Simple Stories with Great Illustrations

I first checked out Giant John, not thinking that it was going to be great, but I knew Arnold Lobel was a good author/illustrator (The Frog and The Toad). Jack absolutely LOVED this story and I read it over and over for the 3 weeks we had it from the library. I'm not really sure why he loved it so much, but it's a simple read, repetitious and has fun illustrations.

After finding Giant John, the next time I went to the library I went back to see if there were more Lobel books that looked good. I found On Market Street. It was a Caldecott Honor Book and should have been the winner! (Caldecott Awards are for best illustrations). These illustrations are fantastic! Again, it's a simple, easy read, but you can't go too fast because it doesn't leave enough time to study the illustrations. There is an item for each letter of the alphabet and a market street salesperson is decked out in that item. Again, Jack LOVED this book and I have to read it over and over, slower each time so he has time to digest the pictures. Enjoy!

Two from Tedd Arnold

Parts and More Parts by Tedd Arnold

I really want to update this blog more often in hopes that I can help some moms out there who are looking for books to check out from the library. These two books are some of Jack's (4) favorites. They are silly, but they also teach idioms (phrases like "there are butterflies in my stomach"). It's a good platform for discussion, or the idioms can go right over the kids heads and they just think it's funny that the boy thinks he's falling apart! :)

Old Favorites

I don't want to assume anything about the people who might be looking for book suggestions for their kids, so I'm including these 2 books.  If you haven't heard of them, you might live in a bubble, but you should definitely know about them!  If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Numeroff is the first in a very cute, creative series.  The author takes a situation, "If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to want a glass of milk to go with it..." and goes through this unrealistic series of events that eventually lead you right back to the beginning of the book.  Kids love this book and it's very recitable. There is also If You Give a Pig a Pancake, If You Give A Moose A Muffin, and If You Give a Cat a Cupcake.  

 Another very popular series is Fancy Nancy by Robin Preiss Glasser.  I bought the first book of this series when it first came out and I was still single.  Not knowing that I would only have a boy, it hasn't mattered because he loves the books too (much to my husband's chagrin).  Fancy Nancy is an adorable girl who doesn't fit in with her very plain family. (I am definitely NOT like Fancy Nancy--more like her boring family). Although she is a bit bossy like me, she's much cuter about it. :) There are a few books in this series as well and I know I have seen Early Readers too.  Even if you have boys, you should expose them to her world because it's very fun and each book has a cute "moral to the story".

A couple favorites from the past couple weeks

This first book I think Jack has made us read to him every night since we got it.  I have to admit that the illustrations are amazing! The book, Block City, by Robert Louis Stevenson is actually a poem.  Do you recognize the author's name? He wrote Treasure Island (yes, the classic from the 1800's).  Apparently, he also wrote this poem, which illustrator Daniel Kirk put into a book.  The poem is short and sweet, but the illustrations show just how awesome a child's imagination can be when playing with blocks.  

 The second book I am not so fond of, but Jack loves.  Maybe it's because his name is in the title? Whatever the reason, I'm sharing it with you, because even if I don't like it, my three year old continues to want to read it, which means it must be good for something! This book, written by Peter Mandel, is about, you guessed it, Jackhammer Sam! If I were creative, I'd create a tune to read this too because it really is written like a song.  I think Jack's favorite part is a repetition of phrases like "atta-batta-binga-bong, atta-batta-dinga-dong".  I even caught him singing this to himself in the car once last week.  It's kinda catchy.  It's almost like a modern Paul Bunyan because the whole book is a hyperbole of what Jackhammer Sam can do with his jackhammer.  Check it out! Maybe your kids will love it too!

Books without Words

We made our monthly trip to the library today and I was reminded of some books that have been our favorites.  These books are both part of a series and neither one has any words, so it makes the illustrations that much better because they completely tell the story.  The Adventures of Polo by Regis Faller is a great story about a dog named Polo who goes on a crazy adventure that eventually brings him back to his home in a tree on an island.  It's a little long, so I'd recommend starting with some of the shorter Polo books first.  If your child is a little more advanced (or after you've read it a few times), let them tell the story.  It's pretty fun to see what they say!

 A Boy, A Dog and A Frog is written by Mercer Mayer.  He's a favorite children's author/illustrator.  This book is completely black and white, but it doesn't change the awesome ability he has a storyteller. There are details in each picture that you won't notice until you've read the story a couple times. :)

Classics!

If you haven't read these 2 classics to your kids yet, you need to! We actually read Katy and the Big Snow first because we got the book from a neighbor.  Just to give you an idea of just how much Jack loved this book, the only thing he asked Santa for last Christmas was a snow plow.  Katy is a large tractor/bulldozer who saves the town of Geoppolis when there is a very big snow storm that covers the town.  It's a fairly quick read and one of those books that you can find more detail on each page if your kids really want to delve into it.

Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel  is a much more recognizable book. This is a story about how Mike Mulligan's Steam Shovel (Maryanne), saves the day.  I find it interesting that the protagonists are both women (but maybe that's because ships, airplanes, etc all had women names?).  The books were published in the 1940's, so they definitely have a vintage feel to them, but they are those books that kids will never stop loving!

January Book Favorites

The first book, I'm Dirty, is definitely not one of my favorites.  We checked out another book from this author when Jack was in his garbage truck phase called "I'm Stinky" and I didn't like it, so I didn't check out any others.  But I was looking for more books for boys, so I checked it out anyway.  I think the prose in the books is atrocious, but apparently it's good enough for 3 year olds.  At least this one has some counting to 10 in it.  We have to read it every night and even though it's pretty lame, at least it's short, so it doesn't take me long.  This is one of those moments that I do what my kid wants, not necessarily what I want.

Another book I stumbled upon is Elmer.  I don't know how I had never seen or read this one before (It was written in the 60's, I believe.  But it's a great book.  It's short, cute and has a good message about being comfortable in one's own skin.  There are multiple Elmer books out there, and I'll be sure to pick them up at the next library visit because Jack loves them.

Favorite Christmas Book

This year I tried the Pinterest idea of wrapping up books and putting them under the tree as a countdown to Christmas.  I didn't have 24 Christmas books of my own, so I went to the public library and got some there too.  Jack didn't even notice which ones were ours and which were the library's.  He looked forward to opening a new one each night before we went to bed.  He enjoyed a lot of them, but the one he wanted to read over and over was this one:

The Jolly Postman Christmas

I don't even remember where I picked this one up, but I know it was before I was even married.  I just thought it was cool because the Postman is delivering the post (mail) to various characters from childhood stories (Humpty Dumpty, Little Red Riding Hood, etc).  There is an actual letter in the book and the reader gets to see what the Postman delivered.  He delivers a puzzle to Humpty Dumpty (which Jack did over and over again), a board game to Little Red Riding Hood, and other neat things.  It's a short read and really cute, especially in this day and age when kids don't actually receive mail anymore!

4 Books We Have Enjoyed This Month

 The Very Clumsy Click Beetle is part of Eric Carle's "The Very..." series.  I had never heard or read this one before, but it was really cute (just like his famous The Very Hungry Caterpillar).  The end of the book makes clicking noises which is fun for the kids.  The illustrations are great and the predictability of the text makes it fun to read with the little ones.

 We got "Room on the Broom" by Julia Donaldson because it was one of 2 left in the Halloween section at the library.  This is a really cute book!  The premise is that various animals ask the witch if they can ride on her broom.  She says yes, but it gets so full that it breaks and they all fall out of the sky.  A dragon comes to eat the witch, but she is saved by a mysterious swamp creature (i.e. all the animals together in a disguise to scare the dragon).  I thought it was a fun Halloween book and not scary at all.

 I didn't know "Two Little Trains" by Margaret Wise Brown was a classic when I checked it out.  I just saw trains in the title and thought a boy would like it!  The illustrations are really well done.  They have a Chris Van Allsburg feeling about them.  Very simple text, repetition and cadence make this book a fun one to read.  I think it was originally written in 1947 or something like that.

This last book "Iggy Peck Architect" was Jack's favorite of the bunch.  The illustrations have a vintage vibe (kinda like If I Built A Car) but in a different way--more 1920's than 1950's.  Anyway, the story is about a boy named Ignatius Peck who loves to build buildings from the time he was in diapers.  When he gets to second grade, his teacher forbids any architecture in her class and he is bored to death.  They go on a class picnic and something happens than enables Iggy to save the day (I won't spoil it for you). The whole story rhymes which makes it fun to read and the illustrations capture the young audience!

One Tractor A Counting Book Author Alexandra Siy

This is a very short book (it only counts to 10), but it is super cute and Jack memorized it during the 3 weeks we had it.  It was a long time ago, but I can still remember the first page, if that's any indication to you.  It's rhyming and counting and is also about a kid's imagination.  (I guess I'm starting to see a pattern here!) There's ships, planes, pirates, bikes, trains, all the things a boy loves playing with.  The illustrations are great, as you can see from the cover.  I highly recommend it!

If I Built A Car, Author Chris Van Dusen

This is a really cute book about a boy and his imagination.  It has a cool retro/vintage vibe and is all about a kid riding in the back seat of the car imagining what kind of car he'd build. The car has a swimming pool, instant snack bar and is able to be a boat, submarine and rocket.  It sounds pretty cool to me!  Jack loves reading this one and it's not because the main character's name is Jack.  Another thing I like about it is that it rhymes. The reading teacher in me loves to read any book that rhymes because I know it helps children develop phonemic awareness.

Monkey with a Toolbelt, Author Chris Monroe

This is a very fun read.  Author/Illustrator Chris Monroe does an excellent job of putting lots of details on each page to make it interesting to see what's going on.  Depending on your child's interest level, you can delve into each picture, or just read the text and go quickly through each page. (I do the latter, mine's only 3). It's kind of like a comic book, but not the super hero type.  There is a sequel called "Monkey with a Tool Belt and the Sea-side Shenanigans".  We actually found that book first.  I doesn't matter the order you read the stories as they are completely unrelated.  She also wrote "Sneaky Sheep" and we enjoyed that story as well.

Checking out picture books from the Public Library

So if you are like me, you enjoy getting new picture books from the library every 3 weeks because it means a new repertoire of books to choose from for the nightly routine. I'm fortunate enough to have only 1 kid with me when I go, so I am able to really take my time and read every single stinkin' spine to find the books that my kid will actually be interested in reading.  I've talked to a lot of my friends with little boys who find it difficult to either spend the time to find those perfect books, or have a hard time finding ones that are worthwhile.  I realized I already have this forum that I can use to share some of the great books I have happened across from the library.  Maybe this will help you find some to check out. You can even put a hold on them and check them out without having to go searching yourself!  So, let me know if this is useful to you at all and what your kiddos thought of the books too.  I can't guarantee I'll post frequently, but we do go to the library about once every 3 weeks, so I should have a new batch to report on! :) Happy Reading!

Girl With a Pearl Earring

I read a book of Tracy Chevalier's last year. See here. I enjoyed that book and so was expecting to enjoy this one as well. She did not disappoint.

The story is another historical fiction set in 17th Century Holland. The inspiration for the story is a Vermeer painting with the same name (see the cover of the book). I had heard of Vermeer because I read a kid's book a while ago called "Chasing Vermeer". I had never heard of him before, even though I took lots of art history classes in college. (At one time I wanted to get a Master's in Art History).

Anyway, Chevalier does a fantastic job of describing Dutch life at this time. In her fantasy world, the girl with a pearl earring is actually one of Vermeer's maid. Obviously there is no historical basis for this, and actually very little is known about Vermeer. Which makes him a perfect artist to write a historical fiction about because we really don't know who his models are and what the stories are behind the paintings.

I was intrigued from the beginning and Chevalier kept me gripped all the way to the climax of the plot. It's definitely not a page turner, but it's such an interesting setting and idea that you can't help but want to find out what happens next. Although I think a lot of the ladies in the book club didn't particularly like the book, it certainly caused a lot of discussion, which really made it endearing.

The Truth Machine

I actually read this book on Rusty's kindle. It's an older book (written in 1996 if I remember right), and so it was only $3 on the kindle. It was fun to read this way, especially considering the type of story this is.

Written by James Halperin, I'm not sure if it's truly a science fiction, but I would classify it as such because it deals with ideas of the future and technology. The author makes some outlandish assumptions and guesses as to how the future will be, but I suppose George Orwell did too when he wrote 1984. The problem with writing futurist books is that eventually the future becomes the present, and then the author is "wrong" about how it will be.

The main character is a super genius who has the idea to create a truth machine. This machine can detect a lie with 100% accuracy. As this machine is adopted into use in the United States, the affects are far-reaching. People can no longer lie in court. Partners can no longer hide infidelity. You get the idea. What would our world be like if everyone HAD to tell the truth? Read and find out what James Halperin thinks!

Anatomy of Peace

I have been reading in the last 2 months, I just never got around to writing about the books.

I'm in 2 book clubs now, but luckily, it hasn't been too hard to keep up.

The first book I read was this one: The Anatomy of Peace by the Arbinger Institute. I had never heard of it, but apparently this is a companion to "Leadership and Self-Deception". Neither of these titles are books I would typically pick up and read, but I really enjoyed this one.

It is written as a fiction story, but incorporates the philosophy of the Arbinger Institute. Basically, it's a way of looking at the world that allows you to deal with conflict in a more Christ-like way. Don't be mistaken though--it is not a Christian book. I just felt like what they describe were ideas Christ would support!

So, our lives are full of conflict. The book is not about avoiding conflict, but simply how to cope with it in a more healthy way. Ever have arguments with your husband? children? parents? Reading this book will help you look at them (and yourself) in a whole new way. I wish I could say I have fully implemented the ideas in my own life. I'm trying, but a refresher read would be good for me already!

Half Broke Horses

I just finished reading this story today. I really enjoyed it and was sorry (again) that it sat on my bedside table for so long. The author, Jeannette Walls, is the author of "The Glass Castle". My mom told me about The Glass Castle a couple years ago, but something about it has made me not want to read it.

When she brought me this book, I was hesitant. She said, "It's not like The Glass Castle at all. This is about the author's grandmother". So I said I'd give it a try. I liked it so much it has made me want to read The Glass Castle.

Anyway, Lily Casey (and then eventually Smith) is Ms. Wall's grandma. She was born and raised on ranches in Texas and New Mexico. She leaves at a very young age to teach in a one room school house (after going to boarding school herself) in Arizona. That's how the story starts out. I won't bore you with details of the plot.

I'll just tell you why I liked the book.

1) It is organized in short vignettes and sections within the book. This was perfect for me because I was able to read little bits at a time and wasn't feeling like I was missing anything.

2) It's told in 1st person and you really get a sense of who Lily Casey Smith was (at least how her granddaughter remembered and interpreted her). She was quite the character and becomes endearing in her own little way. She's exactly how I picture a woman of the west in the early 20th century to be. I didn't know Rusty's grandma very well, but from what I hear, Lily Smith reminds me of her. I don't know if it's a generational thing or more like a rancher thing, but it's interesting.

3) The book had a "These is my Words" feel to it, but it was clearly more realistic. Not because These is my Words was unrealistic, but because I knew Lily Casey Smith actually existed and much of the story could be verified. I don't know why that was important to me, but it was.

4) It made me wish I had asked my own grandmother questions about herself before she died. I was too young to care or understand how important this would become to me, but I never really knew my grandmothers on either side. I think that's sad, and wish I had cared more.

I highly recommend the book. It's entertaining, fun, light and a quick read.

Remarkable Creatures

My mom gave me this book to read. She bought it at a shop in Cabo San Lucas when she was down there in May. I had never heard of it, or the author, Tracy Chevalier. She told me it wasn't the best book in the world, but an enjoyable read. I agree with her.

Set in 19th Century London, this is a story of a unusual but lasting friendship. Elizabeth Philpot is a spinster whose brother marries and so she and her 2 unmarried sisters are forced to relocate because the sister in law doesn't want them living in her house. She is given 150 pounds a year as "salary", which doesn't sound like much, but she is still part of the upper class. They relocate to Lyme Regis, a small village on the sea.

Mary is a young girl who was struck by lightning when she was young and has always been a little different. Her father is a cabinet maker and so she comes from the lower, working class.

Mary and Elizabeth meet on the shores of Lyme Regis and become friends, tied together by their love of fossils. You have to remember that at this time there wasn't much known about Natural History. I'm not quite sure if Darwin was before or after this time, but I think he was after. The common scientific belief was that everything was created by God and everything you see today is how God created it.

Mary finds a fossil that is unlike any they have seen before. They call it a "crocodile", but it doesn't look like one. There were terms used in the book that I never looked up, I just kind of used my inferencing skills to determine it was probably some kind of dinosaur. Anyway, this find makes Mary somewhat famous and people come from all over the country to find fossils with her. A series of events happen that cause Mary and Elizabeth to have a falling out. But after some years, Elizabeth helps Mary in a way that buries the hatchet.

I enjoyed the setting immensely. The author did a great job creating imagery throughout the book. The idea of being a part of cutting edge science as a woman at that time was interesting to me. Of course the modern woman looks back at that time with disdain, but I have to wonder if I would have gladly accepted the limits placed on me, or if I would have fought them. Not sure?! Although it took me a little while to get into the book, it kept my interest, which is a feat these days!

The Road

I was reading the blog of a friend from high school and she recommended this book. She was an English major, so I thought, she must know what she's talking about.

The literary skill of this author was amazing, there's no doubt about that. But the subject matter was very difficult. I didn't know it was made into a movie until I started telling people I was reading it. I don't know why anyone would want to watch this movie.

The book is so depressing, and me being the casual reader that I am, wanted the author to give me way more information than he did. The setting is in North America somewhere presumably after Armageddon (but you never really find out what happened). It reminded me a lot of I Am Legend, without the zombies. Instead of zombies, there were cannibals, starving just like everyone else, but willing to feed their hunger with humans.

The main characters are "the man" and his son "the boy". The book follows the man and boy across the country toward the coast and warmer weather because they can't sustain life in the place they started. They come across horrific things and nearly starve to death numerous times. It's really a study of human nature and what it means to survive. If you were one of the last survivors, would you keep fighting or give up? Especially when you didn't know what you were fighting for?

It was an interesting concept, but I guess I'm just a weakling. I think I would have given up. Maybe that's because I have a hope for something after this life, a belief in something more than this mortal existence. Or maybe it's because I'm just weak and don't have what it takes. Either way, if you're looking for a book that would cause food for thought, this would be a good one, especially if you like dark drama. If you need something happy in your life, don't touch this one!

My Love/Hate Relationship with a Good Book

I LOVE reading a good book because when I am, I seldom watch TV.

I HATE reading a good book because when I am, I can't put it down and I don't get anything else done.

I LOVE reading a good book because I enjoy the stimulation it gives me.

I HATE reading a good book because when I get a bad book, it sucks in comparison.

I LOVE reading a good book because it gives me something to write/talk/blog about.

I HATE reading a good book because when I'm done reading it, I don't want it to end.

I LOVE reading a good book because it is entertaining.

I HATE reading a good book because I just did (last post) and I haven't read anything since!

YOU?