For starters, there’s really nothing better than Charlie and Lola. And for any of you who have not yet fallen in love with Lauren Child’s dynamic brother and sister duo, you must do so immediately. That said, Charlie and Lola are two of my favorite characters of all time (right up there with Anne Shirley and Veruca Salt) – perhaps slightly because they’re British and I have that thing for all things British, but also because they’re beautifully rendered as hilariously lovable children. So today, as I sat in the dentist’s chair (which for me is akin to sitting in a torture chamber) I let my mind drift happily to one of my favorite Charlie and Lola books about teeth: My Wobbly Tooth Must Not Ever Never Fall Out. This little morsel of a book tells the story of Lola’s wibbly-wobbly tooth that, at first, she does not want to lose. But when wind of the Tooth Fairy hits her ears, she embarks on a mission to wiggle it out of its gummy slumber. Charlie, as always, steps up to the plate as the best big brother on the planet and shepherds Lola from worry to happy in a way only he can. You don’t a wobbly tooth to truly appreciate this lovely book. You don’t even need to be sitting in the inquisitor’s…uh…I mean…dentist’s chair.
Author Archives
If Kisses Were Colors
Back in my romantic late-teen days, I loved to give children’s books as presents to boys I dated. Like Silverstein’s The Missing Piece or Margaret Wise Brown’s The Little Island or, for a rather ill-fated tryst, Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile. Now, as a married lady, I can’t wait to give my husband a copy of Janet Lawler’s If Kisses Were Colors. This gorgeous little book will not only become an instant favorite of children everywhere, but it can easily bridge the gap between loving kisses from mama to loving kisses from your sweetheart. My favorite line from the lyrical book is “If kisses were pebbles, your beach would be lined, with stones by the millions, of all shapes and kinds.” Isn’t that just the bee’s knees? In Lawler’s deft hand, metaphors abound and, suddenly, kisses are comets, rainbows, even acorns – and it all makes perfect sense, rounded out beautifully by Alison Jay’s gorgeous illustrations. So for a great gift for your child, your hubby, your sweetie or your friend with benefits, take a peek at this lovely little book. You’ll thank me later.
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Happy Birthday, Rotten Ralph
When I was little, my Aunt Doll gave me a copy of Jack Gantos’ Rotten Ralph and I was mesmerized. For reasons unknown to my eight year old heart, I just loved this awful, terrible, absolutely naughty cat and the little girl who loved him despite of it all. My children love it too – mostly because they get to watch a character do absolutely devilish things and laugh about it. So, in honor of my younger son’s 6th birthday today, I offer Happy Birthday, Rotten Ralph – a wickedly delightful romp through Ralph territory that leaves no mischievous deed undone. In it, the titular Ralph does everything from squirting toothpaste in his owner’s shoes to pouring prune juice in her cereal (which my grandma Deedles might have quite liked come to think of it). Nicole Rubel’s illustrations are truly fabulous and perfectly capture the whiskered imp who, no matter the misdeed, continues to enthrall us all.
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The Missing Piece
So, basically, Shel Silverstein can do no wrong. From The Giving Tree (which, incidentally I starred in as the tree in my 4th grade assembly) to Where the Sidewalk Ends and every line of verse in between, Silverstein is the best children’s authors can be. He’s fun, irreverent, brilliant, a little bit naughty and every bit a genius. And today I want to recommend one of my favorite Silverstein books, The Missing Piece not only because it is beautifully written and illustrated in that completely signature Silverstein way, but because it offers one of the most valuable lessons a child (or adult for that matter) can learn in one’s lifetime – that fulfillment, completion and self-worth are entirely within our own hearts. And somehow, that deep philosophical notion is made abundantly clear in a few simple line drawings of a circle with a chunk missing from it. It’s amazing what children’s books can do. And even more amazing what Silverstein can accomplish with his pen. Need more Silverstein in your day? Take a peek at his wonderful web site..www.shelsilverstein.com.
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I Like This Poem – A Collection of Best-Loved Poems Chosen by Children for Other Children
Happy National Poetry Month to you all! I hope you all run out and grab your nearest copy of Millay or Nash or Silverstein or Cummings and spend an afternoon wrapped up in a wonderful poem or two. While you’re at it, take this month as a fabulous excuse to introduce your children to poetry and its many forms with I Like this Poem: A Collection of Best-Loved Poems Chosen by Children for Other Children. This is, by far, the most amazingly fantastic collection of poems for children I’ve ever seen. Originally published in 1979, this collection doesn’t include some of my favorite children’s poets (i.e. Silverstein or Prelutsky) but what it does include are famous poems from every corner of literature. It’s like a primer for future English Majors (hooray!). Where else can you find The Witches’ Spell from Macbeth alongside The Owl and the Pussycat? Not to mention Roald Dahl’s I’ve Eaten Many Strange and Scrumptious Dishes in my Time (from James and the Giant Peach) a few pages away from Wordsworth’s I’ve Watched You Know a Full Half-Hour. Recommended by children ages 6-15, the best part of this collection, for me, is that after each poem, there is a quote from the child who recommended it. It’s like a poetry anthology that’s been kid approved, and it’s a must-have for any book shelf.
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Press Here
I was recently browsing around at my favorite local children’s bookstore and overheard a woman and her little girl arguing over a book. The mom was trying to talk the (rather, shall we say, difficult) child into buying a Margaret Wise Brown book (God bless her) and the little girl sat right down in the middle of the aisle and said, and I quote, “I don’t WANT a book. A book doesn’t DO anything.” After reviving myself with smelling salts, I thought about how perhaps there are more little girls and boys around the world (horrors!) who might feel this way and it made me awfully sad. Because books do the most amazing things without actually doing anything at all. You know that. I know that. And luckily, I think all of my readers’ children know that. But for those children out there who keep waiting for their books to talk in funny voices or play music or run around the house like literary robots, I hope that one day they find that one book that teaches them that the words on the page bring to life more than any game, any toy, any electronic doo-dad they could imagine. Amazingly, as I returned to that same bookstore this week I came across one of the most wonderful books to come along in some time – and it, quite ironically and whimsically, fits into this little soapbox speech of mine. Herve Tullet’s Press Here reminds children and adults alike that the magic of the word and the picture is truly that….magic. Acting as an interactive narrator, Tullet’s book asks the reader to follow the instructions throughout the book. “Press here and turn the page” it says and, lo and behold, that small touch has created something new on the following page. This is a wonderfully imaginative, wry and stunning book that, if nothing else, will remind us of the sheer brilliance of children’s books and the amazing powers of our own minds and fingers. Need more inspiration? Here’s the video for the book…
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The Magic Mustache
In loving memory of my dad who had, quite possibly, the most debonair mustache on the face of the planet, I offer Gary Barwin’s hilarious book, The Magic Mustache. A wonderfully off-kilter retelling of the Jack of the Beanstalk tale, The Magic Mustache tells the story of a nose who goes to market to trade a pair of glasses for food. In the spirit of the well-intentioned Jack, the nose is talked into trading instead for a magic mustache. (Sounds good to me…I mean, seriously, a magic mustache? I’ll take it!) I don’t know about you, but my two sons can’t seem to leave our local party supply store without spending their allowance on those fake glasses with mustache and nose attached, so this book is quite the favorite around our house. Your kids will delight in the puns, wordplay, silly drawings and overall mayhem that, surprisingly, a nose and mustache can create.
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Big News from Maurice Sendak
Another Wild Rumpus is coming? The news on the literary street is that my beloved Maurice Sendak will be coming out with a new book this Fall! Bumble-Ardy, the tale of a pig who has his first birthday a little later than most, will hit bookstores later this year and I couldn’t be more excited. Apparently, the first glimmerings of this book appeared in 1971 on Sesame Street as an animated clip with Bumble-Ardy as a little boy instead of a pig, and now, more than 30 years later, we’ll see this tale come to fruition. Will the pigs still be guzzling wine or will our 21st century opinions turn that wine into water? Here’s the clip…and a sneak peek at the wonder that will inevitably delight us all.
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Pocketful of Posies
Occasionally, I am drawn to a children’s book purely because of the illustrations. Now, usually, I’m a huge sucker for simple, clean, pen and ink drawings a la Quentin Blake and tend to gravitate towards books that have that unfussy air about them. But, then I saw Salley Mavor’s Pocketful of Posies and almost fell out of my chair. This collection of nursery rhymes doesn’t necessarily offer anything new in terms of prose, since all of the verses inside are our old favorites. But what is new…remarkable..amazing…is Mavor’s contribution of art. Mavor’s detailed scenes of such classics as “One Two Buckle My Shoe” and “Baa Baa Black Sheep” are absolutely extraordinary. Her hand-sewn scenes of people, animals, houses and gardens are a menagerie of beauty – with each scene taking her almost a month to finish. Educated at the Rhode Island School of Design, Mavor has created something new and magical and whimsical, the likes of which I haven’t seen before. This book is a little piece of art and one that should be read over and over again.
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The Deaf Musicians
Happy Deaf History Month! This month, as we are celebrating the milestones and historical successes among the deaf community, I wanted to find an appropriate book out there that makes hearing impairment accessible to children. Leave it to singer/songwriter/activist extraordinaire Pete Seeger to rise to the occasion. Pete Seeger and Paul Dubois Jacobs have teamed up with the amazing illustrator Gregory Christie for The Deaf Musicians – the tale of what happens to a jazz musician when he loses his hearing. When Lee suddenly is unable to hear his fellow musicians’ notes and riffs, he is asked to leave the band. But despite this moment of despair, Lee manages to find another way of fulfilling his musical passion at a school for the deaf. There, he comes to find a new community, a new kind of music and a new lease on life. The be-bop, lyrical text of this wonderful book perfectly matches Christie’s almost retro-feeling illustrations – and together they weave a tale of hope and love and, ultimately, the spirit of music in its many forms. This is a fantastic book to approach the subject of hearing loss with children in a sensitive and uplifting way – and is a great read to celebrate this important month.
My Mama's Goodnight 