Library Bag Treasure

Do you remember my What We Found at the Library posts?  They were fun, and I sometimes miss them.  Not on the weeks when our library bag contains mostly duds, but since that happens so rarely, I'm constantly thinking, I need to tell someone about this good book!  And with the end of summer here (Yay, Fall!), this is the perfect time to reflect upon some favorites that have made for a good season of reading.

Or, I just want to share these gems with you and needed an excuse to do so!  So here...for your blast-from-the-Heavenly-past pleasure, is our recent library bag treasure:


Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy, by David Soman and Jacky Davis

You know about Ladybug Girl, right?  The energetic little girl whose imagination is MUCH bigger than her namesake?  In her latest adventure, she tackles the thorny issues of learning how to play with other kids while sharing (but not forcing) her creativity.  I love these stories for lots of reasons: they illustrate a healthy imagination in real-life situations, the main character is feisty, and my daughters adore her.  But I think the best part about Lulu, Ladybug Girl?  Is her ability to learn and grow with her imagination, letting her take on all sorts of new adventures.  From making friends to keeping busy...Ladybug Girl is my hero.  I can't wait to read the rest!



The Curious Garden, by Peter Brown

This book is just so, so pretty.  The artwork is clear and bright and detailed without being cluttered, and sometimes there are no words on a page -- just pictures.  The girls have spent plenty of time staring at this book (until Mama takes it away to stare, herself...).  But the story is the sweetest thing.  A boy lives in a dreary city with no color, but he still loves to explore.  When he happens upon a patch of an old, dying garden, he brings it back to life and it takes on a life of its own.  It travels the city, spilling onto sidewalks and staircases...and it beautifies the whole land.  Gorgeous story, gorgeous artwork.  Gorgeous.



Miss Hunnicutt's Hat, by Jeff Brumbeau and Gail Marcken

Now, this book is a little cluttered.  But it works.  The pages are filled with eye-catching scenes in which a sweet-hearted lady defies the bossiness of her neighbors.  She's got a new hat, you see -- and it includes all the usual trappings: ribbons, bows, feathers...only the feathers belong to a real, live chicken.  The townspeople badger her and create quite a fuss, but Miss Hunnicutt is only strengthened in her resolve to wear what she likes.  It's a darling, hilarious story about being an original no matter the naysayers' opinions, and my daughters soaked it up. 



So, um....did you find anything good at the library this summer?  And am I crazy for loving childrens' books like I do?  And will somebody please get me a hat with a chicken on top?

What We Found At The Library, #18

Thanks for joining me this week! I've decided that this will be my last book swap for awhile, so if you're waiting for the perfect time to link up -- this is it! I'll let you know if/when I decide to start back up again, but let's just consider this the start of a summer break.

Mama's Favorite: Toot & Puddle -- You Are My Sunshine, by Holly Hobbie

I didn't love this book at first read, but as the days wore on, I realized that it was sticking with me. Making me think and consider long after we'd shut its pages. In this story, Toot is mopey. He just pokes around, wandering dejectedly from day to day as his friend Puddle tries everything he knows -- five-berry cobbler, parties, river rafting --to cheer up his friend, but nothing works. Puddle misses the old, happier Toot. But when a thunderstorm comes through, blowing and gnashing at the trees, Toot suddenly smiles. He snaps out of his mopey mood, one he didn't even realize he was in, and becomes cheerful again. All it took was a "big, whopping thunderstorm to clear the air." And I can so relate to that. I mope around without knowing why sometimes, and with a shift of weather -- or realization -- I snap out again. Back into happiness. I love that this book explores moods and friendship in such a supportive way, and I love that Toot recognizes the value of his loyal friend through his mopey journey.

Mama & Mia's Favorite: The Magic Hill by A.A. Milne and Isabel Bodor Brown (Illustrator)

You know we love our princess stories in this household. I was thrilled to happen upon one by A.A. Milne, the beloved creator of Winnie The Pooh, and had no choice but to check it out. Milne's storytelling plus Brown's sweet illustrations make this book one that I want to own. Mia watched with wide eyes as we read about the pampered princess Daffodil growing up with her fairy-granted gift: wherever she walks, flowers grow. But the gift turns out to be a burden: she's only allowed to walk on the gardens, while the village children must stay on the walkways. Daffodil has no room to run and play. When the royal doctor announces that the sweet princess doesn't thrive as she should, the Queen makes a change in plans. She and the King grant an entire hillside to be Daffodil's, and it becomes a flower-filled playground for the princess and the village children alike. Mia's fairy-tale soul was satisfied by this book, as well as Mama's fable-loving heart -- a match made in heaven.

Daddy & Mia's Favorite: The Impossible Riddle by Ellen Jackson and Allison Winfield (Illustrator)

(Again with the princesses...) Young Princess Katarina of Russia wishes for a husband and family. But her father, Tsar Nicholas, loves her so much that he can't bear to part with her. He comes up with a clever riddle to thwart the suitors who'd take her from him: the first man to correctly answer the riddle will win his daughter's hand. When Katarina sees the handsome Prince she wants to marry, she arranges a hint for him to solve the riddle, and an enjoyable mystery unfolds. It is SO obvious to me why this book was Justin's favorite: a loving, pinky-finger-tied father, a sweet, beautiful daughter, and a plan to keep her to himself forever. I think if Justin were a King, he'd be searching for the perfectly unanswerable riddle even now. Luckily, in the end of the story, the King is happy to give his daughter to a worthy prince. Mia loved the details in this story, and Justin loved reading it to his sweet little girl -- over and over again.

Now it's your turn! Share your recent book finds so we can have a few great suggestions going into summertime!

What We Found At The Library, #17

Lauren's Favorite: The Sleepy Little Alphabet by Judy Sierra & Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

This cute story goes through an alphabet of sleepy kids -- mopey M, naughty N, yawning Y -- with adorable illustrations of each letter and its bedtime antics. Rhyming between each verse, the story clicks along with hilarious interpretations of each letter's personality: "F is full of fidgety giggles. G has got the googly giggles. H tries standing on her head, I and J jump on the bed." It's quick, so Lauren's toddler-attention was held, but she's also in love with the alphabet song, so this book was a clear favorite. At the end of each reading, we quietly sang the song so the letters could fall asleep, as their Capital parents wanted them to. While I secretly hoped the alphabet song would lull Lauren into a dreamy state. Unfortunately, it just left her singing to herself -- loudly -- for many bedtime minutes. But I didn't mind too much. If it hadn't been the alphabet song, it would've been something else, anyway.

Mia's Favorite: Princess Me by Karma Wilson & Christa Unzner (Illustrator)

This story about an imaginative little girl was my little girl's absolute favorite. The main character's bedroom becomes her kingdom, her toys become loyal subjects, and sweeping dress-up clothes become royal gowns. She pretends all the details of her princess life, from the knights to the ladies in waiting, and understands that having a true princess attitude -- always kind and generous -- is important. But really, she's just a regular little girl, and is very willing to pass her princess status on to the reader. At the end, the story asks, "Who is this girl? I wonder who...Of course, my love, it's Princess YOU!" Mia squirmed and smiled and became sweetly shy each time we finished this book. Being named princess by a book? It was her dream come true.

Mama's Favorite: Little Red Bird by Nick Bruel

In this book, a little red bird contemplates the world beyond her window. It happens one day that her cage door is open, the bedroom window door is open, and she gets the chance to soar across the sky, fully enjoying her new freedom. 'Then in front of her eyes was quite a surprise! The window was open! It's true! It looked scary out there. Should she leave? Should she dare? I wonder what YOU would do?' With the setting of the sun, the story ends with the little red bird wondering what she should do next. She sees the window and her cage from across the wide, free park. She knows it's full of food, water, and safety...but...she wonders....what would YOU do? Stay in the beautiful, spacious park? Or go back to the safe, cozy cage? I love that the book ends on a question for the reader to ponder and discuss. Which we did, in depth. This is a lovely read-aloud book, and its innocent, comic-book-like illustrations are wonderful. Bright, colorful, simple, and adored by both my daughters and myself.

What books did your family enjoy this week? I can't wait to put your suggestions on our book list!

What We Found At The Library, #16

Psst...I have a secret...my books for today aren't from the library. Don't tell the librarian, okay? They're from the BOOKSTORE and besides that, they're GROWN UP books! I KNOW!

Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende

The first book I read by Isabel Allende was Daughter of Fortune, and it swept me up, captured me in it's wake, and carried me along as a passenger. I was entranced. I loved it, and I loved the author's writing. Allende has the ability to dig so deeply into a character's history, without ever straying from the point of the story, and I love that -- the depth and width to her novels.

Ines of My Soul is a fictional story based on a historical character, Ines Suarez, who played a part in the Spanish settlement of Chile in the mid-1500's. I am fascinated with this period of history -- the expeditions, the discovery of new worlds, the conquering of native peoples, the careless destruction of their cultures...it opens up my imagination and begs me to sympathize. I love that Allende is so able to capture the motivations and experiences of historical characters, so able to transport me into another era. That's what I most want from a novel: transport.

I haven't finished the book yet, but I'm not in a hurry. Each day I open it, see there's more than half left, and get excited that I have so many remaining pages in which to revel in Allende's expert storytelling. Because that's exactly what she is: an expert storyteller. It almost doesn't matter how the story ends or what happens at any point along the way. It's the reading of her words -- the discovery of her own created world -- that is delicious. A treat.






Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler


When I first got this book in the mail, I pounced on it, speed-read through the whole thing in a matter of hours, and declared it good. It is amazingly full of information, explained in helpful, simple descriptions, and I'm a little in love with it. I've since read it in depth, and it becomes more and more fascinating with each chapter.

I've been on the natural family planning bandwagon for quite some time now, but without ever actually knowing what I was doing. I just knew I didn't want any medication in my body to alter a healthy, naturally occurring cycle, and I didn't want anything to...ahem...stand between my husband and I. After reading several rave reviews of this book, I ordered it on Amazon and can now add a rave review of my own.

Toni Weschler lays out in relate-able terms how to monitor and track your fertility -- whether your cycles are normal or wacky -- in order to prevent or achieve pregnancy. Beyond the obvious benefits of knowing how to use natural family planning, which this book is excellent in describing, I am in awe of the amazing amount of information I never knew about my body. I'm going to go all TomCruiseish on you now, and jump on the couch, okay? I LOVE MY BODY! IT IS AMAZING!! The things it can do?! The natural beauty of my cycles?! The internal systems of regulation?! The way it can tell me if something's not quite right so I can speak to my doctor with educated concerns?!

It's been said before about this book, but I'll add my voice to the general cacophony: Every woman should read this book. And she should read it now. Amen.



Whew. The excitement up there (coupled with the lack of library books in my library post) has worn me out. But I still can't wait to hear what you're reading!

What We Found At The Library, #15

Welcome! Have a seat, pull out your 'To-Read' List, and grab a cup or glass of your favorite reading companion -- mine is icy cold and refreshing: WATER! But feel free to come with coffee or tea or smoothies or margaritas. I promise to withhold my assumptions. At least until you post your OWN book list (which I'm assuming you will. Right? Right!!), at which time I will try to guess which beverage you were consuming at the time of publishing. It'll be fun!

(Did someone say 'digress'?)

Now, on with the show!

Lauren's Favorite: Shhhhh! Everybody's Sleeping by Julie Markes and David Parkins (Illustrator)

Ah, Lauren. She is adorable and so sweet, much like this book. On each page, someone is sleeping -- the grocer, the policeman, the librarian, the zookeeper -- and each of them is snuggled up in a cute bed which perfectly fits their needs. The grocer sleeps on a bed of lettuce. The farmer snuggles atop a sheep-y pillow. The police man's blanket is covered with traffic. The people we only see in their waking hours are funnily transformed in sleep, as in a child's imagination: surely the teacher sleeps at school, and the baker at the bakery right? This book is so fun to pretend along with, but my favorite part was Lauren's reaction to the sleeping characters. They are all quite unique in their appearances, and Lauren -- being a wary-of-strangers toddler -- didn't like the way they looked. "Mama, I don' yike him,'' she said with concern as she shook her head at the policeman...and the grocer...and the doctor...and everyone else! As the days went on, she relented with a few at a time until now, when she loves them all. Just when we're ready to return the book, she's comfortable with the characters. Oy.

Mia's Favorite: Piggies by Audrey and Don Wood

This book was a recommendation from Dawn and it is WONDERFUL! It's oh-so-simple, but the artwork is both gorgeous and whimsical. Mia had the best time trying to match her hands to the shapes of the hands in the book, which are covered with tiny piggies with huge personalities. They pull stunts and play so animatedly on the fingertips of these hands, that I can see exactly how a child's brain would be engaged for hours (okay, minutes, probably) staring at the pictures and wondering about how it would be to have actual piggies on their PIGGIES. So cute. We've read this book almost every day, several times a day, for 14 days. And it still makes the girls laugh. This book is a must-read. A must- see. A must.

Mama's Favorite: Who Will Sing A Lullaby by Dee Lillegard and Dan Yaccarino (Illustrator)

When I read this book, I suddenly start yearning for a baby. (Disclaimer: I'm usually in a state adjacent to baby-yearning, so it doesn't take much to push me right over the edge.) The illustrations are so...calm. Yes, that's it. They're calm. And the words...they're calm, too. With ryhme and ryhthm and cadence, they're beautifully soothing to say. There's a tiny baby crying in the midst of several well-intentioned birds, and they all want to help the baby fall asleep. One by one, they carry the baby away on their wings, hoping to soothe. But after each bird successfully flies the baby to sleep, they caw or hoot or honk their pleasure, only to wake it up again. Meanwhile the small and unobtrusive nightingale wishes she could help. As each bird gives up, the nightingale offers one last time to sing the baby to sleep -- and her song works. Sigh. This book is terribly sweet and soothing. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find a baby to soothe to sleep with a nightingale's song.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I can't WAIT to see what you've been reading! (Hint: That means you have to TELL me, either in the comments or by linking up. Oh look, there's the linky list, now!)

PS - Madeline at Barefoot Childhood is having an AWESOME children's book giveaway that ends TODAY! Go check it out! The books she's promoting are from Barefoot Books -- a truly fabulous book company whose products I'm a little in love with. As much as I hope to win, I'd be happy if one of YOU won, too. So go enter!)

What We Found At The Library #14

Hi, all! Here are our favorite picks from our most recent trip to the library. I can't wait to see what you've found, too!

Mia's Favorite: The Seven Chinese Sisters by Kathy Tucker and Grace Lin

The problem with letting your child pick their favorite book to be posted in a blog-published list, is that you yourself may not like the book. Such is almost the case with this book. It's a perfectly normal book -- with perfectly beautiful illustrations -- but it has a bit of a morbid twist, to my little-girl-sheltering eyes. There are seven sisters in this story, each of whom are gifted with some special talent unique to herself. Third sister was a good counter, Fourth sister could talk to dogs, Sixth sister cooked a delicious soup, and so on. One fateful day, a fierce dragon was tempted down the mountain by the smell of Sixth sister's soup, and ended up taking tiny baby Seventh sister for his meal instead. And this is the part I wanted to change for the sake of my daughters: the dragon reaches in the house with his clawed hand and carries the baby girl away up the mountainside. I'm a grown woman, and I almost had nightmares about that picture. The story ends up happy ever after: the dragon was a skinny little thing, just hungry and lonely, and the sisters decide to take him some soup after they've saved their baby sister. Maybe this is some traditional Chinese folk tale, and maybe it has a good moral of each person using their unique talents to accomplish wonderful things, but I just took issue with the baby being snatched away by a dragon. That seems so anti-sweet-dreams to me. Alas, Mia loved the book, and had no nightmares (that I know of). I was compelled to not hate it after seeing her enjoy it so much.

Lauren & Mama's Favorite: Do YOU Have A Hat? by Eileene Spinelli and Geraldo Valerio

Lauren's favorite this time, though, I DID love. In this adorable book, characters from history are poetically and goofily described according to which type of hat they wore. Abraham Lincoln, Carmen Miranda, Daniel Boone, Amelia Earhart, Walt Whitman, Sally Ride...and the list goes on. Each character's hat is described and painted in such unique ways that readers are instantly drawn into the heart of what made the person so historically fascinating in the first place. This book would be perfect for leading school-aged kids into research about interesting figures in history -- there are so many to choose from in this book alone! But Lauren, being two (SOB!), was only interested in one thing: the repetitious 'Do YOU have a hat?!' at the end of each character description. Near the end of each page, she'd lean her head backwards and sideways to look into my face, and tell me, "Mama, say, 'do OO haffa hat?'" I, of course, followed her instructions. We had the best time reading this book, and it gets my highest recommendation. Check this book out SOON!

Daddy's Favorite: Lucky Pennies & Hot Chocolate by Carol Diggory Shields and Hiroe Nakata

Justin's a typical boy: he loves planes, trains, and automobiles, sports, animals, and history...but he's also a sucker for a sweet story. In this book about a little boy and his grandpa, the narrator tells us about his favorite things to do with his favorite person. He likes to tell knock-knock jokes, watch earth-movers at work, play dominoes, and drink hot chocolate. He likes having pancakes for breakfast, playing ball, and picking up lucky pennies. Throughout the story, we're led to believe it's the little boy who's listing his favorites, and getting excited for a weekend at Grandpa's house. But in a sweet surprise ending, the last pages say, "Here's what I like. I like lucky pennies, hot chocolate, and knock-knock jokes. And my grandson does too." This melted Justin's strong heart; he loved that the grandpa was so excited to spend time with his grandson because Justin's own grandpa was like a father to him. An instant favorite was born.

Now it's your turn! What did you find at the library?

What We Found At The Library, #13

Mia's Favorite: Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

It seems that some of Mia's favorite stories are about sweet kids who are misunderstood or made fun of. This would worry me, except the stories always end up happy, with the character gaining confidence along the way. (Of course, it is only a story, so that's kind of required...but still.) Chrysanthemum follows this formula exactly, and heartens the reader with the sweet little mouse's nearly uncrushable attitude. She's so full of vibrance and energy on her first day of school, but is immediately teased for her long and unusual name. Day after day, she's teased more and more, until she thinks her name is 'absolutely dreadful.' It all turns around in the end, though, with Chrysanthemum remembering what she knew all along: her name is absolutely perfect. While Mia loved the story, I loved some of the vocabulary. This book had a few really great words I don't think Mia'd been exposed to yet -- winsome, begrudging, jaundiced, wilted, indescribable -- and they added such fun to the reading. I was pleasantly surprised by this cute book.

Lauren & Mama's Favorite: Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Jen Corace (Illustrator)

I remember hearing good things about this 'Little' series, but hadn't happened to run across them until now. Little Hoot is adorable! He's a young owl who loves his life -- all except for bedtime. After all, he as to stay up SO LATE when all of his friends get to go to bed SO MUCH EARLIER. He begs for an earlier bedtime with his little owl eyes drooping, but his parents insist on at least one more hour of playtime. The juxtaposition of Little Hoot pleading for bedtime while most children desire to avoid bedtime is seriously funny. I'm excited to check out the others in this series, as I understand them to be written along this same punch line. Plus, the simple illustrations are super cute. I loved Little Hoot, and Lauren must have, too, because she requested it over and over. Of course, I obliged her.

That's it for me this week! We found several other good ones this week that didn't make it on our favorites list: Mice and Beans (Mia's runner-up), The Animal Hedge (My runner-up), If You Give A Moose A Muffin (Lauren's runner-up). Lots of good stuff in our bookbag, too little time to cover it all. The story of my life.

What books did you love this week? Link up and let us know!

What We Found At The Library, #12

Lauren's Favorite: Ollie the Stomper by Olivier Dunrea

I was completely charmed by this little book! The story is so simple and quick -- about a disgruntled duck who stomps around barefoot while his friends wear bright boots -- that Lauren ended up nearly reading it to herself. And despite it's simplicity, it didn't ever get old for me, either. Perhaps seeing the excited concentration on Lauren's face had something to do with that, but it really is a sweet book. Now that I've known and loved it, we'll absolutely be checking out the rest of this author's series. I love it when that happens.

Mia's Favorite: La La Rose by Satomi Ichikawa

Since we really enjoyed another of this author's books, Come Fly With Me, we were excited to find this book as well. The story follows a beloved stuffed rabbit on an adventure through Paris' Luxembourg Gardens. La La Rose gets separated from her little girl, Clementine, and is swept up into the action of the Gardens, trying desperately to find her friend again. Through frightening little boys tossing her in the air, to being plunged into a fountain's pool, La La Rose becomes more and more hopeless, but never stops searching. With the happy ending reuniting Clementine and La La Rose, this book left us comfortable and satisfied. All the problems of the world were gone. Plus, the illustrations are so detailed and sweet, it would have been a good story even without any words.

Mama's Favorite: Previously by Allan Ahlberg & Bruce Ingman (Illustrator)

I can't really explain this book well -- words escape me, and you know that's unusual. Starting with Goldilocks and linking up several different fairy tale characters (Jack and the beanstalk, The Gingerbread Boy, Cinderella, The Frog Prince, Jack & Jill...), the author weaves a tale of history wherein all those characters are somehow related. Goldilocks had previously been in the woods where Jack was running away from the beanstalk. Jack had previously been playing soccer when his little sister, Jill, came tumbling down a hill and broke her crown. Previously, they'd been arguing over breakfast when the Frog Prince appeared at their window. Previously, the frog had been a prince who fell in love with Cinderella who'd previously been bumped into the Gingerbread boy, who'd been baked in an oven after he was a sack of flour...a grain of wheat...a seed sown by Goldilocks' uncle. See what I mean? It's weird. And wonderful. I laughed out loud several times at the unlikely ways the author linked up those familiar characters.

Now it's your turn! What have you been reading lately? Children's books, Spiritual books, Novels, Cookbooks, anything at all -- link up and share your discoveries!

What We Found At The Library, #11

Lauren's Favorite: Birdsongs by Betsy Franco & Steve Jenkins (Illustrator)

Of course Lauren would pick the book that makes the reader sound ridiculous with all the various required bird calls. From the large, squawking seagull, to the sweetly tweeting Chickadee, to the tiny, quiet hummingbird, Lauren loved listening to all the birds' sounds (which are spelled out phonetically for my sound-effect-pronouncing pleasure). A bonus is that the artwork is just stunning. Done in fantastic collages, the birds seem to ruffle up right off the page; the skies and trees they live in come to life. Despite the crazy noises coming from my throat in order to read this book, I really enjoyed it.




Mia's Favorite: Big Chickens by Leslie Helaskoski & Henry Cole (Illustrator)

This book is simply hilarious. A quartet of chickens who are terribly chicken become forced with every move they make to find their courage. One by one, they each state their fears in an adorable repetition that really makes the book wonderful. But despite their attempts to avoid fearsome tasks, they seem forced into them anyway until one last fright stands in their way: a wolf. In a truly funny ending, the chickens are so scared of the wolf that they end up scaring him off. And boy are they proud of their deed. They're suddenly full of the courage -- pride-puffed BIG chickens. The best part, though, was something not on the pages of the story. When Mia gets nervous or scared of something, she hides her face, peeking out the side of her hand to see what happens next. This happens fairly often in stories or movies with anything even slightly frightening. And this story -- while funny and simple -- had that small dose of fear in the wolf creeping out to get the chickens. Eyes were hidden, then relieved laughter was released. So cute.




Mama's Favorite: Apples To Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson & Nancy Carpenter (Illustrator)

I must admit: I angled to read this story any chance I got. In an adorable narrative voice, the daughter of a fruit-growing pioneer tells of her family's grand adventure across the plains. Weighted down with apples, pears, plums, and many other fruit trees, the family encounters trouble and excitement across wide open prairie, guarding their cargo all the way. Hail storms, raging rivers, drought, and frost try to stop them, but the father is determined to succeed with his impossible dream. His family supports his hare-brained idea fully, even to the point of giving up their own comfort to save the fruits. This book sweetly illustrates the importance of love, hard work, and the benefits of a positive attitude. But more than anything, it's just a wonderfully fun story.




Daddy's Favorite: Guji Guji by Chih-Yuan Chen

This was another one of Mia's favorite's, too. Somehow, a wayward crocodile egg winds up in a nest full of duck eggs (this seems to be a common theme...). Once hatched, the animals grow up together, never seeming to care that there's a crocodile -- Guji Guji -- in their midst. They all play together and become a happy, if strange, family. Before long, the rest of Guji Guji's real relatives show up and make fun of him for pretending to be a duck. Worst of all, they tell him that crocodiles were made to EAT ducks...and they intend to use his trustworthy relationship with the duck family to lure them right into the crocodile family's toothy mouths. But Guji Guji has a plan of his own. He tricks the crocodiles with duck-shaped rocks, and they all flee in pain and humiliation. Daddy and Mia's favorite part comes when Guji Guji is given the official title of CrocoDuck. Much laughter ensues at the combination of two different words, and the book is read again...and again...and again...




I hope you all are enjoying our book swap as much as I am! I'd love to have you add your linked post of favorites to the Mr. Linky, or just leave a comment with what books you've been enjoying lately. As always, I'm interested in any books, not just children's books -- so let your suggestions fly!

What We Found At The Library, #10

Lauren's Favorite: Counting Your Way - Number Nursery Rhymes by Terry Pierce & Andrea Petrlik Huseinovic (Illustrator)

What better way to get Lauren to sit still for storytime than to have quick, rhyming verses in a book with adorably bright illustrations? The artist painted colorful, uncluttered pictures in acrylic paints and we loved them. Lauren's been getting better and better about counting -- or, better at repeating the sequences of numbers -- so these rhymes about numbers were perfect for her. The compilation includes some of her old favorites like Baa Baa Black Sheep and One Two Buckle My Shoe, as well as some new favorites like Pairs of Pears and St. Ives. We read this book over and over, sometimes dancing to the rhythms of the words (It wasn't me, I promise.) and singing loudly when our favorite verses popped up. (Ok...that was me. I just couldn't help myself.)

Mia's Favorite: Sweet Briar Goes To School by Karma Wilson and LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)

For several months now, we've been loyal Sweet Briar readers. And for several months, I've been waiting to tell you about this wonderful series! She's a kind-hearted, but definitely smelly skunk whose adventurous encounters leave her with new lessons about treating others (or being treated by others) with respect and friendship. In this particular story, Sweet Briar tries to settle into her new school, but is terribly discouraged by the other students. They pick on her and tease her for being so stinky, all the while not really trying to get to know her at all. Sweet Briar's parents reassure her that she's the sweetest thing, but without being accepted by the other kids, her cheerful spirit falls into sadness. In the end, her kindness and intelligence win them over, but getting there is tough. I've really appreciated that Mia's hearing lessons about treating others with respect and love no matter what, and Mia...she just loves skunks. For some reason, they've weaseled their way into her imagination and she's fascinated by them. So for this sweet series of stories to be centered around one, we're both charmed.

Mama's Favorite: The Moon Might Be Milk by Lisa Shulman and Will Hillenbrand (Illustrator)

I love it when a book takes me by surprise and delights me with its story. I'm a cover-judging reader, and this one didn't hit me as something to be excited about. The illustrations, while cute, aren't done in a way that tickles my fancy, and the title didn't really catch my attention either. But the magic of books is that you never know exactly what's between the covers until you start reading. This one is about a little girl -- Rosie -- who sets out to determine just what exactly the moon is made of. Cat thinks it's a saucer of sweet milk, Butterfly thinks it's a pile of sparkling sugar, Mouse thinks it's flour that puffs out into clouds on a breezy night. Rosie isn't convinced, and heads to her Gran's house for some serious answers. Gran is evasive, though. She's busy mixing up a tasty looking recipe. The ingredients are just the things all of Rosie's friends have suggested the moon is made of, and before long Rosie has determined that the moon is made up of the exact thing Gran is baking: a giant Sugar Cookie. After all, they're both round, white, sparkling, and full of goodness. My favorite part though, comes on the very last page when Rosie's imaginative thoughts wander to what the sun might be made up of. After being inspired by imagining the moon's composition, Mia and I had a great time coming up with lists of things that might be sun-like in color or shape. I loved this book for the story itself as well as its ability to make Mia stare off into the sky and wonder. To imagine. This story will go on my short list (wait...long list) of favorites.

Now it's your turn! What did you find on a bookshelf lately? Here now, is Mr. Linky. (Yes, I'm indecisive. Let's not talk about it.)

What We Found At The Library, #9

Lauren's Favorite: Where Is The Green Sheep? byMem Fox and Judy Horacek (Illustrator)

Simple, repetitive, quick, rhyming, colorful, and interactive -- each are wonderful qualities for a toddler's book, and this one has them all. Sheep of all colors, shapes, and personalities are described in this cute book, but always with the underlying question, Where is the green sheep? It was a perfect opportunity for Lauren to focus on a question while disguising it as a rhyming adventure. And each page is full of comparisons: scared sheep, brave sheep; hot sheep, cold sheep; up sheep, down sheep. There was a lot of really good (fun) information for a toddler to absorb in this little book, and absorb it, she did. We must have read this book fifty times during the two weeks we had it. And I only started to get sick of it around day 10 -- impressive.

Lauren's Other Favorite: The Odd Egg, by Emily Gravett

It was such a toss-up between Green Sheep and Odd Egg for Lauren's favorite this time, that I decided to include them both. This book (by the same author as Orange Pear Apple Bear) is really wonderful, allowing the reader to explore suspense, humor, and a little bit of danger without being truly scared. The main character (besides the giant, spotted egg) is Duck. All of Duck's friends -- Owl, Flamingo, Parrot, Chicken -- are waiting for their eggs to hatch, but Duck alone is eggless. In one of my favorite illustrations, Duck stares pointedly between his outstretched legs where his egg should be safely nestled, while the other birds warm their eggs. Desperate, Duck finds a rather interesting egg to call his own, though it's clearly not a duck's egg. Duck knits booties and a scarf anyway. He patiently perches atop his speckled egg and waits to meet his baby. While each egg creak, cracks open to reveal a newborn bird, their parents all watch closely to see what will happen when the enormous 'duck' egg cracks open. Another of my favorite illustrations shows the wise owls shying away, suspicious of what will emerge. And they were right to do so...because out of the egg snaps a huge open-jawed crocodile, threatening to gobble up every last one of those snooty, proud birds. On the back inside cover, the author has drawn the crocodile dressed in his booties and scarf, happily following his 'mama' duck. We all loved this funny, wonderfully drawn book, and snapped threateningly at each other for days after returning it to the library. It comes highly recommended from my crocodile-loving baby girls.

Mia's Favorite: Pinkalicious, by Victoria Kann and Elizabeth Kann

In this imaginative book, a little girl is so smitten with her pink cupcakes that she eats...and eats...until she turns pink as well. While she's thrilled with the change -- She's Pinkerbelle! She's Pinkerella! -- her parents are downright horrified. They cart her to the doctor who prescribes a diet of green things and absolutely NO more pink cupcakes. Not worried in the slightest, Pinkalicious goes about her ways until she goes just one cupcake too far...and turns red. Finally worried about her atrocious red hue (and I can totally relate here...), she subjects herself to everything green in the house. Pickles, brussels sprouts, lima beans, whatever is green is consumed. And lo - her red and pink skin fades back to a perfect child-colored tone. Mia loved this book for one basic reason: Pink. Okay, two reasons: Pink and Cupcakes. The story was cute and outrageous, perfect for a creative preschooler with imagination to spare.

This Heavenly Mama's Favorite: Toy Boat, by Randall de Seve and Loren Long (Illustrator)

A boy and his handmade boat are inseparable in the beginning of this gorgeous book. Held tight by a string in the grip of the boy, the toy boat vaguely wonders what it would be like to sail free with the big boats he sees across the water. When a storm passes through and wrenches the string from the boy's grip, the boat finally gets his chance. But being so tiny in the wake of such huge boats is terrifying, and the toy boat struggles to stay afloat. Each boat he encounters has a menacing face and its own scary personality on the waves, making the innocent toy boat wonder if he'll ever see the kind face of his owner again. The illustrations in this book are lovely -- bright and realistic, thoughtful and intense, detailed and gorgeous. The story itself is full of hope and hard lessons learned about both independence and self-reliance. I really liked this book, but in the interest of full disclosure, I should state that I was the only member of my family who did. Justin thought it was boring, Mia endured it a few times, and Lauren didn't give it the time of day. I'd love to find a kindred Toy Boat spirit out there, though...any takers?

Your turn! What did you all find at the library (or bookstore!) that you've been enjoying lately?

PS - I decided this week to discontinue the Mr. Linky list because the old ones get deleted with each new list that gets added. So I won't be able to go back and find your links as time goes on. If you don't mind, please just leave your link in the comments (copy and paste, or make it an actual link) so I'll always have proof of your participation. You can't hide, now...

Come On Over!

It's time again, my friends, for another visit to the bookshelves! Tomorrow is What We Found At The Library day, and I know you all have some good books to share with the masses. (The masses being anyone who reads This Heavenly Life. And masses may be an overstatement. But still.)

So come back tomorrow with your most recent library finds (or bookstore finds, if you so wish), and we'll discuss them over tea and scones.

Coffee and muffins.

Water and bread.

Slushies and Snickers.

Basically, whatever's on hand in your corner of the world.

I'll see you tomorrow, book list in hand!

What We Found At The Library, #8

First, one GIGANTIC THANK YOU to Lenae for designing this awesome button! I am amazed and proud and excited to be the recipient of such a thoughtful gift. Let's spread its HTML beauty -- or whatever it is that makes up such a thing -- across the interwebs ! Thank you again, Lenae. You're awesome, and for more reasons than this sweet button.

For this week's show and tell, I'm posting about some of our favorite books we got as Christmas gifts, but still within the children's books theme. Justin and I both got some books we're excited about -- Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna, and Andre Agassi's autobiography -- but haven't gotten to read them yet. I'll keep you updated, though.




Lauren's Favorite: Madeline Says Merci, by John Bemelmans Marciano

Although Lauren is too small to sit through an entire Madeline book, she quickly grew attached to this one. Written by Ludwig Bemelmans' grandson, this story is a review of simple good manners. From treating pets with kindness to admitting mistakes, it covers everything a Madeline lover needs to know about being polite and kind. And while Lauren hasn't yet paid attention to its lessons, she still loves it. The book is shorter in stature, perfect for cradling in a tiny toddler's lap, and filled with simple artwork in the trademark Bemelmans style. She'll sit with it propped between her hands, turning pages and babbling recognizable phrases: "Twewf yiddle guls in two stwait yines..." We are definitely a household smitten with Madeline, and this gift from our Nana was a welcome addition to our bookshelf.

Mia's Favorite: Belinda The Ballerina, by Amy Young

Another gift from Nana, Belinda the Ballerina is a new favorite of Mia's. We already had one book in this series, and were excited to have discovered this as well. Belinda is a light-footed -- and large footed -- girl who loves to dance. She practices hard to audition for a big ballet recital, but is thwarted by three rude judges who can't see past the size of her feet. Saddened, Belinda quits dancing and fills her time waiting tables in a restaurant. But her graceful dancing feet can't stay still for long, and soon, Belinda's dancing is attracting tables full of customers who love to see the dancing waitress. This is such a sweetly uplifting story, combining lessons about following your heart and having self confidence without being too serious or deep for my tender-hearted Mia; the focus is on comically large feet, not weight or beauty or snobbery -- things Mia doesn't yet need to be concerned with. I feel good about helping her understand that if you love doing something, and follow your heart, the naysayers' opinions just don't matter. As Belinda says, when it came to those discouraging judges, 'she didn't care a fig.'

Daddy's Favorite: Three Pebbles and a Song, by Eileen Spinelli and SD Schindler

One of my favorite children's authors is Eileen Spinelli, so I was happy to have found this book to give the girls for Christmas. It's about a mouse family who is supposed to be making vital preparations for the coming winter, but little Moses is always playing instead. He collects pebbles, listens to the wind, and dances with the leaves. His family reminds him, in simple, repetitive verses, that he must make preparations instead of dawdling. It soon gets to be too late, though, and when snow finally starts falling, he worries that he won't have anything useful to contribute to the family's winter supplies. However, it's Moses' playful additions that end up making the long, dull season bearable. Justin especially admired the detailed artwork and the idea that a joyful, playful spirit is as welcome as any pile of provisions -- a sentiment I can heartily agree with.

Mama's Favorite: A Pipkin of Pepper, by Helen Cooper

One of our favorites from a few months ago, Delicious:A Pumpkin Soup Story, inspired me to add this book to our Christmas stack. The adorable trio -- Cat, Squirrel, and Duck -- head to the big city for just a pipkin of salt to complete their delicious pumpkin soup. Poor, distractable Duck wanders away to the pepper shop with visions of all the pipkins of pepper he might be able to find as well, but gets lost in all the bustling city traffic. A search ensues, with Cat and Squirrel trying anxiously to find their lost friend. The whole neighborhood, citizens and police dogs alike, join a teary-eyed Duck in searching for his friends. I love the illustrations, the outlandish story, and the happy ending, but most of all, I love finding serial favorites our whole family will enjoy.

What books did YOUR family find over the Christmas break? Share your recommendations, so we can pillage the libraries (and bookstores) soon with lists full of tried-and-true favorites!

Party Over Here...

Tomorrow! It's time for What We Found At The Library again, after a long holiday vacation, and I'm excited to show you what we've been loving. There's a catch, though: THEY'RE NOT LIBRARY BOOKS.

I got the wonderful idea from Lenae to post about books we got as Christmas gifts. So you can feel free to do the same, or link up your list of any other books you're currently enjoying. No limits here. Whatever the case, just let us know what you're reading!

See you tomorrow!

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?