David and Dog by Shirley Hughes

 David and Dog by Shirley Hughes

Rating: 5 sweet stars

I have a well loved, chewed up copy of this book tucked away on a high shelf in our library, away from the curious fingers of my trio.  My ten year old full name is written out in careful cursive on the first page. I usually share well, but this is one of my very favorite books from my own childhood, and my flimsy paperback copy needs to be seriously reinforced.

This is a simple little story of a well loved, probably chewed on stuffed animal named Dog.  It's David that loves him, takes him everywhere with him, and constantly holds him.  Until the one day when David drops Dog.  His big sister offers him one of her many teddies, but...sleep is just not the same without Dog.

The next day is the school Summer Fair.  (The illustration immediately takes me back to the fundraiser of a fair at one of our many Catholic schools, Sacred Heart School in Savannah, Georgia.) Tables are set up with different sorts of games and activities, all in the hopes to make you part with your nickels and quarters that will go towards the school.

On one such table are a bunch of old toys, being sold yard sale-style.  It's there that David finds Dog--with a sign on him labeled 5 cents!  While he rushes to find his mother to get the nickel and buy back dog, a not-so-nice little girl buys him and does not want to part with him.  David returns not with his mother but with big sister Bella, who is toting an enormous teddy she's won from a raffle.  The girl doesn't want to part with Dog...until she sees that teddy.

"Then Bella did something very kind."  (I must have read that sentence a million times.)  Bella generously offers a swap of stuffed animals, and the girl and David are enormously pleased with her good deed.  Brother and sister go home happily, where sleep is made much happier with Dog in bed.

That's it.  Nothing more to it.

I don't know what struck me as so wonderful about this book when I was a kid.  The sentence of kindness was my favorite, and I am sure I was impressed with Bella's willingness to sacrifice her prize for her brother's happiness.  But as I read it today, I still smile at her kindness and still hope that my kids treat each other as well as David and Bella treat each other.  At least most days.


P.S.  This book is now called Dogger.  Not sure why, but the title changed a few decades ago; both versions of the book are way out of print.  I think that means I'm officially old!

My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett, illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett

Rating: 3.5 stars

Here's a segue-way book: In between the years of picture books (those gorgeously illustrated tales, both simple and complicated) and the decades of chapter books (those wordy works both true and not-so-true), books like My Father's Dragon teach your kids to sit and listen to a story told over several nights, maybe weeks or months. It's a learned skill (we forget because we're old) to sit and listen a little to a story, recalling the previous night and put on hold knowing the end because we know that end isn't going to come for a few more days or weeks. 

My Father's Dragon is a good start to reading chapter books at night. It is just ten short chapters, and after the first few chapters (which, I've got to say, aren't entirely gripping from the start), each chapter involves a story of its own. 

Her father finds and rescues the baby dragon.

A child tells the story of her or his father traveling to an imaginary island to rescue a baby dragon which is being used--rather, abused--as a means of transport from one side of the river to another. The animals on this island, aptly named Wild Island, are unwelcoming and all want to eat her father up. But he tricks them all in a David and Goliath sort of way, thus teaching your kids that brains beat brawn every time. Even though there's a threat of death on every other page and a smattering of the word "kill" and "hate," the stories are still silly enough and therefore tame enough for a preschooler--both Ben (5 5/6) and Lorelei (6 1/2) enjoyed the book very much. (Though longer, Ben was more entranced by The Wizard of Oz...)

We read about two chapters a night, though the big kids got their books taken away one night after racing up to the bathroom one night, leaving one child triumphant and one child in tears. (The previous night resulted in the same race and the same result, and I warned them that I'd take books away if they repeated it. They did, and I stood by my threat. Sometimes they forget they have a Mean Mom; sometimes I have to remind them.) 

I liked it. Didn't love it, but a solid like.  There are two sequels to the book that I've ordered from the library--I doubt I'll read them but I'm sure Lorelei will inhale them in an hour...!

A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na

A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na

Rating: 4 stars

In college, when their clothing actually covered most of you and the music in their stores didn't deafen innocent passers by, I worked at Abercrombie & Fitch.  It was to get extra money for practical things, but I took advantage of the employee discount.  Especially at Christmas time.  I bought my mom and sister and best friend sweaters, but, as the good rule-follower that I am, I worried that my boss would realize that I was abusing the discount and buying stuff for others, not just me.

So I wore the sweaters a bit before giving them to my family and friend.  Just a few times!  Promise!

Some make lots of noise when they sleep.

So it is with books.  We read them a few times before finally wrapping them up.  I don't think that we've ever gotten marinara or chocolate on a gift book, but...I can't be totally sure.  Earlier this week Kiefer and I chose Mr. Tiger Goes Wild for a party we'll be going to today; we bought A Book of Sleep for the birthday boy's newborn sister.

And, because my trio and I read it a few times (and because I wrap things at the very last minute), I can tell you what a great book it is.

This is a simple book (we have the sturdy board book version)--perfect for littler listeners--about how different animals sleep, told in the presence of the nocturnal owl.  With funky-in-a-great-way illustrations and nice, clean text, Il Sung Na lures kids in and calms them down for the night.  Here, listen to the App of Sleep--a more interactive version of the book, completely worth watching/listening to (but I don't recommend pressing play and leaving the room, letting your baby watch it and listen to it by herself.  Unless you've got a dozen kids.  Then, maybe, it's okay):

We hope this book lulls Baby Willa to sleep in the nights ahead.  We sure have liked it this week, before we've given it away.

Fall Ball by Peter McCarty

Fall Ball by Peter McCarty

Rating: 2 stars

Hmm.  I hope I don't offend any football-watching enthusiasts out there, but...this book is not for me.

Peter McCarty's unique, soft illustrations show a handful of kids enjoying a few great things in the great season of fall.  They suit themselves up in light coats to keep themselves warm against the chill. They bounce like crazy over a bump while coming home on the school bus.  They enjoy leaves blowing all around them.  And they enjoy a fine game of football on a leaf-filled field.

Then, it starts to get dark.  Earlier than they would like.  Another fall thing, right?

So they give up the game and pile on the sofa and watch football on TV instead.

Say whaaaaat?

How can a children's book's happy-ending involve watching TV?!  I know: I admit that TV watching isn't abhorrent all the time, and that some bonding can occur, especially when the TV watching involves sports and boys, big and small.  But STILL.  I just can't love a book that lauds it.  I sure wish that the kids in this book had creatively rigged some lights, or worn headlamps in order to play longer, or found a way to take the game indoors.

Again, sorry to those football-watchers out there.  I don't hate you, promise!  But please do balance your watching with playing and you're all right by me.

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

Rating: 4.5 stars

Here's a brand-new book for ya.  I actually went to a bookstore to wander around the children's section and look for newly published, fall, and Halloween books.  I found a whole bunch of 'em, including this one that I purchased for a little friend who turns three on Saturday.

It.  Is.  GREAT!

Mr. Tiger lives in a busy, animal-filled town and is "bored of being proper."  Smiling is out of the question; he can only muster a stern look of frustration.  (The word "bored" is the only reason this book doesn't get 5 stars.  I know, I know...picky, picky me.)  He just can't be himself in his stuffy top hat and tight suit; he is unhappy. But Mr. Tiger finally gets the nerve to loosen up, have a little fun, start going a little wild.  He starts small: he stops walking on two feet and goes back to a primal four.  He then starts chasing (gasp!) children.  He roars on park benches.  He leaps acrobatically instead of stiffly sauntering.

Everyone was perfectly fine with the way things were.
Everyone but Mr. Tiger.

After he takes his clothes off (ha!), the still-stuffy townspeople suggest he go live in the wilderness, if he's going to be wild.  So, happily, he does.  It is beautiful there, and he has a grand time.

For a little while.

Then he gets lonely and realizes that he misses people.  As my philosopher-dad would say, he knows he's got to live as an individual, but in society; he's got to find the right balance of living true to himself, but also within the rules.  He's welcomed back to his hometown, where he finds "that things are beginning to change."  Many animals have abandoned two-legged walking in favor of four-legged bounding.

Mr. Tiger became wilder each day.

By the end, a feeling-more-free Mr. Tiger is smiling in an aloha shirt.

I don't just like this book because, coincidentally, two days before I discovered it I also discovered Katie Perry's song "Roar"(yup, I linked you to the song with lyrics because you know me, I can't remember the words to even my favorite songs).  And, two days after discovering this book, my boys and I drove home listening to said catchy song, had it turned up full blast, and roared like fools (who also think we are champions).  Or like fool tigers maybe.

No, I like this book because everyone should read it, and everyone should learn from the message of the succinct and talented author-illustrator Peter Brown.  (I like his stuff, but I think this is his best book by far.)  Especially grown-ups who feel like they live in a stuffy world, who feel pressured to look and act a certain way.  We should all remain a little wild, I think, for our own soul's sake but also so to be a good example for our kids (maybe that will give some of us a little inspiration to go a little wild).  By daring to be a little unique, I'd like to show them that they, too, can dare to be a little unique.

May we all roar more!

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum

 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum

Rating: 5 stars

We're off to read the Wizard, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  Because, because, because, because...because Mommy said we are!

Now you'll have the song stuck in your head all day.  You're welcome.

I read this book aloud to our kids--Lorelei, 6 1/2; and Ben, nearly 5.  Kiefer, 2 1/2, snuggled up with us many nights, too, learning by example that this is what you do at night: grab a book, listen closely, and snuggle up.  This was Ben's first read-aloud chapter book; Lorelei and I read the first 5 Little House books last year by ourselves.  Ben listened to a few pages of them but--not that he ever said this out loud--those books just didn't hold their interest.  To be honest there were times when I thought they were a little boring, too.

And this is my first time blogging on a chapter book that you can read aloud to your kids (or that older kids can read by themselves).  Hope that you like this addition--I'll be adding more to the "Read Aloud Chapter Books" section as well as early chapter books in the coming months.

Bottom line up front: Oz was great!  I chose it after the kids and I went downtown to the National History Museum this summer, and they got a whiff of all the Oz STUFF.  I bought the book there and we started reading it a night or two later.  I was unsure if it'd be a great fit, especially after the first chapter, when Dorothy's house falls and kills the wicked witch of the West!

But it worked.  Really, really well.  Here's why:

My note to Lorelei in her lunchbox today.

1. This book is adventurous--each chapter the reader meets a different character, often far-fetched and silly, sometimes mean and a little scary.  It makes for fantastic a-chapter-a-night reading because something is always happening.  Danger (just the right amount!) was involved.
2. This book is a classic--it's one that their teachers will reference for years to come, so it's good that they have this cultural stuff under their belt.  I've not yet explained why Dorothy's shoes are ruby red in the movie, but that historical significance is cool, too.
3. This book has lessons upon lessons to teach--of course the Lion is looking for "his brave" as we say it in our house, the Tin Woodman is looking for a heart, and the Scarecrow is looking for a brain.  We talked throughout how they really do have these things but they don't reach inside themselves to use it.  And Ben would ask me out of the blue for weeks: Which is more important, Mommy, a brain or a heart? (The Scarecrow and Tin Woodman debate this briefly.)  He knows my answer: a heart.  In the end Dorothy finds out she could have left for Kansas again the moment the Silver Shoes were on her feet, but she didn't know the magic AND, more importantly, the timing wasn't right: Her friends needed her, she couldn't go yet, she had a few things to complete until she could.
4. The book deals with real-life stuff in fantasy-filled ways.  The chapter or two on the Wicked Witch of the East are pretty dark; she's a nasty character.  The Wizard of Oz says he won't help them until they "destroy" (a few times they use "kill") the Wicked Witch of the East.  But aren't their nasty characters in their life (hopefully not in preschool and first grade but you get what I mean)?  I didn't remember this, but it is only by accident that Dorothy kills her by flinging water at her in anger.  Now the kids get my joke when it's raining and we have no umbrella: "Don't worry about it, it's not like we're going to melt!"

I'm pretty sure when Lorelei sees the ruby red shoes,
she'll choose to be Dorothy for Halloween, not Laura.

I'm so grateful that I spontaneously grabbed this book at the museum.  It's been a great fit for my kids, provided great conversation, and was just plain fun.  I had thought that we'd watch the movie together as a family when we were done but...I forgot about those winged monkeys.  It just so happens that there are some movie theaters nearby that are going to show the movie in 3D next week, but...can you imagine those winged monkeys in 3D, flying right at you?!  Neither can I.  We'll be watching it from the comfort of our own sofa sometime--probably later than sooner.

And if the song is not stuck in your head just yet, click here (and/or show this to your kids so they get a feel for the movie but they're not kept up with nightmares of winged monkeys):

Meet Einstein by Mariela Kleiner

Meet Einstein by Mariela Kleiner, illustrated by Viviana Garofoli

Rating: 5 stars

I recently read that almost every single Kindergardener will raise her hand when asked, "Who is an artist?"  Yet by fourth grade, only a few hands go up when the same question is asked.  Clearly something gets in the way of creativity between those years--thanks to a bit of insecurity, a sprinkling of poor peer review, and a heavy dose of knowing what a Real Artist is and does and makes.  Kids get intimidated out of being an artist when, at their core, they still are.

Same thing with science.

I've yet to meet a kid--and with three kids, I've met a whole lot of 'em--who isn't curious.  A kid who doesn't look up and down and all around and just...wonder.  Ben is my thinker-outloud-er and he lets me know of all his wonderful wonderings.  Constantly.  An afternoon with him surely includes approximately 3,852,992* questions and half that many observations.  While it definitely infuriates my grown-up self that he often doesn't care about the answer to most of these questions (that I so dutifully and thoroughly think up!), it's his curiosity that I appreciate, that I really try my utmost to encourage.

This book helps with both of the things I've pointed out.

The book offers two simple explanations of what scientists DO: "Scientists like to ask lots of questions" and "Scientists make lots of discoveries."  No intimidating, exclusive definitions here.  While reading this book, Ben and Lorelei suddenly realized that they WERE SCIENTISTS!  Holy smokes!  They, too, like to ask lots of questions and they, too, make lots of discoveries.  POOF!  Scientists!  No expensive, time-consuming PhDs necessary.

With the help of a very simple introduction to Albert Einstein and what his major contributions were--his many discoveries of light and his insights about gravity--my kids realized that science is a natural thing that they do every day.  It is a natural extension of their own way of thinking about and exploring  the world around them.  Garofoli's simple and welcoming illustrations just add to the feeling that OF COURSE kids are all scientists.  Now my kids are armed with this confidence as they explore our woods, splash around our creek, figure out cause and effect, and make preschooler-sized predictions about their world.  (As I edit this, they are watching what happens when you put an ice cube in a cup of warm tea...)

Doctors Lorelei & Ben,
seriously hard at work making slime

Now, if only I could help them feel this confident in their scientific capabilities in middle school and beyond...  At the very least, I'm laying the groundwork for it.

Earlier in the year, my sister planned a science-themed birthday party for her twin girls who turned 6.  (Ever the entertainer, my sister has yet to plan and throw an unsuccessful, unfun party!)  Her husband was the crazy scientist, complete with a few chuckle-worthy mistakes in the experiments he was leading.  But the kids, dressed in plain white t-shirts cut open to be lab coats, each with their own personalized "doctor" name tag and safety goggles, hung on his every word.  They did a few kitchen science experiments; they giggled in awe as their volcano overflowed, the stuff floated in the fizzy water, and the made gooey slime to gross out their parents.

Doesn't it make you want to be a kid again?

(And isn't that what parenting is all about?  Your own personal do-over, re-appreciating it the second time around...)

* My Dad, when he read this, asked how I got this precise number of questions.  "One day, I counted," I retorted.  Ha!

Runny Babbit by Shel Silverstein

Runny Babbit by Shel Silverstein

Rating: 5 stars

Once upon a time, a long long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I sat in a hotel lobby in Seattle, Washington, listening to some former Peace Corps Volunteers talk about the country they had served in, which was the same country to which I was traveling to the very next day: Thailand.  The language is crazy! they said.  It is so different!  It is so difficult!  All you can do, they said, is have fun with it.

Before that moment, my idea of attacking something difficult included putting on a ridiculously serious face, giving it my all, and being really hard on myself if I didn't get it right (the first time, of course).  Luckily for me, my light-hearted approach to learning Thai turned out to be invaluable in many ways.  I learned to attack something super difficult with effort and humor, and I learned to love a language in a way that fundamentally changed my approach to teaching my own language to my own kids.

Dr. Seuss' approach to writing was similar to this light-hearted, give-me-a-chance-to-laugh-while-I-learn approach.  He wanted to grab kids and pull them into his books with his silliness while still turning them on to the magic of reading and, often, teaching a pretty important lesson.  Shel Silverstein's books of poems--think A Light in the Attic--were a part of my childhood, as I'm sure they were a part of yours.  But Runny Babbit, which we happened upon in our local library, is more in line with Dr. Seuss than his other anthologies.  Silverstein worked on it for decades, and it was published posthumously.  I think it is, by far, his best stuff.  It is WONDERFUL. Truly all-caps worthy!

Read a few stanzas of one poem, "Kugs and Hisses," and you'll agree, I think:

Runny said, "I'm lonesome,
I feel so glad and sooty.
I need some kugs and hisses--
Now, who's gonna give 'em to me?"
"I will," said Polly Dorkupine,
"'Cause you're cute as a rug in a bug."
Said Runny, "Well, I'll kake the tiss,
But never hind the mug."

So clever!  Genius, really!  So hilarious!  Giggle-worthy!  Side-splitting!  Turn-the-page-I-want-more stuff!  And isn't this the sort of book we want our children to read (especially in our lap, thankfully putting down whatever we're doing on our endless to do list and, instead, giggling right alongside our kid/s, understanding what Silverstein is doing here, and then creating our own Runny Babbit-language for days and weeks and years to come)?!

Oh this page is so funny!  Enlarge it and you'll agree!

The book is a collection of poems, yes, but really each poem is like a new little chapter in Runny Babbit's life.  This adds to the turn-the-page-I-want-more-ness of the book.  Lorelei was the first one to sit and read it, laughing like crazy, saying, "Oh Mom, you've got to read this!" until I did.  Months later, after we had a personal copy of the book, Ben got in on the joke and we slowly read and explained the jokes to him.  He laughed, but as he's only a beginner reader (and perhaps also a little less of a language-lover than Lorelei and me), so he hasn't yet applied the twists and turns to his own language.

Lorelei, on the other hand, can't be stopped.  Bappy Hirthday! she says to people on their birthday, completely not caring if they don't get her own Runny Babbit-language joke.  I'm proud to say she's inherited the laugher-at-myself-er gene, and I'm prouder to say she gets that from me.  I have a feeling that in a few decades this Runny Babbit-language will pop up: I've decided to major in Lenglish Iterature, Mom! or I'm going to Chudy in Stina, Mom!  It will not surprise me.  It will make me smile.

This is a must-have.  Not just a must-read.  It's one of those books that you've got to have on your shelf so that you and your kids have a light-hearted book into which you can dive when things get too serious around the house.  We love it, and I hope you love it just as much.

Let's Play Baseball! by Charles R. Smith, Jr.

Let's Play Baseball! by Charles R. Smith, Jr., illustrated by Terry Widener

Rating: 3.5 stars

Do you know the monkey-see-monkey-do effect?  If you do, I know you've got more than one kid.  And, like me, you might have more than one boy.  I know that girls see and then do just like boys, but...I'm shocked at and amused by the speed in which Kiefer repeats something Ben does--especially if that Something gets a hug or concerned look or, in most cases, something on the laugh-o-meter...  Anything from a hidden smile to outright belly laugh will get repeated twice.

And so, as Ben is into baseball, Kiefer is also into baseball!  Not shocking!

Let's Play Baseball! is a sturdy book--not as strong as a board book, but heftier than a hardback--that will withstand many reads, dozens of T-ball practices, and way too many trips to the dirty dugout.  It is a simple rhyme from a baseball's perspective inviting a boy to go outside and play ball:

THROW me...CATCH me, again and again.
PITCH me, HIT me...into the wind!
BLAST ME OFF your bat, into the sky...
SEE my red stitches SPIN as I fly.

Not much to it, in a really good way.  Perfect for the little brother aspiring to be his big brother--that's about as classic as the game of baseball itself.

Dino-Baseball by Lisa Wheeler

 Dino-Baseball by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Barry Gott

Rating: 4.5 stars

Of all the baseball books we have in the house right now (14 at the last count), this is Ben's favorite.  Lisa Wheeler was smart to match two things that young boys really love--dinosaurs and baseball--and create a rhyme that captures the excitement of a nail-biter of a baseball game.

The Green Sox and the Rib-Eye Reds battle it out on the baseball diamond, their reptilian bodies funnily shoved into uniforms usually reserved for human players.  Barry Gott does a great job with the illustrations; I especially love how he catches the frustration and excitement (depending which team you're rooting for) of an out.  The illustrations can be a confusing jumble, especially if the gigantic brachiosaurus is involved and spread out on two pages instead of one.  We're never quite sure of his position because he spills out onto the whole field...!

I also like how Wheeler throws in some real aspects of baseball that have been fun to explain to Ben.  On the top of my list is the emphasis on good manners and sportsmanship, or ELSE:

The Green Sox manager's irate,
throws his hat and kicks home plate.
He calls the ump a nasty name
and gets ejected from the game.

Yup, without any warnings!  That's real life for you, I told Ben.  Good manners or you can't play!  Other little things include fun baseball slang and traditions--"good-bye ball" for home run, the seventh-inning stretch hot dog run...things like that.

I've read this book twice daily for the past three days, and it is going into Ben's baseball-themed backpack to share with his class after I click "Publish" on this blog post, so...it's a hit!

Pete the Cat: Play Ball! by James Dean

Pete the Cat: Play Ball! by James Dean

Rating: 3.5 stars

It's no secret that we in this house love, love, LOVE Pete the Cat.  These books put a smile on my face like no other book, and his songs get my toes tapping and put all of us in a good mood (and that's a good thing, because we all know when Mommy is in a good mood, it's easier for everyone else to be in a good mood).

And we waited not-so-patiently for Play Ball! and James Dean's other Pete the Cat I Can Read books to arrive on the hold shelf for us in the library.

Alas, we are all a little disappointed.

It turns out that Pete actually stinks at baseball.  He can't hit, he can't catch and it seems he has trouble even drinking Gatorade in the dugout (I'm actually making that part up).  He does try his best--that point is pointed out in a redundant way that many I Can Read Books manage--and his sly face is indifferent as he fails at each and every aspect of the game.  His team manages to win the game despite Pete's lack of talent for the game, so I guess there is a happy ending.

It's got to be hard to have a good follow-up to three wildly successful books (I thought his fourth book, Pete the Cat Saves Christmas, was not as great as the first three).  Yet I found myself thinking about Play Ball! after we read it--what does it mean when I don't like a book when the hero doesn't add anything to the victory?  Can there be a story when the hero is just a ho-hum guy leading a ho-hum existence?  Does the moral of the story have to be some triumphant victory every single time?

Clearly the answer is this: It's a good thing for books like this to lie around our children's shelves, so that they know that the hero (in their world, that's them, of course) doesn't always have to be uber-fantastic.  I didn't love the book, but I do appreciate the message--Pete still rocks even though he's not the best at baseball.  As my best friend Stacey says, we're all working on something, and it seems that Pete is still working on baseball.

Hopefully he won't give up his day job of singing catchy tunes while looking impossibly cool and hip!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame by Jack Norworth

Take Me Out to the Ballgame by Jack Norworth, illustrated by Macky Pamintaun

Rating: 5 stars

A simple book, about a simple concept: good ol' baseball.  Add on the timeless tale of a young boy falling madly in love with the game, and you've got yourself a great song with fantastic illustrations.

The classic, oh-so-American song (full story of it is in the back of this book and in this fantastic other children's book, Players in Pigtails) provides the words; Macky Pamintaun provides the illustrations of an incredibly enthusiastic, super excited, ohmygodIcan'tbelieveitIamata-baseballgameforrealforrealforreal young boy going to a ballgame.

That's it, that's all.  Simple, but you've GOT to have this book if you've got a baseball-crazed guy around.

Ben, 12 hours before practice.

And I happen to have one such guy around.  His name is Ben.

The young boy in the book could easily be Ben who, as I type, is sleeping in his baseball cap after his first T-ball practice.  I don't know if the word "enthusiastic" accurately describes how crazy happy and crazy into this game he is.  We watched him throw himself into the game, running full throttle after a ball, listening with every fiber of his little body at his coach (my good friend), and paying more attention to the ground ball approaching his glove than he ever has paid attention to me.

In all, a great, great day.  A Big Day!  And where are we going on Sunday?  To a ball game.  A REAL one!  See that cover up there?  That'll be Ben, more excited than he was on Christmas morning...

We're Going on a Bear Hunt (Take Two)

We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Rating: 5 stars

Almost three years ago (!) I blogged about We're Going on a Bear Hunt--and I'm sure anyone reading this is familiar with the book and loves it as much as we do.

An hour ago I was mentally counting the minutes until bedtime.  I'm sure you've never been there.  You're probably a more patient parent than I am.  It was that time of day when they are fed but tired, energetic but unfocused.  And I was ready for bedtime--theirs, that is.  We've had a full day of hiking with Grammy and a nice quiet time and good meals...I've been a good mom today.  But...how many minutes left?

I was checking my Facebook for distraction from my countdown and came across this: 100 Ways to be Kind to Your Child.  Hmm.  I clicked on it and immediately loved it.  It's a long list of little things that have a big impact (in case you're wondering, checking your Facebook is not on the list), and they are great ideas to sprinkle into your daily routine.

Like #47--Read a book and then act it out, like We're Going on a Bear Hunt.

What a fantastic idea!  I told the kids what we were going to do.  Ben quickly volunteered to be the bear.  Lorelei and I started in the playroom, and swish-swashed, squelch-squirched, stumble-tripped, tip-toed our way to him at the front door.  When we got there, to the grinning, growling Ben, we said "One shiny wet nose?" and touched his nose.  "Two big furry ears?"  And touched his ears.  "Two big goggly eyes?"  And touched his eyebrows.  "It's a bear!" and then ran screaming, and he ran after us growling and laughing.

Fun!  Lorelei took a turn being the bear, but I think everyone's favorite was when Kiefer and I were bears--we chased them for about ten minutes through the house, finding the bigger kids in every hiding place they could find, and laughing wildly.  The best thing for them: running through the house screaming, being chased by Mommy-the-bear.  The best thing for me: crazy but channeled fun, an activity long enough to sustain us until bedtime.

I had to pass along the list and the idea and the laugh...just in case you find yourself in need of a 15 minute activity during your hardest part of your day.

Now I'm wondering what other books I can do this with...  Any ideas for me?

Go, Go, Grapes! by April Pulley Sayre

Go, Go, Grapes!: A Fruit Chant by April Pulley Sayre

Rating: 5 stars

The other night the kids and I spent the night at Grammy's house in Winchester; the next morning after a not-so-good-night's-sleep (but who remembers the nights when they get enough sleep?!) we drove to the charming old town of Winchester to a cute little independent book store called Winchester Book Gallery.  Grammy had been there once before, loved it, but thought that there wasn't a children's section.  A quick review of the store on Yelp revealed she was wrong!  (It was the first time in her whole life, I'm sure.)  Not only was there a children's section, but it was in a LOFT that overlooked the rest of the store!  We had to check it out.

Kiefer looks down from the lofty children's section.

It was awesome!  Always a fan of quirky book stores, I am a fan of this one.  And glad that I'll be going back frequently when we visit Grammy (and GrandBill, too).  Plus the local mega-chain bookstore in our area just closed, so the kids and I are blown away by all the new books that have come out since the last time we were in a bookstore.  So...I was a pushover when Lorelei asked if she and Ben and Kiefer could each choose a new book.  YES!

Anyway, they each made solid selections (I MIGHT have chosen Kiefer's for him and you MIGHT be reading about it sometime soon), and though I tried to get Lorelei to choose Go, Go, Grapes!: A Fruit Chant, she chose a girly tea-party-themed book.  Sigh.

I was super excited to see the sequel to Rah Rah Radishes, a book we've checked out a dozen times and recommended to dozens of friends.  (That'd be all of them.)   The illustrations are huge, bright, inviting photographs sure to inspire a few "What sort of fruit is that?!"  Like Rah Rah Radishes, this book is a fun, rhyming chant full of familiar and exotic fruits that is sure to get your kids to try at least one new fruit.  Here's a little example:

Canteloupe. Watermelon.  Mind that rind!
Figs are fabulous.  Currants call.
Mango.  Mangosteen.
Chomp, chomp, chomp!
Grapefruit.  Dragon fruit.
What a find!
Glum?  Go plum!
Or apricot!
Try a papaya.
Rambutan--romp!

(Please leave a comment if you've tried a mangosteen or rambutan, two super yummy fruits that I ate way too much of in Thailand when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer.  And if you know the Thai word for rambutan...I will find them and we'll split a bag of 'em!)

Anyway, fruity Thai memories aside, this is a fun food book that you should check out tomorrow!

This is San Francisco by Miroslav Sasek

This is San Francisco by Miroslav Sasek

Rating: 5 stars

I know I have said it before, but I really like to provide Lorelei, Ben and Kiefer books about places we're going to visit before we actually get there.  Whether it's a baseball game or art museum, dairy farm or Washington, D.C., they like to know what they're getting themselves into.  Or, because I prefer to deny them the luxury of opinions at this young age, they like to know what I am getting them into.  Yup, that's a bit more accurate!

So it was with our recent trip to Northern California.  My husband travels there for work from time to time, so he got for the kids this classic travel book about a year ago.  They've loved it ever since--at first, only because Daddy got it for them, but then they realized the pictures were really cool.  They quickly realized that this city called San Francisco was very different from our sleepy ex-burb town in Northern Virginia.  And finally, they loved it because they knew we were going there for Spring Break.

Steep, steep hills!

This book is vintage cool--even though your kids will have no idea what you're talking about if you tell them that, you'll know it by flipping through the pages.  Sasek was born in Czechoslovakia in 1916, and worked for Radio Free Europe in the 1950s before he began working on his "This Is..." series--his first was This is Paris.  This is San Francisco was first published in 1962, and reprinted in 2003.  Like the other books in the series, it is true to its original within the main pages, but has updated information in the back of the book.

For your child, the book is like a tour of the city without leaving your lap.  Lorelei was fascinated with the crazy angle of the streets in the pictures, and was delighted to find that the streets really are that steep (even after trudging up them to check out Lombard Street).  Ben loved the Golden Gate Bridge best, and for months he'd find it on our placemat map.  He was so thrilled to see it from afar, then actually go over it last week!

Kiefer and I on steep Lombard Street...
he got a deal, I got a workout!

There are a lot of words in this book, which makes for a long read and therefore best for kids older than 4, but the pictures are so engaging that younger kids will get wrapped up in it, too.

Sasek's "This is" series is good to know about.  We've given This is Washington, D.C., to friends of ours who, like us, live near D.C.  But there are a bunch more--London, Paris, New York, Rome, Texas, and more (click here for complete list).  They make great gifts for kids who are moving or traveling to one of these areas.

Reading plus exploring (whether that's traveling a long distance or some place right down the road) is a great combination.

Maybelle the Cable Car by Virginia Lee Burton

Maybelle the Cable Car by Virginia Lee Burton

Rating: 4.5 stars

We just returned from a big ol' family trip to Northern California.  It was the first time I'd ever really  been there (does a two day stint in San Francisco in college for a conference and a ten hour layover in Los Angeles really count?) and I was blown away by the beauty and hipness of the place.  I suddenly realized how uncool I am here on the East Coast!

But rather than go on a tangent about my lack of cool, I'll try and focus on books.   Before this and any trip, I try to find a bunch of books about our destination so to provide a context for the kids.  Since they have few or no expectations and little experience to draw upon, I really think giving them picture-filled books to show them what we'll see is helpful.  Plus sights fly by their window so quickly, I like for them to...pre-steep, if you will...in the city as much as possible.

So, Maybelle the Cable Car.  This is one of my favorite books by Virginia Lee Burton--it is charming, interesting, and informative.  Can't beat that!  In this book, the city fathers are thinking about retiring the cable cars in favor of buses, which are "newer and faster and more economical."  Maybelle is one of those cable cars, and she and her sisters are immediately dismayed at the news.  While some of the people are glad for progress, others are just as sad as Maybelle.  "We'll miss them...what a pity...We'll be like any other city."

So they call a public meeting and put it to a vote!  Obviously the cable cars win, but only after Big Bill the bus, the not-so-horrible enemy in the book, tries to climb the hills in the middle of the night.  At first, he thinks there's nothing to it.  But on a damp and foggy night, he slips, slides, and gets turned around.  He suddenly has a  little more respect for those cable cars.  So he concedes like a gentleman and beeps his horn to congratulate the cable cars as they take a victory climb up the hills of San Francisco.

Lorelei's I'm-on-a-cable-car grin.

After reading this book a dozen times at home and on the plane, all of us were VERY excited to ride the cable car.  We bought our tickets (and lost one...and I might have told a little lie that Lorelei was 4 not 5 so she didn't need one), stood in line, climbed aboard and held on tight.  Lorelei and Ben even got to stand-- though I did draw the line at letting them hang on to the side (see?  I am SO uncool!)--as our cable car noisily climbed up, up, up to the top of the hill.  We got off--where else?--at the Cable Car Museum so we could learn even more about the cable cars.  (Fascinating stuff there...I was eager to learn that Andrew Smith Hallidie, the inventor of the cable car, created it because he was an animal-lover, and he was tired of seeing horses get whipped while struggling up the hills' wet cobblestones.)

Anyway, a really good book even if you're not heading to San Francisco, but required reading if you are!


P.S.  In a man-I-wish-I-had-seen-that! moment, I found a nice little list of children's books (click here) about San Francisco on the blog www.SFKids.org.  But I did find this blog post useful about kid-friendly activities and sites around the city.

The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl

The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake

Rating: 4 stars

I'm sure everyone here knows about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach.  But Roald Dahl also has a handful of shorter novels with the same wicked sense of humor, same lessons tucked into a good story, same fabulous drawings by Quentin Blake.  The length and content definitely make these books better for the 4 and over crowd, in my opinion, and I suggest reading them first or reading them with your child.

But, wait, I must issue a warning!  These books are not for every family out there!  Here's why:

• Most of them involve words like "stupidest" and "shut up" and "ugly."
  
• Many of them involve some desire to kill an animal, usually with the use of a gun.
  
• Most plots have the kids--human or animal--in peril.
  
• A few characters, including the crocodile, die.  (But their deaths always dramatic and funny in a dark sort of way...the crocodile gets whipped around and around by the elephant, thrown up into galaxy and crashes headfirst into the hot, hot sun.  He was "sizzled up like a sausage!")

A little funny?

Hmmm.  As I wrote my little warning, I'm wondering...  Who is going to want to read this book?!  What good stuff does it have in it?!  Why did I just give it a 4 star rating?!

So let me answer my own questions, even though I'm generally better at asking than answering things in this life of mine.

Here's why you might want to read this book:

• The enormous crocodile aims to eat some nice, juicy little children.  But the other animals in the jungle want to save the children, so they, one at a time, stand up to the mean crocodile.  See?  Good vs Evil, and good wins!  Especially at the end, but I'll get to that.
  
• Kids like funny stories.  I mean, at least mine do.  And the enormous crocodile has some good ideas on how to trick little children to come towards him so he can gobble them up.  He stands on the tip of his tail to look like a palm tree, makes himself stiff as a board and then puts his belly on a log to look like a teeter-totter...you get the idea.  That is FUNNY STUFF!
  



Funnier?

• This book has the oh-I-know-what's-going-to-happen quality that gets kids excited to listen hard and guess what crazy trick the crocodile is going to pull next.  And when they know the crocodile is disguised and ready to gobble up a little kid, Ben likes to yell at the kids, "Look out!  It's a crocodile!!"

So you decide.  Is the book for you?  Let me know what you think...

We Eat Dinner in the Bathtub by Angela Shelf Medearis

We Eat Dinner in the Bathtub by Angela Shelf Medearis, illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers

Rating: 5 stars


How do you get a Ben to read?

One silly book + one sweet and silly big sister = lots of reading fun.

(yes, I thank my lucky stars for them--and Kiefer--each and every night!)

My Senator and Me by Senator Edward M. Kennedy

My Senator and Me: A Dog's-Eye View of Washington, D.C. by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, illustrated by David Small

Rating: 5 stars

Of all the children's books about politics, this is by far my favorite.  I don't mean to judge a book by its cover, but...c'mon, check out that cover.  Aren't you in love with that friendly canine already?  Just admit it...that pup is ca-yooot!

Without a doubt, David Small's fantastic illustrations once again make a good story into a fantastic book.  But the story alone would be pretty good.  Splash, Senator Kennedy's Portuguese Water Dog, is proud to be a senator's dog.  He's happy to explain the ins and outs of politics to readers who are just a little bigger than he is.

"If you want to serve your country, Washington, D.C., is a good place to be.  Washington is the capital of the United States.  The President lives there.  The Supreme Court works there.  The Congress--made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate--meets there.  And they all try to make our country a better, fairer, safer place for people and animals."

The real Splash.
(Oh, and the real Senator Kennedy.)

That's how it starts.  I was already hooked on the cover, but add that dose of patriotism and service...?  I'm a goner.

Just as the book gets a little serious about how a senator is elected, enter a batch of puppies from which the Kennedys select Splash.  And, from that point on (after, I'm guessing, some high-quality obedience training), Splash accompanies Senator Kennedy to his office in the Russell Senate Office Building where he sits through meetings, travelings on the underground tram, attends press conferences (as still as a statue), receives pets galore, and gets the quarreling committee meeting members' attention by howling.  The only place Splash is not permitted to go is on the Senate floor, where the Senators vote on a law to improve the quality of schools.

This is a great book with a few more lessons on our government for kids.  You can even write Splash at his email address (though I wish he wasn't so high-tech...can't he have a "snail mail" address?!), which is splash@tedkennedy.com .

WOOF!

Bennett Cerf's Book of Riddles

Bennett Cerf's Book of Riddles with drawings by Roy McKie

Rating: 4.5 stars

Here's a classic that I read to Lorelei and Ben this morning, "quizzing" them to see if they remembered the answers.  They did!  And I did, too, because this book is so old I remember reading it when I was in elementary school (it was published in 1960, so there might be a few politically incorrect drawings but they are all such safe, non-sarcastic jokes that the book is still great)...

Some of my favorites:

What holds up a train?
Bad men!

What is big and red and eats rocks?

A big red rock eater!

Why did the little boy throw the clock out the window?

Because he wanted to see time fly!

What gets lost every time you stand up?

Your lap!

Silly.  Funny.  Giggle-worthy.  And some logic-filled brain-teasers, too!  Any book with an illustrations of bandits holding up a train is a good book in my book!  Does anyone else remember this book?

Backseat A-B-See by Maria van Lieshout

 Backseat A-B-See by Maria van Lieshout

Rating: 3.5 stars

I was just talking about how Ben is the biggest little backseat driver...and then he found this book at the library!  Thanks to this book,  Ben is armed with new, helpful information to help me navigate through suburbia.

Not only can Ben remind me when to go and stop at stoplights, he can now:

• Tell me where the D for detours are.
• Remind me to get G for gas.
• Yell at me to pay attention when there's a M for merge up ahead.
• Scream at me when the O for one way is not going our way.
• Request a T for taxi when my car doesn't cut it.

Handy, huh?

The Busy Building Book by Sue Tarsky

The Busy Building Book by Sue Tarsky, illustrated by Alex Ayliffe

Rating: 4 stars

This is one of Ben's favorite books on construction.  The book follows the steps to build an office building in a big city, from plans to excavating, scaffolding to framing rooms.  It provides just a basic outline with minimal sentences, but included on each page are dozens of labels for those curious readers who want a little more information.  There's a lot going on in each page, so there is plenty to look at...and look at, and look at...  Definitely a good one for the construction collection in anyone's house.

And, speaking of construction, our construction adventure continues!  The house on Kirby Road that we're keeping an eye on is progressing from hole in the ground to a recognizable house.  Last week we picked up Lorelei from school and checked it out with the general contractor and our friend Sidd.

Look closely.  Can you see the hole in my jeans?
Note to self: Don't wear your good jeans when hopping fences.

When we arrived, Sidd invited us to hop over the (low, chain-link) fence, walk down a steep, muddy path, jump through a window-looking opening that was actually going to be a door, stroll around the "basement" while simultaneously dodging a handful of strong men swinging big ol' axes while digging trenches for pipes.

Did I mention that, in addition to holding the hands of my adventuresome 4- and 5-year old kids, 22-month old Kiefer and 62-yearold Grammy were tagging along?  And I (stupidly) was wearing my nicest jeans.  But did I let any of these factors stop me?  NO!  I'm THAT kind of mom who trespasses and traipses while looking cute!

Writing her initials in cement...all kids should do it once!
(Preferably legally.)

And I'm glad we did--because the kids had the chance to see the basement before it became a basement.  Sidd had plans for the house ready for us to page through, and the kids saw how it resembled artwork (albeit more precise).  They get a peak at how Sidd's imagination helped make this muddy hole become a home.  We walked around, with Sidd pointing out different things to the kids while I tried to keep them fairly clear of the swinging axes that might disfigure them (that'd be bad).  There was some fresh cement, and he let them write their initials in it with an iron stick that was lying in the dirt.  The kids' eyes were big the whole time while they soaked up this totally new and cool experience.

Next time, we're wearing boots.  And maybe Kiefer should stay with Grammy in a safer location...

Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood by Mike Artell

Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood by Mike Artell, illustrated by Jim Harris

Rating: 5 stars

Some books we read to educate, some to escape, some to inspire, some to answer deep questions.  But some books we read just to laugh.  Because laughter is delicious.

My husband is from Lafayette, Louisiana, so I've tried to make sure that our overstuffed bookshelves include some books that represent his story, his upbringing.  All books by Mike Artell should probably be in our house, permanently.  Not only are they written in fantastically creative verse with Cajun lingo infused in every beat, but they are wildly witty!

In Petite Rouge, Little Red Riding Hood is a duck, sent to visit her sick grandmother by pirogue (boat), across the swamp.  Instead of a wolf threatening her success, a 'gator named Claude is determined to take her lunch sack and life.  He scares Grandma away and dresses up like her (yup, it's a pretty hilarious illustration).  Petite Rouge outwits him by throwing some hot sauce-laden boudin (sausage) into his mouth, which causes a spicy eruption in his innards and he sends himself away for good.

But how the story is told makes that it so, so great!

Here's the part when Petite Rouge eyes up "Grandma" for the first time (read it out loud, it's better, trust me):

Ol' Claude make a smile,
an' he say, "It's dat flu.
It makes me all green wit' dem bomps,
dat's fo' tru'. 

"Why don' you come closer,
'cause I wanna se
all dat good food you mama
done cook fo' po' me. 

Petite Rouge Riding Hood
an' den Tejean de cat,
dey take a step closer
from where dey was at. 

Petite Rouge, she say, "Grand-mere!
I know you been sick,
but I t'ink mah eyes
be playin' on me a trick. 

"You mout' kinda big,
an' you nose kinda long,
an' I got me a feelin'
dat somet'in' bad wrong."

Every page or two I stopped to "translate" a bit for Lorelei and Ben, to make sure they comprehended the unfamiliar sounds coming out of my mouth.  I'm sure that if my husband heard me read this book (and Artell's other good one Three Little Cajun Pigs), that he'd probably cringe at some of my pronunciation--but that's the beauty of kids, they don't know!  They don't care!  It's like tripping a little when you're dancing a solo.  Will anyone really know?  Nope.  Just proceed with confidence and you'll be just fine.

This book is just downright fun--possibly more fun for the reader and other grown ups who appreciate the witty twists Artell produces.  It begs to be read aloud, which means it is, like all great things in life, meant to be shared.  If you've got a Cajun around you like I do, this is required reading dat's fo' tru'!

Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas

Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas

Rating: 5 stars

I have two mom friends with whom my trio and I have weekly "dinner parties."  This tradition started last summer when my pal   Steph and her two adorable blondies, Sophie and Ryker, realized we were tired of being the only grown up at the table.  We got together every Wednesday afternoon for a long play session followed by dinner.  We switched locations/houses/dinner responsibility every week--usually we met at one of our homes, but sometimes for a treat, we went to a local park for a summertime picnic.

At first, our goal was to simply break bread (albeit gluton-free) with good friends.  But we soon realized there were a ton of other benefits for the kids, including: learning how to eat at someone else's house, trying new food, how to be a good host in your own house, how to be a good guest in someone else's house.

But mostly, it was really fun.  And the older our kids get, the more time they spend playing without us moms, and the more we get to chat by ourselves.  What a treat!

It was at Steph's house last month that we came across this book.  Steph called to cancel our dinner because she was having someone come over to spend 30 minutes going over paperwork.  I said, "No!  Let us come over and I'll watch the kids so you can focus."  (You know you've got a good friend when you can say "no" to her...)  So the plans stuck and we headed over to her house after Lorelei got home from school.

Right as we were finishing dinner, the Someone came over to chat with the grown-ups of the house, and I was left with five kids.  Yikes!  Steph had shown me this book earlier, and when the kids were done eating and starting to get antsy, I grabbed Can You Make a Scary Face?  The book is PERFECT for situations like these, when you need to get and keep kids' attention.  For those times when you need a book to read to your child's class, this is The Book to grab.

Because all it really is is a funny looking ladybug giving "orders" to the kids.  "Hey, you!  Yes, I'm talking to YOU! Stand up!  No, I changed my mind...SIT DOWN!  No, I changed my mind AGAIN.  STAND UP!"

Those are the first three pages of this simple-but-wonderful book.  You see where this is going--down a very silly, giggle-filled road.  That's always a nice road to be on.  The book ends with the ladybug asking his audience to make the scariest face in the world in order to scare away a giant, hungry frog (who wants to eat ladybug pie for lunch).

Hmmm.  Maybe I should read this book to Ben's class before any other mom in his class sees this and knows about this book and reads it first...!