Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of the Natural World, and a Giveaway!

"How many ways do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."

The find of the year (so far) for me is this piece of glory from Julia Rothman called Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World.  The entire thing is the what makes me love to homeschool (and I needed a new boost in loving that lately).  The book is fabulous, and everything one could wish for in a "textbook."

First, it's chock full of interesting facts covering various areas of geology, botany, biology, meteorology and astronomy.  In being such a broad book, do we turn up our noses claiming it can't offer depth in any one area? Sure. You may look down if you like. But what it DOES offer is so beautifully presented and academically enriching that you'd be missing something great by choosing a dry science book over this one.

And then there are the illustrations. Folksy, detailed, handwoven with love and care and interest.  My goodness, I'm in love!

This author is the same one who brought us Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life a few years ago. It had raving reviews but it was brand new to me this year.  I figured that I didn't have a whole heckuva lot of interest in farm life on a technical scale so what would I get out of it?!  Little did I know that I'd lovingly turn each page in this too, admiring the art and the information each page provided.

Both books would be phenomenal springboards for deeper studies into any one area.  Nature Anatomy especially is such a breath of fresh air in this home.

I have the highly lauded (in Charlotte Mason circles anyway) Handbook of Nature Study and while the information in that is excellent, the photos are in greyscale and limited by their time period. And much to my ever-burning shame, it doesn't get used nearly so much as I had planned. I'd like to think of this new Nature Anatomy filling in the gap in some way as being something fresh, useful, beautiful and worthy to include in our morning basket studies a few times a week. A must have in my opinion... you can virtually browse through it here.

I'm so in love with this book that I'm going to send it to one lucky person during this upcoming Easter season. I don't know how I'll choose a winner, but it'll be non-scientifically random of course. If you have read through this post and are interested in receiving the book, just post a comment about something, anything, I don't care— by Divine Mercy Sunday.  That day is my birthday and it would give me great delight to share the gift of this book with someone!

Wah.

Dear someone, anyone,

Please publish this in English.

Please. I need it.

Thanks,

Ellie

Therapy in Picture Books

This post is for my sister—a soon to be licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.  She asked for my opinion on books that deal with difficult subjects in a delicate way... to aid children in making sense of trauma or sadness or difficulty in their lives.

Note that I have NOT read every single one of these books. What I did, was pore over many, many lists, follow many rabbit-trails, read a few message boards, evaluated many reviews and compiled 24 titles that looked to be the most promising. This is certainly not exhaustive—I don't doubt I'm missing some great titles.  But I did go ahead and ignore 90% of what was recommended for therapy books precisely because that's what they were designed to be (e.g. "Mommy and Daddy Dinosaur Got a Divorce" or somesuch). In this scope (as in most others) I seek stories primarily... good messages secondarily.

There are some exceptions, but I do think the art of subtlety in this area is perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when reading books with children. Kids aren't stupid. They see through things that moralize or patronize very quickly.  But again... I have not read all these books personally so maybe a few of them do exactly this... let me know! I am only bookmarking this list for people to peruse who may want to investigate ways to cope with life stressors through the welcoming, non-threatening medium of picture books.  If you know of something that I'm missing here, please comment!!!

1. Rabbityness (non-specific but sudden loss, grief)
2. Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs (death of grandparent, love this book!!!)
3. Horton Hatches the Egg (adoption classic!)
4. Loon Summer (divorce)
5. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (enough said, by the way... the movie was pretty good!)
6. Charlie Anderson (divorce, normalizing step-families)
7. The Quarreling Book (stopping the cycle of anger.  Classic and fun.)
8. My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother (sibling rivalry)
9. A Terrible Thing Happened (an exception to the "story first" rule, because it seems this could be really helpful in helping kids heal from witnessing or experiencing trauma—especially for things that are hard to find the right words for like sexual abuse, etc.)
10. How to Take the Grrrr Out of Anger (another exception. I own this book. My then-8 year old read it... it's now being passed down to his brother. It didn't "cure" anger. But it helped him to remember some strategies for dealing with it in a healthy way.)
11. Always and Forever (death)
12. When They Fight  (parental fighting)
13. My Many Colored Days (for the preschool set to help put names to feelings)
    
14. A Mother for Choco (adoption)
15. The Invisible Boy (teaching empathy/inclusion)
    
16. Spaghetti in A Hot Dog Bun: Having the Courage to Be Who You Are (bullying)
    
17. You've Got Dragons (OCD or anxiety)
18. Now One Foot, Now the Other (coping with physical disability)
19. Michael Rosen's Sad Book (a beautiful book on grief; it doesn't try to 'fix' it. It just owns it and explores it.)
20. Ian's Walk (a sibling with autism book)
21. Those Shoes (wants vs. needs, making sense of poverty)
22. A Day's Work (poverty, honesty, dignity... not just for kids in therapy!!!)
23. If Nathan Were Here (non-specific death of a friend, making peace with that loss)
24. Rudi's Pond (death of friend)
    
    
    
    
    
    

Brother Hugo and the Bear for Lent!

For Valentine's Day this year, I gifted each of my children a "one free book" coupon and they got to select ANY book they wanted to have shipped to them (all second hand "Like New" copies, to keep it cost effective and I retained veto powers of course...)  With just a hint of guidance, my three year old saw the picture of Brother Hugo and the Bear and declared proudly that it was to be his choice. Yes!

The book came and immediately I fell in love with it. It is a story imagined by Katy Beebe from one tiny little line in a real, historical letter that comments this:

"And send to us, if you please, the great volume of letters by the holy father Augustine, which contains his letters to Saint Jerome, and Saint Jerome's to him. For it happens that the greater part of our volume was eaten by a bear."

The book is not Catholic per se. But it is decidedly real and fresh in the dealings with 100% of the characters being monks (except the bear) and the work they do being authentic to that time period.  It opens up, fittingly on Lent as poor Brother Hugo has to recopy the entire manuscript he lost... which makes for a proper seasonal penance. Illustrations are exceptionally well done by Steve Schindler for the book and the illuminated lettering mimics the style (in a nouveaux way) of the medieval masters. 

The book would be a great unit study builder for all things medieval... especially cloistered life, illuminated letters, manuscript making and the 12th century in general. I am going to pair it with a viewing of that oddly strange and beautiful period movie: The Secret of Kells. If I was really motivated, I'd figure out some sort of illuminated letter lesson but I'm pretty sure all our markers are currently lost in heater return vents or chewed up by the puppy. So that may need to wait...  

All in all, I'm delighted to have this book and use it as Lenten reading (not in a pious way, but at least in a relevant, fun way) and highly recommend it to those who are interested in bringing the Middle Aged, monastic life alive for their children. Probably my best picture book purchase in a long time...

Check out this hypnotic video showing the start to finish illustrations, set to chant... 

Spring Transition Favorites

The coming of spring is probably the most prolific genre of seasonal transition books in the picture book world.  Summer is absolutely the LEAST written about as far as transition time goes... likely because it's a much more subtle change than the crisping of leaves in fall and falling of snow in winter.  With spring it's the new life and the great thaw.

I know half the country is blanketed with snow still but here in the Pacific Northwest it's been downright glorious and unusually warm. The daffodils and tulips are poking out of the ground and we all want to scream at them, "Wait! Not yet! It's too soon!"  Not because we don't welcome the sun and 60 degree weather but because we are afraid the frost season isn't over and this warm spell is some sort of cosmic trickery.

But I will take this opportunity to revel in some of my favorite books of the time and opine about which springtime titles merit being called some of the BEST in "seasonal transition literature." A couple are pulled from my general Top Ten Springtime Book list.

 Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons by Il Sung Na. I purchased this board book recently for my daughter to fill in our baby book basket. It is delightful and fun.  Il Sung Na's style is so unique, I am always happy to have her books offer a bit of a different picture than the rich, traditional drawings.  I think this would make a marvelous precursor to her A Book of Babies which seems to be just about perfect springtime reading...

Spring Thaw by Steven Schnur is such an obvious choice with the gorgeous, pastoral setting and oil painted illustrations by Stacey Schuett and the light, quiet text. I discussed it more here.

 And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano and Erin Stead is one of those rare books that I bought at full price right when I saw it.  I was and still am enamored by the cadence and pacing of this book. I declare it to be a must have. When read properly, it's bliss.


 At Grandpa's Sugar Bush and/or  Sugarbush Spring by Marsha Wilson Chall.  Any beginning of spring list should include at least one title about tapping maple trees.  Both of these are great choices in their own right. Rich, luscious artwork, either title will make non-New Englanders wish they could trample the slushy snow and tap trees. If I had to choose one, I'd only be able to base it on whether I wanted my child to identify with the female or male voice. Now if anyone reading this happens to know or get a hold of The Sugaring-Off Party, please let me know what you think! I'm dying to see those folksy illustrations up close.

 You're probably familiar with the winter delight, Owl Moon, but did you know about Goose Moon by Carolyn Arden and Jim Postier? The story kicks off with winter coming when geese fly southward and a little girl enjoys the season of sledding and fun. But eventually it gets tiresome and she longs for springtime. Her grandpa tells her how we can tell spring is coming and the story ends with the arrival of a very special moonlit moment.

 Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven. Another one heavy on the excellent rhyme and meter, I'm in love with this book. A town needs to shake off the cold and positively FORCE springtime into existence with the baking of sun bread. The always enchanting Kleven illustrations bring this one alive.

 When Spring Comes by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock traipses through the various (19th century) activities a girl longs for while she waits for the sun to return after winter. This is also illustrated by Stacey Scheuett who did Spring Thaw. I like the easy amount of text that stands back just enough to let the gorgeous illustrations tell the story.

The River: Something Strange and Something Beautiful

As if we needed more proof that picture books are not just for kids.  Along comes traipsing The River by Alessandro Sanna.  It's a wordless wonder. I was struck immediately how art transcends culture so often.  Part of the beauty of wordless books is that the story is the same in Mumbai as it is in Miami. This title was created by an Italian artist who uses watercolors to illustrate the dramatic changes of life on a river over the course of a year.

I looked at the first few pages with my brow furrowed, seeing if I could get used to the dark, undulating painted water and sky and simple blobs for concrete objects.  But what I found after my initial skepticism gave way to the turning of each page... was kind of, sort of special. I just surrendered to a style that was not initially in my comfort zone of favorites and became engrossed in the passing scenery and brilliant use of light... like I was floating along in a hot air balloon just watching.  Outside perspective, unobtrusive. Nothing in your face or giving the first-person intimacy technique like some illustrations employ. Detached, the images still beckoned.

I especially liked how Sanna chose his springtime color motif. Not your typical pastels, but the bold violets of a crispy sunset and the hint of color in a semi-limited palette really will resonate with those Northern Hemisphere readers who don't really experience "spring" until something like June.
The River is something different. It's something that evokes the word beauty... but not in a way you necessarily anticipate in a traditional way... and I like that in a book.

The results are in!!!

Well, y'all had a 25% chance of winning Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening which are extraordinary odds in giveaways... yippee!

Here was my methodology:

And then I called an almost year old lass in to come choose a toy. (Don't worry, she had no prior favorites from this batch.  These are actually part of a big bin of "random bits and game pieces" that I collect throughout the house and keep for various projects and games and crafts, etc.  They are in effect, MY toys once they get into that bin!)

Here is what transpired. She jostled the whole stool and then went in at at an angle for her selection:

Kansas Mom, it's all yours! Please e-mail me with your address!  knowloveserve  at  gmail

Pace, Poetry and Passing on the Blessing

I've been thinking a lot about cadence and pacing in storytelling lately.  So many good things about that I want to discuss but I'm saving my thoughts for an article in the next issue of Soul Gardening.  So, you'll have to wait for publication to hear all about it.

In the meantime, I received a little affiliate bonus again and I want to give away a beautiful book to someone: Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening. The book is illustrated by the fantastic Susan Jeffers... who breathes life into the delightful Robert Frost poem.

I chose this book for a couple reasons:

1- It's the thick of winter right now... let's enjoy the wonderful titles celebrating that...

2- This book is a perfect example of the importance in savoring the words on a page and letting them hang suspended in the air for a bit before turning the page.

3- I love books that are able to serve in making poetry very easy and accessible to children.  Using picture books is a great way to acclimate young ones to the study of, but more importantly, the enjoyment of poetry.


So there's that.  I'll pick a winner this Friday in some random but unscientific way.  To enter, just comment please with whatever it is you'd like to say... :-)

****** CONTEST CLOSED *******

The most basic of living books

 

2014 passed by my attention without me noticing this very fun, very engaging new book: Some Bugs.   There is a very happy area between "stories" and "educational content" that has to be very artfully done in the picture book world, especially when the audience is Pre-K.  It's one of my favorite little niches to explore because I find it very challenging to do well.  Some Bugs by Angela DiTerlizzi nails it.  It's a very, very simple primer for the pre-school set that is just fun to sit and delight over with a child.  Not only does it keep the text in very simple rhymes, it doesn't make the mistake that many "edu-stories" make in overloading the child with text and information. This "early living book" technique is perfectly executed here, just like it is in my favorite beginner bird book by Kevin Henkes: Birds. The goal is simply to meet bugs, giggle at the pictures and be inspired to do some hunting in your own front yard.  Education to light a fire, not fill a bucket. Mixed media illustrations by Brendan Wenzel are a positive delight, refreshingly original and quirky.

Simple pleasures like these kinds of books really remind to stop and take an important five minutes in my day to engage with my little ones in a beautiful way... it's the little things in life.