Sumi's First Day of School Ever by Soyung Pak

Sumi's First Day of School Ever by Soyung Pak, illustrated by Joung Un Kim

Rating: 5 stars

It's 12:27 AM and here I am, blogging.  About a back-to-school book.  It's related, trust me.  Today Lorelei had another summer playdate, where all the kids, especially the new ones, are invited to the preschool playground to run their hearts out and all the parents balance chit-chatting with running after their kids (more Ben than Lorelei for me).  It was really fun and Lorelei was a super star--she walked boldly up to little trios of already-formed friendships and introduced herself and asked their age (not their name!).  I was so proud of her--how many adults find it impossible to do the same thing?

So the transition to preschool isn't going to be bad, I suspect, but it's still on my mind.  I woke up suddenly a little while ago with the heart-pounding concern that Lorelei won't like the snack that her teacher provides and will be hungry for the last hour of school.  And Lorelei is considerably less sweet when she's hungry!  But that's not the point--the point is, the first day of school is coming, and I'm trying to be as confident in my little girl as she is in her strong little self.  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

This book is one of the dozen or so back-to-school type books we checked out today at the library.  It doesn't exactly fit the traditional form, but it is one that encourages empathy, so it'll be a staple read in our house.  Sumi is a little girl from South Korea whose mother teachers her two lines in English before her first day of school in the U.S.: "What is your name?" and "My name is Sumi."  Understandably, the first day starts in confusion and one child (who is quickly reprimanded by a watchful teacher) sticks his tongue out at her.  She thinks that school is lonely and mean and scary.  But then the little boy apologizes, her teacher hangs up her drawing, and a little girl befriends her.  The story is told quietly and sweetly, and I love it.

As a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand, with a mother who teaches English as a second language in middle school (mostly to Korean children), and with a daughter who is about to have her first day of school, ever, this book definitely strikes a chord with me.  (Thanks for the recommendation, Becky!)


P.S.  I found this neat organization that educates on the rich legacy of Korea.  Here's a link to the website's list of children's books, in age-appropriate categories.

Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff

Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff

Rating: 5 stars

Of course we love Danny and the Dinosaur!  Who can resist the charm of visiting a museum and finding a dinosaur that can wake up after 50 gazillion years to play with you and your friends?  Not us!

Here are some noteworthy things about this noteworthy book: 

1.  No parents are in the pictures; just kids.  What a great reminder that childhood should really involve time just with children, not only time supervised by adults.

2.  Danny really wants the dinosaur to come home and live with him forever, but the dinosaur simply explains that the museum needs him.  I love this little homage to one of my favorite things at playgrounds: the short little friendships that emerge just in a game of chase or follow the leader, where names aren't even bother to be exchanged. 

3.  During a game of hide-and-seek, the dinosaur can't find a place to hide where the kids can't find him (no surprise there).  So they "make believe they can't find him" and let him win.  That's Ben's favorite page by far, when the text reads, "Where oh where is that dinosaur?" and so on, and the huge dinosaur is hiding behind a tiny light post.  This is exactly how my kids play hide-and-seek!  I explained to Lorelei how the kids were making the dinosaur feel better by pretending they couldn't find him.  (Oh please let at least a few of these lessons in empathy stick!)

4.  It's actually pretty long!  But because the illustrations are so captivating and funny, even Ben can sit through this book pretty easily, and he's got plenty of ants in his pants.

This is worth buying, but only buy a great hard cover version, or maybe even the library binding, because it'll be on your shelf for a long time.  And then on your children's shelves for their kids.  Imagine that!

Sally's Great Balloon Adventure by Stephen Huneck

Sally's Great Balloon Adventure by Stephen Huneck

Rating: 5 stars

If you've got a black dog in your life--or any dog, really--this book is a must-read.  We have a "blue" weimaraner named Lulu, so we sometimes read this as "Lulu's Great Balloon Adventure" because we know Lulu would do just the same things Sally does... 

Sally is curious about a hot air balloon, but more curious about the fried chicken in one of the balloon's gondolas.  She can't resist following the scent, so she jumps up and falls into the gondola, then pulls the wrong cord and takes off, by herself!  Everyone calls her name from below, but it's no use.  People have several suggestions on how to rescue her, but it takes a smart little kid and her friends to get her down to earth.  And, miraculously, Sally hasn't touched the fried chicken.  We know our Lulu would have devoured it, even the life-threatening bones.  The kids feed Sally the chicken (sans bones, I think) and Sally is happy to be back on earth, with a fully tummy.

We can't wait to read the other books in this series.  Has anyone else read them? 

The woodcut prints are so different and interesting and simple--it would be so neat to see this process in real life.  I went to his website to see if there was a video or something and I found out this amazing story of Stephen himself.  He was discovered early as an artist and really was a hand-carver first and foremost.  After falling down a flight of stairs in 1994, he was in a coma for 3 months.  His doctors didn't expect him to have a full recovery, but his wife believed and he did.  Right before the accident, he realized he wanted to do a series of books based on his black lab, Sally (he had another black lab named Artie and a golden retriever named Molly, too).  He set to work on them right away after waking from his coma.  He died this past January, just 61; Sally's Great Balloon Adventure was his last book.

Having a glimpse at the author, his life, and his love of dogs makes me appreciate this book even more.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears retold by Jan Brett

Goldilocks and the Three Bears retold by Jan Brett

Rating: 3.5 stars

There are some books that seem to just check a block.  Take Goldilocks.  I had to run a Google search (to avoid any critical thought) to find out exactly why this tale has lasted so long, and why I feel compelled to make sure Lorelei knows the story before school.  Google never lets me down. 

Here's the deal: In the mid-19th century, the story was of three bears and an old lady who trespassed on their property.  It was a "fearsome oral tale" which probably wouldn't be appropriate for our toddlers today who are, thankfully, sheltered from gruesome anything (except when they walk in the room when my husband is watching Ultimate Fighter).  Within a few decades the old lady morphed into a beautiful young girl and three bears turned into mostly kind animals rather than scary beasts.  I guess one of the lessons to draw from "one of the most popular tales in English literature" isn't included in Jan Brett's version: after the wee, little bear wakes up Goldilocks and she runs away into the forest, she vows to be a good little girl forever after.

Shoot.  Now Lorelei won't realize that she's supposed to be a good little girl forever after.  I have failed!

Anyway, I'm not a huge fan of the story, but Jan Brett is one talented artist.  I actually think all of her books are flawed, some more than others, but they are worth reading because of the beautiful pictures.  She always draws borders around his pages, and the borders are filled with loads of little tidbits to uncover, clues as to what is on the next page, and just details upon details.  The pages of this book are just a testing ground for Lorelei and Ben's observation skills.  And they fare pretty well!

If you're interested, Jan Brett has heaps of neat (and free) activities and coloring pages on her website.

Ten Apples Up On Top! by Dr. Seuss

Ten Apples Up On Top! by Dr. Seuss, illustrated by Roy McKie

Rating: 5 balanced stars

Obviously, I have two kids.  So I'm constantly juggling their needs and interests and snacks to try and keep things interesting and balanced.  Sometimes I succeed.  Books like this one help--both Lorelei and Ben love it equally.  Many of the I Can Read By Myself Books are great like that; the text is simple enough for the beginner reader (Lorelei, 3 1/2) but also silly enough with fun illustrations for the younger listener (Ben, 20 months).

I should go buy this book we've checked it out so much, but the few times I've done that the book suddenly becomes less special.  Just like when a toy at a friend's house is much more interesting than when your mother buys it for you at home.  Humph!

This is my favorite Dr. Suess book, and has been for decades.  I prefer the more tamed, more succinct Dr. Suess (I can't get over how long Happy Birthday To You and If I Ran the Zoo are!)...but that could be just a phase.

She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain by Philemen Sturges

She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain by Philemen Sturges, illustrated by Ashley Wolff

Rating: 5 singing stars

Warning: This book/song will get stuck in your head, and you will definitely be singing it to yourself after the kids are tucked in bed, while on a date night with your partner, taking the dogs out for a walk.

That's the bad news.  The good news is that it's a really good book/song to have stuck in your head!  Philomen Sturges changes the words to the old folk song that no one can remember the words to anyway (or is that just me?).  It's a pretty decent length of a book, but the text/lyrics don't get old at all, and I even pretend to play a banjo as if there's a space left to rock out on my nonexistent banjo in front of my highly amused kids.  (I'll have the only kids who play air banjo, not air guitar.  Geeks in training!)  This book is so different from all the others because it's a song, and Lorelei and Ben beg for it again and again and again.  And I'm happy to oblige!  Even when my in-laws were in town so I had a crowd of people listening to me croon, I was happy to oblige. 

The basic storyline (songline?) is this:  Some "she"--it's a mystery who--is comin' 'round the mountain to this little animal village in the middle of some southwestern state.  Everyone is getting ready for a party when she arrives, including "making ensalada" and getting "old brass beddy" ready.  Here is Lorelei's favorite part: "We'll have a fiesta grande while she's here. / Salsa, rice, and candy--hope she's near! / That table looks just dandy, the pinata will be handy. / Let's build a great big fire for good cheer."  In the background of many of the detailed pictures is a camper, the vehicle of the mysterious lady, making its way to the town.  On the last page, when the whole town cheers "Yea, she's here!" we realize that it's a mobile library called Six White Horses, and everyone is excited to check out new books.

A book about books!  I love it.

I also must admit another dorky fact about myself, other than the fact that I play a pretty rad air banjo.  I make up songs for everything.  We have a quesadilla song, a guacamole song, a whatever-needs-to-be-sung-about song.  I usually take the lyrics to a song Lorelei and Ben know, and it cracks them up to here the latest version of it.  Lorelei plays along, too, and she makes up songs about things as she plays by herself or with Ben or with whatever it is that interests her at the moment.  We've all had a great time learning the lyrics to this book/song and also authoring our own!

I Like Myself! by Karen Beaumont

I Like Myself! by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by David Catrow

Rating: 4.5 stars

I am conducting an experiment.  If I read this book to Lorelei so frequently, until the message becomes embedded in her soft, pale skin, until the words roll of out of her smiley mouth, and until she can triumphantly leap as wildly as she does now in front of any group of people, will she resist the frightening abyss of middle school girlhood?

Sigh.  Lorelei's not much past 3 and I'm already concerned.  I dodged those years because I was wonderfully entrenched in horses.  I couldn't get enough of them, any my parents (wise them!) encouraged me wildly.  It was as if I put my head down to concentrate on my Dressage tests and, next thing I knew, I was in high school.

Over the weekend I read a fantastic article in the New York Times about an all girls camp that aims to readjust, if only a little, the self-esteem and pride that many girls lose during their middle school years.  What an understatement to say it's worth a read--click here to access it.  (The gal in charge is so inspirational!  I am asking for her two books on girlhood for Christmas.  That's right--barely August and I'm working on my Christmas list.)  Hopefully our little family and the larger ones in which we sit, plus our friends and neighbors and our soon-to-be chosen preschool will help Lorelei in these early formative years so that self-esteem is rarely an issue.  I think I'd be really crazy if I typed "never," though that is my wish.

This book is, as the inside flap says, "at once serious and silly" as it describes a little girl's ode to herself.  She declares her love for herself: "I like me wild. / I like me tame. / I like me different / and the same" while David Catrow's wacky illustrations impress and amuse everyone in the room.  This is a great book.  I'll be reading now, and tomorrow, and the day after that, and for every week next month, and then next year at breakfast for three months straight, and...

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

Rating: 4 stars

This is a funny little book that makes Ben and Lorelei giggle every time.  George's mother wants him to bark, but he keeps making other animal sounds.  So she takes him to the vet, who pulls out the animals--a cat, a pig, a duck, and then...holy smokes!...a cow!  And on the way home, after walking through a sidewalk crowded with humans, George says, "hello!"

Today when I read this to Lorelei and Ben I checked their mouths for animals, and they wanted to check mine to see the reason why I was saying oink and moo.  I don't recommend doing this while anyone is eating because what is just funny turns pretty gross, and a kid like Ben will want to repeat something that's gross even more times than something that's just plain funny.

This is a great making-predictions book if you want to draw lessons out of it, or it's just a fun book to read.  Thanks for the suggestion, Beth!

The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper

The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper, illustrated by Loren Long

Rating: 5 wonderful, classic stars

If I could choose one book that every child would receive on their first birthday, this would be it.  It is such a classic--who doesn't know about this?  maybe just the girl in my English lit class in college who had never heard of Star Wars--and it is the most deserving of all the esteemed classics out there.  Every grandparent should make sure their grandchild has this book on his or her shelf.

Just think if every child grew up thinking of the little blue engine chug chug chugging merrily along, stopping to help the little broken down train despite her small size, believing in herself as she pulled them up up up the big mountain, boosting her confidence by saying again and again I think I can I think I can I think I can...  Wouldn't this world be filled with kinder, more confident little beings?  Maybe they'd even grow to be kind, confident adults, too.  It's worth a try.

We started reading this book when Lorelei started a little Mommy and me gymnastics class.  She was pretty nervous about jumping off of things and hanging by her arms like a monkey and climbing up ladders.  We read this and began chanting I think I can I think I can I think I can at those moments when she needed a little bit more courage.  There's no way to tell if this book and this line were the sole cure for her lack-of-boldness problem, but...it definitely helped.

I know this book by heart now--I hope most parents do--and I am a little bummed that we bought an older version of the book.  We have the book illustrated by George Hauman; he does a good job, but the words and the illustrations annoying don't match up.  It's as if there's a time delay...in the picture one engine is chugging off back to the roundhouse but the text says that the funny little toy clown is just greeting him.  Hardly the end of the world, but the book with illustrations by Loren Long is gorgeous and definitely the one to buy.  Look at this picture of all the toy animals feeling sad after being disappointed by the third engine--can't you just feel the disappointment?! 

And, speaking of his or her, the most curious thing about this book to me is the fact that both the little engine that breaks down and the heroic little blue engine are both female, and the three unhelpful engines are male.  A little Google research and come to find out that--shockingly--I am far from the first to have this thought.  Some versions of the book don't attribute any gender to any of the trains, thereby making problem moot.  The versions with the gender difference are hailed by many female critics for applauding the "female pioneer" and maintaining a positive myth of women helping women, though the guys definitely get the short end of the stick--they are "too busy with important, male work" to help.

I don't think Lorelei and Ben are quite ready for literary analysis.  We love the Little Engine that Could because it is fun to read aloud as I have a different voice for each engine and the toy clown, too, and there's nothing better than cheering on a kind underdog that wins in the end!

Hop on Pop by Dr Seuss

Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss

Rating: 4 stars

Last week my husband's family visited us from the Midwest.  It was a delightful visit...I'm not sure who charmed who more--Lorelei and Ben charming their grandparents, or their grandparents charming them?  Either way, the days with them were just great.

Of course, the visit involved lots of books.  I think this is at the top of the list of why their grandparents appreciate them: they will sit and listen to books for hours.  Well, Lorelei more than Ben as his attention span is still developing, but that's understandable.  Lorelei would choose a book, climb up on a lap, listen to it, correct them if they mis-read a word or two, and then put it back and get another one.  Then she repeated the whole thing over and over and over again.

I was especially glad she chose this one to read with her grandfather.  Why?  Because his grandkids all call him Pop-Pop.  So Pop-Pop read Hop on Pop.  Hee, hee!

It's a fine book, and really timely as Lorelei is starting to spell words and realize that if you change the first letter in a word, it often turns into another word.  Or a funny non-word.  This book is in the "Simplest Suess for Youngest Use" category, and while I'm not a huge fan of Dr. Suess, this one is good for beginning readers and spellers. 

This book is a nonsensical, whimsical romp through Dr. Suess's zany imagination.  No more, no less!

Gumption! by Elise Broach

Gumption! by Elise Broach, illustrated by Richard Egielski

Rating: 5 adventurous stars!

As you know by now if you've read a handful of blog entries here, there are some books I read to Lorelei and Ben just for a certain vocabulary word.  Well, Ben still grunts his yes's and no's and everything in between, but Lorelei's speech is sweet and exciting and impressive and adorable.  I found this book while in the Boulder Book Store, and I LOVE it!  The best part is, Lorelei and Ben love it, too.  I don't even have to force one of my favorites on them. 

We are loving Elise Broach right now, though Richard Egielski is a new illustrator for us.  His work is fantastic!  He won the Caldecott for Hey, Al, a book we've not read.  Yet.  The illustrations are just amazing, and it's easy to think they are the only thing that make this book work.  They definitely bring the words to life, but that's because this book is about the pictures as much as it is the story.

I must say that this book is best read in a British accent, or at least when Uncle Nigel is talking.  My years joking around with my family and friends, leaving messages in different accents on their answering machines, really come in handy sometimes while reading to Lorelei and Ben.

Anyway, young Peter's favorite Uncle Nigel has invited him to the jungle to find the majestic and illusive "Zimbobo Mountain Gorilla."  They hunt through the jungle, crossing obstacle after obstacle.  At each obstacle, Peter says he can't do it.  Uncle Nigel replies: "Nonsense, my boy!  All you need is a bit of gumption!" and starts to go across the river or climb through the tall grass or climb up the mountainside by himself.  Then, you see in the picture, that an animal appears to help Peter across the obstacle--in a friendly way or by accident.  Peter arrives across the obstacle at the same time as Uncle Nigel, who doesn't see a single animal the whole time.  It is a gorgeous, clever book and really exciting in an old school, African safari, exploring the unknown sort of way.

This is such a neat book.  It's a great gift book, too!  (I'd get it for an adventuresome 3- or 4-year old.)  Lorelei and Ben both love it--thanks to the great story that Lorelei completely gets and the incredible pictures that captivate Ben.  Bravo again, Elise Broach!

I'm a Big Sister and I'm a Big Brother by Joanna Cole

I'm a Big Sister and I'm a Big Brother by Joanna Cole, both illustrated by Maxie Chambliss

Rating: 5 perfectly in-between stars

When my stepsister first asked what big sister books I had or would recommend to her, this is the only one I had on our shelf.  It was the only one I bought for Lorelei when Ben was born (she was only 18 months, so I'm pretty sure that I didn't buy it for her ahead of time, as she was mostly unaware of the reason I was getting so large).  It is really not a story book, but it's more than a book about babies and about a baby sibling.  It's the perfect in-between.

I don't think I can review any more bad sibling/new baby books right now.  I've got to take a break!  I've got Where Did That Baby Come From? and A Baby Sister for Frances and the VERY odd Perfect Friend right next to me, but they are all in the category of not really good...  (They all assume that the older sibling dislikes/hates/resents the younger sibling; in the case of Perfect Friend, the book is about a talking, thinking, feeling dog resenting a new baby in the family.  He's happy only when he realizes that the new baby is the only one in the family who won't ignore him any more).  There are too many books that we've found in the past few weeks.  Maybe I'll get back to more not-so-great ones when I'm out of great books...  That could take awhile!

So I'll end this bout of sibling books with this really good one.  It's a great starter book at the very least because it provides a 2- or 3-year old big sister or big brother with the basics: What a baby can and cannot do, what a baby can and cannot eat and other little lessons in a cute, accessible way.  It points out how a big sibling needs to ask permission from a parent before s/he can hold the baby, which is different from almost all the other books that show a toddler lugging around a 6-month old in a most frightening way.  There is also a note from the author about things you can do to help adjust your older child to the new addition.  You've most likely read the same things from your Google search and heard the same things from your pediatrician, but it'll probably comfort you to know you're already doing all the things you can do to make the adjustment a smooth one.

This is a must-buy--don't even bother checking it out at the library because you probably will read it again and again and again and again to your older child.  Maybe it'll be one of the first books your younger one will hear, too!

It worked for us, and Lorelei and Ben love each other, most of the time!

Wet Dog! by Elise Broach

Wet Dog! by Elise Broach, illustrated by David Catrow

Rating: 5 wet stars

Since I berated Elise Broach's sibling/new baby book What the No-Good Baby is Good For the other day, I had to applaud this awesome book.  This book is SO fun to read that I am constantly requesting Lorelei and Ben to request it.  The rythym makes me want to be a professional story teller at our local library.  I tap my toes and slap my knee.  David Catrow's images once again make me laugh out loud; I know all too well what happens when a wet dog shakes its stinky hair and lets loose a rainshower of dog drizzle.

If your child has a dog in her life, there is no way you can pass this one up!  Especially if that dog is a hairy one like our Golden Retriever was growing up.  (We have short-haired weims now...I'll never go back to the long-haired dogs, or so I say today.)  It is such a funny book! 

The wet dog you see panting on the cover goes on a quest to get wet, and he bumps into a bunch of different people who can help him achieve this goal.  A guy washing a limousine, a lady making bouquets of flowers, some guys making music by a lake.  They all shoo him away immediately when he starts to shake and get them wet, and he goes on his way: "pat-a-pat, pat-a-pat, pat."  All the people he encounters are actually going to a wedding, which the wet dog easily crashes with his dog drizzle.  All the grown-ups are dismayed by the wetness of the wet dog, but a little baby welcomes him: "More, wet dog, more!"  Soon the baby's laughter is contagious, and the grown-ups are all getting in on the wet fun.  In the end, instead of getting yet another "Shoo!  Go on now, SHOOO!" the wet dog hears: "Hoo-ray, wet dog!  Hoo-ray!"

Lorelei and Ben love how the entire wedding party and grown-ups just jump into the lake with the giggling baby and wet dog--David Catrow is such a favorite in our house, but this might be my favorite of his books of all the ones we've read.  (Click on the tab below to see his other books I've reviewed.)  Elise Broach is also at her best here; most of her books are simple prose, but this is a sing-songy poem reminiscent of a banjo folk song, hence the aforementioned foot-tapping and knee-slapping. 

Dog lovers (especially miniature ones): you've just got to read it!

On Mother's Lap by Ann Herbert Scott

On Mother's Lap by Ann Herbert Scott, illustrated by Glo Coalson

Rating: 3.5 stars

Early on in Lorelei's big-sister-hood we read We Share Everything! by Robert Munsch (review here).  It became our motto; if Lorelei was reluctant to share something with Ben or a friend or cousin, I would ask her: "What do we share?" She would dutifully reply: "We share everything!" without any sarcasm or eye rolling.  She really has been an amazing big sister and she truly shares everything with Ben.

The exception: my lap. 

A few weeks ago she flat refused to slide to one of my legs while I sat Indian-style (or criss-cross-apple-sauce if you're politically correct) and Ben wanted to sit with us to read.  I kept pulling her over to my left leg so he could sit on my right, but she stubbornly slid back down and told Ben to sit on the floor.  This was just the most recent episode, but one of the least fun for me because Ben retaliated by forcing his way into the middle spot, too, and then pushing his head up into my lip, giving me a blow to a soft spot on my mouth, making tears come to my eyes.  I don't raise my voice often, but I did then.  Of course it didn't help and all three of us had tears in our eyes.  I took a deep breath and suggested we start over.  We did, and they shared.  And my fat lip was just fine with some wine after they were both tucked in.

ANYWAY.  This is a sweet, quiet book where an Eskimo big brother runs to his mother's lap and they rock back and forth, back and forth.  Slowly he collects things to sit with them: Dolly, Boat, his reindeer blanket, Puppy.  From his bed, the new baby (gender not specified) looks longingly at the rockers, and the mother gently suggests that they let Baby join them, too.  The big brother is clearly not excited but doesn't squabble or talk back, and soon there are two little ones--and Dolly, Boat, the reindeer blanket and Puppy--rocking back and forth, back and forth, with their eyes closed and mouths turned upwards.  "There's always room on mother's lap," the mother whispers.

I really appreciate the story and sketches and hope that Lorelei and Ben learn just a little bit more about sharing my lap.

It's All About Me! by Nancy Cote

It's All About Me! by Nancy Cote

Rating: 2 stars

I don't even want to waste much time on this one.  In our family, no one has the luxury of saying, "It's all about me!"  Except maybe on their birthday.  For a few minutes.

Because it's NOT all about one person.  We had our kids close enough together (18 months) that Lorelei never once wished her brother would "disappear" like this big brother wants his little brother to disappear.  Or maybe--just maybe, just throwing it out there--it has something to do with our high expectations of her as a big sister.  I'll never know why, but I do know we're lucky to have done something right somewhere along the way.

Here are the two stanzas that kill me about this book: "If Mommy tells me I'm the best / And Daddy tells me, too / Then why'd they want another one? / Oh, I hope that it's not true" and "When Mommy says he looks so cute / I don't know what she sees / I hope that baby disappears / And then she'll just have me."

Now, even with my harsh words, if you've found yourself in the unhappy situation where your older resents your younger, I guess this is a book you might want to read.  But hopefully we can prevent the situation by resisting the temptation to allow the first child to think "it's all about me" even when they're the only one around.  If I find some sibling non-rivalry pixie dust, I'll be sure to market it.

What the No-Good Baby is Good For by Elise Broach

What the No-Good Baby is Good For by Elise Broach, illustrated by Abby Carter

Rating: 2 stars

We love Elise Broach, but...this book is not great.  We are throwing it into the sad, big pile of books-that-assume-big-siblings-hate-their-little-siblings.  It sure isn't for us, and it makes me wonder who would welcome a book like this into their house?  I hope there aren't many people out there, because it sure doesn't help promote a loving family atmosphere that we'd like to pretend we'll have for longer than the next few years. 

Please don't burst our bubble if you think this is untrue.  We are really enjoying our kids' relationship with each other right now!

In this book, the big brother resents his baby sister, says she's good for nothing, and wants to get rid of her.  "It's time for the baby to go," he says.  And then, the mother says, to his and my surprise, "I guess you're right."  Together, they help pack her belongings.  As they pack, the big brother realizes that the very things that his baby sister does to annoy him--throw Cheerios on the floor, pull the cat's tail, make noise at the library--could actually be seen as good things.  So he and his mother decide to just send the baby sister away for the day--to Grandma's eager arms--and spend the day together.

Obviously, there are some redeeming qualities here:

• The big brother learns that attitude and perspective is everything, and if he looks at his baby sister through a more positive lens, the scene is better.  That's definitely an important lesson.
   
• The mother recognizes her son's need for some time apart from the baby, and some time spent just with her.  That's another important lesson in new-sibling-hood--that while you do have to share everything (including mom) everyday and all day long, taking a break once in a while is healthy and refreshing and wonderful.

Still, we've had this book from the library for over a week and Lorelei and Ben haven't seen it.  I don't really want "no-good baby" in their vocabulary for a few seconds, let alone years.  I wish that Elise Broach had just changed the title and text to be more positive, because then the book would be better. 

But the book still rests on the premise that the big brother doesn't like the baby sister, and I just don't want to be the one responsible for putting that idea into my own children's heads.  Things are going swimmingly now, with Lorelei believing--rightly, we think--that Ben is a wonderful addition to the family.

Nobody Asked Me If I Wanted a Baby Sister by Martha Alexander

Nobody Asked Me If I Wanted a Baby Sister by Martha Alexander

Rating: 2 stars

I hid this book mostly because of the title.  Here in our house, Lorelei and Ben don't get a whole lot of opportunities to voice their opinions on matters that don't involve their toys and lunches and activities.  And even on those matters they don't always get a choice.  I'm into free will and all, but I think it is highly overrated for children, let alone toddlers. 

In this book of few words, the big brother gets tired of her new baby sister.  He gets a stool, gets her out of her crib, puts her in his wagon, then carts her down the street, trying to to give her away.  You read that right.  The little boy finally founds an older boy who, when asked if he knows of someone who might want a baby, replies: "Sure, my mom.  She loves babies."  So the little baby is taken to this random mom, who tries to make her happy when she starts fussing.  But it turns out that the little baby just wants her older brother, despite the fact that he just tried to cart her off to anyone who might want her.  He grudgingly accepts the compliment, only when he envisions his baby sister pulling him in the wagon one day.

I'm not a fan.  I sure don't want Lorelei to get any ideas of a) leaving the house without me, b) leaving the house with Ben in town, and c) thinking that it's funny or cool or smart to try and give away a family member.  It seems to me that this book perpetuates the sad myth of big siblings hating and resenting their younger siblings.  That's a myth that, personally, I'd like to stop.  Maybe that's just because I am a younger sibling!  I guess there's a chance that parents of older kids might find it amusing (the publisher says this book is appropriate for kids from 4 to 8), but...this book will not be part of my family's library.  Ever.

Hello Baby! by Lizzy Rockwell

Hello Baby! by Lizzy Rockwell

Rating: 3.5 stars

So my mother was visiting when we got all these sibling/new baby books from the library.  She was helping me with lunch one day, and I handed her a short stack of books, including this one.  Of course, I hadn't previewed the books before.  Of course, that got me in trouble once again.

She started reading.  The first page is a cute one--with a very pregnant mom sitting on the sofa with her toddler son.  He is listening to and feeling her stomach, and the text (written in the little boy's voice) explains how he's sitting very still, "I wait, and I wait--then I feel it!  Kind of like a swoosh and kind of like a thump, it's almost nothing at all.  But I know that funny feeling.  It's our baby!  Hello, baby!"  I thought that was pretty cute.

Then she turned the page.  Augh! 

There is a picture of "our new baby," in utero!  Grammy wasn't expecting that, and neither was I!  That was a whole lot more details than Lorelei expected to get with her PBJ.  And, as the book goes on, more details are shared and illustrated: the doctor listening to mother's belly during a check-up, a "how a baby grows" chart, the baby with the umbilical cord stub (gross!). 

I really don't have any problem sharing this information with my children, but there is no third baby on the way and it's not like they are asking about how a baby is made!  Once again, I really need to read books first.  The point is, of course, that this book is really good if you want to teach your child everything that is going on, not just point out that in 40 weeks --poof!-- s/he will be a big sister/brother.  The images are really cute, especially the newborn baby ones, and it does tell a child what to expect.  And, unlike the vast majority of the other sibling/new baby books, the big brother is excited about his baby sister's arrival and loves her very much. 

This is a good one IF you are looking for an informative children's book about the impending arrival of a baby.  There is a sweet story in addition to the information, which makes that information easier to digest.  Even with a PBJ.

I Used to Be the Baby by Robin Ballard

I Used to Be the Baby by Robin Ballard

Rating: 4.5 stars

Last week I checked out ten sibling/new baby books from the library.  They were horrible.  They were so bad that I hid them from Lorelei and Ben so that they wouldn't want me to read them out loud to them.  If they had found them, I would have changed the words around.  While I generally don't want to spend too much time talking about not-so good books because there are so many good books out there, I do plan on reviewing all the sibling/new baby books that I checked out so that those of you looking for some know what each teaches.

This book was the best of the bunch.  By miles!  It was the only one that didn't assume that the older sibling/s in the family either dreaded a new baby's arrival or despised the new baby.  Instead, it shows a older brother learning how his younger brother is different from him, and gently teaching him new things and/or the right way to do things.

I'm not so sure if big sisters would appreciate this book as much as big brothers--Lorelei is in a phase of wanting (for the most part) "girl books," which she defines as books with girls on the cover or mostly about girls.  Luckily there are lots of exceptions, and since about half of the books we read are about animals, they don't count, even if it's a boy animal.  But when reading a sibling/new baby book, I am guessing that you've got to be pretty gender-specific.  Would be happy to be wrong, because that would mean a whole lot more books to go around!

Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins

Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins

Rating: 4.5 stars

This book reminds me that children's books don't have to be cool.  I mean, as much as Fancy Nancy now permeates our days (Lorelei: "Mommy, can I play with your fancy shoes?" or "What fancy dress will I wear today?"), my kids cheer when they find this simple book on our library stack. 

Personally, I find it a tad annoying, but just because I don't go around saying "Fiddle dee fee" when I get frustrated.  I usually spell out a word or two.

Anyway, Pat Hutchins (think Rosie's Walk or The Wind Blew always produces read-aloud classics with intricate drawings, and this is a good example of why children from all over for so long have appreciated her books.  It's a long poem that is simply counts down the apples on a tree--one by one they are picked and eaten by animals on the farm, with the farmer insisting that they leave one for him.  He gets the last one, but then his wife comes up and wants one.  Oops!  Luckily the farmer, his wife, and all their animals spot another tree and everyone ends up happy. 

It's charming in a dusty sort of way, but Lorelei and Ben just adore it, and grandparents seem to be a fan of it, too.  In the picture is beloved Grammy, who --sniff, sniff-- left us yesterday.  At first I was going to write in this review that I couldn't get the right rhythm to the book, but on the third or fourth read I figured it out.  My mom got it on the first try.  Humph.

Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang

Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang

Rating: 4.5 stars

This is a simple counting and bedtime book that works really well.  Despite the fact that most countdowns are pretty exciting things, this countdown is calming and comforting and will hopefully result in a sleeping child, just like the one at the end of this book.

But you've got to know the background of the book to fully appreciate it.  When her daughter was two, the author spent a few weeks away from her--it was the first time she'd spent such a significant amount of time apart.  One night, in the middle of the night, Ms. Bang woke up and wrote this down as a poem to her daughter.  Luckily for us, her daughter thought it'd be neat if the poem her mama had written for her was published for other (less creative) parents to read to their (still deserving) children.

(So...if I'd like to write a good children's book, I need to go away for two weeks and keep a notebook by my bed.  Sweet!  I'll let my husband know I'll be going to Jamaica for two weeks in February.)

Another really interesting tidbit: The author made the father and daughter black; her publisher told her that she'd likely cut her audience, and thus her paycheck, in half.  Of course, she chose to do it anyway and, wonderfully, it has sold equally "to both white and black, and all shades in between."

Wind Flyers by Angela Johnson

Wind Flyers by Angela Johnson, illustrated by Loren Long

Rating: overall, 3.5 (3 for the author, 5 for the illustrator)

This is another book that makes me grateful that the author and illustrator have chosen to share their talents through children's books.

This is a book about the first all-black squadron created, thanks to pressure from the NAACP and other groups, in the U.S. Air Force.  The pilots were trained on an airfield in Tuskegee, Alabama, and flew in missions in North Africa.  The 332nd fighting squadron was the only escort group that never lost a single bomber to enemy fire.  The story is told by a little boy, whose great-great-uncle was a "wind flyer" or a "Tuskegee Airmen."  The story is appropriately serious, but not too serious.  Only once does the text mention the reason why the squadron was created: " 'Air Force didn't want us at first.  Only four squadrons like us,' he says, touching his mahogany face."  I love how subtlety and quietly the author lets Lorelei and Ben know about this difference--and about war, too.  She leaves it to me, the parent, to continue the lesson at home.  I accept.

I admit I don't love the actual text--more than once, I've flipped back to see if I missed a page because the story jumps around a bit more than I'd like.  I feel like it's two or three drafts away from a really great book.

But the illustrations.  The illustrations!!  They are illustrations that make children dream of flying, dream of doing something that they think is nearly impossible.  There is something magical about the pictures; I'm not sure what sort of pixie dust Loren Long has, but I'd like him to share it with me.  But he does!  Fortunately, Mr. Long has chosen to share his talents with children by illustrating some pretty amazing books.  I came across Otis in the bookstore a few months ago and I fell in love with the illustrator.  Click here to see his early sketches from the book; roll your mouse over the image and the final sketch will appear.  They are fantastic!  The illustrations in this book are just a gift to each child who reads it, and I'm extra appreciative that the gifts include images of black American heroes serving their country even when their country didn't fully appreciate them.

P.S.  I liked the first image of great-great uncle as a little boy, seeing if he could fly by jumping out of the barn into soft hay.  On the page before this, he jumps off the chicken coop.  We don't have these things on our property, and I'm not worried about Lorelei and Ben jumping off of tall things, but...it's good to know it's in the book if you've got a dare-devil in your care.

I Love Planes! by Philemen Sturges

I Love Planes! by Philomen Sturges, illustrated by Shari Halpern

Rating: 4 stars

I have a great friend who is completely addicted to Alexander McCall Smith's books.  Every time she sends out an update about what books she's read/is reading on the book group/website thingy we both belong to, one or two of his books are in there, with an apology (to whom?  I'm not sure!) that she knows she should stop but she just can't help herself!  They are so good!  There are so many!  She just can't stop!

Well, I finally understand.

These books are so good!  There are so many!  We just can't stop!  (Ok, there are actually not over a hundred, though I wish there were.  I think there are 8 or so.) 

These are quickly becoming equals to our Byron Barton favorites!  I really wish that they came in board books--if they did, I would definitely be buying them for a bunch of first birthdays for little boys.  The drawings and text and rhymes are so appropriate for a 1 or 2 year-old, and are the perfect little books to help kids get interested in books.  Because who doesn't love looking up in the sky to see if it's a helicopter or jet or Blue Angel or little propeller plane flying over us?!  I still do.

If you've got a little guy (or girl!) who is 2ish years old, just check out every single one of these.  We grab one or two every time we go to the library--sometimes they are new ones, and sometimes we've read them before.  It's like seeing an old friend, or being excited to meet a new one!

Do Princesses Scrape Their Knees? by Carmela LaVigna Coyle

Do Princesses Scrape Their Knees? by Carmela LaVigna Coyle, illustrated by Mike Gordon

Rating: 4.5 stars

This book, more than any other I've read, makes me realize how important it is to read good books to our kids.  Not just any books, but books with good messages, quality characters, and engaging illustrations.  This book really gave me food for thought about all the books we've read so far in our reading adventure, and how this book will make me really choose even more wisely than I have in the past few years.

You know who loves this book more than Lorelei?  Ben!  It cracks me up when he pulls out a book with "princess" on the cover, but then again, it's so fitting--because this book is about a little brother who is trying to keep up with his big sister.  The big sister is, wonderfully, letting him tag along.  She teaches him to try again, to believe in himself, and to dream big.  It is the first book of the sibling/new baby books that I'm going to focus on for most of my next bunch of blogs. 

When I was about six years old, my big sister said I was corroded.  I had to look the word up in order to see if it was an insult or not.  Of course it was, and of course it was just an example of a normal sibling relationship.  My sister did and does love me fiercly, I know, but my relationship with her makes me tell Loerlei almost every day how important it is that she encourage, praise, and teach Ben.  He looks up to her more than she will ever know--I say that as the mom who is always watching them, and the little sister who knows how much I still look up to my big sister.

So I really try to find and bring home books that highlight good, quality, loving interaction between siblings.  Yes, I realize that all kids--even my angels--will fight and argue and bicker in the next five or six decades.  Their closeness will come and go, and their love with be shown in different ways.  But there are way too many books out there that show sisters calling their brothers "Stupid" or brothers shunning their sisters because "girls play princess, not ball."  All books teach; I want books that teach behavior and lessons that compliment what Jonathan and I are teaching our kids.  Lorelei is still learning how to be a big sister, so finding good books that illustrate (literally and figuratively) how to be a wonderful big sister is a priority.

This is definitely one! 

I do have a soft spot in my heart for this author, not just because she's from Colorado, which is the only place I'd be tempted to choose over our home in Virginia.  Her first book, Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?, was inspired by her daughter, Annie.  I follow her blog and enjoy her infrequent reflections on her writing and memories and parenting.  I really wish her books were stories, not just a series of questions and answers, but those are minor infractions that are easily overlooked. 

In My Heart by Molly Bang

In My Heart by Molly Bang

Rating: 3.5 stars

This book is definitely not "traditional"--the family, as you can see on the cover, is multi-racial, and the drawings remind me of modern surreal art that, honestly, I'm not super fond of.  It's not one that my pretty conservative but still wonderful stepfather would fully appreciate, but it's not meant for his generation.

Despite the fact that I don't love, love, love this book, it is a really great book and, for some out there, will be a very important book.  After reading When Sophie Gets Angry: Really Really Angry I was pretty intrigued by Molly Bang.  So I ordered a handful of her books the following week to see what other sort of stuff she writes.  I like this one--it is worthwhile and heartfelt and special.  So definitely check it out, and let me know what you think.

This is the author's favorite book she's ever written--that's saying something right there when she's written dozens of children's books and won the Caldecott a few times.  On her website, she states that she was inspired by two situations when she wrote this book: adoptive kids who "don't come from their Mommy's bellies" and kids whose parents both work.  The book is a lullaby-like story reassuring kids that they remain in their parents' hearts, regardless of the proximity of the child and parent at the time.  And regardless of the birth parent.  It is a special, special book, and one that must comfort many adoptive children out there.

We like it for a different reason.  Lorelei is so into letters--just, literally, letters.  Lorelei will find Js in the woods when we walk the dogs, Os in her cereal and fruit...you get the idea.  She loves how Molly Bang uses images to write the letters.  I took a few pictures to show what I mean, because I don't think I'm doing the artwork justice... 

(I also am a little disappointed that the typed text is the same as that used in Fancy Nancy books.  It's just an unfortunate coincidence.  While I don't mind that whole series, this is a book of a higher caliber, and I wish I didn't think of a frilly little girl while reading this book to Lorelei and Ben.)

The other reason why I think I can't fully appreciate this book: I'm a stay-at-home mother.  I don't work.  I don't have to say good-bye to my kids each morning and reassure them that I love them, because I can tell them all day long, any day and everyday.  And, while this works for me and works for my family, it sure doesn't work for everyone!  So this book really provides a wonderful, comforting read to those families whose kids are in daycare of one sort or the other.

But it is, without a doubt, interesting and worth reading.  The artwork alone provides a different sort of image, and I love, love, love how colorful (skin and attire!) the people in the pictures are, and I love how creative those cool letters are!

I Love School! by Philemen Sturges

I Love School! by Philomen Sturges, illustrated by Shari Halpern

Rating: 4.5

There really isn't much to this big series of books, but they are each so cute and engaging that they're worth a blurb here and a check out there.  They are basic, introductory books on which you can expand if you want--or, if you're just pooped, you can just read it and save the extension exercises for another day. 

I do learn a few facts with every book; on the front and back inside cover are fun tidbits about school: that the world's largest peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich contained 150 pounds of peanuts and 50 pounds of jelly.  Or that more than 450,000 school buses transport close to 24 million students in the U.S. to school every day.  I appreciate that Sturges throws this stuff in for the older reader--whether that's 4 or 5 or, in my case, 34.

Since Lorelei is starting preschool in just five or six weeks, I am keeping a constant flow of books about school, about starting school, about making friends at school, and anything that has any positive vibe about school.  I really do think she'll do fine in the transition--when we moved from the Mommy and me gymnastics class to the "big girl" Mommy-sits-on-the-sides class she didn't look back once, and her crying fits of "I don't want to do that!" disappeared completely.  So I think she's ready.  I think.  I hope.  Am I ready?  I don't know.

The other books in this series:
I Love Trucks!
I Love Trains!
I Love Bugs! (review here)
I Love Tools!
I Love Planes!

Off Go Their Engines, Off Go Their Lights by Janice Milusich

Off Go Their Engines, Off Go Their Lights by Janice Milusich, illustrated by David Gordon

Rating: 4.5 stars

Sometimes Ben is just a lucky guy, even at the library.  As any almost two year old does, he thinks that pulling a lot of books off of a shelf is way cool.  Of course, I try to discourage such destructive behavior at both at home and at the library--but especially at the library!  At home, sometimes it's just easier to give him the ten minutes to create the mess he so desires...and clean up after bedtime.

This is one book that Ben grabbed, randomly, without seeing its cover, from the stacks.  It's a really nice bedtime book for boys (and girls) who are fairly vehicle-crazy--that's Ben!

Milusich writes the story with a soothing, quiet tone.  A taxi picks up a mom and her son, and they pass by a pumper truck, a dump truck (Ben's favorite), a brown delivery truck, a police car, and an ice cream truck; she explains what they do in one line, and puts them to sleep with another.  One by one you say good night to each truck, and on the last page the mom says good night to her son.

It does have a lot of words in it, so if you've got an impatient little guy/girl on your lap, you might want to wait till 2 or older for this one if you're going to read it at bedtime.

While we've never read it at bedtime (I had to stop taking library books to bed because Ben kept wanting them in his crib, and I'd have several repairs to do in the morning.  When he learns that ripping is not synonymous with reading, we'll change the rule about where library books can and cannot go), we've read it a lot, and Ben "reads" this book by himself a few times a day.  Ben even wiggled himself into Jonathan's lap over the weekend with it.  Our male weim, Guidry, even had to get in on the action, so I couldn't resist taking a picture of all the boys in our family reading together.

Big Al by Andrew Clements Yoshi

Big Al by Andrew Clements, illustrated by Yoshi

Rating: 5 fishy stars

An old friend recommended this book to me--she said that she used to read this book to her kindergarten class on the first day of school every year.  I was intrigued...it must teach a good lesson and be pretty captivating, right?

Yes and yes!

Big Al is the friendliest fish in the whole wide ocean, but he was pretty scary--he has googly eyes, big, sharp teeth, and is brown and monster-like.  He attempts to make friends (he hasn't a single one) by covering himself with seaweed, wiggling himself into the sand to look small, changing his color to match other fish, but nothing works.  So he "cries big salty tears into the big salty sea."  Poor guy!  To say that Yoshi makes him looks forlorn is an understatement.  But, after another failed attempt to make a single friend, a net catches a huge school of fish.  Big Al chomps the net and saves them, making him a friend to all.  I LOVE the picture of happy Big Al!  How can you not love a big galoot of a fish with a heart of gold?

I think the only drawback to this book is that, as I stated before, Big Al is pretty scary.  While we had it from the library Ben and Lorelei rarely chose it on their own to read.  But I would choose it and put it among the books designated for meal time or bed time or nap time, and they always enjoyed it.  For this reason, I think it is best used like my friend used, in school and to teach the oh-so important lesson of befriending even the odd-looking and odd-acting fish in the sea. 

Please, please, please let just half of the kids on Earth learn this!  What a better place schools would be.


P.S.  The illustrator, Yoshi, has a fantastic website at which you can purchase the print of happy Big Al and four other images from the book.

Wiggle by Doreen Cronin

Wiggle by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Scott Menchin

Rating: 4 stars

This is a great little book, well deserving of a few sentences here.  It definitely is in the category of lift-the-mood book because the funny dog urges all listeners to "get their wiggle on" (my words, not Cronin's) in funny ways.  Ben starts wiggling as soon as we get out the book.

Here's a little example of the quick rhyming scheme: "Snakes are one big wiggle. / No wings. No tails. No feet. / Some wiggles are worth waiting for / Wiggle, wiggle, tweet!"  Simple.  Cute.  Catchy.  Fun to read aloud!

Doreen Cronin, of Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type fame, has a huge list of books that are just fantastic.  We've only met a few that are duds for us, but I just think Lorelei and Ben are a little too young for them.  She's definitely one of those go-to authors for us on the days when I forgot to order books ahead of time.  You really can't go wrong!

Ella Takes the Cake by Carmelo D'Amico

Ella Takes the Cake by Carmela D'Amico, illustrated by Steve D'Amico

Rating: 5 stars--maybe 6!

This is the third book in a wonderful series by a Seattle-based husband and wife team about a shy little elephant named Ella.  If you're looking for a gift for a three- or four-year old little girl, get these!  Just buy the whole set and you'll provide them with beautiful pictures, sweet stories, and important lessons. 

This particular Ella book, Ella Takes the Cake, is the favorite of one of Lorelei's little friends, Ella--the girl, not the elephant.  Ella the girl has good taste!  In this book, it's summer vacation and Ella really wants to help out in her mother's bakery.  Her mother keeps her from helping as much as she wants to--the oven is too hot, the knife is too sharp--but finally the delivery elephant forgets to pick up the most important cake, and Ella offers to deliver it by herself.

Here are things that make this book SO RIGHT:

• The to-be-delivered cake is gorgeous and enormous, yet Ella is willing to give it a shot.  (Go, Ella!  Dream big!)
• Her mother says yes--she trusts her little daughter with a big task.  (We should all do this!  Let's start a trend to actually have enough faith in our kids to let them do Big Things, even if it scares us a little.)
• Ella takes some detours, yes, but they are sweet and responsible ones, like taking a stack of books to the library for an older elephant.  (The day after we read this book, I found myself offering to return library books for our neighbor, who was going on vacation.)
• She catches up with the delivery man, who offers to "take the cake from here" to its final destination, but Ella sweetly says, "I'd like to finish what I started."  (Oh, to have that sentence come out of every child's mouth!)
• The recipient of the cake is impressed, and Ella returns home, very proud of herself.  And her mother is almost as proud of her.  (There's something about accomplishing a goal that seemed unreachable at some point--that's what I like about distance running.)
• The last line: "That's what Ella likes to do best...be a good helper."  (I realize this might be sickeningly sweet to some, but I much prefer something like this than a witty-sarcastic line.  There will be enough of those in the teenage years...)

These are quality stories.  But I'm not done yet--just a few more sentences!  The artwork in them is just beautiful.  This one is by far my favorite because the illustrations begin even before the title page--the front and back inner cover is a map of the mysterious Elephant Islands.  Lorelei likes to trace the route that Ella takes to the lighthouse, then back again. (That's what she's doing in the picture.)

This is a really terrific series--not one to miss!