Friday Five: Books to Give as Gifts this Holiday Season!

Unless you're Dumbledore, what's a better present than a book? Okay, I'm sure this kid disagrees

but others may enjoy a great book as a gift.  A past professor of mine used to give picture books to her friends and family as gifts, and I think that's a great idea.  For starters, classic picture books are beloved and will bring a smile out of even the biggest Scrooge.  Most everyone gets excited when they see Where the Wild Things Are in someone's home.  Also, picture books are pricey.  Not that price is an indicator of a perfect gift (it most certainly is not), but price definitely keeps people (me) from going out and buying all these amazing books when they can't pretend they're buying them for a child.  Even though that's what libraries are for, it's nice to own picture books.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

So here are five potential picture books to hand out - to adults and/or children - this holiday season!

1. The Way Things Work, by David Macaulay and Neil Ardley

 

A lengthy informational picture book, this book completely captivates children (and adults) with detailed, fun diagrams of how things work, from the simple parts to the full complex machines.  It screams out coffee table book to me every time I see it in a store, but I don't have a coffee table (or a living room).  That won't stop me from giving it to someone else though.

2. The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick

I might have made it my unofficial mission to get everyone I know and love to read this book.  I'm stretching the term "picture book" for this entry.  It's one of those books that is its own genres.  Is it a novel, graphic novel, or super long picture book?  Regardless, pairing the book with the amazing film adaptation (really, it's one of the few books into movies that I love) would be a great gift.

3. Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak

Like I said above, almost everyone geeks out in a fit of nostalgia for their wild ways of the past.

4. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, by Mo Willems

Like number 2 on this list, I've spread the Pigeon books all over the place and I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't find the Pigeon completely endearing and hilarious.  From kindergartners to law partners, everyone loves this guy.

5. A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein

There are three kinds of people: People who like poetry, people who pretend to like poetry, and people who openly hate it.  All three love Silverstein (in my imagination).  These poems are silly, imaginative and can cheer up anyone.  Who could say no to this as a gift?  The kid in the video, that's who.

Friday Five: Picture Books With Horrible Messages

Picture books are many things: educational tools, entertainment, a way to keep your kids busy while you watch your stories, nostalgic items, etc. etc.  They're also a way to teach kids what you think they, and everyone else, should believe.  After looking through some children and YA  political books for this week's Top Ten Tuesday, I came across Help! Mom! There are Liberals Under My Bed!  Yikes.

Sometimes these books with a purpose are good (The Lorax, anyone?) other times, they can be hurtful.  So here are five I find to be completely ridiculous and hurtful. Obviously, due to their existence, others disagree.  But such is life.

1. Latawnya The Naughty Horse Learns to Say No to Drugs, by Sylvia Scott Gibson

I think the overall intention of the book to depict some drugs as bad is a good one, but the book holds some thinly veiled racism that is just too much to take.  It also turns alcohol into a superdrug after one sip, which is a little extreme.  You can read the book online here.

2. My Working Mom, by Peter Glassman

I found out about this gem thanks to Tina Fey's Bossypants.  Essentially, the child in the story has a working mother - a witch.  It's social commentary about the horrible things that happen when you have a mother who works.  And no, it was not written in the 1950s.  It was the 90s.  Maybe it was some backlash against the shoulderpads.

3. Votes for Catherine Susan and Me, by Cathleen Ainslie

This is a picture book from 1910 that served as anti-suffrage propaganda.  There's nothing scarier than female dolls with blades for arms wanting the right to vote.

4. Maggie Goes on a Diet, by Paul Kramer

There's nothing wrong with promoting healthy lifestyles.  But when you tell the four year old child the book is aimed at that they shouldn't be fat anymore, that's where the problem comes into play.  At that age, it's the parent who should be making health decisions, not the 4 year old gaining an image problem.

5. Alfie's Home, by Richard Cohen

This book.  There are really no words.  Read it for yourself here.  It's horrible on so many levels.  Can picture books be sad? Of course, some of the best ones are.  But this one is heavy in so many ways.  The wrong ways.  It treats homosexuality as a symptom, portrays unrealistic solutions to fighting, and the pedophile doesn't get punished.  KIDS: ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE PEDOPHILES GET PUNISHED!

Friday Five: More Challenged/Controversial Picture Books

Picture Books should just come with a light up display that reads: "JUDGE ME!!" They never seem to catch a break.  There's always something that a parent or "concerned" (read: crazy) adult thinks children should never see.  It's a reasonable concern, but there are millions of other books available...just pick one of those.  The more you challenge a book, the more popular it will become.  So for that, I guess I should thank the crazies. 

Five More Controversial Picture Books:

1) In the Night Kitchen, by Maurice Sendak.
Okay, so the little boy is naked.  Kids shouldn't have to see that, right?  Well, half of the kids reading it have the parts themselves.  They can see it anytime they want.  And if you've seen Jersey Girl, you know that kids will eventually start showing their stuff to each other when they please.

But really, this book can be interpreted more about how there are no barriers between a person and his dream and how he becomes part of his dream, along with a small dash of Holocaust references.  So lighten up about his nudity, or do what Stephen Colbert did and just cut out all the penises. 

2) Where's Waldo

I was surprised when I saw that this was challenged material and kind of secretly wished it held some message hidden along with with our striped shirt friend about how gay people are awesome or something like that so I could love Waldo even more.  Alas, it's only because there's a teeny tiny drawing of a topless woman on a beach.  She was drawn with a bikini top on in the 10th anniversary edition.  What a bummer.  But still, the fact that someone found and complained about that drawing rather than laugh about it, is a little sad. 

3) The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss

Essentially, people have a problem with being told that they are causing problems. Clearly they just need to make a profit off of this environmental "trend" like in 30 Rock:

4) Nappy Hair, by Carolivia Herron

What was supposed to be a funny picture book for children ended up costing a woman her teaching job.  A white teacher read this story aloud to her class of black and Hispanic students.  They loved the book.  LOVED it.  The parents, however, thought it was offensive and that the teacher was being racist by reading it to the class, even though the author herself says that that was the intended audience for her book.  The teacher ended up receiving many threats from the parents and had to transfer schools because she feared for her safety.  It's sad that these kids received this type of response to a book that they loved.  What's even more sad was that the reaction was mainly from parents of other children in the school, not of the teacher's actual students.  The book's purpose was to celebrate cultural differences, but like Will Smith said, parents just don't understand.

5) Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, by Bill Martin

This story is hilariously sad.  The author of Brown Bear has the same name as the author of Ethical Marxism: The Categorical Imperative of Liberation.  Obviously "Bill Martin" is such an unusual combination of names that it immediately raises flags.  *Sarcasm hand*  Well, in Texas, that's what they think.  In 2010, the State Board of Education removed Bill Martin's picture book from the Social Studies curriculum where it would have been studied for its cultural contributions.  Texans don't like it when you criticize capitalism and the good ol' American way.  Well, obviously the picture book author WAS NOT the Marxist.  Didn't matter.  Oh, and the people who made the motion to strike it from the curriculum? They never read the Marxism book or did further research to figure out if it was the same author.  Tsk tsk. 

#TheList, No. 287: The Loon's Necklace

The Loon's Necklace is an origin story akin to Kipling's Just So Stories (how the elephant got it's trunk, etc.).  In this case, if you couldn't tell, it's about how the Loon got its pattern (speckled with a white collar - -the "necklace").  

The text is by William Toye, who retells this Tsimshian legend.  The text is rather straightforward.  I mean, you can't really confuse this exchange:

"The old woman beat me.  She found the meat I brought you."

"Forget about your beating.  I can see again, my son." 

I know the Father is referencing the fact that he can now provide for his family, but man, what a horribly comforting choice of dialogue.  Kids will love it! 

Anyway, the standout of this book is Elizabeth Cleaver's illustrations.  

First off, she's Canadian.  

Alright, now that's out of the way (I kid, I love Canadians).  Cleaver was a well-renowned illustrator and known for her mixture of American and Indian art and expressing nature amazingly well in her style.  I'm not super confidant describing art, but Children's Literature Review confirms that the illustrations in this book are watercolor with a woodcut effect, especially for the characters' faces (p. 58).  It's hard to explain and the book's cover doesn't give the inside illustrations any justice, but the illustrations make the book.  

Kids who like origin stories and/or kids who gravitate toward darker colors and imagery will enjoy this book.  The story is a little bleh, to use a technical term, but the illustrations could keep them captivated for some time.  

Yeah I did research for this:

"Elizabeth (Ann Mrazik) Cleaver (1939-1985)." Children’s Literature Review. Ed. Gerard J. Senick. Vol. 13. Detroit: Gale Research, 1987. 54-73. Literature Criticism Online. Gale. 

I Am A Pole (And So Can You!)

Oh Stephen Colbert.  You bring me so much joy.  I'll never forget the day I discovered your show and proceeded to Youtube the entire first series in one week to catch up.  Or the day that we high-fived three times.  True story.  You mouthed for me to call you, but then a cameraman walked over and blocked my view, so I never did catch your number.  I'm sorry for not calling.

Now you've written a parody of a picture book.  It's like you want me to truly know we are meant to be together.  I love picture books and I love parodies of picture books.  It's perfect.

I Am A Pole (And So Can You!) follows a pole on its rhyming journey to figure out what to do in its life.  The pole goes through different phases of pole-dom including, of course, stripper pole, barber shop pole, and even tadpole.  It keeps trying new things and is about to give up when it finally gets its happy ending and finds a purpose.

Let me stress that this book is intentionally bad.  The reason Colbert published it (following the epic interview with Maurice Sendak) is because children's books sell, no matter how ridiculous.  Every celebrity out there (including John Travolta, Madonna, and apparently Terrell Owens) seems to think that a few silly lines and some fast drawings make a children's book, which is an easy way to add "Author" to their resume. 

There are so many elements in this book that nod to typical children's books that sell: the medal on the cover, the quote from the famous children's author ("The sad thing is, I like it!" - Maurice Sendak), and the list of sequels (aka other books to buy). Once you dive into the content of the book, you get the horrible attempts at poetry and bland illustrations that make up most celebrity writing attempts. 

But with I Am A Pole, the intentional crappiness makes it funny and coffee table worthy (for me at least).  How can you not laugh at:

I maypoled for a month,

Learning pagans aren't my type...

I didn't cut it as a totem -

Me no smoke-um the peace pipe.

So if you like Stephen Colbert or you like making fun of children's books or you just like poles, then check out I Am A Pole. 

HOWEVER, do NOT think that this is a children's book.  I'm actually amazed at some of the reviews I'm reading by people who say that they like Colbert and actually thought that this would be an appropriate book for kids.  NO.  Look above.  I've already mentioned a stripper and smoking.  Unless you're into sharing all that stuff, reading this with your 4 year old is probably a bad idea.  

A Ball for Daisy

I love books without words; they're so much fun. You can have kids "read" to you what they see in the pictures without them feeling afraid that they're getting something wrong. I once had my then two-year-old cousin read me what I thought was a wordless book. She spent 12 minutes on one page that only included Elmo and his family in their kitchen. She felt daunted by the next page's inclusion of words, so I had to step in and read to her. Unfortunately, the written words didn't correspond to her creation of Elmo's wedding, and I wasn't creative enough to keep going with her story. #sadface

A Ball for Daisy, by Chris Raschka just won the 2012 Caldecott Award.  I had recently read a picture book by him about a sardine becoming a sardine (for adults who like to laugh at morbid things in picture book form: me!), so I wanted to check out what his more child-friendly books were like.  A Ball for Daisy is precious.  The impressionistic illustrations are fun, energetic and I can't think of any other word but adorable. Seriously, the dog is so adorable. Look at her. Just go grab the book and look at Daisy. She's adorable.

Even without words, the illustrations are organized clearly to give a child a path for reading the story. Daisy is a fun, happy dog who loves playing with her red ball. Then it pops in the park and she's depressed until she gets a new ball.  So simple.  

Or maybe the story isn't that simple. Maybe Daisy is actually an evil dog. I don't know. But the kids reading the story will, and that's what matters.

Did you know...?

One of the courses I'm taking this semester involves selecting non-fiction works for children.  Now I know exactly what thought crossed the minds of about 98.2% of you after reading that last sentence: "ew, boring."  I thought so too at one point in my life.  Who wants to read about real people when you could read about Hogwarts?  Seems like an easy choice.

Enter the informational picture storybook.

Kids books are where it's at.  The non-fiction section of a children's room is like a Cliffsnotes of Wikipedia.  Peruse a book on any topic and you'll pick up the major points outlined in an easy to follow format and with some pretty nifty illustrations.  You'll probably learn something new, like I did:

In the early 1800s, the town of Cheshire, MA made a wheel of cheddar cheese that weighed over 1200 pounds to give to Thomas Jefferson.  The cheese was delivered to the White House on a sleigh.  A SLEIGH.  First of all, do you realize how many grilled cheese sandwiches could come from a 1200 lb wheel of cheese?  Now imagine all of those sandwiches on a sleigh like Santa Clause.  Yeah, YOU'RE EXCITED.  I don't even like cheese and I want this to happen.  And happen it did.  In 1802.  They were so cool back then.  

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen
Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen and CHEDDAR

#TheList, No. 27: Elmer

The goal of David McKee's book is to promote individuality and it succeeds.  If you aren't yourself and try to blend in with the crowd, then you're letting everyone and yourself down.  In case you don't remember reading Elmer, the gist of the story is that a patchwork elephant is upset that he doesn't look the same as everyone else.  He paints himself grey, becomes unrecognizable, and upsets his friends when they believe that he's not around to make them laugh.  When it rains and washes away his paint, they think it's his best joke yet and declare it Elmer's day where they paint themselves vibrant colors to emulate their patchwork friend.

It's a good story and I obviously agree that everyone should be themselves.  There's no bullying in this book, the "normal" grey elephants love Elmer because he always makes them laugh with his ideas for games and jokes, NOT because they enjoy making fun of them.  Elmer still feels unsettled about his appearance because he's different, which is something everything goes through regardless of what they look like or their popularity levels.  So I like that this is a book about individuality and being true to yourself without the bullying counterpart that is so prevalent in today's society (with good reason, obviously).  

This makes a great read-aloud with the simple story and vibrant illustrations.  The invention of Elmer's Day practically screams to be used as an activity for younger children in a library.  Just declare that day as Elmer's Day and start painting kids' faces!  That is one of the most fun things to do, I mean come on.  Who doesn't like that?  And if you're against messy faces, then have the children color in pictures of elephants and try to come up with interesting patterns to compete with Elmer's patchwork skin.  Arts & Crafts time is the best time...except for nap time.  Which is what time it is right now.

#TheList, No. 314: Not so Fast Songololo

Malusi, also known as Songololo, goes with his grandmother to help her with her shopping for the day. He's the youngest and used to getting hand-me-downs, so when his grandmother buys him new red shoes, it's like the best thing to ever happen in the world. I understand Songololo; when your grandmother does something special for you, you cherish it. My grandmother used to fight the McDonald's workers when they gave out those Teenie Beanie Babies in Happy Meals in order to make sure that we never got the same one twice.   It was wonderful.  Granted, during those weeks we had to eat McDonald's breakfast, lunch, and supper, and believe it or not, kids can get sick of fast food. 

My first impression of this book was that it was incredibly dated.  I could probably attribute that to the fact that the copy I checked out from the library was falling apart and had a stamp on the first page reading "Withdrawn from Library" with a big red X.  But moving on...

The illustrations really set it apart from more current picture books.  The illustrations are surprisingly detailed watercolors and the facial features of the characters are wonderful.  However, only the last few pages include any pictorial background.  Instead, the majority of the pages feature only the characters and text against a white background.  It really threw me off that the characters were drawn to fill the pages and nothing relied on background images.  The colors are also fairly dull when compared to the vibrant, eyecatching colors used today, probably out of necessity to make people buy books.  Even though it made the book feel dated, it was refreshing to see such a strong focus on the characters, allowing a child reader/listener to connect with them while the story occurs.

The content was semi-dated/surprising as well.  While walking to the bus stop with his grandmother, Malusi kicks a beer can down the street.  I've never seen a picture book with a picture of beer before in my life.  Littering? Sure.  Beer? No.

I think the only thing that would trip up kids is some of the terminology.  The story takes place in South Africa and the story was written in 1985, so the language is sometimes tricky.  The sneakers that Malusi longs for in the store window are actually referred to as "tackies."  Kids are intuitive and can most likely figure it out by virtue of the fact that he's pressed up against a window display full of red sneakers.  The term "Songololo" isn't explained until the second to last page and I think it adds to the story.   Songololo ends up just being a special name the grandmother has for her grandson, but learning of their long-lasting special connection late in the story just solidifies the strength of their relationship readers witness in the book.  I looked up "songololo" to see if it had any significance outside of a special nickname, but it just means "millipede."  The perils of using Google: they always show you a preview of image results when you look up something.  Ew.

The best part of the book that kids probably won't understand or notice, are the ridiculous clothing styles of the other characters (again, it was the 80s).  My favorite: a woman crossing the street wearing a jacket that says "I <3 Elvis" across the back.  Just. Awesome.

#TheList, No. 138: Guess How Much I Love You

This book contains the classic game we like to call One-Upsmanship.  I love to play this game because I'm a horrible competitive person.  Oh you've been to a Dropkick Murphys concert, have you?  Well, I've performed with them onstage (true story):

       ^^that's my leg!

McBratney's picture book (illustrations by Anita Jeram) is really adorable.  At first I thought it was a nostalgia entry, and maybe it is, but it was written in 1994, which is the same year Friends debuted and I refuse to believe that the show is that old, so I'm not going to consider it a nostalgia book!  It's a great book for kids and here's why:

1) The illustrations:  They're simple, yet expressive.  Too detailed pictures would make the book seem heavy, when it's just supposed to be a light tale about how much a parent loves his kid.  The colors stay the same throughout the book, keeping a child focused on the story, rather than spending time dissecting all of the changes.  That makes it especially good for parents, because I'm sure this is the quintessential go-to-bed book. 

2) Anthropomorphizing.  The characters in the story are hares, specifically Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare.  The two characters could easily have been humans, but that's not as fun.  Kids love animals.  What was smart was choosing hares and having them constantly drawn in human positions: standing, jumping, stretching, holding each other, etc.  Kids are seeing the furry animal, but also seeing a reflection of their parents or whoever looks after them, which can be a comforting sight.  Either that or they see what they want as their next pet.

3) It's reassuring.  Every kid, actually every person wants to know that she's loved.  Look at Drew Barrymore's IMDB listings.  That poor girl has been looking for love all over the place.  Hearing that someone loves you, or even loves you more, is comforting to a child.  They're always worried that they're going to be returned to the stork, so it's wise to let them know that, hey, you're pretty cool.

4) One-Upsmanship (best game ever).  It's a horrible game for adults to play with kids, but we can't help it.  These kids are all proud that they can walk, but we've been doing that for 20+ years. Get on our level, kids!  No, but in all seriousness, that's what children are all about.  As soon as they learn how to do something, or think of something clever, they're off on a mission to brag about it.  Hell, I learned how to tie my shoes with a splinter in my eye and I wasn't about to let my Mom bring me to the hospital until I showed her what I could do.  The constant back and forth between father and son in this book is therefore familiar to children reading or hearing this story and is, again, comforting.  

5) It doesn't involve any creepy crawling across floors to stare at a sleeping adult like in that Robert Munsch book. It's just a simple message: I love you, a lot.

#TheList, No. 304: A Chair for My Mother

Word of advice: don't read this right before you go to sleep thinking, "well it's a short book, I'll just read it fast and then write about it in the morning."  No.  You will instead be depressed and unable to sleep.

It's a picture book, so that part about it being a fast read is a fact.  Story summary: A young girl's home burned up in the past, so now she, her mom, and her grandmother are saving up all their change to buy a new chair for the mom to rest in after work.  It's cute, until you start thinking about how this tiny tot is working at a diner alongside her mother just for a few measly dimes so she can one day get a chair.  And you thought your not being able to afford both Instant and DVD Netflix was bad.  You're selfish.

The story is executed really well.  There are a bunch of layers underneath the main premise of getting that chair.  Spoiler alert, they get the chair.  Phew.  If they hadn't, I would have been distraught.  Anyway, aside from the efforts made to get the chair, there's a lot here about the strength of family and friends during a difficult time.  Even further buried in the story is the lack of father.  It's clear that he's not there, but the reason why is unspecified.  I actually like that it's not touched upon; doing so could either add an extra element of sadness or unnecessary anger.  It's interesting that he's not there and it remains interesting because of the small mystery around it.

Images are obviously an important aspect of a picture book (#Duh).  The painted illustrations effectively blend people and objects together with warm colors, creating a haunting effect at times, especially after the revelation that the family lost their possessions in a fire.  Illustrations demonstrating the strong community and their success at buying a chair are far brighter than the first half of the story.  It's subtle and effective.  

This story is full of potential library activities and lesson plans: 1) Have kids talk about what they would do to help their family get a chair; 2) Discuss reasons why Rosa (the kid) only puts half of her money away for the chair; 3) Draw their own version of the story; etc. etc. 

So check it out.  Not before bed.

#TheList, No. 79: What Do People Do All Day?

I love Richard Scarry. I didn't have the books as a child, but I was familiar with the Busytown inhabitants from the cartoon rendition that eventually aired on Nickelodeon. So it was fun to read through and see all of the characters again. Oh yeah, this is definitely a nostalgic addition to The List.

But it's a nostalgic entry that has merit. Kids love to point to things in books while they're being read to and constantly ask "what's that?" Everything is labeled is in this book, which makes answering those sometimes pesky questions slightly easier, plus it helps kids who are reading on their own for the first time.  Funny pictures and valuable lessons.  Score! 

In What Do People Do All Day? Scarry covers the day to day actions of various employees, including farmers, masons, firefighters, doctors, etc.  I only have an abridged version, so I'm not sure what was cut out, but it looks like the majority of the occupations covered in the book are very hands-on types, which I like because I feel like those are often glossed over for office jobs in a lot of children's literature (from what I've read, at least).  What I do know is that Scarry's books were reworked to cut down on some of the sexism and stereotypes.  Some of it is still prevalent (I can't decide if the Farmer buying his wife earrings in the shape of eggbeaters is sexist or hilarious), but there are more female workers, male teachers, and such, which is nifty.

Another bonus for the adults reading this with kids: the pictures are often hilarious.  They're full of subtle jokes kids won't understand, like the Rabbit family pulling up to their new house with a four level car just stuffed with baby bunnies. 

All in all, I love Richard Scarry and I think his books are incredibly useful tools for helping kids learn about various aspects of life as well as some pretty handy vocabulary.  One last thing...check out the butcher on the cover of this book.  Bottom left hand corner.  And now you're freaked out.  

Review: The Snow Angel

Over the weekend, I did the unthinkable: read a children's book written by Glenn Beck (in case you don't know me, the fact that a children's book was written by Glenn Beck is what's unthinkable).  It was difficult to get through and off the top of my head, I can't even remember what it was actually about.  I do remember a few things:

1)  The scene is set on the first page of this terrible picture book: two downtrodden children are in the kitchen, eating what looks like the most depressing Kraft macaroni and cheese ever (because it's not the Blues Clues kind, which everyone knows is the best kind and is sadly discontinued).  The measly three lines of text lets us know that Dad doesn't make good macaroni and cheese like Mom.  But now that Mom has a job, Dad's been forced to cook for the kids more often than not. 

Translation: A woman's place is in the kitchen. Grab your torches and pitchforks, the economic crisis is yanking women from their natural environment.  Manly men should not be forced to pick up utensils and prepare food for their offspring.  They should be spending their time killing the food they bring home for their wives to cook. 

Hidden meaning: Obama is not only destroying the economy, but he's ruining the nation's nutrition by forcing men to cook for their children, and upsetting the traditional American family structure.

2)  He couldn't go three pages without mentioning the Middle East.  On the off-chance a woman  neglecting her duties isn't enough to prove the world's demise, he lets the news announcer demonstrate just how serious the setting is in this story.  I'm a little surprised at his restraint from writing about how this family doesn't even have a flat screen television for Dad to watch while he ignores his children's pleas for a better dinner.   

3)  Dad may cook the dinner, but he puts his dishes in the sink, presumably for the wife to wash after busting her metaphorical balls to support her family.  

4)  I just reread the book (UGH) to remember what the story was about: an unappreciated Grandmother telling her bratty grandkids about how her soldier dad once taught her that snow angels store love.  This lesson is somehow supposed to console them about having to eat the same thing each night and never see their parents.  I think that the lesson is mostly supposed to mask the fact that Mr. Beck didn't realize until it was too late that the Grandmother was a viable candidate to cook dinner instead of the Dad.  She apparently takes care of them every night.  It only makes sense. 

5)  So the kids have some sense smacked into them, and they make some paper snow angels for their parents to show them how much they love them.  They also give them breakfast in bed: uncooked macaroni and cheese, which I'll admit did actually make me giggle..but only for a second. 

Is this book good? No.  Should you read it? No.  Not even to give it a chance? No.  Should you buy it for someone else?  Only if you hate them or you're giving it as a joke gift, like the wonderful gentleman who gave it to me.  Thanks, Richard!!

#TheList, No. 33: Handa’s Surprise

When I picked up this picture book from the library, my first reaction was: "oh crap."  The title was in Arabic and because I only learned the everyday language that is Latin throughout junior high and high school, I figured I would have to read this book like the three year olds it's meant for and just look at the pretty pictures.  But there was an English translation alongside the Arabic within the book, so all was good.

The story is simple: Handa is bringing fruits to her friend Akeyo, but on her journey, animals keep sneaking up and stealing the fruit from her basket.  But within the story, this little picture book covers a lot.  It teaches animal types, fruits, colors, counting, sharing, and hey, a new language (assuming they don't know it already)!  Apparently this book is available in about 20 languages, which is a pretty nifty dynamic to add to a picture book. 

I read this to a three year old to get her perspective on the story because as much as I act like a 3 year old, I'm far too cynical to have their exact outlook on life.  Results: a lot of laughing, a lot of pretending she was the animals in the book and a lot of asking what sound a zebra makes.  So all in all, Eileen Browne's picture book is an effective read for the kiddies.  If you don't mind toddlers bouncing off the walls pretending they're animals in the book (and out of the book), then I say go for it, but probably not as a bedtime story.   

Handa's Surprise would also be a great multicultural project in a library where kids can research the animals, land, and fruit that's held between the covers of the book.  I actually found an adorable video on Youtube of students performing this story dressed as the animals in the story.  Basically, this book can be fun reading or the subject of lesson plans galore and should definitely be kept in any children's library. 

#TheList, No. 46: The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck

Alright, I know these Beatrix Potter stories are household names, but I don't remember reading any of them when I was a child.  I'm pretty sure I owned a collection of the stories, but I think it became a coloring book for my siblings (along with my walls and the back of my closet where my brother once drew out his comic book "Triangle Boy" - it's not half bad).  Anyway, my point is that I went into reading this book with the assumption that its inclusion in "The List" is for nostalgia's sake. 

I did not expect to laugh my butt off the entire time I read this book, although that might not have been for the right reasons.  I still think this is a nostalgia title, but there's some worth to it.  It's got a bit of a Little Red Riding Hood feel to it and teaches kids that if you're simple and too trusting, you and your kids will be eaten by a fox who is almost always illustrated while sitting and holding a newspaper which makes him look like he's going potty.  You shouldn't want that to happen to you, so don't be stupid - - a moral I can get behind. 

 

Anyway, I'm going to go through this step by step (like you're in the New Kids) and list my reactions to everything in order. Ready set go:

1) The duck's name is Jemima so I was sincerely hoping for some syrup connection.  She's syrupy sweet in a simpleton kind of way, so I guess that works enough.

2) Miss Jemima is all in a tizzy because the farmer's wife won't let her hatch her eggs (woman's gotta eat!), but her sister-in-law, Rebeccah, but who I call Aunt Becky, is all for letting those eggs get taken away.  She's a busy woman and doesn't have time for that dilly dally nonsense that comes from sitting on top of kids all day.  To this I say: right on! But I guess that's not the attitude I'm supposed to adopt right now.

3) I'll admit that the drawings are pretty fantastic and they make you appreciate the talent that went into drawing everything by hand before computers and graphic art and all that newfangled stuff that the kids are using today came into play.  

4) "She was wearing a shawl and a poke bonnet."  I'm so glad that sentence is in here.  If I had thought for a second that she left the farm without her poke bonnet, I would have thrown this book in a fit of anger.

5) The fox looks like he's sitting on nature's toilet.  Seriously look at that fox.  What is the first thing you think of?  

6) The fox offers his home to Jemima as a place to hatch her eggs. Jemima trusts this fox too much.  Say bye bye to your babies, Jemima!

7) So Jemima keeps her eggs at the fox's house until one day he decides they should eat together and sends her off to buy the fixin's for roast duck.  Luckily a collie who I shall refer to as Lassie even though he (and of course it's a he) has his own name, realizes what the fox is up to and races to save her sorry behind.

8) Her eggs still get eaten by puppies.  I'm a horrible human being because I laughed out loud at that. 

9) Jemima goes home and eventually has more eggs, but not all of them hatched because she never felt the same.  Hooray for depressing endings!

10) Morals: Don't be stupid.   If you're smart, you get to keep your babies.  Stupid people shouldn't have babies. 

Alright, so my reactions were mainly cynical (as usual), but I do actually like the story.  The moral is simple, logical, and great for kids to learn. I recommend it even though I hate when women are portrayed as dainty little weaklings, especially ones who wear poke bonnets. 

#TheList, No. 10: Miffy

I realized my coverage of picture books is practically nonexistent, so I needed to do something about that.  I picked one at random and moseyed on down to the library to pick it up, purposely stationing myself at the self-checkout machine in front of my favorite security guard.  I could see it in her eyes that she wanted nothing more than to rummage through my bags and judge me for my literary selections, but miracle of miracles the alarm didn't go off when I left!

So Miffy is a cute little picture book by Dick Bruna.  Apparently this is the first of about 30 Miffy books.  The series was made into a television show for Nick Jr. so all the tots could watch this cute little bunny.  The simple, bright pictures, the limited amount of text, and the rhyming sentences clearly make this a book that should be read aloud to children.  The pictures mirror the words, allowing the young child to visualize what's going on.  This is also beneficial for those leaning how to read, as they can consult the images to make sure that they're on the right track.  The book is so simple though that I personally think it's best for read-alouds, preferably at bedtime. 

The story is of Mr. and Mrs. Bunny and their wish for a baby.  An angel comes and brings them Miffy.  All the animals around, except the cow, want to play with her because she's so cute (the cow doesn't think she's that great).  Miffy also can't go out to play because she's sleepy.  It's a little anticlimactic with her just sleeping while everyone wants to play, but that's what makes this one an effective bedtime story.  The angel bit is a little out of nowhere, but I think it just adds to the cuteness factor the book is going for.

Day 05 – A book that makes you happy

There are tons of books that make me happy.  Just seeing books generally makes me happy.  I tried to pick one I had never written about so as not to look like a copout, but a) this was the one I kept coming back to; and b) I have too much homework to do to write an extensive blog of praise to another book.  So, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus it is!  I mean, come on.  Is that not the cutest thing you've ever seen?

#TheList, No. 332: The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs

Jon Scieszka's picture books are amazing.  Yes, Lane Smith's illustrations aren't pretty.  They're often disjointed and creepy, but that's kind of the point.  Picture books don't have to be all gooey with cutesy drawings.  This story, which, in case you couldn't gather from the title, tells the true story of the three little pigs, is supposed to be a dark tale so creepy pictures are a perfect fit.  It's a fractured fairytale and the disjointed illustrations add to that fractured fun.  

The gist of the story: the "big bad wolf" just had a cold, he wanted to borrow some sugar to bake his granny a cake, and the pigs are actually horribly rude and wouldn't share.  Or so he says.  Look at the pictures.  Should we side with the wolf when we see that all the cops are pigs and could be siding with their fellow species? Or do we notice that when the stick house falls, it falls into what resembles a dinner place setting, complete with stick forks and a knife and a pig in the middle?  

I think this story is the perfect example of how picture books are not just useful tools for pre-school storytime sessions.  They can be useful tools in the learning process for students of all ages.  Teaching a lesson about the right to a fair trial?  Use this book to demonstrate how in the U.S. legal system, the Wolf would be afforded the opportunity to defend his actions.  Want to teach your high-school literature class about trusting narrators?  This book, coupled with the pictures, demonstrates how readers must focus on multiple aspects of the story to make an accurate assessment of what's real...and how even then can never be truly sure.  You could even use this story as an introduction to other fractured fairytales (Ella Enchanted, Rapunzel's Revenge, The Graveyard Book) or as a way to invite children to create their own twists on classics. 

#TheList, No. 158: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

This is, without a doubt, my favorite picture book currently in existence.  Practically every person who steps into my apartment is subjected to reading it regardless of age, sex, or sobriety.  Some lucky, or unlucky, souls have actually been subjected to me reading it aloud. 

Even my Mom's kindergarten class knows that it's my favorite picture book.  They sent me a letter on that oversized lined paper you always find in dusty school closets, asking me if it's the illustrations that make it my favorite.  Well kids, that's definitely part of it. 

Not only are the illustrations simple, adorable chalk drawings, but the characterization of the pigeon as a tantrum throwing, conniving toddler is perfect. 

The set-up is simple.  There's a bus driver.  He needs to step away from the bus for a moment.  He asks the reader to make sure the pigeon doesn't drive the bus.  Why?  Because he's a pigeon.  A pigeon with the most adorable, expressive eyes ever.  The child reading the book (or the adult) is then placed in the position of having to tell the pigeon "no" while he begs unrelentlessly to drive the bus in the driver's absence. 

So the book is adorable and teaches children some pretty important lessons: responsibility, tantrums don't always work, and pigeons should not drive.  Kids love it, parents love it, librarians love it. You should love it.  You should also check out the other Pigeon books that have since been published, especially "The Pigeon Wants a Puppy" because c'mon.  A pigeon...and a puppy.  ADORBS. 

Go the F*ck to Sleep

Here's Samuel L. Jackson doing a reading of Adam Mansbach's children's book, Go the F*ck to Sleep.  The book itself is already hilarious, but add in Samuel L. Jackson and it reaches new levels.  If I ever have kids, I may or may not play this for them when they go to bed.  I'll probably alternate this with "The Book of Mormon."  Maybe I shouldn't have kids.