Newspaper Hats by Phil Cummings

by Carol2 Comments
Newspaper Hats is a touching story. Georgie's grandfather is losing his memory and sometimes doesn't even remember her. She and her father go to visit him in the nursing home and Georgie asks her grandpa if he remembers her. Grandpa looks at the photos in his room and tells her some of the things he does remember. Finally she picks up a photo of Grandpa, Georgie and her dad where Georgie is wearing a paper hat. Grandpa does remember how to make paper hats and it provides a connecting point for the family. It's a gentle story that I think would be nice to read with kids who are dealing with a similar situation as Georgie, where someone in their family can't remember as well as they used to, whether it be to due to Alzheimer's or something else. It can be tough for adults to see someone losing their memory, but it's difficult for kids to and they have less...
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Armstrong by Torben Kuhlmann

by Carol3 Comments
I loved Armstrong!! The little mouse's story is exciting and fascinating. It's filled with perfect little details that mirror human thoughts about space but from a mouse's perspective. For example, none of his mouse friends believe the moon is made of stone - they of course think it's cheese. Armstrong is a clever mouse who keeps working, even after disappointments and disasters. Honestly, if you have a child in the 4-8 age range, pick this one up. It's a bit longer than most picture books, but worth it. It's a perfect story for dreamers and future inventors and space enthusiasts. The art is fabulous. We get details of Armstrong's plans and illustrations of New York City that are amazing. The cover and trailer below will give you an idea of the style. Don't worry, though, the English version has English headlines for the newspapers. It was originally published in German, I believe....
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Thursday’s Tale: King Garnet Stories

by Carol3 Comments
The King Garnet Stories by Marianne Parry are not traditional fairy tales, but they have that same feel - kings and queens, a touch of magic, a lesson to learn. The King Garnet Stories are fun. The first is my favorite. The King's legs grow way to long and everyone is worried. He is under a spell, but who is casting the spell made it a funny little story. In the second story, King Garnet comes up with a plan to stop his wife from being so bossy. He decides not to talk anymore. He lets his daughters, the doctors, and the witches in on the secret. In the end, the Queen goes back to the nice woman she used to be. It's a cute story even if the portrayal of the Queen is a little sexist. The last story ends with a light-hearted, almost Renaissance fair type battle. Everyone enjoys the day and the decide to make it an annual event. The illustration at the...
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Thursday’s Tale: Little Chickies / Los Pollitos

by Carol1 Comment
I feel like nursery rhymes sort of fall into the same category as fairy tales and folktales. They're part of a culture, something passed down over the years that most everyone connects to, which is why I'm including Little Chickies as a Thursday's Tale. Little Chickies is based on a Spanish nursery rhyme, "Los Pollitos." I found the nursery rhyme at NurseryRhymes.co, along with the translation. Los pollitos dicen pío, pío, pío cuando tienen hambre cuando tienen frío. La gallina busca el maíz y el trigo les da la comida y les presta abrigo. Bajo de sus alas, acurrucaditos ¡duermen los pollitos hasta el otro día! Translation : The little chicks say pio pio pio When they are hungry And when they are cold. The mother hen looks for corn and wheat. She gives them food and grants them shelter. Under mama's wings, huddling up, Sleep the little chicks Until the next day! Jamarillo has done a wonderful job in the adorable book telling the story of the chicks whose mom takes care of them. Her lyrics are simpler than...
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Ivy in Bloom by Vanita Oelschlager, illustrated by Kristin Blackwood

by Carol2 Comments
Ah, I understand how Ivy Van Allsberg feels. Winter wears long for me, too. I look forward to spring, "when the world is mud-luscious" and "puddle-wonderful." And March, especially, with it's glimpses of better weather, followed by snow, can get long. Ivy in Bloom is really cute. The author takes excerpts of classic poetry and weaves them into Ivy's world as winter turns to Spring.  It's a short story and the illustrations fit the flow perfectly. In the winter, the colors are dark and gray, but as spring comes, out come the yellows and bright greens and purples and pinks. All the pictures are cute, but the spring ones are especially happy and bright. As the blurb states, at the end each piece of poetry is identified by author and work. This makes a good introduction to poetry for younger children and can lead older siblings or parents to read the originals. It's one I would have enjoyed reading to Amber...
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Thursday’s Tale: Magic Words

by Carol2 Comments
I love books that expose kids to other cultures, to other ways of looking at this world. Magic Words is a good introduction to the Inuit people. It's a gorgeous book. I read the eBook, but wish I had the paperback. The illustrations are richly colored and imaginative and invoke the feeling of the Inuit culture. According to the book, the illustrations began as ink drawings that were retraced and softened with 6B extra soft charcoal pencil. You know, before Amber started drawing I think I was pretty sure all pencils were #2 and the directions on standardized tests to use a #2 were silly. Anyway, the finished drawings were scanned and colored digitally. They are vibrant and just gorgeous. The poem talks of a past time when people could become animals and animals could become people and they all spoke the same language. And the words they were powerful and could have unintended consequences - a good reminder to be mindful...
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