Underwater

I am going to have to take a little hiatus from LLB for a couple weeks, as I transition from one job to another. I feel a little bit like the girl in Wave by Suzy Lee (pictured above)--this wave will almost certainly soak me, but I'm trying to out run it! In the meantime, I'll try to post a few things, but I'm not making any promises. Happy reading.

Baseball Alphabets

Title: H is for Home Run: A Baseball Alphabet
Author: Brad Hertzog
Illustrator: Melanie Rose
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press

Title: B Is for Baseball: Running the Bases from A to Z
Publisher: Chronicle Books


Memorial Day is around the corner, and Baseball season began more than a month ago, but I'll call today the official start of Maggie's Summer, because I am going to my first ball-game of the year today. To celebrate, I thought I'd share these two great alphabet books for the budding baseball lover.

The first, H is for Home Run is part of the popular series of Alphabet books published by Sleeping Bear Press. (Truly, they have an alphabet book for everything). Hertzog is very clever with his use of the alphabet, and the pictures are real winners, since they often showcase young children playing ball.

The second, B is for Baseball, recently published by Chronicle Books, combines historic photos of baseball through the years, with loads of trivia. Since full appreciation of baseball includes knowledge of its history, and a mass of random facts and stories, it is essential to start gathering these stories as a child.

You know what I say: "L"ove is for Baseball.

A Necklace of Raindrops, and Other Stories

Title: Necklace of Raindrops: and Other Stories
Author: Joan Aiken
Illustrator: Kevin Hawkes
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2001

The first chapter book I ever read was Black Beauty, the summer before 2nd grade. I had to do it for school, and I hated every minute of it, and still have a hard time going back to that book. It was intimidating and terrifying--a full page of text with no pictures at all, and 200 pages long! I thought I would never finish it. Since I started this blog, I have had many parents email asking about recommendations for beginning readers--and this is one volume I heartily recommend. Here's why.

Joan Aiken, best known for her thrilling The Wolves of Willoughby Chase series, is a masterful story teller. In this volume, she has given us eight lovely short stories. Actually, they are modern fairy tales--modern in that they take place in either a-time-not-so-long-ago, or a-time-similar-to-our-own (with cars, and trains and skyscrapers). My favorite of the stories, "The Three Travellers," is about the three men who work at a train station in the middle of the desert. They never get a chance to work, because trains never stop at their station. They have Sunday off, every week, but have nothing to do, so they spend the whole day wishing it was Monday--at least on Monday they would have the anticipation of the possibility of a train stopping. All three of them go travelling--the first to the city, the second to the ocean, and the third walks out on foot into the desert, only to discover an oasis two hours' walk away. It ends:

If you should ever find yourself in Desert Station on a Sunday, you won't be surprised to see that there is nobody at home. The three men are two hours' walk away, lying on the grass by the cool spring and listening to the birds.

On the station signboard, under DESERT, the word FOR OASIS have been added.

(I admit, I love this one because it touches on themes of home, place, and homelessness--but I do wonder if someone of an earlier time could have written a story like that.)

Each of Aiken's stories, taken individually, could serve as an entire picture book, with full page illustrations. However, I appreciate the short story format of this volume much more. A child who is ready to start reading full books needs to be challenged--and a picture book, even one with a lot of text, may feel too much like training wheels.

A Necklace of Raindrops is not without pictures. It was originally published in 1968 with cut-out illustrations by Jan Pienkowski. Kevin Hawkes (illustrator of the great Library Lion) was called upon to illustrate this new edition, and he says he intentionally created "black-and-white illustrations in the tradition of The Story of Ferdinand and Millions of Cats." Those illustrations are simple, charming, and perfectly matched to Aiken's prose. Best of all, there are just enough illustrations to not intimidate a young child reading a long book for the first time--but not enough to make it feel like an extended picture book.

This book would also be an excellent choice for reading aloud, as the stories are easily understandable for younger children. And, honestly, I think the parents will like them as well!

The Song of Francis

Title: The Song of Francis
Author and Illustrator: Tomie De Paola
Publisher: Putnam

It's been more than a month since my last Tomie de Paola post, so it's high time for another. On Sunday I witnessed the baptism of my dear friend's 2nd son Henry, and bought him the vibrant and joyful The Song of Francisto celebrate that happy day.

The book relates the story of one of St. Francis' most famous hymns of praise, commonly called Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon. This hymn of praise points out all the blessings of creation and thanks God for them:

Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour,
Of You Most High, he bears the likeness...

It's a beautiful poem of praise, and a rich source of material for a children's book--in Assisi they sell little plaques painted with this prayer and little drawings of sheep in a pasture, and the sun and moon, just so parents can buy them for their children. It is so perfect a topic, in fact, that I don't know why no one has done it before.

Or perhaps they have--but not as well as DePaola has done here. His religious books have always been my favorite--simple and gracefully executed--he always picks excellent subjects for a young Christian child to encounter.

This book is a departure from his familiar style--or should I say a development. As an older man, his style of illustration has changed in the past few years--like Matisse's cut-outs, DePaola's signature folk-inspired illustrations are becoming more stylized, colorful, and joyful. Somehow the quaint and charming character of his older drawings have, through stylized form and brilliant colors, become more innocent and more graceful (literally).

This book is no exception--the pages are as vibrant and vivacious as St. Francis' hymn. He not only tells the (imagined) story of St. Francis' inspiration--he manages to convey the same overwhelming love and gratitude for God's gifts in creation. This book is truly beautiful, and I certainly hope Henry will love it as he grows older.

Thursday Classics: The Little Tim Books

Title: Tim to the Rescue, and the other Little Tim Books
Author and Illustrator: Edward Ardizzone
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Books for Children

Edward Ardizzone was a great and very popular author and illustrator in his time, and his "Little Tim" Series is seeing a bit of a Resurrection in popularity today. Originally published in 1949, the Little Tim books told of a young boy and his seafaring adventures. Tim is bright, cheerful, hard working and a quick learner--a "fine boy" as his Captain says. He "lives by the sea", and every book chronicles some sort of seafaring adventure. (These books are precursors to a love affair with sailing books, like Trasure Island and Swallows and Amazons.

In Tim to the Rescuehe saves a sullen boy (Ginger) when there's a terrible storm, serving as an example to all his shipmates. Ginger (who reforms thanks to Tim's example), and Charlotte are recurring characters in the future stories, Tim's best friends. In Tim to the Lighthouse (two things I love: ships and lighthouses), he and Ginger and Charlotte notice that the lighthouse is dark, so they rush out in the middle of a storm to light the lighthouse. My other favorites in the series are Tim and Lucy Go To Sea and the first adventure, Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain.

The Little Tim stories are excellent for boys who are getting bored with simple picture books. They have much more text than the average story book, and a developed story line, exciting enough to encourage kids to keep reading. Adrizzone's loose watercolors illustrations are filled with detail and interest, enough to delight any young man. Maurice Sendak called them: "Some of the saltiest and most satisfying picture books created during the last generation." I must agree.



The other titles in the series are:
Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain
Tim and Lucy Go to Sea
Tim to the Rescue
Tim and Charlotte
Tim in Danger
Tim All Alone
Tim's Friend Towser
Tim and Ginger
Tim to the Lighthouse
Tim's Last Voyage
Ship's Cook Ginger
They are all available in the Little Lamb's Bookshop

Gully's Travels by Tor Seideler

Title: Gully's Travels
Author: Tor Siedeler
Illustrator: Brock Cole
Publisher: Scholastic

Tor Seideler is one of the very best authors of early reader chapter books currently writing. His book The Wainscott Weasel deserves much more attention that it has ever gotten (I'll write an extended review of it someday soon!)--it is one of my very favorites. Last week I discovered another of his children's novels, Gulliver's Travels, and it is delightful. Chronicling the adventures of a Laso Apso, owned by an affluent professor in New York City, it straddles the world of Dogs and the world of Men. Told from Gulliver's perspective (though not narrated by Gulliver), many funny moments deal with the lack of the dog's understanding of the movement of people.

Gully is a dear dog, though a bit of a snob. When his owner gives him away to a doorman who lives in Queens, Gully tires with all his might to get back home--but eventually finds a home with the crazy and fun family full of good people who have taken care of him. His travels lead him from Queens into Manhattan, and all the way to Paris! I think a 6 or 7 year old who is excelling at reading could handle this book. Otherwise, I'd suggest it for 8-10 year olds. This book would also be delightful read aloud to younger children.

*Apologies, my links aren't working right now. I'll add them tomorrow.
*Links updated.

Children's Book Week

This week is the official Children's Book Week! Sponsored by the American Library Association and the American Booksellers Association, Children's Book week was established just as the movement towards children's libraries and children's literature became mainstream. To celebrate the love of reading in Children, they began Children's Book Week in in 1921, and it has been celebrated at libraries around the US ever since.

There are a few official events of the CBW, including the Children's Choice Award, which is the only nationally selected prize for Children's Literature (there are 16 categories of awards). The awards are given tomorrow night at a banquet in NYC. But mostly the CBW is celebrated at your local library--so check it out!

Also, many of the major big box bookstores are having special sales for Children's Book Week. Amazon is having some great sales, and lists the nominees for the Children's Choice Award.

Apologies

Hi Friends! Sorry for the silence--it's been a busy week. But this weekend, I finally get my computer back and it is all fixed, so I'll be able to post much more regularly. And next week is Children's Book Week, which means there will be lots to talk about. Till then, little lambs, happy reading.

(Illustration from Nicholas)

Turtle's Penguin Day

Title: Turtle's Penguin Day
Author and Illustrator: Valeri Gorbachev
Publisher: Knopf

When I was up in Spokane, WA a few weeks ago, I came across a wonderful independent book store, Auntie's Bookstore. It had a very fine Children's section, with a large selection of interesting and non-main stream picture books. It was so good, in fact, that I could not allow myself to sit in there too long, afraid I would buy the entire store.

I did buy two books, though, and Turtle's Penguin Daywas one of them (the other is a birthday present for G, so I'll wait to review it till then). I just had to buy it because it involves my two favorite animals: penguins and turtles.

I seem to always use superlatives when I review books here. This book is not one for superlatives--it's not the most beautiful book I own, nor the most charming, nor the silliest. But it is a delight. Little Turtle's Dad reads a story about penguins one night, and as a result, Little Turtle has a dream about being a penguin. The next day, he decided to dress as a penguin, and goes to school and inspires all the other kids to play as penguins.

The illustrations are accessible, fun, and detailed enough to engage the imagination for a while. Little Turtle is just adorable, especially when he is dressed up as a penguin. And the back page of the book is filled with fun and interesting facts about Penguins (though I wish he had done a similar page about turtles). It took me all of 3 seconds to decide to buy it. I hope you and your kids will like it as much as I do!