The Vanishing Pumpkin by Tony Johnston

The Vanishing Pumpkin by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Tomie DePaola

Rating: 4 stars

With wonderful, just-spooky-enough illustrations by the one and only Tomie DePaola, Johnston's silly, just-spooky-enough story unravels:  A (to say it nicely) elderly couple--a 700-year-old woman and 800-year-old man--simply wants to bake a nice pumpkin pie when they realize their pumpkin has vanished.  They go to find it, accusing everyone in their path of swiping it.  The pattern--first with a ghoul, then a rapscallion, followed by a varmint, then finally a wizard, is the same:

When told that he is guilty of stealing a giant pumpkin the creature looks around himself in a silly, kid-giggle-inducing fashion but cannot find it.  The annoyed-for-no-reason Old Man does a trick on the creature in order to prove that it is hiding the pumpkin somewhere.  The ghoul is turned invisible, the rapscallion is turned upside down in the air, the varmint is turned into a flea-filled cat, and the wizard...  oh wait, you can't trick a wizard or he'll trick you right back.  Each trick is applauded by the Old Man and the Old Woman and even the trickee himself.

It turns out that the wizard hasn't snitched the pumpkin--he's borrowed it so he could make a smiley jack-o-lantern.  And he's baked the pumpkin pie (which he's forgotten is under his hat) to share.

Johnston adds in some quirky quips that kept me chuckling: "Lucky lizards!" and "Snitched!" and "Don't be fresh with an 800-year-old man!" and "Great grizzlies!"

This is a very cute, slightly older Halloween book (1983!) that most kids probably haven't seen before...a great one to read at a Halloween party near you!

Guess Who's Coming to Santa's for Dinner? by Tomie DePaola

Guess Who's Coming to Santa's for Dinner? by Tomie DePaola

Rating: 5 stars

Do you know of anyone who dreads having everyone--I mean everyone--over for dinner?  I know a few...

Tomie DePaola has created a gem of a book about a dinner party at the home of one of the most famous couples around: Mr and Mrs Claus.  Some weeks before Christmas, Santa realizes "it's been a while," so he's going to invite his family over for Christmas.

"Oh, my," Mrs. C said.  "Are you sure?"

"Oh, yes," Santa said.  "I'm sure."

"All right, then.  Make a list of who you want me to ask."  (What a team player that Mrs. C is!  My words, not Tomie DePaola's.)

Santa uses his photo album to remember everyone (wow, it's really been a while), and the invitations go out.  The chaos of a huge family get-together starts bubbling much too early, when Aunt Astrid arrives while Mrs. C is still in her pajamas.  With less text and more cartoon-like illustrations, DePaola shows the reader snapshots of a typical huge family gathering.  (Or at least typical in my fun Polish family.)  Here's a bit of what happens...

Kids start misbehaving the moment they walk in the door while their parents happily ignore them from the recliner.  A friendly (or not?) debate breaks out about how to cook a special family treat.  Kids start complaining about what they got or didn't get for Christmas.  Those with good manners stare aghast at those with bad manners.  The family ham tries to keep the spotlight on her at all times.  Some kids are thrilled with a kids' table while others are distraught.

But the best is Cousin Ulla.  ("It's Ulla!  Watch your teeth!" says Aunt Astrid.)  In every picture, Cousin Ulla is stuffing something into her small-but-hey-how'd-it-get-that-big bag.  For example: she swipes a poinsettia from the hallway, kidnaps Joseph from the Nativity Scene, steals umbrellas from the coat closet, and snatches a wreath from the door on her way out.

It's really laugh-out-loud funny!

The best part?  This isn't your family!  You get to sit back and turn the pages and not participate in the madness.  You can simply appreciate the ridiculousness of the interactions and the very happy ending: the get-together has been crazy, but wonderful.

(And hopefully your family get-together--be it big or small--is crazy and wonderful, too.)

Thanks for another great recommendation, Julia!

Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie DePaola

Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie DePaola

Rating: 5 yummy stars

This is, by far, my favorite wordless picture book.  I love, love, love it.

It's a simple story: a woman wakes up thinking about pancakes.  She assembles the ingredients--the traditional way.  No grocery store run for her.  She milks the cow, churns the butter, gathers the eggs, collects syrup from the tree.  Just as she's ready to make the pancakes, she realizes her dog and cat, who are also hungry, ate all the ingredients!  She's bummed.  But then...sniff, sniff...she realizes her neighbors woke with the same idea.  So she trudges through the snow, invites herself in, and eats a bunch of their pancakes (hopefully not all of them!).

As always, Tomie DePaola's drawings are funny and sweet, straightforward and inviting.  Nothing fancy in this book, just simple drawings for a simple story.

I'm usually not a fan of books without words, and can empathize when I hear other parents complain of them.  At the end of the day, when you're counting down the seconds until the door is closed on your day as a parent, who wants to actually think of the words to a story?!  I hear ya.

BUT they are important...  Here are a few reasons why (feel free to add your own, and tell me which ones you like to read with your kids/students):

• Kids imagine and create their own words and stories.
  
• Kids can "read" them by themselves, giving you a bit of a break and them a boost of confidence on their own path to literacy.
  
• As always, you can practice prediction and sequencing.
  
• For budding artists, having a wordless, cartoon-like book can inspire them to write/draw a book of their own.

But don't forget the best part of all about this particular book: it inspires you to make pancakes!  Hear are my two favorite healthy recipes in case you're in need of a new taste:

From my favorite restaurant in Atlanta, the Flying Biscuit, click here to get their oatmeal pancakes.  They soak overnight in buttermilk...yum, yum.  Top with peaches like they do, and a little maple syrup.  Definitely half the recipe, unless you are feeding a small army or the Dugger family!

From Cooking Light, click here to get a recipe for whole wheat pancakes.  We add blueberries to ours and usually dip them in honey.  They freeze really well (freeze individually) and become my go-to dinner when I need to get dinner on the table in 5.4 minutes or less.

(Also, see those labels at the end of this post?  Click on "wordless books" to see my reviews of a bunch of other wordless books, including the great Polo series, which are great for traveling in the car...)

My Mother is So Smart! by Tomie DePaola

My Mother is So Smart! by Tomie DePaola

Rating: 3 stars

This is the best book ever!  All kids should read it and believe it!  Because we moms ARE the smartest!

Actually, though we adore Tomie DePaola in this house, this is not one of my favorite books of his.  It is a very cute ode to his own mother (it's written in the first person; like so many of his books, the little boy in the picture is like a little Tomie), and I trust it will sell pretty well because a) it's a Tomie DePaola book and b) there are lots of moms who need gifts at least three times a year.

DePaola points out why his mother is so smart, starting at the time he was a baby: "She always knew when to change my diaper" and "she always knew I was hungry before I cried."  And then when he was older: "My mother is so smart that when it's cold out, she gives us breakfast that makes us warm" and "she can dance the polka." 

No doubt this is a cute book, but I just wonder if I'd like it more if DePaola used "wonderful" instead of "smart?"  Smart makes me think of business meetings and math problems, creative ideas and genius solutions.  But maybe I'm the one who needs to redefine smart.  That would definitely help me during the days when I think "This is it?"  Not that I don't love being a stay-at-home mom, but...like everyone out there, sometimes I wonder what it'd be like if I had a different job.  But then I glance over at Lorelei and Ben and realize any other job just isn't worth it.  There's time for Other.  Right now I have Them.

If I do my job right, maybe they'll buy this book for me in 20 or 30 years!

Marianna May and Nursery by Tomie DePaola

Marianna May and Nursery by Tomie DePaola

Rating: 5 white stars

A little while ago I sent out a broadcast to my family and friends and asked them: what are your/your children's favorite children's books?  I got a dozen good suggestions, and I'll be sharing them with you during the next week.  My aunt sent me the name of this book; her daughter (now a rising senior in high school) loved it when she was little.  The copy we are reading seems like it had been in some deep dungeon-like part of the library because it was brown and looked fairly filthy.  I wasn't very sure about it, despite the fact that it's Tomie DePaola and we love Tomie DePaola.

Reminder: Don't judge a book by its cover, even a dirty one.

This is a gem!  It is a sweet tale of a rich little girl whose parents hire a nanny for her called Nursery (why that is her name is beyond me--it is so puzzling to me) to care for her.  Little Marianna May only wears white dresses, she she is forbidden to roll in the grass, make mud pies, eat orange ice and strawberry ice cream like she wants to because she'll get dirty.  Instead of all this fun stuff, Nursery tells her to sit on the front porch swing and stay clean.  So there she sits, all day long.

Until the ice guy comes up with a block o' ice on his shoulder and sees she's not having fun.  He tells the maid who tells all the other hired help in the house that Marianna May isn't having fun, and they cook up the grand idea of dying all her dresses unique colors for all her favorite pastimes.  The last few pages are of her wearing a green dress while she rolls in the grass, a brown dress while she makes mud pies, an orange dress...you get the idea.

Lorelei just gets this story.  She understands how sad it would be if she was forced to sit on the front porch swing everyday, all day long.  She understands how silly it is to have all white dresses--she knows that Ben has just one white shirt, and it's new.  And it's a gift--I'd buy him a green or brown one before a white one!  Anyway, this is a sweet little story and I'm so glad to not just have read it with my daughter, but that Lorelei knows that it is "Cousin Abby's favorite book," too.  When families are spread out all over the country--or all over the world, as my family has been a number of different times--it's so important to me to grasp any and all connections we can!

Bonjour, Mr. Satie by Tomie DePaola

Bonjour, Mr. Satie by Tomie DePaola

Rating: 4 stars

I'm not a huge fan of teaching my kids about specific artists or works of art or wonders of the world. C'mon, they are 3 and 1 1/2--they have years to memorize stuff like that. Right now, all I care about is that they think it is fun and cool to do art projects like drawing or painting or gluing or stuff like that. (Right now, as I type, Lorelei is coloring in a new coloring book with a bold red marker, making everything on the page she's on and the page that's behind that one look completed soaked in blood. Ew.)  I know that some parents tote their toddlers to art museums (a la Olivia) and I expect to do that in a few years, especially because we live so close to some good ones in D.C., but...not yet.  This book is a good first step, I think, and would be appreciated by a 4- or 5-year old before a trip to an art museum (whether that trip is next week or a few months away).

So I wouldn't have searched this book out at all, but it was on a large stack of Tomie DePaola books at our great local library. Lorelei chose it and we brought it home without reading it.  I'll teach her the whole don't-judge-a-book-by-its-cover thing later. 

So, here's what happens in the book:  Mr. Satie is a world-traveling cat who speaks of his adventures in Paris to his feline niece and nephew. He explains how how his "friends" Pablo (Picasso) and Henri (Matisse) get into an argument about whose paintings are better. So they have a painting contest, and the wise and fair Mr. Satie is the lone judge. After careful study (that page is my favorite--no words, just him examining DePaola's renditions of Picasso and Matisse's works) he declares that the works are like apples and oranges; both are delicious, but totally different. It's a draw! Hooray!

There are so many things to learn from this book, aside from learning the basic fact that there are these two famous painter dudes named Pablo and Henri (their last names are never mentioned, making them more approachable to little Lorelei and other pint-sized bookworms):

• Art is a serious undertaking, a job worth pursuing
• Passionate and heated debates are (usually) healthy
• Things can be similar, but different
• There doesn't have to be only one winner
• Cats have relationships with famous artists

Ok, so that last one is a stretch. And it's the main reason why I'm left with a furrowed brow as I write about this book. Why doesn't Tomie DePaola let all the characters be human? Why does he need to bring to life one of Picasso's paintings and let a cat have the main story? Ok, I guess that it helps draw little readers in and make it less realistic and therefore just a little more fun and imaginative, which is what art is often about.

Strega Nona by Tomie DePaola

Strega Nona by Tomie DePaola

Rating: 4.5 stars

We love the Strega Nona series, and I really thought I knew them well. But I had a have-I-lost-all-my-senses moment last week when I finally realized that the Strega Nona book we own is not THE Strega Nona book. We have Strega Nona, Her Story. And we've read all the others, except, I thought, one. All of the stories reference Big Anthony's grand mistake of sneaking into Strega Nona's little cottage on the hill and using her magic pasta pot after he watches her cook with it. I must find this book for Lorelei! I kept thinking. So I'd go on amazon and the library website and just plain Google and type in "Strega Nona Big Anthony pasta pot." And I got the book Strega Nona every time. No, no, no! I'd think, I HAVE that one. What's the one where Big Anthony makes all that pasta that spills into town?! Finally I went to DePaola's website and went down his list of published books slowly and carefully and then realized: we'd not read Strega Nona, THE Strega Nona! Luckily our local library owns a copy; we needn't even order it up for the following week's trip.

What a great book! So the story is pretty obvious: Strega Nona, or "Grandma Witch," has this magic pasta pot that all of us moms--working at home or somewhere else--wish we had. Big Anthony remembers the magic words to start it up, and he remembers the words that make it stop, but he neglects to blow three kisses, so the pot neglects to stop making pasta. The pasta spills into Calabria and everyone is afraid they'll drown in carbs until Strega Nona strolls in and saves the day by making it stop. The townspeople want to "string up" Big Anthony (he doesn't get 5 stars for this book because of that line...I had to explain to Lorelei what "string him up" meant...well, I sorta explained to her what it meant) but wise Strega Nona says: "No, wait. The punishment must fit the crime" and hands Big Anthony a fork.

I love it! What a great message tucked away in a wonderful story.

So, the other story from our house is this: Lorelei refuses to eat pasta. I seriously wonder if she's really my child. I mean, I LOVE pasta. I could eat it every night. But she flat refuses. So tonight I told her we were going to Calabria, Italy, for dinner and we got out our magic pasta pot (the big ole one we don't use very often) and we all said the magic words together. ben wanted to, but he just looked around, excited and confused, wondering why his family was chanting at a pot. Lorelei was SO excited! Then, five minutes later, the buzzer beeped and I drained the pasta without her looking. We said the magic words to get the pasta to stop, then blew three kisses. I peeked in the pot. Empty! It worked! She peeked in the pot! Empty! Wow! Magic! When we all sat down to eat, she insisted we all say "Mangia!" together before we ate. And then the eating began!

Or it didn't. She didn't touch the pasta. I begrudgingly gave her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich so her picky little bum wouldn't be hungry when she fell asleep. Points to Ben, who managed to twirl his pasta with his clumsy 17 month-old hands AND eat my homemade meatballs. I love anyone who loves my food! And, I guess, some who don't, even when I add magic to it.

The Art Lesson by Tomie DePaola

The Art Lesson by Tomie DePaola

Rating: 5 stars!

Here's a shocker: Lorelei is into reading. Just a bit. We have books EVERYWHERE: in the car, on the kitchen floor, in drawers in the bathroom, in the hallway, in both kids' beds, all sorts of places in the playroom... It is actually embarrassing sometimes. I read (in Mem Fox's Reading Magic) that it's ideal to have big, beautiful books lying around so that they are within reach if/when a child's curiosity piques about books. She'd be proud that I took her suggestion quite literally.

But when it comes to art, Lorelei is a five-minute-art-project gal. I actually got The Art Lesson from the library, hoping that it could serve as a bridge between the world of words and the world of art. We talk about the illustrations in books all the time--how they help you figure out the words, how they paint a picture, how when there aren't enough pictures you can close your eyes and paint your own. But when I bust out the paint or markers or crayons, Lorelei just wants to write the alphabet. Hmmm. I will keep trying!

But this book is just wonderful. It was made for little kids--probably, ideally, for preschoolers and elementary schoolers--who can't stop drawing, like our niece, who at 2 1/2 could draw an actual ladybug that someone other than herself could identify as a ladybug. And lots more things, too. It's a story of Tomie himself, and how he drew anything and everything at home, and was looking forward to first grade, when he got to have art class--gasp!--with a REAL artist. He waits and waits in anticipation, and carries his huge box of Crayola crayons in to use (can't you just picture a little kid doing this?!), only to find out that the art teacher will only let you have one piece of paper, and you have to use the school's crayons, not your own. That wouldn't be fair, after all. Sigh. And, even worse, you have to COPY the artist's drawings. Copy?! Copy?! Tomie had been told by his artist cousins that to be an artist you have to do original stuff, to NOT copy, to be bold and big and courageous with your art. And so a compromise is reached, and Tomie is allowed to use his crayons and get a prized second piece of paper.

This is a great book--a really good gift for a little artist, especially if you include some art supplies (not just one piece of paper).

Strega Nona, Her Story by Tomie DePaola

Strega Nona, Her Story by Tomie DePaola

Rating: 4 stars

I grew up reading Tomie DePaola books, so it was me who pushed them a bit in the beginning. I love, love, love his drawings and can't get enough of DePaola's artwork. He makes his characters simple and cute. I'll try and focus on Strega Nona, Her Story first then babble on about all the types of books DePaola writes later in this entry. In case you're not of Italian descent, strega means witch. Strega Nona is a witch doctor from the old tradition, and her grandmother raises her with the expectation that she'll take over the practice when her grandmother retires. It is a sweet story, especially as Strega Nona learns the secret ingredient through a letter from her grandmother: Love. How sweet!

For me, these Strega Nona books are just a great way to introduce those tried-and-true parts of human nature. There's almost always a temptation for modern stuff, but the traditional wins everytime. Strega Nona is challenged by Strega Amelia, a friend whose witch ways are new-age and alluring, but her new ways just don't work as well as the old-fashioned ways. I love that.

Lorelei just loves this series. It surprises me, actually, that she does. There are a few characters surrounding Strega Nona that Lorelei loves--the faithful Bambolona and the bumbling Big Anthony (who has books of his own, which we love). You'll just have to check them out for yourself and see if your child has a quirky side like ours certainly do!

Now, stop reading here unless you want to know more about all the books that DePaola writes.

He has four categories of books for preschoolers: (He also has some chapter books that I accidentally checked out...oops, no Lorelei might be a bit precocious but I don't think she's quite ready for chapter books. I'm sure my husband would argue with me. He thinks she's ready for fifth grade the day after her 3rd birthday!)

First, his Strega Nona series. Strega Nona is the first of the series, and I do like it, but it's not my favorite. It won the Caldecott awhile ago. Our copy of Strega Nona, Her Story (one of the next in the series) is actually signed by the author himself! It was a gift from my mother, to me. So that makes it special both to me and to Lorelei (I love that she thinks it is extra special too; right now it is in her bed as she naps). Like I said before, Big Anthony has a few books of his own in this series, too. They are super cute, and are especially good for tall little boys!

Second, his autobiographical series. These are probably my favorite, with Tom and The Art Lesson and The Baby Sister leading the pack. They are all sweet and funny...reviews on those to come sooner rather than later, I hope. I really like how Lorelei can get to know an author through his books, and figure out what it takes to become one. Not that I'm pushing any particular vocation at this young age, but...

Third, his amazingly beautiful "legend" series. These are books like Tony the Baker (Lorelei's favorite) and Adelita (Mexican Cinderella story) and The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush that tell old legends, mostly from the Southwest/Mexico and Italy) with amazingly beautiful drawings. All have great morals, though some should be left for elementary age kids.

Fourth, the "other" category. There are a dozen or so books in this category, though it's the one we've explored the least. We love his wordless Pancakes for Breakfast and the word-full Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile because both are witty and (have I mentioned this?) full of great illustrations.

I am a fan!