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!

Mary Engelbreit's Nursery Tales: A Treasury of Children's Classics Written and illustrated by Mary Engelbreit

Recently I told my three year old daughter that we would be grinding wheat later that day. She asked, "Are we going to the miller's?"

"We are going to be the millers," I told her. My daughter chatted on about the Little Red Hen, and whether or not she would get some bread. The story of The Little Red Hen often comes in handy at my house when I need a little help with something tasty.
"Who will help me, asked the Little Red Hen?" I say. And usually, I have three willing little helpers.

Later that same day my children left their macaroni and cheese to take a walk, and let it cool down. Soon after I learned that I was Goldilocks, and I needed to run away down the window spout. (Clearly they have their own version of The Three Little Bears!)

There are some stories that seem timeless to me, and at my house The Little Red Hen and Goldilocks and The Three Bears are just such classics. Mary Engelbreit's Nursery Tales: A Treasury of Children's Classics is very nearly perfect! I was thrilled when my daughter received this delightful book as a Christmas gift. Engelbreit created this book for very young children, so the stories are simple and short while still complete and charming. Of course you would expect the illustrations to be wonderful, and since they are from Mary Engelbreit, they really are endearing. My one complaint is that the gingerbread man doesn't get eaten up! However, perhaps this ending suits some people even better. For a sweet treasury of timeless stories made simple --I recommend this book.

The Dragons Are Singing Tonight

The Dragons Are Singing Tonight
Written by: Jack Prelutsky
Illustrated by: Peter Sis

One of my sons and I really like picture book dragons. What's not to like about breathing fire? I have some favorite dragon books, like George the Dragon, and Herbert The Timid Dragon. I have run across some slightly odd dragon stories, like Hush, Little Dragon. (I had to read that book twice in a row I was so taken aback!) The Dragons Are Singing Tonight is different from the rest as it's a book of poems about dragons. I was thrilled to find this in my tiny rural library just down the road. This lovely little library appears to have about 10 poetry books, and this happens to be one of them, whichI think speaks well of the book. The poetry in The Dragons Are Singing Tonightis written by poetry man Jack Prelutsky himself. The illustrations by Peter Sis are very worthy, as you can see by the cover. I think you'll like this one whether you are a dragon-lover, poetry-lover, or neither!

Here's a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry

Similar to my venture for the perfect nursery rhyme book , I went on a venture for the perfect first poetry book. This wasn't the book I ended up with, but if it would have been around then, it would have been perfect! I'm not going to say I'm a poetry expert, or even that I've seen a huge number of early poetry books, but this book is different from what I have seen, and perfect for little ones.

Here's A Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry contains little poems for little people with little attention spans. Perfect. There is almost always only one or two poems per page. The words are large, making it easy to read, as well as making the words a visual feature for little eyes. The illustrations are large and simple, colorful, and of course adorable. You can tell that by looking at the cover, can't you?

Our local library has this book, and we have checked it out and enjoyed it more than once. All of my children enjoy it, and we all seem to have chosen our favorite poems. As much as I would love too, I don't buy all the books I love. But if I did, I would most certainly own this one. If I ever venture to find a first poetry collection again --and I might--this will be my first choice.

When do you go on your first poetry book expedition? Well, that depends on who you ask. My opinion is that you can't start poetry too early. I think the rhymes and illustrations in this book would easily please a baby if read in short intervals. Depending of course on temperament, and how accustomed to being read to a child is, I think this would also make a great one or two year-old birthday gift. I know my children would have loved it. Beyond that certainly the three to five year old set would enjoy it. It's wonderful to find books that grow with a child! Rhyming is an important literacy skill, and hearing rhymes over and over has got to be one of the most enjoyable ways to acquire it. Babies love rhyming, and so do young children. And when it's this well done --so do I.

I'm not the only one who appreciates this book. It is currently up for the Beehive Award for 2009!

To hear another book-lover succinctly discuss the importance of rhyme, and her perfect nursery rhyme book, click here.

Favorite Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose by Scott Gustafson

When I was a child I had a sweet nursery rhyme book given to me by my grandma. Although I'm sure I loved reading it, I especially remember spending time looking at the pictures. Looking back at it now, the pictures are still familiar, like old friends, and I remember which were my favorites.

I wanted a book for my daughter to love and remember also, and of course it required superior illustrations. After much searching I was pleased to find this book by Scott Gustafson, which I feel rivals the one from my childhood. Of all the available nursery rhyme books I have seen, I believe this one is far and above the best!

All of my children have been lovers of nursery rhymes, with or without good illustrations. There really is something to Mother Goose rhymes, which is probably why they are still around!

My 2 1/2 year old and I can get through this book all in one sitting, and neither one of us gets bored. My five and six year old still enjoy it, perhaps especially because of the excellent illustrations. The rhymes are classic, and the pictures are simply delicious!