I Just Want to Say Good Night by Rachel Isadora

I Just Want to Say Good Night by Rachel Isadora
Nancy Paulsen Books

Rating: 5 stars

Thousands of miles away from most of the readers of Rachel Isadora's new book in a small African village, parents are putting their children to sleep.

Including Lala, the main character in this book who, like many American children, wants to procrastinate on her way to bed. Rather than ask for a glass of water or another bedtime story, Lala wants to tell all the animals and things around her "good night."

"I want to say good night to the cat," Lala says.

"I want to say good night to the goat," Lala says.

"I want to say good night to the rock," Lala says. (This one made me smile--it would exasperate me if it was my own child.)

Each "good night" has a corresponding two-page, gorgeous illustration of the African village, cast in the warm colors of sunset, thousands of miles away from the reader. Thanks to the magic of a good book, the reader is transported to that village as Lala "good-nights" her way to bed.

Finally...

"Now!" her mother says.

Through one wordless two-page spread, we see Lala go inside, wash up, and get into bed. She has a book in her hand and, as she reads it, she whispers, "Good Night, Moon!"

You guessed it: It is the same book that most American children own or at least read. I love that last image--someone thousands of miles away reading the very same book the reader has read her/himself.

This book provides a perfect example of how to give a new twist to something that's done many times before. You've seen this before. You've read this type of book before. The type of book that closes out the day in a series of good-nights. But Isadora puts a great twist on this already-done story by placing her story in an unfamiliar setting, and then placing a familiar book in the hands of Lala.

It works beautifully.

My children and I are not strangers to Rachel Isadora. Her stories and pictures have filled my children's first years as readers. We only own one, but it is in Kiefer's bedroom, not downstairs on the children's library shelf--Nick Plays Baseball. Read my review of that book plus another one that Lorelei loved as a little girl, Lili at Ballet HERE.

Nick Plays Baseball by Rachel Isadora

Nick Plays Baseball by Rachel Isadora

Rating: 4 hey-battah-battah-hey-battah-battah stars

Some say there's a song for everything; I say there's a children's book for everything.  There must be some people who think I'm nutso for having books on hand for any and every activity we do.  Today I did not...and I was a bit disappointed in myself.  I wished that I had prepped my kids a bit for the experience.  I give myself a demerit.

We went to our first baseball game today as a family.  The Nationals have a brand-spankin' new stadium that has all the bells and whistles I guess a fan could want.  I don't even eat hot dogs, but I like to go to baseball games (though I have to admit that I like minor league games better...I went to one in Watertown, NY, that sticks out in my memory...) for more reasons than the crappy food and cold beer.  Time to kick back and relax, enjoy a nice day with friends and/or family, and clap when I'm supposed to clap.  And look cute in my own baseball hat!

Given that I have two sons, I think the odds are that I'll be attending one or two more baseball games in the next decade or two.

Lorelei and Ben and even Kiefer were pretty excited, and when we arrived at the stadium, they got quiet.  Their eyes grew as big as dinner plates when we stepped out of our car; from the top of the parking garage we could look over and into the stadium.  "Woooooooow!" they said under their breaths, trying to take in all the sights, sounds, and smells.  There really is a lot to take in, especially if you're half the size of most people there, and you've never heard a roar of a crowd before.  We sat down in our seats, which were in a make-Mom-worry pop-fly zone, and they just started asking questions.  

My husband and I did our best to explain everything to them--pitching, batting, keeping score, pop flies, home runs, the umpire's job, and a ton of other little things.  It was then that I wish I had checked out this book a week or two ago to let them get used to all these concepts before they saw them in action.

The book is a good one for 3- and 4-year-olds, and even a little older.  Nick plays baseball (guess you figured that) for a small, local team, and Isadora writes a story that includes how he practices with his team in order to prepare for a championship game.  In addition, she adds information next to some of her sketch-like illustrations so that if your kiddo wants more information, it's right there, with a good picture to boot.  But the basic story is just that--a story.  It's the best of both worlds, really.

We had a good time at our game (though I don't even know who won!), but we didn't last the whole time.  The sun was hot and everyone was a little squirmy, not just Kiefer.  Everyone had a treat--Jonathan and Lorelei chose hot dogs, Kiefer and I had treats we smuggled in, and Ben ate almost all of a popcorn dish that was the size of his head.  It was a good introduction to "going to a ball game," and a nice way to spend the better part Father's Day.

Happy Father's Day to all of you dads out there.

Lili at Ballet by Rachel Isadora

Lili at Ballet by Rachel Isadora

Rating: 4 stars

We were at a birthday party a few weeks ago for a wonderful little girl in our life. It was a "ballet princess" party, and it was full of camera-worthy moments; all the parents on the sidelines ooohed and aaahed over the little dancing girls (and the lone not-so-dancing boy), especially when they donned their Cinderella costumes, complete with tiara and wand. It was all pretty adorable. After the dancing part came the eating part, and a grand tea party was set, complete with real china that made me glad I left freight-train Ben at home with my husband. During the tea party, the "head ballerina" asked everyone who their favorite princess was. When it was Lorelei's turn, she just looked at me. She doesn't know any. We were clueless in the princess part of the party, but luckily we were on board with the ballet part. The ballerina asked her if she knew of any ballerinas, and she said "Lili!" (She was also Lili for Halloween; shamelessly daughter-promoting photo can be seen at the bottom of this post.)

This is the first ballet book that Lorelei read; our neighbor had a girly tea party and gave this book out as party favors. The book is filled with pretty drawings, very true-to-life and descriptive, yet still cute enough to draw in a little toddler or preschooler. There is a story, about how much Lili loves ballet, but there are also descriptions of the pictures, explaining more about the positions or when kids start to practice en pointe, or what characters wear which costume.

If a little girl in your life is into ballet, this is a must read. Rachel Isadora has a bunch of ballet books out there, and we've read all of them. She's a good author and a talented illustrator, so a good author to check out at the library.