Sale at Barnes and Noble

Barnes & Noble is having an Up To 40% Off sale in their online Children's bookstore. Here are some favorites on sale:
Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems, for $8.09
Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes for $11.33
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox, and Helen Oxenbury for $8.64
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, $6.89

A Balloon for a Blunderbuss

Title: A Balloon for Blunderbuss
Author: Alastair Reid
Illustrator: Bob Gill
Publisher: Phaidon

A Balloon for Blunderbussis one of the most delightful children's books I have ever come across. Playing the old schoolyard game "I'll trade you this for this," Alastair Reid and Bob Gill create an imaginative and thrilling adventure of words. Starting with simply a butterfly, exchanged for a balloon, soon the boy possesses the whole world. Gill's modern illustrations balance the elaborate workings of the Child's imaginative exchange.

This would be a delightful book to read aloud--but it will be most treasured as children pour over it and enter into the rich and exciting world of words and art that Gill and Reid provide.

Where Have You Gone, Susan Pevensie?

Here's a great piece by Matthew Alderman (resident art and architecture guru at Shrine of the Holy Whapping) about Susan Pevensie, the oldest sister of the Pevensie children in The Chronicles of Narniaby C.S.Lewis:

Susan’s fate helped spur friendly neighborhood atheist Philip Pullman to write his own anti-Narnia, the ramshackle Dark Materials trilogy with its sin-as-freedom metaphysics and straw-man take on Christian morality. In his reading, Independent Modern Woman gets a raw deal from a British weirdo with major lady issues. From the way he goes on about Lewis, you’d think the author of The Four Loves was an underdeveloped asexual freak bent on keeping his readers in a kiddie time-warp sealed away from the great god Sex.

But all we are told in The Last Battle is this: Susan has turned her back on Narnia in favor of nylons, lipstick, and party invitations. Boys, much less the joy of sex, don’t even merit a mention. More disconcerting is her quietly alarming capacity for self-deception: We are told that she also dismisses her fifteen-odd years of memories as Queen in Narnia as the product of childish fantasy.

This detail gives a more poignant shading to Susan’s downfall. As Polly Plummer, one of the senior “friends of Narnia,” puts it in The Last Battle, Susan is set to become not a real adult, but a perpetual teenager locked into “the silliest time of one’s life.” She is a child’s caricature of adulthood. “I wish she would grow up!” cries Polly.

The problem is not that Su’s world was, say, the world of Gidget, but that it could become what Sex and the City looks like in the unflattering light of reality. A never-ending quest for party invitations looks awfully flimsy when stacked up against the deeds of Narnia’s own strong-willed women—like Susan herself, once.

(For the full article, click here.)

More on CPSIA

OverLawyer'd has a LOT more coverage of CPSIA, especially with regards to the children's books. Check it out here. I can't even begin to discuss this right now. (For all of his posts on this matter click here.)

Loving (and hating to love) the "Illegal Books Meme" from Love to Learn homeschooling blog. Also check out the Endangered by CPSIA Flickr group.

Tips on contacting your congressman here.

The Worst News in Children's Book World in a Long Time

Thanks to AF for passing along this excellent and disturbing article about the banning of children's illustrated books published before 1985. In the frenzy over the lead-paint in toys from China, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 retroactively banned any products that don't' meet modern standards of safety, including, most disturbingly, picture books:

Not until 1985 did it become unlawful to use lead pigments in the inks, dyes, and paints used in children’s books. Before then—and perhaps particularly in the great age of children’s-book illustration that lasted through the early twentieth century—the use of such pigments was not uncommon, and testing can still detect lead residues in books today. This doesn’t mean that the books pose any hazard to children. While lead poisoning from other sources, such as paint in old houses, remains a serious public health problem in some communities, no one seems to have been able to produce a single instance in which an American child has been made ill by the lead in old book illustrations—not surprisingly, since unlike poorly maintained wall paint, book pigments do not tend to flake off in large lead-laden chips for toddlers to put into their mouths.

At any rate, CPSIA’s major provisions went into effect on February 10. The day before, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published guidelines telling thrift stores, as well as other resellers and distributors of used goods, what they could safely keep selling and what they should consider rejecting or subjecting to (expensive) lead testing. Confirming earlier reports, the document advised that only “ordinary” children’s books (that is, made entirely of paper, with no toy like plastic or metal elements) printed after 1985 could be placed in the safe category. Older books were pointedly left off the safe list; the commission did allow an exception for vintage collectibles whose age, price, or rarity suggested that they would most likely be used by adult collectors, rather than given to children.

Since the law became effective the very next day, there was no time to waste in putting this advice into practice. A commenter at Etsy, the large handicrafts and vintage-goods site, observed how things worked at one store: "I just came back from my local thrift store with tears in my eyes! I watched as boxes and boxes of children’s books were thrown into the garbage! Today was the deadline and I just can’t believe it! Every book they had on the shelves prior to 1985 was destroyed! I managed to grab a 1967 edition of The Outsiders from the top of the box, but so many!"

This law has produced countless unforeseen ramification, all in the frenzy of "safety for our children." As AF pointed out when he sent this to me: "You know what else is harmful for children? Illiteracy"

I guess it's time to seek out your local used bookstore and go dumpster diving. I am seriously livid about this. Read the whole article here.

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams

Title: A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams
Author: Jen Bryant
Illustrator: Melissa Sweet
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

In November I posted about the NYTimes 10 best illustrated books of the year 2008. I've finally gotten my hands on the one I was most interested to see, A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williamswritten by Jen Bryant, and illustrated by Melissa Sweet. This Caldecott Honor award winner is a lovely book and well worth giving to a child who is interested in nature, poetry, and art.

This lovely illustrated biography takes us from the young Williams, native of Northern New Jersey, who loves to sit by the river listening to its music, to the college lad, who meets Erza Pound, to the established doctor who makes house calls, delivers babies, and writes poetry during his evenings on prescription pads. The story is clear and concise, written with Jen Bryant's characteristic grace. She highlights the wonderful balance in William's life: between work (and doing good work), and the passionate creative impulse of poetry.

But the real delights in this book are the rich and textured illustrations by Melissa Sweet. One looses oneself in her collages, made of scraps of paper and old book bindings, on which she paints charming illustrations of his life, and inks chance phrases from his poetry.

William Carlos Williams is, to my mind, a wonderful poet to introduce to Children. While he didn't use the traditional meters in his poetry, his easy natural style, and glorification through poetry of the simple and mundane is something a child can relate to instantly. I remember when I first came across Williams--I was a haughty freshman in college, and thought his Red Wheel Barrow was trite. But its simplicity is exactly what a child would enjoy.

This engaging and joyful biography of Williams introduces children to his poetry, but it also (and perhaps more importantly) introduces children to the creative life. It is a delight, and I hope it will be considered a classic in the years to come.

(click the photos for larger versions, that show off the richly textured illustrations.)

Thursday Classics: Jenny the Cat

Nota Bene:This is the start of my weekly series featuring a revived classic Children's book. For all the Thursday Classic posts, go here.

Thanks to the NYRB Children's Classics Collections, Esther Averill's delightful stories about Jenny Linsky, and her city-cat cohorts, are now available to a new generation of early-readers. These charming stories, featuring the adventures of a group of Greenwich Village cats, were originally published in the 1940's. Our heroine, a plucky black cat, Jenny Linsky, gets into lots of adventures with Mr. President (a august, cigar smoking tabby), Madame Butterfly (the beauty of the block, who plays the flute), and tries desperately to avoid the gang of dogs.

The stories are charming and engaging. The prose is simple, but delightful--perfect for a young reader who is eager to get into longer books. The pictures are my favorite part--simple 3 color drawings, with a lot of wit and whimsy. They are, to my mind, the perfect books for a boy or girl to dive into when they are just discovering that reading longer and harder books is fun.

I am so grateful these are being revived. Check them out from your library, or buy them from the links below. And enjoy!

The Complete NYRB Chilren's Collection Jenny Linsky Stories are:
Jenny and the Cat Club: A Collection of Favorite Stories about Jenny Linsky
Jenny's Birthday Book
Jenny Goes to Sea
Jenny's Moonlight Adventure
The School for Cats

Other Esther Averil cat titles:
Captains of the City Streets
The Hotel Cat

The Holy Twins, DePaola and Norris

Title: The Holy Twins
Author: Kathleen Norris
Illustrator: Tomi DePaola
Publisher: G. P. Putnam & Sons

I have a big list of posts I want to do, and I've featured Tomie DePaola recently but today is the Feast of St. Scholastic, and one of my favorite DePaola books is his book The Holy Twinsabout the life of Sts Benedict and Scolastica.

The story of St. Benedict and St. Scolastica is one of the oldest saint stories I remember--perhaps because I too had a brother, and as children we are drawn to what is familiar. Their story is a wonderful one--they were dear siblings, who loved each other very much, and dedicated themselves entirely to God's will. The story of St. Scolastica's death was one of my favorites: One year she begged St. Benedict to prolong his visit, stay the night and not leave, but he refused, so she prayed that God would intercede. A terrible storm arose, and no one could leave the house so they spent the whole night talking about theology, and praying, and Benedict and his monks left the next morning. Three days later, in a vision, St. Benedict beheld his sister's soul ascending into heaven, and learned the news that she had passed away.

It's wonderful fodder for a children's book, and Norris and dePaola do a fantastic job with the story. I have nothing special to say about dePaola' illustrations except that they are wonderful, and if you don't like them you're crazy. Norris creates a lovely portrait of brotherly love, and creates real models for our lives in her re-telling of their story. I know I wanted a brother like St. Benedict, though I suppose I should have rather sought to be a sister like St. Scholastica.

Children Playing Before the Statue of Hercules

Title: Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules
Edited with an Introduction by: David Sedaris
Publisher: Simon and Schuster

You're right. This isn't a Children's book. In fact, it's a very-un-children's book: a collection of short stories written by some of the greats of the last century in American Fiction, including Tobias Wolff, Flannery O'Connor, Joyce Carol Oates, Dorothy Parker, Richard Yates, and Katherine Mansfield.

But I draw it to your attention because, aside from being a wonderfully diverse and enjoyable collection, all the proceeds for this book go to an amazing organization, 826NYC. 826NYC, and the original 826 Valencia, as well as four other posts around the US, are non-profit kids tutorial centers, that give special attention to reading, writing, and storytelling, and are (here's the brilliant part) disguised as adventurous and exciting places. 826NYC is a superhero supply store. 826Valencia is a Pirate Supply store.

Their mission is remarkable:

[We are] dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Our services are structured around our belief that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success.

On to the book: Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules is a very well chosen collection of short stories. They are various and intriguing--From Alice Munaro, to Patricia Highsmith--and some of the best short stories these authors ever wrote. I consider myself fairly well read in 20th Century American short-stories, but there were definitely a few pieces I had never come across.

I love short story anthologies for the simple reason that you can dip into the again and again when you need a short break. Most of my anthologies are purely historical (American ex-pats in the 20's and 30's for example), this is much more personal. Sedaris, in his lively introduction, says he'd fight for these stories till the death, and I can see why.

Don't get it from the Library like I did, purchase it and support a a very good cause

Charley Harper's ABC

Title: Charley Harper ABCs (Chunky Version)
Illustrator: Charley Harper
Publisher: AMMO Books

Anyone who has a child knows: babies love to chew on books. To that end, some enterprising young executive decided to put pictures on thick cardboard slabs, so that the child doesn't choke on paper. Whoever he was, he deserves a throne in heaven. And not a cardboard one either.

Alas, if you do your shopping at most big bookstores, your selection is terribly limited. And while I love (love!) Sandra Boyton there are only so many times you can buy Moo Baa La La La.* So, I always jump at the chance to buy a new/ undiscovered board book.

Charley Harper ABCs was no exception. I can't remember now if i bought it at a museum or a book store, but the moment I saw it I knew there was no going back. Harper is one of the iconic naturalists of the mid-century modernism movement in America. He lived in Cincinnati, and spent most of his time drawing birds, insects, and various other types of wildlife. His work is geometric in form, and simple--but accurate and filled with small but delightful details.

The 21st Century interior designer Todd Oldham has recently spearheaded a new interest in Harpers work. Suddenly Harper is popping up everywhere--from calendars to Old Navy. But this Board Book is definitely the best re-incarnation yet.

Harper's art is the real star here, so I don't have much else to say, except that I do think its valuable to expose children, even at this early an age, to really beautiful, colorful, and interesting pictures. And this is another fun way to read the ABCs. Some of the images are quite complex (the Zebra for example is a close-up of his iconic Serengeti Spaghetti, but others (like the Giraffe and Crab pictures above) are bright, crisp, and easy on the eyes of a young baby. Some are terribly funny too--like the Hen, which is my favorite. You'll just have to buy the bookto see it.



*This is not true. One never gets tired of Moo Baa La La La.

Time Cat, by Lloyd Alexander

Title: Time Cat
Author: Lloyd Alexander
Publisher: Puffin Modern Classics

Yes. I am a cat person. I've loved cats all my life, and especially black ones. But I don't think that influences my very firm opinion that Time Cate, by Lloyd Alexander, is a delightful book. My mother first introduced Lloyd Alexander to my brother and one summer, in an effort to help the baby-sitter tame us. T. loved (ney, devoured!) Alexander's series The Chronicles of Pyridian but they never caught my fancy. I read all his histories of bold and interesting young women, set in exotic places, like Illyria and Egypt. Time Cat was the only one we both loved.

In Time Cat, a young boy excitedly discovers that his cat can talk, and not only talk, but time travel. So Jason (boy) and Gareth (cat) adventure together through time, starting in Egypt, Roman Britian, St. Patrick's Ireland, Renaissance Italy (where they stay with the Da Vinci family), Imperial Japan, 16th Century Peru--as it is just being colonized by the Spanish, The Isle of Man, 17th Century witch-hunting Germany, and end up in America at the time of the Revolution. (Amazingly, they always understand the languages, and arrive in the proper clothes--but then, what's more amazing than a time travelling cat.)

The story is exciting in itself--they have lots of adventures both silly and thrilling. But Alexander's attention to historical details ultimately turns the book into a real treasure. When I read it I knew who St. Patrick was, and the story of the Revolutionary War, and had heard of witch hunts, and seen art by Leondaro Da Vinci--so some things were quite familiar. But having Jason live in those worlds made them more alive to me. Jason is the one who encourages Patrick to leave the farm and go back to England (where he eventually becomes a Priest, and bring Christianity to Ireland). Leonardo's has one chance to convince his father he can be an artist--and so he paint's Gareth poised to attack. And as to the worlds I didn't know, or that were uncomfortably foreign (Peru, Japan, Egypt), Jason and Gareth's side-by-side matter-of-fact attitude in each new place left those worlds a little less strange and a little more real.

This book is recommended for grades 3-7. It could be read aloud and discussed to grades 1+2, and I think it would be too simple for most 6-7 graders. But it definitely is a good one to revisit as an adult, too.