Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean

Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean

Rating: 5+ stars

This morning, I needed Pete.  And Pete was there for me.  He is my hero.

I've been in a funk the past few days; waking up at 4:58 for the third day in a row did not help get this morning started off well.  (If Kiefer's molars don't come all the way through today, I might take him to the dentist and ask for some assistance so I can sleep in for at LEAST 15 more minutes.)  But at least the little guy wakes up happy to see me, seemingly appreciative of the time he gets to spend with just me, and nobody else.

But then I heard a certain door open at 5:24 and the "Mommy-mommy-mommy I need you come here I need you Mommy-mommy-mommy" (said in cry-y, whine-y voice) started.  I love Ben, but MAN I cannot relate to waking up so sad and mad at the world.  I am one of those annoying people who, even while in a funk, wakes up happy.

Ben trips down the stairs, half-undressed, already crying, with his "mad face" on.  My oh-so-unsympathetic response: "Choose to be happy and stay downstairs, or go back to sleep."  It wasn't received well (can't imagine why).

Ben, crazy with happiness!
(At 7:36 AM, after being awake for 2 hours.)

Anyway, I'll spare you the details of the next hour and half as the boys and I woke up Lorelei (who, as always, woke up laughing as we all bounced on her to wake her up), made breakfast, and got everyone ready for their last week of school.  And then I looked at the clock: 7:30.  I still had an HOUR before the sitter got here and I left to take the kids to school and work out.  Geez.  An hour!  How was I going to fill that time?!

Enter Pete the cat, my hero.

Ben has been telling me about this book for a little while, and I finally saw it at the library and grabbed it.  And I read it a few nights ago.  I am going to buy it, and the other two books along with it.  I LOVE IT!  Why?  It has all of my favorite parts of a children's book:

1. It is simple; Ben has memorized all the words already.
2. It is fun to read, mostly because...
3. It has a SONG--wait, make that FOUR songs in it--and they can bring Ben's cheery smile back in a jiffy (and, the tune can be changed to anything else at any time, and the cheery smile comes back because he remembers Pete the cat and his favorite book when I sing it).
4. It has a groovy character that is cool but still nice.
5. It has a fantastic moral to it.

I had seen on the cover of the book the "download free song at..." and though the kids rarely use my laptop for anything, I said to Ben, who was looking around for something to do that would have probably annoyed me though it probably really shouldn't have "Hey, Ben, want to listen to something?"  And he sat for 15 blessedly happy minutes listening to the book and song being read and sung to him again and again and again.  Click here to listen, too.  Or check out this video (it is so worth it!  I double dare you to watch it and not smile.):

And my morning got a little brighter.

Maybe I should tell you about the book, in case you don't want to watch the video?  Okay...  Pete gets new shoes and loves them.  He sings this song: "I love my white shoes, I love my white shoes, I love my white shoes!"  Then he steps in strawberries that turn his shoes red, so he sings how he loves his red shoes.  Then he steps in blueberries and...  After each time he steps in something, he sure doesn't cry or carry on.  The author, "Mr Eric," writes: "Did Pete cry?  Goodness, no!"  This happens a few times, until he steps in water and he has white, wet shoes.

The moral of the story?  As Mr Eric the author puts it: "No matter what you step in, keep walking along and singing your song..."

Roll with it.  A good lesson I've been taught lately and need to practice more.  Like today.

So thank you, Pete the cat, my hero for today.

Field Trip Report: Strawberry Picking

Serious Picker Lorelei!

A slight diversion on the norm...

(Just a report on our first field trip, strawberry picking, rather than a book review.)

Our first field trip was a success!  Despite temperatures around 90 degrees and no shade whatsoever, we lasted about an hour at Butler's Orchard in Maryland.  We carpooled up with some good friends of ours, which was fun, especially for the chatty moms up front.  After blueberry picking for two years straight, I definitely learned a few things about strawberry picking.  Here are my lessons learned:

• Bring small containers, preferably ones you can pop right into the refrigerator.
  
• Strawberries are a tougher to pick than blueberries--easy to do, but...not as easy as blueberries.
  
• There is no shade in strawberry fields.  The plants are too small.  Go on a cloudy day if possible!
  
• Strawberries spoil so quickly!  I left ours sitting out in the GIANT container I got from the orchard for half of the day, until after bedtime when I had a few minutes to think and put them in the refrigerator.  By the next morning I had to throw away a quarter of our hard-earned bounty.
  



My niece Evangeline, hiding her berry face

• Strawberries can be transformed into a zillion things!  Click here for my list.

And here are some things the kids learned (or, why you should take your kids strawberry picking):

• The berries are so different from the ones you buy at the grocery store!  Lorelei and Ben were amazed at the fact that some strawberries were SMALLER than some blueberries they'd eaten.  And none were as large as grocery store strawberries.
  
• Nothing is perfect in nature!  There were so many variations in strawberries...what a great life lesson.
  
• Picking fruit is tough work!  Fun for an hour, but...if you have to do it all day long, that's tough.
  
• Don't pick the unripe fruit...someone will be back in a week or so for them.
  
• There's a lot of math that comes with cooking (okay, this is a general one, but Lorelei and Ben remembered this as we measured flour and strawberries and other ingredients).
  



Me and "the big kids" at the end of our picking

• If you want to give it to your teacher, you'd better help make the strawberry jam!

We really had a great time, and I was amazed (as was my husband) at how much we made with our berries.  We didn't get to everything on our list, but we did make strawberry milkshakes, strawberry milk, chocolate covered strawberries, two types of strawberry jam (one healthier one with less sugar and more lemon juice, and one "freezer jam" with a gross amount of sugar in it), and the best: strawberry shortcake.

Ben smashes the berries for jam

Making chocolate covered strawberries...while holding Kiefer

Cook-A-Doodle-Doo! by Janet Stevens, illustrated by Susan Stevens Crummel

Cook a Doodle Doo! by Janet Stevens, illustrated by Susan Stevens Crummel

Rating: 3.5 stars

Here's the skinny on this book: It's a twist on the classic Chicken Little story, where the rooster wants someone to help him make strawberry shortcake but the animals don't want to help him, just as they didn't want to help his Granny.  But then three unlikely heroes step forward and offer to help--a turtle, iguana, and pot-bellied pig.  These animals are pretty clueless in the kitchen, so they do silly things like trying to beat an egg with a baseball bat.  But their can-do attitude is great, even when pot-bellied pig eats the whole cake when it's done because "I"m the taster!  I was just tasting it!"

Hmm...that's what my husband says about the cookies I bake...in-ter-est-ing....

Anyway, on the side of many pages are informative paragraphs about baking.  The authors teach you from where teaspoons and tablespoons are derived, what an ingredient actually is, and stuff like that.

I had trouble finding books on strawberries.  A friend of mine suggested this one, so I checked it out from our wonderful local library, and it has been traveling between the library shelf and Lorelei's room for the past week.  Ben isn't very interested; I read it to him once and actually thought the book was too long.  He has a good attention span, but this book is...looooong.

But then Lorelei saw it, grabbed it, and sat reading it on the sofa.  She laughed out loud at a few parts.  And for days she was obviously thinking about the book, trying to get the humor in it.  It was as if she realized she should be laughing, but she didn't exactly get the joke.  Out of the blue she asked: "Why did the iguana want to beat the eggs with a baseball bat?"

So the book is pretty good (thanks for the suggestion, Colleen!), though a little long for those with still-growing attention spans.  But for the little readers who are ready for more and have a good sense of humor developing in their little minds--those who are eager to chuckle at silly things (I know all of us in this house fall in this category!)--this is a good book to check out.

The First Strawberries by Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by Anna Vojtech

The First Strawberries by Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by Anna Vojtech

Rating: 4 stars

I found myself reflecting on my marriage after reading this book, something that is appropriate every day, but especially when my seventh wedding anniversary is a few days away.  This book was a well-timed gift that made me a little more mindful of the kindness required in a marriage, especially a wonderfully long one.

I know, I know...you're wondering if you've stumbled upon the right blog.  Isn't this supposed to be about children's books?!

Seems that The First Strawberries is a well-known Cherokee tale about how strawberries first arrived on earth.  The first man and first woman lived in harmony until one day, when the man returned from hunting, he found his wife gathering flowers instead of readying his dinner.  He spoke angrily at her and, in response, she turned and walked away from him.

(Man!  That's all it took?!  Geez.  My sarcastic side did chuckle.)

Of course he runs after her, and the Sun sees how sincerely he regrets his unkind words.  In order to help him, the Sun creates blackberries, and then blueberries, and then raspberries to try and get the woman to stop.  She doesn't.  Finally, the Sun creates strawberries.  The woman stops to pick and eat them, allowing her husband to finally catch her.  He apologizes, and they feast together on the sweet fruit.

It was great to read this with Lorelei and Ben.  I call Jonathan "my number one" despite their repeated attempts to push him aside and become the top-dogs.  Nope, I say, he will always come first.  I think that this irritates them and confuses them, but it's the message we want to send to our kids: that the love we have for each other is important and strong and the foundation for the whole family.  So, to have a book about a couple who have a disagreement--which we certainly have, especially about how to load the dishwasher--and resolve it amicably is...a little gift.

The illustrations are not awesome, I admit.  They're sort of washed out and not eye-catching, especially to my kids who are spoiled by the best illustrators around.  But the message is good and important.  I doubt kids would choose this to read again and again but...it's an important one, I think.

Freckleface Strawberry by Julianne Moore, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Freckleface Strawberry by Julianne Moore, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Rating: 4 stars

This is a stretch for books on strawberries...but there aren't many out there!  Hmm...maybe I have found some inspiration to write my own?  Hmm....

This adorable book, and its equally adorable sequels, is by the Julianne Moore, who was a freckleface little girl herself (who grew up to be a big-time Hollywood actress, take THAT you silly kids who teased her about her freckles!).  The illustrations make me wonder how some artists make characters that are just immediately likeable, while other artists fall short.  It's a good story, but Pham certainly helped out the books' popularity with his personality-filled kids stomping around in cartoon-like clusters within the pages of the books.

It's a pretty predictable story: A little girl has freckles and doesn't notice them at all until other kids point out that they stand out.  And we all know that standing out in ANY way in middle school can be totally scary!  The kids around her call her names and taunt her a bit, making her want to hide in silly ways.  Finally, when she comes out from one particularly unwise disguise (a ski mask in summer), a passing mom enlightens her: I had freckles as a child, and they went away.

Whoa!  Good to know!

Our little hero is relieved, and is even more relieved when all the kids at school find her and explain how much they've missed her while she was in hiding.  What?  Teasing is actually a form of love?  Another strange lesson of middle school.  And beyond.

The book is good, though I'd direct them to kids older than five because of the teasing in it.  Call me silly, but I just hesitate to introduce something like that to my kids, who don't do it now and I want to keep them in that bubble of kindness for as long as possible.  But I'm so glad that this book exists--one of our nieces has freckles, and they are so adorable on her already beautiful face that I hope she never feels ashamed of what makes her even more beautiful and more unique.

And this is surely the first book I've reviewed that has a musical based on it!  Check it out here.

The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher by Molly Bang

The Grey Lady and the Strawberry Snatcher by Molly Bang

Rating: 2.5 stars

Ever look at a piece of artwork and just wonder... Huh?


That's what I think about this, a Caldecott winner from a few years back.  It's a wordless picture book (hey, I was just talking about those the other day...click here if you missed it) full of eerie, odd, spooky pictures.  It reminds me of the magical realism that Isabel Allende uses in her novels, but just doesn't seem to work here.  For us, anyway.

I just don't get it.

The Grey Lady gets strawberries from the market and walks home to share them with her grandchildren.  Along the way, a spooky, blue creature tries to steal them away, but the grey lady morphs into different objects in order to hide from the strawberry snatcher.

At least that's what I think happens.

We've read a bunch of Molly Bang books, and I expected a step out of the normal from her.  We especially appreciated her When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry with its vibrant pictures and unique spin on what to do to regain control of yourself.

But this one?  I'm sort of dumbfounded.  I'm going to return it to the library and check it out again in a few months...maybe I'll get it a little more then...?  Or, like that crazy artwork, I'll leave it to The Experts to fully get and appreciate.

Strawberries, Strawberries Everywhere...

This isn't exactly an entry about books, but...

I haven't gone strawberry picking since I was Lorelei's age...up in Erie, Pennsylvania, where my parents are both from.  I still remember looking out at the fields of strawberries, in awe of how much fruit there was to pick.  And the taste of the berries--so sweet!  I went with my Buschia (Polish for Grandma) and we'd go to her house afterward and help wash and clean the strawberries so she could make jam out of it.  Of course we'd munch on berries the whole time.  I am very excited to go!

Strawberry elves...can't wait to surprise Lorelei and Ben with these!

We've been talking about what to expect--will the berries be larger or smaller than those in the grocery stores?  Will they taste the same, or sweeter, or less sweet?  Will they be as small as the wild ones we've been finding in our woods?  Lots of questions...soon to be answered.  I love fostering my kids' curiosity, especially about food and nature.

Lorelei, Ben, and I have been crafting a list of ways to enjoy strawberries.  You better believe that I was thinking about (enter southern drawl here) Forrest Gump's buddy Bubba talkin' 'bout all the stuff he can do with shrimp.

Here's what we've come up with (most have links, many from my favorite kids/family cooking blog, weelicious.com, in case you're interested in the recipes):

Strawberry jam

Strawberry shortcake

Strawberry smoothie

Strawberry yogurt (we'll just mix in strawberries with plain yogurt)

Strawberry muffins

Strawberry ice cream (without an ice cream maker)

Strawberry and almond butter sandwich

Strawberry milk

Strawberry soup

Chocolate covered strawberries

Strawberry Popsicles

Strawberry "elves" (omg how cute are these?!) 

What have I forgotten?  And can we actually make ALL of these things?  It'll be a strawberry-filled long weekend for us...

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood

The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood

Rating: 4 stars

I think most people read this books to their kids when those "kids" are actually infants, or barely walking.  I've heard of it before and read it at the bookstore out of curiosity, but this is the first time we've all read it together, little Kiefer included.  We all give it one thumb's up, though for different reasons than I expected.

The story, in case you've not read it: Mouse finds a strawberry and wants to eat it, but this voice tells him that there's a big, hungry bear who wants to eat it.  Mouse tries to hide it, guard it, and disguise it...but the voice tells him that the bear will sniff it out and find it.  The only way to keep safe from the bear is to slice it in half and share it with the mysterious voice, and then it will be gone before the bear finds it.

"But, little Mouse, haven't you heard about the big, hungry Bear?"

Things we like:

• That mouse is so silly!  His expressions are so wonderful, and Ben giggles at every picture on every page.
• It is very fun to read, especially the page where the mouse shakes with fear.  Ben laughed like crazy as I shook the book like crazy.
• Nice lesson on sharing...a mom can't dislike that!
• Kiefer is amused by the book (or, more accurately, my reading of it), Ben giggles throughout it, and Lorelei asks some good questions.  That's a good book: it holds the attention of a wide range of kids.
• The book makes us wonder, and think--who is talking to mouse?  It is mysterious, and we don't know the real answer.  What a fun twist for little kids who are usually told The Answer.
• The book makes us question:  Where is that bear?  Why don't we get to see him?  Does the bear really exist, or is the mysterious voice tricking the mouse into sharing?  (Okay, is it bad that I suggested this to inquisitive Lorelei?  Will it make her suspect intentions that are actually fine and true??  Mommy demerit for me...)

We checked out this book because we're starting our summer field trips a little early this year.  We're going strawberry picking for the first time on Friday!  Lorelei and Ben are very excited.  We've picked blueberries (check out pictures from our first time picking, here in the review of Blueberries for Sal).  This year I'm hoping to link our field trips to books a little more thoughtfully...keep your fingers crossed that this works all summer long!  Having three kids sometimes challenges my ability to fulfill a few aspirations here and there...!