The time has come. The time when I must try push aside embarrassment and begin to discuss bodily functions with my child. Potty training is looming. Positive signs are being seen. Interest is being shown. Resistance to the ways of babies everywhere are being resisted.
What is a mom like me to do? Find a book!
This book is perfect! It's simple. It covers the process. It has positive emotions and fun pictures. And my daughter LOVES it.
Thank you Leslie Patricelli.
But I have loved Leslie Patricelli's books for awhile. I have been reading my daughter the Birthday Box for almost a year - we started long before she had any concept of what a present was, what a birthday was, or even what a box was! Because it's a lovely book.
Also recently, while on our Leslie Patricelli book, I picked up the bilingual version of her book Higher, Higher. I was shocked how quickly my daughter picked up the Spanish (a language we have not previously introduced). Now she asks for it by saying "Mommy, do you want to read Higher, Higher, Mas Alto, Mas Alto?" And occasionally when we are celebrating she puts her hand up to high five me and says "Amigos!"
Let's compare and contrast: A Kenya Christmas by Tony Johnston and my very own Christmas in Kenya.
In the book, an eccentric aunt arrives in the village with her two pet cheetahs, gives elaborate gifts, and just happens to have a Santa suit with her.
During my Kenyan Christmas, no gifts were exchanged, the only exotic animals we saw were some monkeys along the side of the road, but eccentric aunts were plentiful, tipsy, and animated.
In Mr. Johnston's book, a fat man with a red suit magically appears and delights the family and the villagers.
On Christmas Day in Kenya, we went to a wonderful park, ate some freshly barbecued goat, sang songs, played games, and spent a delightful day with our family.
I think I win.
But if you cannot accommodate thousands of dollars in airfare, vaccinations, and weeks of leave, then A Kenya Christmas is a fun book, with good vocabulary words in Kiswahili, and although clearly a work of fiction, it will surely provide your child with some whimsy and some wonder about how Santa might operate in other lands.
My family and I are just back from an intense trip to Kenya. While we were there our daughter struggled a bit with being out of her normal routine. And by "a bit" I really mean "a great deal." She would ask for the places she loves to go, the foods she loves to eat, and the people who are normally in our daily life.
People like our favorite librarian.
I was playing "Trot, Trot to Grandma's House" with her.
Wait. Does everyone know that game?
You sing "Trot, trot to Grandma's house to get a little girl some cherries. And when we got there, the tree was bare, so we trot back, trot back, trot back...Weeeeeeeeeee..." All while bouncing your baby or toddler on your lap and leaning them back at the end.
We learned that sweet and fun little lap jog at the play group at our local library, but I was still a bit surprised when at the end of our fun, she asked. "Trot, trot to Grandma's house with Miss Lori?" - See, she would often volunteer to go onto the Librarian's lap during that song, and I just think she was missing home.
So quickly (less than 24 hours) after our return stateside, we went off to the library. We saw Miss Lori, she played with her favorite library toys, and I got a few new reads for us.
What a delightfully simple book. The cyclist takes us on his tour through beautifully designed and illustrated scenes, highlighted by a long, shiny yellow road that traverses every page.
The promotional video above gives you a taste of the illustrations and the simplicity of the text. My daughter has only read it three or four times, but was already asking me to recite it for her on the car ride to a friends house. (I wonder sometimes if she is shocked that I cannot memorize her books quite as fast as she can!)
I am delighted she enjoys this book, because for me, it represents so much. It reminds me of the sports enthusiasts in my life, who need to make time for their sport in the way that the rest of us need to breathe. It reminds me of the love I have for libraries and the treasures we find in each visit. But most of all, it reminds me that we have survived our first trip to Kenya as a family. It was a long road and there were lots of bumps, but the beauty and memories we found along the way were worth it. And the feeling of accomplishment is bolstering.
Expect I will write more about the trip in another format. But forgive a few anecdotes here and there on this blog. It was life-altering.
Today at the library we had a fantastic time. I'm not completely certain if my daughter had more fun sitting in the chairs, driving a found rhinoceros down the aisles of books, or actually reading, but what does that matter?
We read two books by Emma Quay: Puddle Jumping: A Book About Bravery and Sleep Tight: A Book About Bedtime.
I must admit, they were simple, but fun. Each starts out with a nice, cheerful introduction: "Hi I'm Panda. Hi I'm Owl. Hi I'm Sheep. Hi Friends."
And they are friends. I can't imagine these three particular animals ever actually having the opportunity to become friends, but that small fact aside, these three really exemplify what you want your friends to be: honest, encouraging, and loving.
I cannot wait to see how my daughter develops relationships with her peers. I hope they encourage her to have fun when she is afraid; I hope they share their comfy sleeping bag when hers is uncomfortable; and I hope they share her enthusiasm about life in general.
One of my fantastic aunts came to visit us recently. Her gifts are always spot-on.
A monkey scarf. Not just a regular-old flat scarf with a monkey image on it, this is a furry, stole-like monkey with arms, legs, and a cute little face. And it happens to be the softest thing you've ever felt in your whole life. (Not that I steal it to cuddle with during nap-time or anything, ahem.)
And two books: The Quiet Book and The Loud Book both written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Renata Liwska. They are simple in format, but so clever and complex in both evocative emotion and illustration. I really love them.
My daughter is too young to love them, or so I thought after the first few attempts at reading them. But then one day she asked for them. Now she often asks for them. She whispers while we read the quiet book and shouts while we read the loud book. (Might I suggest that if you are using them near bedtime, start with the Loud Book and work your way quieter and quieter as you move through and to the quiet book.)
Each scene really captures a feeling and a sound. I know they will take on more and more meaning for my daughter as she has more life experiences, so I imagine older children would still love these books. And what a fun activity to try to come up with your own quiets and louds.
The book is good at avoiding the common, expected ones... so I really had to think hard to come up with some quiets and louds that are meaningful to us right now. But so you get a feel for the book, here are a few quiets and louds from our lives:
-- Hugging your favorite stuffed animal quiet.
-- Buckle in and color quiet. (That's what we call sitting in her highchair, "buckle in" but it also extends to car seats shopping carts and strollers)
-- Dance to Zangalewa loud. (Next time you need a dance party, grab some noisy shaker and go to that link)
Ah, how I love to write. Sometimes you need to spread your writing wings a bit and contribute to a different corner of the universe.
So how about, just for today (well and maybe a few more times coming up) take a click on over to the Productive Parenting Blog and read me there? Eh? Eh?
So whenever I find a book that effectively combines the two, I am so pleased. When that book also has nice, soothing text, easily identifiable themes, and you have a recipe for a new favorite.
Enter: A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na
The illustrations are amazing. Woven into each animal friend is this layered, lyrical texture. Upon closer look, the animals are highly worked, beautiful images with flowers, shapes, and sophisticated patinas. My daughter also loves this book. She chooses it several times a day, naming each animal, describing its features, and mimicking its sleeping style.
We read this book all day long, but it would be a nice addition to a bedtime routine. I want this book printed poster size, make that mural size, so I can lounge in its beauty as I lay my own head down on the pillow at night. Truly a magnificent book.
