Ten International Gift Ideas

I have missed highlighting international titles the past few years. And after recently watching (and rewatching and rewatching) the film Babies I've been "inspired" to share some gift recommendations with you. These were books originally published outside of the United States.

From South Korea:
Yoon-duck Kwon's MY CAT COPIES ME.
Jae Soo Liu's YELLOW UMBRELLA

From China:
Zhaohua Ji and Cui Xu's NO! THAT'S WRONG!

From Australia:
Judy Horacek's THE STORY OF GROWL

From Spain:
Joan de Deu Prats' SEBASTIAN'S ROLLER SKATES

From Belgium:
Corinne Albaut's THE NIGHTS OF THE WORLD

From Germany:
Alexander Steffensmeier's MILLIE WAITS FOR THE MAIL

From France:
David Merveille's JUKEBOX

From England:
Lauren Child's I WILL NEVER NOT EVER EAT A TOMATO

From Taiwan:
Chih-Yuan Chen's GUJI GUJI


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Guess How Much I Love You All Year Round

Guess How Much I Love You: All Year Round: Four Seasons, Four Stories. Sam McBratney. Illustrated by Anita Jeram. 2010. Candlewick. 72 pages.

Guess How Much I Love You All Year Round collects four previously published stories: Let's Play in the Snow, When I'm Big, Colors Everywhere, and A Surprise for the Nutbrown Hares.

Each story stars--of course--Big Nutbrown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare. Each story is set in a different season: spring, summer, autumn, winter. Each story focuses on learning, growing, and being a part of the world around them. There's a focus on nature, for example, that just feels right. Like the original story, these stories are a bit wordy--very dialogue heavy. But, for the most part, I enjoyed this one. In some ways, I liked these stories more than the original.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Suggestions for Baby's Christmas

Are you looking for a gift for the little ones in your life? There are some great board books that I'd love to recommend!

First, I'd like to suggest Baby's Box of Fun. This is a boxed set of three Karen Katz books. Three of her very best books, I might add. It contains Toes, Ears, & Nose!, Where is Baby's Belly Button?, and Where is Baby's Mommy? These three would be a great introduction to Karen Katz. If your little one should happen to love them--to want to hear them again and again and again--to want to lift the flaps him/herself--then there are plenty of other titles you can buy next!

Another Karen Katz book that is a "must" in my opinion is What Does Baby Say? My review of this one.

Little Scholastic has a great series of board books for young readers age baby to 2. My favorites from that series include Numbers by Jill Ackerman and Colors by Justine Smith. (Also available, Alphabet by Justine Smith and Shapes by Justine Smith.)

You may also be interested in Little Scholastic's Five Little Ducks and Five Shiny Stars by Gabriella Buckingham. Both books sing!

Speaking of books that sing, you should definitely consider Lullaby and Good Night by Jill Ackerman! It's a fun choice for bedtime OR playtime!

Whether you choose to buy Leslie Patricelli's Baby's Book Tower, or the four titles individually--you really need to meet this adorable baby! I don't know if I could pick a favorite between No No Yes Yes, Baby Happy Baby Sad, Quiet Loud, Yummy Yucky.

And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Bouncy Baby by Begin Smarts Books. I do. It's so rhythmic, it practically begs to be memorized.

For books that aren't quite books--but aren't quite flashcards--I'd recommend Begin Smart's Baby Says and DK's My First Touch and Feel Picture Cards: First Words.

What do babies like to look at? Pictures of other babies! That's why I would definitely recommend David Salariya's All About Me! A Baby's Guide to Babies, Margaret Miller's Baby Faces, Margaret Miller's I Love Colors, Margaret Miller's Baby Food, and Margaret Miller's What's On My Head?

My final two recommendations are by Lorena Siminovich. There are two books in this series--so far! I Like Fruit and I Like Bugs! I was so excited to learn that they'll be other titles coming next year! Both are touch-and-feel books.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Complete Adventures of Curious George

Complete Adventures of Curious George: 70th Anniversary Edition. Margret and H.A. Rey. 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 432 pages.

This anthology contains these original stories:

• Curious George, (1941)
  
• Curious George Takes a Job, (1947)
  
• Curious George Rides a Bike, (1952)
• Curious George Gets A Medal, (1957)
  
• Curious George Flies A Kite, (1958)
  
• Curious George Learns the Alphabet, (1963)
  
• Curious George Goes to the Hospital (1966)
  

It also contains an introduction by Leonard S. Marcus, a publisher's perspective on Curious George, a retrospective essay, and a photographic album of Margret and H.A. Rey.

My thoughts on Curious George (1941):

This is George.
He lived in Africa.
He was a good little monkey
and always very curious.
One day George saw a man.
He had on a large yellow straw hat.
The man saw George too.
"What a nice little monkey," he thought.
"I would like to take him home with me."

The first adventure has George being taken from his happy jungle home by the man in the yellow hat. We're told that George--after the ocean voyage--will live in the zoo. My question is why is the man in the yellow hat so intent on taking George with him if he's just going to be put into the zoo?! Is that the man in the yellow hat's job? To find animals in his travels and place them into zoos? It would make more sense if he wanted George as a pet. George does end up in the zoo. Eventually. But it's a busy couple of days first! He smokes a pipe, phones the fire department, spends time in prison, escapes from prison, and goes on quite an exciting balloon ride.

My thoughts on Curious George Takes A Job (1947)

This is George. He lived in the Zoo. He was a good little monkey and always very curious. He wanted to find out what was going on outside the Zoo. One day, when the keeper was not paying attention, George got hold of the key for the cage. When the keeper discovered what had happened, it was too late--George was gone!

I'm curious how much time has passed (for George) in between books. Has he been in the Zoo long before he makes his escape? (That's something I never thought of as a child!) This second book chronicles George's adventures in the city. Curious George does several "jobs" throughout the book including spending time as a dishwasher in an Italian restaurant, a window washer, a painter (though this one leads him to trouble), and an actor. Poor George also breaks his leg and gets sick from smelling ether. He does reunite with the man in the yellow hat towards the end of the book...

My thoughts on Curious George Rides a Bike (1952)

This is George. He lived with his friend, the man with the yellow hat. He was a good little monkey and always very curious. This morning George was curious the moment he woke up because he knew it was a special day...

What makes that day so special? It's the third anniversary of when George and the man in the yellow hat met. George is given a bike and the promise of a show--an animal show. But first George must have his own adventures. Including "helping" someone out on their paper route. But by the end of the day George ends up being in the show. But that reward didn't come easily. George has to get into and out of several messes first...

My thoughts on Curious George Gets a Medal (1957)

This is George. He lived with his friend, the man with the yellow hat. He was a good little monkey -- and always very curious. George was alone this morning, looking at a picture book, when the doorbell rang. It was the mailman. "Here is a letter for you," he said. "Put it on your friend's desk. He'll read it to you when he comes home." George was curious. It was not often that somebody wrote him.

Most of George's messes are the result of him being left on his own. If the man in the yellow hat really wanted George to behave, to be a good little monkey, then perhaps he'd spend more time with him...or hire a monkey-sitter. Maybe the man in the yellow hat gets satisfaction out of scolding George and forgiving him?! What messes does George get into in Curious George Gets a Medal? Well, he makes a mess of the rug--a watery sudsy mess--and breaks a museum exhibit--a dinosaur. But all is well in the end because there is a professor that wants George to be the first space monkey. He doesn't really go into space--into orbit--he parachutes out of a rocket. But still the public seems thrilled with George's cleverness.

My thoughts on Curious George Flies a Kite (1958)

This is George.
He lives in the house of the man with the yellow hat.
George is a little monkey, and all monkeys are curious.
But no monkey is as curious as George.
That is why his name is Curious George.

I do like Curious George. But this is a very long adventure! In short, Curious George plays with bunnies, goes fishing, flies a kite, and gets a new pet. Of course, he gets into trouble--letting the bunnies out of their home, almost drowning, being flown away by the wind which leads to a dramatic helicopter rescue. Is every day like this for George?! Perhaps he should be Fearless George?!

My thoughts on Curious George learns the Alphabet (1963)

This is George. He lived with his friend, the man with the yellow hat. He was a good little monkey, but he was always curious.
This morning George was looking at some of his friend's books. They were full of little black marks and dots and lines, and George was curious: what could one do with them?

This book is so boring. I'm glad that George wants to learn his letters, wants to learn to read. But this one is not that thrilling to read. It is slightly redeemed by George changing the man in the yellow hat's order for doughnuts. Instead of "one" George writes "ten". So that added some adventure.

My thoughts on Curious George Goes to the Hospital (1966)

This is George. He lived with his friend, the man with the yellow hat. He was a good little monkey, but he was always curious. Today George was curious about the big box on the man's desk. What could be in it? George could not resist. He simply HAD to open it.

This isn't George's first trip to the hospital. He's had a broken leg--from an on-the-job mishap. And we're not exactly told if this is his second trip to the hospital. The monkey has been curious for years now, so perhaps he's a regular?! In this case, George is in the hospital because of a poor decision. He thought it would be a good idea to eat a puzzle piece. It wasn't. (The puzzle they're piecing together--is a picture of George and the man in the yellow hat.) But George does make some new friends--children who are in the hospital. And he is quite an entertaining monkey. And this is when he isn't feeling his best. The book concludes with George being released from the hospital, and they've sent along the puzzle piece--that they've retrieved from George--so they are able to finish the puzzle after all. I think that is strange. I don't know that I'd want the puzzle piece back. How about you?

Do you have a favorite Curious George adventure? Which of these have you read?

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Baby's Book Tower

Baby's Book Tower. By Leslie Patricelli. 2010. August 2010. Candlewick. 96 pages.

The book contains four board books (book blocks) by Leslie Patricelli:Yummy Yucky, Baby Happy Baby Sad, No No Yes Yes, Quiet Loud.

I love, love, love Leslie Patricelli's board books. She is such a great writer and great illustrator! And these four books are among her best. They're simple. They're fun. They're true-to-life.


Aren't the illustrations fun? I just love them!

From Yummy Yucky:

Spaghetti is yummy.
Worms are yucky.
Blueberries are yummy.
Blue crayons are yucky.

From Quiet Loud:

Whispering is quiet.
Screaming is loud.
Crayons are quiet.
Pots and pans are loud.

No No Yes Yes and Baby Happy Baby Sad rely on the illustrations to tell the story. For example, in Baby Happy Baby Sad, we learn that baby is happy when he's hugging the cat and sad when the cat runs away. Or my favorite, the baby is happy to be naked and sad to be bundled up in a snowsuit. And in No No Yes Yes, readers learn that baby drawing on the wall gets a No No while baby drawing on a piece of paper gets a Yes Yes.

Other book towers include The Very Best Mother Goose Book Tower and Maisy's Book Tower.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Oh The Places You'll Go!

Oh the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss. 1990/2010. Random House. 56 pages.

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.

It has been years since I last read Dr. Seuss' Oh, the Places You'll Go. I had forgotten how good, how true this little picture book is. It is not one that often comes to mind when I think of Seuss--though that may seem silly. Since it comes back around each and every year at graduation time. In many ways, this is classic Seuss. Silly-looking people and creatures, silly but oh-so-rhythmic text. But there is a good dose of reality in this oh-so-silly book.

Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don't.
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

It is good at balancing everything. I'll admit that if it kept going in that wow, you'll get everything you've ever wanted, ever dreamed of, because you deserve it line of thought--I would have been sickened. I couldn't recommend a book like that. Life is life. It's not all good, it's not all bad. This book I can recommend quite easily.


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Sound of Music

A Classic Collectible Pop-Up: The Sound of Music. By Rodgers & Hammerstein and Lindsay & Crouse. Adapted by Bert Fink. Illustrated by Dan Andreasen. Paper Engineering by Bruce Foster. 2009. Simon & Schuster. October 2009. 14 pages.

If you love the Sound of Music, then this really is a must-have. I love, love, love the Sound of Music. So this book made me giddy. Very, very giddy. In the must-show-to-all-my-friends way. This book brings all your favorite movie scenes to life. Each scene pops-up to reveal in wonderful detail the oh-so-magical story of Maria. (It would be hard to pick a favorite spread. Though the twirling Maria from the opening spread is a wonderful representation of how right this one is.) The story has been adapted and is told within the book--very cleverly in my opinion--in the mini-pop-ups/flaps. All the lyrics are included as well. Which was very nice.



© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales

Cousins, Lucy. 2009. Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales. Candlewick Press. 121 pages.

Lucy Cousins (perhaps best known for her Maisy books) brings us eight (familiar) tales in this bright and bold collection for young readers. The tales included are: Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Enormous Turnip, Henny Penny, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Little Red Hen, The Three Little Pigs, and The Musicians of Bremen. (I only wish she'd chosen to include The Gingerbread Boy.)

Cousins' stories are a bit more violent than some contemporary retellings. She doesn't shy away from death and violence. (Though not each tale is violent. It's really just Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs that are. Her wolves are definitely in the big and bad category.)

The text of each story is simple and straightforward.

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Little Red Riding Hood. Her mother asked her to take a basket of food through the woods to her grandmother, who was ill. Little Red Riding Hood had not gone far when she met a wolf.

What did I like best about this one? The illustrations! If you like Cousins' bright, bold, and colorful and larger-than-life (almost) illustrations. (Illustrations that command your attention right from the start.) Then you'll appreciate this collection of stories.

This is another impressive title by Candlewick Press.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Helen Oxenbury

Helen Oxenbury's All Fall Down.
Helen Oxenbury's Clap Hands.
Helen Oxenbury's Say Goodnight.
Helen Oxenbury's Tickle, Tickle.

Simon & Schuster is reprinting these four classic books written and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. (They were originally published in 1987). I believe they are available individually and as a collection. (Barnes & Noble, for example, has the gift set--due to be released this December--for $7.99)

What makes these books special? Well, they're short, sweet, and simple. How short is short? Four spreads (two pages = 1 spread) apiece. How sweet is sweet? The books features babies of all colors happily doing baby things. A book about babies for babies. In other words, adorable babies all. How simple is simple? Each book is just one sentence long. Yes, just one sentence. But that one sentence is a poetic little verse full of rhythm.

I'll just choose one to highlight...

Clap hands, dance and spin,
open wide and pop it in,
blow a trumpet, bang a drum,
wave to Daddy, wave to Mom.

My favorite is probably All Fall Down. But all of these are sweet in their own way.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Questions from Little Hearts

Bostrom, Kathleen Long. 2009. (Pub. February) Questions from Little Hearts. Illustrated by Elena Kucharik. (288 pages)

This wonderful book gathers together FOUR books into one collection: What is God Like? What is Prayer? What About Heaven? and Are Angels Real?

It uses rhyme. But the rhyme stays on the good side of dinky. In other words, it doesn't cross the line into dinky. It actually works. Now, the rhyme isn't 100% perfect, there are a few places in all four books as a whole, where the rhythm or the rhyme doesn't quite flow perfectly. But if I were to give it a grade--it'd definitely be an A.

The format is question and answer. They'll be a poem asking a series of questions. And then they'll be a follow-up poem answering those questions (and so much more!).

The book uses Scripture. After both set of poems, you'll find a "Bible References" section that repeats the second poem--in bold--but this time you'll find scripture verses and references. For each line of that poem, you've got scripture proofs that it really is so.

The book is multicultural in that the illustrations are diverse--God isn't just for white folks after all. Granted, this isn't a big deal. But I like to see all sorts of children represented. And perhaps just perhaps it could have been done better. But it works.

The illustrations. I didn't love the illustrations. I did like them however. They have a Precious Moments-ish feel about them. Bordering between cutesie and dinky. I think they work relatively well. Personally, I like a different type of illustration style better. (More realistic, less greeting card) But they're nice enough, good enough.

To give you a taste of the poems...

I can't see you, God,
so please give me a clue:
Do you look like me,
and do I look like you?

Are you big or little?
Are you short or tall?
Can you really see me
when I am so small?

Do you like to whisper?
Do you like to shout?
Can you sing or whistle?
I'd like to find out.

Are you strong or gentle?
Are you ever sad?
Do you have a temper
like me when I'm mad?

Where do you live?
In a house in the sky?
How do I know
you are somewhere nearby?

Do you love me always,
or just when I'm good?
I don't always do things
the way that I should.

I have lots of questions
to ask you like these.
I wonder if maybe
you'll answer them, please?

I just love it. I do. There's an easiness to it. A naturalness that just makes this book work well. If you've read my blog long, you know that I can be harsh when it comes to picture books and rhyming. But in my opinion, this one is truly great in its field.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Here Fishy Fishy: Fun Gift Ideas 2008

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss (also board book)
Fabulous Fishes by Susan Stockdale*
Ten Little Fish by Audrey Wood
Hooray for Fish! by Lucy Cousins
This Little Fish (board book) by R. Powell
Fish is Fish by Leo Lionni
Swimmy by Leo Lionni
What's It Like To Be A Fish by Wendy Pfeffer
How Many Fish? by Caron Lee Cohen
A Fish Out of Water by Helen Palmer
Papa Fish's Lullaby by Patricia Hubbell
Feed Matisse's Fish by Julie Appel and Amy Guglielmo*
Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On by Lois Ehlert
Big Fish, Little Fish by Ed Heck
Not Norman by Kelly Bennett
The Birthday Fish by Dan Yaccarino
Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Dear Fish by Chris Gall
The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
The Fish Who Cried Wolf by Julia Donaldson
Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Will Grace
Fidgety Fish by Ruth Galloway
Fidgety Fish and Friends by Paul Bright
Ugly Fish by Kara LaReau
The Little Fish That Got Away by Bernadine Cook (illustrated by Crockett Johnson)
Pattern Fish by Trudy Harris
Fish Wish by Bob Barner

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Fly Me To The Moon: Fun Gift Ideas 2008

Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh
The Ultimate Interactive Atlas of Space (2008) by Scholastic
Moon Landing: Apollo 11 40th Anniversary Pop-Up Book by Richard Platt
The First Moon Landing (Graphic Novel) by Thomas K. Adamson
11 Planets: A New View of the Solar System by David Aguilar
When Is A Planet Not A Planet by Elaine Scott
Our Solar System by Seymour Simon
The Moon by Seymour Simon
Galaxies by Seymour Simon
Reaching for the Moon by Buzz Aldrin
The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons
The Planets by Gail Gibbons
Stars and Planets by DK Publishing
Space Exploration by DK Publishing
The Moon Seems To Change by Franklyn M. Branley
The Magic School Bus: Lost In the Solar System by Joanna Cole
Papa, Please Get The Moon For Me by Eric Carle
Space Boy by Leo Landry
I Took The Moon For A Walk by Carolyn Curtis
If You Decide To Go To The Moon by Faith McNulty
I Want To Be An Astronaut by Byron Barton
On The Moon by Anna Milbourne
Moon Plane by Peter McCarty
Comets, Stars, The Moon, And Mars: Space Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian
A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky: The Story of the Stars, Planets, and Constellations--and How You Can Find Them In the Night Sky by Michael Driscoll
The Kids Book of the Night Sky by Ann Love
Zoo in the Sky: A Book of Animal Constellations by Jaqueline Mitton


© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Walk Like An Egyptian: Fun Gift Ideas 2008

Fun With Hieroglyphs by Catharine Roehrig. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Includes 24 rubber stamps, ink pad, and full-color book.)

Pyramids and Mummies by Anne Bolton.


Egyptology.

Egyptology Code-Writing Kit.

50 Hands On Activities to Experience Ancient Egypt by Avery Hart and Paul Mantell

Mummies Made In Egypt by Aliki.

Pyramid by David Macaulay

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Gift Ideas 2008: Monster Mash

Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
The Monster At The End of This Book by Jon Stone
Go To Bed, Monster by Natasha Wing
Go Away, Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley
Glad Monster, Sad Monster by Anne Miranda and Ed Emberley
Bye-Bye, Big Bad Bullyburg by Ed Emberley
There's A Wocket In My Pocket by Dr. Seuss
When A Monster Is Born by Sean Taylor
My Monster Mama Loves Me So by Laura Leuck
There's A Nightmare In My Closet by Mercer Mayer
There Are Monsters Everywhere by Mercer Mayer
There's Something In My Attic by Mercer Mayer
Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
Jitterbug Jam by Barbara Jean Hicks
Hungry Monsters: A Pop-Up Book of Colors by Matt Mitter
Monster Hug by David Ezra Stein
Little Monsters by Jan Pienkowski
Hungry Monster ABC: An Alphabet Book by Susan Heyboer O'Keefe
One Hungry Monster: A Counting Book in Rhyme by Susan Heyboer O'Keefe
Monster Goose by Judy Sierra
Monster Motel by Douglas Florian

For older children:

Monsterology: The Complete Book of Monstrous Beasts by Ernest Dr. Drake
Monster Mad Libs by Roger Price

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

A Beatrix Potter Treasury

Potter, Beatrix. 2007 (this edition). A Beatrix Potter Treasury: The Original and Authorized Editions by Beatrix Potter. New colour reproductions by Frederick Warne.

This treasury contains eleven of Beatrix Potter's animal stories and a nice little introduction that places them all in context. (This little introduction is "The Story of Beatrix Potter" and features plenty of pictures as well as reproducing the original letter to Noel Moore with the first "story" of Peter Rabbit. The intro focuses on her life and her books and the publishing process--their success and reception by the world.) Each of the eleven stories has a one page "about this book" introduction.

The stories include Peter Rabbit (1902), The Tale of Benjamin Bunny (1904), The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies (1909), The Tale of Mr. Tod (1912), The Story of A Fierce Bad Rabbit (1906, 1916), The Tale of Tom Kitten (1907), The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck (1908), The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or the Roly Poly Pudding (1908), The Tale of the Pie and the Patty Pan (1905), The Tale of Ginger and Pickles (1909).

The stories of Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny were not new to me. I grew up with them. In fact, perhaps they were a bit too well known to me. Unless it's a common phrase for families to talk about "getting put in a pie" all the time. (Let me know if it is!) The phrase in full was a lecture to Peter Rabbit especially (Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail not really needing to be told twice) to stay out of Mr. McGregor's garden. "Your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor."

Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny (and many of the other stories as well) show that there are consequences to every action. If you're a good little bunny, then nice things happen to you. If you're a bad little bunny, then they don't.

I enjoyed almost all the stories in A Beatrix Potter Treasury. I can't say that Ginger and Pickles would ever be my choice as a read aloud, in fact, I don't quite "get it." Why an economic story disguised as a children's book?

I do wish this collection had more stories. I would have loved to see it have The Tale of Two Bad Mice, The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, and The Tailor of Gloucester to name a few. But I suppose for those looking for that thorough an introduction could order The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter which came out the year before by the same publisher. (One is 400 pages and $40 retail, the other is 190 pages and $20 retail.)

Look At You: A Baby Body Book

Look At You: A Baby Body Book by Kathy Henderson. Last year, I read Look At You! A Baby Body Book and loved it. I can't believe I never reviewed it. It was one of my favorites, one I'd put among the best of the best of 2007's picture books. It's shocking that I never found the time to review it. This year, the book has been released in board book format. And it's a good thing for several reasons. 1) board books are baby/toddler friendly. 2) It reminded me that I really, really needed to sit down and gush about the book 3) It's a real must-read and a great gift idea for those looking for baby shower gifts! Spring seems to be the time--commercially at least--where the emphasis is on babies, babies, babies. (Looking at the weekly ads, it's hard not to see all the baby stuff on display celebrating spring time.)

Look At You has everything a book needs to be great. It's got rhythm. True honest-to-goodness rhythm. Something that looks easier than it actually is to write. It's just fun--really fun--to read aloud. It's got some rhymes. The natural kind. It doesn't feel forced. It rhymes in some places, but not in all places. No one rhymes all the time. And sometimes a forced rhyme--besides being gimmicky--would ruin the natural rhythm and flow of the text. It just feels natural. Another thing in its favor is that it can easily lead to interaction between parent and child. The book does ask questions in places. But even if it didn't, the illustrations by Paul Howard offer enough that parents could ad lib for some interactive play. Another big bonus is that it is age appropriate. It is a book for babies about babies. It explores baby's world, baby's day, baby's surroundings. It's familiar--eating, bathing, diaper-changing, sleeping, playing, it's all there. Yet another (as if I needed another reason) is that it shows multiple ethnicities, diverse skin tones in the babies and toddlers.

Fingers and toes wiggle.
Eyes, nose, and mouth giggle.
Arms wave, legs kick . . .
Bottoms squirm . . .
And tummies tickle.

Clothes on.
Where's the baby gone?
There he is!
Clothes off!
Where are the baby's toes?
There they are!

Lie
Roll
Sit
Wobble.
Rock
Crawl
Pull
Wobble.
Stand
Wobble.
Sway
Wobble.
Bump!
Step
Walk
Toddle!

I loved everything--and I do mean everything--about Look At You! A Baby Body Book. It's published by Candlewick. And it's a true must-read in my opinion.

Walt Disney's Cinderella

Rylant, Cynthia. 2007. Walt Disney's Cinderella.

2007 saw the publication of many great books for kids and young adults. A few really really really topped my list. Among the best of the best in feel-good, utterly and completely satisfying category is Cynthia Rylant's Walt Disney's Cinderella. This one goes above and beyond any and all expectations. It just doesn't get better than this. It doesn't. Trust me.

A word on the illustrations. They are by Mary Blair. She did the concept art for the Walt Disney film. It is so completely fabulous. They are NOT the final illustrations from the film like so many other Disney versions. But it is the inspiration for those illustrations. These pictures definitely evoke mood and tone.

A word on the text. It is oh-so-magical. This is how it begins, "This is a story about darkness and light, about sorrow and joy, about something lost and something found. This is a story about Love." We're told that, "Every day Cinderella wished for Love" and that the Prince had not yet fallen in love, "Any young maiden in the kingdom could have been his, for he was brave and kind and destined to be king. But of all the girls he had ever known or seen, not one touched his heart. Not one moved him." The story may be familiar to all, but this telling is so charming, so beautiful that it will make you fall in love all over again. "Who can say by what mystery two people find each other in this great wide world? How does a young man find his maiden? His heart leads him. He finds her in a room. He asks her to dance. And when he touches her, he knows."

This one is definitely a must-read in my opinion. A pure joy from cover to cover. Highly highly highly recommended.

The Sleep Book

I love Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book. I do. I love it. Definitely a must-read. I grew up with this one. And even looking at the cover makes me yawn. There are so many memorable things about this bedtime book. Here's how it begins, "The news just came in from the County of Keck that a very small bug by the name of Van Vleck is yawning so wide you can look down his neck. This may not seem very important, I know. But it is. So I'm bothering telling you so." It goes on, "A yawn is quite catching, you see. Like a cough. It just takes one yawn to start other yawns off. NOW the news has come in that some friends of Van Vleck's are yawning so wide you can look down their necks." The yawns continue to spread through this wonderful tale where we meet strange and new creatures. Among my favorites? I tend to like the Bumble-Tub Club. Then again the Offts are a little fun too. But my favorite part by far is the Audio Telly-O-Tally-O Count machine.

On a mountain, halfway between Reno and Rome,
We have a machine in a plexiglass dome
Which listens and looks into everyone's home.
And whenever it sees a new sleeper go flop,
It jiggles and lets a new Biggel-Ball drop.
Our chap counts these balls as they plup in a cup.
And that's how we know who is down and who's up.

Also I love this line, "Five foot-weary salesmen have laid down their load. All day they've raced round in the heat, at top speeds, unsuccessfully trying to sell Zizzer-Zoof seeds which nobody wants because nobody needs." And how about this, "What a fine night for sleeping! From all that I hear, it's the best night for sleeping in many a year. They're even asleep in the Zwieback Motel! And people don't usually sleep there too well. The beds are like rocks and, as everyone knows, the sheets are too short. They won't cover your toes. SO, if people are actually sleeping in THERE...it's a great night for sleeping! It must be the air."

Anyway, I love this one. You should definitely read it and often.

Fox in Socks

Fox in Socks is classic Seuss. (Is there any un-classic Seuss???) It could quite possibly be one of the funnest books to read aloud ever written. Not that it's an easy task to accomplish. But it's fun through and through. Tongue twisters. Whether you are a master or a novice, these tongue twisters are fun, fun, fun. Open it up. First page. "Take it slowly. This book is dangerous." Written in 1965, it features a tricky fox and a lovable knox.

Chicks with bricks come.
Chicks with blocks come.
Chicks with bricks and
blocks and clocks come.

That is just a small example of what Fox in Socks offers. Here's another favorite:

When tweetle beetles fight,
it's called
a tweetle beetle battle.
And when they battle in a puddle,
it's a tweetle
beetle puddle battle.
And when tweetle beetles
battle with paddles in a puddle,
they call it a tweetle
beetle puddle paddle battle.
And...
When beetles battle beetles
in a puddles paddle battle
and the beetle battle puddle
is a puddle in a bottle...
they call this
a tweetle beetle
bottle puddle
paddle battle muddle
And...
When beetles
fight these battles
in a bottle
with their paddles
and the bottle's
on a poodle
and the poodle's
eating noodle...
they call this
a muddle puddle
tweetle poodle
beetle noodle
bottle paddle battle.
And...

You get the idea. (Read to see for yourself if this fun with tweetle beetles continues...) That was about as much as Mr. Knox was really to hear! But my guess is your little ones would want to hear this one more, more, more. And really who could blame them?
Fun for all ages. Meant to be shared and enjoyed. Over and over and over again.

The Cat in the Hat & Cat in the Hat Comes Back

The Cat In the Hat (1957) is a great Seuss book. Probably a fan favorite in many ways. And if you're honest, it's probably one of the Seuss's that pop in mind first when asked what he wrote. How does a reviewer review such a well-known book? This reviewer is going to share some favorite quotes and side-step evaluating it. Here's how it begins: "The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house all that cold, cold wet day." The book--as you know--is about a stranger--a Cat in the Hat--who comes to visit, to tempt, to play with two young children on a rainy day when they're mother is gone for the day. The other memorable character? The fish who did NOT like the Cat in the Hat at all. Why do I love Cat in the Hat? Thing One and Thing Two! But as much as I enjoyed it, I think I enjoyed The Cat in the Hat Comes Back even more.

The Cat In The Hat Comes Back (1958) is a really great book.

"This was no time for play. This was no time for fun. This was no time for games. There was work to be done. All that deep, deep, deep snow, all that snow had to go. When our mother went down to the town for the day, She said, "Somebody has to clean all this away. Somebody, Somebody has to, you see." Then she picked out two Somebodies. Sally and me."

I can't begin to tell you how many times someone has quoted that around the house "Somebody, somebody has to you, you see." Who should approach these home-alone children once more? None other than the Cat in the Hat. He leaves them to their work while he goes in to take a nice soak in their tub. But he leaves a ring in the tub.

"A ring in the tub!
And, oh boy! What a thing!
A big long pink cat ring!
It looked like pink ink!"

Then begins a long, dramatic attempt to clean up one mess after the other after the other after the other. Before it's all done, we meet many new characters beginning with Little Cat A. It was a fun book that is just a delight to read. Much more fun than the original.