Coming On Home Soon

Oh, this book is just simply beautiful!  

Beautiful to read, 

beautiful to look at, 

beautiful to experience.  

It puts new meaning to the expression breathakingly beautiful.

Check out: Coming On Home Soon (c. 2004) by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E. B. Lewis.  Here's the Publisher's (G. P. Putnam's Sons) summary on the inside cover jacket:

Ada Ruth, Mama said.  Do you know I love you more than anything in the world?
Yes, ma'am, I whispered.  More than rain.
More than snow, Mama whispered back, the way we'd done a hundred times before.
Or maybe a hundred thousand. 

   It's wartime, and women have to go to work while the men are off fighting.  Ada Ruth's mama has a job in Chicago, and she must leave Ada Ruth and Grandma behind.
   Now Ada Ruth and Grandma are missing Mama and trying to keep each other strong.  But some days, it feels like nothing can fill the emptiness in their hearts.  Then a surprise comes to their door and gives them something to fuss over while they wait for the letter that will say Mama's coming home soon.
   In this timeless story, Woodson's evocative text and Lewis's captivating artwork capture all that comes with missing and waiting -- the sadness, the everyday living, the small surprises, and most of all, the hope.

Milly-Molly-Mandy

The eldest sits mesmerized each night when I read our latest library find.  The child would have me read chapter after chapter, but this reader needs to take a breath.  Saying Milly-Molly-Mandy an up-teen number of times can really wind a reader.  Whew!  . . . Thank goodness each chapter is a story in and of itself - complete with "Once upon a time . . ."  However, the kids seem enchanted by that repetitive name.

Welcome to the world of Joyce Lankester Brisley's creation!  Best I can gather, Brisley was an English author writing about cottage childhood in the English countryside during the 1920s. 

Meet Milly-Molly-Mandy (short! for Millicent Margaret Amanda) and her friends Billy Blunt and Susan -- along with her extended family -- in the twenty-one tales collected in The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook and published in 1928.

Frankly, Brisley's stories are quite simplistic, especially compared to our technologically chaos induced enhanced society.  And that's where I think the charm must lie.  It seems that the kids are mesmerized precisely because Brisley's tales speak to that independent, industrious, curious nature welling deep within them.  In reading about Milly-Molly-Mandy's adventures, kids get a glimpse into the spirit of discovery that speaks to their souls.

Honestly, the publishers (Kingfisher) sum it up best:
The stories of Milly-Molly-Mandy and her family and friends have charmed generations of children since they first appeared in 1925. This collection of twenty-one classic tales about this resourceful and thoughtful little girl reflect with accuracy the dilemmas and challenges of a child's world. Young children today will love to hear how Milly-Molly-Mandy decides to spend her first penny, looks after a hedgehog, and spends her first night away from home. These timeless stories are perfect for reading aloud, for older children to read by themselves, or as a story before bedtime, and will bring back many happy memories for many parents and grandparents. The book's endpaper feature a two-page map of Milly-Molly-Mandy's village complete with drawings of cottages, fields, streets, and shops making it easy for children to follow Milly-Molly-Mandy from place to place.

So readers, check out the book and tell me what you think.  What do your kids think?  Are you familiar with Brisley's stories, or was this as new to you as it was to me?  I'd especially love to hear from my readers hailing from or living in England.

The Snow Day

Oh, I just love new finds!  And around here, we've especially enjoyed this new find by Komako Sakai, The Snow Day (c. 2005).  Son rabbit eagerly awaits his chance to play in the snow.  He waits by the window all day.

My favorite part is the magical moonlight walk through the snow . . . brings back the memories!  I'm telling you, the kids love this one . . . and . . . I've noticed the Mister asking if they'd like to hear The Snow Day . . . again!  ;)

Valentine's Day

With Valentine's Day (c. 2001) illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell, author Anne Rockwell weaves the idea of pen-pal communication with the Mrs. Madoff's classroom tradition of making Valentine's cards. 

This story immediately catches our young audience's attention as each page details each student's unique Valentine's card creation.  Written from the perspective of an elementary school aged boy named Sam, the Rockwells' book begs to be read a second time -- so the reader better understands the connection of each custom Valentine card in relation to the receiver.  After you read it twice, the kids will want to hear more.

I want to give a shout out to all my readers out their who hunt for "boy" books . . . here's a Valentine's Day read specifically delivered from a boy's viewpoint and sensibility.

By the way, Anne Rockwell and Lizzy Rockwell make up a charming mother-daughter team.  To find out more about them, check out Lizzy Rockwell's webpage: http://www.lizzyrockwell.com and Anne Rockwell's webage: http://www.annerockwell.com.  And to check out other book recommendations by Anne and Lizzy Rockwell found on Read Me A Story click on each image:

Queen of Hearts

Mary Engelbreit's wonderful sense of humor characteristically shines in Queen of Hearts (c. 2004).  Ann Estelle belabors over decorating her Valentine's Day box . . . so much so that she forgets to make her Valentine's cards for her classmates.  What will she do to express her Valentine's Day greetings?

I'm sending a shout out to Nana for this fun Valentinte's Day tradition!

Valentine's Day

Okay, okay, okay . . . finally, here are my much requested Valentine's Day reads.  Stick with me the next three days as you visit the library.

I particularly like this simplistic story, briefly outlining the tradition of Valentine's Day.  But what I really like is how Miriam Nerlove sticks to age-appropriate explanations for Valentine's Day without making it a mushy love fest.  What do I mean?  Well, her characters make Valentine's for their parents, siblings, and friends.  Isn't that beautiful!  I mean really, can't I be first in my kids' hearts . . . well . . . forever?!  I'm kidding . . . well, just a little bit.

Anyway, what mom could resist a book where the Daddy comes home on Valentine's Day with flowers and a hug for Mommy and then swings his daughter in the air, saying "You're my special valentine."  Folks, while we're imprinting their young minds, let's pick the books that say "Daddy and Mommy love each other and love you."  What could be a better Valentine's Day message than that?

February

from Take Joy! by Tasha Tudor (c. 1966)

February

by Christina Rossetti

Bread and milk for breakfast

And woolen frocks to wear,

And a crumb for robin redbreast

On the cold days of the year.

It's Snowing!

 We've found a new book, new because it was just published in 2011.  It's Snowing by Gail Gibbons presents the science behind snowfall, drawing children in with her bright illustrations and maps.

What I especially like about Gail Gibbons easy to understand account is that she credits the National Weather Service and their meteorologists for her spot-on information.  Yep, around here, we think VERY highly of the National Weather Service.  We only get our weather information from http://weather.noaa.gov/ or http://weather.gov/ or NOAA Weather Radio (http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/).  Traveling?  Then plan your trip by the National Weather Service's forecasts.

Looking for accuracy and expertise, then I encourage you to check out the National Weather Service as opposed to weather.com.  Seriously, the statistics are the proof.  And we may be a tad bit biased toward meteorologists; after all, Papa Terry did just retire from NWS.

Either way, Gail Gibbons gives an excellent, spot-on account explaining how snow forms, the different forms of winter precipitation, and how to prepare for winter weather.  Check out It's Snowing!  by Gail Gibbons, or purchase it from the recent Scholastic handouts.  It's well worth the effort!  For my part, I plan on purchasing our own copy.

Ugggghh!  It is in the mid-60s this week!  I can count on one hand how many times we've cozied up to a fire in our fireplace this winter.  The daffodils are peeping through.  It's January, and I've actually had to pull up hand upon hand full of weeds.  Don't get me wrong, I love warm weather and digging in the dirt!  . . . just not in January.  In January, I assume I get a month or so off from weeds. 

So, needless to say, it's been tricky to blog because my heart wants to blog winter and snow books.  But it's tough to find the motivation.

However, we've been checking out lots of snow books.  My kids are begging to see snow, so right now, this is as good as it's going to get.  So retreat back into your imagination these next few weeks, and we'll get our snow fix through the written word.

First, check out First Snow by Emily Arnold McCully (c. 1985).  Here's a wordless book about a mouse family enjoying the first snow together.  So much is said through these illustrations.  Enjoy having your kids supply their own commentary.  Books like these are WONDERFUL because they allow your child to flex his/her imagination to create his own story.  So, check it out!

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat

 Check Hilary Knight's The Owl and the Pussy-Cat (reissue c. 2001) out of your local library and be enchanted.  The illustrations are the most stunning interpretation of Edward Lear's classic poem that the Mister and I have ever come across.  Not only were we spellbound, the children were too!  Who says that adults can't be hypnotized by childrens' books?  Each page transports the reader into another world.  Perhaps one of Knight's greatest masterpieces because he fills each spread in The Owl and the Pussy-Cat with quirky, magical images to feast your imagination upon.