Day 190: Splat the Cat

We recently discovered Splat the Cat on the shelf of new arrivals at our local library. I instantly recognized the artistic style of author and illustrator Rob Scotton, and the silly title in itself made my kids want to bring it home.  We did, and we've been reading it just about every day since.  My daughter is particularly enamored by Splat, and it never fails to make her and my son laugh with delight.  

It is Splat's first day of Cat School, and he is nervous. He can't stop his tail from wiggling wildly with worry.  He tries every excuse he can think of to put off going until tomorrow, but to no avail.  "If I hide from the day, maybe it'll go away, he thought.  It didn't."  He doesn't have any clean socks (even though he doesn't wear socks), he's having a bad hair day, the front door won't let him out, the gate won't let go of his fingers... even the lamppost won't get out of his way.  (That page always evokes the most giggles.)  Knowing he'll need a friend, he packs his pet mouse Seymour into his lunchbox and heads reluctantly to school.  His classmates and teacher are more than welcoming, and after a silly series of events, Splat returns home at the end of the day excited and eager to go back.  While there are a few quick jumps from one thing to another in the story, my kids never question them.  The story itself is cute and a great back-to-school read, but the illustrations are really what make it for me.  Scotton has such a unique style, and I love all of the little things in his illustrations that really bring a clever humor to the book:  Splat's mouse slippers, the books on his shelf (such as Dogs are from Mars, Cats are from Venus), his alarm clock that points to "too early," Seymour's eyes peeking out of Splat's lunch bag.  Splat the Cat was first published in 2008, and now there are several sequels in the Splat series.  We'll definitely be looking for them at our next library visit!

Day 111: Chrysanthemum

Choosing what to name our children was always an exciting and important decision.  Both times I was pregnant, we found out what we were having -- the first time a boy, the second a girl -- and I loved knowing so that, among other reasons, I could start calling the baby by name.  My husband and I were very much on the same page when it came to selecting names, fortunately, both preferring classic names to trendy or unique ones.  Both of our children have very traditional English names:  Will and Emma.  I'll admit that as teachers, two other factors crossed our minds during our name selection process:  when our children's teachers looked at their class rosters someday, they would be able to pronounce their names properly and know whether they were looking for a boy or a girl.  Silly, perhaps, but true.  We also hoped that our children would love their names, since to us, they were as perfect as our little ones themselves.  Chrysanthemum's parents felt much the same way.  "Her name must be everything she is," said her mother.  "Her name must be absolutely perfect," said her father.  And it was."  Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum.  Kevin Henkes has created another masterpiece is this adorable and clever story.  Chrysanthemum loved every thing about her name -- the way it sounded when her mother woke her up or her father called her for dinner, the way it looked when she saw it written in ink on an envelope, in icing on her birthday cake, and when she wrote it herself with her fat orange crayon -- until she started school.  Other students laughed when the teacher read her name during roll call, and girls teased her:  "It's so long... It scarcely fits on your name tag... You're named after a flower!"  Each day after school, Chrysanthemum returns home feeling a bit sad and wilted, and each evening her parents manage to cheer her up.  Still, Chrysanthemum can't help but wish she had a different name... that is, until she meets the ever-so-fabulous music teacher, Mrs. Delphinium Twinkle.  Like so many of Henkes' books, this story is wonderful on many levels.  He is a master of addressing issues that are common among preschoolers and elementary aged children (in this case, teasing and wanting to fit in), while at the same time teaching children more appropriate ways to behave and treat one another.  In this case, he celebrates the beauty of being yourself and not only appreciating differences in one another, but celebrating them.  I also LOVE his illustrations and the way in which he portrays the unconditional love of his characters' parents.  There are so many clever little details in his drawings that are not to be missed:  the hilarious face on the very pregnant Mrs. Twinkle's dress, the map of Wisconsin and its cheese on the bulletin board, and especially the books Chrysanthemum's father can be seen reading throughout the story -- The Inner Mouse Vol. 1: Childhood Anxiety and A Rose by any Other Name... Understanding Identity.  We highly recommend this book to any young reader, particularly one whose name is different or who might be teased by her peers.  If you love Kevin Henkes as much as we do, you won't be disappointed. 

Day 102: Ruby's School Walk

Looking for a great book to help ease those back-to-school jitters?  Check out Ruby's School Walk!  We recently checked this adventure of a tale out of the library and my son has asked to read it multiple times a day ever since.  Follow Ruby and her mom as they walk to school, letting Ruby's wild imagination lead the way.  Ruby's mom, of course, sees nothing out of the ordinary along the way, but not Ruby!  She sees a rushing river full of crocodiles, a haunted house full of ghosts, a tiger hiding behind a wall, and an enchanted forest where mighty beasts loom and lurk.  Fortunately for Ruby, she manages to successfully ward off all of these fears on her walk to school... but will she be able to muster up the courage to walk through her classroom door?  With fabulous illustrations by Miriam Latimer, Ruby's School Walk is reassuring to children who are nervous about starting school and an all-around fun read for any child.  We especially love the map of Ruby's walk on the inside covers of the book, and just might have to make our own map of the things we pass on our way to school next week!  I also love the way Ruby's mom reassures her about the adventures she will have in school that day and the closing illustration of Ruby sitting amongst her "classmates."   The text has some good vocabulary words for preschoolers, too, such as my son's favorites, crouch and prowl.  (We can't get through a reading of the book without him jumping off the couch to leap and bound like Ruby chasing away the tiger.)  And parents, definitely check out the accompanying parent's guide created by author Kathryn White entitled, "Packing Backpack, Lunchbox, and Confidence: Tips for Sending Children Off to School."  According to an interview with White, "Every child experiences some trepidation about starting a new chapter of their lives, and beginning school is no exception. When you encourage children to use their imaginations to face their fears, they can overcome them and look forward to a new adventure, such as starting school. The tips in the guide are based on my own experience raising five children and creating imaginative stories that turn worries into fun."  White's guide offers some valuable advice and great ideas for applying the story to your own school experiences.  Good luck heading back to school, everyone!

Day 101: Wemberly Worried

It's Labor Day weekend, which sadly marks the end of summer as we know it.  School has already started up again around here, and my little guy will be off to preschool in less than two weeks.  I can't believe it!  He seems to be excited about his new school, but I have a feeling we'll definitely experience a few tears on those first few days.  We've been talking about how fun it will be to play and make new friends, and have been reading some good books about starting school to get ready, as well.  I've already featured one of our favorites, The Kissing Hand, back on Day 48, but we found another great story at our last visit to the library by the always fabulous Kevin Henkes.  Wemberly Worried is an adorable tale that is one of my son's favorite books to read at the moment.  Wemberly, the sweet little lovable mouse, is a worrier.  She worries, and worries and worries, about big things, little things, and everything in between:  the crack in the wall, the noise of the radiators, her doll Petal, even that there wouldn't be enough cake for her friends at her birthday party.  Her mother, father, and flower-child, rollerblade-wearing grandmother try to help ease her worries, but Wemberly manages to find things to be nervous about anyway.  As Wemberly gets ready to start at her new nursery school, she is faced with her biggest worry of all!  I'll admit that I worried this book might make my son nervous about things he otherwise wouldn't have thought of, but fortunately he reacted the way I hoped he would and found Wemberly's worries to be silly.  "What if no one else has spots?  What if no one else wears stripes?  What if no one else brings a doll?  What if the teacher is mean?  What if the room smells bad?  What if they make fun of my name?  What if I can't find the bathroom?" and my son's favorite of all, "What if I hate the snack?"  Fortunately for Wemberly, her understanding teacher Mrs. Peachum introduces her to a new friend, and by day's end, Wemberly realizes that perhaps there isn't as much to worry about as she thought.  Henkes' delightful mouse characters are charming (look for Lilly of Purple Plastic Purse fame to make an appearance) and I think the story does a great job of addressing children's fears and feelings about starting school in a way that is both realistic and reassuring.   Henkes' illustrations are wonderfully expressive, as usual, and we love looking for fun, silly details on each page.  We highly recommend this book, especially if you have a worried Wemberly of your own.  Wishing you all a smooth transition back to school and a year full of new and wonderful things!

Day 56: Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse

I'm so happy our friend Melinda introduced us to Kevin Henkes.  We just love his books!  My son has asked to read this story several times a day since we took it out of the library last week and it has quickly become a favorite.  There are so many things I love about this book that I'm not sure where to start.  Lilly is a sassy, precocious, red-cowboy-boot-wearing free-spirit of a mouse.  She loves school, especially her teacher Mr. Slinger, and wants to be a teacher just like him when she grows up.  Lilly writes stories and draws pictures of Mr. Slinger, and even stays after school to help him clap out erasers.  You could say she's your classic wannabe teacher's pet.  But when Lilly can't wait to show off her new purple plastic purse and her movie-star sunglasses to everyone in the class, she sees a different side of Mr. Slinger:  the firm teacher (aka "big, fat, mean, Mr. Stealing teacher!")  The tale that unfolds from here is one that I think everyone can relate to.  Who hasn't, at some time in his or her life, acted upon impulse, only to deeply regret it later?  There are so many great lessons to be learned from Lilly's decisions in this book (both good and bad), and I just love the way this story plays out.  The illustrations are fantastic, too, especially Lilly's expressions.  Be sure read the captions within the pictures, as well!  Children of all ages will relate to Lilly and her feelings, and this must be a favorite book of elementary and preschool teachers everywhere.  I find this particularly relevant to my son at the moment, who, at nearly three and a half, is definitely starting to push his limits with us a bit more.  I wonder if part of the reason he loves this book so much right now is that he sees a bit of himself in Lilly.  As parents, we're trying to help him see the importance of patience, forgiveness, good manners, and following rules, even when he doesn't want to.  And, just like Lilly, he sometimes learns the hard way that he has to accept responsibility for his actions. (One of his favorite parts of the story is when Lilly tells Mr. Slinger she is "really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really sorry."  He gets a big smile on his face every time we read it.)  These are important lessons for all children, I think, and I just love the way Henkes expresses them within such a delightfully fun story.  Definitely add this one to your must-read list.  Like Lilly's movie-star sunglasses, this book is simply fabulous!

Day 48: The Kissing Hand

I hope all you moms out there had a wonderful day yesterday!  It's been fun reading about people's favorite "mothering" books; I'm sure there will be many featured throughout the year ahead.  Even though Mother's Day is over, I wanted to feature one last mother and child themed book this week.  I considered waiting to write about The Kissing Hand until my son heads off to preschool for the first time, but I thought this book's message of motherly love made it a perfect post for today. 

Oh how we love The Kissing Hand!  Little Chester raccoon is getting ready to head off to school for the first time, but he doesn't want to go.  He's nervous and scared, and would rather stay home and read his books, swing on his swing, and be with his mother.  "Sometimes we all have to do things that we don't want to do," his mommy tells him gently.  "Even if they seem strange and scary at first."  Fortunately for sweet little Chester, Mother Raccoon has a very special secret -- one that was passed down to her from her mother and grandmother -- that will make his nights away at school feel as cozy as his days at home:  the Kissing Hand.  She takes his paw in hers, spreads his tiny fingers, and plants a kiss right in the middle of his palm.  "Whenever you feel lonely and need a little loving from home, just press your hand to your cheek and think, 'Mommy loves you. Mommy loves you.' And that very kiss will jump to your face and fill you with toasty warm thoughts." 

The Kissing Hand is a perfect reminder to children that a parent's love will always be with them, even if they are apart, and is a perfect book for any little one about to head off to school or daycare for the first time.  It is sweet and heartwarming, and, of course, makes me cry at the the end.  It also reminds me of a cross-stitched saying that my grandmother has hanging in her house:  "A mother holds her children's hands for awhile, their hearts forever."  When we read this before bed, my son and I give each other kissing hands of our own, and I love seeing the little smile on his face as he holds his palm to his cheek.  I smile, too, for I know that someday, I will be the one needing his kissing hand as he ventures off on his own.