Children's Books.

I haven't read all the Obama books for children, but I've seen a fair number come through the library.   I thought I would post my favorite and my least favorite.  Please send your comments!

Our Enduring Spirit: President Barak Obama's First Words to America illustrated by Greg Ruth is, in my opinion, the best I've seen so far.  Our Enduring Spirit is an abridged version of Obama's inaugural address (the full text of the address is in the back of the book).  I like this book because it presents Obama in his own words. It allows children to interpret Barak Obama for themselves without putting adult significance on then man. The illustrations by Greg Ruth are also wonderfully done, adding meaning to the text without overpowering it.

My least favorite Obama book isn't really about Obama at all, but about Bo, the Obama family dog.  First dog by J. Patrick Lewis and Beth Zappitello is entirely awful.  In this book, a Portuguese water dog travels the world "looking for the perfect place to live." After travelling the world, he finally finds himself at the White House door. Not only is this book full of really terrible stereotypes ofthe people and places he visits, it has an un-original ending that will make you groan out loud. 

Let me know your favorite and least favorite Obama books.  Comment here!

I was just reading an article in Booklinks about Jonah Winter when I noticed not one but two of his books displayed on the new book display at the Woodinville Library. Coincidence?  I think not!

Jonah Winter got into writting books for children through his mother, award winning illustrator and author, Jeanette Winter. He's done some fabulous collaborations with her but has also written some fine books on his own. 

I first became aware of him as an author with the book The 39 apartments of Ludwig van Beethoven.  This is wonderfully funny (mostly) true tribute to Beethoven. I read it to a first grade class and they thought it was hilarious! and we have the added bonus of a (sort-of) biography that introduces kids to a world past.

Jonah Winter's two new books are also outstanding.  The Fabulous Feud of Gilbert and Sullivan presents a snapshot into the famous light opera creators.  The illustrations are delightful. The story, just a snapshot into the friendship between the two, is something kids will relate to.  Factual stories prove more interesting than fiction. 

On a more serious note, Peaceful Heroes is a tribute to 14 people who risked their lives to help others and make the world a better place.  These range from people you're heard of (Jesus of Nazareth, and Martin Luther King Jr) and some that you may not have (Paul Rusesabagina and Marla Ruzucka).  It's remarkably well written, in language kids will understand without being watered down or over dramatized.

The Longest Night by Marion Dane Bauer and illustrated by Ted Lewin exactly fits my mood today.  With sunrise today at 7:18AM and sunset at 4:30PM, I'm feeling the short days and long nights. 

This book has the look and feel of a long northwest night.  Each of the animals, in turn, tries to bring back the sun. But only when the chickadee sings her little song, does the sun return. 

Pair this one with Raven a Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest by Gerald McDemott. 

A ninety year-old woman recently refinanced her home six times before the bank took it away. She gave all the money - a half million dollars - to her son, he never repaid her, and now she has nothing. It reminded me of something I first read years ago, Shel Silverstein's classic children's book The Giving Tree.

The book takes three minutes to read, and here is the story: a tree gives everything to a boy that she loves; her apples, her branches, even her trunk. It makes her happy each time she's able to give something more to the boy, though each time he leaves her without a thank you. In the end after the tree is cut down the boy sits on her stump to rest, and the tree is happy.

Reading this book was always unsettling, even when I was a child. It could be a warning about the environment, but I find it interesting to think about its views on human relationships. Wouldn't the boy be better served with some solid advice rather than her branches and trunk? Can you really be happy giving everything to someone who will take everything you have?

I don't want to be too cynical. Most parents give more to their children than they receive, and most are happy in the giving. Is this a story about parenthood? Or more generally is there something transcendent about giving with a full heart, so that it doesn't matter who receives the gift or what they do with it? Maybe. But there's something awfully sad about that tree, cut to a stump, with the boy on top.

Bee Bim Bop by Linda Sue Park

This is one of my favorite story time books. Kids and adults alike often leave the story time room singing: "Hungry, hungry, hungry for some Bee Bim Bop!" In this book, a little girl helps her family prepare her favorite meal. Bee Bim Bop is Korean stir fried vegetables and meat on top of rice. June, from Readers to Eaters is Korean-American. June tells me that Bee Bim Bop is a traditional meal made from leftovers. In the back is this delightful recipe. I just know you'll want to make this at home.

This is a Readers to Eaters pick!
Readers to Eaters is an organization who's mission it is to promote food literacy from the ground up. They use books and a strong connection to the publishing world to promote knowing about food and where it comes from. They are currently working with schools and libraries to promote good eating and good reading.

Bailey, who is usually so nice, Bailey, my neighbor, my friend, my buddy, my pal for my whole life, knowing me better than anybody, that Bailey, that Bailey I am so mad at right now, that Bailey, I hate him today. 

Twelve-year-old Rosie and her best friend, Bailey, have been best friends forever, even though Bailey is blind. He can't read the same way Rosie does, he can't go to the same school... but that doesn't stop him from doing anything and it doesn't stop him from being annoying sometimes, even if he is her best friend. Granny Torrelli seems to know just what to do when things go wrong between Rosie and Bailey. All it takes is a free afternoon and some old family recipes.


This is a Readers to Eaters pick!  Readers to Eaters is a nonprofit who's mission it is to promote food literacy from the ground up. They use books and a strong connection to the publishing world to promote knowing about food and where it comes from. They are currently working with schools and libraries to promote good eating and good reading.

Yum! MmMm! Que Rico! America's Sprouting by Pat Mora and Rafael Lopez is a culinary treat you won't want to miss.

Pat Mora is the author of many beautiful bilingual books. This book is all about foods that are native to the Americas including: chile, corn, peanut, potato and pumpkin. Each food is presented with a haiku-style poem along with a side bar of information about the food. The colorful illustrations by Rafael Lopez are really a treat.

 

This is a Readers to Eaters pick!

Readers to Eaters is a nonprofit who's mission it is to promote food literacy from the ground up. They use books and a strong connection to the publishing world to promote knowing about food and where it comes from. They are currently working with schools and libraries to promote good eating and good reading.

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.