Tag Archives: kid’s books

Monday: Henry Hikes to Fitchburg

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First of all, oodles of thank yous to Victoria for recommending this book to me. It is indeed a treasure and one I am so excited to add to my list of favorite books…Meet Henry – a bear who embodies the spirit of Thoreau and who, in his big hat and red coat, decides to walk the long journey to Fitchburg. His friend, a rather sophisticated city-dweller, opts to take the train and from there we are lucky to witness their differing paths. Much like his namesake, Henry admires the beauty of the walk – the creatures, the flowers, the blue sky. While his locomotive-bound friend misses all the wonder of the adventure by just not stopping to see it. Never before has a children’s book author so effectively brought the true meaning of “Walden” to a young audience and D. B. Johnson’s book is the perfect introduction. Sit with your child, savor that moment of closeness and read this book with your eyes wide open. You’ll find the treasures within just as I did.

 

Thursday: Halibut Jackson

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Certain people are just shy. Some people would rather just sit quietly in the perimeter. For Halibut Jackson, the reluctant titular hero of David Lucas’ book, shyness manifests in camouflage. He has crafted clothes to match any possible scenario – so he literally blends in with his surroundings…the sun, the grass, the flowers. And he’s quite content to exist in his chameleon-like world until he gets an unexpected invitation to a birthday party at the palace. Determined to disappear into the splendor of the palace walls, Halibut sews an outfit that is both ornate and bejeweled. But when Halibut Jackson arrives, the tables are quickly turned and a lesson in being unique is quickly learned. A wonderful story about overcoming the need to blend in…and the beauty of standing out.

Tuesday: Big Rabbit’s Bad Mood

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Face it. We’re all in a bad mood sometime. Grumpy. Cranky. Oogie. And everyone has a different solution. Mine usually involves lots of See’s candy and reruns of Golden Girls. But for Big Rabbit, his bad mood is seemingly unstoppable. He tries eating chips (a tactic I’ve tried on occasion)…he tries making a salad (nope, that doesn’t help)…he tries watching television (apparently Golden Girls isn’t on)…he even tries doing something quite nasty with boogers. But to no avail. The bad mood just keeps coming and coming and there’s nothing that can be done about it. Even his friends can’t help – since they’re apparently all off doing wonderful things with each other. But when the doorbell rings, could Big Rabbit’s bad mood be a thing of the past? You’ll just had to read Ramona Badescu’s fabulous book and admire Delphine Durand’s utterly charming illustrations to find out.

Monday: Clever Jack Takes the Cake

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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!

Tuesday: Andrew Henry’s Meadow

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This was a magical book to me as a child. I always gravitated towards books in which the children created worlds of their own – and this 45 -year-old book, may be the best of them all. In it, the titular Andrew Henry is driving his family crazy with all of his inventions – until ultimately, he decides to find a new home just for himself. He creates one in the meadow and soon, other children follow him there, each building their own little homes to escape and dream and imagine. Doris Burn’s tale is utterly whimsical and endearing and any child, like me, who loved to find a little hidden spot to create and draw and invent and think, will truly appreciate its simple beauty. A classic to be read again and again.

Friday: The Mysterious Tadpole

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When Louis’ Uncle McAllister send him a package from Scotland, it turns out to be a tadpole whom Louis promptly names Alphonse. A wonderful pet, Alphonse quickly develops a taste for cheeseburgers and grows and grows and grows. Unable to fit in his jar, Alphonse is moved first to the kitchen sink. Then the bathtub. Until, finally, Louis needs to find a new home for his enormous, and rather mysterious, tadpole. When happens next is both touching and brilliant as we discover that Alphonse may not just be an ordinary tadpole, but rather a creature of epic (perhaps even Loch Ness-like) proportions. A delightful read by Steven Kellogg about the love between a child and his magical pet.

Thursday: The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig

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What if the wolves were adorable and kind and the pig was the real stinker? That’s exactly what Eugene Trivizas has examined in his wildly funny “The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Pig.” Imagine, the three wolves, fuzzy and sweet – and all they really want to do is build their own home. The first? Bricks, from a generous kangaroo. But the Pig (looking quite like a large pink Tony Soprano) arrives with a sledgehammer and tears it to pieces. The next? Cement. But the Pig will stop at nothing and brandishes his jackhammer. As the structures become stronger, the Pig gets meaner until the wolves decide they’ve had enough. Want to know what happens next? All I’ll say is that it involves quite a number of flowers and a tarantella. A fun take on an old story that will make you think twice about pigs and their tempers.

Friday: There Was an Old Lady

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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.

Wednesday: Sneezenesia

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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.

Friday: Art and Max

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Never before have I seen a children’ s book that more articulately and beautifully captures the artistic spirit than David Wiesner’s “Art and Max.” It should come as no surprise that Wiesner has come up with yet another gem of a book – he is one of two people to have ever won the Caldecott for three different books (“Tuesday”, “The Three Pigs” and “Flotsam) – all of which are worth buying and immediately loving.) What sets “Art and Max” apart from the others, though, is that it truly challenges readers big and small to think about the creative process of artists and appreciate the different ways and methods in which art can be made. Lofty subjects for young readers, but Wiesner makes them come to life magically. Art and Max are two lizards. Art is a serious artist – one who studies form and shading and lines. Max just wants to be an artist and, despite Art’s instruction, moves ahead with his own way of creating and we find that both can be beautiful. I really can’t recommend this book more highly – it’s a masterpiece in its own right.