The Night Before Christmas

Although it is past Christmas, it is worth noting that Ivy adored this book this season. Perhaps four begins the height of Clement C. Moore's poem? Every Christmas Eve Ivy's grandmother calls her and reads her The Night Before Christmas over FaceTime. This year her Nana and Papa gave her an audio version with their voices from Hallmark. Ivy listened to it, for better or worse, all the way back home from visiting them (3 hours!). She has mostly memorized the poem by now. For all you grandparents out there - try these recordable little pieces of history.

The Three Questions

End of December...good time for a four-year-old to ponder the meaning of life, right? Jon J. Muth has taken Tolstoy's work and created a work for children with his beautiful watercolors. A young boy, Nikolai, attempts to answer his three big questions - What is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do? Not satisfied by his friends' answers, he seeks the counsel of a wizened old turtle. He finds his answer in an unexpected way!

Christmas on Exeter Street

This is an unusual book as well as Ivy's favorite this holiday season. It is Christmas Eve in the big house on Exeter Street. A mother and her two children are expecting a few guests, but the house ends up bursting full by the end of the night. Each guest sleeps and a more and more unusual place - shelves, a baby in the sink, bathtubs, etc. Even the guests are unusual - "two fat men and their wives", a homeless woman and her baby, and kids with parents vacationing in Timbuktu. The book just gets more and more unusual. However, the message is a holiday message - open your heart and your home; Saint Nick will find you wherever you roam!

Merry Christmas!

By: Dianne Hendry
Illustrator: John Lawrence

I'll Be Home For Christmas

One of my favorite Christmas stories. Toot is not home from Ireland, and Christmas is fast approaching. Puddle has done all the preparations, save signing Toot's name on the Christmas cards. Toot promises to be home for Christmas, but when a big snow storm hits Boston, Toot struggles to get back to his friend. When he feels like hope is lost, he sits in the snow and takes out his lucky nut from his Aunt. Soon a mysterious visitor in a red suit and sleigh appears to help him out.

In this heartwarming story about friendship, Holly Hobbie dazzles us once again with the warmth and spirit of her drawings. A must read. There was a wonderful movie made as well.

Sophie's Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller

Sophie's Squash is probably my favorite fall book of 2013. It is fresh, original, and right up Ivy's alley. Young Sophie falls in love with a squash at the local farmer's market. She takes Bernice with her everywhere - on errands, to school, to visit other squash, and even to bed. Despite her mother's warnings that Bernice will rot, Sophie continues to bring Bernice with her. When others start to complain, Bernice is forced to listen to the advice of a squash farmer. Bernice is covered with the snow while she is restoring herself in dirt. Will she survive the winter? Find out in this heartwarming tale of a girl and her squash.

P.S. Ivy is getting a squash this weekend.

'Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving by Dave Pilkey

"Twas the day before Thanksgiving
and all through the trees
the fall leaves were spinning
aloft in the breeze...

Dave Pilkey has spun an adorable tale about young children out on a field trip to a farm. Upon arriving the turkeys and children form an immediate bond. The beauty of the day is marred when the farmer is seen sharpening his knife. The children are horrified to learn what will happen to the turkeys. Hilarity ensues as the children hatch a plan to save their poultry pals.

Turkey Claus by Wendi Silvano

Let's start off the holiday season with some turkey! Poor Turkey is worried. He had just survived Thanksgiving when he overheard that turkey was on the menu for Christmas. Hilarity ensues as Turkey tries to gain an audience with Santa Claus so he can grant his wish to live through Christmas. The elves, however, will not let Turkey into Santa's home. Turkey tries numerous disguises, including a candy cane, tree, and a present. When he finally meets with Santa, Santa has the perfect plan and disguise for turkey.

PIZZA BE WITH YOU and happy holidays,
      Love, Turkey

A Turkey for Thanksgiving

Working full time and having two young children has slowed down my blogging! Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and Ivy has begun her holiday reading. We discovered Eve Bunting's A Turkey for Thanksgiving. Mr. and Mrs. Moose are having a grand Thanksgiving dinner, but they do not have a turkey. Mr. Moose asks all of his friends if they have seen a turkey. Spoiler Alert: When the turkey is finally found, the reader discovers that they want the turkey at the table - not on it. Ivy loved the pictures and found the ending amusing. A must read!

Bea at Ballet

Bea at Ballet 

is next in line in my ballet miniseries. Rachel Isadora spins a simple tale of a young girl named Bea who loves ballet. She introduces the reader to the routines of her class, her classmates, and the equipment/technical moves of a ballet dancer. Ivy imitates the illustrations of the moves as well as the attire of a ballerina. Although it does not have much of a plot, Ivy is just enthralled by this book. For the serious preschool ballerina...

Ballet

Ivy has entered the world of dance, a little to my shock and slight dismay. Attempting to embrace her passion, I have wasted countless minutes researching ballet books. A few favorites will follow over the next few days. 

James Mayhew has a series that will be a huge hit with Ivy. She has wanted Ella Bella and Cinderella read to her over and over. A young ballerina, Ella Bella, is a whimsical girl with a lively imagination. She drops a slipper on the way to her ballet class. Madame Rosa, reminded of Cinderella, has the girls dance to the Cinderella music. When the girls head home for supper, Ella Bella is left on the stage holding a beautiful borrowed slipper. She slips into a dream world in which she aids the real Cinderella. The illustrations are magical. What little ballerina wouldn't be drawn to this book? We are ordering all the others  - Swan Lake, Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty. 

Giant Dance Party

For a girl who has never taken dance lessons, Ivy is sure she wants to be a ballerina. Any book about dancing is a sure hit, and Betsy Bird's Giant Dance Party is no exception. 

Even though young Lexy loves to dance, she is quitting because of her fear of recitals. She decides to teach dance instead. Instead of having kids lining up to learn from her, Lexy's only takers are blue giants. Reluctant at first, Lexy warms up to the idea of teaching them. To show off their new skills, Lexy decides to hold a giant recital. When the giants get stage fright, only Lexy can save them. How will she do it? Find out in this adorable tale of overcoming fears. 

The Day the Crayons Quit

Young Duncan loves coloring but wakes up to a note from his crayons saying they have quit! Each crayon writes a lovely letter to Duncan thanking him for the good times, but that they are either overworked, neglected, jealous of another color, need some new items to be associated with, etc. What will young Duncan do? When he finally resolves his conflicts with the crayons, a colorful surprise awaits the reader! A must read this summer.

The Day The Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers.

Ivy has been home with me all week, and we have a smorgasbord of new books to review. One of her new favorites is a simple book with a simple message - Peace Baby by Linda Ashman.

 I think Ivy likes it so much because kids resolve conflicts among kids. Every day kids face issues of sharing, meanness, rough play, cheating, etc. The left side of the page presents lovely illustrations of kids facing problems, while the right hand side has the resolution and the message, "Peace, baby!" I read this to Ivy no less than five times while Atticus was napping this morning.

Bully

Laura Vaccaro Seegar's Bully seems too simple for an almost four year old upon first glance, but the clever plays on words and the message about bullying are compelling. When a large bull is mean to a small bull wanting to play, the small bull takes the hurt and lashes out at other innocent animals. The meaner he is, the bigger he feels. Each page contains the bull lashing out at an animal, calling the animal by its name but with the crueler meaning. He yells, "Pig!" to a pig, "Butt out!" to a goat, "Chicken!" to a chicken, and "Buzz off!" to a bee. Ivy is interested in the double meanings. Finally, the bully is deflated by a goat who calls him a bully. Since this book Ivy has been interested in what a bully is and how to stop them. A deeply advanced lesson for a young girl, but worth some thought. 

One Cool Friend

 tried Tony Buzzeo's One Cool Friend last summer, and Ivy did not bite. However this summer she just adored it. Elliot is a proper young man who fell in love with penguins at the aquarium. His father, possibly assuming he wanted a stuffed penguin, quickly acquiesced when Eliot asked for a penguin. Elliot goes to great lengths in his attempts to keep the penguin happy with fish, ice, water, etc. When his father finally discovers the truth about Magellan, the penguin, the reader is in for a clever surprise about Elliot's father. Now that Ivy knows the clever twist in the story, she is always looking for visual clues leading to the final revelation. A fine choice on a hot summer's day.

The Other Princess

For all you moms and dads out there a little sick of the Disney princess message, meet Elizabeth and Geraldine. Geraldine is a lovely young lady who thinks pink, tiaras, and tutus are essential. She is also not afraid to wear sneakers, get a few scrapes, make some noise, or just generally "let her sparkle out". Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton convey an endearing message in The Very Fairy Princess about being yourself and not quite conforming in a world of conformity.

Once a very long time ago, a future children's book illustrator was teaching in a preschool when he met a young lady who really considered herself a princess. Her name was Elizabeth, the name of the heroine in The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch. Elizabeth seems like a typical pampered princess in love with your typical prince, Ronald. One day a dragon burns down her castle and takes Ronald prisoner. Since everything has been burnt, Elizabeth is forced to hunt the fierce dragon in a paper bag. When Elizabeth encounters the fierce dragon, she outsmarts the dragon by playing on his weakness - hubris. When she finally rescues Ronald, he is appalled by her disheveled appearance and lack of proper attire. He tells her to return when she is a proper princess. Our plucky princess tells Ronald he is a bum and appears to live happily ever after on her own. A different world from Disney and quite captivating!

How Martha Saved Her Parents From Green Beans

For every parent who has ever tried to force his/her child to eat their vegetables comes David LaRochelle's and Mark Fearing's How Martha Saved her Parents from Green Beans. Young Martha hates green beans and is convinced they are bad. Little does she know how bad. When a group of bandit beans come into town looking for revenge, they hunt after little old ladies, teachers, Martha's parents...anyone who has ever said, "Eat your green beans!" When Martha's parents are kidnapped, Martha will be forced to take action (after taking some time to enjoy staying up late and eating ice cream for dinner!). Will she be able to save her parents from the green beans? Ivy has asked me to read this to her at least 15 times in the last few days. If only it would make her eat her green beans...

The Children's Hour

Ivy just loves the cadence of the poetry in Longfellow's Children Hour. Glenna Lang does a nice job illustrating this poem, helping Ivy to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words. She has memorized large parts of this poem, thanks to Ms. Lang's efforts.

Between the dark and the daylight,

      When the night is beginning to lower,

Comes a pause in the day's occupations,

      That is known as the Children's Hour.

I hear in the chamber above me

      The patter of little feet,

The sound of a door that is opened,

      And voices soft and sweet.

From my study I see in the lamplight,

      Descending the broad hall stair,

Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,

      And Edith with golden hair.

A whisper, and then a silence:

      Yet I know by their merry eyes

They are plotting and planning together

      To take me by surprise.

A sudden rush from the stairway,

      A sudden raid from the hall!

By three doors left unguarded

      They enter my castle wall!

They climb up into my turret

      O'er the arms and back of my chair;

If I try to escape, they surround me;

      They seem to be everywhere.

They almost devour me with kisses,

      Their arms about me entwine,

Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen

      In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!

Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti,

      Because you have scaled the wall,

Such an old mustache as I am

      Is not a match for you all!

I have you fast in my fortress,

      And will not let you depart,

But put you down into the dungeon

      In the round-tower of my heart.

And there will I keep you forever,

      Yes, forever and a day,

Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,

      And moulder in dust away!

A Plethora of Stories

Ivy and I have been busy with the start of summer camp, new jobs, etc. We have ordered many books from a cool listing. Give some of these a try with us!

New Picture Books

Fancy Nancy: Fanciest Doll in the Universe

Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser, the dynamic duo, have created another Fancy Nancy. The heroine of this book, Marabelle the doll, has been tattooed with an indelible marker by Nancy's pirate-loving sister, Jo-Jo. Nancy complains of having a younger sister (who is a "handful") and is so upset that her precious doll has a tattoo that her mom promises to take her to an Historical Doll (clearly a reference to American Girl Dolls) gala. Nancy begins to cheer up, but her doll gets mixed up with another. Thank goodness she can identify Marabelle due to the tattoo. Nancy's mom helps her to realize that Jo-Jo will grow up some day and that it is important to forgive.

Amy Hest

Every night, after swaddling, both Ivy and Atticus fell/fall asleep to warm milk and Amy Hest's Kiss Good Night. A simple tale of a bear who just loves routine, especially at bedtime. His mother is forgetting something....what could she be forgetting?

Recently, Ivy has been loving Ms. Hest's Baby Duck Series. Baby Duck experiences all the joys and sorrows of being a baby duck with the help of her Grandpa. She gains the courage to join the swim team, gains the confidence to wear glasses, and banishes her hate of rain all with the help of her beloved Grandpa. True to the nature of toddlerhood, Amy Hest spins delightful little tales that your child navigate the confusing world of toddlerhood.

The Very Greedy Bee

In the spirit of spring, I decided to research some books about bugs. Ivy just loved The Very Greedy Bee by Steve Smallman. A greedy bee finds a field of delicious flowers and decides to keep it all to himself. Once he has eaten himself into a nectar coma, he falls asleep. He awakens to find himself alone in a strange place unable to walk due to his increased girth. With the help of some friendly fireflies and amicable ants, he is able to get home. Will friendship over come his greed? Find out in this adorably illustrated book.

Penny and Her Marble

Hot off the presses- Kevin Henkes's Penny and Her Marble. I immediately ordered this from the library, and we've already read it many times. The irrepressible mouseling, Penny, is back. She and her doll, Rose, are out on a walk near Mrs. Goodwin's house when they discover a lovely blue marble. Penny slips it into her pocket and dashes home only to be confronted by guilt. Will her conscience get the best of her? 

Knuffle Bunny Too: A Cautionary Tale

Check out Mo William's smart and comical look into the mind of a preschooler and her exhausted parents in Knuffle Bunny Too. Trixie is excited to bring her special knuffle bunny to school, but is horrified when Sonja has the same bunny. That night she is sleeping peacefully when she wakes up with the realization that she has the wrong bunny. Her father attempts to explain the concept of 2:30 a.m. when the phone rings. It is Sonja's father. The two dads arrange a meeting spot and the bunnies are exchanged. Although her dad is exhausted, Trixie found her first best friend. Cool mix of art and realistic scenes of the city. 

Little Bear's Little Boat

I actually got Eve Bunting's Little Bear's Little Boat for my infant son. Surprisingly, Ivy has wanted to read it every night for one week. She "reads" it to herself every morning. Perhaps she understands the deeper message behind this simple story? This is a tale of growing pains. Little bear spends his days fishing and dreaming in his little boat until he finds himself too big for the boat. Confronted with this new reality, he heeds some advice and decides to give his boat to another little bear with the caveat that that little bear give it to another little bear when he outgrows the boat. He does not, however, abandon his love of boats...

Me Jane

Patrick McDonnell has created a lovely new book about a young Jane Goodall who loves animals and her stuffed chimpanzee, Jubilee.  She studies the natural world around her and dreams of a life in Africa until she one day wakes up living her dream.  The stamp artwork and pictures of the real Jane make for an unusual combination. The simplistic language is good for a younger child, but the actual tale of Jane fascinates Ivy.

The Golden Egg Book

When a lonely little bunny discovers an egg, he is saddened that it will not hatch. He tries everything - rolling it down a hill, jumping on it, etc. He finally tires and takes a nap. Just as he drifts off, a lonely duckling is born. He tries the same tricks the bunny tried on him to wake up the bunny. When the bunny finally wakens, a friendship blooms and neither is alone again. The power of friendship told by the juvenile literary giant herself...Margaret Wise Brown.

Little Bunny's Easter Surprise

Jeanne Modesitt has created an adorable book about the giving spirit of a young girl bunny on Easter. Little bunny always receives an Easter basket from her mom and dad, but this year will be different. She hides baskets for her baby brother, mom, and dad. At the end of the day, she finds a small gift from her baby brother. Giving is contagious in this delightful holiday special!

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

A beautiful and touching story by William Joyce about a young man who finds meaning to his life through books.  When his personal world and literary world is destroyed by a storm (Katrina, Wizard of Oz reference), he is forced to start over again when he follows a beautiful young woman floating towards the sky.  She hands him a book on her way towards what appears to be heaven. He finds himself at a beautiful library and dedicates his life to these books. The passage of time and seasons is beautifully depicted.  At the end of the story he says goodbye to his book friends and floats off much the same way the young woman he met did, having changed to a handsome young man. The books grieve for him, but are relieved to see a young girl discover them at some point in the future. Although Ivy cannot appreciate all the literary references, connections to the cycle of life, and the transformative power of the written word, something about it speaks to her. We did watch a lovely 14 minute animated film based on the book.  She was captivated by the images, but it was a silent film.  I loved it!

One Snowy Night

Percy the park keeper loves being outdoors.  One cold and snowy night Percy is just settling down in his warm hut with a cup of hot coco when he hears a knock at the door. It is a shivering squirrel looking to snuggle with Percy in his bed.  As the night progresses, more and more animals want to snuggle with Percy until there is no more room. When something scares Percy's guests, all the animals scatter and hide. Who/what is causing the noise, and where will everyone sleep? Find out in Nick Butterworth's beautifully illustrated One Snowy Night. 

A Baby Sister For Frances

This book resonates well with Ivy these days.  Despite the excitement of being a big sister, it is hard to listen to crying and not get as much attention.  Frances, much like Ivy, is experiencing all of these things.  One day when her mother forgot to buy raisins and did not have her best dress ready for school, Frances decides that things aren't very good anymore and runs away under the kitchen table with some cookies.  She overhears her parents knowingly talking about how they love and miss Frances.  A family just isn't family without everyone,

Atticus's Corner

Ivy would like to announce the birth of her new baby brother, Atticus Christopher Glenn.  He was born on George Washington's birthday, February 22nd 2013.  We decided that this new chapter in our lives called for a new blog for baby boys' books.  This blog will start with books for newborns and follow the life of Atticus.  Atticus shares the same name as both Atticus Finch, the learned lawyer from To Kill A Mockingbird and Titus Pomponius Atticus, Cicero's best friend.  Titus used his inherited wealth to maintain a staff of slaves as copyists and bookbinders.  He published many of the works of Cicero.  

Atticus is a fitting name for our baby boy born into a family of bibliophiles.  

Coming Soon:  http://atticuscorner13.blogspot.com/

Emeraldalicious

In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, Ivy has chosen Emeraldalicious by Victoria Kann.  Pinkalicious and her brother Peter visit their favorite park only to discover it is filled with trash.  Pinkalicious decides to make a wand out of an old stick, some flowers, and a vine.  Thrilled to discover the wand is magical, Pinkalicious and her brother make wishes and turn trash into treasures.  When Peter gets a little greedy with his wishes, Pinkalicious helps him remember that "green" wishes are really the best. A little bit of Earth Day and St. Patrick's Day magic rolled into one!

Happy Belated Valentine's Day

The Valentine Bears by Eve Bunting and Jan Brett is an adorable classic tale from the 1980s.  The Bears have never celebrated Valentine's Day together because they are always hibernating.  Mrs. Bear decides that this year will be different.  She has a special surprise; she just needs to wake up Mr. Bear from his slumber!  Will Mr. Bear have a surprise of his own?

The Secret of the First One Up

Lila, a young spirited groundhog, is just just not ready for bed.  As her Uncle Wilber tucks her in, he  mentions a special secret that is revealed to the first one up in the spring.  Lila is so excited she can barely fall asleep.  When she finds herself awake on Feb. 2nd, she is so thrilled she dashes Above Ground.  All the forest animals are awaiting her.  They curiously ask about her shadow.  She is disappointed when she cannot see her friend.  Where could her shadow be?  However, the forest animals are thrilled with the news.  Old badger explains the job of the first groundhog up, and Lila is excited to be part of the big secret.

My First Chinese New Year

Karen Katz, ruler supreme of toddler literature, has written a lovely book about Chinese New Year - My First Chinese New Year.  Two sisters prepare for the New Year by hanging decorations, cooking, sweeping, etc.  The celebration culminates in a parade in which the kids see "dragons".  Ivy is especially interested in this telling of the holiday because there is a big sister AND the dragon is not real!

Dim Sum for Everyone!

In an attempt to teach Ivy about different cultures, I decided to do some research on Chinese New Year's.  Dim Sum for Everyone by Grace Lin is a beautifully illustrated book about dim sum, or little dishes of food. Each member of the family chooses a small plate of food.  They then all enjoy a meal together.  The vivid colors and beautiful illustrations caused Ivy to ask me to read this five times tonight.  There is not much text - mainly pictures.  Ivy was especially thrilled to learn that one does not say thank you to the waiters - one just taps three fingers on the table!

Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad

Ivy was quite distraught I had to return Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad by Jackie Davis and David Soman to the library.  This book is perfect for both boys and girls, but it especially touches upon the often fragile relationship between young girls.  Lulu is expecting to have the perfect Bug Squad play date complete with cupcakes, rock painting, and a little exploration.  When Kiki does not do exactly what Lulu had in mind, hurt feelings arise.  Will Lulu be able to use her Ladybug Girl powers to help her apologize to her friend?

Kevin Henkes

Kevin Henkes is a favorite of Ivy's, but I think I have read Owen 15 times in the past few days.  Owen owns a fuzzy yellow blanket that accompanies him everywhere, much to the dismay of his parents and their nosey neighbor, Mrs. Tweezers.  As school rapidly approaches, Owen's parents try a myriad of ways (all suggested by the omniscient Mrs. Tweezers) to stop Owen from taking Fuzzy to school.  In the end, perhaps Fuzzy can go to school after all thanks to some quick thinking done by mom!  For anyone who has ever struggled growing up or giving up a favorite blankie...

If there is a book I have read more than Owen recently, it is Chrysanthemum.  Chrysanthemum absolutely loves her name.  She and her parents think it is perfect until...Chrysanthemum goes to school.  Some of the other girl mice giggle and say her name is too long.  After all, it does not even fit on a name tag!  After a few discouraging days at school, the poor little mouse hates her name.  Then, Mrs. Twinkle, the music teacher, arrives at school and dazzles the mice with her voice.  Will she be able to turn things around for a poor, broken-hearted mouse?