If Anything Ever Goes Wrong at the Zoo

Here's a case where the title of a book perfectly and succinctly describes the story contained inside the book.  Written by Mary Jean Hendrick and illustrated by Jane Dyer, If Anything Ever Goes Wrong at the Zoo (1993) beautifully blurs the line between the real and the imaginative.  You'll see that magic reflected on your children's faces and in their twinkling eyes as you read this inventive story.  My youngest didn't ask a single question through the reading of this book.  And that's saying an awful lot!

Note:

• This is a wonderful title to read on a rainy day.
• Be sure to read this other delightful story about a trip to the zoo.

Rain Rain Rivers

Once again Uri Shulevitz provides us with a beautifully illustrated and lyrical book entitled Rain Rain Rivers (1969).  Check it out.  And listen.

Lilac Fairy

The Song of the Lilac Fairy
      by Cicely Mary Barker 

White May is flowering,
    Red May beside;
Laburnum is showering
    Gold far and wide;
But I sing of Lilac,
    The dearly-loved Lilac,
Lilac, in Maytime
    A joy and a pride!

I love her so much
    That I never can tell
If she's sweeter to look at,
    Or sweeter to smell.


from Cicely Mary Barker's The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies

Piggins

What a delightful surprise!  One of my favorite children's illustrators Jane Dyer has paired up with the highly acclaimed children's author Jane Yolen in a collaboration that has given us none other but Piggins (c. 1987).  Piggins, the puzzle solving pig, adds skill and dexterity to his proper position as butler to the Reynard household.

Oh, yes, this is a children's mystery series in the spirit of Masterpiece Mystery.  Set in the Edwardian Age, Piggins is said to be "a sophisticated English mystery parody for the primary set."

So check out the Piggins books for the children while Masterpiece Mystery runs their mystery series this summer.  And see if the kids can figure out the mystery before Piggins.  Rather unlikely, dear sir.

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Right now, we're reading Mr. Popper's Penguins (c. 1938) by Richard and Florence Atwater with illustrations by Robert Lawson.  The recommendation kindly came from Jo Betsy Kinser and her grandchildren Ashley and Jacob who went to the Chattanooga Aquarium to see all the penguins once they completed the book.  Can't wait to see photos!

Anyway, my kids won't let me put this book down!  I especially recommend reading it during the heat of summer so that you're transported into a much colder climate.

I could write and write about this charming read, but let me quote from the jacket cover instead:
Mr. Popper's Penguins is one of the handful of American books for children that has attained the status of a classic.  First published in 1938, this story of a housepainter who is sent a male penguin by the great Admiral Drake . . . has amused and enchanted generations of children and their parents.

Right from the start, Mr. Popper's Penguins was received warmly.  The New York Herald Tribune wrote of it: One of those books which parents will carry downstairs to finish after the fifteen minutes' bedtime reading is done.

That charm has exerted its power for fifty years, and Mr. Popper's Penguins continues to delight readers, old and young alike.

I especially encourage you to read Mr. Popper's Penguins before seeing the upcoming movie starring Jim Carey.  Personally, I can't imagine Carey's zaney antics to properly represent the absent-minded Mr. Popper.  What do you think?

Lentil

I just discovered a new book!  I thought I had read most all of Robert McCloskey's books (at least all the ones I can get my hands on).  But oh no, as I was rummaging through our library shelves, I discovered this little gem: Lentil (c. 1940).

Now, I want you to close your eyes and think back.  Amble down the streets of Mayberry, USA, past the courthouse over to Floyd's Barber Shop.  Notice how time slows down with the traffic.  Pull up a chair and listen to Andy and Floyd spin a few yarns.  This story, Lentil, by Robert McCloskey could easily be one of Andy Griffith's yarns (but remember, it's Robert McCloskey's) describing the homecoming of the local celebrity, Colonel Carter.  Sometimes town heroes pop up in the most unexpected places, impersonating themselves in the most unassuming people!

The Most Perfect Spot

Make sure you check out The Most Perfect Spot (c. 2006) by Diane Goode.  Dear son, Jack, sets out with his mama to find "the most perfect spot for a picnic."  Unfortunately, various mishaps seem to accompany them.  Be sure to look for the spotted dog on each page, for Goode always tells her stories as much with her illustrations as her text.

Mama Loves

Mama Loves (c. 2004) by Rebecca Kai Dotlich and illustrated by Kathryn Brown subtly (and nostalgically) chronicles the different seasons through a child's point-of-view.  Since Botlich and Brown randomly disperse the various seasons throughout the pages, it also presents a learning activity in identifying each two-page spread's particular season.

The rhymes weave the story of a mother's time spent with her young, spinning memories into their hearts.  Our worn cover gives testament that this remains one of the kids' very favorite books.  I think they find comfort in having it read and re-read to them every night.  It's a cozy book, radiating warmth in both illustrations and text, that's almost as good as a hug from Mom.  Here's an excerpt:

Mama loves
apples in autumn.
Sidewalks and leaves.
Sweaters and pumpkins
and walking
with me.





Note: Mama Loves makes a wonderful Mother's Day gift to mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers.  My own mother gave this to me for my very first Mother's Day.

p.s.  The Mister says, "That's one of my all-time favorite books."

The Bluebell Fairy

You can see where Cecily Mary Barker derived her inspiration for the Bluebell Fairy in Laura's English woodland photographs at On A Bluebell Quest.  Isn't it breathtaking?!

The Song of the Bluebell Fairy
by Cecily Mary Barker

My hundred thousand bells of blue,
    The splendour of the Spring,
They carpet all the woods anew
With royalty of sapphire hue;
The Primrose is the Queen, 'tis true.
     But surely I am King!
              Ah yes,
     The peerless Woodland King!

Loud, loud the thrushes sing their song;
    The bluebell woods are wide;
My stems are tall and straight and strong;
From ugly streets the children throng,
They gather armfulls, great and long,
     Then home they troop in pride --
             Ah yes,
     With laughter and with pride!

The Giant Jam Sandwich

Do you remember this story from your childhood as much as my husband and I do?  It's The Giant Jam Sandwich (c. 1972) with story and pictures by John Vernon Lord and verses by Janet Burroway.  Oh, it's a classic!  Discover (or rediscover) this tall tale:
                           One hot summer in Itching Down,
                           Four million wasps flew into town. 

I would tell your more about this wonderful story, but it's one of those that you truly have to see and read for yourself.  So whether you're trying to rid yourself of pests or you're just trying to bring some humor into your life, this book proves itself time and again as a phenomenal read-loud for young and old alike.