Tag Archives: children’s books

Friday: Earrings!

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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…

Thursday: Ira Sleeps Over

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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…

Wednesday: The Secret Art of Dr. Suess

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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.

Monday: Don’t Know Much About the Presidents

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Quick! Which President was so rotund he got stuck in the White House bathtub? Which President was so scared of getting electrocuted, he didn’t turn on the lights in the White House for weeks? Which President had a parrot that could whistle “Yankee Doodle”? Well, if you’re anything like my older son, you’ll not only know the answers to these questions but be absolutely THRILLED to learn more about all of our Presidential personalities! And Kenneth Davis’ book, Don’t Know Much About the Presidents, is the best book of fun facts about our country’s leadership around. Davis has a wonderful knack for sharing good solid historical information, like timelines, famous quotes, etc, and throwing in awesome tidbits about the Presidents to keep your kids fascinated. And once you’ve read it with your kids, you’ll never forget that Taft got stuck in the tub, Harrison was afraid of light bulbs, and McKinley had that patriotic parrot! But did you know that Herbert Hoover’s son had a pet alligator that wandered around the White House grounds? Share that one at your next playdate!

Friday: Fanny at Chez Panisse

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It’s a cold and rainy day here in Walnut Creek and, with that, comes the urge to snuggle in to our cozy little house and cook something delicious from scratch. And what better inspiration for utterly delicious and heartfelt recipes than Alice Waters’ Fannie at Chez Panisse – her children’s book that also doubles as a cookbook of fresh, wonderfully savory and child-friendly recipes. The titular Fanny is actually Alice’s real daughter and the first part of this book chronicles Fanny’s adventures at Chez Panisse, Waters’ award-winning restaurant in Berkeley, CA (which, if you’re ever in the neighborhood, you really must come!). The cooks, the bakers, the waiters and the maitre-d are all part of Fanny’s extended family and we all get to meet (and love) them in the process. And then, the recipes begin. And, oh, what recipes. Lettuce salad, 1234 cake, Peach Crisp and many more that will delight not just the children, but any adults who make their way into their delicious path. And did I mention the illustrations? Berkeley artist, Ann Arnold’s, watercolor prints are what make this book beyond spectacular. Just a hint..this book makes a delightful housewarming gift for children and adults…..a charming and lovely little treasure of a book.

Wednesday: In Daddy’s Arms I am Tall

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In celebration of Black History Month, I wanted to be sure to recommend one of the most beautiful books I’ve seen in some time. “In Daddy’s Arms I am Tall” is a compelling and stunning collection of poems paying tribute to African American fathers from a wide variety of writers, new and old. Winner of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, this book is a treasure trove of words and collage pictures from Javaka Steptoe that will resonate with every family, no matter the color.  From the introductory Ashanti proverb: “When you follow in the path of your father, you learn to walk like him”, to the poems of Folami Abiade and Sonia Sanchez, this collection is a true testament to the power and beauty of fathers everywhere.

Tuesday: One Morning in Maine

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Now, granted, I have an intense bias. I love Maine. Everything about it. The ocean. The lobster. The osprey. The way the salt sticks to you like powder and the way the lobster boats hum in the morning. It’s utterly delicious. So, of course I’m going to adore the quintessential Maine writer, Robert McCloskey. It sort of goes with the territory. But you don’t have to love Maine…heck, you don’t even have to be able to find Maine on a map..to love Robert McCloskey and his brilliant ode to The Pine Tree State, “One Morning in Maine.” You might recognize Sal from her adventures in Blueberries for Sal (plink, plank, plunk) and this time she’s going on another adventure to Buck’s Harbor with her father and little Jane. The simplicity of the day – a loose tooth, a loon on the water, rolling up her pants to dig clams – all make for a magical McCloskey day matched beautifully with his black and white pencil illustrations. If you’ve never read this book, please do. It’s not only a Caldecott Honor book, but it’s the kind of book you don’t find every day…magical for no other reason than it just is.

Monday: Trick of the Eye

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When I was in elementary school, I did my science project on optical illusions. You know the one with the picture of the old lady with the big nose that is also a picture of the young lady looking to the side? And the little gray dots that appear in between the black and white squares? Ooooo, I loved those. I’d spend hours staring at them and marvelling at the moment when I could finally see the trick within. Well, imagine my delight while visiting the Getty Museum at finding Silke Vry’s Trick of the Eye: Art and Illusion. It’s one of the best books on optical illusions I’ve seen since it marries both the ubiquitous illusions, a la “is it two faces or a vase?” with real-life illusions in fine art. From the mirror in van Eyck’s “The Arnolfini Portrai” to those darn stairs from MC Escher, Vry’s book is a gorgeous way for children to see, or not see, illusions in art and design. 

Thursday: Granny Torrelli Makes Soup

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Years ago, my dear friend Gaby gave me a copy of Sharon Creech’s Granny Torrelli Makes Soup and, for some reason or another, I just never got around to reading it. Well, shame on me, because last night around 11pm, when i finally turned the last page of this remarkable book, i immediately added it to my list of absolute favorites. It is a stunning, beautiful, heartbreaking tale of the friendship between 12-year-old Rosie and her best friend, a very handsome and vision impaired boy named Bailey.  For anyone who has ever had a best friend…for anyone who has ever felt those first stirrings of love and friendship all mixed together and for anyone who absolutely adores their grandmother, this is the book for you. Granny Torrelli is the heroine of this book – the no-nonsense Italian grandmother who solves all of the world’s problems with a little garlic and a whole lot of love. This chapter book is most appropriate for children ages 8 and up, and yet it speaks perfectly beautifully to adults as well. A complete and utter treasure of a book from a treasured friend.

Wednesday: Chicken Soup with Rice

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Oh, Maurice Sendak. You wonderful, wonderful man. Not only did you give us Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen, but you gave me my favorite, Chicken Soup with Rice. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I checked this book out of the Lincoln Elementary library growing up…I just adored it. Still do.  Mostly because it has the word “whoopy” in it…as in “whoopy once, whoopy twice, whoopy chicken soup with rice.” The monthly sing-song rhymes of the book married with the inimitable illustrations of Sendak himself make this book a classic to be enjoyed through the generations. And for an extra treat, try to find Carole King’s (yes, of “I Feel the Earth Move” fame) recording of Chicken Soup with Rice as part of her Really Rosie album of Sendak books. It’s walk down 1970’s memory lane…