Tag Archives: books

This is London

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In honor of the royal wedding (the hats! the dress! the pomp! the kiss!) I offer a little glimpse into London by way of Miroslav Sasek’s This is London. From the Tower of London to Big Ben to every cheery black cabby, Sasek’s book gives us Yanks a beautiful peek inside what makes London so special. First published in 1959, some of the landmarks from Sasek’s day no long exist, but the vintage flair and whimsy of historical anglophilia will live on. And while Beatrice’s hat may not have been my particular cup of tea, Sasek’s gorgeous book is and will remain so as long as the Royal Guards continue to stand.

Caps for Sale

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I’m feeling a tad nostalgic today and can’t help but recommend a book that I absolutely LOVED as a child. (To the point that my elementary school librarian forbade me from checking it out anymore because I wasn’t “giving other children a chance to read it.”) I loved it so much I even tried, rather dismally I may add, to pronounce the authors name…which to this day eludes me. Esphyr Slobodkina. (If you have a correct pronunciation, please comment below so that I may finally put this to bed.) Anyway, Slobodkina’s 1940 classic, Caps for Sale has delighted readers for more than 70 years and will continue to delight for 70 more. The simple tale of the cap peddlar and the monkeys (trust me, it makes sense while you’re reading it) who taunt him is just one of those books you always remember and that should be passed along from generation to generation. I hear from our school librarian that it’s still a favorite of children today. We’ll see if my son is forbidden from checking it out soon.

My Wobbly Tooth Must Not Ever Never Fall Out

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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.

If Kisses Were Colors

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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.

The Missing Piece

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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.

Press Here

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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…

O’Sullivan Stew

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You’ve got to love a heroine named Kate O’Sullivan. And with her daydreaming tendencies, fiery spirit and equally fiery red hair, it’s hard to resist her in Hudson Talbott’s book O’Sullivan Stew. When Kate witnesses an old hag’s horse being stolen by royal tax collectors, she tries to rally her fellow villagers who ignore her pleas. But when the hag starts causing all sorts of disaster to happen, Kate hatches a plot with her dad and brothers to steal the horse from the castle. The O’Sullivans are quickly caught and Kate must, once again, devise way out of this particular pickle. And in true Irish folklore style, Kate’s wits, determination (and stew) save the day. Talbott’s text is lively and energetic and his illustrations are vivid and lovely. This is a fun little romp through Irish folklore and a sure-fire winner in the hearts of children.

All the Way to America

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Oh my goodness, how I adore Dan Yaccarino. From the days of yore when my children watched Oswald (his adorable animated tale of a blue octopus and his friends – made even better by the fact that the Penguin was voiced by Squiggy from Laverne and Shirley) to his unbelievably fabulous collection of children’s books (Every Friday, Unlovable, and Lawn to Lawn being some of my favorites) Yaccarino never fails to impress, inspire and delight. And now, he’s topped them all with his biographical tale of his family’s journey from Italy to Ellis Island. All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel is an example of the best that children’s books can offer. It is the heartwarming true story of Yaccarino’s immigrant ancestors and their amazing journey to the United States. Filled with unforgettable memories and inspiring strength, this little book spans four generations of an Italian American family. As a child whose great-great-grandfather came from Italy through Ellis Island as well, this book holds remarkable significance for me and is one of the best books on the market today. For an inspiring, humorous, wonderful book, look no further than this tale of an amazing family and a silver shovel

Monday: Adventures in Cartooning

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For any budding cartoonists out there, have I got the book for you! Written by the top dudes at the Center for Cartoon Studies, Adventures in Cartooning is a fun, unique approach to teaching kids the basics of comic strip development. What’s refreshing about this l cartooning how-to is that it focuses less on “how to draw” (remember those books that would have you start with a circle, draw two triangles and three lines on each side and voila you have a cat?) and spends more time on the fundamentals of cartoons: speech bubbles, speed lines, motion indicators, etc. And the format is fabulous – the book actually tells the story of a knight, a horse and an elf – and teaches these comic lessons as the story unfolds. This is a great book for interested artists and a super-duper birthday gift for future cartoonists. All in all, a gem of a  book!

Friday: The Art Lesson

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Now, i’ll admit…i’m a sucker for Tomie dePaola.  Strega Nona. Amazing. Big Anthony. Hilarious. But the artist in me must say that his little book, The Art Lesson is my all-time favorite.  It is the wonderfully autobiographical tale of Tomie’s own experience as a child artist and the differences between two art teachers. One who limits his creativity and the other who’s a little more bohemian, a little more willing to let him use all the colors in the 64 crayon set.  And as an art teacher now, I can truly appreciate the difference between Miss Landers and Miss Bowers. I think we’ve all had a Miss Landers and a Miss Bowers in our lives. And I hope, sincerely, that I am one who allows her students to express themselves independently and creatively – and, therefore, brings out the artist in each of them. So, here’s to Tomie…here’s to art…And here’s to using all 64 crayons