Noah's Ark

Noah's Ark
Peter Spier
1985
Caldecott Medal

There are some really great Noah's Ark retellings and illustrations out there (someday, I'll review Jerry Pinkney's amazing version). But Spier's version is my all-time favorite. Aside from the image of him shutting the ark's door (the Lord does that in Genesis), this version could very well have happened. Spier fills each page with myriad details, inviting--no, demanding--one to take a closer look. Since Noah and company were on the ark a very long time, Spier allows the animal population to grow. (Watch for the hoard of bunnies leaving the ark!). He also gives clues as to the potential chaos on board, the mess generated by that many animals, and the relief all must have felt when the waters began to recede.

This is not technically a wordless book since the first page or two contains a line from Scripture and a centuries-old poem. Lest you are tempted to skip the poem, I should point out that my children request it! The rest of the book is word free, though. Spier's illustrations are so detailed that my children love to pore over the pictures again and again--each time they notice something new. Unfortunately, this book is out of print. However, since it is a Caldecott winner, you're likely to find it at your local library since they tend to hang onto those!

The Carl Books

Good Dog, Carl
Alexandra Day
198--

This series of wordless books about a lovable Rottweiler named Carl are charming and young children seem to really resonate with them. Imagine having a large dog looking after you! As an owner of a Labrador/Rott mix, I can tell you that Carl's expressions are quite genuine. He has various adventures with the young girl in the family (Madeleine--she's a baby initially). After you become a fan of Carl, check out Carl's website.

A Boy, A Dog, and a Frog

A Boy, A Dog, and a Frog (mini boxed set of 4 books)
Mercer Mayer
1976 (the boxed set)

I still have the little set of mini books I was given as a child. Oh, how I poured over these illustrations with my mom and sister. The expressions on the frog's face are priceless. A particular favorite is the scene in which frog realizes he's left all alone. For a couple of pages, he gets smaller and smaller until he's really quite tiny--yet you can still see his sad little expression. These little books are a true gem. If you can't get the mini books, the bigger ones will do. But there's something about the small size that makes them extra inviting to little hands. I find them in my children's beds all the time--evidence that some little person couldn't resist Frog's siren call for help.

Worldless Books

The best wordless books invite continual exploration of their visual elements--images that provide enjoyment for both non readers and expert readers. You can come back to them again and again. Children, especially, delight in telling and retelling the stories. This week I'm going to highlight some personal favorites. Friday's book is our latest discovery and so much fun.... Stay tuned!

New Readers

It's so exciting to have a reader in the house! I mean, another reader. After all, her daddy and I are avid readers--welcome to the family, little girl!

My daughter has just started kindergarten but, as is expected in a home where she has grown up hearing books read aloud, she is already reading without much official instruction on my part. We dabbled in The Ordinary Parent's Guide (and it was GREAT), but I laid off once we decided to send her a school rather than homeschool. She has managed to keep it up on her own quite successfully and is voraciously gobbling up early readers.

Good news for anyone out there in cyber space who wants some reviews of early readers! Get ready. We're reading lots of them around here.

Bink and Gollie

Bink and Gollie
Kate DiCamillo, author
Alison McGhee, author
Tony  Fucile, illustrator
2010
multiple "best books..." lists
Geisel Award Winner

DiCamillo has done it again! We are HUGE fans of the Mercy Watson books in this household, and my daughter has fallen in love with Bink and Gollie (the boys will, too, once I introduce them). In a new early chapter book series, DiCamillo (and team) give us two seemingly opposite girls: short, crazy-haired Bink and tall, tidy Gollie. Best friends who love to roller skate, they must compromise for nearly everything else. Even their houses are completely different. While Bink and Gollie are girls, they are not princess-y; they make a nice change of pace and boys will enjoy them, too.

Mediocre Tea + Styrofoam Cup = Nastiness

I've done some traveling this summer and have been forced to confront this ugly truth over and over: NOTHING tastes good in styrofoam (unless it's instant hot chocolate mix and I'm sitting around a campfire...). But I digress.

I'm not sure if coffee tastes as terrible in styrofoam, but tea is downright undrinkable--even if you start with something halfway decent, like Twinings.

Another thought has occurred to me during my travels: why, oh why, don't fast food restaurants offer hot tea? Think about it: you don't have to do ANY prep. As long as you have a hot water dispenser, you simply need to have a stash of tea bags. That's it. No clean up. No wasted tea to throw out at the end of the day. No filters to buy. Nada. Zip. Maybe my favorite Chick-Fil-A will see this post and start offering hot tea. Then, there truly will be no competition to the great chicken sandwich (and bendy straws--CFA is the only one to wise up to this genius idea for kiddos!).

Any thoughts from the peanut gallery? Any places you've found suitable hot tea options (other than coffee houses and establishments like Panera)? (note that I said "suitable"--I'm not even asking for delicious here... just something drinkable)