BiblioZealous

The Children of China

The Children of China is a beautifully unique book; I don't suppose it could be considered a traditional picture book since there isn't a central story per se. Rather it's an account of an artist's journey through remote regions of China, painting gloriously along the way. So each page features a beautiful piece of art and the opposite page is sort of a narrative about both what's going on in the picture as well as memories of his personal experience growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution. This would make an excellent, excellent supplement to any kind of unit study on China as it features many of the lesser known ethnic groups in China. This is also the type of book that makes for perfect "strewing"... and that's what I did in my own family. Like so many other books left alone to be 'discovered' this one found the rapt attention of a nine year old...

Some pieces of the book to delight you; Zhang's art is stunning. Click to enlarge the images:

Have You Ever Done That?

Bring on summertime! I've been wanting to write about some titles to accompany my Top Ten Summer Books list but it sure doesn't feel like summer around here yet! I'm writing this from a chilly house, wearing a long gray sweater and leggings under my skirt. It's drizzling gray outside. Such is the Puget Sound life. Yeah, I'm ready for some sun already. Have You Ever Done That? by Julie Larios is a lovely book to get you in the mood. Evocative language. Read it sweet and slow and soak it up. It's not so much a story as a poem of questions... and the illustrations by Anne Hunter are so simple and childlike. Perfect for this text.

Have you ever slept outside on a hot summer night? Everything looks different in the moon's strange light. The trees seem to whisper so you bravely whisper back. Outside at night. Have you ever done that?

First Chapter Books

Many moms wonder when is that perfect age when you quit picture books and begin chapter books. My first thought is that one should never quit picture books. Even when your child is reading independently, picture books offer a sense of familiarity and ease which will boost the confidence any kid has in his/her reading skills. Secondly, it's like chicken soup for the soul. I can't count how many times I've begun reading an easy, familiar book to my toddler set only to have my older sons sidle their way over to sit on the edge of the couch. The rhythm of mom's voice, the rustle of turning pages, the vibrance of good art... it all beckons. I see no need to end that at a certain age. Finally, the reason that one should never "quit" picture books is that there are often excellent points or reflections to delight adults as well as children. I think immediately of a book like the innovative The Arrival, or the nostalgic Roxaboxen for example.

Anyway, there does exist a wonderful transition when one does introduce chapter books into a child's life to complement the regular picture book diet. I have very recently discovered the "Special Read Aloud Edition" of Stuart Little. What made it so special was its size. It is printed as a very large, hardback picture book with blown up illustrations and large text. These books are so inviting for a cozy read aloud snuggled on the couch with Mama or Papa. I found a couple other "Special Read Aloud Editions" out there, notably The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie. But it seems these are all out of print and I'd be very careful buying from an amazon seller to make sure you are getting the right edition you pay for. The Narnia series and Charlotte's Web Special Read Aloud Editions seem to be in print still.

So what age should one begin chapter books? I'd say it depends on the child but the most likely window will be between 5-6-ish. Some four years olds will love read alouds and even younger toddlers might listen in on the stories told to their older siblings with apparent interest. Even if a child isn't totally grasping every metaphor or vocabulary word, just the exposure of richer vocabulary and sentence structure will be good for them in addition to the increase of listening and attention skills. I was worried about reading the Narnia books to my then-five year old son because I wanted him to be old enough to understand the great Christian analogies, but he ate The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe right up! And the reason those books are classics is because they will weather well under another reading at a later age.

What books should you read first? The short answer is "Whatever you feel like!" Read what interests your child (using your own parental discretion of course). There is no mandatory introduction to chapter book list that'll adequately cover ALL the greats. But I can share with you my list that worked! I like to start with books that have short chapters and illustrations to acclimate the child to longer readings. So, as it's an enormous task to list all great chapter books out there in general, here's a list of earliest, first chapter books that were hits with my boys (or that I know will be a hit with my daughter).

James and the Giant Peach
My Father's Dragon
Homer Price
Winnie the Pooh
The Cricket in Times Square
Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook
Just So Stories
Mr. Popper's Penguins
The Princess and the Goblin
Just So Stories
Captains Courageous
The Indian in the Cupboard
Betsy Tacy
Little House on the Prairie series
^ Farmer Boy (especially to hook boys)
Birdbrain Amos
Paddington Bear
The Narnia series
Happy Little Family
The Children of Noisy Village

This Is My Favorite Bird Book...

... for toddlers that is. See there are a million and one fantastic picture books on birds, be they educational or purely for pleasure. (Ooh, sounds like a Top Ten list is in order soon!) But I really, really love this very simple one by Kevin Henkes titled Birds.

This must be the third time we've picked it up from the library now; I really should just get over myself and buy it already. I read it today to my near three year old daughter and five year old son and we loved it again. Our favorite part is when the tree yells "SURPRISE!!!" Get the book, you'll know what I'm talking about. :o)

"Be grateful for luck. Pay the thunder no mind. Listen to the birds.
And don't hate nobody."

-Eubie Blake

Mythology and More

Here is a bright post from a bright young lady who I am happy to know personally. Seems I can't get enough of the fairy tale topic lately. In her post, she references Psyche and Pandora; incidentally, I'm currently on a manhunt for excellent illustrated myths. I have read several and I currently have several more ordered at the local library to preview before giving glowing recommendations. But in the meantime, I did create an Amazon listmania list on this very topic. Most of the books on that list, I've read and loved... a few still need to be seen in person yet. But nothing at the outset leads me to believe there would be anything objectionable in them. So I created the list as a running reminder for myself to check them out and to guide others in finding excellent mythological picture books.

I expect to get more into the topic of mythology on here at a later time.

"For Mythology is the handmaid of literature; and literature is one of the best allies of virtue and promoters of happiness."

-Thomas Bullfinch

Isabella's Garden: Library Pick of the Week

There are a million and one books that have copied the old "This is the house that Jack built" rhyming structure. While this does mean it can get tiresome... It does not mean that all new versions of it are unoriginal. Isabella's Gardenby Glenda Millard is a lovely, lovely book. Originally published in Australia in 2009, it's finally made its way to our shores and would make a gorgeous addition to anyone's springtime basket. Well, it goes through all the seasons really, but the underlying theme is in the seeds lying "dark and deep"...

What really make this a treasure is the artwork done by artist Rebecca Cool; it is her first children's book and we can only pray for more! It looks like a folk collage that you'd see hanging on a metropolitan art museum wall. The colors are perfect and bold and exciting, the people move with strange fluidity and vibrancy. I absolutely love it all!

These are the flowers that waltz in the wind that ruffles the buds all velvety skinned...

Bargain Book Roundup!

If you don't have an Amazon Prime account, I don't blame you... it's close to $80. But if you DO have one, you'll know as I do, that it is a wonderful, wonderful gem! My husband bought one for my birthday this year, and I can't tell you how much I love just buying a single item and having it at my door two days later. No more waiting until I have $25 worth of purchases to get free, slow shipping. It's great... plus the free streaming of certain videos has been nice too. We've watched a few documentaries on there now and have many seasons of How Its Made to get through!

But I digress. I bring it up because it's excellent when you find a bargain priced book on Amazon and you can just purchase it easily! Occasionally, I take the time to peruse their bargain barrels; it's a lot to wade through and so I usually narrow it down to just biographies, non-fiction, folk and fairy tales... above 4 star ratings. It's still a lot to wade through. But I'll save you some time and give you a current list of books I happened to uncover this week. *Disclaimer: I've not read every single title here!* But they "looked" good to me based on titles and illustrations and reviews. So you may already be familiar with them or want to splurge a few dollars to see if they may be jewels or not. Bargain books are an excellent way to purchase books as gifts since they are brand new. They are a great place to find off-season holiday book and they also help fill in gaps for unit studies. The books listed below are all hardcover and under $8. The price is right... and quantities are (sometimes extremely) limited! I've bought a few of these titles myself this week (who needs to buy shoes, when you can have books instead?!)