Day 174: Not All Princesses Dress in Pink

I was never a girly girl.  I never owned a doll or wore dresses, and I certainly never pretended I was a princess.  I was much happier wearing my Gonzo football sweatshirt and running around playing outside.  I did have a Cabbage Patch Kid and played with My Little Ponies, but that's about as girly as I got.  I'm not sure I ever even owned anything pink, unless you count my neon pink attire of the 80s.  I eventually grew out of my tom-boy phase, but I still can't be bothered to wear make up and am more comfortable in sweats than a dress.  I now own plenty of skirts and like wearing the color pink, and love buying adorable little outfits for my daughter.  She loves pink and purple, and can it really be true that I have a daughter who loves to play with dolls?  She has dresses that she loves to wear in the summer, and every time she puts one on, she says, "I'm a princess!"  Sometimes she even gives a little twirl.  It's very cute. We've never watched the classic princess movies so I don't know if she really knows what the traditional princess looks like, but she knows that my husband calls her his little princess, so I think that's where she got it from.

But don't let her pink-wearing, doll-playing, occasional dress-twirling fool you.  My little girl loves playing with dinosaurs, cars and trucks, digging in the mud, and getting dirty.  And boy is she tough!  A lot of this has to do with having (and idolizing) an older brother, but part of me also thinks she is a little like I was in that way.  I love many of Jane Yolen's books, so when I heard about this one, I knew I had to check it out.  It sounded just like the kind of book my kids would love!  We brought it home from the library the other day and it was an instant hit.  "Not all princesses dress in pink.  Some play in bright red socks that stink, blue team jerseys that don't quite fit, accessorized with a baseball mitt, and a sparkly crown!"  I loved the message of the book the minute I read the title, and think it is an important one for all girls (and boys) to hear.  Princesses come in all shapes and sizes and have a variety of interests and talents.  They can build things with tools, splash in mud puddles, climb trees, or play sports, all while being powerful, strong, and beautiful.  Some of them might wear their sparkly crowns all the while, but others won't.  Either way, it doesn't matter.  Our daughters can grow up to be anything they want to be, and I hope that's a message that they will always take to heart.

Day 130: Owl Moon

Owl Moon is one of our favorite wintertime reads.  Together, author Jane Yolen and illustrator John Schoenherr have created a beautiful masterpiece about a young girl's owling adventure with her father.  "It was late one winter night, long past my bedtime, when Pa and I went owling.  There was no wind.  The trees stood still as giant statues.  And the moon was so bright the sky seemed to shine."  Father and daughter head into the cold, wintry woods in search of a great horned owl.  Throughout the story, Yolen's descriptive verse enables us to feel the girl's growing anticipation and excitement at the prospect of finally seeing one, the way her brothers have before her.  I also love the way we can feel the cold of the night throughout the book, and I am always reminded me of how my cousins and I used to cross-country ski in the moonlight on my grandmother's farm when we were younger.  Anyone who has taken a walk on a cold winter night will appreciate such descriptions as, "I could feel the cold, as if someone's icy hand was palm-down on my back.  And my nose and the tops of my cheeks felt cold and hot at the same time."  Or, "My mouth felt furry, for the scarf over it was wet and warm."  I just love that particular line for some reason.  Schoenherr's illustrations, which earned the book the Caldecott Medal in 1988, are a stunning complement to Yolen's story, as well.  From the darkness of the woods to the blue light cast by moonlight on the snow, his watercolor illustrations are simply gorgeous.  If you haven't yet discovered this wonderful winter tale (or other books by Jane Yolen), look for it the next time you are at your library.  It is perfect for reading on a cold winter night or at any time of year.

Day 85: How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?

If your house is anything like ours, bedtime sometimes manages to be the most hectic time of the day.   I don't know where my son gets his energy bursts right before bed, but I would pay a lot of money to be able to harness even a fraction of that energy into myself at the end of a long day.  Perhaps in some households, children go calmly from bath, into pajamas and then bed to read stories.  But not here!  Baths are usually followed by raucous silliness, jumping on the bed, twirling around the room, and finally settling down with a few good bedtime books.  One of our favorites is How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by the fabulous Jane Yolen.  If you haven't seen this book yet (or any others in the How Do Dinosaurs series), I highly recommend it!  Mark Teague's pictures are sure to delight both you and your child, and the story is bedtime reading perfection.  It's funny, cute, and conveniently on the shorter side -- excellent for when your little one is requesting just one more story before you turn out the light.  Your child will certainly be able to relate to the dinosaurs' desire to stay up and play a little longer, and you'll love the expressions of parents as they try to cajole their beloved creatures into bed.  The names and pictures of the different dinosaur species appear on the inside covers of the book, and each creatively appears somewhere in the illustrations, as well.  I also love that it features some less well-known species, such as the Corythosaurus, Trachodon, and Apatosaurus.  Of course, there is also the wonderful message of how to get ready for bed without a fuss.  After all, if dinosaurs can do it, so can our rowdy little monsters, right?  So how does a dinosaur say goodnight?  Does he "slam his tail and pout?  Does he throw his teddy bear all about?... No, dinosaurs don't.   They don't even try. They give a big kiss.  They turn out the light.  They tuck in their tails.  They whisper, 'Good night!'"  In my opinion, this book is a must for any preschooler.  But be warned: it might result in lots of giggles, hugs, and bedtime kisses from your own little dinosaur!