New Year's Fun

Ivy has been loving Katharine Holabird's Angelina Ice Skates.  The illustrations by Helen Craig are the best part.  They seem almost Victorian in their beauty.  This particular book in the Angelina series is about how Angelina is preparing for an Ice Dance for New Year's with her best mouse friends - Alice, Flora, Felicity, and, of course, her little cousin Henry.  However, whenever they practice... Spike and Sammy, two big mouse boys from school, cause trouble.  How will she stop these boys from ruining the show?  With a little advice from mom and some creativity! 

Christmases Past

For the past two Christmas, the Grinch has been a bit too scary for Ivy.  Just a few weeks ago, we were able to get through the whole story, even though the Grinch was scary at first.  Now she loves How The Grinch Stole Christmas!  Ivy is quite fascinated by poor Max, the reindeer dog.  She feels so bad for him when he has to carry all the Christmas things up the mountain.  She is just thrilled when Grinch's heart grows two sizes at the end of the day!  Cindy Lou is, of course, a favorite!

Another book she is just getting into this year is The Night Before Christmas.  Since it was written by Clement Clark Moore in 1822, the vocabulary is a bit difficult for Ivy.  However, she is quickly picking up sugar plums, sash, kerchief, etc. Like every wondering 3 year old, she wants to know where Rudolph is!  She has even practiced putting her finger aside of her nose!  A must read for all.

Tell Me Something HAPPY Before I Go To Sleep

I thought this would be an appropriate post for all the moms and dads having trouble sleeping with the recent events.  Although oblivious to these events, Ivy has been having nightmares about bears.  This book by Joyce Dunbar and Debi Gliori helps her to think positive thoughts before bed.  Willa, a cute toddler rabbit, cannot go to sleep because she is scared.  Her big brother, Willoughby, helps her to think of all the happy things waiting for her in the morning - her toys, her chicken slippers, a delicious breakfast, and morning itself waking her up.  Willa is, of course, comforted most of all by the presence of her big brother.  Ivy requested this twice before going to bed.  

Hanukkah

Despite not being Jewish, Ivy seems to love Hanukkah.  She recently studied it at preschool and can sing the dreidel song.  She was excited to be invited to her first Hanukkah dinner at which she received a book by Susan L. Roth called Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah.  Roth's book is filled with whimsical drawings of a mouse family celebrating Hanukkah accompanied by the lyrics to the song,  "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah".  When she gets to the part about latkes, she shouts, "Ivy ate those!"  Well...she had mac and cheese while mommy at the latkes, but....it is the interest and recognition that counts?  This is a fabulous book for preschoolers with just a simple introduction to this holiday.

The Little Red Hen...I mean Elf

The Christmas Spirit is in full swing in our household.  The next few weeks will be a flurry of holiday books.  Ivy has been loving Barbara McGrath's The Little Red Elf.  This is a clever retelling of the Little Red Hen with a holiday plot.  Poor little elf is exhausted from cleaning, planting a Christmas tree, wrapping presents, and getting ready for Christmas.  Her friends, hare, reindeer, and penguin, are too lazy to help, but they are perfectly willing to open presents Christmas morning.  Read this clever twist on a classic story!

Debby Atwell wrote a book revolving around the true spirit of Thanksgiving - opening your home and sharing a meal with others.  When an elderly couple's Thanksgiving dinner burns, they find themselves at the New World Cafe.   Although the door is open, the table seems to be set for a family dinner. The family of immigrants wonders why the door is open, but welcomes Ann and Ed into their home for an evening of food, dancing, and laughter despite misgivings.  When the couple returns home having had the best Thanksgiving they can remember, the immigrant family discovers a potato had propped open their door.   Was it an accident, or were mysterious forces at work?  Find out when you read The Thanksgiving Door.  

Oh My Gosh...I'm A Squash!

Dave Horowitz created a great fall book - The Ugly Pumpkin.  The poor Ugly Pumpkin waited all October and into November for someone to take him home.  When he wanted a treat, he always ended up being tricked.  He was rejected by kids, a skeleton, and a forest of trees.  Finally, the Ugly Pumpkin leaves his patch and discovers who he is just in time for Thanksgiving!


I am the ugly pumpkin
as you can plainly see.
Of one hundred thousand pumpkins,

none are quite like me.