Bird and Little Bird

Library Monday: The Adventures of Tintin.

For awhile there, it did seem as though Tintin was everywhere that you looked.  I suppose this was probably related to the fact that there was recently a big, fancy motion picture made about everyone's favorite intrepid reporter turned boy hero.  By Steven Spielberg. But here is the thing about Tintin: blockbuster movie or no, the original Tintin stories have been around for nearly seventy years, and this longevity is both well deserved and seemingly immune to current fads both at the bookstore and in the movie theatre. 

I'm always a bit suprised when I run across folks who haven't read Tintin, either on their own or with their children.  But I suppose that it isn't at all unusual for books written seven decades ago to go overlooked by those who generally enjoy more contemporary reads.  Still, I for one think that Tintin is as well read now as ever, especially since the original stories are being republished in smaller format (read: easier to carry with you), multi-book anthology volumes.  

For those that are unfamiliar, the Tintin books are a series of well-drawn comic books about a young Belgian reporter named Tintin and his canine companion, Snowy.  Written by Herge, beginning in the 1940's, the Tintin books have been praised for their brightly colored drawings that contain both intracate detail and clean lines, as well as for being able to tell stories that cross genre lines in order to allow our hero to save the day in the most dramatic way possible.  The Tintin books encompass everything from history and humor to politics and space travel.  

Now, I will be the first to admit that the reading of Tintin is not uncomplicated by the age of the stories.  A friend of ours often jokes that he learned everything he knows about the world's vices by reading Tintin as a kid.  There are references to alcohol, there are guns and thugs, and, it is pretty hard to ignore the clear racism that permeates the attitudes of the era represented.  That being said, while each of these things might otherwise cause me to veto a book that Mariam wants to read, here they are presented in ways that make it easy to have a conversation about topics that might otherwise get heavy handed treatment. And, it all seems so dated and ridiculous anyway that it is also easy to ignore it if you so choose. 

I'm very confident that there is Tintin to be had at a library near you, so if you haven't bonded with our boy detective since your own childhood, or haven't yet introduced him to your young readers, I suggest you get on that right away.  An added bonus: it takes a really long time for a kiddo to read one of the books to themselves, because each individual page is so packed with detailed pictures and tiny text.  If you've got both an eager reader and a few chores that you need to get done on your own, you're in business.  

 

 

A Reading Round-up.

I decided that since our normal Library Monday chat got subsumed by fuss this week, maybe we could talk books a bit today instead.  Because we really are reading some good, good stuff right now.  I know that I've mentioned at least a billion times previously how very much I love From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.  And this is still true.  So it is perhaps a bit of a surprise that I am just now getting around to reading it to Mariam.  To be honest, this is mostly because I knew that she would love it like crazy too, but she recently went through a phase for about a year where she would pack a tiny suitcase and threaten to run away whenever she was mad at us.  Just like Ramona is a recipe for learning how to throw a good tantrum, this book is a pretty stellar thought provoker when it comes to making an excellent plan for running away from home. So, I made her promise she would never run away, and we dove right in.  And as always, I'm in awe of how good this book is.  

On deck: The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary and Mr. and Mrs. Bunny- Dectective Extraordinaires by Polly Horvath.

For his part, Zak is all about the Sally books by Stephen Huneck.  By which I mean that he really, really loves them and that this enthusiasm often results in a lot of arm flapping and yelling while they are read to him.  Very loud yelling.  But, I think that the yelling can be classified as the joyful variety, so Sally the dog it is. 

I am not managing as much reading for myself as I would like these days; the sleep deprivation doesn't quite lend itself to deep thinking about great literature.  I did, however, just recently finish reading The Lost City of Z by David Grann.  It was pretty much awesome.  It's basically a historical account mixed with a modern day mystery and a bit of archaeology for good measure.  Couldn't put it down.

Oh, and can we still be friends if I launch one more tiny complaint about the fact that it was such an unreasonable week at our house?  Because yesterday afternoon the kitchen sink became completely clogged and is no longer usable. Waiting on a plumber so that I can, you know, cook and stuff.  Also, last night I got so tired that I just spontaneously threw up. Which is gross, and I'm kind of sorry for telling you, but I will also say that this turn of events lent itself so incredibly well to a series of jokes about how the North Korean government claimed that Kim Jong Il had died because he just got really tired.  And that was pretty funny. As well as a little inappropriate.  Alright, then. Off to the pediatrician with baby Z. for a food allergy strategy session.

I've closed comments and chosen a winner for the Armadillo Dreams giveaway, but don't forget that the discount code "BIRDANDLITTLEBIRD" is good for 10% off your purchase in their Etsy shop for the entire month of May!

Also, the Alphabet Glue giveaway on the Rhythm of the Home blog has ended as well, but you can still use the discount code "ROTH" for 15% off issues of Alphabet Glue, through May 15th.  And you should totally do that, because Dawn says that Volume Six is the best so far, and she has good taste. 

Library Monday: Bridges Are to Cross.

I've been spending just a bit of time thinking about bridges this week.  Well, to be more accurate, bridges and tunnels.  Because here in the San Francisco area, that is how one gets around.  You cross bridges and go through tunnels.  Generally, you do these things at the exact same time as many, many other people and therefore, you do them slowly.  Which lends itself to a bit of thinking about how the bridges are built, how the tunnels are tunneled.  This is especially true at the moment, because the new Bay Bridge is actively under construction and you can't help but notice the skeleton of this new bridge as you drive across the old one. 

 

Mariam seems to have noticed the built environment here in California a bit more on this trip than on previous ones, and the resulting car conversations reminded me of one of our favorite reads on the topic of bridges and the reasons that people build, cross and admire them.  Bridges are to Cross by Philemon Sturges (illustrated by Giles Laroche) is a truly enjoyable read, with plenty of detail for mini-engineers who are curious about bridges and the way that they are constructed.  As an added bonus, the text is accompanied by brightly colored cut paper illustrations that are themselves enough of a reason to pick this one up. 

 

Bridges Are to Cross got the Inspired by Literature treatment in Volume Three of Alphabet Glue, so many of you may have had a chance to give this one a well-deserved read.  If not, click the link below for a PDF file containing the last couple of pages of Volume Three.  You'll find a bit more information about the book, as well as a fun kitchen-table engineering project to go along with it. 

Making Toothpick Bridges

Library Monday: This is San Francisco.

As many of you already know, we aren't really Vermonters, we are just pretending for a bit while the husband goes to medical school in the Green Mountain State.  I do love many, many things about Vermont, but as a longtime California girl, there are times when I feel more than a bit nostalgic for my old Bay Area haunts. 

Lucky for me, I'm actually writing this post while sitting next to the bedroom window in my mother-in-law's house in San Francisco.  I'm getting my California fix for the next few days, and from what I hear of the weather back east today, I'm doing it at just the right time.  So, what better book to share with you today than This is San Francisco by M. Sasek?  Part of a series of books written about cities around the world and originally published in the 1960's, This is San Francisco is a fun look at the places and historical tidbits that make San Francisco unique, and although we've had the book for years, it was particularly great to revisit it as a read-aloud as we were preparing for our visit out west. 

This is San Francisco is essentially an illustrated guide to San Francisco for the small set.  With quirky and colorful illustrations, Sasek takes the reader on a tour of the city and its most famous landmarks, stopping in everwhere from the Ferry Building to the Golden Gate.  The descriptions of places around the city are full of just the sort of detail that kids tend to really enjoy, and although I haven't read all of the books in the series and therefore can't say so with confidence, I'd guess that this same level of detail is offered in the other titles as well.  Sure, plenty has changed in and around the city since the book was first written and published, but much is the same as well, and the new editions of each of the "This is" books contain an addendum at the back that shares information about the changes that have taken place.  Mariam found the updated facts to be especially interesting because they allowed her to contrast the city that she knows with the city that her grandmother and father grew up in.  Reading through this book again turned into an impromptu history lesson about some of the historical landmarks in San Francisco, which is the best kind of history lesson if you ask me. 

I'm not sure about the availability of these books at the average town library, but I have seen them at bookstores with some regularity.  The series includes books on Paris, New York, Texas, London, Washington D.C. and more.  I happen to think that it is quite worth doing a bit of searching to see if you can find a title about a city or country that you have visited, lived in or just find interesting.  These unique children's classics have a lot to offer when it comes to considering all the reasons there are to fall in love with a city and everything that makes it special. 

Library Monday: Extra Yarn.

This is the thing about good children's literature: it is capable of enchanting you and taking up joyful residence in your imagination in a way that books written for adults just can't quite match.  Not that there aren't hundreds upon thousands of amazing books written for the fully grown, there most certainly are.  But, they are written with an audience at heart that is presumably mature, and that changes things.  Sometimes it is so very nice to just be taken in by a book that assumes an open heart and a capacity for humor and whimsy. 

In the event that you were looking for such a book, you need look no further than Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett with illustrations by Jon Klassen.  I was first introduced to this book by friend Sarah on a snowy afternoon a couple of months back.  I think I ordered our copy that evening.  Because Extra Yarn is exactly the sort of picture book that is worth reading again and again and you should absolutely have a copy on your shelf.  It is clever, it is positive, it is funny.  It is smart and has both a great message and awesome pictures.  It is my new favorite, to be sure. 

Extra Yarn is the story of a little girl who has what at first appears to be an ordinary box of yarn.  But as soon as she knits herself a sweater with the yarn, she realizes that her yarn is not so ordinary.  Not at all.  Indeed, it is seemingly endless in quantity, and this discovery leads to what essentially becomes a one girl yarn bombing mission that turns her drab little town into a kaleidescope of color (and functional warmth as well, I might add).  There's a dramatic twist, but of course, but all is well that ends well, and I think that the ending to this book will satisfy young audiences well. I especially love that buried not too deep in the story is the underlying message that beauty follows joy and good intentions and that it won't produce much for you if you are grumpy or unkind. 

I could probably keep going with this one, I've just become such an apologetic fan of this great little book.  But I'll stop here and encourage you to read it for yourselves.  This is a somewhat newer book, still in hardcover, so you may have to ask your library to order it if they don't have it on the shelves already.  Not to worry.  You'd be doing your neighbors a favor.

 

Alphabet Glue: Volume Six Has Arrived!

Good Monday morning, friends!  I'm so very pleased to report that indeed, Volume Six of Alphabet Glue is now available!

Volume Six is all about greening your patch of earth, wherever it might be, in whimsical and perhaps unexpected ways.  It is about finding new inspiration for writing, making, drawing and doing, and about literal flights of fancy.  Poetry, planting, parachutes and more booklists than ever before- this issue promises plenty of spring crafting and reading fun.  Visit the Volume Six page to get all the details and to download a copy for yourself.

Oh! And I've also decided to launch an Alphabet Glue affiliate program.  If you are a fellow blogger and would like to decorate your sidebar with an Alphabet Glue button, I'd be delighted.  And, in exchange for your help in spreading the word about this little project of mine, you'll earn a commission each time someone purchases an issue of the magazine by clicking over from your site. Think of it as me buying you a virtual cup of coffee to say thanks for all of your support and enthusiasm for Alphabet Glue.  If you'd like to become an affiliate or get more information about the whole idea, you can find all the details on the Affiliate Program page here.

Library Monday: Miss Rumphius.

This morning, when I saw that Kara, from Simple Kids, had written a post wondering if anyone had a good "guerilla style" gardening activity to accompany Miss Rumphius, the lovely storybook by Barbara Cooney, my first thought was something like "Oh! I love that book!"  And then, shortly after that, "Wait! I totally have a fun guerilla style garden activity to go with Miss Rumphius."  Those of you who have a copy of Volume One of Alphabet Glue floating around your hard drive may remember the wildflower seed pods from that first issue .  You see, Miss Rumphius was the first book to be featured in the Inspired by Literature section of Alphabet Glue, and for good reason.  It a heartwarming and gently inspiring tale that reminds each of us that we are not only able, but in many ways responsible, for leaving the world a better place than we found it.  It is one of those rare picture books that has something to offer readers of any and every age, and it is a permanent favorite of many families that I know, including our own. 

So, I thought that I would share the Inspired by Literature feature from Volume One of Alphabet Glue with you here today.  Click on the link below to download a PDF copy of that section of the magazine; it includes a short review of Miss Rumphius, as well a tutorial for making wildflower seed pods to get your spring season started off in the spirit of making the world around you a little more colorful and bright.

download seed pod tutorial

In the Glue Department: A Sneak Peek at Volume Six.

  You may think you know what's inside this book, but  I'm guessing that you would probably be surprised.

 

Well, things are moving along here in The Glue Department.  Volume Six is about a week away from arriving on your digital doorsteps, and project tutorials are being photographed, booklists compiled and quirky little illustrations created.  And, I believe that I promised you all a preview, now didn't I?  Fair enough.

 

Poet-trees: simple children's poetry, brought to life in three-dimensions

Volume Six is all about gardens and poetry.  It's about taking to flight and about finding inspiration for creative living here on the ground.  You will find tutorials for handcrafted books of the most whimsical and unusual variety, instructions for origami with a perhaps unexpected purpose and of course, book reccomendations to keep you and yours headed to the library time and time again.  There are a couple of projects in this issue that I have been literally waiting to share with you since the day after I published Volume One, over a year ago now.  The season for these favorite little how-tos has finally arrived at long last, and I couldn't be happier about finally sending them in your direction.

So, I hope that you'll check back next week to share in the celebration of real and proper spring with the April/May issue of Alphabet Glue.  In the meantime, there are still a few hours left to take advantage of the anniversary sale and get copies of any back issues that you might be missing at a discount.  Enter "oneyear" at checkout between now and midnight tonight for 25% off. 

 

An Alphabet Glue Anniversary.

A year ago this week, I launched Alphabet Glue.  I'm not wholly sure what I was expecting from my little project, or even what I was hoping for, but I believe that I said something to Dan about being perfectly satisfied if I could get maybe 100 copies of the magazine into the virtual laps of my readers.  Since then, the support and enthusiasm that I've received has been both gratifying and humbling, and I think it is safe to say that more than 100 copies of Alphabet Glue have found their way into the world.  Quite a few more.

So thank you.  Thank you to all of you who have supported this endeavor with your kind words of encouragement, your supportive emails, the blog posts that you've written, the photos that you've shared.  You have reminded me that the world is increasingly filled with parents, teachers, people who are cultivating a shared vision of childhood creativity and imagination that takes us outside the bounds of busy daily life into a place where the stories that we make, write, draw and tell are just as real and as important as anything else.  Through this project I have made connections with folks across the globe, kindred spirits who feel just as strongly as I do about the ways in which story, craft, and imagination in action can help children to deepen their connections to the world around them and the people who live in it.  Alphabet Glue began as a whimsical idea to create a quirky little publication to share with people already visiting my blog; in the last year it has become so much more, and I am incredibly grateful to each of you for that.

Over the next week or so, I will be hard at work behind the scenes, preparing Volume Six for an April 1st launch.  I'm already getting anxious to share the upcoming issue with you, and am continually tempted to ruin the surprise of what's inside by just telling you already.  Maybe a sneak peek post will be in order sometime this week.  In the meantime, here is a little discount code in honor of A Year of Glue: anytime between now and Friday night, enter oneyear upon checkout and get 25% off your order of any (or all) issues of Alphabet Glue. 

Library Monday: Tar Beach.

Tar Beach, by Faith Ringgold, is one of those classic children's books that you often see a lot more of each February, when Black History Month rolls around.  Which is precisely why I waited until March to share it with you.  Tar Beach is a unique, colorful and beautifully rendered tale of the power of hope and wishful thinking and it belongs in the book basket just as much in June as it does in February. 

The story of Cassie, an eight year old girl growing up in 1930's Harlem, Tar Beach is based on a painted quilt by the same name that Ringgold, an artist, created in the late eighties.  Cassie views the limitations of race and economics in the same way that any young girl might, but her imaginative response gives the story a sense of magic and resilient optimism.  As Cassie envisions herself flying through the New York sky, taking ownership of everything that she needs to ensure her family's happiness, the reader is gifted with a child's eye view of what freedom, fairness and security really mean. The context for the story is indeed the historical reality of race in Depression era America, but the narrative events have more to do with Ringgold's personal memories of a Harlem childhood, and the message of the story itself is universal.  It is a multi-faceted book that encourages discussion of history, of race, of art, of the power of imagination. 

I have been working on booklists for the new issue of Alphabet Glue, including one with theme of flight and flying.  The first book that came to mind when I began the list wasn't about airplanes, or kites or even birds- it was Tar Beach, a book that is about flight in the most human sense of the word.