Oink, Moo, Meow by Sterling Publishing Co.

Oink, Moo, Meow by Sterling Publishing Co.

Rating: 4 stars

Here's a little book for little guys and girls.  Kiefer is nearly 20 months old and doing his best to talk.  He can say "blue" and "uh-oh" and "da-da" and a handful of other words.  The rest of his emotions, opinions, and desires he grunts.  "Ugh.  Ugh.  Ugh!!"  (Lorelei often translates: "Mommy, that means yes."  Um, thanks.)

I'm not going to lie: This is not my favorite phase.

To shorten it as much as I can, to do as much as I can to encourage the word-building to happen in a matter of months rather than years, I am providing books like Oink, Moo, Meow.  There's not much to this book.  Just a picture of an animal and the sound it makes.  "The donkey says 'hee-haw!'" and "The bear says 'Grrr!'"  But hopefully Kiefer will pick up on the sounds and think it's fun to practice them, so to get us all to the talking phase as soon as possible.

Because at some point, someone else will be in the car when I'm trying to get him to talk.  And I know they are going to go jump out of the car and choose to walk after listening to me: "KEEE.  KEEEE.  KEEEEEEE-Fer!  Say it, Kiefer!  KEEE.  KEEEE. KEEEEEEEE-fer!"  (times infinity).

This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

Rating: 2.5 stars

What?!  There is another book like I Want My Hat Back, where the bear eats the rabbit because the rabbit took his hat?!  Of course there is.  If the first is popular, there will definitely be a sequel.

This time a tiny fish steals a hat from a big fish.  He admits that he stole it.  He's proud of it.  He thinks he can get away with it (literally).  Nope.  The big fish wakes up from his nap and is hot on the trail of the little thief. He finds the little fish in some reeds and GULP...  He swims out of the reeds with his hat back on his own head.

WHAT?!

I see how some kids think this is funny, but...I can't help but act my age and...not laugh.

The Milkman by Carol Foskett Cordsen

The Milkman by Carol Foskett Cordsen, illustrated by Douglas B. Jones

Rating: 5 stars

I am smart enough to know that the 1950s weren't exactly the best time to be a woman, especially a stay-at-home mother like I am now.  But that doesn't keep me from love, love, loving this book we came across at the library a few weeks ago.  The the sweet story, unique rhyme, the nostalgic illustrations, leave me with my fingers crossed that one of the kids will choose THIS book for bedtime every night while we are lucky to have it home with us.  The Milkman is Carol Foskett Cordsen's first children's book; I sure hope there are a whole lot more comin'.

First, the sweet story: With the moon and stars still overhead, the milkman, Mr. Plimpton, and his sleepy cat load up the milk truck, hop in, and head into town to deliver fresh milk to his customers.  He whistles merrily (didn't everyone whistle merrily back then?) as he goes from house to house.  Mr. Plimpton makes mental comments on each one--he knows them all by name (didn't everyone know everyone by name then?).  The same home-made sign keeps popping up "Lost my dog! Love, Caroline" in the text and illustrations until, at the end, he finds the pup and returns him to Caroline.  When he's done being the hero, he goes home to the best part of his day: breakfast with his own family (didn't all dads eat all meals with their families back then?).

Second, the unique rhyme:  I do love a good rhyme, but this one is the first I've seen that rarely involves full sentences.  The quick beat make it a fantastic read-aloud book (for older kids like Lorelei, it was fun to point out how this poem was different).  Check it out for yourself:

Past the schoolhouse.  Past the park.
Straight down Main Street.  Quiet.  Dark.
Red light.  Stopping.  Green light.  Creeping.
Milkman humming.  Milk cat sleeping. 

Finally stopping.  Orders ready.
Cat still sleeping.  Snoring steady.
Double milk for Morgan twins.
Red house full of Kansas kin. 

Next house empty.  New folks soon.
Bensons left in early June.
Hope the Bensons like the Bay.
Hope the new folks want to stay.

Third, the nostalgic illustrations by Douglas B. Jones are just wonderful.  They are clear and crisp and cool.  The milkman strides long across the sidewalks of the sleepy town.  There is an easy smile set on his face.  As soon as he sees the first missing dog sign, that same dog begins to appear in each illustration, usually lit up a little to help readers find him.  Any smart author and illustrator know that a little look-and-find aspect to any book bumps it up a notch!

Definitely, this is one of the sweetest books we've read in a long time.  A fantastic find!

Santa from Cincinnati by Judi Barrett

 Santa from Cincinnati by Judi Barrett, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

Rating: 5 joyful stars

(I know Christmas is over, but...our lights are still up...so...)

One day, I'd like to write children's books.  You'd think I've read enough to know exactly what it takes, right?  On the one hand, yes.  On the other hand, books like Santa from Cincinnati just completely and totally humble me into a non-writing status.  This book is that creative, that impressive, that good.

Judi Barrett, of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs fame, has created a past for Santa Claus in this gem of a book.  Born in Cincinnati to a less famous Mr. and Mrs. Claus, his parents found his unusual name in an unusual way; "S, A, N, T, A" floated around together in their alphabet soup.  He was "jolly and roly-poly and had rosy cheeks from day one."  His toddler years included all the normal things: first steps (while wearing big, black boots), first words (ho, ho, ho), favorite song ("Jingle Bells") and favorite toys (stuffed reindeer).  To look more like his dad, young Santa started wearing a fake (white) beard and mustache.

My favorite [toy] was a stuffed reindeer.
In fact, since I liked it so much. my mother got me several more.

Young Santa and his father spent hours in their basement building toys together, adding to Santa's already big collection.  The toys were soon the subject of much awe and desire; the children of Cincinnati pressed their faces against the little basement windows to watch the man and boy make these toys.  The kids asked if they could have one, and soon Santa had a list that grew longer and longer every day.  One day before his birthday (December 25th) he realized he had way too many toys, so Santa decided to give them away--one to each child on his list.

He put on his red coat and hat, pulled some toys on his sled, and shoved more toys in a giant pillowcase he carried on his back.  Not surprisingly, the night was a huge success!  Santa decided to make it an annual thing.

After college, meeting and marrying the next Mrs. Claus, enlisting a bunch of people to help, and relocating to a bigger and better facility (with central heating), Santa became more efficient by shortening his list by finding out who was naughty and who was nice.  And his reindeer benefit from modern technology--his sleigh is now jet-propelled and thanks to his GPS, they never get lost.

The story would be great on its own, but Kevin Hawkes' illustrations bump it from awesome to incredible.  Each illustration just adds so much!  This is just a book full of joy--that sounds pretty hokey as I type it out, but there is so much joy in the faces of each picture and so much joy in the story that you can't help but feel a little bit of it as you read it to your little ones.

Even the week after the holidays.

I think the only drawback to this great book is that it explains Christmas without any religion--I can't really add much to that because I'm trying to figure out how and what to teach my trio.  But even with that drawback (because you've probably done a better job than me at explaining Christmas), this is truly one of the best holiday books I've ever read.  Thank you once again to Julia, my friend's daughter, for pointing it out to us.

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

 I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

Rating: 4.5 stars

I have to say, right up front, that Lorelei would give this 6 stars.  All three kindergarten classes at her school voted for their favorite book, and this is the one she chose.  She thinks it is so funny.  HI-larious.  Laugh-out-loud, pee-in-your-pants, bust-a-gut, funny.

I think it's okay.

Which means--gasp!--I'm a muggle!  I've been doing my best to stay young and cool and carefree but...it's...it's just no use.  I can't shake the twinge of morbid in the end of this book, so I can't completely laugh right alongside Lorelei.  I'm curious what you people think out there.  (Mom?  Thoughts?)

Lorelei reads the book to Kiefer.

In case you've not read it: Bear loses his hat and, one by one, interviews all the animals in the forest to see if they've seen it.  The third of his six interviews is with Rabbit, who is wearing a conspicuous red party hat (in the dull tones of the book, the red stands out).  Bear doesn't notice.  Pages later, Bear sighs with discontent at the fact that none of these animals could help him; he is still missing his hat.

But wait!  He remembers seeing it!

He scrolls through his brain until he realizes the very funny thing: Rabbit was wearing his hat when Bear talked with him!  Bear runs back, confronts Rabbit, and they have a two-page spread of a stare-down.  The. Tension.  Is.  Thick.

Turn the page.

We see no Rabbit, just Bear wearing his red party hat, and Bear denies ever having seen Rabbit.

Enter Lorelei, laughing her blond little head off, at the fact that Bear ate Rabbit!  Ha ha ha ha!

The stare-down.

Wait.  I'm supposed to be laughing here?  I say this to Lorelei.

She points out how there is now a bulge in Bear's belly.  Clearly, Mommy, Bear ate Rabbit.  Ha ha ha ha!

I dunno.  I'm kind of sad for Rabbit.  Poor guy.  Does he really deserve to be eaten?!  Over a silly hat?  I think I managed a fake little laugh, only so Lorelei could remain clueless about how seriously I take some books, about how muggle-like I really am.  Don't judge me for putting on a false laugh for her!

The Mouse Before Christmas by Michael Garland

The Mouse Before Christmas by Michael Garland

Rating (according to Julia and me): 5 stars

The Mouse Before Christmas by Michael Garland is about a mouse that one Christmas crawled into Santa’s sack. It is based on Twas the Night Before Christmas.  

Julia, writing her review long hand, before typing

(This is Kate interjecting:  See?  There is someone else in the world who is probably interested in reading all the versions of Twas the Night Before Christmas!  Okay, I'm assuming young Julia would be up for reading the stack of these books that I'm beginning to create.  I see a book party coming together for December 2013...  I am officially creating a Twas the Night Before Christmas tag for my blog.  Let me know of ones you know of that I might not know about!) 

The mouse was in the sack, and he found a way to peek out of the sack. He saw the Eiffel Tower, the Sphinx, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Statue of Liberty. At the end, Santa finds the mouse, and takes him back home. The next morning he wakes up and he got a present: It was a mini Santa hat! I would give this book 5 stars.      

By Julia, age 7, grade 1  

Mouse had never imagined a world so wide;
He lost count of the wonders he'd seen on this ride.

(It turns out that this book was on hold for us, and arrived to our local library a few days after Christmas.  Julia is right; it is worthy of five stars.  It really is good writing:

Onto rooftops, down chimneys, old Santa did race.
Mouse marveled the reindeer could keep up the pace.
They soared past high mountains, skimmed low near a river.
The twists, dips, and turns set his tummy aquiver.

Enjoy!)

)

What Am I? Christmas! by Alain Crozon

 What Am I?  Christmas! by Alain Crozon

Rating (according to Julia): 5 stars for kids, 3 stars for parents

I had a little problem, and I asked for a little help.

When my friend's daughter recommended some Christmas books to us, I tried to order all of the books.  But  a few weren't available and, like George, I was curious.  So I asked for help.  I wrote Julia an email asking if she would be interested in writing a review or two for my blog, telling readers about the book and what she thinks about it. 

Here is the bright and clever Julia's review:

What Am I? Christmas by Alain Crozon is not actually a storybook. It is a book that has quizzes, and you ask people the questions, and they have to answer them. 

Author Julia, hard at work on her review

One of questions is: “I become a special tree when you trim and decorate me!” then you lift up a flap and the flap reads:”a Christmas tree.” 

By Julia age 7, grade 1

(Me again.  I just have to add that Julia is as close to a crystal ball--where I can see the future--as I am ever going to have in my life.  She's about 18 months older than Lorelei and just as sweet and earnest and curious and, well, WONDERFUL!  Every time I see her I get a little sneak peek into what Lorelei is going to be doing in a year or two.  Such a gift!)

A Pirate's Night Before Christmas by Philip Yates

 A Pirate's Night Before Christmas by Philip Yates, illustrated by Sebastia Serra

Rating: 4 stars

Second nerdy confession of the day: It amuses me greatly to pick up our "on-hold" books at the library before I get the email notifying me that they are there, ready to be picked up.  But that's what happened yesterday when we went to the library--this book was waiting for us, pre-notification email!  I know, I know...cheap thrills.

If your child is into pirates, this is a great book to buy.  Or, if you just like reading books in a pirate accent ("aaarrgh!"), this is a great book to read.  The words and the illustrations are bright and lively and funny and clever.

But he hopped in his sleigh, to his team gave a roar:
"It's time to return to the briny deep floor!"

Santa is "Sir Peggedy" who lives in the deep water, and comes up from below with the help of eight giant, magic sea horses that pull his sleigh.  He hands out gifts to each buccaneer:

Anchors an' hornpipes an' cackle-fruit eggs,
Pearls an' red sashes for Bonnie an' Meg.
A cauldron for Cook filled with pieces of shank,
And just for the Cap'n a shiny new plank.

We had a lot of fun imagining a plank in our stockings on Christmas morning!  The narrator of the tale gets a special gift: a map to a treasure "where X-mas marks the spot!"

Another great version of the classic tale...  Merry Christmas, me buckos, an' a Happy New Year!

The Soldiers' Night Before Christmas by Trish Holland and Christine Ford

The Soldiers' Night Before Christmas by Trish Holland and Christine Ford, illustrated by John Manders

Rating: 4.5 stars

First nerdy confession of the day: I'd like to see how many versions there are of Twas A Night Before Christmas.  I'd like to check them all out and pile them up high and read them, one by one, all in a row.  I am confident that one exists for every constituency group out there, with inside jokes tucked away inside the familiar verse.  I love it!

I recently reviewed The Night Santa Got Lost: How NORAD Saved Christmas for Washington FAMILY magazine, a local resource for the Northern Virginia area.  (Read my review here.)  I thought I had seen it all when I flipped through and saw a special ops team fast rope down to rescue Santa!  But then, in Barnes & Noble, I saw the cover of this book and picked up two copies.  I didn't need to read them first--I knew I needed one for my sister's family, and one for my (retired Ranger) dad.

This book started out with a row of soldiers asleep, one sleeping with a rifle ("What's a rifle, Mommy?"), in their bunk.  The clatter that awoke them was a Blackhawk ("What's a Blackhawk, Mommy?") and eight Humvees ("What's a Humvee, Mommy?"  Look at this vocabulary building!) decked out with tinsel and lights.  Santa is fierce drill sergeant with a chewed up cigar hanging from his tough lips, and the reindeer are the drivers of said Humvees.

I know this book is not for every family.  Even while I am fine with these new vocabulary words because they are part of my family's lexicon, I know there are a lot of good reasons not to show kids pictures of rifles and cigars.

But as soon as my own chuckle started rolling, the book took a serious turn.  Sergeant McClaus walks in with a big bag of loot, presents for the troops from their families.  My eyes were immediately misty.

Tasty gifts from old friends in the helmets he laid.
There were candies, and cookies, and cakes, all homemade.
Many parents sent phone cards so soldiers could hear
Treasured voices and laughter of those they held dear. 

Loving husbands and wives had mailed photos galore
Of weddings and birthdays and first steps and more.
And for each soldier's boot, like a warm, happy hug,
There was art from the children at home sweet and snug.

Sniff, sniff.  There are many soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines away from home this holiday season, working hard so that our children can remain sweet and snug in their beds, blissfully ignorant of the messy and violent parts of world.  I love that this book allows kids to recognize their service.  This book ends how I'd like this entry to end:

Happy Christmas, brave soldiers!  May peace come to all!

(And thank you. so very much, for your service, brave soldiers.)

Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show by Michael Buckley

 Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show by Michael Buckley, illustrated by Dan Santat

Rating: 4 stars

I was just saying the other day in my review of It's Christmas, David! that I don't want to provide my trio--especially the two boys of that pack--extra ideas of how to be mischievous.  They come up with enough ways to walk the line between fun and stupid!  And I must take a moment of silence when I realize that, at age 4 and 19 months, they are just getting warmed up!  Yikes. 

And then I check out Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show just because I found it on the goodreads.com Best of 2012 list.  Hmm.  Maybe I am still learning to walk the line between fun and stupid...?  But this book is a riot, in mostly appropriate ways.

Kel Gilligan is a three-ish-year-old daredevil and takes his daredevil-ness very seriously, though the stunts he performs would be approved by parents (or at least, me).  He puts his life at risk eating healthy food, he throws caution to the wind and poops on the potty, he attempts to get dressed all by himself, nearly fails to let his mom finish a phone conversation uninterrupted, and tests his nerve underwater during bath time.

That stunt took a little longer than I expected.
I should have brought a coloring book or something.

He knows no fear!

The sarcasm is almost too much for me and Kel's "mean faces" that I force Ben to soften in his own face make this a borrow-from-the-library book rather than one that Ben (and Lorelei and Kiefer) can look at again and again and again.  But Dan Santat's illustrations are hilarious--without question, laugh-out-loud funny!

Hopefully when they perform these daredevil stunts and others, our kids will at least wear a helmet!

A Letter to Santa Claus by Brigitte Weninger

A Letter to Santa Claus by Brigitte Weninger, illustrated by Anne Moller

Rating: 4.5 stars

Oliver and his mom, a seamstress, live up in the woods; they "only have enough money for bare necessities."One of his mother's clients pays her with a few coins and an old calendar, which Oliver is happy to have.  Something new and interesting!  He beams with excitement.

(I've got to pause here.  I hope your kids beam with excitement for a humble gift this year.  I know there'll be some "Where's the next gift?!" around our tree soon, but...hopefully there will be Appreciation, Gratitude, Gratefulness as well.)

Back to the book.

For December there is a picture of "Santa Claus."  Although Oliver is school-age, he's never heard of Santa Claus before, and is in awe when his mother explains who he is.  But then Oliver wonders if he's been too naughty all these years to receive any gifts...?  Soon after, a kind neighbor gives him a bright red balloon, beautifully juxtaposed with the whites and grays of winter, filled with an equally mysterious thing: helium.  Oliver writes a letter to Santa asking for a lamp for his mother and warm mittens for himself and uses the balloon to carry his letter.  Off floats his hope.

Miles away, the balloon lands in the yard of a grumpy old man, battered from a life of disappointment and sadness and loneliness.  His name is Nicholas; his thick, furry beard hides his frown.  Despite his initial disgruntled response at a child wishing for toys, the humbleness of Oliver's request creeps into his heart.

Days later, he puts on his red cloak and heads to the boy's house with packages for Oliver and his mother.  Oliver's beaming smile returns, and all are warmed with love--the kind of love that comes from extending yourself a bit more than feels comfortable, in a way that you've not in a long time or, maybe, ever.  That sort of love.

The boy and his mom move down the mountain to Nicholas' home, and they call him Grandpa.  They fill each other's lives and give each other not material gifts but all that untouchable, more important stuff: companionship, love, laughter, and others to give those things to.

This book makes me appreciate that untouchable, very important "Christmas spirit."

Thanks for the recommendation, Julia!

Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman

Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

Rating: 5 stars

I love a good list.  And at this time of year, there are plenty of them.  And as my friends and family know that I'm a serious book-lover (well, actually, I'm seriously goofy a lot of the time), any list that is close to "Best Books of 2012" finds its way to my inbox.

This book was on the list at goodreads.com.  We've checked it out a handful of times before; it definitely earned its title of being one of the best children's books of 2012.  I love the simple story, but I really love the illustrations by one of my favorite illustrators, Dan Yaccarino.

A boy and a robot find each other and, oblivious to their differences, instantly hit it off.  As they roll down a grassy hill, the robot's switch turns off; the boy realizes he must help him.  So the boy helps him in boy-ways: gives him applesauce, reads him a story, tucks him in.  But the robot doesn't wake up until his parents peek in on him and accidentally switch on the robot's switch.

"Want-to-play-tomorrow?" asked Bot.  And the friends did.

And then the robot sees the boy "turned off" (a.k.a. asleep in bed), and the robot realizes he must help him.  So the bot helps him in bot-ways: he gives him oil, reads him an instruction manual, and brings him a spare battery.

After the boy wakes up, they see each other in a new light.  they now realize their differences, but they still hit it off.

The pictures reflect the story: sweet, simple, whimsical.  The story and the illustrations--oh gosh the whole book--just gets under my skin in the best way.

This is a book worth buying!

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!

What Could Be Keeping Santa? by Marilyn Janovitz

What Could Be Keeping Santa? by Marilyn Janovitz

Rating: 4 stars

HUGE NEWS!  I got my first piece of fan mail.

Hmm.  Maybe I should be honest here.  Is it still "fan" when the fan is the daughter of a good college friend and one of the few people who have been reading this blog o' mine from the beginning and did a few posts with me a year or two ago?  And can I say "mail" when really it was a picture of a list of Christmas books that her daughter, Julia, had at her house that she wanted me to know about?

Page two of Julia's (oh so cute!) list

I consulted her mom--moms are always the final word, of course--and Beth said YES!

So here is one of the books her daughter, the bright and clever Julia, suggested I read and blog about.  (If you'd like a little story about Julia that I wrote once upon a time, click here.)

It's a cute story involving several mystified reindeer; each cute illustration involves them looking confused and befuddled in a new way.  They move about the North Pole, trying to figure out what's been keeping Santa.  There's a nice rhythm to the rhyme and Lorelei and Ben definitely got into the little mystery: what has been keeping Santa?

I love a funny ending, and we were all smiling when the reindeer have it wrong: "My dear deer friends, you'll have to wait. / You're one day early--check the date! / On Christmas Eve we won't be late... / Nothing would ever keep Santa!"

Very cute book, very worthy of a check out.

Thanks, Julia!

The Legend of Captain McFinn and Friends by Phyllis Cafaro

The Legend of Captain McFinn and Friends by Phyllis Cafaro, illustrated by Mada Design, Inc.

Rating: 3.5 stars

I started worrying about bullying two years ago, when Lorelei started school.  Preschool.  She was 3 1/2 years old, and she knew what a bully was, and to tell the teacher if she thought someone was being a bully on the playground.  Sure, the might-makes-right idea will always exist everywhere from my daughter's playground to global politics, but...we parents and educators can and should do all we can do to prevent it.  The consequences are so very horrific when we do not.

Enter The Legend of Captain McFinn and Friends, the first of a series of books created to teach important lessons of life, including the value of being a friend rather than a bully.  The books are heavy-handed in teachable sentences, but worthy of discussion in any classroom or home.  There's a ton of information at www.captainmcfinn.com, including stuffed animals of the main characters, the bullying prevention program S.H.A.R.K. patrol, downloads for teachers and parents, and a whole lot more.

The story: McFinn is a big, strong shark and the leader of a gang of fish that torment a nicer group of fish in the first story.  Things are going swimmingly for McFinn and he's enjoying being nasty and mean-spirited until he gets into trouble and the nice fish have to rescue him.  In a flash he realizes what a jerk he's been, and changes his ways.  Mean McFinn becomes Captain McFinn, the protector of the reef and a friend to all.

I like the book because kids can put themselves in the shoes--or fins?--of each side: the nice fish who get bullied, and the bully who needs help.  They all swim happily ever after, to the next books that teach other important life lessons.

The publisher of this series was kind enough to mail me the three books and a CD, and I'm happy to give them away to be appreciated and used again and again.  I would love the collection to go to a school, but I'll leave that up to the winner.  To be included in the raffle, just add a comment below and a way to contact you should your name be The Chosen One.  Thanks for playing (and good luck)!

Truckery Rhymes by Jon Scieszka

Truckery Rhymes by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by David Shannon, Loren Long, and David Gordon

Rating: 5 stars

This is a great, great book for boys!  I'm bummed I've only just found it.  Jon Scieszka is the creator of the blog Guys Read, a blog created to help boys become life-long readers.  I'm all for that!

In this book, he simply but cleverly rewrites all the classic nursery rhymes to make them dirty and funny and...truck-y!  And David Shannon, Loren Long, and David Gordon add some super cute, sometimes silly, sometimes funny illustrations to compliment the nursery rhyme.

Here are a few examples:

Patty Cake, Patty Cake 

Patty cake, patty cake, Dumper Dan.
Dump me some dirt as fast as you can.
Slide it and drop it and mark it DD,
And pile it in the lot for Melvin and me. 

Jack and Kat 

Jack and Kat raced up the hill
To burn some crazy rubber.
Jack zoomed down,
Right through Trucktown,
And Kat came scraping after.

This is a fantastic birthday book for a 2- or 3- year old boy (or truck-obsessed girl).

Jon Scieszka has written a few Trucktown books after this; they are a great preschool/kindergarten series you should definitely know about if, like me, you've got a boy or two in your charge.  We've read a bunch of them and like them...check them out here.

Carrot Soup by John Segal

 Carrot Soup by John Segal

Rating: 5 stars

I'm on a mission: to get my trio to love soup.  I love soup, so why shouldn't they?  It's simple, healthy, and make-ahead-able.  The problem?  They just don't like it.  YET.

Enter books about soups, including this one.  We've checked out this book a number of times from our great little library, but neither Lorelei nor Ben has suggested "Let's make carrot soup!" when I or they get to the end, where there's a recipe for carrot soup.  YET.

Ben added 6 cups of carrots.

I grabbed the book, checked it out, and brought it home.  Lorelei pulled it from the library bag, read it, got to the last page and guess what she said?  "Let's make carrot soup!"  I stifled my chuckle and replied: "What a great idea!"

Due to Lorelei's long days in kindergarten and our early mornings, it worked out best to make it this morning, after Daddy drove her to the bus.  While I was still sipping coffee and Kiefer was in between breakfast number one (banana and milk) and breakfast number two (cheesey eggs), the boys and I made carrot soup.  The sun hadn't even come up yet, but we were cooking!

I did most of the cooking, to be honest.  I let the kids cut things with butter knives, but carrots and onions required a real knife, so I'll wait a few years to hand those over.  While I sliced and diced, the boys did their favorite kitchen activity ever: pretend cooked.  They pulled out half the contents of the pantry, a bag of potatoes, and my leftover chicken broth cartons and added and mixed and created to their heart's content.

(Clean up took a while, in case you're wondered, but it's done.)

Kiefer minds the "pretend carrot soup" which
had everything but carrots in it.

 This book--I guess I should tell you about it--is a really good spring book (I type as winter is still weeks away).  Spring is Rabbit's favorite season, and he's excited to plant seeds for his favorite vegetable, carrots.  He waters, weeds, and waits until finally--FINALLY!--the carrots are ready.  He grabs his wheelbarrow and heads out.  But there's a problem: he can't find any carrots to dig up.

One by one, he asks his friends if they've seen his carrots.  One by one, they all say no...but one by one the reader sees them sneak in the background with wheelbarrows, bushels, arms full of carrots.  Rabbit is unaware, but Ben and Kiefer both shrieked in delight at the joke (we read the book while the carrot soup was simmering, during Kiefer's breakfast number two).

Discouraged and disappointed, Rabbit heads home...to a surprise party, with all of his friends and carrot soup.

Keep your fingers crossed that the eating of the carrot soup is just as successful as the making of carrot soup for us tonight!  I'm okay with the worst-case scenario: the kids each take a single "thank you bite," the boys get a little practice cooking for real and pretend, and I have lunch made for myself for the next few days.


P.S.  I didn't actually use the recipe in the book.  I like this one a whole lot better!

Holly's Christmas Eve by Wendy Watson

Holly's Christmas Eve by Wendy Watson

Rating: 3 stars

The last war memoir I read is too fresh in my mind to appreciate this book for what it is...

It starts off innocently enough...  All the ornaments on the tree come to life after bedtime.  They chit-chat a bit until Bad Cat leaps up and rustles the tree, causing Holly, a wooden doll, to lose an arm.  She is understandably distraught!  After the human chases away Bad Cat, in roars Vacuum Cleaner...who gobbles up Holly's arm!  She is understandably more distraught.

Hmmm.  Does the nutcracker then inject her with morphine and tell her everything is going to be just fine?  No, no...wrong book, Kate!

All of the ornaments then work together to locate the vacuum cleaner and recover the lost arm in the trash.  By the time they return to the tree, Santa is sliding down the chimney.  He magically repairs Holly's arm (who knew Santa was also a combat-ready medic?!) and the ornaments smile happily ever after.

Until they are deployed again.

Okay, not really.  That was just my ending.

It's Christmas, David! by David Shannon

 It's Christmas, David!  by David Shannon

Rating: 2.5 stars

Will I get coal in my stocking if I give a bad rating to a book this close to Christmas?  Hope not...

I'm not a fan of most of David Shannon's books, including the whole No, David! series.  His colorful but crude drawings depicting various degrees of naughtiness (or "bad choices") are definitely amusing to kids, but...these are images--and sometimes words*--that I'd prefer my kids not see or hear/read.

Each two-page spread in It's Christmas, David! has David's parents telling him something NOT to do: Don't look for presents before Christmas! Don't swipe the Christmas cookies!  Don't pay with the ornaments!  Don't throw snowballs at the windows!

(It's only funny if it's not your child...)

Finally, on Christmas morning, David receives a few "yeses" and can do the things he's been wanting to do.  Except throw snowballs at the windows...I'm guessing that one is still off limits.

For me, it's just not entirely funny.  With two boys I'd like to limit their inspiration for mischief as much as possible.


* In Alice the Fairy (review here) Alice calls her mother "the wicked Duchess."  I assure you that, even when accurate, hearing that from one of my children's mouths would send me through the roof.

Queen of Christmas by Mary Engelbreit

 Queen of Christmas by Mary Engelbreit

Rating: 5 stars

We checked out this book from our local library last week, and it never left Lorelei's backpack.  She read it on the bus to school and on the bus from school every day.  She loved it.  This morning, when it finally came out of her backpack, we talked about it.

(The story: While counting down for Christmas and doing fun activities like ice skating with her grandma and baking cookies with her mother, Ann Estelle works on The List.  Of course, this is her long, long list of things she wants for a "gift-getting opportunity like Christmas."  On Christmas morning, she only receives a few things from her list, but is still very happy with the day.  "It's not the presents that matter," she tells her dad.  "Don't you know that?")

She decided to squeeze a red skating
outfit--with sparkles--onto The List.

Lorelei informed me that she wrote a little report on it in her class.  Her teacher asked each student to write about a book they loved, to draw one of the pictures from the book, and write a sentence or two about it.  Her favorite page was, unsurprisingly, the one where Ann Estelle is ice skating in a red sparkly ensemble.

My favorite page, unsurprisingly, is at the end: when Ann Estelle tells her father that she knows the important things about Christmas.  Namely, time spent with people she loves experiencing fun stuff.  I couldn't agree more.

Charley's First Night by Amy Hest

 Charley's First Night by Amy Hest, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Rating: 4 stars

Warning: DO NOT buy this book if you've got puppy fever.  It will push you over the edge, and before you know it you'll have a wiggly, wobbly puppy traipsing all over your house.  Wait, is that a bad thing?

The story is just okay for me: A little boy gets a new puppy, names him Charley, and shows him around his new house. The boy's parents are very clear as to who will walk and feed the dog: the boy.  And they are clear as to where the puppy will sleep: the kitchen.

The pictures are way beyond okay for me: Charley the puppy trots along behind the boy, he carries the puppy around in a blanket, they gaze into each other's eyes on a big bean bag chair.  We are privileged to witness, thanks to the sweet illustrations of Helen Oxenbury (oh she is so wonderful!), a boy fall in love with his dog.  The last page shows the little boy clearly breaking his parents' clear instructions on where Charley should sleep.  After the boy hears Charley sadly crying in the kitchen, the two curl up in the boy's big bed, both happy as can be.

The book is very, very cute, and takes me back to second grade.  Our family got our first dog, a Golden Retriever my dad named Darby.  Darby had long hair with ears that looked crimped, a goofy little smile, and the softest coat in the world.  And the smell--I can remember her puppy smell to this day.  Our family already has two big dogs, so there won't be any puppies for us any time soon.  But I can't wait to get one--and watch Lorelei, Ben, and Kiefer fall in love with it...

Snowmen All Year by Caralyn Buehner

 Snowmen All Year by Caralyn Buehner, illustrated by Mark Buehner

Rating: 5 stars

We read this library book--another of Lorelei's quality check-outs--and bought it a few hours later.  We liked it that much!

I only bought it (read: let me justify my purchase to you) because I was really happy to find the board book version.  The number of words on each page, nice, rollicking rhyme, and hilarious pictures make it a fantastic choice for Kiefer right now.  He's nearly 19 months and definitely into books.  He walks up to me, book in hand, sees me sitting "criss-cross-applesauce" and turns around a full two feet in front of me, backs up, and then plops down happily when his feet hit my legs.  I find it altogether adorable, makes me want to freeze time.

But what does Kiefer like even more than the laps of his parents?  The laps of his siblings, of course.  Just today he sat in Ben's lap for the first time.  Both boys grinned wildly as Ben "read" the book to him, trying to balance a boy almost equal his size and remember to turn the pages of the book.  I find THAT equally adorable, makes me want to freeze time some more.

So if there's a book that is going to cause more of these cute moments to happen, I'm buying it!

On stormy evenings I would play / My favorite games with him;
On sunny days I'd teach him how / To dive and how to swim.

This wonderful, silly book is about a boy who wishes he his snowman could stay with him all year long instead of melting when the warm sun comes out.  The whole book is about what the boy would do with him.  The huge illustrations are so great and fun!  You see boy and snowman flying kites, playing pirates, going to the zoo, riding a roller coaster, watching fireworks, playing chess, getting buried in the sand.

For Ben it is laugh-out-loud silly, and SO FUN to be the parent who gets to read it, and gets to ask, "Have you ever seen a snowman at the zoo?!" and then go on and on (and on and on) about all the other things that would be fun to do with a snowman that are not in the book.  The things on our list: throw rocks in the creek, go to the library, play soccer, ride on a train.

This is a fantastic book for any age kid--or, like in our house, every age kid.  I've heard through the grapevine that the kids are getting Snowmen At Christmas from Grammy...  I hope the gift-opening will pause long enough for us to read it on Christmas morning, because I'm excited to read it.

Mrs. Claus Takes a Vacation by Linas Alsenas

Mrs. Claus Takes a Vacation by Linas Alsenas

Rating: 5 stars

Lorelei checked out this book from her school library yesterday--and shared it with the rest of us.  We LOVE it!

Mrs. Claus has had enough of staying at home while Mr. Claus gets to see the world.  So she packs her bags, borrows the reindeer and says, "I'm outta here!"  Okay, Linas Alsenas words it a little differently...

The next few pages made me laugh out loud.

First, you see Santa at home, worrying.  "Mrs. Claus isn't used to warm weather," thought Santa.  "She'll get sunburned!" he says with a droopy, forlorn face.

Turn the page.

Nope!  There's a huge two-page spread of Mrs. Claus in her (age-appropriate) white bathing suit!  She's lovin' the sun!

Next, you see Santa at home, worrying.  "She doesn't know all the worlds languages.  I'll be she's terribly lonely," he says in a heavy, woe-is-me tone.

Turn the page.

Nope!  There's a huge two-page spread of Mrs. Claus merrily dancing (in Poland?  Greece?), blending in with the locals in their attire.  She's livin' it up!

You get the idea.  After these pages, Mrs. Claus begins to miss her husband, who is getting into the holiday spirit as much as he can at home.  She begins to notice that Christmas is coming, and she feels the tug of home.  The two are thrilled to see each other on Christmas Eve Day, but Santa soon has to get on his way.  As he is ready to walk out the door, he hands her her coat.  And invites her to come along.  She happily accepts.

This book is just great--a tiny glimpse into adult love, but one with enough care and humor and familiarity that kids would hear and see just a cute story (but hopefully get a bit more).  A great, unique holiday book in case you're in need of another gift idea...!

A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

Rating: 4.5 stars

I am not a perfect mom.  Of that I am sure.  Lorelei's hair is usually unkempt, I still haven't gotten to the bottom of Ben's itchy bottom, and Kiefer once handed me a steak knife I left hanging out on the counter.  But I do pat myself on the back when it comes to getting my kids into books:  They love books.  I can't yet say "They love to read" because Ben and Kiefer are still working on reading.  But it will happen soon, as things do when your kids are so little.  Soon is, like, this afternoon...for most things, at least.

Reading in the car...

One specific reading-related thing I'm proud of: getting our kids in the (good, lifelong) habit of reading in the car.  We don't need no stinkin' DVD player!  (I am very fortunate that no one has carsickness in our family.)  From a very early age, Lorelei had a basket of books at her disposal in the car.  She has the same routine today as she did two years ago: Climb in the car, grab a book, start reading.  Thanks the continued supply of books and her fantastic example, Ben and even Kiefer do it now, too.  A few weeks ago I taught Lorelei and Ben the ol' Peace Corps rule: Always Bring a Book (ABAB)!  Now they often chant to each other "ABAB!" as they to the shelves before a longer car trip.

Makes me smile...and wish I was in the back seat reading with them rather than driving!

A few weeks ago my husband planned a fun family outing to Luray Caverns in Virginia, a two hour drive from our house.  After some rounds of "ABAB!" the kids climbed in and this is what Jonathan and I saw from the front seats.  Granted, Ben and Kiefer read for 30-40 minutes versus Lorelei's 90 minutes of the drive, but...every minute of peace and quiet in the backseat is one more peace- and quiet-filled minutes in your day!

Lorelei and Ben often grab Shel Silverstein poem anthologies before getting in the car.  We have all three: A Light in the Attic, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and Every Thing On It.  The poems are mostly short- or medium-length, and each has a funny and/or bizarre picture alongside that amuses Ben too.  Once they sat on the sofa, each with a volume.  They flipped the pages and, every 4.2 seconds called out, "Look at this one!" and giggled wildly at the other's illustration.  I was thrilled to have them playing so happily together (read: without me), but they were so cute and funny that I kept walking from the kitchen to the family room to look at them.

The pictures make the anthologies good choices for pre-readers and early readers, and the poems are good for stronger readers.  Lorelei still doesn't get all the jokes; she loves, loves, loves when I sit with her and read a few poems and explain the jokes to her.  (Who doesn't like being in on the joke??!)

I'll end with a poem (that is actually from Where the Sidewalk Ends) that my sister often read to me when we were kids:

For Sale 

One sister for sale!
One sister for sale!
One crying and spying young sister for sale.
I'm really not kidding.
Who'll start the bidding?
Do I hear a dollar?
A nickel?
A penny?
Oh, isn't there, isn't there, isn't there any
One kid who will buy this old sister for sale,
This crying and spying young sister for sale?

(I think I had nightmares about this illustration.)

P.S.  Yes, I know that Shel Silverstein looks a little creepy on the back cover photographs.  But we don't hate on bald people around here!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

Rating: 5 stars

I'm not sure if there's a more iconic holiday book than How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  I was lying awake last night thinking of this book (and way too many other things...thank you, insomnia) and how kids really need to be familiar with it, for cultural literacy's sake.  They need to be able to catch the references in their middle and older years.  If not, they'll be like the girl in my sophomore English class who had never heard of Star Wars before That Day in class when her innocent "Star Wars?  What's that?" received a not-so-polite barrage of sarcastic answers.  Her parents earned a few demerits for being that strict with TV.

Just in case that gal in English class is reading and doesn't know the story: the Grinch is a loveable villain who wants to stop Christmas from happening in Who-ville.  He dresses up like Santa Claus, and, with the help of his funnily pathetic mutt Max, visits all the homes in Who-ville.  Instead of dropping off presents and good tidings, he steals all their gifts and decorations and even the last log on their fire!

When he has collected everything, he heads to the nearest cliff.  He's about to push over every last bit of it when he hears loud, vibrant singing from Who-ville that alerts him to the fact that the Christmas spirit lives on despite the lack of presents and decorations and logs.  The Grinch's heart grows in size and he returns to the village to return the Christmas packages and join in the festivities.

Of course we parents are familiar with the Grinch spirit, too.  I admit I am.  I am overwhelmed by all the noise and the stuff and want to grumble along through the whole month of December, and I think pretty Grinchy thoughts about the ohmygoshsohighsoshighSOHIGHSOSOSOSOHIGH levels of excitement of my kids.

But then I stop.  How can I get annoyed by excitement?  Am I that lame of a muggle?!

So here's a list of things that get me less-Grinch-like and more excited about the holidays.  (Feel free to add some of your own in comments section...comments make my day!)

• Baking Christmas cookies (then letting the boys use the dustbuster to suck up the zillion sprinkles that didn't make it onto the cookies)
• Taking a carriage ride at the nearby Reston Town Center (haven't done it yet but plan to!)
• Going ice skating...or, if you're a kid, learning how to ice skate for the first time
• Wrapping a few gifts for the kids, reading any and all books before they get wrapped
• Starting a fire (or watching our kids hand my husband logs while he starts one), and watching the kids mesmerized by the flame
• Going to my sister's house--she manages to out-holiday me every time, but her decorations and spirit inspire me
• Drinking a cup of Celestial Seasonings seasonal teas (Candy Cane Lane is what I'm sipping now)
• Putting on the one Christmas album I have...Elvis!

Moral of the story: Don't be a Grinch.  And when you feel a little Grinch-y, go play with your kids.  They'll un-Grinch-ify you in a jiffy.

Winter Books...

Sometimes a little rearranging of what you've already got is in order to re-attract kids to the books you've already got on your shelf.  Ben and I went through our (incredibly messy, hardly organized) children's library to find any and all books regarding winter, snow, Christmas, or the holidays in general.  We found a dozen--I think there are four or five more hiding in there--and arranged them in his room.  At bedtime he and Lorelei took turns choosing books for their own room, to be read by one of their amazing parents and then to read on their own before falling asleep...quickly, we always hope!

Any favorites of yours that you don't see in ours?  I'm curious if there are can't-live-without holiday books out there...

Drummer Boy by Loren Long

 Drummer Boy by Loren Long

Rating: 5 stars

Some families choose grocery stores for the quality of their produce.  Others choose one for low prices.  Our family?  I like grocery stores that have a nice selection of books.  Last night the trio and I found ourselves at Wegmans (which I actually like for all three reasons); in between the produce and dairy departments we had a pit-stop at the book shop. Lorelei and Ben were sprawled out way too comfortably on the floor reading Curious George books, and I found Drummer Boy, which I thought was just the song with illustrations by one of my favorite illustrators, Loren Long.  I put it in my cart without reading it.

In case you didn't know, Loren Long is the illustrate President Obama chose to illustrate his book, Of Thee I Sing.  When the President wants you, you know you're good.  But he was fantastic before (and after) that--his grand illustrations are sweeping beauties that pull you in completely.  Read all of my review of his books by clicking here.  Plus he has a weimaraner, like us.  (His is probably more well-behaved...maybe he wants two more...hmmm...)

When I got home, after the groceries were put away and the kids were asleep, I read it.  This book might be my favorite Christmas book of all time.

A boy receives a mystery gift on his doorstep some weeks before Christmas: a drummer boy.  "Just what I wanted," he says, and the drummer boy's heart feels warm.  After some days of drumming for the boy, the tail of the boy's dog sweeps the drummer boy into the trash, and he gets taken away into the back of a garbage truck.

The drummer boy is stunned and sad to find himself in a heap of trash, with a rat snarling at him.  But he plays for the rat...

Boom pum pum boom pum,Boom pum pum boom bum,Boom pat pat boom pat,Boom pat pat boom tat.

The owls grew quiet and drifted off to sleep.

The rat's snarl softens as he listens, but suddenly an owl swoops in and picks up the drummer boy.  When delivered to her nest, hungry baby owl beaks squawk at him.

Boom pum pum boom pum,Boom pum pum boom bum,Boom pat pat boom pat,Boom pat pat boom tat.

They fall asleep to the now-comforting sound of the drum.  After several other trips-turned-concerts, a raccoon carries him to a cemetery   The drummer boy is colder and lonelier than ever; he feels quite lost and very sad.  He feels that the statues and stones are surrounding him are waiting, waiting.  "So, with a heavy heart, he plays his drum for them."

Boom pum pum boom pum,Boom pum pum boom bum,Boom pat pat boom pat,Boom pat pat boom tat.

The next morning, after a heavy snowfall--you can only see the tip of the drummer boy's hat in yet another gorgeous illustration--the little boy comes to deliver a poinsettia to the gravestone in front of the drummer.  "Merry Christmas, Grandpa," he says quietly.  And, delighted, he finds his drummer boy.  They return home together, and the little boy places the drummer boy in his family's nativity scene, next to baby Jesus.

Boom pum pum boom pum,Boom pum pum boom bum,Boom pat pat boom pat,Boom pat pat boom tat.

And the drummer boy's heart feels very warm.

I have never found a children's book that is a better lesson on giving--on giving what you have (which can often be so little) so selflessly.  It is a beautiful story and the message, so moving.  The drummer boy is taken--helpless to move himself, he never has a choice whether to stay or go--from one place to the next.  Always, at first he feels alone, but when he finds someone to whom he can give this gift of music (or maybe it is with whom he should share it?), his heart is warmed.

It is so very appropriate that this book was tucked among beets and tomatoes and strawberries, chicken and steak and milk.  All those things nourish us, as do books.  The lessons within this particular book last so much longer as we teach and re-teach it to our children, and learn and re-learn it ourselves.

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by Eric Litwin

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean

Rating: 4 stars

I love Pete the Cat.  I don't know what it is about him--his slinky coolness, his quiet head bob (not that he bobs his head in this book or the other books, but I just imagine him walking down the street, with lanky shoulders moving slowly and head bobbing to his own beat).  There is just something about him that I love, and his catchy songs that bring a grin--not just a smile--to all of our faces makes me appreciate him all the more.  I am thrilled that he's back!  (And there are two more books that are soon to be out, easy reader books.  Yay!)

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas is a twist on the traditional 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.  Santa is sick and considers canceling Christmas (gasp!) but they call Pete the Cat, and he comes to the rescue.  He has to do it in his usual cool way, so he hitches the reindeer to his hippy minibus, all filled with toys for all the good girls and boys (or, as my dad would say: none for the girls and all for the boys).  Pete thinks flying through the sky is "pretty groovy," but, like our old Golden Retriever, his expression doesn't change.

This book's refrain: "Give it your all, give it your all.  At Christmas we give, so give it your all."  It is less snappy and catchy than his other books, but appropriate for the season.

Pete is lauded a hero in the North Pole when he returns with his empty minibus, and he is proud of himself for accomplishing his mission.  "'I did it!' said Pete. 'And although I am small, / in the spirit of Christmas I gave it my all.'"

This is a great book for fans of Pete (that'd be our family) but probably won't attract heaps more followers on its own.  Those first three books are fantastic; if you've not read them just buy them all, like I did, so you always have a smile-raiser of a book on your shelf when you need one.

We are getting into the holiday spirit in our house...how about you?