Children's Books.

Thanksgiving is coming up which means it's time to start placing hold on those Thanksgiving titles to be sure that you will get them in time. Here are some of my favorites.

For Preschoolers:
'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey
School children go on a field trip to a farm and bring home turkey for thanksgiving. Based on the famous 'twas the night before Christmas. This book is hilarious!


Alligator arrived with apples : a potluck alphabet feast by Crescent Dragonwagon
A Thanksgiving alphabet book. Each animal bring a different dish for the best A-Z Thanksgiving feast.

Feast for 10 by Cathryn Falwell.Not really a Thanksgiving book, but a heart warming counting book about a family eating together. Probably my favorite "food" book for preschoolers.

I know an old lady who swallowed a pie by Alison JacksonGoodness! Can this lady eat, or what? Written in the same rhyme as "I know an old lady who swallowed a fly.

For Elementary Schoolers:
Thank you, Sarah : the woman who saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson
The real story behind Thanksgiving is more inspiring than pilgrims and Indians. Sarah Hale finds that the pen is mightier than the sword when she convinces Abe Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a national holiday.

Milly and the Macy's Parade / by Shana CoreyYoung Milly inspires the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Based on a true story; includes historical note.

The Hoboken chicken emergency by Daniel Pinkwater Arthur goes to pick up the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner but comes back with a 266-pound chicken.

Maybe it's kind of gruesome, but I always like a good archaeology book with lots of pictures of skeletons and bodies. It's fascinating what the combination of archaeology, forensics and cultural anthropology can tell us about people and cultures that lived hundreds or even thousands of years ago. And, as science and technology continue to advance, we get to learn even more about the people who came before us. Two books I always pull from the shelves for those who share my love of preserved people are Bodies From the Ash: Life and Death in Ancient Pompeii and Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland.

Bodies from the Ash is always a hit with kids and adults alike. After a brief introduction about the eruption of Vesuvius, the author really starts digging into the good stuff like how, exactly, archaeologists made all those incredible plaster casts of the volcano's victims in Pompeii. Details from jewelry and clothing provide all sorts of clues into the identity of some of the people who were excavated and, because the disaster happened so quickly, we have learned quite a bit about the daily life of people living in Pompeii.

Written in Bone is an incredibly fascinating read that will appeal to both fans of archaeology and early American history. Through careful and extensive excavation of cemeteries, homes and other sites throughout the James Fort area in Jamestown, Virginia, readers get a very intimate glimpse into the lives of some of the people who lived in the Chesapeake Bay area in the 1600s and 1700s. Clues such as copper pins and coffin materials provide insight into whose remains have been found buried in grave sites. When excavations are compared to various journals and logs from the era, it is possible to pinpoint exactly who many of these people were. Not all of the excavations were so benign, however. One skeleton was found under a hearth, and scientists were able to determine from the arrangement of the bones that he was hastily buried, and they even found evidence of the digging tools!

Playground Day by Jennifer J. Merz

is a celebration of of a day spend outside at the playground. 

You can just feel a crisp fall day, the metal of the swing, the thrill of the slide and the spin of the merry-go-round.  Jennifer Merz's paper cut illustrations are fun, colorful and full of expression. 

Pair this with Emily Gravett's Monkey and Me for the perfect preschool jaunt.

This book is old, (1964) but sweet and speaks to the artist in me....a small, brown bat "the color of coffee with cream in it" can't sleep and soon finds himself awakening to the brightness of daytime and the poet in his soul. This neglected gem of a book is wonderful on many levels . First, I love how the book shows all ages (but especially kids) some real lessons about poetry and what it is like to struggle with the creative process. The author also succeeds in showing the difficulties of finding an appreciative audience for ones creations. But my favorite part, and I thank the author for this, was his ability to point out the difference between appreciating a poem (or any art) for its technical excellence and simply feeling the work of art on a gut level.

42 pages make The Bat-Poet by Randall Jarrell a quick read that is perfect for a ferry crossing with family or bedtime lounge on the couch with the kids. (Maurice Sendak has sprinkled the pages with delicate drawings that are simply perfect!)

For anyone who grew up reading Where the Wild Things Are, no doubt just thinking about the book brings back all sorts of memories from when you were a kid: where you lived, who you read the book with, and, most importantly, how you felt when you read this strange and wonderful story.  I was always captivated by the monsters, with their funny hippie hair and mish-mash of animal parts, but I also felt kind of bad for Max.  He seemed like such a lost and unhappy kid - at least until he got his supper.

I've been thinking a lot about this book lately, no doubt in response to seeing this trailer for the film adaptation (those of you worried about the film staying loyal to the crazy sensibilities of Maurice Sendak's original vision can relax, it looks fantastic).  But seeing it also made me want to dive back into that original tale, so I wandered over to the children's book section this afternoon and pulled it from the shelf.  Nearly 50 years after publication, I can say it definitely stands the test of time.  Lushly illustrated and fully engaging, it's a book that will still appeal to children for all its wildness, although you can almost appreciate more as an adult.  Try it... it only takes a few minutes to read and you'll be amazed at what it brings back!

If you are interested in reading more about the film adaptation done by indie director Spike Jonze, the New York Times did a great feature article in their Sunday Magazine, which you can read here (login may be required).

A curious collection of cats by Betsy Franco and illustrated by Michael Wertz is a book of delightfully colorful concrete poetry. Concrete poetry, just in case you don't know, is poetry that is a particular shape.  The words are actually shaped on the page to help create the poem.

This author/ illustrator team has a way of making funny, fun poetry that is visually active.  Any cat lover will just love this book!

Besty Franco has written lots of great books for kids. This appears to be her first collaboration with Michael Wertz. I hope they do another one about dogs.  

This new book will wow you with the beautiful photographs and unique presentation. 

Seasons: Changes in the natural world is published by Play Bac, a French Publishing house that has started to bring it's magic to the U.S.  This concept book for preschoolers offers a delightful mix of colorful pictures, child-friendly captions, and segments for adult read-aloud. Kids will poor over this book again and again. 

With a focus on the natural world, science and photography, you may like some of these other Play Bac offerings.

I just discovered All in a Day by one of my favorite authors Cynthia Rylant AND one of my favorite artists Nikki McClure.

Cythnia Rylant has written ober 60 books for young people of all ages.  She won the Newbery Award for Missing May.  She also wrote one of my all time favorite books: God Went to Beauty School. 

This is only Nikki McClure's second children's books, but I've been a fan of her art for years (I have prints of her work all over my house).  Nikki is a self-taught artist who uses a single sheet of paper and an exacto knife to create her art. 

You'll just love this new collaboration.  The message is touching and the pictures are warm and comforting. 

 

A cute new CD for kids!  Secret Agent 23 Skidoo from Happiness Recordings is a fun, family Hip Hop album that everyone will enjoy. "Entertainment and education strike a perfect balance in this story filled party album, making it a pamper shaking good time. Kids of all ages, (even the adult type) have been spotted nodding their heads to its sophisticated musicality." So far, I think this is the best Hip Hop CD for kids that I've heard.  I'm looking forward to more music from Secret Agent 23! 

 

You might also like The Dino 5 from the Baby Loves Hip Hop label. This all star recording features Charli 2na of Jurassic 5, Lady Bug Mecca of Digable Planets, Prince Paul, Scratch from The Roots and narrated by Grammy winning poet Ursula Rucker. Dino 5 is more like an audio book with a sweet story about dinosaurs in between the songs, but the Hip Hop is still good and you will enjoy the songs despite the sappy narration.   

 

I just finished Maybe Yes, Maybe No, Maybe Maybe by Newbery Award winning author, Susan Patron (Higher Power of Lucky). Patron specializes in children's books about self discovery: quiet books without much plot but with lots of personality. 

"Everything's changing all at once for PK."  PK is the middle child with one older sister and one younger sisiter.  She's "the jam in the sandwhich." Her older sister, Megan, is almost a teenager and now has hormones that make her impossible.  Her younger sister, Rabbit, is overly worried about starting kindergarten.  With a super smart older sister and a super cute younger sister, PK feels like nobody.  That is, until she finds her special gift in the laundry hamper. 

Other books along similar lines include Granny Torrelli Make Soup by Sharon Creech and Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo.