Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Lovely lessons and a spin on Goldilocks!

 

This is a lovely version of Goldilocks and the three bears. I love that we learn a little bit about China in the book. For example, instead of porridge they are talking about congee. I like that Goldy makes amends by sharing her porridge, repairing the broken chair and making the bed. I also like how the pandas invite her to help with making the turnip cakes which were ruined. It shows that people are glad when others are willing to make up for their mistakes, so true. Very good leassons in this book. The illustrations are fantastic. 

GOLDY LUCK AND THE THREE PANDAS Natasha Yim; ill by Grace Zong


Monday, February 19, 2024

Moving to a whole new country!

 I loved how this book showed that change is hard but super hard if you are moving to a foreign country. The country is not foreign to the mom because she is from Taiwan. But for Lily, this is a big change. There is a page where the calendar flies by and we see the months of January through September have passed. Now Lily is adjusting and falling in love with her new home. So sweet!

This is Not my Home
Eugenia Yoh and Vivienne Chang


A compassionate book about memory loss

 Poignant story about a grandpa who is losing his balloons/his memories and how his grandson inherits them and is able to return them to him by explaining the memories. Beautiful multigenerational story about how it is challenging to age for all involved! Yet there are ways to make the very best of the situation!

The Remember Balloons 
written by Jessie Oliveros;
illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte


Thursday, February 1, 2024

A gentle lovely book about conversation

 I love how this book (by the marvelous Mem Fox) shows how a child processes his day by talking to his stuffies: Greedy Goose, Blue Horse and Fat Rabbit. And then Greedy Goose asks the child about his day. Each remembers the same day (and incidents) only from their perspective. Lovely! The refrain is great: ______looked back on the who, the what, the why, and the way...the whole wild thing...turned out okay!



Monday, January 29, 2024

A beautiful book of animals and kids in motion

 This book is strong because the photography and the vocabulary are both outstanding. The reader learns the words for the babies of different species. There are so many things to converse about when sharing this delightful book. 



Monday, December 18, 2023

Carina Felina, why you so mean-a?

 

A hilarious rollicking tale about Carina Felina who is quite full of herself. She learns her lesson, at the end, after eating up so many creatures. How they get out of her is a hoot. The reader learns a few Spanish words along the way. For lovers of THE GINGERBREAD MAN.

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Eve Bunting, classic, prolific, and she will be missed

 I have always been amazed by the body of work that Eve Bunting has contributed to children's literature. This Irish woman who transplanted to California and became an author passed away on October 1, 2023 at the age of 94. My top two favorites by her are THE WEDNESDAY SURPRISE and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR DUCK.  

We miss you Eve Bunting. Thanks for all of your stories.

There are several key factors to her writing that I see: 

*compassion *humor *a reverence for the ordinary moments  *respect for nature *the willingness to tackle very tough subjects *offering solutions *everything presents a story!

*Eve was assigned a different illustrator for each of her books. Miraculously, each match fits perfectly. 

This is a tribute to her. I found 5 books that I had not yet read by her in Infosoup. The Memory String The tension between a young girl and her stepmother dissipates when her stepmother is respectful of her memory string. Yard Sale It is sad when a family is undergoing a forced downsizing. But this book points out that a home is not about the stuff. The home is about the people in it. Tweak Tweak Elephant and her baby take a stroll. Baby is very curious. The summary statement is sweet, "A little elephant can walk through the jungle and across the grasslands holding her mother's tail. She can ask questions and learn. She can grow to be a big, strong, smart, beautiful elephant." Sing A Song of Piglets: A Calendar in Verse This is a beautiful tribute to the pleasures of each month in the year. Example: August, "Sing a song of reading, lying in the shade. Chapter Three, you read to me! And pass the lemonade." Christmas Cricket Cricket brings his joyful noise to the place he has hidden himself in in a Christmas tree.