One to Move You

I want to thank my friend, Mary, for kicking me into gear to put something out for this month. I have been neglecting this blog, and I really like doing it.

I also know that this is my second Tomie dePaola book in a row. That's okay--it really had nothing to do with him, but the books he writes instead.

The Clown of God, by Tomie dePaola, is actually a re-telling of a French legend. Giovanni, a poor child, finds his talent of juggling is his ticket to success. He joins a traveling act, going around juggling as a clown, making people happy. Along his travels, he encounters a group of Franciscan brothers, and shares his food with them. The brothers preach the Gospel to Giovanni, and remind him that all talents "sing to the glory of God," including his entertaining skills. Giovanni laughs the comment off and goes back to his business. Years pass, and time takes its toll on Giovanni. The crowds thin, and eventually, even Giovanni finds he cannot juggle like he used to. Poor again, Giovanni is reduced to begging for food once again. One night, he finds himself at the monastery of the Franciscans. He hides inside the sanctuary to escape the weather. The next morning, he is wakened by music and crowds of people celebrating Christmas. The townspeople leave gifts of flowers and food at the foot of a statue. After the crowds leave, Giovanni approaches the statue of Mary holding Jesus, where people have lit candles in honor of Christmas. The faces are serious, without expression. Giovanni, seeing all the gifts people have left, asks what he can give. He remembers his gift of entertaining people, and decides that he, too, will offer a most special gift of love.

Why we like this book: There are several things to like about this book. Its timely message of love and vocation is a lesson from which all can benefit. The art, colorful drawings are somewhat "Renaissance" in nature and remind you of stained glass art. While it doesn't contain the "classic" Christmas story, it's story of a Christmas festival lends itself perfectly to the holiday season. There are many other books by Mr. dePaola, and I'm sure I'll write about many others. Many of his books have a Christian perspective, as Mr. dePaola himself once entered religious life, according to the dust jacket of this book. Enjoy Clown of God this Christmastime.

Cold Morning? Time for Pancakes!

This is a good book for a chilly morning. It's also a great book for the pre-reader, because there are no words. The reader wakes up with a nice lady and her two furry companions on a very cold day. While she goes about her morning routine, she mentally plans her breakfast: Pancakes. She finds that she is missing several ingredients to make the pancakes and her pets come along with her as she prepares to make her delicious pancake breakfast. But her plans are dashed--in the paws and teeth of her cat and dog. Will she ever get her pancakes?

Why we like this book: As stated above, there are no words. It's the perfect book to make up as you go along, then pass the book to your little one and have them "read" the book to you. There are plenty of opportunities for description and prediction, too, that gets you and your child thinking. Watch for picture clues to help with the prediction. What will the nice lady do? How does she feel now? Find out more in Pancakes for Breakfast, by Tomie DePaola.

Bernard Wiseman knows children. He must, because he chose a moose named Morris to be his star in Morris Goes to School. Moose are funny animals, and Morris is no different. He is somewhat silly, and doesn't understand a lot, so he follows a man's advice: Go to school. Once at school, Morris learns a bit of the three "R's," makes some friends, and in the end, achieves what he set out to do. He gets to buy gumdrops for himself.

Why we like this book: Like I said, moose are funny animals, and Morris is a funny moose. The line drawings are reminiscent of Syd Hoff's drawings (Sammy the Seal, among others). Kids can't help but laugh and say "No, Morris! It's like this..." and want to help Morris learn. Morris also helps a child understand what might happen in a typical school day (even if the day is a bit different from how a child spends his or her day today). When you read the part of Morris speaking, I dare you also not to change your voice to a goofy moose's voice. Or at least your best impression of a moose.

Two-Post Thursday!

I was really torn about the choice of book today, so I chose two books. One fiction, and one nonfiction, because there hasn't yet been a nonfiction post.

The nonfiction choice is called, What's in the Meadow? by Anne Hunter. There are actually 4 books in this series, and we do have 3 here at our house, but 2 of them have been hijacked for the picture. What's in the Meadow? offers simple descriptions of creatures found in meadow habitats, and likewise for the others, What's in the Pond?, What's Under the Log?, and What's in the Tidepool?. Anne Hunter's own illustrations are realistic, which helps one become familiar with the creature. As stated before, the descriptions are simple, but informative, and even an adult can learn something while reading with his or her child.

Why we like this book (and the others): Reading nonfiction books with your child is just as important as reading a fictional story. Nonfiction reading is also a way to increase a child's interest in reading. The topics are limitless; space, cooking, famous Americans, cars, insects--literally too many to mention. By showing a child a book on a topic of interest, the child is more likely to want to read and learn about it, or at least have you read it to them. And, if nature is something that interests him, What's in the Meadow? (as well as the others in the series), is a good choice for him.

Putting a spin on a classic

Dateline: Fairytale Land. One "Big Bad Wolf" has been taken into custody on felony pig-eating charges. Wolf claims innocence, citing the whole story is one big misunderstanding, and will make his statement in the form of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by A. Wolf. Jon Scieszka's clever interpretation of the story puts a spin on the classic fairytale, giving us readers the possible "other side of the story." The wolf wants our sympathy and tells the tale of his day in pursuit of a simple cup of sugar. Lane Smith's artwork helps us paint a fuzzy picture of what happened that day, as if the memories are clouded by the wolf's judgment.

Why we like this book: The simple idea of perspective: do you know what was on the mind of the wolf that day? Mr. Scieszka has one, and it's funny. Taking a well known story and turning the idea around is a good way to take a new look at things. Try reading the traditional story, then reading this one. You actually may have a little bit of sympathy for an otherwise Big Bad Wolf.

Happy Harvest Time!

The winds are blowing and the days are getting shorter. The noontime sun is warm, but a warm blanket sure feels good in the evening. Little House in the Big Woods begins with the Ingalls family getting ready for winter. The smell of hickory wafts through your imagination as you read about the makeshift smokehouse Pa builds. The colors of autumn are brilliant in your mind while you read about the colorful harvest the Ingalls bring in. The log cabin is cozy and comfortable.

But this isn't the whole book--this is the first chapter. The Big Woods is serially the first of the autobiographical novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She is undoubtedly one of my favorite authors, introduced to me by my sister, and her stories, while taking place over one hundred years ago, are just as vivid today. Garth William's drawings are now synonymous with the Little House series.



Why we like this book: I love fall, and this book, along with all the other Little House books, not only "bring the past to life," these books are written in an understandable way that one can visualize many of the details of life as a pioneers. It also makes me feel really, incredibly lazy. In a good way. :) This will definitely not be the only post about Little House books.

Welcome, Fall!

Autumn is a wonderful season, and reading books like Autumn Is For Apples to kids is something one can really enjoy about this season. Michelle Knudsen, the author, sums up a trip to the apple orchard with poetry and vivid illustrations (illustrations by Denise and Fernando).
"Apples are my favorite snack,
so juicy red and round--
I love how every tasty bite
comes with a crunchy sound!"

Why we like this book: Knudsen's verses make our mouths water just thinking about biting into an apple. If the thought of fall gives you the warm fuzzies--the warm days, cool nights, playing in the orchard, baking an apple pie--this is a book your family will love to read in the fall, year after year.

For the New Reader

Encouraging kids in reading is very important to me. A whole new world is opened up when a child learns to read. Today's post is for the early reader, and there will be more in the future. Old, New, Red, Blue by Melissa Lagonegro is part of the Step Into Reading books published by Random House. There are many "early reader" books and book groups out there, but this one is truly an "early reader" type of book. Not only are there favorite characters animating the text, but the author has used both rhyme and vocabulary concepts to enable the young reader to bridge the gap between simple decoding and understanding the print. The use of opposites and pairing the pictures with the print also assist with children making predictions about the words they read, and make the child more successful with reading the story as a whole.

This Train, by Paul Collicut, is a good example of how to increase reading fluency. The author uses repetitive texts ("This train is...."), to solidify word recognition. The author then inserts a new word or short phrase centered around concepts of a train and opposites, again, to expand on the common phrase. The art work further enhances these concepts.

Why we like these books: I like early reader books that really are "early readers." Having 3 boys in my house who like transportation also helped these books be favorites for us. Children learn to read in different ways--some learn through using phonics and some kids need more word-and-concept pairing. Both books use their illustrations to support the text and promote successful reading.

It's Fun to Run!

If you've ever considered yourself to have a bit of the "acting bug," this book will waken that feeling in you. It's nearly impossible to read this book and not use expressive speaking techniques that really make you sound like the storyteller. The Runaway Dinner, by Allan Ahlberg, is a wonderfully written story of the personification of a young boy's dinner. Melvin, the sausage, starts this marathon run by jumping off Banjo's plate, with side dishes, cutlery and condiments following. Let's not forget Banjo, himself and his parents close behind. Bruce Ingram's colorful illustrations are the perfect complement to the story, and the facial expressions on the characters capture their "alive" state.

Why we like this book: Well, like stated above, this is a story you will get involved in reading, and can even become quite breathless keeping up with the plot line! I brought this book to the "Mystery Reader"Day at my 3rd grader's class, and they were captivated. The kids love this story and laugh themselves silly at the names of all the characters. Try reading it with your best funny accent--it'll tickle the funny bone!

Mystery and Adventure---at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Okay, not the best picture, and I may change that. E. L. Konigsburg's book, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, needs no changing. It's a modern classic, in my opinion. Claudia, the oldest child in her family decides that her parents need to be taught a lesson in appreciation. After all, she has many responsibilities around her house, and responsibility is one of the reasons why Claudia chooses her brother Jamie as her companion in her getaway plan. Follow Claudia and Jamie as they run away to New York City and discover a hidden mystery in the form of a statue at their new temporary home, the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why we love this book: Have you ever visited somewhere and thought to yourself, "well, if I was locked in, I could kind of enjoy myself here." That is one of the best things about this book. I love reading about how the kids live in the museum; how they eat and how they sleep. I found myself picturing myself as Claudia, complete with knee socks and a headband for my hair, pouring over details about the statue she loves so much. Jamie is a great companion: he entertains Claudia, but also gives her a sense of realism that keeps Claudia grounded when she's on a roll. This will someday be remade into a modern movie, and I just hope it's done well.

A New Adventure

Welcome to Read With Me! Here is a place where children's books rule, but you don't have to be a kid to enjoy them. If you, like me, love to browse the juvenile section of the library, get excited to find that wonderful story from your childhood at the local book fair, or if you're just trying to get some ideas for great things to read, feel free to drop in and read a few entries and check out the books!
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