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.