When poor little Jack is invited to the Princess’ birthday party, he can’t imagine why. What could he possibly bring as a present that would please the Princess? But Jack is a clever, resourceful little guy, and he bakes the Princess the most beautiful, delicious cake the world has ever seen and sets off by foot for the fiesta. Tragedy strikes in the form of crows, trolls, bears…a whole menagerie who eat and ruin his gorgeous cake. So when Jack finally arrives, empty-handed, at the party, he has nothing for her but the tale of the hungry forest creatures and the ill-fated baked good. Surprisingly, his story, told so vividly and entertainingly, is the Princess’ favorite present. Which just goes to show you that a good story beats out a cake any day of the week. (Unless of course it’s a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in which case we may have to make some adjustments…) Author Candace Fleming and illustrator G. Brian Karas have created a wonderful tale of the power of the spoken word. A treasure for the entire family!
Tag Archives: k.t. blue designs
Thursday: CDB
We all love William Steig. From “Shrek” to “The Magic Pebble” to “Dr. DeSoto”, dear Mr. Steig can do no wrong. And in the eyes of my two sons, his best work is, by far, “CDB!” – a collection of letter riddles and illustrations that are totally impossible to resist. “CDB” shows two children looking at a bee. Get it? C…D…B? See the Bee? OK. How about this one…a little boy watching a larger boy lick a delicious lollipop says “I N-V U.” Get it? I envy you? Now you’re getting to the brilliance that is Steig and the amazing time you and your children will have figuring out some of the harder ones. For the adult crowd, the best is “D Y-N S X-L-N.” Let that one breathe for a while…
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Wednesday: Christina Katerina and the Box
Two things I adore about Patricia Lee Gauch’s book, “Christina Katerina and the Box”…1) Miss Christina Katerina has an endless imagination when it comes to old refrigerator boxes and 2) her friend’s name is Fats Watson. Seriously, anyone who has a friend named Fats Watson is alright in my book. You must remember those days when a new appliance arrived and you were so excited to get your hands on that big empty box and turn it into a fort or a castle or a race car? I do…I loved it when my mom would cut little holes for windows and I’d have a new little cottage all to myself. Christina Katerina is just the same – and despite the fact that Fats ends up ruining or collapsing or sitting atop each of her creations, she never stops until the box literally melts as Fats hoses it down. But fear not, Fats makes up for his ways by bringing over his mother’s old washer and dryer boxes. And it’s off to the high seas for Christina and Fats in their cardboard sailboats. A delightful and imaginative romp of a story.
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Monday: Don’t Let Auntie Mabel Bless the Table
When I was at summer camp at the age of 9, if anyone put their elbows on the table, the counselors would say “Mabel, Mabel, if you’re able, take your elbows off the table, this is not a horse’s stable, this is a decent dining table.” Trust me, it was awful. And, to this day, if my elbows start to make that climb toward the table, that horrible refrain rings in my ears. Fast forward more years than I care to admit, and there’s a new Mabel in town. A better, elbow-free Mabel who LOVES to say grace at the table. Vanessa Brantley Newton, the author of the wonderful “Let Freedom Ring”, has captured the joy of family and tradition in her hysterical book, “Don’t Let Auntie Mabel Bless the Table.” In it, the titular Auntie Mabel and her family are sitting down to a big, delicious dinner but before they can dig in, Auntie Mabel must say grace. And for anyone who has ever been at a table where the grace just doesn’t seem to end, and your food gets cold and yet the blessings just keep on coming, this is the book for you. Mabel’s grace stops at nothing…Brussel sprouts, the President, anyone and everything worthy of thanks make it into Mabel’s grace. It’s an adorable and hilarious take on the tradition of grace that will have you giggling into your napkin.
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Monday: Everything is Better with a Gorilla
Little did I know how awesome life could be if I just had a gorilla. Thanks to Andrew Gall and his wicked clever book “Everything is Better with a Gorilla” I now know better. For example, did you know that washing dishes with a gorilla is better than doing it alone? Why, you ask? Because the mountain gorilla’s fur can double as a dishtowel. Amazing! Ooooo…and did you know that having a gorilla over for a sleepover is better? It is! Because you can talk late into the night with the gorilla as long as you understand that the conversation will, as Gall puts it, “inevitably veer toward plants.” Kids will love the quirky “gorillustrations” and parents will love the fact that real facts about gorillas are hidden between the lines of Gall’s witty and wonderful text. Trust me, you’ll go bananas over this book.
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Friday: There Was an Old Lady
There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don’t know why she swallowed a fly, but perhaps it was so she could have her story told in this exquisite, unbelievably gorgeous, whimsical, magical book. Jeremy Holmes, an artist is every sense of the word, has recreated this classic story in one of those most amazing books I’ve seen in a long time. We all know the story – lady, fly, spider, bird, cat…her untimely death after nibbling on a horse….But this oft-told tale is suddenly made new under Holmes’ talented hand. it’s like the Old Lady met Edward Scissorhands at a party and they got together and made this book. It’s edgy and interactive (the old lady’s coat comes off as a book cover and her eyes close at the end) and one of those rare books that also qualifies as fine art. Love it.
Ages 2-6. Visual and musical gimmicks enhance Carle’s signature bright, textured collages in this holiday-cum-counting story. A white-bearded farmer lives the simple life with a few animals that he names One through Five. Children don’t find out which number matches which animal, though, until they follow the farmer through a visually clever dream. “It’s almost Christmas, and it hasn’t snowed yet,” says the farmer. But as he sleeps, he envisions snow falling, covering each of his animals, while the text counts along–“The snowflakes gently covered One with a blanket”—a plastic sheet printed with snow overlays each page, concealing the collage images until readers lift the page and discover that One is a horse, Two is a cow, etc. Dream becomes reality when the farmer awakes to a white world and hurries outside (dressed in Santa coat and boots) with presents for the animals and ornaments for a tree that, thanks to a changeable battery pack, plays a chiming tune at the press of a button. Although this is more an exercise than a story, Carle fans and toddlers learning the basics will still enjoy the gentle text and creative design features.
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Thursday: The Paper Bag Princess
What happens when the Princess seems to do quite well all on her own? This is the crux of Robert Munsch’s glorious “The Paper Bag Princess” in which Princess Elizabeth learns what lies behind the handsome face of Prince Charming, AKA Prince Ronald. When Elizabeth’s castle is burned down by a dastardly dragon, thereby destroying her wardrobe and kidnapping Ronald, she’s forced to take matters into her own hands. The Princess rescuing the Prince? What a fabulous idea! And she does just that, dressed only in a paper bag. But when she ultimately finds Prince Ronald and he scoffs at her imperfect appearance, Elizabeth finds that the fairy-tale ending for her might just be a little different than she thought. This book is a wonderful take on the classic fairy tale that should serve as a great lesson to Princesses everywhere.
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Friday: A Chair for My Mother
Occasionally, a children’s book makes me cry. It happened when I first read Tomie dePaola’s “Now One Foot, Now the Other” (I’ll review that soon…tears galore) and it happened again with Jan Karon’s “Miss Fannie’s Hat”…For those of you who have had the good fortune of reading either of those, you’ll see the pattern. Children’s books that have grandmother’s in them seem to pull my heartstrings a little tighter than others. And for those of you who knew my grandma Deedles, you’ll know why. The latest addition to this esteemed (and rather soggy list) is Vera B. Williams’ “A Chair for My Mother” – a gorgeous, heartwarming tale of a little girl, her mother and grandmother who are saving money for a comfortable chair. All of their possessions were burned in a fire and, although neighbors have graciously given them all sorts of hodgepodge furnishings, what they really would love is one soft chair to sit in.
When all of her mother’s tips from the restaurant, and all of the little girl’s spare change have finally filled the little jar, they are able to buy a wonderful, comfy, warm armchair – perfect for what they were really saving up for: a soft place to rest and cuddle. The illustrations are beautiful, the sentiment is lovely – an all-around gorgeous read for anyone.
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Wednesday: Sneezenesia
Do your children like boogers? Mine do. They even like the word “booger.” If you ever see my children and want to make them laugh, just say “booger.” It’s a sure thing. So imagine my utter joy at finding Deb Lucke’s quirky and wonderful “Sneezenesia” in which a little boy at the supermarket sneezes so hard he forgets his name. And with each sneeze, he loses a little bit more knowledge. Math equations…names of Presidents…they all come out of his schnozzola with each “achoo.” I don’t think I could have scripted a more wonderful book for my sons – knowledge as boogers. Tremendous. But how will he get the knowledge back? Sniff around and you may find out.
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Tuesday: Stop Bugging Me
Meet Smudge. He is, well, a smudge. And he is grumpy. Very grumpy. And yet, like some grumpy people, his friends still like him. All Smudge wants to do is go on a secret errand alone without any interruptions. (Hey, Smudge, you and me both, big guy!) But his friends want to know more. And they follow him. And they ask questions. And they ask more questions. Until finally, poor little Smudge is just about ready to burst. Little readers everywhere will love Daniel Cleary’s “Stop Bugging Me” and parents might actually recognize some of themselves is dear ole Smudge. As Smudge’s friends, one by one, follow along on their curmudgeonly friends’ errand, you won’t be able to hold your giggles in – nor will you be able to resist these adorable smudgy drawings. For anyone who has had their own moments of Smudge-ness, you are not alone. Although you might like to be.
My Mama's Goodnight 