Transitioning to Winter...

I love the shifting of seasons.  Sometimes it happens slowly and the leaves deepen in hue and drop off one by one... other times it's an abrupt wake-up call and a brave little iris is poking its head out of the cold ground.  Here in the Pacific Northwest, we were enjoying a normal, wet, mild, windy fall when all of a sudden the bitter cold came yesterday and left a quarter inch of snow dusting the ground.  Winter already?  I marvel in the rhythms of nature... and so many picture books do too.  I have Top Ten lists for all the seasons already, limited though they are. But we all know there exist a myriad of books that really hinge on a very specific part of the season, specifically its inception.  Best are the books emphasizing the beginning of spring and the beginning of winter.  Summer and Fall (well, there is the blooming "harvest time" genre...) are not as common for some reason, at least it seems to me...

Anyway, I read a book that's new this year that made me think of all my favorite "transitioning to winter" titles.  The book is this one:

Winter is Coming

... and it is stunning.  It might well be my favorite book of the year.  I just love the tone; it's poetic without being contrived and Jim La Marche could not have been a better illustrator for this book.  The whole story is simply a young girl watching wildlife and how they respond to the shifting of seasons.  In many ways, I was struck by how it felt like the female version of The Raft.  In that book, Winter Is Coming is going on my gifting ideas list because it is just beautiful.
The story is developed in a traditional way but the similarities between a child sketching wildlife in opposite seasons was wonderful; they'd make a great side-by-side comparison for the enterprising teacher.

A couple of the other books that I cherish this time of year are sadly out of print.  All can be found in my local library however, so I suspect they're available in others.  One is called Waiting for Winter and it is glorious and messy and funny and endearing.  I can't fathom why it went out of print so soon!  Meschenmoser illustrated it in sparse colors with a scribblish technique that captures the bitter end of fall so well. The little squirrel is waiting for snow and trying to figure out what exactly it'll be like...


Snowsong Whistling is another one of my favorites because Elisa Kleven is like the bacon of the picture book world... add her illustrations to anything and it'll turn out amazing.  In this book, the world again waits for the first snow and spritely verses dance across the pages as winter knocks at the door.

Still in the OUT OF PRINT world, there are other goodies also... like Hurry Hurry Mary Dear a very fun book about Mary running about tucking things in, getting ready for the big, blustery winter on its way.  The book is really an depiction of what illustrator Erik Blevgard calls a "domestic drama" but it sure is fun to be watching it all unfold!

So there you are... the best of the "transition" books in my opinion...

 “The quiet transition from autumn to winter is not a bad time at all. It's a time for protecting and securing things and for making sure you've got in as many supplies as you can. It's nice to gather together everything you possess as close to you as possible, to store up your warmth and your thoughts and burrow yourself into a deep hole inside, a core of safety where you can defend what is important and precious and your very own. Then the cold and the storms and the darkness can do their worst. They can grope their way up the walls looking for a way in, but they won't find one, everything is shut, and you sit inside, laughing in your warmth and your solitude, for you have had foresight.” 

-Tove Jansson

A Picture Book Thanksgiving

In nearly thirteen years of married life, I have cooked exactly one turkey.  Thursday will mark my second attempt. I say attempt because the first was a failure of significant proportions. We went to a local farm on the island we lived on and agreed to pay a pretty price for one of the turkeys trotting about the premises.  Part of the agreement was that my husband and sons would get to come help kill the bird so our children would know that food doesn't come from a freezer and we support a local economy, etc.  Lofty goals...

The bird was slaughtered; defeathered and sent home with excited young eyeballs proud to call it our own. I had never cooked a turkey before so I just winged it (I'm so punny!)... thinking it would be hard to screw up.  Well, I screwed it up.  Birds that have room to roam are ipso facto leaner birds. The meat needed a little bit of TLC to get that famous "Butterball" taste I was used to.  I didn't really know what I was doing and we gnawed on tough meat with sacrificial spirits, rather than thankful ones... thinking about how much money we spent on this 'quality' 'local' meat.  At least the pie was good...

But I digress. We've somehow managed to get invited elsewhere or visit family for most of our other Thanksgiving holidays and so I've no real experience in developing solid family traditions for this day.  I am asked to please make sure Great-Grandma's Sweet Potato Casserole gets made but everything else can pretty much come or go any given year.  Perhaps that's why I'm not particularly excited about Thanksgiving-themed picture books.  I just don't get really jazzed up about this holiday for some reason.  I have precisely the books I want to have and am not really licking my chops hunting for the newer and better ones that I'm certain exist (google "Thanksgiving picture books" and you'll get an eyeful if you want).

So, realizing there has been a void in Thanksgiving posts since I started this blog 3 years ago, I'll share with you what I have and a brief bit about why I have them, just for my die-hard dozen of curious people. But know that this isn't a comprehensive list of all great books out there for Turkey Day by any stretch of the imagination.  I read these during the week prior to Thursday.

Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving: This gives the story of Squanto obviously and I like having a first person focus for this story. It's well done and offers a friendly bit of truth regarding Spanish Catholic monks that isn't too common to see in secular history accounts.

The Thanksgiving Story: Tells the tale. The text is a tad lengthy but the art style is beautiful as to be expected.  This is the "official story" book I go to. This year, I'm reading it over a couple days as part of our school's morning basket.

Cranberry Thanksgiving: I love Cranberry-ville! This is fun and fresh and not focused on the history at all.  Vintage... happy that Purple House Press brought these back in print.

Mousekins Thanksgiving: I wish Mousekin was back in print; he's a Charlotte Masoner's dream! This is a gentle tale, full of natural goodness typical of Mousekin and ends in a satisfying and sweet way that captures the 'spirit' of Thanksgiving generosity.

Three Young Pilgrims. For my younger children specifically to get a taste of history with the personal narrative to go with it.  It's colorful and engaging.

N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims: I bought this when we were studying N.C. Wyeth as an artist.  The story is a faithful rendition of the original history but I really don't make a point to read from this book so much as to just enjoy the pictures (Though the scene is picturesque and romanticized a bit, it's still a good piece of Americana to get nostalgic about).

The Thanksgiving Door: Something off the beaten path a bit and full of Thanksgiving "spirit" again.  I like to find tales that get a new angle on this holiday because there's only so many books you can read about the history before your eyes blur over.



p.s. Regarding seasonal out of print books. If you don't already know this, they are horrifyingly overpriced when it gets close to that season.  Do not shop for OOP holiday books in the same month that the holiday is celebrated.  I buy my OOP Christmas books no later than October and shake my head as prices skyrocket just weeks later... so you have to think ahead of the game a little bit. 

I judged a book by its cover.

deceptively fantastic...

... I gambled. And I lost the gamble.  I stumbled across the book Baby Born and fell in love with the cover art.  I read the reviews. I got a tiny taste of the inside and I was certain it was going to be my next, undiscovered gem to rave about here.  I imagined an Elisa Kleven style inside. I have a winter baby to whom I was eager to present this book as a gift (it's ideal for a first birthday present.)

But I don't love it. The burst of color is there. But the pages are fairly few. The verse feels very prosaic. And there is a weird technique done with the faces and hairlines of the people inside that just slightly crossed the line of "quirky cool" to "quirky ugly"... in my opinion.  The book is okay. I'm not going to get rid of it... because my three year old was excited to see a new book in the "baby basket", but I've no plans to ever replace it, and I certainly wouldn't spend a precious $8 on it. There will be no loving inscription written to my daughter in this; I'll choose something else (something safer).

So it just goes to show you that even a book with a (as of this date) "perfect" 5 star review can't necessarily be trusted.  But that cover is gorgeous isn't it?!

The Best Treasuries, Sets and Collections

This is the time of year to be thinking about meaningful gifts. Perhaps even heirloom gifts!  Each Christmas, one of the gifts our kids receive are books... often picked up throughout the year at a thrift store and saved, but sometimes a special title I've been eyeing a while and know a particular child would love. Sometimes, we gift a set or deluxe collection of something to a child and these have become treasured components of their personal growing libraries.  You have to be a little bit careful when buying "sets" of books because a couple mistakes are often made:  1- the set is incomplete of what you consider to be essential favorites.  2- The set includes abridged versions of stories. Or the biggest grievance I have: the set includes illustrations that have been truncated, altered or deleted to the point of ruining a good story. (Don't mess with McCloskey!) But sometimes, despite some of these mistakes, the collection can still be an wonderful investment and treasured gift. Here are a few of what I think are the best of the best offered right now.

BOARD BOOK SETS

Gyo Fujikawa's Little Library. What a deal!  Happy art. Simple text. Tiny books. Perfect for a two year old maybe...

Jan Brett's Little Library. Contains three of her must have board books: The Mitten, The Hat, and The Gingerbread Baby.

Brown Bear & Friends Board Book Gift Set. All three of the infectious rhyme books that get read over and over again in our home...

Margaret Wise Brown's: Baby's First Library A perfect gift for new babies!

The Little Red Box of Bright and Early Board Books. I love P. D. Eastman and my three year old does too.  I don't mind that these are abridged versions of the classic books (in fact I welcome the shortening since I am currently asked to read Go, Dog Go twice a day, every day.)

PICTURE BOOK SETS or ANTHOLOGIES

Mad about Madeline. Doesn't every girl between 5-8 need this collection (and not the later, added on versions...)?!

Frederick and His Friends: Four Favorite Fables. There is another one by the same author but I prefer the titles in the first set if I had to choose just one.

The Complete Adventures of Curious George. Again... the original tales are so beloved! No need to scramble after the dozens of after-tales by other authors. They aren't "bad"... just not quite as charming as the original.

Once There Was a Boy... Boxed Set. Delighted to find this new this year!!!  I have a son who loves Oliver Jeffers and this just may go under our tree next month!

Eloise Wilkin Stories: Little Golden Book Treasury. For nostalgic mothers who love Wilkin's work and want to pass the beauty onto their daughters...

Mike Mulligan and More: Four Classic Stories by Virginia Lee Burton. Unabridged and complete illustrations!

Lois Ehlert’s Growing Garden Gift Set. A lovely collection for budding gardeners.

Jan Brett's Snowy Treasury. Four of her best, snowy books!

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile Storybook Treasury. Lyle is an odd one. Some children don't really fall in love with him. Others engage and won't let go. To those children, this is a wonderful collection.

Richard Scarry's Best Little Golden Books Ever!  A collection of just plain, old fashioned good stories illustrated by the incomparable Scarry.

Maurice Sendak's Nutshell Library. My favorite... everybody needs Alligators All Around!

Dr. Seuss's Beginner Book Collection. Pares down the vast Dr. Seuss collection to just the must-have classics.

Babar's Anniversary Album: 6 Favorite Books. Originals only!

Joy to the World: Tomie's Christmas Stories. Worth the collection for the Three Kings book alone in it...

The Paddington Treasury: Six Classic Bedtime Stories. Good old Paddington, delighting British children for ages now.  Let's reignite love for him on this side of the water!

The World of Peter Rabbit: Books 1-23, Presentation Box. Of course, this list wouldn't be complete without this:  the pièce de résistance'!

CHAPTER BOOK SETS

Pooh's Library. Individually bound.  Or in one volume if you prefer.

Mercy Watson Boxed Set: Adventures of a Porcine Wonder.  Let's be honest. These are barely chapter books.  Indeed, I give them to my eager 8 year old who still stumbles to read independently.  But he feels such a mastery at reading these "official big kid" books... Mercy Watson is a great bridge to real chapter book reading.

Little House Nine-Book Box Set. C'mon. Every home needs this.

Favorite Thornton Burgess Animal Stories Boxed Set . Lots of bang for your buck with the Dover produced classics here!

Old Mother West Wind and 6 Other Stories. Same great bargain, but different titles as above.

Anne of Green Gables, Complete 8-Book Box Set. Because I have a ginger-haired girl who will love this someday.  Well, she acts more cayenne than ginger!

The Chronicles of Narnia. Please, please be certain to buy a version of these books WITHOUT the movie tie-in photographs on the covers!!!  Let imaginations come alive before putting real actor images in their minds!

The Chronicles of Narnia Complete 7 Volume CD Box Set (Unabridged). Audio book to own and play in the car!!! I've had my finger hovering over "Buy Now" on this for a couple years now!

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: Deluxe Pocket Boxed Set. This set is leather bound. Are you kidding me?!  I might buy it for MYSELF since it lends itself so well to re-reading.  And these books do need to be reread many times through one's life.

Costco's Picture Book Picks and Passes

This time of year always brings out interesting picture book options at Costco.  Some good. Some bad. Some meh.

Two years ago I was delighted to find the entire Beatrix Potter collection for $24.99.  It wasn't, sadly, the smallish books Potter deliberately sized to fit into a child's hand.  But they were still attractively done (The pictures weren't enlarged though the book size was and I was glad for that.) and for an entire boxed set of the individual titles, I thought it a steal. This year, Costco has brought back the World of Peter Rabbit for the same price... but it is bound in one anthology. I flipped through it; the original pictures are there.  But I just can't stomach the idea of all those delightful little books not having the dignity of their own individual cover.  So for that, I pass.

Other offerings are fairly unremarkable  (though I am always happy to see the boxed editions of the BOB reading books there frequently... a great deal!) but you will find some excellent selections by Jan Brett, perfect for gift giving.  The hardbound copies of The Twelve Days of Christmas and Home for Christmas are both priced a couple dollars cheaper than Amazon.com's!  But the best titles are the giant, oversized board books of The Three Snow Bears and The Mitten for only $8.99.  (I didn't include links because I want you to get the best deal at the store!)

*While you're at Costco, check out their cotton flannel sheets by the way... super cute prints this year and the best price in town at $15 for a twin set (we gave a set to each child a few years ago for Christmas). In years past, the cutest prints go quickly so get to them before the last minute Christmas herds descend upon the selection.

The Jesse Tree in Picture Books, Model 2.0

*Although it's only early November, I'm posting this to give ample time for library holds and purchases to be made.

In my first post on how to observe the Jesse Tree tradition in picture books (which has recently been updated to reflect new finds and indicates must read inclusions), I discussed how our family typically stops the Old Testament readings on December 17th to go into full Antiphon mode. It became clear to me that in the shorter years of Advent (like upcoming 2017) there will be only 22 days of the entire season!  This would mean that if we stopped the stories on the 17th, there'd only be 14 days of readings!  Well, this won't do since the entire story of Salvation needs more than 14 sample stories to cruise up to the Nativity.  So here is a more simple plan for those who prefer it: a 24 day system. You can use this system in the way most 'Advent Calendars' are utilized: beginning on December 1st all the way up to Christmas Eve.  (This year—2014— Advent is 25 days long... so I'm stretching out Moses to three nights; it could easily be 4 or 5 if you want to subtract the less important tales of Balaam or Elijah or Belshazzar.)  So, we'll be doing one story every day and STILL focus ALSO on the O Antiphons beginning on the 17th. For our family, some of these stories needed their own symbols made to be included on our actual tree (which for our family, is an actual tree branch I found, planted in concrete with little wooden ornaments I painted for the symbols). Remember that many of these are out of print but cheap online at amazon or eBay, etc.  And if you can't borrow or purchase them all this year... just start with what you can!  Bring a little bit of color and wonder into your Jesse Tree readings by including a few picture book stories.  Without further ado:

The Jesse Tree in Picture Books, Model 2.0

Dec. 1: CREATION: best all around is Creation.

Dec. 2: ADAM & EVE: Paradise.

Dec. 3: NOAH'S ARK: Noah's Ark.

Dec. 4: THE TOWER OF BABEL: The Tower of Babel.
Dec. 5: THE PROMISE TO ABRAHAM: Sarah Laughs.
Dec. 6: ABRAHAM & ISAAC: nothing notable in the picture book world that I've found! But it's an important piece of the story so stick with a traditional children's Bible book to tell it.
Dec. 7: JACOB & ESAU: Jacob and Esau.
Dec. 8: JOSEPH'S COAT OF MANY COLORS: Joseph (first half) or The Coat of Many Colors.
Dec. 9: JOSEPH AS PHAROAH: Joseph (second half) or Benjamin and the Silver Goblet.
Dec. 10: MOSES IN THE BASKET & THE BURNING BUSH: Moses or Exodus (first parts)
Dec. 11: MOSES PLAGUES, THE RED SEA & 10 COMMANDMENTS: Moses or Exodus (second parts)
Dec. 12: BALAAM'S ASS: The Angel and the Donkey (1st choice) or The Donkey's Story (2nd choice)
Dec. 13: RUTH: The Story Of Ruth.
Dec. 14: SAMUEL'S CALL: The Story of the Call of Samuel.
Dec. 15: THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON: The Wisest Man in the World or from the compilation: Kings and Queens of the Bible.
Dec. 16: DAVID & GOLIATH: David and Goliath.
Dec. 17: THE PROPHET ELIJAH: Elijah and the Fire from Heaven (1st choice) or Elijah and King Ahab (2nd choice).
Dec. 18: QUEEN ESTHER: Queen Esther Saves Her People (1st choice) or The Story of Esther: A Purim Tale.
Dec. 19: JONAH: Jonah and the Whale.
Dec. 20: KING BELSHAZZAR AND THE WRITING ON THE WALL: from Kings and Queens of the Bible.
Dec. 21: DANIEL IN THE LION'S DEN: Daniel and the Lord of Lions.
Dec. 22: JOHN THE BAPTIST: nothing notable in the picture book world that I've found! But it's an important piece of the story so stick with a traditional children's Bible book to tell it.
Dec. 23: THE ANNUNCIATION/VISITATION: from Mary or Mary: The Mother of Jesus or The Life of Mary.  All are good.
Dec. 24: THE NATIVITY: many good choices here. Choose your favorite. I like The Nativity: Six Glorious Pop-Up Scenes and The Story of Christmas best.