What We Found At The Library, #7

Lauren & Daddy's Favorite: While Mama Had a Quick Little Chat by Amy Reichert and Alexandra Boiger (Illustrator)

I was amazed by Lauren's attraction to this book -- it's longish and detailed, with artwork that is cute but far from simple. She and Justin got into quite a routine of reading it together every night, and that's probably what was so enjoyable for her. This book is full of cute sound effects, which begs daddy's participation: the magician's POOF, the DUM DITTY drumming. A quick, rhyming pace adorably tells the story of an anonymous party being forced upon Rose while her mom is chatting away on the phone. Muscly men bring tables and chairs, waiters set up food, partiers dance to a raucous band, and poor Rose is unable -- and eventually, unwilling -- to stop it. It's too much fun! But, what happens when Mama finally ends her 'quick' little chat? The ever joyful Rose convinces her party to clean up and clean out. Justin was a sucker for the sweetly illustrated Rose, and Lauren just couldn't get enough of this book. It was a very cute story, one our whole family enjoyed.

Mia's Favorite: On Your Toes: A Ballet ABC by Rachel Isadora

I knew it would happen like this: I'd open my Library posts up for other bloggers, set dates for it, and then not have any really good books to write about. This past trip, there weren't many books in our bag that inspired enthusiasm. The one above was the exception, and it was a good one. But the rest were just so/so. This one, though, was read many times and while it's not much of a story, Mia did enjoy it. It's an alphabet inspired by ballet vocabulary, including poses like A for Arabesque and G for Grand Jete, stage words like B for Backstage and L for Lights, costume names like T for Tutu and Z for zipper, and classic ballet identifiers like O for Odette and F for Firebird. Mia loved learning new ballet words, and for my benefit, there's a glossary in the back explaining the meaning and use of each word. The illustrations are drawn to look real, but with a beautifully colorful overtone: child friendly, yet true to life. I'd recommend this book for any little girl learning the alphabet, or wanting to learn more about dancing. It accomplishes each beautifully.

Mama's Favorite: Madeline In London by Ludwig Bemelmans

One of my trusty standbys, Madeline, came to the rescue in an otherwise dull book bag. While we've read this particular story several times already, it never gets old. That's the beauty of Madeline. Some new aspect pops out with each reading, making us re-appreciate her adventures and bravery. In this installment, Madeline and crew follow their lonely friend Pepito to London when his family moves there. For Pepito's birthday, the girls decide to gift him with a horse who ends up traipsing Pepito and Madeline all around London for a royal tour. But the poor, tired horse is so hungry by the end of the trip that he eats up an entire garden's worth of flowers and veggies, causing the old gardener great despair. Of course, everybody had to cry, not a single eye was dry. I can never read a Madeline story without finding myself chest deep in enjoyment of the story and its oddly rhyming meter. If you've never read a Madeline book, you must do so immediately -- that's an order. I mean, if you want t0.


That's it for me this week; what did YOU find at the Library?