child's imagination, so perhaps they won't miss their beloved so dearly until they meet up again.

Big Kid Books I'm Reading

This summer I'll be facilitating a Guys Read book club for school-aged boys. I've been perusing some great books. Our first is Jackie's Wild Seattle, by Will Hobbs. All the clubs in the system are doing one of his books because at the end of the summer he will be visiting the library.

I wasn't sure how Jackie's Wild Seattle would go over since the protagonist is a 12-year-old girl. We're supposed to look for books with a boy in the lead, but I think the person who chose this one may not have read it. But I think it will be ok. There are so many attention grabbers in here that I don't think the boys will mind.

A brother and sister spend the summer with their uncle in Seattle while their parents travel to Pakistan with Doctors Without Borders. Uncle Neal lost his job as an aeronautics engineer and is volunteering for an animal rescue outfit. But he isn't looking so good.

Shannon and Cody are from Jersey and were there on 9/11. Cody actually saw the second plane and is having trouble coping. When Neal is injured Shannon has to step up and do the rescuing. There is also a troubled boy there who needs a little rescuing too. Through all of this and discovering what is wrong with Uncle Neal, the kids do a lot of growing during that summer.

Jackie's Wild Seattle covers a lot of heavy issues, but I think reluctant readers will enjoy the scenes involving the rescue of wild animals. And the questions about what makes a good person or even a hero will get them thinking.

By the way, if you're in the Twin Cities area and you see a notice for a program by Dakota Wild Animals, I highly recommend that you go. They provide amazing demonstrations.

My Dog, My Cat, My Mama, and Me!

2008-05-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to visit Rei. He is Maya's friend Kai's brand new little brother. Rei was born in a hot tub in the three-season porch, attended by midwives and delivered by his dad. Kai got to be there, too. Congratulations. Today's book is dedicated to you.

My Dog, My Cat, My Mama, and Me!, by Nigel Gray and illustrated by Bob Graham, is an extremely clever lift-the-flap book. It has a good rhyme scheme and teaches counting from two to four.

A little girl notices her dog is getting fat. The dog goes into a cupboard and comes out thin. When the girl peeks inside (and you lift the flap), there are two puppies. When the fat cat comes out of a cardboard box thin, there are three kittens.

When Mama is getting fatter, goes to the hospital, and comes back home thin (I know, I know, it doesn't exactly happen that way), how many babies do you think there are?

It's a pretty fun addition to your pile of 'getting-the-kids-ready-for-a-new-baby' books.

Dig!

2008-05-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

I was telling a mom at the library the other day about Mayareads, and she gave me just about the best review you can give to a book. Her son doesn't sit still often to read books, but he will for Dig!, by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha and illustrated by Marc Rosenthal. In fact he chants the refrain often as they go about their days.

So I picked up a copy, and I can see why. Dig! has such a nice structure with tons of repetition. Mr. Rally and his dog, Lightning, have a backhoe. Mr. Rally has five jobs this day, digging a hole for the pool at the school, clearing a landslide near the ocean, etc.

At each job Mr. Rally sings, "Dig up rock and dig up clay! Dig up dirt and dig all day!" At the end of the day Mr. Rally puts the backhoe away, but he and Lightning still have some digging to do in the garden (including of course the burying of bones).

With five parts, the text is a little long, but your kindergarten-or-so-aged children will love it. After you're done reading, go out and do a little gardening, singing a merry little tune.

Delilah D. at the Library

2008-05-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed that libraries are changing a bit these days. Are missing the quiet of yesterday's libraries? Or do you like being able to grab a mocha on your way in and drinking it while you puruse the stacks (as long as you keep the cover on tight)?

For better or for worse, libraries are continually looking for ways to make themselves more comfortable and useful for the patrons. You know, we try to keep an open mind.

The librarian in Delilah D. at the Library, by Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Rosie Reeve, seems a bit traditional, but is thwarted by an imaginative young girl.

Delilah insists she is a queen from a far away land. When she goes with her nanny and little brother to the library, she would like things to be the way they are in her homeland.

There the librarians give out free cupcakes, everyone runs, there is a trapeze to reach the high shelves, and kids bring their blankets and toys to listen to a beautiful princess read stories.

All of this of course exasperates the librarian. But it sounds great to the other children as well as a short lady wearing a woolly hat.

I guess I better take heed. What else do you think should be included in the library of tomorrow? We'll make a list.

Find-a-Saurus

2008-05-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

We're currently attempting to determine Maya's official first word. Right now we're working on 'hi', 'daddy', and 'mama'. She's been saying "Mama" for months, but it's always seemed pretty random (I think I was mama often). She started saying "Hi" the other day, but after we practiced for awhile she said it every couple of minutes for the rest of the day, even when no one was around. She points to my picture on the wall and says, "Daddy", but doesn't seem to associate it with the actual person, me.

So we're trying to figure out how to convey that a word is a symbol for an actual object or person. Pretty complex, huh? Maybe she just has a very good imagination, and sees people we don't.

In Find-a-Saurus, by Mark Sperring and illustrated by Alexandra Steele-Morgan, a little boy has a knack for spotting creatures that we all assume are imaginary. When Marty learns about dinosaurs, he wants to find one in the worst way. Unfortunately, according to his mother dinosaurs are extinct, so there aren't any.

But Marty looks anyway. He looks under his bed, in the laundry basket, in the attic and everywhere he can think of. But he only finds monsters, elves, aliens, and the like. When he spies the spiny tail sticking out of his toy closet, he thinks he's got it. But, darn if it isn't a dragon. Oh well. Marty decides that dinosaurs are great at hiding, but he knows he'll find one someday.

Who's in the Jungle?

2008-05-22T16:43:00.000-07:00

I've been looking on YouTube for videos of people performing children's songs, because sometimes I'll read about a song that has great lyrics, but unless it's to the tune of another more familiar song, I have to make it up. I found a fun little tune called the Elephant Song by a guy named Eric Herman. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yihq8BIhL9c

Like the Elephant Song, Who's in the Jungle?, by Heather J. Gondek and illustrated by Chris Gilvan-Cartwright, is a good opportunity to help children identify familiar animals by their characteristics.

It's a Who-am-I lift-the-flap type book. The clues and the answers are all hidden beneath flaps. For example the giraffe page says, "I have a long neck. I eat leaves. My fur has spots. Who am I?" Neck, leaves and spots are all hidden under flaps with their pictures on the front. Your children can identify the pictures, then the animal.

A good interactive book for kids, especially before or after a trip to the zoo.

Hop! Plop!

2008-05-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

I love onomatopoeia. I can't spell it. But I love it. Often when I'm singing songs to Maya, I'll change words to their sounds just for fun. For example, we sing a song when we're getting dressed to the tune of "Mama's Little Baby Loves..." that goes, "Baby put your shirt on, shirt on, shirt on. Baby put your shirt on, 1...2...3." There are often three snaps on onesies, so I change it to "Baby put your shirt on, snap...snap...snap." Or those pajamas with a long zipper and a snap at the top, "Baby put your jammies on, zip...zip...snap."

Hop! Plop!, by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Tali Klein and illustrated by Olivier Dunrea, is all about the onomatopoeia. Mouse and elephant are bored, so they go to the playground. When they get on the seesaw, Mouse goes "HOP! PLOP! BOOM! BOP!" onto the ground.

Elephant gives mouse a push on the swing, "SWING! WHIZ! FLING! DING!" around and around until he's wrapped around the bar. The whirlybird comes to a similar disappointing end.

Mouse decides that all the rides in the playground are broken. But Elephant has a great idea. He crouches down to make a slide with his trunk, "YEE-OW! SLIDE! GLIDE! WHAT A RIDE!" Mouse declares that Elephant is his favorite.

When you're reading, you need to do a good job with those bold-type words to really understand the illustrations. I think you'll have a pretty good time.

No, No, Titus!

2008-05-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

Everyone wants to find their place in life. In No, No, Titus!, by Claire Masurel and illustrated by Shari Halpern, a little puppy finds his.

Titus has his first day on the farm and is looking for something to do. When the school bus comes, Titus wants to go. "'HONK, HONK,' went the school bus. 'WOOF, WOOF,' barked Titus. 'No, no,' said the children. 'Dogs don't go to school!'"

Can he drive the tractor? No. Milk the cow? No. Lay eggs? No. Titus is forlorn. What is a good farm dog supposed to do?

As night falls and he hears the pitter, patter of the fox's feet, Titus finds his place and becomes the hero of the farm.

The illustrations are collages of brightly colored paper. The text has a great deal of onomatopoeia and rhyme (The meter doesn't always stay true, so be prepared for a few choppy spots) with a good structure that kids will pick up on quickly.

A good book for reading aloud.

Smile a Lot!

2008-05-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

It's unbelievable sometimes how even the smallest babies can have such adult-like looks on their faces. Maya can go from looking so serious and plaintive to wild-eyed in an instance. We're especially wary of this mischievous look she gets when getting out of the car. Wondering what that could turn into.

Nancy Carlson gives some great advice to kids in Smile a Lot! She presents a number of situations that could lend themselves to sour faces, but shows how smiling through it can turn that situation around for the better.

"When Mom makes oatmeal with prunes for breakfast...Smile a lot! And ask if you can help her make chocolate chip pancakes tomorrow." But this doesn't mean you can't be a little mischievous. "Then figure out what to do with your oatmeal." (Like feed it to the baby).

If bullies are hogging the swings, play on the monkey bars and smile. They'll likely want to switch, leaving the swings to you (Bullies are easily confused).

Follow Carlson's advice, and she guarantees a good day.

Baby Shoes

2008-05-16T08:43:00.000-07:00

We've been really enjoying putting in our garden and working in the yard these last couple of weeks. Maya does, too. Yesterday Patty was bold enough to let her tool around by herself (keeping one eye on her to make sure she doesn't eat too much ground clutter). This morning Maya had dirt under her nails. Pretty cool.

The baby in Baby Shoes, by Dashka Slater and illustrated by Hiroe Nakata, likes to get dirty, too. Unfortunately, her new white shoes take the hit.

As the story goes on her new clod-hoppers go from "White shoes. High-jumping, fast-running, fine-looking shoes!" via the park, sidewalk chalk, new yellow lines on the road, and a few other hazards, to "...speckled, spotted, polka-dotted, puddle-stomping, rainbow-romping, go-go-going shoes."

As you can see, Baby Shoes has some wonderful language. I'm sure you will enjoy reading it aloud. And there is an important lesson here. Always buy those baby shoes second-hand.

Overboard!

2008-05-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

Overboard!, by Sarah Weeks and illustrated by Sam Williams, is a book that will not teach Maya a single thing. She's got this one down. As I'm sure your little one does. So I think I'll just read this charming book to Patty.

A young bunny shows how to make just about anything sail through the air. "Drippy, slippy-slidey peaches. Peachy peaches..." fly from the high chair. "Squeaky, leaky rubber ducky. Lucky ducky..." is launched from the bathtub. Mommy's purse. Books from the shelf (an hourly occurrence in our house).

Poor bunny also takes a turn going overboard when she tries to climb the stairs. Good thing mommy is around. Finally, at bedtime, everything is jettisoned from the crib.

As you can see, the rhyme and alliteration are wonderful. So maybe you should read Overboard! to the children. But you've been warned.

What's Up, Duck? A Book of Opposites

2008-05-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

An important class of children's books is the concept book. Concept books help your child to develop a foundation of knowledge they will need when they learn other things. Common concept themes are ABC's, counting, colors, and opposites. There are a lot of them out there, and your child will likely pick a favorite or two for each.

What's Up, Duck?, by Tad Hills, is a great book for opposites. There are many of the usual pairs, but there are some that I think are kind of unique. The tricky thing is to create illustrations that make the meanings of the words on the page clear, and I think Hills does a good job.

For 'front' and 'back' the characters you may recognize from the Duck and Goose books look like their in a police line-up. 'Awake' and 'asleep' is particularly cute. Here's a tricky one: 'Heavy' shows Duck trying to lift Goose, while 'light' shows Grey Duck balancing a feather on his bill.

So when you're ready for opposites throw What's Up, Duck? on the stack.

Caps for Sale

2008-05-15T15:39:00.001-07:00

Another great suggestion from Carrie. Caps for sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina, is a classic tale in the traditional style that every child should get to enjoy. I've seen and heard of Caps for Sale being performed in a variety of ways-flannel board, short drama, etc. There is a lot of opportunity for interaction here.

A peddler is walking with the caps he sells piled upon his head-brown, blue, and red piled high. He is hungry and tired so he decides to rest under a tree. When he awakens all his caps are gone. He looks everywhere around him, but doesn't see his caps.

Finally the peddler looks up into the tree and sees a bunch of monkeys each wearing one of his caps. He shakes his finger at the monkeys, but they only imitate him. His shakes his fists at them; they shake their fists at him.

He throws his own cap to the ground in disgust. That works. All the caps fall around him. Monkeys are known mimickers, after all. The peddler piles the caps back upon his head and goes on his way.

Even if you have just a couple of kids you're reading to, this is a great story to act out. Grab a few caps out of the coat closet, pretend to be asleep, and have your children do whatever you do. It's a rollicking time.

Machines At Work

2008-05-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks back, Carrie told us that Kai loves Byron Barton's books. I checked out the ones we had in my library, and I think Kai is on to something. Barton's books about all the things that go are simple, colorful, and cute as the dickens.

And their not just for boys. I've got two examples of girls who love machines. Maya can sit on our sidewalk for a long time just watching the cars go by. They're right up there with dogs. And yesterday a little girl who comes to the library often with her father was oohing and aahing over the muscle cars in Road and Track magazine. I asked the dad if she got that from him. Nope, he doesn't particularly like cars, but they have a neighbor who has an actual drag racer.

So let's talk about one Carrie didn't mention in case she's looking for Kai's next Byron Barton book. Machines At Work is about construction work. The author talks directly to you. "Load that truck. Dump that rubble. Now let's eat some lunch."

The words are few, but you should spend as much time as your child wishes on each page talking about what these guys are doing and what the different machines are. I'm sure questions will arise.

The book ends with, "O.K. Stop the machines. Let's go home. More work tomorrow." What a great introduction to a day in the life of a construction worker.

One time the building next to the library I worked at was being knocked down. Let me tell you I could have put up posters, set up chairs, handed out popcorn. The kids sat by the windows and watched the backhoe knock down the walls all day long. I should have probably sat in the corner reading Machines At Work out loud from open to close.

No More Pacifier for Piggy!

2008-05-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

Maya has never been much for pacifiers, but she has plenty of other addictions that will have to be broken someday. We've gone through a few already, like night feedings. It's never easy.

Bernette Ford has a new book to help with the doffing of the nook called No More Pacifier for Piggy!, illustrated by Sam Williams. I think it's pretty good, but I bet there are some other books out there that have worked well for others. If you have a favorite, or a tried and true technique, please share for those who are heading toward that stage soon.

In this book, Piggy is playing Peek-a-boo with Ducky. Only problem is Piggy can't smile at Ducky, and when he giggles, his pacifier falls on the ground and gets dirty. Piggy also can't be the one to say Peek-a-boo.

When Piggy's back-up pacifier falls and gets dirty, Piggy is sad, but Ducky helps him forget about it by playing together for hours. At the end of the day Piggy declares, "No more pacifier for Piggy!"

So perhaps this book will be helpful to you if you're thinking it's time. Good luck with that.

Just What Mama Needs

2008-05-11T07:03:00.000-07:00

Today is Mother's Day. Maya and I bought Patty a tiller. I know that doesn't sound like much of a Mother's Day gift, but if you were to see the excitement Patty is showing for planting our very first garden, you'd understand. This is just what she needs right now.

A little dog named Abby is really good at perceiving what her mother needs in Just What Mama Needs, by Sharlee Glenn and illustrated by Amiko Hirao.

Abby has a big imagination (and quite a wardrobe). Each day of the week she dresses up as a different character and has adventures. On Monday she's a pirate, Tuesday a detective, Wednesday a cowgirl, and so one.

Luckily, each day Abby is pretending to be just what Mama needs. On Monday she needs help swabbing the deck. Tuesday help locating missing socks and underwear in the laundry room. Wednesday help rounding up the livestock (cats and hamsters).

On Sunday Abby wears her favorite clothes, and Mama has trouble figuring out what Abby is that day. When she does she realizes Abby is what she needs most of all.

So happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there. I know we talk about dads a lot on here, but today is your day. Maya and I will try to make Patty's day special. I bet yours will be too. God bless all of you.

Maisy Goes to the Library

2008-05-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before my prejudice against series books. The Maisy books, by Lucy Cousins, are one of those that I hadn't given much of a chance. But then I was looking for good books about libraries and looked through Maisy Goes to the Library. I founds it's a nice, simple book with good text and cute illustrations.

Maisy goes to the library to read a book about fish in a nice, quiet place. She finds books about fish by the aquarium (WARNING: Not all libraries have aquariums, but some do.) and begins to read. Her friends come along and interupt her reading (WARNING: Finding a quiet place to read in a children's library is not an easy task.)

At storytime, the ostrich librarian reads "There was an old woman who swallowed a fly." The animals think this is pretty hilarious. They all check out there books and go outside to pretend they are the characters in the story they just heard.

Despite the inaccuracies mentioned above, this is a great book for preparing your children for a trip to the library, especially if you plan to allow your child to get his/her very own library card.

Red: Seeing Red All Around Us

2008-05-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

You know how you never really notice a particular car until you happen to ride in one, then you notice every one you see on the street. Kids are that way about a lot of new things. As they take in new information, it's great for them to point something out when they encounter it day to day. Say, for example, you just spent some time talking with your toddler about dinosaurs. When you see a dinosaur walking down the street, you may say, "What's that?" And your child responds, "A brontosaurus."

I know that's not the best example. After all, scientists decided years ago that there's no such thing as a brontosaurus. So the likelihood that you'd see one walking down the street is pretty low. But you get the idea.

If your kids are learning their colors, there is a great series from Capstone Press about all the colors we encounter in our day. Red, by Sarah L. Schuette, is one we tried out.

The text works well for a wide range of ages, because you can read a little or a lot. Infants will enjoy the large, bold images while you read. If you're reading with younger toddlers, you may want to just read the short, bold text on each page. "Red has petals. Red has thorns. Red has flashing lights and horns." Then ask questions about the rose and the fire truck they see on the pages.

For older children there are larger bits of information in text boxes on the page. "Fire trucks move fast to get to fires quickly. Many fire trucks are red so that people can see them racing down the street."

At the end of this book, you may want to go outside and find other things that are red. Applying what you read in a book to everyday life is a great way for children to internalize what they have learned.

Wave Goodbye

2008-05-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

Rob Reid is a teacher and a children's performer. He create hilarious programs for kids, uses a ton of music, and he can even hold his own at a poetry slam. You may remember seeing his name in the comments way back in December. Rob holds a special place in my heart, as he was my mentor when I first started working in a children's library.

I came across one of Rob's picture books, Wave Goodbye, illustrated by Lorraine Williams, in the library the other day and brought it home. I recommend this one for when you want to add a little movement to your book reading time. I think I recall having Rob perform this as a rhyme.

Wave Goodbye presents all of the things you have on your body that can be waved. "Wave your elbows, wave your toes. Wave your tongue, and wave your nose." You even get to wave your derriere.

Read it standing up, or better yet, memorize it and make up a tune for a raucous song.

I don't know how readily available this book is outside the midwest. You can also go to Rob's website to find the words:

http://www.rapnrob.com/rapspoem/raps01.html

Kitten's First Full Moon

2008-05-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

Years ago we had a kitten named Pedro, who (as all kittens do) loved to bat at dangling things. When Christmas came around we dare not get a tree. Instead we hung live garland around the ceiling and hung ornaments from that. Pedro went nuts. He would bat at the ornaments (five feet or so out of his reach) and mewl pitifully.

The kitten in Kevin Henke's Kitten's First Full Moon has even less realistic aspirations. Kitten spies the full moon for the first time. But she thinks it's a bowl of milk.

She tries and tries to get it. She sits on the top step and sticks out her tongue (getting a bug instead). She jumps for it, chases it, and climbs a tree. Another bowl of milk eerily similar to the first one appears in a pond. So Kitten gets wet.

Luckily when she sulks back home there is a real bowl of milk waiting on the porch.

The black and white drawings in this book are absolutely stunning. No wonder it won the Caldecott in 2005.

I especially like the realistic behavior of the kitten. Each time the kitten fails to reach her goal, she stops to groom, cool as a cucumber, as though nothing happened.

I highly recommend this book for nighttime reading.

If Animals Kissed Good Night

2008-05-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

Reading is such a great part of the bedtime routine. This last weekend Patty and I met several couples with new babies at my step-brother Corey's wedding. For each of them we got a copy of Pajama Time with a Mayareads bookmark shamelessly placed inside (if you all are reading this, welcome). That's the one we read before just about every nap.

A popular new idea at many libraries is nighttime storytimes. Children (and parents) are encouraged to come in their pajamas to hear bedtime stories and sing songs before going home to bed. They usually happen about six o'clock at night or so. Check out your library's website to see if they've started one, and if not maybe put a bug in your librarians ear. It's a really great way for parents who work during the day to attend programs with their kids.

If Animals Kissed Good Night, by Ann Whitford Paul and illustrated by David Walker, is a sweet new bedtime book. A mother and daughter imagine the different ways animals kiss their babies good night.

We begin with the sloths, who "would hang from a tree and start kissing soooo sloooowwwww..." As the sky goes from pink to black, we see the peacock "spin a fan dance and kiss with a kickity high-stepping prance" and the elephant "kiss and then sway and shower her calf with a wet, washing spray."

Periodically we revisit the sloths, who are "still...kissing good night."

The illustrations are soft and child-like, similar to the patterns on babies' pajamas and blankets. All and all a very lovely book.

Big Yellow Sunflower

2008-05-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Patty and Maya will go to the Friends Plant Sale in St. Paul. She's been diligently picking out veggies, flowers, and grasses. We can't wait to see what we can get to grow in our little yard. Maya loves to touch the flowers (and tear them off, of course).

I found a very novel little book at the library about flowers. Big Yellow Sunflower, by Frances Barry, is a unique book that, when you're done reading it, actually becomes a flower. As you read each page, you fold it back to become a petal. When you're all done, you have a big flower in your hands.

Each page depicts a different animal singing a little song to the sunflower throughout the stages of its life, from seed to flower. On the first, a little mouse sings, "Little seed, little seed, falling to the ground, what will you be?"

At the center of the flower, when you have all the petals opened, there is a fold-down page with instructions underneath for growing your own sunflower.

Pretty cool.

Ready, Set, Skip!

2008-04-30T21:01:00.001-07:00

Right now Maya's walking hanging onto one hand. She's been at this stage for what seems like awhile. There's of course no reason to rush her, but she just seems to be having trouble letting go. Remember the advice in Santa Claus is Coming to Town? Just put one foot in front of the other.

Well, what about skipping? In Ready, Set, Skip!, by Jane O'Connor and illustrated by Ann James, one little girl is having trouble with this skill. She can do so many other things, like twirl, skate, and whistle. But this one thing eludes her.

Mom to the rescue. Here we have a very basic tutorial in skipping. "'Hop on one foot, then the other. That is skipping,' says my mother." And with a little practice, ta-da, we're skipping.

Maybe your child isn't having trouble with skipping, but this would be a good one if there's something s/he is having trouble. Use the opening pages to remind him/her that of all of the things s/he can do.

Please Play Safe!

2008-04-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

Maya's just getting to the age where she will complain if another little boy or girl takes away something that she is playing with. It's the beginning of that long, long educational road to "plays well with others."

Luckily there are even etiquette books for things like playing at the playground. Please Play Safe!: Penguin's Guide to Playground Safety, by Margery Cuyler and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand, is a guide for children learning the subtle nuances of taking turns and being gentle.

Penguin covers a lot of ground, from how to exit a seesaw, to wearing a helmet when you ride a scooter.

I'm not sure about the format of the lessons. They go like this:

"When Rhino plays in the sandbox with his friend, he should kick sand in his face. KICK! KICK! Is that right?" Turn the page. "No, that's wrong. When Rhino plays in the sandbox, he should ask his friend to help him dig. SCOOP! SCOOP!"

Some of you with older children could probably comment about whether it's a good idea to list the undesired behavior first and the desired behavior second. Nonetheless, try this book out if you're looking for some help with this rite of passage for most youngsters.

Toolbox Twins

2008-04-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

Though it's been chilly and occasionally rainy this week, the weather outside today is lovely. Patty and I have been introducing Maya to the backyard. She loves playing with the plants (we hope they'll survive), digging in the mud, and putting twigs and other inappropriate things in her mouth. We have dozens of little projects in mind and are anxious to get them started.

Lola M. Schaefer's Toolbox Twins, illustrated by Melissa Iwai, is a great father-son book. Vincent and his dad each have a toolbox. They use the tools inside to perform all kinds of minor household repairs. Listen to the rhyming. "With levels and awls, they measure and mark...frames on walls, shelves in halls."

The soft, colorful illustrations depict the two handymen using their tools sometimes side by side, sometimes together. It's a nice story. When Maya wakes up from her nap, maybe I'll go open the toolbox and we'll fix something.

Old MacDonald had a Woodshop

2008-04-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

Here's another one of those books that changes up a familiar children's song in a fun way. Old MacDonald had a Woodshop, by Lisa Shulman and illustrated by Ashley Wolff, sets several animals to work in a tiny shop.

Old MacDonald does the sawing. "With a zztt zztt her and a zztt zztt there...." The goat uses a hammer. "With a tap tap here and a tap OUCH! there...." And so on (Don't miss that ouch.)

I love when I get to sing a book instead of reading it. Maya does, too. Another book with this many pages and this much text would be too long for her, but we read this one quite a bit (I have to sing pretty fast to get to the end, though).

At the end of the book, guess what these industrious little critters have created.

Early Literacy Tip of the Day

I was reading a study recently about reading with children, and the routine that's created by the way we do it. The researchers observed several mothers reading to their sons, and how they responded to the boys' interest in the activity. After a few months they noticed that the boys who were coerced to sit still for the reading in a negative manner or were read the book straight through with no interaction developed or maintained an aversion to book sharing. Boys who were allowed to roam, flip back and forth in the book, or interacted with their mothers during the reading tended to develop more of an affinity for book sharing.

I had a few problems with the approach the researchers took and some connections they made without considering age and general activity level, but I did learn something from this. I struggle with allowing Maya to hurry through a book or turn the pages the wrong way. I of course want to read the whole thing. But I have to remember that it's the quality of the experience that will lead to Print Motivation (or the love of books) and more reading in the future.

There's a wonderful video on the Hennepin County Library website of a grandfather, I think, reading to a little boy who hops off his lap to go look at something else in the room. The grandfather continues to read and talk with the boy about the book. And the boy comes back, goes away, and comes back again. It's very inspiring.

http://www.hclib.org/BirthTo6/readtome/index.cfm

Ollie

2008-04-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

If you've been following the series of tiny books by Olivier Dunrea, first there was Gossie. Then there was Gertie. They learned to be friends and share.

In Ollie, we're introduced to a new friend. Ollie spends most of this book as an egg. Gossie and Gertie are waiting impatiently for their new friend to appear. But Ollie is defiant. He doesn't want to come out.

Instead he rolls around in the hay, across the yard, and under the sheep. "I won't come out!" he says from inside the egg.

Gossie and Gertie try a little reverse psychology. And it works. "I'm out!" says Ollie.

These are quick little reads for very young children. And the ducks are as adorable as they've ever been stomping about in their little red and blue boots.

If You're Happy and You Know It

2008-04-25T10:32:00.000-07:00

You know this song. It's one of my favorite children's songs. It's fun, and it's very adaptable. You can change the adjective (to 'sleepy' for example) and/or the actions ('give a yawn') to make any song you want.

Jan Ormerod has a great adaptation in If You're Happy and You Know It!, illustrated by Lindsey Gardiner. It begins with a little girl singing the familiar refrain. But wait! What if you don't have arms? A puppy doesn't have arms. So the puppy sings, "If you're happy and you know it, wave your tail-swirl, twirl!"

The elephant breaks in to suggest flapping your ears. The gorilla beats his chest. The kangaroo jumps and bumps "boing boing". The theme at the end is to do your own thing to show how happy you are.

I think you can imagine how fun this book will be for a musical time. I've been thinking about music times at home since I watched Dan Zanes' video on YouTube for "All Around the Kitchen". Check it out when you have a free moment.

How to be a Good Dog

2008-04-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

Yet another manners books for small children, How to be a Good Dog, by Gail Page, may or may not inspire your little ones to exhibit good behavior.

Bobo the dog tries hard to be a good dog for Mrs. Birdhead. But it's hard, especially when there's food involved. When he slips up, it's out to the doghouse. He misses his owner, and he misses Cat.

Oddly, Cat misses Bobo, too. Cat finds a book and tries to teach Bobo some good manners and even a few tricks. Lying down is the easiest.

When Mrs. Birdhead returns, Cat hopes for the best. Alas, she's carrying groceries. Cat quickly diverts her attention by running Bobo through his new tricks. Mrs. Birdhead is impressed, and Bobo stays for a long, long time.

Interestingly, Bobo's version of 'shake' is to do the twist with a towel. A friend of ours taught her Border Collie, when someone asks if she can shake, to wiggle back and forth.

All for Pie Pie for All

2008-04-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

Remember that great Christmas book, Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree? Here's a book for year-round with a similar theme.

In All for Pie Pie for All, by David Martin and illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev, Grandma Cat makes an apple pie. She and her four other family members each have a piece, leaving one. Then they go for a nap.

The mouse family shares that piece and leave six crumbs. Then they also take naps. Five members of the ant family each have a crumb, and when Baby Ant wakes up she has the last.

Should Grandma Cat make another pie? Everyone, cat, mouse, and ant alike, thinks that is a fine idea. And everyone lends a hand. The book ends with a touching illustration of cats, mice, and ants sharing a table.

A Red Wagon Year

2008-04-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

Maya doesn't have a little red wagon yet, but Patty did put together our wheelbarrow this weekend. And we know how much depends upon that.

A Red Wagon Year, by Kathi Appelt and illustrated by Laura McGee Kvasnosky, looks at the useful life of wagons month by month. In January "It's a table for the winter birds." In May "A cart for blossoms, pink and blue." And in December "...a reindeer's merry sleigh."

Colorful illustrations illustrate each month. A border around each page has the name of the month and a symbol of that time of year (For example, sea creatures in June and apples in September).

A great book for when your children are learning the months of the year. Don't forget to emphasize when everyone's birthday is.

I wanted to tell you about another novel for older kids I read recently. The Wednesday Wars, by Gary D. Schmidt, received a Newbery Honor this year, and I feel it's well deserved. Holling Hoodhood (great character name) is the only seventh-grader who doesn't leave school early for a church function because he's the only Presbyterian.

His teacher, Mrs. Baker, is obviously annoyed by this. His parents and sister are no help. Mrs. Baker takes her frustrations out on Holling, first by making him clean all of the teachers' erasers, then by getting him in trouble with his friends, then by bringing out the worst anthology she possibly could.

Eventually Holling begins to find inspiration in Mrs. Baker's curriculum choices for him, and he learns what it means to become a man.

I love books that pair two unlikely themes. In this book the themes are Shakespeare and the Vietnam War. I learned a bit about Shakespeare and quite a bit about life at that time. As Holling is in seventh grade, I recommend this book for older grade-school students (or for their parents if they merely want to read a great book).

Book!

2008-04-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure that Maya understands yet when she gets a new book. There a quite a few books around the house, and library books come in and go out all of the time. But one thing I know she likes to do is choose books. Check out Maya perusing the big kid books at home.

And here she is picking out books at the library.

And maybe you're saying she's just taking them out. But check out her technique in this video.

The little boy in Book!, by Kristine O'Connell George and illustrated by Maggie Smith, is definitely excited about his new book. He can turn the pages and put it on the shelf (upside down of course). He reads it to the baby and the cat. He can read it anywhere, on his mommy's lap, under a table, upside down, or on his head. And of course he takes it to bed.

Considering the popularity of books about people who love books like Anne Fadiman, this may be a good introduction to bibliophilia for your little one.

The Jazz Fly

2008-04-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

So here's a little inside information about libraries. Every so often we need to weed our collection. This is a very difficult job, because who wants to take books off the shelf? But it has to be done. There are many things a librarian considers when deciding which books need to move on (By the way, libraries very seldom throw away books, so rest easy. Ours are either sold to raise money for the library or are donated to worthy projects.), but the most common factor is when was the last time the book was checked out. So if you want to see your favorite books always stay on the shelves, all you have to do is check it out and get your friends to do the same.

I thought to mention this because The Jazz Fly, by Matthew Gollub and illustrated by Karen Hanke, was on the chopping block, but was saved because someone checked it out recently. Which is a good thing in my opinion, because it's a wonderful and fun introduction to jazz music.

A fly cannot find his way to the jazz club. He asks some other animals for directions, but the fly only speaks jazz, and the other animals speak their own language. Finally the dog points with his nose.

At the club the band (with the fly on drums, Willie the Worm on bass, Nancy the Gnat on sax, and Sammy the Centipede on piano) must come up with a new, innovative sound or they will lose their gig.

The fly remembers the languages he heard (ribbit, oink, hee-haw, and ruff) and incorporates them into the music. It's a hit, and the new animal friends attend every show from then on.

An accompanying CD contains a musical version of the story. It's a jazz number performed by the author. He scats for the voice of the fly, and many of the jazzy words in the text are interpreted as musical instruments.

It's a bit fast, so your children may only learn the scatting parts, but that alone will endear them to the story and give them an early appreciation for the sounds of jazz music.

Hello Hello

2008-04-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

Maya loves those guitar players. And her favorite of all is Dan Zanes, formerly of the Del Fuegos. Don't let the crazy hair put you off. He makes wonderful CDs that children and adults can enjoy. They're funny and catchy, but not corny. He uses original songs and traditional numbers that parents can really appreciate. On his website he says when his first daughter was little he decided to make the children's CDs he wished he could find.

Hello Hello is a book and CD. The book, illustrated by Donald Saaf, is a picture book version of the title song. The CD has that number plus four others. The music and lyrics to all five songs are toward the back of the book. The illustrator is also a musician who sings and plays banjo and mandolin on this and other Dan Zanes CDs.

Did you catch that? Banjo and mandolin on a children's CD. Also accordion, guitar, and upright bass. How does all of that sound to you? To me it sounds like music Maya and I both can appreciate.

Philadelphia Chickens

2008-04-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

So due to my little trip this weekend, we've got four books to read and review. Our theme, because Maya is showing more and more of an appreciation for it, is 'music'. When we weren't outside in the beautiful weather, we read (and listened to) several books with music as their theme.

Awhile back Carrie mentioned Philadelphia Chickens, by Sandra Boynton, which we gave to Kai when he was born, though she won't admit it. It's one of our favorite gifts to give.

Philadelphia Chickens contains the words and music to several of Boynton's most charming and hilarious numbers. The order of the songs is very considerate. They start with random silliness but lead your children to bedtime. So you can put it on as you start your bedtime routine, and by the time you get to Pajama Time, your children will already be appropriately dressed. They "pajammy to the left, pajammy to the right" for awhile, then finish off with a lullabye and some instrumental music.

The first half of the book has lyrics and illustrations, so it may be used as a book. The second half has the music, if you're inclined to learn to play the songs on an instrument of your choosing.

And the music. It's clever, and you'll be tickled by some of the stars you get to hear sing. Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Natasha Richardson, the Bacon Brothers, and even Scott Bakula for those of you who miss hearing him croon on Quantum Leap.

The cover claims that Philadelphia Chickens is for "all ages, except 43." If you're 43, I'm not sure what is wrong with you, but just wait a few months then you can enjoy these wonderful songs with the rest of us.

Where's My Mom?

2008-04-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I helped out at the Read-a-Thon at the state capitol. Representatives took turns reading to preschool groups, while the library and several other organizations had activity tables. I have to admit that some of those congress members had some reading skills. They asked questions and even made a few animal noises.

Where's My Mom?, by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, is a good book for conversation. If your child were to be separated from you and had to describe you to someone who was helping them look for you, what would they say?

A lost little monkey tries to do just that for a well-meaning butterfly. When the monkey says his mother is bigger than him, the butterfly brings him to an elephant. No, no. When the little monkey says his mother's tail coils around a tree, the butterfly brings him to a snake. On and on until we actually see the elephant again.

Finally the monkey says his mother looks like him, only bigger. The butterfly hadn't figured this since his babies don't look like him. They're caterpillars.

Can you believe the butterfly gets it wrong again, but everyone is reunited in the end. You'll have to see why.

This is a good discussion starter. Pair this book with a picture book of animals and ask what the different animals have in common. This would also be a good opportunity to talk about what to do when you're lost.

The 108th Sheep

2008-04-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

According to the little counter, we're on the 108th book (Looks like we actually did an extra one in January. Maybe I'll take 4th of July off.) In honor of this I read to Maya a beautiful book I saw last year, The 108th Sheep, by Ayano Imai.

This is Imai's first children's book, but I hope she continues. She studied Japanese painting which is a favorite of mine, and while the illustrations here are not the popular brush paintings, the gentle touch and sparse beauty come through in the pencil and watercolor images.

Emma is having trouble going to sleep. After trying a couple of other methods, she decides to count sheep. She is surprised to still be awake when she reaches 100. After 107 she hears a thump, feels a shake, but no sheep.

Emma peers around the headboard to find that the 108th sheep cannot jump high enough to get over the bed. She and the other sheep try to help with sheep towers, stilts, and a trampoline. Finally Emma knows what to do. She cuts a hole in the headboard. Success. Girl and sheep fall fast asleep. What do you think Emma finds in the morning?

It's a precious tale, told and drawn with care. The pages of the book are thick and textured giving The 108th Sheep a very cozy feel. Highly recommended.

Raisin and Grape

2008-04-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

Raisin and Grape, by Tom Amico and James Proimos and illustrated by Andy Snair, is a quirky ode to grandfathers. See, Grandpa is a raisin and grandson is a grape. You know, because raisins are wrinkly. I hope that doesn't qualify as ageism.

But Grape is completely enamored with Raisin. When he grows up he wants to be just like Raisin (except he also wants to be king). There are quite a few plays on words as the tale goes through a typical day out with grandpa. They go to the park where Raisin watches out for Grape and teaches him about life and character.

On my favorite page, Grape gets to be the hero. When Raisin is trapped by a jabbering prune, Grape tells him he has to go home and take a nap. Raisin whispers, "You saved me again."

So read this one to your kids, knowing that they'll probably blurt out something embarrassing about wrinkles the next time you're with your folks.

The Seals on the Bus

2008-04-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

One thing I still have to remind myself about storytime is that children love repetition. They love hearing stories they know and singing songs they know all the words to. It's comfortable and it's healthy. However, I think it's great to take a familiar song and change it up a bit, and kids seem to like it too.

Lenny Hort does just that in The Seals on the Bus, illustrated by G. Brian Karas. A family takes a ride on a bus that quickly fills up with animals. And the story is told in song.

The seals on the bus go
ERRP, ERRP, ERRP,
ERRP, ERRP, ERRP,
ERRP, ERRP, ERRP.
The seals on the bus go
ERRP, ERRP, ERRP,
All around the town.

The family holds on as long as they can, even when "The vipers on the bus go HISS, HISS, HISS." But when "The skunks on the buss go SSSSS, SSSSS, SSSSS," they have to get off. Only the parents really seem to mind.

Imagine the fun you will have with this book. Add more animals until the cows come home (that was a hint.)

Here's a funny little ditty I learned recently that's along the same lines. Now whenever I'm getting on the bus I'm singing this in my head.

A hip, a hip, a hippopotamus
Got on, got on, got on the city bus.
The people, people, people on the bus
Said, "Ow, you're squishing us."

A Good Day

2008-04-14T18:23:00.000-07:00

Kevin Henkes has been around a long time and produced some wonderful books. He's even had a few for older kids that I've enjoyed. Last year's A Good Day is a very simple book for the youngest of readers, though it's not a board book.

There a three sections to A Good Day. In the first, four young animals are having a bad day. Little yellow bird has lost a tail feather, little white dog's leash is tangled, etc. However, things turn around. Little orange fox finds his mother, little brown squirrel finds a large nut, etc.

Lastly, as a bonus, a little girl is happy to find a yellow feather. I would like to have seen all four animals represented in the last part, but perhaps that would have been a bit contrived.

The art hearkens back to classic children's books from the thirties and forties, just with more color than those typically used. It's quite homey. You may not care for the shortness of the text, but try it out and judge for yourself.

When Cats Go Wrong

2008-04-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder why people keep cats as pets? I mean all cat-owners like to talk about is how poorly-behaved they are. We were no exception when last we owned a cat. Every book written about cats seems to focus on the trouble they cause. Perhaps it's because we find it so funny.

When Cats Go Wrong, by Norm Hacking and illustrated by Cynthia Nugent, is a musical book about a boy who cannot leave his naughty kitty home alone for a moment. Every time he returns to the house he finds evidence of mischeif.

Everything's in disarray,
It makes me grump and mutter.
There's cat hair on the tablecloth
And tongue marks on the butter.

The boy sings a sad song about all the stress in his life due to his frisky feline. He plays an accordian and bellows out the refrain.

Life with a naughty kitty
Isn't very pretty.
So I sing this mournful song
About when cats go wrong.

You can imagine how the music sounds. But you really don't have to imagine. There is an accompanying CD with the author playing and singing the song for you. The music is a tango, and the artwork is (Hacking tells you so) patterned after posters made by the French artist Lautrec. Pretty classy, but pretty funny.

Big kid books I'm reading

And speaking of funny, I just finished a children's novel called Alcatraz Vs. the Evil Librarians, by Brandon Sanderson. I've told you how librarians love to read books about themselves. Even if the librarians are the evil overlords ruling the world? Even better.

Maybe some of the jokes are funnier to a person working in a library, but I think all Hushlanders (that's you) will find this funny. Get it, HUSHlanders?

Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?

2008-04-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

Today I came home from work to find Maya clad in the darkest of blues and greens. She of course, as she often does, looked like a boy. Now remember, I was at work, so Patty dressed her that way. But I have been known to do the same.

The weather was in fairness miserable today, so one of the pretty spring dresses she got for her birthday would have been grossly inappropriate. We're not trying to make Maya a tomboy. I'm just not that fond of white, and Patty's not that fond of pink.

The little girl in Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?, by Carmela LaVigna Coyle and illustrated by Mike Gordon, wants so badly to be like a princess, wearing a flowery crown throughout. However, she has some decidedly not-so-dainty hobbies.

She seeks affirmation from her mother, asking, "Do princesses wear hiking boots?" The answer: "When they wish to take the scenic routes." Do they climb trees? "Is there a better way to catch the breeze?" I have a feeling mom is a bit of a tomboy herself.

Our little princess sums it up, "Mommy, do princesses seem at all like me?"

"Look inside yourself and see..." For the little princesses reading this book there is a mirror on the final page to gaze upon your regal self. "A princess is a place in your heart."

So whether Maya wears sparkling slippers or Doc Martins, she's going to be our little princess.

That makes me king, right?

My Chair

2008-04-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of months back some librarians on a discussion list I read were talking about how to help kids develop a sense of imagination and creativity in this age of prepackaged entertainment. My Chair, by Betsy James and illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma, takes a very ordinary everyday object and shows how children's imaginations can transform it into any number of things.

Children begin to gather various chairs together on the lawn. Through their play, the chairs become so many marvelous things. A plastic chair is the seat atop an elephant, a tire swing is a trapeze, and a cushy plush chair is a little-brother-eating monster.

Chairs can be very different. "My chair rocks. My chair rolls." The latter is a wheelchair, which is described as being "like glasses-I put it on in the morning. I wear my chair to zoom like a roller skater, dance like a bear."

Chairs are covered and piled up to become a fort or forest, a ship or cage. The space underneath a chair is a place of safety or privacy.

Finally all of the children and their parents are gathered (with their chairs) to welcome the newest arrival, who of course has a special baby chair.

My Chair is an interesting and thoughtful book about a seemingly mundane topic. But as many of the librarians mentioned above pointed out, it's when children use those everyday objects to create their fun that they are using their imaginations to the fullest potential.

Hush Little Digger

2008-04-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

I've seen at least three new books based on the lullaby, Hush Little Baby. I think it's quite difficult to create a new piece of work when you're tied to an existing poem or song. It's probably easier to adapt the song to suit your purposes.

Hush Little Digger, by Ellen Olson-Brown and illustrated by Lee White, takes that route and does it cleverly. The father is singing to the boy in his sandbox, and all the gifts are work vehicles, such as a front-end loader, a paver, and a street sweeper.

Some of the attempts to rhyme with the names of various machines create unwieldy sentences that push the limits of the meter, but after a couple of readings, you'll know when to speed up a bit. Here's a couple of the better stanzas:

And if that backhoe has a bad motor,
Papa's gonna find you a front-end loader.

And if that loader runs into bad luck,
Papa's gonna find you a big dump truck.

The final line is similar to the original ("You'll still be the best little digger around.") and finds the boy and his father back in the sand box with his shovel and toy backhoe.

A good book for boys and girls alike.

Shark in the Park

2008-04-08T19:38:00.000-07:00

There's a great book by Seymour Simon called Animals Nobody Loves. I'm pretty sure there's a shark in there. Sharks are ugly, mean, and scary. But like those other animals, we just can't get enough of them. I've got another great book to share, then I'll teach you a great song about sharks.

The second book in our 'shark' Special Double Issue (see below) is Shark in the Park, by Nick Sharratt. Timothy Pope is trying out his new telescope down at the park. As he looks all around, he spies what looks like a pointy fin. He yells (and so should you), "THERE'S A SHARK IN THE PARK!"

Indeed, through a hole in the page you can see a fin also. But turn the page, and it's really the pointy ear of a black kitten. Later it's a crow's wing, and lastly Timothy's father's hair.

Timothy decides that there are no sharks in the park today (Ah, but look in the pond).

The text is a rhyming, sing-songy one. In funny books like this, especially one with clever die-cut pages and a popular theme, the text often falls flat. Not here. The rhythm is playful and stays true. I highly recommend this one.

So here's the shark song. I've heard many versions, but here is the one I like best.

Shark Attack
(Sing each verse twice)

Baby shark (make a mouth with your thumb and forefinger)
Da-daa da-da-da-da

Mama shark (cup two hands together)
Da-daa da-da-da-da

Papa shark (elbows together)
Da-daa da-da-da-da

Grampa shark (curl fingers in to make dentures)
Da-daa da-da-da-da

Gramma shark (kissing noise)
*smooch* *smooch* *smooch* *smooch* *smooch* *smooch*

Crazy shark (flail arms wildly between bites)
Da-daa da-da-da-da

Stupid shark (smack forehead with top hand)
Da-daa da-da-da-da

Disco shark (think John Travolta)
Da-daa da-da-da-da

People swimming (make swimming motion with arms)
Da-daa da-da-da-da

Sharks a-creeping (whisper, making sneaking motions)
Da-daa da-da-da-da

Swimming faster (sing faster)
Da-daa da-da-da-da

Lost an arm (one arm behind back)
Da-daa da-da-da-da

Lost a leg (hop on one leg)
Da-daa da-da-da-da

See the light (make a circle in front of your eyes)
Da-daa da-da-da-da

Gone to heaven (make halo over your head)
Da-daa da-da-da-da

SHARK ATTACK!!!!

Don't Eat the Teacher!

2008-04-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

All right, I finally got a hold of one of my favorite books today to go with this one. They're both about sharks, so that's our Special Double Issue theme.

Don't Eat the Teacher, by Nick Ward, is about Sammy the shark who gets a little too excited and bites without thinking (Sound like any kids you know?) . Sammy is going to his first day of school, but unfortunately he doesn't even get in the door before he chomps one of his new friends during a game of tag (he hiccups, and the friend pops out).

Storytime, painting, and music all lead to tragic results. As Sammy dances to the piano music, imagining himself as a terrible storm, he gets really excited and, well, you can see the title. Hopefully your kids aren't bothered by the fact that the teacher doesn't reappear (I usually brush over that part pretty quickly).

There are repeated lines that are fun for kids to say along. Of course, with each 'accident', they get to holler out a big "CRUNCH!" And afterwards everyone says, "Oh Sammy, don't eat the table."

It's a fun book, and I read today that fun is a really good thing....

Early Literacy Tip of the Day

Some Educational Psychologists found in their research that "parents who believe that reading is a source of entertainment have children with a more positive view about reading than do parents who emphasize the skills aspect of reading development."

I was thinking about this a bit today. You know there is a lot of pressure, both internal and external, on parents to raise their children in the best possible way. I want to be careful that I'm not adding to that pressure by talking about early literacy development and sharing tips.

The most important thing really is to just enjoy some time together with your child exploring books together. The first rule is to have fun.

How To Be

2008-04-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

The librarians and educators on an online discussion list I participate in were recently discussing the resurgence of character books. You know those books boys and girls are supposed to read to teach them how they should act, like manners and etiquette books.

How to Be, by Lisa Brown, is a lighter sort of character book. The author encourages children to learn from the animal kingdom. Each four-page sequence describes and illustrates traits found in a different animal, some humorous and one inspirational. For example, "How to be a dog."

Fetch.
Beg for food.
Lick someone.
Be friendly.

The last section says that to be a person, you must show those animals' traits. You must be charming like the snake, creative like the spider, and patient like the turtle. But most of all, be yourself.

The illustrations are ink drawings with sparse color in which a brother and sister demonstrate the traits. Each animal has its own color. Purple represents the spider, yellow represents the turtle, etc. Some of the pictures are pretty humorous, like the sister looking disgusted as her brother licks her arm.

It's a good discussion starter for you and your youngster, and it presents a great deal of vocabulary that doesn't necessarily come up in everyday conversation.

Early Literacy Tip of the Day

Patty is reading Jim Trelease's Read Aloud Handbook. In it he talks about rare words. These are the words that are not already in a child's lexicon. While talking to your kids is important for many reasons, most of our everyday conversation is plain and simple. For every thousand words we speak, we tend to use only 9-12 rare words with children.

What about television? Children will likely be exposed to about 22 rare words per thousand. A simple children's book gives them about 31 rare words per thousand. Nine extra words doesn't seem like much, but over the course of the five or six years leading up to kindergarten, a child who is read to will experience a lot more vocabulary than a child who only watches TV.

As the writing gets more sophisticated, the number of rare words goes up. Though I don't know if you want to read a newspaper to your toddler, let alone a scientific paper, which has the most. Kati, maybe you could have Addy proofread yours before you submit them.

I mentioned before that we don't have a television. That doesn't mean that we are purists, and that Maya will never watch it. I'm sure she'll see plenty of TV (Packer games, if nothing else) before long. There is a lot of great programming your kids can see, but if someone tells you that a Baby Einstein DVD (have you heard they found out they're really no better than any other kids videos) is as good as a book, remember what you read above.

Boom Boom Beep Beep Roar!

2008-04-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

We've discussed before how making different sounds can actually help infants eventually distinguish words. I can't imagine this is restricted to animal sounds. Babies hear all kinds of sounds throughout their day, and they are all important.

Boom Boom Beep Beep Roar!, by David Diehl, is a board book of pictures and sounds. There is real variety here. The hammer goes Bang Bang, the kitten says Purrr, and the motorcycle says Vroom Vroom. Finally all of this noise wakes the baby, who says Waah.

A good, simple book to share with your baby or toddler. Eventually they can make all of the sounds with you. Be sure when you see one of these things in real life, you point out the sounds they make.

Big kid books I'm reading

I've been reading some very good children's novels lately, and it occurred to me that some of you might be interested in some good books for older kids. I just finished Elijah of Buxton, by Christopher Paul Curtis. This is his third book to be honored by a Newbery committee. In the past The Watsons go to Birmingham also received an honor, and Bud Not Buddy won the medal. He's a wonderful writer with a great voice.

Elijah of Buxton places a fictional young man in a real place, a settlement of free-blacks in Canada near the Michigan border where runaway slaves could go for refuge. Elijah is the first free-born citizen in Buxton. He is sensitive, which troubles his parents, but he is also very resourceful.

Elijah becomes involved in a life-or-death situation attempting to help a friend free his family and has to steel up his courage to do something great. I highly recommend it, or any of Curtis' other books.

My Babies

2008-04-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

The second book in our 'hide and seek' Special Double Issue is My Babies, illustrated by Caroline Davis. Again no author. Apparently words just magically appear in some board books.

This is a different sort of lift-the-flap book. The pages are two-ply, with folder-like tabs to lift the top layer to reveal a picture underneath. It's not what Maya's used to, so it may take a few readings for her to know what to do.

The baby sees many animals and asks, "Who's hiding?" Behind each grown up animal is a baby animal. Lastly of course it's the baby who's hiding behind a blanket on Mommy's lap.

Hide and seek books may be contributing to Maya's new 'look-at-that' voice. A few weeks ago she found her question voice, where her babbles rise in pitch at the end. Now they crescendo in the middle, the way ours do when we tell her what's under the flap.