Day 181: Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee

Chris Van Dusen is one of our favorite authors.  The first book of his that we read was The Circus Ship, and we soon fell in love with several of this other stories, as well.  (A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee and If I Built a Car have both been featured on here in the past.)  Sometimes I worry about posting too many books by the same author, but when we love a book and read it as often as we read this one, I figure it is well worth sharing.  Chris Van Dusen is a fantastic author and illustrator whose rhymes place him among the ranks of masters like Dr. Seuss and whose illustrations always have a colorful, unique, retro feel to them.  We just love the Mr. Magee books, and I'm not kidding when I say that we have probably read this book 100 times since getting it as a gift last Christmas.  Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee is Van Dusen's first book, and was inspired by his desire to write a story about a boat that gets stuck in a tree.  It's silly and fun and my kids always enjoy reading it.

"Mr. Magee and his little dog Dee loved spending time in their boat on the sea.  So early one morning at 6:32, they made a decision.  That's just what they'd do... With plans for the day and enough lunch for three, they hopped in the car and drove down to the sea."  But their little outing quickly becomes a big adventure when a curious whale decides to play... and soon they are sailing high over the bay to the top of an island spruce!  The whole story is endlessly entertaining and makes a fabulous read aloud.  I don't know how well-known Van Dusen is outside of New England, but a great book is a great book no matter where you are! If you haven't yet discovered his wonderful work, look for his books the next time you are at the library.  If they make your children laugh and smile even half as much as they do mine, you are bound to love them.

Day 124: Baby Beluga

A few weeks ago, I took my children to the fabulous Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT.  If you ever get a chance to go, you must!  It is such a gorgeous facility and both my son and daughter loved everything about it.  We also had the pleasure of going on a Friday in October, so there were no crowds whatsoever.  Some of the first marine animals you see when you enter the complex are the beluga whales.  Their tank is right inside the entrance, and you can watch them from above or below, through underwater viewing windows.  As soon as she saw a beautiful white whale swim by, my daughter was obsessed!  She LOVED those whales (as did I -- they are just so gorgeous), and would point enthusiastically toward them anytime she saw them that day, even if they were only in a photograph.  When I saw that the gift shop sold a Baby Beluga board book, I knew I had to get it for her.  It has been one of her favorite books ever since!  She held on to the book our whole ride home, and asks to read it whenever she sees it.  I knew the song before I realized that there was a book to go along with it, having first gotten it on cd when my son was my daughter's age.  We LOVE singalong stories, and Baby Beluga is a perfect book to read and sing along to at bedtime.  I usually find myself still singing the song to my daughter even after we've shut out the light.  The verses are soothing and simple, and the lyrics are accompanied by lovely illustrations of the baby beluga and his Arctic friends.  "Baby Beluga in the deep blue sea.  Swim so wild, and you swim so free.  Heaven above, and the sea below.  And a little white whale on the go."  My son usually comes running in to read with us if he hears us singing the song, too.  I particularly love the page that shows the baby belugas hugging fish under their flippers as night time draws near.  It's just so cute!  With soft, gentle lyrics and engaging illustrations to match, Baby Beluga is a wonderful singalong story that your baby is bound to love.