I Want My Hat Back.

I love when I find a well-done book trailer to post here for you.  This one gives you a taste of the tone, text, and illustrations of this wonderful book.

Simple in concept.  Great repetition, great dialogue, great surprise ending.  It's fun and funny.  My daughter does not want to read it once, she wants to read it three or four times in a row.  She loves it.

I'm glad she likes it, because I like it too!

Recommended Reading, Inspired by Apple Brains.

Be sure to read my interview with Apple Brains here.

But perhaps you are feeling inspired to help your children (of all ages) learn more about the food they eat, food preparation, and eating healthy.  Here are some books to help!

First, for adults, I highly recommend the book Apple Brains mention in the interview: The Fruit Hunters by Adam Leith Gollner is a fun and informative read.  I need to mention again, THIS IS FOR ADULTS ONLY.  Fruits, as it turns out, are quite sexy.

For the littlest babies, try:
Fruit by Sara Anderson
and of course the incomparable the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

For toddlers, try:
Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett
and Rah, Rah, Radishes! by April Pulley Sayre

For preschoolers and early-school aged children, try:
How Did That Get In My Lunchbox? By Chris Butterworth
and Apples, Cherries, Red Raspberries by  Brian P. Cleary

As I said at the end of the interview, Apple Brains Video coming soon.  Also, a video of my wee Brussel Sprout rocking out to the music.

New Feature: Toddler Performance Art/Book Art

Taken from It's A Little Book by Lane Smith

What's Wrong With My Hair? By Satoshi Kitamura

The Politics of Hair - the subject of many books: children's books, beauty books, adult books, empowerment books, blogs, reality shows, and magazines.  We spend BILLIONS of dollars a year at the salon.  Hair-care products account for our largest non-food expenditures at the grocery store.

And yet, our hair is the single most uncontrollable part of ourselves.  We are born with it, it changes color, texture, length, and style throughout our lives, and we are obsessed with controlling it.  Strangers comment on it.  We poke and prod our children to mold them into some vision of what we want them to be.

I hate it.

So I am often wary of children's literature that addresses hair as a subject.  Do we project our obsession onto our children too early?  These are things I  worry about.

But I have been thinking about themes for this blog, and the other day I happened across this book: What's Wrong With My Hair by Satoshi Kitamura.  Its main character is a Lion, so I was thinking of a Lion Theme.  Instead, I found a lovely adventure, sweet illustrations and a surprise ending!  How fun!

Let me go ahead and ruin the surprise by telling you what it says on the front cover.  There is a little circle that reads "Buy the Hole, get the Whole Book for Free!"

Confused?  Let's use a pictorial explanation - a break from this wordy post - 

What a fun book.  

Books to discuss feelings

I'm in a bad mood today.  I'm not feeling great.  My family visit just ended.  And I feel like the catch-up game of motherhood is a bit relentless right now.

So while you talk among yourselves, here are some books to read to your children that help get a handle on these precarious whims we call feelings.

Happy Hippo, Angry Duck by Sandra Boynton

 Duck and Goose, How Are You Feeling?  By Tad Hills

 Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods That Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

Refresh your Night Routine - Bedtime Books

There are four bedtime books that never leave our bookshelves:
Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish by Lorie Ann Grover
I'll See You in the Morning by Mike Jolley and
Lullabies by Usborne Books

The reason they never leave the shelves is because we both have them committed to memory.  Each night we turn off the lights and recite them, culminating in singing the lullabies.  It is a soothing routine and sometimes she is asleep before the end of the second book.  On the rare times when she is not asleep by the last lullaby, I know something is amiss.

Some days you need a routine before your routine.  Or a backup routine.  So I always look for some good books to fill in those needs.

My new favorite is Yawn by Sally Symes.

 I love that a children's book attacks the subject of extreme contagions, like yawns.  It starts with a baby, running uncontrolled through a cast of very cute animal friends, and SPOILER ALERT ends with all of them snuggling  fast asleep in bed.  It can change a bouncy, high-on-speed-seeming toddler into a yawning, cuddly squish-fest.


For older children, I really like When I Woke Up I Was A Hippopotamus by Tom MacRae

An active child has an active day, pissing just about everyone off in the process.  But he is reasonable, makes amends, and learns from his mistake.  This book would be an awesome tool for diffusing an active and imaginative child close to bed.  My girl loves it.

When all else fails, we sing a song that I used to sing when she was a very small infant.  It basically is "Sleep Baby" over and over again.  Someday, when that fails, I'll be buying a copy of Go the F@k to Sleep!

Variations on a Theme: Elephants

Recently themes keep emerging in my mind - books about animals, books about school, books about emotions, books about transportation.  So I thought perhaps I should do some posts about these themes as they emerge.

So let's begin with our sweet, not-so-little, pachyderm friend, the elephant.

Whenever you are talking about animals, I immediately think of the wonderful Let's Go to the Zoo series from the Smithsonian.  They have one called Elephant and Mommy, in which the elephants romp about, eat, get clean, and other lovely everyday elephant activities.  It's cute, it's photographic which I like for babies who seem to sometimes get confused by illustration styles, and they are very simple.

But recently our local library did a special section featuring elephants.  We have now read so many cute books for toddler/preschool aged children about elephants!

My daughter and husband after only a few days with a particular elephant book have started a daily call-and-response about a small elephant named Kai-Mook.

It's got nice onomatopoeia, a sweet story, and I think is meant to be a gift book, but it is quite fun.  There is one very odd illustration where the monkey in the story has grabbed the baby elephant's bottom.  I probably read the book 5 times before I noticed it, but now I keep thinking "uhhhhhh, what the ????"

Another sweet story about a small elephant is Kidogo.  Kidogo means little or "a little bit" in Swahili.  In the story the elephant goes on a quest to find an animal smaller than he is.  It has a nice empowering theme, it has a very sweet ending, and for every way that Kai Mook seems a bit bratty, Kidogo seems sweet!

Of course there are other wonderful books about elephants too... the Dr. Seuss classic, Horton Hears a Who, the Elephant and Piggie series by my pal Mo Willems, and for you adults... Water for Elephants wasn't too bad either (although I wasn't a fan of the ending).

Go forth, swing your trunk, trumpet your voice, and enjoy some books with your wee one about these not-so-wee friends.

Stay tuned for more themes!

Author Alert: Leslie Patricelli

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!"

Very cute.

Along a Long Road, by Frank Viva

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.

Enter Along A Long Road, by Frank Viva.




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.

LOUD! ...............quiet..................

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)

-- Being loud just to practice being loud loud.

Beautiful Books

I love books.  I love art.

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.

Curious George

As a child, I was not very interested in the Curious George books.

But now, as a parent, I understand that I was too old for them.  Curious George is meant for toddlers and their parents.

Why?

Because toddlers find themselves in the same kind of situations all the time.  They lean over too far and fall into a lake.  They decide they want to play hide-n-seek with a baby bunny and are surprised when the bunny runs away.

Totally toddler behavior.

Occasionally I get so completely overwhelmed by her activity level and her curiosity that I start to sweat profusely.   There are times when I catch her at the last possible second as she is about to do something totally dangerous.  She is just so prone to spontaneous bursts of mischief.  And so is George.

Here are my favorites:
Curious George's Opposites and Curious George and the Bunny.

Author Alert: Ian Falconer

Let me be clear: I bristle at stereotypes of girls.  I dislike all things Princess (with the exception that I accept my nieces to whom they mean the world).  I dislike words like "diva" being projected on normal and spirited young girls.  And I am wary of anything that stereotypes girls into a type.  I believe strongly that children should be allowed to be whomever they please, and they should be allowed to change that person regularly and with flourish.

So, I have a guilty pleasure.  My daughter has a guilty pleasure (although since she does not yet feel any guilt, it's just pure pleasure).  The Olivia series by Ian Falconer.  Olivia borders on a stereotype.  Her behavior is over the top.  She lies.  She is not nice to anyone.  She is selfish and boorish (pun intended).

But, they are so clever.  They are so fun to read.  They have little jokes and surprises that reveal themselves slowly after many reads.  I kind of like them.  Okay, I'll admit it, I kind of love them.

Well, two of them: Olivia and the Missing Toy and Olivia Saves the Circus.   I do not particularly care for the original Olivia and I really disliked the Olivia Goes to Venice book.

But the other two are quite magical.  My daughter loves the drama of them.  She reenacts several parts of them daily.  And it's hard to be mad at a book that creates so much joy in both parent and child.

Safari Animals by Simms Taback

We love animals around here.

Well, we love the idea of animals around here.  We have a zoo membership and go often.  We read animal books with frequency.  It's just that neither my husband nor I want pets.

But back to the books.  We read tons of animal books.  A new favorite is Simms Taback's Safari Animals.

This book is a delightful cross between a cootie-catcher, an animal quiz, and a do-it-yourself Microsoft Paint experiment gone horribly wrong.  While the individual elements might not work separately, together they are fun and cute.

So you start out by opening the book.  You get a quarter of the illustration and a clue as to what animal it is.  You open the flap up and you get another quarter and another clue.  The last turn of the flap gets you the rest of the image and the name of the animal.  It's huge!  It's fun!

My daughter has a bit of a cold right now, so imagine a snotty little kid with a raspy voice wandering about saying "I can RROOOOAAARRRR! I'm a Lion!"  And you'll have a bit of insight into this book.

It's not long, so it's best for younger kids.  I bet by age 4, these animals and this style of illustration would be too over-the-top.  But there is a lot of black and white, so I bet young babies might really enjoy this book.

Author Alert: Taro Gomi

Most people know about Taro Gomi, the famous and prolific Japanese children's book author.  Before I had children, I only knew one book: Everyone Poops.  Now I'm addicted and so is my daughter.

Everyone Poops has certainly been helpful as we begin to introduce potty training topics into our lives, but it is also a great source of laughter and embarrassment to our older nieces and nephews.  It was a hand-me-down book, and my husband loves to go to the bookshelf and bring it out in order to make the kids in our lives laugh.  It is very straightforward though, and I actually don't find it distasteful at all.

But all things Poop aside, Taro Gomi's other books are wonderful.  They range from very simple, like Spring is Here to a bit more complex like I Lost My Dad.

In Spring is Here, we follow a small calf through one whole season, with beautiful illustrations at each change in the season.  It is succinct in words, but clever, and has just enough emotion to be interesting.  We read it at bedtime, because it has a poetic quality that we both find relaxing.

I Lost My Dad is more of a cautionary tale for early elementary aged children.  Keep your hands on your parents, or you might have more of an adventure than you expect.  It's ending is a bit flat, but the clever flaps and adventure of the rest make it a worthwhile read.

By far my favorite Taro Gomi book is My Friends.  A small girl takes us through each of her friends and how they have contributed to her life.  It is sweet and touching, but also makes connections for how the things around us inform our lives and our personalities.  It's simple enough in language for toddlers and it comes in a board book version, but complex enough to be a sweet gift for a young elementary child in your life.

Llama Llama by Anna Dewdney

First, a lament about the closing of Borders.  While it has never been my favorite bookstore (Hi over there Barnes & Noble), I hate to see bookstores of any kind closing.  Even if it means a discount at the store closing sale.

But I dragged myself and my daughter into our local Borders today to see if I could find some of our library favorites.  I was looking specifically for any of the Llama Llama books.  We have read two of them over and over again, Llama Llama Mad at Mama and Llama Llama Misses Mama.  Both have a great build-up, an enthusiastic crescendo, and then a sweet and practical relaxing phase.  My daughter recognizes them, asks for them, and has a very emotional response to the storyline. 

For more information about the Llama Llama series and about Anna Dewdney, visit:

http://www.llamallamabook.com/index.html

Jeremy Draws A Monster, Peter McCarty

I don't believe in just buying books, I am an avid library-goer.  Today's find at the library was this book, Jeremy Draws a Monster by Peter McCarty.

My daughter has several toy monsters, but has not yet developed any fear around the idea of monsters, so I was delighted to find a book where the monster was not scary.  The illustrations are wonderful.  The monster looks to be drawn in pen, which adds greatly to the idea that this little boy is drawing it himself.  It is fun to read, not too wordy, and quite funny.  The library volunteer was even chucking to herself while listening to me read this story!

This is a fun choice for older toddlers that can handle paper books without tearing them.  Even early school-aged children that are interested in art would enjoy this book and find it funny. 

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Jeremy-Draws-Monster-Peter-McCarty/dp/0805069348