Happy Women’s History Month, everyone! To celebrate, I’d like everyone to raise a glass or sippy cup as the case may be and toast all of the remarkable women who have contributed to the proud progress of our country. And what better way to celebrate that with this fabulous alphabet book, A is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women. By utilizing the alphabet as a springboard, this book catalogs the achievements and success of a bevy of groundbreaking women – from Abigail Adams to Sandra Day O’Connor to Emily Dickinson to Nellie Bly. It’s a treasure trove of information all brought to you by none other than Lynne Cheney. Yes, that Lynne Cheney (with whom I worked in my younger, more impressionable days) – and whether you like her (or her husband) or not is irrelevant in the presence of this wonderful little book. Robin Preiss Glasser provides much-appreciated whimsy and delight with her illustrations. Overall, a great book to check out this month to teach all of our little ones just how fabulous we gals can be.
Author Archives
Friday: Earrings!
Seems that every girl has a vivid memory of when they got their ears pierced. Mine was at Beadazzled at the mall with that earring-gun contraption that fueled my nightmares for months. My mother’s was at the hands of her uncle, a needle and a well-placed ice cube. (Ack!) No matter the situation, we all remember that fateful day and what it meant to us. For me, it meant long dangly earrings. Earrings with stars. Earrings with unicorns. Even earrings with (now, remember this was the 80’s) feathers. And for the months leading up to my fateful bejewelment, I thought about it constantly and what a rite of passage it was. Judith Viorst (of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day fame) has captured that sentiment perfectly in her book, Earrings! which tells the story of a little girl who will do ANYTHING if her parents would just agree to let her pierce her ears. And with deals like walking the dog and cleaning her room every day for a year, how could those parents resist? For anyone who has ever wanted something so badly they’re willing to even be nice to their little brother, this is the book for you…and a fun read if in fact you have a little one doing some earring wheelin’ and dealin’ right now…
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Thursday: Ira Sleeps Over
Last night at dinner, we were talking about my son’s impending slumber party and the excitement inherent in such an adventure. Pizza! Movies! Cake with store-bought frosting! And I remembered my own delight at the prospect of slumber parties growing up – playing “light as a feather stiff as a board”, my friend Damara’s mother reading Edgar Allen Poe stories to us in our sleeping bags (the coolest mom ever!)…And my husband remembered, all those years ago, reading a book about sleeping over at someone’s house, but couldn’t quite remember the name of it, but it had a little boy and a teddy bear. Fast forward to a trip to Barnes and Noble and a walk down memory lane, and you’ve got Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber. How could I have ever forgotten this little gem of a book? In it, a little boy named Ira is excited beyond belief for an upcoming sleepover at his friend Reggie’s house. But when his older sister asksif he’ll be taking his teddy bear, Tah Tah, to Reggie’s house, Ira starts to wonder what his friend’s reaction could be to this. Will Reggie make fun of him? Will he want to be friends anymore? Ira decides to leave Tah Tah at home, only to find that Reggie has a little secret of his own…and the two friends share a wonderful, touching moment together. Written in 1975, Waber’s book not only stands the test of time for any child today – but it lingers in the memories of nostalgic grown-ups too…
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Wednesday: The Secret Art of Dr. Suess
First of all, happy birthday my dear Dr. Suess! And thank you for enriching the lives of my children and children around the world. Everyone has a favorite Dr. Suess book – Oh, the Places You’ll Go…The Foot Book…Cat in the Hat…and I just wasn’t quite sure which one I would choose for today’s spotlight…But then I remembered something my dear friend Joanna told me long ago – that Dr. Suess had a large collection of artwork beyond the fox in socks and the lorax and horton..and that this artwork was indeed even more splendiforous than we could imagine. Upon hearing this, I immediately went online to try to find a book of his artwork and, lo and behold, came to find The Secret Art of Dr. Suess. You don’t have to be a true Suess-o-phile to find this book amazing – it’s like a little secret treasure, a gem of a book (with an introduction by Maurice Sendak, no less…) that further emphasizes Dr. Suess’ contribution to not only literature but the art world as well…Labeled as artwork for adults, the art inside this lovely book will appeal to people of all ages, for Dr. Suess’ inimitable humor and whimsy comes through in technicolor. Take his Angry Pig in which a, well, an irate pig stares down a South American villager. Or his Impractical Marshmallow Toasting Device which you’ll just have to see for yourself. This book is rich in art, laughter, beauty and imagination – a perfect combination for adults and children alike.
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Monday: Star Wars – A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy
Around our house, Star Wars is King. And not in some sort of ineffectual, outdated Monarchy kind of way. I mean, truly Kingly – in charge, ever-present and downright overpowering. We talk about Star Wars, we dream about Star Wars, at times we dress like Star Wars, and we read every book available on the topic. So imagine my utter delight when my mom purchased Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy for my sons. I swear the Heavens opened. Angels sang. And my boys found themselves completely blissed out on every eye-popping, 3-D page. (Pssst…there’s even a light-up light saber…). This is the perfect gift for any Star Wars-oholic, young and old…made by the expert hands of pop-up author Matthew Reinhart. It’s so awesome, they even keep it in plastic wrap at the book store. I mean, how can you resist? Star Wars is King, I tell you. And long may it reign.
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Friday: You Wouldn’t Want to be Sick in the 16th Century
I don’t know about you, but January and February have been chock-full of colds, coughs, sore throats, vomit, stomach aches and the occasional rash. Seems we just recover from one nasty bug and another one is slowly crawling up our leg. It could be worse, though. We could be sick in the 16th Century and encounter all of the grotesque ways in which doctors of the time attempted to cure unsuspecting folks. Who knew there was such a bevy of repulsive health care practices? Well, apparently Kathryn Senior knew, and wrote her book, You Wouldn’t Want to be Sick in the 16th Century: Diseases You’d Rather Not Catch – a veritable encyclopedia of disgusting medical facts that is just one in a series of You Wouldn’t Want to be… children’s books available. We’ve read You Wouldn’t Want to be a Pyramid Builder (severe rope burn), You Wouldn’t Want to be a Greek Athlete (athlete’s foot galore) and You Wouldn’t Want to be Salem Witch (is it getting hot in here or is it just me?)…and now we can add the 16th Century to our braintrust of oogey facts. This book series is definitely not for the squeamish and definitely for an older set of kids, but if you’re ready for a richly revolting romp back in time, these books are for you! Cough Cough. Oh, no, not again…
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Thursday: Do Not Open This Book
In the spirit of Mo Willem’s Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (which, if you haven’t read it is just one in a series of the most delightful children’s books anywhere…just ask my children), Michaela Muntean’s hilarious book, Do Not Open This Book, gives kids free reign to disobey. A rather disgruntled pig is attempting to write a book, but can’t seem to get any work done since kids keep turning the pages on him. And while he becomes more and more agitated, your kids will become more and more delighted by the idea of driving this poor pig to absolute insanity. The fantasy elements of the pig nailing words to the wall to keep them from falling off the page and the subtext of having to choose one’s words carefully when telling a successful story are all part of what make this little book so entertaining. That, and Pascal Lamaitre’s cartoon-like illustrations bring the pig and his ever-growing frustrations to life. (For those of you old enough to remember the Sesame Street book Please Do Not Open This Book, featuring Grover and a bevy of furry monsters, the premise will seem similar…and yet it’s nice to see a new and different version done so well…) I dare you not to open this book. And I double dog dare you not to love it.
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The Shop Around the Corner
anyone remember “the shop around the corner”? the utterly heavenly bookstore of meg ryan’s in “you’ve got mail”? or perhaps you remember, like I do, growing up with a small locally-owned bookstore in your neighborhood or town where you knew the family who owned it and they always had the best recommendations on what books a little person like me should read next? if you were fortunate enough to grow up with a small bookstore in your hometown, then this is the list for you…edrants just published a fabulous list of independent bookstores ( in the wake of borders’ bankrupty filing) to further emphasize the importance of these establishments in our life.
http://www.edrants.com/list-of-independent-alternatives-to-closed-borders-bookstores/
so go out and visit one – find one in your community and experience firsthand why we need them now more than ever. and for those of you who, like me, discovered a literary treasure on the braided rug carpet of your local bookstore, let’s spread the word, take our children, spend our money and remember that sometimes (most times) smaller is indeed better.
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Wednesday: Hey Batta Batta Swing!
With Little League right around the corner for my son, baseball is in the air at our house. The Jeter jersey is in wardrobe rotation…the new batting helmet is shiny and ready…and we continue to monitor Panda’s rapid weight-loss…We’re also somewhat obsessed with Sally Cook and James Charlton’s awesome book, Hey Batta Batta Swing!: The Wild Old Days of Baseball – a fabulous step back in time to the beginnings of our nation’s favorite pastime. Complete with fun facts and anecdotes from games of yore, the book also features the vocabulary of old time baseball, including “soaking” which allowed for a runner who was off base to be put out by being beaned with a ball. Oooh, and a “can of corn”, which referred to a slow-moving fly ball. This book is a fun and informative romp through history and Ross MacDonald’s illustrations of baseball players with handlebar mustaches (and no, it’s not Randy Johnson) make it that much sweeter.
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Tuesday: Pippi Longstocking
Despite the fact that kids in elementary school used to call me “Pippi Longstocking” because of my two long braids, I still think of Astrid Lindgren’s book very fondly. Especially when it’s coupled with Lauren Child’s (of Charlie and Lola fame) illustrations. For those of you who haven’t ever experienced the sheer delight that is a little girl named Pippi, please run to your nearest library or independent bookstore and get a copy right this very second. Pippi is, among other things, a red-haired ball of energy whose full name (for those of you interested in a proper greeting) is Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Ephraim’s Daughter Longstocking and she lives in Villa Villekula with her pet monkey and her horse whom she lifts over her head on occasion. When her neighbors, Tommy and Annika, make her acquaintance their lives are forever changed by her charm, super strength and steadfast loyalty. Not to mention, her tendency toward great adventures, sometimes involving pirates. There are three full-length books in the Pippi series and they are all just as delightful as the first. Lindgren’s books are classics for children of any age (even those called “Pippi” all those years ago…)
My Mama's Goodnight 