Good King Wenceslas

Do you know what I love about this season?  I love:

• packing our Operation Christmas Child boxes
• selecting gifts in the Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog with the kids
• hearing the Salvation Army bells ring, 
• reading all the charity benefit concerts, dinners, raffles, etc. being held, 
• hearing of opportunities to take dry goods or meals to shut-ins, and 
• discovering different opportunities to donate time and/or funds to help the less fortunate.  

Seriously, if you're not giving something of yourself during this season, it's certainly not from lack of opportunity!

So during this season of "Peace on earth, goodwill to men," King Wenceslas stands out as a model.  You're familiar with the traditional carol, but do you know its origin?  Well, the story of Good King Wenceslas shows us the purpose and the motive behind such benevolent, seasonal giving.  John Mason Neale, an English Anglican priest, wrote the words to the carol "Good King Wenceslas" in 1853, for the feast following Christmas Day called Saint Stephen.  Tradition holds that Neale derived his inspiration from actual events influenced by the just-minded and kindhearted King Wenceslas, ruler of tenth century Bohemia or the present day Czech Republic.  In fact, a statue of King Wenceslas, or now Saint Wenceslas, stands in Wenceslas Square in Prague.  (For photos of that statue, look at http://wemsha.blogspot.com/2010/06/wenceslas-square-prague.html).

Check out this fascinating book Good King Wenceslas (c. 2005), which looks at the story behind the inspiration of the carol.  Tim Ladwig's remarkable illustrations give us a modern peak into the past.  And be sure to take longer than a passing glance at that last illustration.

Tops & Bottoms

What happens when you mix a clever, determined Hare and a lazy, slothful Bear?  A topsy turvy tale!  As the publisher says:
With roots in European folktales and the slave stories of the American South, Tops & Bottoms celebrates the trickster tradition of beating hardship by using one's wits.  And an acre of hilarity tops it all off!

Author and illustrator Janet Stevens masters the art of storytelling while exploring the artistic frontiers of childrens' book illustration.  Stevens executes her illustrations by using watercolor, colored pencils, and gesso on paper made by hand by Ray Tomasso.  In addition to the clever tale, the kids especially delighted in the way the story opens vertically, top to bottom.

So, hop on over to your local library to check out Tops & Bottoms (c. 1995), the perfect harvest time read.

A New Coat for Anna

In A New Coat for Anna (c. 1986), Harriet Zierfert crafts a beautiful story revived from the ashes of war-torn Europe.   The story repeats: "Anna needs a new coat."  However, "no one had any money" and "the stores remained empty."  In our fast-paced, need-it-now world, here's a story that celebrates the joy of an endeavor realized after the long contribution of ingenuity and patience.  As you read this to your little one, follow the crafting of Anna's coat through the tasks of the shepherd, the spinner, the dyers, the weaver, and the tailor.  And appreciate the historical hardships depicted in Anita Lobel's illustrations.

Stone Soup

Reknown artist Jon J Muth takes children's book illustration to a whole new level.  His talent and experience exceed expectation, lending to museum quality masterpieces.  He received a Caldecott Honor in 2006 for his book Zen Shorts. 

Today, I'd like to share his deft retelling and beautiful watercolor edition of Stone Soup (2003).  You'll read this book several times just to digest its fullness; there's just so much to absorb.  Muth does a brilliant job of contrasting suspicion against sharing.  And we (the fam) have been struck spellbound with Muth's spin, incorporating three wise, Chinese monks to lead the storyline, while skillfully composing his tale using the Eastern beauty of metaphors and similes.  The Mister adds, "This is one of my all time favorites.  I love reading it (and re-reading it).  And I love looking at all the pictures, even the cat that appears on every page."  Check out Scholastic's brief bio of Jon J Muth here.

Read Marcia Brown's 1947 Caldecott Medal winner edition to contrast the traditionally humorous, European rooted tale against Muth's rendition.  You'll enjoy both spins.  In fact, I'd love to hear which one is your family's favorite!

The Festival of Lights, Hanukkah

On this third night of Hanukkah (or Chanukah), the Festival of Lights, we've enjoyed reading In the Month of Kislev: A Story for Hanukkah by Nina Jaffe and illustrated by Louise August with woodcuts painted in full-color oils on paper.

This beautiful story tells a tale of selfishness contrasted by wisdom.  In a small town in Poland lives a peddler, Mendel, and a merchant, Feivel.  I can't help but think of the characters Ebeneezer Scrooge and Bob Cratchit when reading about these two fathers.  Feivel publicly condemns Mendel's children for feasting on the pleasing aroma of his latkes as they cool each night.  Discover with the townspeople a compelling interpretation of justice and mercy simply taught by the sage Rabbi.

Nina Jaffe says, "This story was told to me by my father, who learned it from a man whose father had lived in a shtetl -- a little Jewish town, in Eastern Europe -- much like the one described in this book.  And so a story was passed on in the true style of oral tradition."