Two Old Potatoes

Two Old Potatoes and Me

Written by John Coy
Illustrated by:  Carolyn Fisher
 
What a sweet book! This is another of the books that flew into the library pile because it looked so interesting, and it is. I think we can all relate to the girl and her father in this book because, haven't you found a potato in your cupboard that began growing?  Oh, well I have!  The little girl immediately calls out GROSS and tosses the potatoes into the trash.  Her father rescues them, and together they plant these two old potatoes and watch them grow together into many more than two. Finally, father and daughter enjoy mashed potatoes together--and you can too since there is a recipe at the the end.  Extending the story in this way is a favorite of my children!  Yum!

I love that this book shows a sweet relationship between father and daughter working together for an end product.  The illustrations in this book are very different and quite colorful and fabulous, very fun to look at.  I hope come spring we find two old potatoes of our own.  I would love to give it a try.

Guess Again!

Guess Again

Written by: Mac Barnett
Illustrated by: Adam Rex

It's true, I am not a funny person.  My husband tells the jokes in the family.  Still, I love a humorous book, and perhaps for the very reason that I can't crack a joke on my own. I absolutely love laughing with my children!  This book, happily, does the job for my family.

This book is unlike any I have seen. On one page a black silhouette is shown and on the other a written paragraph, giving clues to just what that silhouette really is.  Well at first blush they seem pretty obvious until you realize they ARE NOT! Instead these clues and silhouettes are meant to make you chuckle, or giggle, or all out belly laugh, and trust me --they do!  Without giving away too much information, I want you to trust me, that if you like to laugh, you will want to enjoy this book with your children! Or, perhaps you could see Seven Impossible Things For Breakfast's take on it, which is much more thorough, eloquent, and probably...more humorous. :)

Reading Aloud!

It can't be Tuesday, can it? Well, I've been reading far too many books about making bread, getting babies to sleep, and how to get the dog to behave, and I haven't had a chance to write a review for that great children's picture book! Well, instead today I will direct you to an enjoyable post, by Esme Raji Codell, author of How to Get Your Child to Love Reading: For Ravenous and Reluctant Readers Alike. Haven't read this book? Well make sure you do! In the meantime, check out her fun post on encouraging your readers that think they no longer need you to read aloud to them! (This post is part of Share a Story Shape a Future.)

....Now how do I stop the kids from swiping the book and finishing it on their own? ;)

When Winter Comes (again!)

When Winter Comes
Written by Nancy Van Laan
Illustrated by Susan Gaber

Yesterday was spring, today it is winter again. Such it is this time of year! On especially snowy days, like today, I like to pull out the winter books and get reading. When Winter Comes is a snowy story and also one of the books I asked for and received for Christmas because I love it so!

In Nancy Van Laan's simple and sweet story a dear family goes out for a walk in the winter and on their way they discover what happens in nature during winter time. Starting with the leaves on the trees, and moving from small to big animals, and even fish, the author uses repetitive question for each item, "Where oh where do the ______ go when winter comes and the cold winds blow?"

Next of course you here the answer, in rhyming verse to boot. To wrap up the story, the little girl is the final creature, who rests in her bed on an winter evening. This book is simple, with basic concepts, similar to those in Time to Sleep , by Denise Fleming, which would be a great companion book!

The Black Book of Colors

The Black Book of Colors
Written by: Menena Cottin
Illustrated by: Rosana Faria


It is always a delight to see what books are chosen for The Beehive Book Award in Utah, naturally there are always gems to be found. My library keeps these books in a specific place, so they are always easy to find, otherwise, and unfortunately, I might miss them! The Black Book of Colors is one of these books, and it is indeed a gem.

This book has no colors, but black pictures on black pages, with descriptions of each color as well as raised pictures to touch. Make no mistake, my children needed no prodding to do this, and they enjoyed it. This is of course a beautiful opportunity for discussing blindness, and braille, and differences. So fascinating for people with sight to consider. Braille is included on each page, though my children and I did not notice it at first, because we were reading by lamplight, relying on our vision, and the braille is of course small raised and black on the black page. That it took us so long, that we are so used to our sight, is worth considering. Near the end of this book the entire braille alphabet can be found as well.

Although we have not tried it yet, I believe The Black Book of Colors encourages a worthwhile writing activity for your child to describe each color on his own. Do you think yellow is as soft as a chicks feathers, as the author does? The writing is great for teaching about adjectives, and is a good example for descriptions, which sometimes prove difficult for children, especially when they are coming up with their own. I am glad to experience this book, and I have a feeling we are not through with it yet! :) It is absolutely brilliant.

Bruna

Bruna
By: Anne Cottringer
Illustrated by: Gillian McClure

Bruna is a delightful read about a little girl who is cold, cold, cold. Traveling far and wide, eating hot curry and cinnamon candy, soaking up sun, she can't seem to get warm. Then one day her help is required to save a bear who is unable to swim, whose name turns out to be Ursa. In an effort to help Ursa dry off and get warm, Bruna is finally able to warm up herself. This book is a gentle read with beautiful and soothing watercolor illustrations in sea greens, golds, and coral pinks. There is a deeper meaning to be puzzled out, and it is a delight to help children discover it. Do you feel warm when you help someone else? When you are lonely, do you feel cold? Of course. This is a book from the library that my four year old daughter enjoys returning to--one that never gets old, and the comprehension grows with her age and my prodding. To see more pictures search inside this book at amazon. I love those colors!

The Hello, Goodbye Window

Written by: Norton Juster
Illustrated by Chris Raschka

Many fortunate children have fond memories of grandparents, like my children do. In our life grandparent's have a special way with our children and they are very important friends and teachers to them as well. In another favorite book, The Hello, Goodbye Window, a little girl's grandparents are just as special to her. This book is sweet and meaningful to parents, and children enjoy it too!

Junie B. Jones

Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook
Written by: Barbara Park
Illustrated by: Denise Brunkus

Goodness. Can I really write about the controversial series of Junie B. Jones? Well, today yes I can, because yesterday we laughed our socks off at Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook.

What is so controversial about this innocent young lady named Junie B. Jones? Shall I start with the good or the not so good? Let me start with the good, and keep it to what I think it good and then I will start with the not so good, and keep it to what I think is the not so good myself.

So good stuff first off --these books are hilarious! This Junie B. character is very funny, and author Barbara Park obviously has a knack for humor. She created her five-year-old character based on a "wild child" (in her words) from another book of hers, The Kid in The Red Jacket, which I have yet to read. Although Junie B. is a bit rambunctious, and definitely exaggerated, she is also just that sort of kid, and she also has a good heart. She reminds me of a kid or two I know, only she is just a little bit more overdone, making her a bit more funny in her bookish sort of way.

After reading a handful of Junie B. books aloud I think it is safe to say that most of the books in this series have a moral. The moral is most often one your children already know, but at the very least they will figure it out far before Junie B., and that inevitably makes them feel quite smart, and quite moral, which is a good thing! In Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook, Junie B. learns about the Lost and Found and that "finders keepers, losers weepers" is perhaps not such a good rule after all --especially when it involves your special fuzzy black mittens from Grandpa, but even when it involves a handy dandy pen that writes in four colors that you really wish you could keep!

Although Park's writing is exaggerated, the feelings are quite often on the mark with real children. I can remember thinking my school secretary was quite mean and nasty, even if I wasn't articulate enough to call her to myself "the grouchy typing lady" --that is precisely what I thought of her. Junie B. is a character who makes mistakes, like all children, but typically ends up realizing them and fixing them up. She gets in trouble at school, like some other wild children I know, and she talks a lot, kind of like the author did when she was young. If your child is not that kind of kid, you can bet she knows someone who is!

On to the not so good things about the Junie B. Jones series-- and well, that has to do with the language. Wait! Not that kind of language! I mean the grammar and word choices! Here's the dilemma, in my mind: Junie B. has some exceptional use of vocabulary, like using "attractive winter coat" rather than her cute or pretty or favorite coat, which is more likely to come out of a five-year-old's mouth. This vocabulary combined with the inability to use correct past tense and other standard fiver-year-old grammar seems a little unrealistic. Typically by five most kids use better grammar more of the time than Junie B., unless they are having some problems in the language area. If they are having some problems in the language area, they are very unlikely to use sophisticated descriptive terms (as cute as they are) like Junie B. does. What I think the author is going for, is to make this little character of hers realistic but also exaggerated, and both the unfortunate grammar and fancy terms play a part. It is an effective technique! It may not be realistic, but it seems to do the job. Children find this girl funny, and this improper language combined with many great descriptive terms adds to the humor.

What if your child has some grammar or language issues herself? Should you stay away from Junie B.? Well, that is a matter of opinion. I will tell you my opinion, which is somewhere in the midst of the trenches of motherhood with rusty speech language pathology skills floating around in my head. If my child was struggling with grammar this book wouldn't be my first pick. However, if my child was also a struggling reader and I was struggling to find something captivating, I absolutely would not be deterred from Junie B. This series has proven to be highly rated and enjoyed by children, which would override my concern about any ill effects towards my child's language usage. I think the humor and enjoyment would outweigh the possible detriment, especially if I were engaging in many quality language rich activites --like talking to my child with proper language myself and reading many other quality books aloud. Children do learn by listening, and they do tend to imitate what they read, so personal judgement and perhaps professional judgement should be used in each situation! For those children with typically developing language, I would not be concerned in the least that this would affect normal speech and language as they are likely to have acquired normal grammar by the time this book is read or read aloud to them, and the incorrectness will only add to what they find humorous. But they might even pick up some cute vocabulary, like attractive!

Finally, do I feel slightly guilty reading a beginner's chapter book aloud when these are so well-suited for reading independently? Well, not guilty enough. If I hesitate to turn the mixer on because I won't be able to hear my husband reading Junie B.'s ending remarks -- it is obvious this is a good read aloud choice! If my husband will come into the room and color with the younger child and encourage me to keep reading to the children please (because he gets a kick out of these books also) then this has become an entire family read aloud --and that is of value. But you can bet these same books, likely along with the rest of this beginning chapter book series will be read independently also at a later date. That is a good thing! Reading, but also enjoying, are worthy goals.

Next on the Junie B. agenda is Junie B. Jones Smells Something Fishy. My niece tells me this is her favorite. This niece reminds me an awful lot of Junie B. and my children and I can't wait to laugh all the way through it!

To hear more about the Junie B. debate, read this fun insightful article here.

Looking Closely Through the Forest

Looking Closely Through the Forest
By Frank Serafini

There are times when you are grateful for other people's mistakes, because they lead you places you otherwise might not have been. I am so glad someone misplaced this book! Clearly nonfiction, this book was erroneously placed in fiction picture books A section. Haphazardly they did this, but I am grateful!

Frank Serafini is apparently a talented person whose books range from his looking closely series to professional books about using reading workshop in the classroom. For some reason, that he is so knowledgeable about something as useful as reading workshop, and also created such a great nonfiction book with his own photographs, is intriguing. I would like to read more. Obviously he is talented!

Looking closely through the forest is a gem! All objects of the forest, you first see only a small orange-sized circle of the item surrounded by an otherwise black page. Your child and you get to guess before turning the page to see the whole picture revealed. Along with the entire gorgeous photograph revealed there are also a few paragraphs with interesting basic information about the object and its place in the forest. Did you know that the black marks on an Aspen tree are called beards and they mark where former branches once grew? My children were thrilled they could recognize the small circular view prior to viewing the entire picture of the aspen tree! They also now know it is called an aspen tree, not just the tree with the white bark.

I love this book for the thinking it creates, the interactions that can occur, and of course the broadening of knowledge. We can't wait to read Looking Closely Across the Desert!

Owl Moon

Owl Moon
Written by Jane Yolen
Illustrated by John Schoenherr

Have you ever been owling? Me neither, but this books makes me want too. The young boy in this book is out for his first owling with his Dad, and he is excited. He is quiet, he is patient and the moon is full. The situation and setting in this story call out for descriptive language and talented author Jane Yolen does not leave room for disappointment. My first grade teacher-mom uses this book to teach descriptive language to aid her student's writing. This is a quiet and fun little book with a happy boy, a dark night, and a big-eyed owl. Owl Moon is the winner of the Caldecott medal in 1988.

Bedtime for Frances

Bedtime for Frances
Written by Russell Hoban
Illustrated by Garth Williams

When I was a child I owned and enjoyed the classic story A Bargain for Frances. I love this story still, and so does my daughter. However, I didn't read Bedtime for Frances until I was all grown up. Oh how I love this story also! In this book Frances seems to want to go to bed, but there are many things she has forgotten about, requiring her to get up many times. Her parents are so patient, so practical and calm and yet so parentally easy to relate too, it is delightful (even if like me you would have lost your patience sooner, and even if like me you don't believe in spanking)! What a sweet Daddy Frances has! Finally, with a little extra motivation Frances makes it to sleep. Who hasn't had a little Frances of their own up and up again from bedtime? As a parent this book is enjoyable. As a child, this book is enjoyable. A great combination! I came across this story first in The 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury: Picture Books and Stories to Read Aloud which is a very fun collection!

Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems

Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems
Written by: Kristine O'Connell George
Illustrated by: Kate Kiesler

I am fascinated with poems because I know there is magic in them. I love the brevity of many and the feeling in so few well chosen words. I know that they are good for children, even if I can't articulate why without passing on reasons given by someone else. Poems are mysteriously good things to me in their short but true breath of meaning. (I do like the short ones best)!

Introducing poetry to children can be fun when a theme is involved, especially if it revolves around their interests, or better yet your combined interests. This book of camping poems is a fun mix of thinking and lighthearted poems, poems about marshmallows and sleeping bags, owls and caves, and many other camping situations. Although these couple dozen poems are probably best for the slightly older child, I can see the illustrations and rhythm pleasing younger ones.Enjoy a fun and different collection of poems meant of course, especially for you campers! Check it out!

Jody's Beans
Written by Malachy Doyle
Illustrated by Judith Allibone

The magic of seeds is magnificent, and it's always fun to show a child the magic for the first time. Or the second. Or the third. I revel in the magic of sprouting seeds still. In Jody's Beans a sweet Grandpa take the opportunity to share this magic with his granddaughter in a project that's just between the two. Judging from the illustrations, Jody comes from a home alive with many plants and gardens, but this project, being her own, provides a different kind of wonder. With a hard-to-notice background story going on, this book is one to read and reread again. Even better, it invites a gardening project for you and your children. If you don't garden, this book is still worth the read, because the magic of a seed is magic for everyone!

The Gardener

The Gardener
Written by Sarah Stewart
Illustrated by David Small

Over and over I hear of so many people affected by the current economic state. It seems one thing leads to another and the effects keep rolling until in some way or another, I think it's affected us all. This is not the first time the world has felt a pinch however. In The Gardener, by Sarah Stewart, the story unfolds in another era of troubled times. Sent away to her Uncle's bakery, Lydia will dearly miss her country garden. Not to be deterred, she receives seeds by mail and creates a city garden of warmth and wonder. Flowers of course, are not the only things to grow in this story.

I love a children's book with flowers inside, it's true. This is a standout one, with pictures to delve in, and warmth in abundance. It's also another reminder that all individuals can make a difference. Someday, I will own this one!

Pumpkin Pumpkin
Written and illustrated by Jeanne Titherington

It's gardening time! Along with gardening time come gardening books, and although we like to read them all year round, they are especially fun when the growing begins. Pumpkin Pumpkin is a simple favorite I have enjoyed with all of my children.

Pumpkin Pumpkin is short and sweet, and yet to the point too. Through these few sentences there is no doubt what happens with the pumpkin seed through the stages, all the way the carved jackolantern, and the saving of the seeds. The illustrations in this book are muted and delightful, adding a lot to the sweetness of the story. I have always used this book as a read aloud, but it would be great for a beginning reader, as it has much repetition in its short simple sentences. Happy reading, and to those who enjoy it, happy gardening!

A Necklace of Raindrops: and Other Stories
Written by Joan Aiken
Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

During a visit with my grandmother recently I had the chance to view her elves once again. These are cute and quaint little creatures in limber elvish poses, bright clothing and hats, and mischievous faces. When my grandmother got married in the 1950s, these elves were all the rage and she received them for wedding gifts! She keeps her elves on shelves, and her elves on shelves remind me so much of the elves on shelves in one of my all time favorite books: A Necklace of Raindrops, by Joan Aiken.

A Necklace Of Raindrops is a collection of children's stories so original, I have yet to meet its equal in many ways. (Even if I have many books to read yet!) Aiken has such a sense of magic and whimsy she shares in this book that many children and myself enjoy. These stories are so fanciful and imaginative they bring out the sparkle that is sometimes lacking in everyday life. What child would not love to awaken to find the elves from their books on their very own shelves, to find the mat made for a cat was really a wishing mat? What child would not love to live in the clouds and eat all the apples they wanted that rolled into the sky with the wind? Well, perhaps some children would not. But as for me and mine, we appreciate the sparkle in these stories, and the hope and refreshment it provides. In this newer version Kevin Hawkes adds illustrations that just fit the nature of the stories, and there are just enough.

It is wonderful to have a book to pull out with individual stories that can be read at any time on a whim. That is the magic of a collection of stories in one. This book may not be to everyone's taste, but if you and yours prefer a little magic, a little fanciful fun, I recommend this collection highly!

Spuds

Spuds
Written by Karen Hess
Illustrated by Wendy Watson

I admit it. I am partial to books that create conversation because really this is half the fun of a really good read aloud session. Spuds invites much discussion. The first time I read this book with my children there were many questions and explanations about vocabulary and life situations. How can I not love a book that teaches a great word like "spud" which was previously unknown? I am also partial to books that show my children just how good they really do have it. This story has the ability to remind us of this.

The mother in this story is tired and overworked. The children are typical, except they are also a little more hungry. One night while mom is working the night shift they decide to pluck a few spuds from a neighboring field, their mouths fairly watering at the prospect. They tirelessly work at it and when they arrive home they are in for a sorrowful surprise not only in their pickings, but their feelings. Mother sets them straight the next day, and luckily the farmer enjoys a little humor and shows appreciation for children.

The illustrations in this book are wonderfully done, interesting but simple, and done from great angles. My favorite element of these illustrations are the pure colors chosen --the blue sky is just such a blue that I just know it is fall. That is indeed the color of a blue fall sky and a yellow field with the sun tilted in such a way that it makes things golden. Amazing!

This book is loaded with rich vocabulary and lessons, making it perfect for a read-aloud where learning occurs on many levels. Once again this is a book that is really meant to be reread and rediscussed. After all, I can't let my kids continue to believe you really can eat and fry rocks! We'll read it again and they'll learn this and more along the way. Just they way I like it.

A Bad Case of Stripes

A Bad Case of Stripes
Written and illustrated by: David Shannon

A few days ago I asked my son if he would like a kiwi fruit packed in his school lunch.
"Yes," he replied. "I mean, No, no, no."
The way this spilled out from yes to no in such an abrupt fashion made me curious.
"Why not?" I asked him. I had a suspicion it wasn't just because he didn't feel like it. I was right.
"I don't want to hear everybody say 'I don't like kiwis' so many times."
"Have they even tried kiwis?" I asked, again suspicious.
"...I don't know"
"Well, I bet they haven't even tried one. You should ask them."
Of course I didn't pack the kiwi fruit, and I was left a little sad. I know we are all influenced by those around us to one degree or another, for better or for worse, but at this moment I wondered why it had to be against something so nutritious! Suddenly I had a flash of inspiration and so I tried reminding my son about A Bad Case of Stripes. Camilla Cream likes something nutritious too. She likes lima beans. Who likes lima beans? Well --Camilla Cream does! In fact Camilla loves them. However, since she is always worrying about what other people think of her, she stops eating them altogether. Then something strange happens. Camilla wakes up with a bad case of stripes! Oh, and they are bright and colorful ones! The doctors are absolutely clueless and the kids at school, as well as everyone around her seem to be able to change the stripes based on what they say to Camilla. Soon, she is not just striped, but growing branches, and viruses, and she even has an unfortunate mishap with an environmental therapist, which leaves her looking an awful lot like her bedroom. Luckily for Camilla a cute little Grandma knows the remedy, and Camilla accepts it -- just in the nick of time. I tried briefing this story to my son, hinting at the similarites between his and Camilla Cream's stories, but he didn't quite remember the point of this story. It is obviously time to read this book again. Perhaps now it is just a little bit more pertinent in his little boy world.

This book is fun even without any discussion at all but just a surface story to read about the trouble this poor girl goes through. The illustrations are full and colorful, ready to be studied. But there is also as you can guess, a little bit more to this book. So then the question is, can this book aid in a little peer pressure problem? I still haven't packed a kiwi fruit, but I also haven't had a good sit down read and discussion with my son. I'll have to keep you posted.

The Magician's Nephew

Written by C.S. Lewis

My five and six year old boys and I just finished reading The Magician's Nephew for the first time, but I have a feeling it won't be our last. This book, written by C.S. Lewis, is nothing short of amazing to me! My children were captivated by the adventure in this tale and I was captivated by the author's well-written words, cleverness, humor, and layers of meaning. I so appreciate that Lewis knows a little about children, which you can see in his writing. This book was enjoyable from the first page to the last. Our family agrees its a keeper. Although Lewis wrote The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe before The Magician's Nephew, the latter tells the history and background for the first. We look forward to reading all the books in The Chronicles of Narnia together and I won't be surprised if they are all read again independently as well. My husband has commented that he doesn't remember seeing my boys quite this excited about any book in the past. These books are truly remarkable!

As our kids have started into school and gotten busier, quiet family times at our house have gotten a little more difficult to find. Having a good book and motivated readers and listeners helps this happen, and all the while I hope we are building memories, bonds, and a life-long love of reading. Reading aloud allows us to read above our children's personal reading level, continuing to build background knowledge and vocabulary, with the the reader there as a reference for the listener. A few chapter books my kids and I have enjoyed include: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,Charlotte's Web, and The Chocolate Touch. I would love some chapter book recommendation from you for my young crowd. I am always seeking them out (and wishing we could read them more frequently)! Happy reading!

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Written by Judith Viorst
Illustrated by Ray Cruz

Thank you to my good, talented, and wise friend ShaLisa for this guest post on what I consider a classic book. Enjoy!

This is a book that my mom, a counselor by profession and by heart, read to me throughout my younger years when I truly believed I was having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. It was a way for me to know my mom understood some of my feelings. Sometimes, she didn’t have to read the book, but would gently say something like, “Is today a day you wished you lived in Australia?” Then I knew that she knew and somehow, her knowing made things much better.

Now I am a mother. When my child seems to be having such a day, I find reading the book calms us both and puts a smile on our faces. The book reminds me of how things sometimes seem from the eyes of a child. (I also see now how a bad day for Alexander might have also meant a frustrating day for his mother.)

This book has been around for a long time. It is a book that my mom still reads often, this time to her junior high school students who, undeniably, have bad days. Oh, how a children’s literature can affect a person for good!

A note from Lindsay: I think I will have to adopt the sweet tradition of stopping and taking a minute to pull out this book when my children (or I!) have a bad day. I just love this idea!