We've gotten in the habit of going to the library every few weeks and taking out a dozen or so kids' books. It keeps things interesting at storytime, and gives the girls new material to check out as they more frequently look at books independently. (I love this!) It's also a great way to try out a variety of books and authors, see what you like and don't like, and what appeals to the girls. Of course, what appeals can be different for each of them, which gets a little tricky. Elsa, for example, seems to really like books with monsters, dinosaurs and other slightly scary or spooky things. Clio, these days, is terrified of them. Even 'Hop on Pop' freaks her out for some reason. (And yet, we just got this book about a monster who eats the darkness -- aptly named The Monster Who Ate Darkness -- which she likes. The girl's an enigma.)
Anyway, the downside is that we don't get to keep the books that we love. I'm trying to make note, however, of ones I might like to buy at some point. Or at least borrow repeatedly. Here are a few we've discovered recently that I think are pretty cool. Admittedly, these are ones that both the girls and I like. There are plenty that they love that I find as annoying, dull and/or poorly written as all get-out. But here are a few mutually appreciated library finds that I'd highly recommend. Common themes include: good writing, good illustration, a good storyline, humor, and absence of zoo-geological inaccuracies (i.e. tigers in Africa, alligators in India, etc. -- drives me bonkers!)
Polka Bats and Octopus Slacks by Calef Brown. This is a collection of quick, silly poems -- wry and rhythmic and jazzy. I giggled every time I read "Funky Snowman" which ends with the line "Kick it, Funky Snowman!" I'm not sure these poems are quite in the realm of classic Shel Silverstein, but they come close. Plus, there are colorful, whimsical illustrations, making the book more appealing to younger kids. Some people may take issue with some of the "gross-out" type language included. For example, one of the poems includes the word "turd" which actually bugs me a little. I am not a prude by any means where language is concerned; the word turd just really grosses me out. I don't want my girls going around calling things turds. But a single turd cannot sink a whole book. It's great, and the girls love it (they like to flap their wings and call themselves polka bats). I definitely plan to check out this guy's other books.
Mars Needs Moms by Berkely Breathed -- the Bloom County guy. This is an oddly moving story about a kid who's mad at his mom for all kinds of typical little kid reasons (she makes him take out the trash, eat his vegetables, etc.). He doesn't see what's so great about moms, until his is abducted by Martians, who take her to Mars (the kid stows away on the spaceship to see where they're headed). On Mars, there are no moms, and the Martians have no one to kiss their boo-boos or make their lunch or drive them to soccer games and all the other things that moms do. Arguably, Dads could do all these things too, but it's a minor quibble. And what do Martians know, right? And really, the larger point of the story is what the mother does -- what any mother would do -- when the boy steps out of the spaceship without a space helmet on, and begins to pass out as he breathes the toxic Martian air. The illustrations are big and bold and 3-d cartoonish, givin the book the feel of a Pixar movie. One really nice touch is how we don't see the mother's face until the very end, and when we do, she looks simultaneously like an actual, worn-out mom and a gorgeous angel. (Which is how we all like to think of ourselves, isn't it?)
Big Bug Surprise by Julia Gran. This story is about a girl named Prunella who loves and knows everything there is to know about bugs. (She even looks a little bug-like herself, with her ladybug skirt, dragonfly wing sleeves, and antennae-y hair ribbons) She's eager to share her extensive bug knowledge, but people are constantly shutting her down ("Not now, Prunella!") So it's very satisfying when she finally gets a chance to use her extensive bug knowledge to save the day, and win the admiration of her teacher and her peers. I like the message that it's OK for a girl to be brainy, to be a little bit of a know-it-all, and -- of course -- to like bugs. The illustrations are quirky, curly pen and ink with watercolor that fit the tone and subject of the book perfectly.
Hey, I like writing book reviews! I could go on, but I'll save some more for another time. And do I want your fave book recommendations? Of COURSE I do!
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