Bird and Little Bird

Library Monday: Olivia.

Olivia, by Ian Falconer, is perhaps one of our oldest, most reliable favorites among picture books.  We have had this one long enough that our version of it is a board book (meaning that it must have originally come on the scene during the very early days of "literacy" when kids are more interested in eating their books than reading them).  Mariam loved this book at two and she loves it just as much now that she is five and learning to read on her own.  There are a number of Olivia sequels, and we have enjoyed all of those as well, but the original Olivia title is certainly the one that gets the most attention around here.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Olivia series, this first book is our introduction to Olivia the pig, a plucky little heroine of great spirit and no small amount of determination.  We also meet Olivia's family, including her oft harassed cat Edwin and little brother Ian.  I love the writing style in this book, particularly the way that the written story interacts with the story being told by the pictures.  However, my favorite part of this book is the way that Falconer pays homage to famous artists by including their work as a part of the story that he is telling.  It's great fun to come across familiar paintings and buildings (Jackson Pollack, The Empire State Building) in a book like this and it is also a perfect way to introduce some of these things and make connections for early experiences in museums or checking out architecture.  If you're into that sort of thing.  Which we kind of are.

Apparently there are many, many extensions of the Olivia phenomenon outside of just the literary.  I hear that there is an Olivia t.v. show, an Olivia board game and I myself have seen stacks of Olivia stationery at the local paper shop.  These things are all well and good, I suppose.  But I'd recommend visiting the original source if you want to experience the fun and humor of Olivia; just pick up the book and read.

Library Monday: One Small Place in a Tree.

In keeping with the fall friendly theme of trees, this week's Library Monday title is One Small Place in a Tree by Barbara Brenner (illustrated by Tom Leonard). Not so much a classic storybook as it is a scientific journey, One Small Place in a Tree uses colorful illustrations and flowing narrative to demonstrate the life cycle of a single tree in a forest ecosystem.  Beginning with an oak tree in a forest full of similar oak trees, the story delves into the way that a hole is formed in the tree and then becomes an important resource for a community of small animals in a patch of the forest, even after the tree is no longer alive. 

This book is a delight for any number of reasons, but I especially love the way that it makes the process of understanding a natural life cycle accessible to even young children.  The clear text and detailed illustrations do an excellent job of demonstrating an important scientfic idea while also telling an interesting story that keeps young readers engaged.  Mariam enjoys having this book read to her, but she also enjoys spending time looking through the pictures on her own and noticing the changes in the tree from page to page.  

One Small Place in a Tree would be a great read at any time of the year, but it is especially good for the current shift of the seasons happening in our part of the world.  We are watching fall quickly turn to (very cold!) winter and books like this one are a perfect way to better understand the connections between these changes in our own backyard and the bigger cycles of life. 

Library Monday: A Tree is Nice.

We just recently came upon this book; A Tree is Nice, by Janice May Udry with illustrations by Marc Simont.  Such a find!  This book is beautifully done in every way.  The pictures are simple but expressive and the prose reads almost like an extended haiku (well, except for the counting syllables business, that is).  The tone of the book overall is a bit understated (many of us might say that a tree is more than just "nice") but this is a part of its charm.  This book is a delightfully pleasant read and a lovely reminder of all the little ways that we as people interact with the trees around us.  This book has been an especially timely read for our family since this is Mariam's first fall living in a place with deciduous trees.  A leaf pile? This is an idea that my girl certainly recognizes as genius, but it is also something new. 

This book is not so much about story or plot, but it has a brightness to it that makes it a joy to read just the same and which gives it a meaning beyond the short descriptive passages on each page.  It could also be a wonderful book for connecting readers of different ages.  A very young child might just enjoy listening and looking at the pictures, an older child can enjoy these things as well, but can also work on making connections between the book and their own experiences of trees and how people live with trees.  I love the idea of reading this book with elementary aged children (maybe from kinder up through third grade or so) and then having them write one of their own books about why trees are nice, using a simple bookmaking activity (like this one).  

Every so often a book comes along that is so very sweet and hopeful and shares something of the world in such a generous and thoughtful way, that I just feel amazingly fortunate to have a little person to read it to.  If she enjoys it as much as I do- added bonus.  This is one of those books.  A tree is nice, yes.  But so is this book. 

Some of What We're Reading...

 

There have been a few new additions to our bookshelves over the last month or two, and I thought that at least a few of them are worth sharing.  First up, Sew Green by Betz White.  I was a bit late to the party on this one; I saw any number of awesome projects from this book documented in the blogiverse before I committed to buying it myself.  It's kind of spectacular, actually, and although I haven't yet made any of the beautiful projects, I spend a lot of time flipping through the pages of this book and thinking about how I'll distract the hoards of college students in the local thrift shop so that I can score the good sweaters for felting.  I really want to make the draft busting tree stump thing.  It's genius. 

Apples for Jam is another book that I had my eye on for a good long while before I bought it.  Actually, it was on my Amazon wishlist (which I basically just use to help me remember what I'm interested in since I have no attention span) for a couple of years, and at some point Amazon seemed to think that someone had bought it for me so it disappeared onto the purchased list.  But, no one did.  Or, if they did, I never got it.  So, I guess if you are one of my family members and you did buy me this book and I never gave you a proper thank you, you now know why.  Anyway, we've been cooking out of this book fairly regularly for the last month or so and I absolutely love it.  There are a stunning number of recipes in this book and so far, everything that we've made has been delicious as well as unique and creative.

This book is still in the "eye candy" phase.  It just arrived a few days ago, and I haven't had as much time to look through it as I'd like (we've had a pretty busy few days and I've been absolutely falling into bed at night) but it is a lovely book full of gorgeous projects that I can't wait to get to. 

This is one that I ordered for Mariam when she was home sick from school all last week.  It's apparently part of a series introducing kids to natural habitats and the creatures that live there.  It's a cute little book, perfect for small hands to hold, and has beautiful, colorful illustrations paired with thorough descriptions of animals and insects.  My kid does love thorough descriptions of animals and insects.

Blue Yonder Bookmarks.

In the event that you haven't yet seen, downloaded and printed these, Stephanie from Blue Yonder (home of the parenting miracle that is the Book of Days) has these fun bookmarks available for free on the Crafty Crow.  I'm planning to print a bunch on cardstock, laminate them and add them to my "prize box" at school.  That is what we call the box of random trinkets which I use to bribe small children into doing things like following directions and not eating their pencils.  Very handy.  

Library Monday: Whitefoot

Today's Library Monday title is a unique and beautiful book; Whitefoot: A Story from the Center of the World by Wendell Berry with illustrations by Davis Te Selle.  Given to us a year ago or so by some very dear friends, Whitefoot was immediately loved by both Mariam and I (although for different reasons, I suspect), yet I have somehow overlooked it when writing these posts.  This is probably because I have always kept it on the living room bookshelf, nestled among my own favorite books, rather than on the shelves in Mariam's own room where I often dig around for Library Monday material.  As some longtime readers of this blog might have noticed, I am a lover of all things Wendell Berry and would easily cite him as my favorite poet, as well as this poem of his as one of my absolute favorite pieces of writing ever.  He is an amazing poet, writer and from what I can tell from the one time I saw him speak in person, an exceptional human being.  So, it follows that his foray into writing for a younger audience would be just as beautiful and brilliant as everything else that he does...

Whitefoot is the story of a small mouse, set adrift on a log during a flood which follows a rainstorm in the little corner of the world that she calls home.  Before the flood, Whitefoot had been nicely settled into the short life provided to her by nature.  Her nest had been made, her routine of daily survival established, her world explored thoroughly enough to feel comfortable.  The coming of the flood sets Whitefoot off on an adventure that she didn't really want, but that she will approach with the same unflappable acceptance that any wild animal would demonstrate in similar circumstances. This story is unique among children's books in that it approaches storytelling from the perspective of an animal, like so many stories do, but without assigning the animal human characteristics or personality.  Whitefoot is a mouse, and she behaves like one.  This fact makes this tale read almost more like narrative science than anything else, and this precision is something which I can see my daughter's inquisitive mind appreciates.

Like all of Berry's work, this tale reads like poetry, but Whitefoot also has just enough story to keep little listeners interested.  Yes, the prose is lyrical and beautifully descriptive and includes probably more than one or two words that small ears might not yet know. But it also has a flowing quality to it and that paired with the simple and expressive illustrations seems to be enough to help young readers appreciate just what is happening.   Nature is the main character in this tale and I believe that there is something about this that makes the story come alive for kids, even if they can't define each individual adjective.  There is also an honesty to this book that is seldom reflected in other stories for children; the life an animal is perhaps short and not entirely easy or comfortable.  But it is the life that they have, and each animal follows it's own set of instincts and lives that life accordingly.

I don't know how widely available this book is, and I suppose that some smaller city libraries may not have copies.  That being said, it is certainly worth a search effort as it is a lovely book that can be enjoyed by children of many ages as well as by the adults who read to them.  I also just discovered (added bonus) that the illustrator lives here in Burlington.  Some people get excited about the possibility of running into famous actors or musicians.  I, apparently, am much more interested in the idea that the person who illustrated the book written by my favorite poet lives in my city.  To each her own, right?

Library Monday: Seven Blind Mice

Today's pick for Library Monday is Seven Blind Mice, by Ed Young.  Based on the centuries old fable of the blind men and the elephant, Seven Blind Mice is a cautionary tale of sorts, teaching the importance of perspective in our ability to solve a problem.

The story details the discovery of a strange and unknown "something" at the local pond and the attempts of a group of brightly colored blind mice to discover it's identity.  As each tiny mouse explores the huge object, he is only able to experience a part of it and this fact directly influences what each mouse decides the mystery thing must be.  It isn't until one mouse explores the entire thing from top to bottom and side to side that it becomes clear that the unknown is actually something quite familiar; an elephant. 

Older children may be able to appreciate the message behind this tale; that seeing the whole of something is vital to being able to understand it.  This message is in fact laid out for them as a parting word at the end of the story.  Smaller children can enjoy this book as well, though.  Through the telling of the exploratory adventure of each individual mouse, Young introduces such basic concepts as color, days of the week and ordinal numbers.  This story turns out to be a great fit for a child Mariam's age (now five and a half) because she is old enough to think a bit about what the story really means, but still finds great fun in the part of the tale that simply focuses on color and number. 

I should mention that this book came into the house very recently after one of Dan's medical school professors recommended it.  He mentioned it as a favorite for his own children, but I suspect that he may also have been hinting at the usefulness of its moral for people of any age, especially those going forward into the land of solving medical mysteries and the like.  Dan ordered the book for Mariam but when it came, said to me "I thought maybe you would want to review it for the blog."  This may officially mark the first time he has ever shown any interest whatsoever in what I do or don't write on my blog, so of course, I had to oblige...

Bookmaking with Children: The Easy Eight-Fold

It was always very much my intention to have my first post on bookmaking with small people be the first of at least a few, but things have been very busy around our house and it wasn't until this afternoon that I finally had time to give a bit more thought to the execution of this intention. 

The last post definitely received as much positive feedback as a girl might hope for, but I got enough emails from folks mentioning that they would like a really, very simple bookmaking project to use with very small children that I thought that I might head that direction next.  Not that this project is at all specific to only the tiny ones; I've used it with preschoolers with great success, yes, but have also seen teachers use it for perhaps more sophisticated purposes (such as making little books for multiplication facts related to a certain number).  It is versatile; it is simple; it is great for when you are stuck waiting for a table in a restaurant with only an old piece of notebook paper and a dull pencil. 

It is the easy eight-fold book!

What you will need:

One piece of 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper

Your manual dexterity

Step One:

 

Get the aforementioned paper and lay it out on a flat (or flat-ish) surface.

Step Two:

 

Fold the paper in half in the landscape (also known as lengthwise) direction. Make sure that your corners match up nicely and that you make a nice sharp crease where the paper folds. 

Step Three:

 

Fold the paper in half again, this time in the portrait direction. 

Step Four:

 

Take the paper (which is now folded into fourths) and fold the top flap back towards the fold that you made when you folded the paper in half portrait-wise.  This is one of those things that will make a lot more sense when you are looking at the picture, so look up, right now.  See?

Step Five:

 

Turn the folded paper over so that the flap that was previously on the bottom (the largest unfolded area of the paper that you've got left) is now facing up towards you.  Keep the open end (not the end that was your original portrait direction fold, the other one) closest to you.

Step Six:

  

Fold the paper back, bringing the open edge up to the crease behind it (your original portrait direction fold).

Step Seven:

Well, not so much a step, just a check in to make sure that your book looks like the one above when you stand it on end.  Yes?  Good. 

Now get busy writing!  These books have turned out to the be a perfect solution for my girl, who is a beginning writer but an expert and accomplished storyteller.  She draws, I write (what she tells me to and nothing more or less) and brilliant literature is created.  I mean, how else could we possibly classify tales of suitcase-toting guinea pigs running away to join the circus? 

I usually try to keep a stack of these little books already folded and stowed away in Mariam's little art caddy.  This way, if she gets the urge to write the great American novel she has all the necessary supplies handy and can just carry them to the table and get busy.  

3191: Evenings

My copy of 3191: Evenings arrived yesterday.  This was a welcome surprise since I had completely forgotten that it was coming out this month and wasn't expecting it at all.  

 

The autographed title page. 

 

Like the previous 3191 book, A Year of Mornings, this book is beautifully done. I love the concept of the 3191 projects and am always amazed at how visually stunning the individual photographs are, as well as how lovely they in their daily pairs.  These are browsing books of the most enjoyable variety.

You can check out the current 3191 project, 3191 Miles Apart, here.

Library Monday: A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever.

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee is a fairly new addition to our home library.  In fact, after bringing it home from the local public library on pretty much every trip since mid-July, I finally just decided to buy our own copy of the book while I was at the bookstore yesterday afternoon. Mariam was very pleased with me when I brought I returned with it.  I do try.

Best Week Ever (we've got to abbreviate this one folks) is the story of two boys, James and Eamon, and their week-long stay with Eamon's grandparents during summer vacation.  Bill and Pam, Eamon's grandparents, are hosting the boys at their beach house while they attend the local nature camp during the days.  Bill and Pam have all sorts of ideas about what they'd like to get the boys out doing and experiencing and, as is the way with children, the boys have ideas of their own.  There isn't a whole lot of overlap.  Adults will appreciate the truth of this slight tension in the story, as well as the fact that in the end, the boys do realize that perhaps the grandparents were on to something with their ideas about how to have a good time.  We must have hope, no?

The artistic style of the book is slightly reminiscent of an old-fashioned comic book and this gives the book a nice visual appeal.  The writing itself has a hilariously understated tone which creates a subtext to the story that kids and grown-ups alike should find humor in.  The entirety of this little tale is great fun to read, but I have particular appreciation for the sweet, surprising ending.  So does Mariam, who often sits with the book open to the final pages, studying the illustrations.

This story feels very true to life, but also original and cleverly executed.  It is an enjoyable read and is well written enough to appeal to children at a variety of ages, probably from four through at least eight or nine.    It is a fairly new book, published just last year, so it may still be sparsely stocked in local libraries.  Worth looking for though.