Day 242: Found

Salina Yoon is another recent favorite of ours, thanks to her sweet, charming stories and simple yet wonderfully expressive illustrations. We first discovered her work when we read Penguin on Vacation, and have loved the Penguin series ever since.  Found is another of my daughter's new library favorites, and has been on heavy rotation at bedtime for the past few weeks.

In Found, Bear comes across a toy bunny in the forest. Right away, he thinks it is the most special thing he has ever seen, but he knows that a toy this special must belong to someone else. He sets out to help the bunny find its owner, posting flyers on every tree in the forest.

Try as he might, Bear cannot find the owner. All the while, of course, Bear is loving the bunny more and more and wishing it could be his forever. He takes care of it, plays with it, and even makes the bunny a comfy bed next to his. One day, as Bear and the bunny are out riding on Bear's bike, bunny's owner appears. In his heart, Bear knows what he must do. He tearfully returns the bunny and sets off on his way. In a sweet, touching ending, however, Bear and his beloved bunny are reunited and able to return home together, safe and found! (Warning: if the ending of Toy Story 3 made you tear up, this book might, too.) 

I love so many things about this adorable book: the touching story line, Yoon's fabulous illustrations, and the message about the importance of doing the right thing even when it is hard. I especially love the collection of "Lost" posters on the inside covers -- they are clever and fabulous and not to be missed! Most importantly, though, this is a sweet story about love, kindness, and the bonds of friendship. What's not to love about that?

Day 229: The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark

  

The original Pout-Pout Fish was one of the very first books I featured on this blog, and my kids and I love it just as much now as we did then.  I've given copies to several friends over the years, and just gave a copy to my son's teacher to add to the classroom library.  It's just such a fun, wonderful story!  Somehow, even though we got the sequel shortly thereafter, I haven't written about it until now. I mistakenly assumed that I had, so without further ado, here you go!

The Pout-Pout Fish and the Big-Big Dark is back on heavy rotation here in our house, and for good reason.  It's silly, sweet, and an all-around great read!  In this charming sequel, Mr. Pout sets out to help his friend Ms. Clam retrieve her lost pearl.  As we follow him in his quest, we learn that although he has many talents that will help him succeed, there is one problem. "I'm fast as a sailfish, I'm strong as a shark, I'm smart as a dolphin… But I'm scared of the dark!"  He grows increasingly more nervous as he swims deeper, but is cheered on by a sweet, hidden voice that encourages him along the way.  When it finally gets too dark and he decides to turn back, Miss Shimmer reveals herself and joins him so that they may continue on together.  "Two are faster than a sailfish, two are stronger than a shark, two are smarter than a dolphin, two are BIGGER than the dark!"  With the help of Mr. Lantern, the pair finds the pearl, happily returning it to their friend.

Deborah Diesen's rhymes make the story easy and fun to read aloud, and Dan Hanna's illustrations are simply fantastic!  We just love his subtle humor and clever drawings, so be sure to look closely as you read.  You might even find a lantern fish reading a copy of The Pout-Pout Fish!  We especially love the drawings that accompany Mr. Pout's refrain, as well as the silly signs hanging on the angler fish on the page below.  My son always stops and grabs the book out of my hand to read these closely each time, giggling as he reads: "Fun and games in here!  Famous cave of mystery!  Suckers here!" So fun!

The message of the story is wonderful, too, of course, for aren't we all a little stronger and braver sometimes thanks to the support and encouragement of our friends?

When I gave this book to my son for his fourth birthday, he tore off the wrapping paper and we had to stop and read it right then and there, even with a bigger present waiting to be opened right next to him.  My husband snapped a picture of us reading it together, and I shared it on this blog's facebook page.  Imagine my surprise and delight when I saw that both Deborah Diesen and Dan Hanna had seen and liked the picture!  I hadn't even mentioned the title in the photo -- only the back cover was visible -- but I hope that they see this post, as well, and know just how much we love their stories.  Word has it that another Pout-Pout story is coming out in June:  The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School.  You can bet we'll be looking out for it when it is released.  In the meantime, if you haven't yet discovered these stories, look for them the next time you visit your library.  Hopefully, you and your children will enjoy them as much as we do.  Keep up the great work, Deborah and Dan!

Day 212: Penguin on Vacation

My daughter received this adorable book recently when we were on vacation with the ever-generous Uncle Jeff, and both she and my son have loved it ever since.  I found my son reading it on his bed many times throughout the week, and I loved listening in when he'd read it to my daughter as they snuggled up next to each other.  We all read it each night at bedtime, too -- usually twice.

The story is simple but sweet, with charming, colorful illustrations to match.  After growing tired of his cold climate living, Penguin decides to set off for warmer shores.  When he finally arrives on a tropical island, though, he's not so sure what to make of the place.  He can't do any of his usual vacation activities such as skiing, skating, or sledding, and starts feeling a bit lost and lonely.  Fortunately for Penguin, he is befriended by a fun-loving crab, who shows him that the best part about vacation isn't always what you do, but who you spend it with.

The first time I read this book, I thought it was cute and sweet.  The more I read it, though, the more I really came to love it.  As so often happens, this was partly because I saw how much my children love this book.  It was a gift for my daughter (who just turned 3), and given that my son has been really into reading the Magic Treehouse Series lately, I worried that perhaps it wouldn't hold his interest as much because it is shorter than most of the books he's been reading.  It only took one read through for me to realize that I needn't worry.  He's not too old to love this book at all; in fact, he might even love it more than his sister.

I had never read anything by Salina Yoon before this book, so I'm eager to check out some of her other work the next time we're at the library.  I've heard that another book in the series, Penguin and Pinecone, is quite endearing, too.  (And with a silly title about a pinecone, my kids can't wait to get their hands on it.)  If you're looking for a good pre-beach vacation story or just an all-around sweet book about friendship, Penguin On Vacation is a must for your book list.

Oh, and if you do go looking for it the next time you're at the library, you might need to check the new arrivals shelf as it just came out a few months ago (April 2013.)  Enjoy!

Day 198: How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends?

As I read this book for the umpteenth time with my daughter last night, I realized that I should probably write about it and share it with you here.  I also got to thinking about how much I love putting a little book in each of my kids' Easter baskets, and that the board books in these series would be perfect for anyone looking for a great non-sugar basket stuffer.  I just love the sturdiness and convenience of board books such as this one, which are always perfect for stuffing in a diaper bag or purse when we're on the go. But back to why we love this book...

We have many of the books in the "How Do Dinosaurs" series (again, thanks to our ever-generous Uncle Jeff), but this is one of our favorites.  It lives in a permanent pile on the little table next to our reading chair in my daughter's room, along with How Do Dinosaurs Love Their Dogs?, How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms?, Jamberry, and whichever Sandra Boynton book happens to be our favorite at the moment.  Our first experience with this series was the original How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?, which, given my son's infatuation with dinosaurs, was an instant hit.  My 2.5 year old daughter loves these books, as well, and I always love:

1) How short they are.  They offer the perfect solution to the nightly requests for "Just one more story... please!" because they take less than a minute to read;

2) The cute little messages within each story to which my kids can always relate; and

3) The variety of dinosaurs featured in each book, along with the fact that their names appear somewhere on the page

The only down side to the board book versions is that they don't have the spreads on the inside cover featuring illustrations of all of the dinosaurs in the book, but the small, handy size more than makes up for that for me.  This particular story is especially perfect for any little ones who might be struggling to learn to share and play nicely with their friends.  I like the way the story demonstrates the wrong way to play (always prompting my daughter to say, "No!"), followed by the nice way.  When a dinosaur's friends come over to play, "Does he hog all the swings and the sandbox and slides?  Does he not give his friends any tricycle rides?"  No, a dinosaur doesn't!  "He shares all his toys and gives turns on his bike.  His friends get first choice for the games that they like."  It's a fun, quick, enjoyable read that my kids and I love.  If you haven't yet discovered this wonderful series by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague, look for it the next time you are at your library.  We hope you and your little reader will love it as much as we do!

Day 186: King Arthur's Very Great Grandson

I love any good story, any time, anywhere.  But when I find one that is about something one of my kids is particularly into at the time, it's even better.  When my son was one, he was obsessed with all things wheeled.  Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go was loved so much that we ended up having to get a second copy.  When he was son 2, he still loved cars and trucks, but also adored monkeys.  I found Cha Cha Chimps at the library and we've loved it ever since.  Other recent favorites include animals and dinosaurs (still ongoing), and now that he has turned 5, we've moved into the fabulous, magical world of pirates, knights, and dragons.  Funny how that happens, isn't it?  My son got some awesome pirate and knight Playmobil sets for his birthday and Christmas, as well as the movie How to Train Your Dragon, so we've been in all-out medieval mode for a few weeks now.  So fun!  I never know when one of my own dragons is going to go zooming past me in the kitchen, and I love listening in while they play with Toothless, Nightwing, and Googily (their plush and Playmobil dragons) in the living room.  Needless to say, when I saw this book out on the "New Arrivals" shelf at our local library, I snatched it right up.  I found the cover illustration inexplicably appealing, too, and couldn't wait to read it.  One read through King Arthur's Very Great Grandson and I knew I had to share it here!

Henry Alfred Grummorson is the great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandson of the brave King Arthur, "the noblest knight to ever wield a sword."  On the morning of his 6th birthday, Henry wakes up, mounts his trusty donkey steed, Knuckles, and sets out in search of great adventure.  Along the way, he encounters a Dragon, Cyclops, and Griffin, but much to his growing dismay, none of them wishes to take him on in battle.  The dragon simply blows smoke rings, the cyclops wants only to have a staring contest, and the griffin challenges Henry to a ferocious battle of... chess.  Determined, Henry decides to seek out the Leviathan, fearsome creature of the deep sea.  "There in the roiling waters, Henry caught a glimpse of a truly enormous beast just below the surface.  He cleared his throat, gathered together his six years of manhood, and shouted: "READY YOURSELF, MONSTER, AND I SHALL HAVE ADO WITH YOU!"  Has Henry finally met his match?

The ending of this fun, clever story will leaving you giggling and smiling; don't be surprised if you're asked to read it again as soon as you've finished!  I love some of the great vocabulary words scattered throughout the story (uttermost, peril, unsheathe, formidable, and Leviathan, to name a few), and Henry's invitations to "ado" are oh-so-fun to read aloud.  My son breaks into fits of laughter each time we read them.  As for the illustrations, I can't quite put my finger on why I like them so much, but it probably has to do with the contrasting colors and combination of intricate details and subtle, empty space.  I'm even more impressed with the fact that creator Kenneth Kraegel is a self-taught artist and author.  Way to knock your first book out of the park, Mr. Kraegel!  As described on the book's jacket cover, Kraegel "draws from myth and legend to craft a wonderfully inventive tale that is sure to delight adventurers of all ages."  We couldn't agree more.

Day 185: Bear Has a Story To Tell

I fell in love with the work of Philip and Erin Stead as soon as I read their first masterpiece, A Sick Day for Amos McGee, the much-deserving winner of the 2011 Caldecott Medal.  In Bear Has a Story to Tell, the dynamic husband and wife duo is back with another wonderfully sweet story.  "It was almost winter, and Bear was getting sleepy.  But first, Bear had a story to tell."  He visits his woodland friends, hoping one of them will want to listen to his story, but they are all busy readying themselves for winter. Kind and understanding, Bear helps Mouse gather seeds, checks the direction of the wind for Duck before he takes flight south, and digs Frog a hole in which he can cozy up and stay warm for the cold winter months ahead.  Dear Mole is already sound asleep underground.  Finally, as the first snowflakes start to fall, Bear settles himself in and drifts off to sleep for the winter.  When he awakes in the spring, he is excited to tell his story!  One by one, his friends return... but so many months have passed that by the time they all gather to hear Bear's tale, he can't remember what it was!  Erin Stead's illustrations are gorgeous, as usual, and I love the way this sweet, gentle story exudes friendship, patience, and kindness throughout.  It makes for a lovely bedtime read, and is one story we are thrilled to have recently added to our home library.

Day 169: Hondo & Fabian

Hondo & Fabian was a gift from the ever-generous Uncle Jeff, whom we have to thank for many of the favorites that make up our home library.  He also got us the equally wonderful sequel, Fabian Escapes, at the same time, so I figured it made sense to recommend both in the same post.  I was immediately struck by the books' beautiful illustrations, and knew that both my son and daughter would love reading about these adorable, soft, portly pets.  The story in Hondo & Fabian is sweet and simple:  Hondo, the dog, goes on an adventure to the beach with his friend, while Fabian, the cat, stays home.  In Fabian Escapes, the roles are reversed and Fabian spends the day exploring his neighborhood while Hondo relaxes at home.  In both stories, we also meet the baby of the household, who loves to play dress up with the pets (much to their dismay) and feed crackers to Hondo from her high chair.

I've actually been having a hard time figuring out just how to describe these books and why we enjoy them so much, since the stories are so simple in and of themselves.  There is no fancy language or descriptive details; just a gently playful story with gorgeous illustrations.  The illustrations are really what make the book for me.  I have no idea how Peter McCarty manages to create such a soft, beautiful effect using only colored pencils on watercolor paper, but his artwork is amazing.  (Definitely Caldecott-honor-worthy, if you ask me.)

The other thing I love most about this story is the way it portrays the charming antics of those cute, carefree pets.  I had a cat and a dog growing up, and I can't help but think of them every time I read these stories.  My dog, also a retriever, loved playing in the waves and stealing butter off the counter like Hondo.  My cat loved exploring the outdoors and getting into mischief like Fabian.  I think my kids love these stories mostly because they love animals, especially dogs and cats, but also because they find the simple pleasures Hondo and Fabian enjoy throughout the book to be rather silly.  My son loves how Fabian lies on the windowsill, and how he stops to smell the flowers in the garden... and eats them.   Perhaps this is really why I love these books. Their plots are based around the little things in life -- playing in the waves, exploring the backyard, unrolling a roll of toilet paper -- in which children (and pets) find so much joy.

These books are probably best suited to toddlers and preschoolers, but emerging readers might enjoy reading them on their own, as well.  I also think these stories would be great in board book form for the littlest of readers.  We love curling up to read Hondo & Fabian and Fabian Escapes before bed, and hope that you will, too.

Day 146: Leonardo the Terrible Monster

My son has officially entered the "afraid of monsters" phase of childhood.  Every night before bed, we do a thorough monster check in his room, looking under the bed, in the closet, behind the curtains, and anywhere one might be hiding.  We reassure him, of course, that there is no such thing as monsters (and that even if there was, we would certainly never let them in the house), but still recognize that his fear is real and shouldn't be dismissed with this response alone.  He finds some comfort in the fact that we used to be afraid of monsters when we were little, too, but he still has his doubts.  (I don't tell him that to this day, I won't sleep with an arm hanging off of the bed.)  Fortunately, W now has a new friend to help keep the monsters away at night:  Leonardo the Terrible Monster!  We received this book along with a plush Leonardo the other day from the oh-so-generous Uncle Jeff.  A big thanks also needs to go out to friend of the blog Sharon Cerasoli, who recommended this book to us in the first place when she heard about our monster-fearing phase.   Leonardo is a TERRIBLE monster... terrible at being a monster, that is.  Try as he might, he simply cannot scare anyone.  He doesn't have 1,642 teeth like Tony, and isn't just plain weird like Hector.  Then one day, Leonardo gets an idea.  "He would find the most scaredy-cat kind in the whole world... and scare the tuna salad out of him!"  When he sneaks up on the unsuspecting Sam and the boy begins to cry, Leonardo is ecstatic.  He has finally scared the tuna salad out of someone!  Or did he?  When Sam launches into the list of things he is sad about, Leonardo makes a big decision and decides that perhaps being a wonderful friend is more important than being a terrible monster.  This story is cute, silly, and kind of heart-warming all at the same time, and we just love it!

Leonardo the Terrible Monster is classic Mo Willems, with simple, expressive illustrations and enough silliness to keep little readers giggling out loud even after the book has ended.  I love the way Willems uses empty space, font styles, and image scale on each page to help create the emotion of the story, and the subtle message about understanding in this book is wonderful, too.  It's the humor in his stories that we love most, though.  My son thinks scaring the tuna salad out of someone is one of the most hilarious things he has ever heard, and his fits of laughter that accompany each reading of this book make my heart happy.  He's been reciting the silliest parts of the story aloud to himself a lot while playing lately, too, which is always a sign that a book is hit.  My little girl adores this story, as well, and just loves to say, "Boo!... Aaahhh!!" over and over when she plays with the plush Leonardo. We still have to do our nightly monster checks, but I think we've managed to convince W that Leonardo will keep any other monsters away while he sleeps.  Whether your little reader is afraid of monsters or simply loves a silly story, this is one you will want to look for on your next trip to the library.

Day 137: The Goat Lady

One of our local libraries has the cutest, coziest little children's room around.  It also has a nice little section of staff recommended books.  I like to browse through its titles whenever we visit, and try to check out at least one or two each time.  (I'll admit, too -- the more I write this blog and the more great books we find, the more I want to make a recommendations shelf of my own!)  Last time we visited, I brought home The Goat Lady by Jane Bregoli.  I'm so glad I did.  What a surprisingly touching and wonderful story!  

The Goat Lady, based on true people and events, tells the story of Noelie Houle, an elderly woman who lives in a run-down, old farmhouse with her family of goats.  All of the other homes in the neighborhood are newer, freshly painted, with neatly mowed lawns, but not the goat lady's house.  To many neighbors, it stuck out like a sore thumb with its peeling paint, crooked door, and a yard full of goats.  Some people complained about the unkempt nature of the property and considered the goats to be a public nuisance, but our young narrators are intrigued.  They like to watch the frisky goats and can't help but wonder about who takes care of them.  Finally, one day, they see her -- "a slightly bent, but still rather tall woman" with mismatched clothes, a warm smile, and a twinkle in her eye.  She invites them to come meet her goats and kindly introduces herself.  It is the start of a wonderful friendship, and in the weeks and months to come, the children return to Noelie's house often, learning all about how to care for the goats and helping Noelie with her chores.  They learn more and more about her life, too -- how she moved there from Canada to work in a factory but became ill with arthritis.  How goat's milk gradually cured her, and how she set out to raise goats so that other people could be helped by drinking their milk.  How she eventually had so many goats, she gave some away to an organization (Heifer International) that sent them to people in poor countries, "so that those people would have fresh milk to drink, too."  Perhaps the most important thing the children learn from their friendship with Noelie, though, is tolerance.  Unlike their neighbors, they don't judge Noelie by her outward appearance.  In taking the time to get to know her, they see the kind, compassionate woman that she is, and that is a beautiful thing.

The children soon ask their mother, a portrait artist, if she might like to paint a picture of their friend Noelie and her goats.  She happily agrees, and eventually goes on to create enough paintings for an art show at the town hall.  (Some of Jane Bregoli's actual paintings from the real Dartmouth Town Hall art show about Noelie are featured in the book.)  As word gets out about the show and more and more people begin to learn more about Noelie, people's attitudes about her start to change.  "The neighbors became more accepting of Noelie's way of life.  The yard didn't seem quite as messy, the old house didn't look so rundown, and the animals didn't appear to be as unruly as before."  Soon, those neighbors that used to complain about her ways are stopping by to help Noelie, too.

The message of acceptance and tolerance that pervades this book is inspiring and refreshing.  I love the way it shows the incredible difference children can make in the life of an adult, and in some cases, an entire community.  Everyone knows people who are different, eccentric, "strange," and it is easy to judge them or cast them aside without taking the time to get to know them or their circumstances.  The fact that Noelie is elderly and impoverished is subtle but relevant, and although it might not be immediately noticed by children, it can certainly be discussion worthy.

The Goat Lady is beautifully written and a wonderful story in every way.  My son is just as engrossed by this story as he is with much sillier ones, which just goes to show that a book needn't be funny or fictional to be fully appreciated by a child.  The fact that it is a true story makes it all the more wonderful.  The real Noelie and Bregoli lived in Dartmouth, MA, so I hope that this book is easy to find outside of Massachusetts.  With its many important lessons about kindness and compassion, we highly recommend the Goat Lady for children in preschool and beyond.

Day 126: Winter's Gift

I absolutely love this time of year.  The twinkling lights, the smell of gingerbread baking, the decked halls, the coziness of our house, spending time with family and friends, the spirit of giving… All of these things make me feel warm and happy and festive all over.  There is a special place on my son's book shelf for our winter and holiday books, and I have been eager to share some of these here on the blog for months.  One of my favorites is Winter's Gift by Jane Monroe Donovan, a beautifully touching story of love, companionship, and hope.  My mom gave this to my son for his first Christmas little more than a week after he was born with the inscription, "For W, a Christmas gift to our family.  We love you."  I didn't read the book right away, but as soon as I did, I knew it would be a story we will cherish for years to come.   It also instantly earned itself a spot on my list of books that make me cry.  The story of the recently widowed old man and the lost, exhausted mare he rescues from a blizzard is heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once.  When my son picks up this book, he says, "I should read this book with Daddy.  This book always makes you cry, Mum Mum."  While the beginning of the story is sad  -- it is the old man's first Christmas alone since losing his wife a few months earlier -- the ending is uplifting and lovely.  The illustrations throughout the story are gorgeous, as well; I can feel the cold wind of the storm and the glowing warmth of the man's barn.  I'm always impressed when books are illustrated and written by the same person, too.  I was first struck by the cover illustration of a mare walking alone through the woods in a snow storm, but now I am continually moved by the emotion of the story.  I loved horses as a girl, so I think that makes the natural beauty of this book resonate with me even more.  Winter's Gift takes place on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, but I don't necessarily consider it to be a Christmas story.  To me, its message of enduring hope transcends the holiday, though I can see why it might be categorized as such.   I have yet to see this story in book stores or the library, but I'm sure it's out there if you look for it.  Winter's Gift is one of those timeless books that is appropriate for children of all ages, and would make a perfect gift for kids from one to ninety-two. 

Day 125: Bear Snores On

Today was one of those days where I looked out the window and could just feel winter approaching.  The leaves were fluttering steadily down from the trees, which are just about bare now, and the sky was a chilly shade of gray.   We've reached that point in the season where we need hats and mittens to play outside, and I feel the need to eat chocolate even more than usual.  (That must mean winter is coming.)  A steady rain was falling all afternoon, too, making me want to start a fire in the fireplace, make some hot chocolate, and curl up with a good book!  I like winter -- in limited amounts, at least -- but I am not ready for it yet.  In fact, there are many times when I feel like bears are really on to something by hibernating the cold weather away.  What better book to feature then today, I thought, than one of our favorites, Bear Snores On.  We already featured the second book in the Bear series, Bear Wants More, back on Day 1, but have been waiting to share this one until the weather seemed a bit more fitting.  My mom gave us Bear Wants More as one of my son's first books before he was even born, and we loved it so much that we needed to get some of Karma Wilson's other Bear books, too.  Bear Snores On is where we first meet our beloved Bear and his host of friends:  Mouse, Hare, Gopher, Mole, Badger, Raven, and Wren.  I absolutely love these characters and never get tired of reading this story.  In fact, I read it so often to my son when he was two, that I can still recite the whole story from memory. "In a cave in the woods in his deep, dark lair, through the long cold winter sleeps a great brown bear.  Cuddled in a heap with his eyes shut tight, he sleeps through the day, he sleeps through the night.  The cold winds howl and the night sounds growl but the bear snores on."   One by one, new friends begin to enter Bear's den seeking shelter from the winter storm raging outside.   As they make themselves at home popping corn, brewing tea, and chit-chatting the evening away, Bear's den grows cozier and more lively until there is an all-out party going on!   When Bear finally wakes up and sees all of the fun he has been missing, he is not a happy camper... but leave it to his woodland friends to save the day!  Wilson's rhymes are flawless, fabulous, and so much fun to read, and Jane Chapman's illustrations could not be any cuter.   I especially love the picture of the animals dancing around the fire in Bear's den while the storm rages outside.  The whole scene just looks so cozy and inviting!  This is another one of my favorite books to give as a baby gift, particularly the board book version.  If you haven't discovered this fantastic series, look for Bear the next time you are at the library or your local book store.  Bear Snores On is a perfect book to read with your little one during any kind of weather at any time of year. 

Day 104: The Old Woman Who Named Things

Given our love of the Henry and Mudge series, we have taken to reading some of Cynthia Rylant's other fabulous children's books.  She is such a talented author and is a master of telling stories that are loved and appreciated by children and parents on different levels for different reasons.  The Old Woman Who Named Things is a beautiful story about love, friendship, aging, and the fear of loss.  Once there was an old woman who loved to name things.  She had outlived all of her friends and worried about this, for she didn't want to become lonely without any friends she could call by name.  So, she named things around her; but only those things she knew should she could never outlive. "She named the old car she drove "Betsy."  She names the old chair she sat in "Fred."  She names the old bed she slept on "Roxanne."  And she named her old house "Franklin."... The old woman never worried about outliving any of them, and her days were happy."  One day, the old woman finds a shy brown puppy at her gate.  He looks hungry, so the old woman feeds him some ham and sends him on his way.  Every day, the puppy returns to her gate, happily wagging his tail, and every day, the old woman feeds him and tells him to go home.  It is not long, of course, before the woman starts thinking of letting the puppy stay, but he can't.  She doesn't want to risk outliving any more friends.  When the dog fails to show up at her gate one day, the woman sets off to find him, and in the process finds herself facing the classic challenge of risking loss in order to love and be happy.  It should come as no surprise that this is another wonderful story that makes me tear up every time I read it.  My son, being only 3, loves this story at face value.  He thinks it is so silly that the woman names everything from her bed to her car, and he loves the adorable puppy.  On some level, I think children can appreciate this as a book about friendship, but for adults, of course, the meaning and message of the story is far deeper, making this one of those rare books that is perfect for people of all ages.  This would also be a great book for anyone looking to address those tricky topics of aging and dying with children.  Oh, and did I mention that the illustrations are just as wonderful as the story itself?  The Old Woman Who Named Things is a lovely read that reminds us of the universal importance of taking chances on love, loss and friendship in order to find true happiness. 

Day 97: Toot & Puddle

Toot and Puddle have to be one of the cutest, most endearing pairs of friends in all of children's literature.  They are the porcine version Frog and Toad; the best of friends with personalities as different as night and day.  Puddle is a homebody who is most content enjoying the simple pleasures of his life in Woodcock Pocket.  Toot loves travel and adventure.  In the first book of this delightful series, Toot sets off to travel the world, sending postcards home to Puddle to share his adventures along the way.   In the year he is away, Toot visits such exotic locations as Egypt, Paris, India, the Alps, Antarctica, and the Solomon Islands, to name a few.  Each turn of the page features a delightful juxtaposition of Toot's postcard to Puddle (with accompanying illustration) and Puddle's own adventures back home.  In March, Toot writes from Egypt -- "The pyramids are the greatest.  Wish you could meet me at the oasis." -- while Puddle is home tapping maple syrup, wishing Toot were there to taste the pancakes.  While Toot is busy diving with schools of fish in the Pacific in April, Puddle is home diving into the baths of mud season.  Finally, by year's end, Toot returns home and the two friends reunite to celebrate each other's adventures: Toot's around the world, and Puddle's right at home.  There are just so many things that I love about this story, and about Toot and Puddle's friendship, in general.  First, of course, there is the travel element:  I love any book that whisks its readers away to different parts of the world.  (We like to look at a map of the world after reading this story to track Toot's route.)  Then, of course, there are Holly Hobbie's magical illustrations, which somehow manage to make me feel happy and warm and cozy just by looking at them.  The details in the images are fabulous, too, from Toot's pastry shop in Italy to Puddle's silly self-portrait with sunflowers.  Most of all, I love everything about Toot and Puddle's friendship.  To me, these charming pigs represent friendship and love at its finest.  Despite having very different interests and personalities, they are still the closest of friends.  They do not try to change to be more like the other, but rather are quite happy being themselves.  They embrace each other's differences and unique qualities, and show that two people (or pigs) do not have to be alike in order to be friends.  The message of this story is one that can be appreciated by children of all ages, and hopefully adults, as well.  This book makes a wonderful gift, too, especially if you know a child whose good friend has moved away.  If you have yet to befriend Toot and Puddle, please do.  Their stories of enduring friendship are simply wonderful in every way. 

Day 94: Frog and Toad are Friends

Oh, how I love Frog and Toad!  These books are some of my absolute favorites from my childhood, and I love reading them to my own children as much as I loved listening to them as a little girl.  Arnold Lobel's classic Frog and Toad books are part of the "I Can Read" series, though I have found my son has enjoyed them since he was about two years old.  We also recently got a cd read-along version of this out from the library, which has been fabulous for summer trips in the car. (We definitely need to get some more audio books!)  We love all of the Frog and Toad books, but this particular one, Frog and Toad are Friends, contains one of my all-time favorite stories of friendship, "The Letter."  Toad is feeling particularly sad one day because he never gets any mail.  Frog visits with him for a while trying to cheer him up, but they spend most of their time just sitting on the porch feeling sad together.  Suddenly, Frog has the perfect idea.  He rushes home to write his dear friend, Toad, a letter.  When he is done, he happily addresses the envelope and asks a neighborhood snail to deliver it for him.  Then he rushes back to Toad's house to wait for the mail.  Of course, snail mail takes a rather long time -- 4 days, in fact -- but Frog's simple act of friendship is enough to make anyone smile... especially Toad.  And I just love what his letter says: "Dear Toad, I am glad that you are my best friend.  Your best friend, Frog."  It's a wonderful story that captures the true spirit of friendship, and offers the gentle reminder to all of us that the world can always use more random acts of kindness, even towards our closest of friends.  Other stories in this collection include "Spring," "The Story," "A Lost Button" (another favorite), and "A Swim."  If Frog and Toad have not yet made their way into your reading rotation, look for them the next time you are at the library.  Their stories are true classics in every meaning of the word. 

Day 80: Henry and Mudge in the Green Time

One of our earliests posts (Day 3) was about the beloved boy and dog duo of Henry and Mudge, who have long been regular favorites in our household.  We are fond of Cynthia Rylant's books, in general, but Henry and Mudge will forever hold a very special place in our hearts.  I just love these stories about the big drooly dog and his best friend, Henry.  Sucie Stevenson's illustrations are wonderfully charming, and I love the way Rylant describes the things Mudge does and the love Henry's family has for one another.  There are 28 books in the series, and I think we've read just about all of them at one time or another.  Henry and Mudge in the Green Time is definitely among my favorites.   It takes place in the summer, and the three chapter stories are "The Picnic," in which Henry gets stung by a bee, "The Bath," in which Mudge endures a much-hated bath, and "The Green Time," my favorite of the three.   I think I love the Green Time so much because it captures the wonderful imagination of Henry, an only child, and the bliss and innocence of childhood.  Henry and Mudge spend lots of time on the green hill near their house, Henry pretending to be a king and Mudge, his dragon.  "The met monsters.  Mudge ate them.  They marched and marched till they could march no more.  Then they found a magic tree on the green hill.  It was a tree for kings and dragons who were tired.  Henry and Mudge sat down under the tree.  Henry put his arms around Mudge.  They were glad for a magic tree.  They closed their eyes.  And a boy and his dog slept, together, on the green hill in their green time."   Just wonderful, isn't it?  Henry and Mudge can usually be found in the early reader section of your library.  No need to wait until your child can actually read, though, before checking out this fabulous series.  These books are wonderful additions to any preschoolers library.  Be warned, though:  this series is addictive!  Don't be surprised if your little one asks to bring home the library's entire collection all at once.

Day 51: A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Philip and Erin Stead have created a beautiful masterpiece in A Sick Day for Amos McGee.  We adore this story about a sweet old zookeeper and his beloved animals and love the fabulous illustrations even more.  Amos McGee is the city zookeeper.  He gets up every morning, puts on a fresh pressed uniform, and rides the number five bus to the zoo.  Although he has a lot to do when he gets there, he always makes time to visit his good friends.  He plays chess with the elephant, runs races with the tortoise (who always wins), sits quietly with the shy penguin, lends a handkerchief to the sniffly rhinoceros, and reads stories to the owl (who is afraid of the dark) at sunset.  Then he returns home to rest before another busy day ahead.  When Amos wakes up sick one day and is unable to go to work, he receives a pleasant surprise:  his animal friends come to return the favor and take care of him!  It's a wonderful tale of friendship that has some of the most expressive and unique illustrations I have seen.  In fact, when I went to save the image from Barnes and Noble's website, I saw that it was the 2011 Caldecott winner -- deservedly so!  A big congratulations to artist Erin Stead, whose woodblock print and pencil drawings are simply incredible and tell the story in and of themselves; a sign of a truly great picture book, in my opinion.  In fact, my favorite pages are the only two in the book that have no words at all, with the animals waiting for and then riding on the city bus.  If you haven't yet discovered this wonderful story, look for it the next time you go to the library.  It is bound to be a classic in our house.

Day 49: Little Blue Truck

My son has some kind of innate truck magnetism.  If a truck book is the needle and the library is the haystack, he can find that book in about 10 seconds.  It's amazing.  At a library visit several months ago, he came running over with a new story in hand and a big smile on his face.  "A blue truck book, Mum Mum!  A blue truck book!"   That particular story was Little Blue Truck Leads the Way, the sequel to Alice Schertle's popular Little Blue Truck.  Once we realized it was a sequel, we had to find the first book, too.  Both are wonderful, so we figured we'd feature the original story first.  Little Blue Truck is a fun, charming story about friendship and working together.  Aside from a blue truck, it features some of my son's other favorite things:  a giant dump truck and animals.  It's no wonder it was love at first read!  The lyrical rhyming lines are fun to read aloud, and will also help younger children learn their animal sounds. "'Cluck!' said a chicken, and her chick said, 'Peep!' 'Maaa!' said a goat.  Blue said, 'Beep!'  The illustrations, story, and message are all wonderful, making this a fabulous book to share with your child.  While many boys will no doubt like it because of the trucks, I think girls will enjoy it, too.  We hope you love it as much as we do!

Day 30: A Visitor for Bear

"No one ever came to Bear's house.  It had always been that way, and Bear was quite sure he didn't like visitors.  He even had a sign."  NO VISITORS ALLOWED.  No visitors, that is, until a politely persistent, bright-eyed mouse comes along and insists on staying for a spot of tea, a bit of cheese, and a nice fire.  We recently borrowed this adorably endearing story from our local library and my son has loved reading it each day.  It features the solitary Bear and the small gray mouse, who manages to find his way back in to Bear's house no matter how hard Bear tries to keep him out.  Grouchy old Bear is simply trying to make his breakfast, but every time he turns around, there is the mouse!  (My son loves saying that part with each turn of the page.)  The mouse finally succeeds in wearing Bear down and allowing him to stay, promising to leave for good after his visit.  Grudgingly, Bear prepares their tea and a "crackling fire in the fireplace for two sets of toes."  Mouse is attentive, says the fire is lovely, and laughs heartily at Bear's jokes -- things no one has ever done before.  Soon enough, Bear is showing Mouse how he can do a headstand and offering him a second cup of tea.  Watching this change of heart is what makes this story so charming.  When Mouse insists on going as he promised he would -- after all, no visitors allowed! -- Bear can't stand the thought of him leaving.  And just like that, a great friendship is born.  I love the expressions on their faces throughout the story, subtle yet expressive, and Becker uses some great vocabulary words along the way, too.  My son can't help but laugh when the exasperated Bear exclaims things like, "Begone!" or, "This is impossible!  Intolerable!  Insufferable!"  I also love how at its heart, it is a story about becoming friends with someone you never expected and giving new friendship a chance; an important lesson for all children, I think.  There are several other tales about these two great friends, too, which we will be sure to look for the next time we are at the library.  In the meantime, we will undoubtedly be reading this one again and again.

Day 16: Frog and Toad Together

Frog and Toad are perhaps the most memorable literary characters of my childhood.  I remember reading these stories curled up on the couch with my mom, who recently found my old copies of these wonderful books and passed them along to me.  My son, husband, and I were amused to find my name and phone number written inside the front cover in my earliest handwriting, complete with the 6 written backwards so that it looked like a 2.  Classic.  I had actually already gotten my son his own copies of these stories about a year ago, hoping that he would love them as much as I do.  So far, so good! 

There are a few reasons that I chose this classic as today's featured book.  First, my son and I planted tomato and herb seeds in little container pots yesterday and are anxiously waiting to see them grow.  As we watered our seeds and set them in the sunshine of our bay window sill, I couldn't help but think of Toad in the story "The Garden," the second chapter of Frog and Toad Together.  Eager to have a beautiful garden like Frog's, Toad decides to plant some seeds of his own.  Being Toad, though, he is impatient, and can't figure out why his seeds don't grow right away.  Frustrated, he keeps yelling, "Now seeds, start growing!"  Hopefully my son will have more patience than Toad and our seeds will sprout in a week or two as they should.  Perhaps if we sing and read poems and play music to our seeds like Toad does, we'll end up with a beautiful garden someday, too. 

The other reason I picked this story today is that it features one of my other all-time favorite Frog and Toad stories, "Cookies."  This adorable tale about Frog and Toad's attempts to find willpower and stop eating Toad's delicious cookies is one that any sweets lover like me can appreciate.  "Let us eat one very last cookie, and then we will stop."  How many times have I thought that to myself?  But why the relevance today?  Well, it's Cadbury Mini-Egg season, that glorious time of year when I need to summon all the willpower I can not to eat an entire bag in one sitting.  I have hidden both bags of Mini-Eggs away and refuse to open them before Easter, for once I do, I'll be even worse than Frog and Toad at finding any willpower.  And there is no way I'm giving them to the birds.  "Cookies" has become one of my son's favorite Frog and Toad stories, too, along with my other favorite from this book, "The List."  If you and your little one have not yet discovered Lobel's delightful stories about the adventures of these two best friends, check them out the next time you visit your library.  As part of the "I Can Read" series, they are usually in the early reader section.  As with the Henry and Mudge books, I think Frog and Toad's stories are perfect for little ones long before they can read on their own.  I hope you love them as much as we do!

Day 3: Henry and Mudge and the Forever Sea

Cynthia Rylant's wonderful collection of stories about a little boy and his beloved, huggable, 180 pound dog, Mudge, are on heavy rotation at our house right now.  In fact, my son loves them so much, it was all I could do to convince him that we couldn't check out all 28 of them from the library this week.  (We settled on four.)  He also loves to pretend to be Mudge on a regular basis, which I find ridiculously cute.  We must read at least three different Henry and Mudge books a day, but we are particularly fond of the Forever Sea at the moment.  I think this is because, like me, my son can't wait to be able to go to the beach this summer.  (We've been dreaming about it all winter long.)  The Henry and Mudge books are part of the "Ready to Read" series so are presumably aimed at a slightly older age group, but I think they are just perfect for three year olds, too.  They have been around for a while -- The First Book was published in 1987 -- and I remember reading them with my brothers when they were little.  (And now, we are lucky to have all of their old books.  Thanks, Mom!)  If you've ever owned a dog, especially a big one that drools a lot and takes up too much room on the couch, you'll instantly love Mudge.  I often laugh and smile to myself as I read about the things he does, as they bring back so many happy memories of my childhood dog.  If you haven't discovered Henry and Mudge yet, I encourage you to go check them out.  There are many adventures to choose from, and no doubt other titles from the series will make our list further down the line.