Here’s the best of what we read recently:

Sir Cumference and the First Round Table (Canada) (US) is one of Charlesbridge Math Adventure series. I had seen this series mentioned on many homeschool lists and math sites, and I am ever glad we checked it out! King Arthur has a problem and calls his knights to the table. But this first table is a long rectangle, and the knights at the far end can’t hear the discussion. Lady Di (of the town of Ameter) suggests to her husband Sir Cumference that the table’s shape be changed—first to a square (but that leads to knights in the corners having their own whispered conversations), then a diamond-shaped parallelogram (but the sharp corners painfully poke the King in the belly), then an octagon, etc. Finally, they try a round table, at which each knight had an equal position—no one was poked or trapped in corners, etc—and they find a solution to the King’s problem. As Lady Di of Ameter’s reach is “equal to the distance across the (round) table”, they name this measurement for her: diameter. Ditto for her husband Sir Cumference, and their child Radius. Very clever storyline that both my children enjoyed. Look for more reviews from this series in the coming weeks. Crow Boy (Canada) (US), A Caldecott Honor book from 1955, tells the story of a shy, nature-wise boy nicknamed Chibi (“tiny boy”) who attends a Japanese school. The children tease him, and even the teachers do not know what to make of him, always paying more attention to nature than to his books. Finally, in 6th grade—the last year of school—a new teacher, Mr. Isobe arrives, and realizes the boy’s intelligence. Chibi was the only child who knew where wild grapes and wild potatoes grew in the hillside behind the school, could name all the flowers in the class garden, and so on. He convinces Chibi to perform at the talent show, where he mimics the voices of crows—mother crows, father crows, newly hatched crows, crows in the morning, etc.—beautifully. From that point on he was known, affectionately, as Crow Boy, and he worked hard and happily to help support his family. A great book on different sorts of intelligence, and a look at another time and culture very different from our own. Jack Kent’s Fables of Aesop, out of print (sorry, no Canada link) (US) is perhaps the most concise yet humourous, introduction to some of Aesop’s fables out there. Each fable is told over only 4 very brief pages, in 6-10 sentences or so, plus the moral or lesson. Great artwork and really stripping the stories down to their bare essentials worked well for my boys.

A Pinky is a Baby Mouse (And Other Baby Animal Names) (Canada) (US) was our surprise find of the week; Gareth is very into mice these days, so I grabbed it based on nothing but the title. The book is a really engaging look at the different names baby animals go by, told in rhyming riddle form: “Baby spiders are spiderlings hiding beneath the leaves. Baby monkeys are infants chattering in the trees. Baby crocodiles are hatchlings resting in the rain. I am a baby boa constrictor. Tell me, what’s my name?” The end of the book has a 2-page list of baby animal names. And I guarantee your children will howl with laughter when they find out one of the names a baby seal is called! The same author has a similar rhyming riddle book about animal homes, called Armadillos Sleep In Dugouts (And Other Places Animals Live) (Canada) (US). Harry and the Lady Next Door (Canada) (US)  is a superb easy reader with funny and engaging storyline. Harry the dog (from Harry the Dirty Dog (Canada) (US)) cannot stand the very LOUD, very HIGH (opera?) singing of the lady next door, and comes up with several clever solutions to his problem. Unfortunately, they all go awry. Just when all seems lost, something Harry does unintentionally solves his problem, and the lady next door is made very happy too: win-win. Tacky the Penguin (Canada) (US), from one of our favourite funny authors, is about an odd little penguin named Tacky. He’s loud to the other penguins’ quiet; he marches quite oddly and not at all in the 1-2-3-4 pattern of the others (the boys HOWLED at this part), and he sings odd songs—which your 5-year-old will sing loudly and off-key at you for the next week! But when hunters come looking for penguins, it is Tacky’s oddness that saves the day.

Happy reading!

Here’s the best of what we read recently:

Basil of Baker Street (Canada) (US) is a delightful—though again sadly out-of-print—chapter book from the 1950s, about mouse detective Basil and his assistant Dawson. They live in the cellar of Sherlock Holmes’ residence, at 221B Baker Street, and have learned everything they know about solving crimes at Sherlock’s feet—literally! Young twin mouselings, Angela and Agatha go missing, and Basil and Dawson, in Sherlock Holmes’ fashion, must solve the mystery of their disappearance and bring them back safely. One of a series. Silly Tilly  (Canada) (US) is such a silly goose she takes “her baths in apple juice” Her barnyard friends decide they’ve had enough of her goofy antics, and Tilly stops being silly. But then the animals get to talking and realize they haven’t laughed “since when? Since Tilly chased the garbage men!” The predictable solution to “dullsville on the farm” follows, with “Tilly back to her old ways” like “soaking her feet in mayonnaise”. The playful pictures and bouncy rhyming text had my boys giggling out loud. Temple Cat (Canada) (US) is set in Ancient Egypt (though this is never explicitly stated), and tells about the life of a cat who is pampered and treated as a god. He longs to escape, to catch his own fish, to play with children, to lie on a “dangerous” ledge in the sun as long he likes. And one day his wish comes true. An effective introduction to Ancient Egypt for Gareth (age 5), or any other very young kids who love cats. 

The Little House (Canada) (US) is a story ahead of its time. Originally published in 1942, BEFORE the post-war “baby boom” and rise of the suburbs, it tells the story of a little house, which was once happy in the country. The area around it changes over the years—the roads, the other houses, the train, skyscrapers, etc. arrive—and no longer can the little house watch the seasons change, or hear the birds, or see “the apple trees dancing in the moonlight.” Will the little house ever enjoy the peace and quiet of the country again? Led to some interesting discussions in our home about urban sprawl and light pollution. The now out-of-print Be Nice to Spiders (Canada) (US) is about a pet spider, Helen, that a boy leaves at the zoo, as they are moving to a new apartment that doesn’t allow pets. The spider proves useful to the animals at the zoo, keeping the fly problem down. But with the superintendant of zoos due to arrive, the head zookeeper orders the animal cages thoroughly cleaned—especially those ratty-looking cobwebs! The inspection goes well, but soon the zoo is as messy as ever, and the animals are bothered by flies. The zookeepers eventually realize their mistake, and treat Helen like a queen thereafter. Dinosaur Hunter (Canada) (US) was a surprisingly good early reader chapter book. It is about a boy, Ned, living on a Wyoming ranch, who dreams of finding a dinosaur fossil. He meets young George Sternberg one day, and the two find an entire dinosaur skeleton. George goes to tell his father, Charles Sternberg, but in the meantime, word of their find has gotten around, and Ned is visited by a collector from a rival palaeontology group who wants to buy the fossil for but a fraction of what it is worth. Ned has to think fast to outwit this collector—and he does! (My boys LOVED the way Ned, a boy, outwitted the adult collector.) The story holds its own even if you know nothing of dino-collecting and the “bone wars” of the late 1800s.

Happy reading!

Here’s the best of what we read recently:

White Owl Barn Owl (Canada) (US) is the sort of book my boys tend to like: a sweet simple fiction story with non-fiction facts mixed in as sidebars and captions. It is the story about a boy and his grandfather putting up a nesting box for a family of barn owls, and gives details in the back of the book about the decline of the barn owl and how to help by putting up nest boxes. The Three Pigs (Canada) (US) is a very funny and mixed-up—dare I say “postmodern”—version of the three little pigs fairy tale. In this version, the pigs literally come off the page! They ride pages made into paper airplanes, land in the Hey Diddle Diddle nursery rhyme, as well as a story about knights and dragons…and the dragon, who also escapes the confines of his pages, helps them with their wolf problem. Imaginative illustrations, winner of a Caldecott medal. The Ice-Cream Cone Coot and Other Rare Birds (Canada) (US), sadly out of print, is a wonderful book of rhyming absurdist poetry about various bird species, such as the Milkbottle Midge (“…a bird highly prized. He is friendly and round and homogenized.”), the  Garbage Canary, who (“…lives in conditions quite unsanitary.") and the Sharpsaw Macaw (“…ever so gentle. Those teeth that you see are just ornamental.”) The superb illustrations are so playful, and add another layer to the humour. 

A Bear Called Paddington (Canada) (US) is one of those childhood classics I somehow missed in my own childhood, which added to my enjoyment in reading it for the first time with the boys. A delightful, gentle story about a bear who gets himself into situations without quite meaning to—something all of us can relate to! One thing I was struck by when reading it, in addition to the gentle humour, was the rich sentence structure and vocabulary. More on this here. Stone Girl Bone Girl (Canada) (US) is the story of Mary Anning, who as a child was one of the first people in England to find fossils. She found many “curiosities” in the cliffs near Lyme Regis, England, and after her father’s death sold them to tourists to help her mother pay the bills. I was delighted to find out that I—and no doubt you—have been reciting a tongue twister about Mary for years: “She sells seashells by the seashore…”   Born in 1799, the story explores her relationship with her family, her independent spirit, her special dog, her mentorship from other scientifically educated women in her community, and her find of the first ichthyosaur.  The Spooky Tail of Prewitt Peacock (Canada) (US) is a story from my childhood by the delightful Bill Peet, about a modest peacock with a most unusual—and frightening—tail. The other members of his flock give him a choice: either your tail goes, or you do. Prewitt stands his ground, refusing both options, and a chase ensues—leading the whole flock into trouble when they encounter a tiger out in the open grassland with no trees to flutter into for safety. Prewitt unintentionally saves the day, becomes the flock leader, and indeed is now "proud as a peacock.”

Happy reading!

Here’s the best of what we read recently:

Brave Jack and the Unicorn (Canada) (US) is an original Newfoundland folk tale about Jack, the youngest of three brothers, who goes forth to seek his fortune in the world. He is not as handsome or clever as his brothers, but is kind, and befriends many who do him a favour later to repay his kindness. And these favours allow him to rescue the Princess from the Evil Magician. Incorporates many elements common to folk and fairy tales, often in unique ways; I particularly enjoyed wondering how the queen of ants (ants? little ants?) would factor into the story later.  Watch Me Throw the Ball (Canada) (US) is a book you simply must read with your kids, especially beginning readers. It’s very simple, very funny, and has a super moral to boot. My boys read it over and over to themselves after we’d finished, and we’ll be tracking down other ‘Elephant and Piggie’ books. A House is a House for Me (Canada) (US) is a somewhat older book with playful rhyming text and delightful pictures. It talks about how everything is a house for something, from the obvious (“a hive is a house for a bee, a bird builds its nest in a tree”), to the not-so-obvious (“a kennel is a house for a dog, a dog is a house for a flea”) to the delightfully playful (“a mirror’s a house for reflections, a throat is a house for a hum…a book is a house for a story, a rose is a house for a smell”).  

The Gift of the Inuksuk (Canada) (US) is a book we took out of the library to learn more about the symbol we have seen so often over the past few weeks at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. It is a story about an Inuit girl, Ukaliq, and how she and her people used the materials available to make their lives: “Everywhere Ukaliq looked, she saw gifts.” One day her father and brothers got lost in a storm on their way to the big caribou migration hunt, a hunt that was necessary for them to survive the winter. Ukaliq came up with the idea of shifting the Inuksuk, the stone men, “only as far as could be seen through the snow” from one to another, and in so doing, guided her lost relations home. There is some additional information about the Inuksuk and its use and prevalence today. Great pictures too in this respectful look at Inuit culture. My Cat Likes To Hide in Boxes (Canada) (US)  is an older book with a simple premise and playful pictures. It features cats from around the world—Japan, Berlin, Brazil, Greece, Norway, Spain, France—and the things they like to do (which rhyme), in contrast to ‘my’ cat which likes to hide in boxes. So the cat from France likes to sing and dance, etc. A playful way to introduce some geography to younger kids, and the picture of the cat from Norway is simply not to be missed. Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge (Canada) (US) is a sweet, gentle book about a young boy who befriends several seniors living at the old folks home next door. When he hears that one of them has “lost her memory”, he asks the others for details as to what a memory is (“it’s something that makes you laugh”; “it’s something that makes you cry”, “it’s something warm”, etc.). Wilfrid then gathers ‘appropriate’ items in a box to give her “a memory” back—a fresh egg (it’s warm), a funny puppet on string (it makes folks laugh), etc. And this odd collection does indeed bring memories back to his elderly friend, prompting her to reminisce about her own childhood.  

Many Moons (Canada) (US)  was one of my favourite reads of the week. It is a story about a princess who is ill, and who tells her father (the King) that she will get well if he can get the moon for her. He consults his wisest men (the Lord High Chamberlain, the Royal Wizard, the Royal Mathematician), all of whom explain—in different and funny ways—that this is impossible. The Jester then comes to cheer the King, and comes up with a very clever (yet commonsense!) plan to give the princess the moon: the first step is talking to the princess herself. The plan succeeds, and the princess gets well, but then there is another problem: how to prevent the princess from seeing the (real) moon shining in her bedroom window that night. The King again consults his wisest men with no luck, and again the Jester appears and suggests consulting with the princess, which results in a pleasing, clever, and genuinely unpredictable ending. The original story was written in 1943, and the edition we read had updated drawings (they are superb) as well as a brief intro piece by Rosemary Thurber, daughter of author James, on the decision to release a new edition—something she only decided after consulting her grandchildren, just as the princess was consulted in the story. Delightful read—highly recommended!  What Bluebirds Do (Canada) (US) is an excellent non-fiction book about two Eastern bluebirds who raise a family of chicks. Tons of detailed pictures and fairly short text make this an easy read-aloud; it held both my boys’ attentions all the way through, unlike many non-fiction books that get too bogged down in text for Gareth (age 5).  The Invisible Fran (Canada) (US) is part of the Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist series, and the first that we’ve read. I wasn’t sure about  it as we went along in the story, as Franny was pretty obnoxious to her friends, had no tolerance of folks with interests other than ‘mad science’, and some of the humour is off-colour (be prepared for your 5-year-old to repeat “The Principal has a rubber butt” for ages afterwards…sigh). But Franny gets what’s coming to her and learns her lessons in the end. Very funny with lots of pictures; a good choice for kids transitioning to chapter books.

Box Turtle at Silver Pond Lane (Canada) (US) is one of the Smithsonian Backyard series, a series aimed at getting kids interested in the nature and wildlife they find all around them. It follows a turtle’s journey to lay her eggs. Good pictures, and a realistic (though never violent) look at the dangers and triumphs in a day in the life of a box turtle. We’ll be getting out others in the series. Harp O’Gold (Canada) (US) is a book Gareth chose off the St Patrick’s Day display at the library. It tells the tale of Tom, a wandering minstrel with a simple, worn, wooden harp. One day he meets Sean O’Dell, a leprechaun, who offers him what Tom has dreamed of—a beautiful golden harp. Tom quickly trades his old worn harp for the golden one, and his life changes dramatically—people from all around came to see him play such a gorgeous instrument, and didn’t seem to notice the poor tinny sound of this harp compared to his old one. Word gets around, and eventually Tom plays from the king! But the king does not want to let anyone else see such a beautiful golden harp, and Tom soon realizes he has become a prisoner inside the castle walls, condemned to play tinny music for the rest of his life. He does find a way to escape, and trades back to his old harp when he finds Sean O’Dell again. A great moral about doing what you love, regardless of appearances and what others think, as revealed in the final line of the book. Our Song: The Story of O Canada (Canada)(US) was a surprisingly interesting read for all of us. It tells the story of how the Canadian National anthem came to its present form, in words and music, in both English and French. The evolution of the English lyrics was my favourite part of the book: from literal translation of the original French lyrics, to regional variations, to writing contests in Collier’s magazine, to parliamentary decrees based on letters written by ordinary Canadians in my own lifetime to celebrate Quebec’s decision to remain part of Canada. It was also interesting to learn the translation of the French lyrics. The book includes a timeline of Canadian history, from 1880 to 1980, in 20 year chunks per page. This led us to many discussions with our boys about some of the items, which includes much more than the usual wars and battles: women’s rights, the gold rush, different provinces joining Canada, hockey, the discovery of insulin, the establishment of the CBC, the building of the trans-Canada highway and CN tower, Terry Fox’s marathon of Hope, etc.

Happy reading!

Here’s the best of what we read recently:

The Trumpet of the Swan (Canada) (US) is E.B. White’s least-known novel for children, behind his immensely popular Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little, but is one of my all-time childhood favourites. It tells the story of Louis, a remarkable trumpeter swan born without a voice, and his ability to overcome his difficulties with the help of his father, a trumpet, his human friend Sam, and his own hard work and ingenuity. A heart-warming story, with complex moral issues (should Louis’ father help Louis, even if it means stealing a trumpet to do so?) addressed in a way that is never condescending to the reader. One caveat: there are some aspects to the book that may strike the modern reader as politically-incorrect, or outright offensive: a camp for boys only, Louis being referred to as “defective” or “deficient” with respect to his voice, and a brief mention of camp counsellors smoking. Here, we used these as launching points for discussion. My Teacher Likes To Say  (Canada) (US) is a playful book about idioms and common expressions, like “Do you have ants in your pants?” or “These walls have ears.” Each page features one idiom, with a literal picture of the idiom (ants running out the bottom of a boy’s pants, a girl with a large Q-Tip (cotton swab) cleaning giant ears on the wall), an explanation of what the idiom means, as well as other trivia about the idiom. The pictures made Gareth (age 5) laugh; Daegan (age 7) was curious to know the meaning of these expressions. And I was fascinated by the trivia: when was this expression first used and by whom, are there similar sayings in other languages, etc. This trivia led us to many other interesting conversations: what a gadfly is (“Is there a gadfly in your breeches?” was the 17th century version of “ants in your pants”), what an ‘early bird special’ is (from “the early bird gets the worm”), the Magna Carta, Shakespeare, Chaucer, WWII, etc. One of a series. Snow Party (Canada) (US) is a cute book about snow people (snowmen, snowwomen, snowchildren and snowbabies) having a party to celebrate the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Wonderful illustrations of the dinner, the dancing, the musicians, the kids playing hockey, etc. A good choice for younger kids as part of a solstice celebration.

Bird Talk (Canada) (US) is a quirky book that you’ll either love or think is rather odd. For our family, avid birders, it was superb. Each page features a variety of birds “talking”, using expressions bird watchers memorize to help identify birds by their calls (“birding by ear”). So we have the “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?” call of the Barred Owl, the “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” of the black-capped chickadee, the ”maids, maids, maids, put on your teakettle-ettle-ettle-ettle” of the song sparrow, and the “poor Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody” of the white-throated sparrow (or, as the phrase is known around here, “Oh, sweet, Canada, Canada, Canada”). The calls are grouped by theme (e.g. the barred owl’s call appears on a page with other calls relating to food and cooking, with a pic of a family BBQ), adding another layer of humour. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but a sure hit with certain families, including ours.  A Father Like That (Canada) (US) is a sweet story about a boy telling his (single) mother all kinds of details as to the sort of father he would like to have. The pictures show what is inside the boy’s mind: the wonderful things he and his father would do, the utter joy his father would have in being a parent. The book ends with the mother telling the boy that even if he never gets a father like that, he can one day BE that father to his own kids. I was misty-eyed by the end. We’re Sailing to the Galapagos (Canada) (US) is a book we read to celebrate Charles Darwin’s 201st birthday. It features lots of the unusual animals of the Galapagos (the marine iguana, giant tortoises, frigate birds, etc.), one for each day of the week as they sail along, with simple rhyming text. There is additional information about the animals, the Galapagos Islands, and Charles Darwin at the back of the book. 

How Many Ways can you Catch a Fly? (Canada) (US) was one of the non-fiction hits of the week. The book groups animal facts in a unique way: by answering questions like the title. For example, one section asks the question, “How many ways can you use a leaf?” Answers: as a nest pouch (a tailorbird uses silk from a spider’s web to weave a leaf closed), as an umbrella (orangutans use large leaves during rainstorms to help stay dry), as a farm (leaf cutter ants grow fungus—their food—on bits of leaf they’ve carried to underground chambers), as an insect repellent (capuchin monkeys rub themselves with certain leaves), and more. Clear illustrations accompany the text. First The Egg  (Canada)(US) is a superb, very simple book—an uncommon combination. It features cut outs on each right-hand page that cleverly become an intergral part of a new picture (left-hand) when you turn the page, and all the pictures relate to one another. So we have “First, the egg” (egg-shaped cut out, white background)—turn the page—“Then, the chicken” (egg-shaped cut out becomes chick’s body, right-hand page shows a white, adult chicken.). And so on with other pages (e.g., tadpole, froglet, frog; seed, seedling, flower). The pages beginning paint, palette, picture (of a chicken!)…end up bringing the book to a humourous conclusion. Gareth LOVED this book and was very proud that he could "read” it to himself. A Caldecott Honor Book. Pirates Don’t Change Diapers (Canada) (US) was one of the funniest books of the week, and had my boys laughing so hard at points they were on the verge of tears. It’s the story of young Jeremy Jacob, left in charge of his sleeping baby sister while Mom runs an errand. Jeremy is visited by the band of pirates he had joined in How I Became a Pirate, as they needed to dig up the treasure that they previously buried in his backyard. Chaos ensues when all the pirates’ yelling about treasure wakes the baby, and the pirates are forced into a most unnatural role: babysitters. The pictures are outstanding—you don’t soon forget the image of a diaper caught on a pirate hook hand, or fierce pirates covered in strained spinach!

Punia and the King of Sharks (Canada) (US) is a Hawaiian folktale about a boy who manages to outwit the King of the Sharks to get to the tasty lobsters the he is guarding with his 10 other shark helpers. Has elements in common with other folktales, but the unfamiliar setting led to some surprising ways the boy succeeded. Incorporates several Hawaiian words into the story as well. The Story of Snow (Canada) (US)was a fascinating look at snow: how it forms around a speck of dirt, different types of snowflakes (stars, plates, columns), various imperfections snowflakes often have and how they are formed (e.g., 12-sided snowflakes, snowflakes with bumps or one “arm” longer than the others, etc.). Excellent photos, and a lovely message about similarity and diversity for snowflakes, flowers, and people at the end. The Squeaky Door (Canada) (US) was another book that had us laughing heartily. It’s based on a Puerto Rican folktale, about a grandmother who puts her grandson to bed, asking if he’ll be scared to sleep all alone in the big brass bed. “NO. Not ME!” is the reply. Grandma gives him a kiss, turns out the light, closes the door—squeeeeak!—and the squeak scares the boy, who (turn the page) cries: “Waaaaa!” So grandma comes back, and asks if the boy would like to sleep with the cat (“Yes! Yes! Yes!”), so she gets the cat (from his basket), tucks in the cat, asks about being scared (NO! Not ME!”), turns out the light, closes the door—squeeeeak!—(turn the page): “Waaaaaa!” “Me-owwwww!” So grandma repeats this again with the dog, the pig (who she puts in pajamas!), the horse—the repetitive text, playful pictures and silly crying noises had my boys giggling. Eventually the bed breaks, grandma puts the animals back where they usually sleep, and takes the boy to bed with her and grandpa. And in the morning, grandma fixes the squeaky door (oil can goes “glub glub glub”).  

Happy reading!

Bats at the Library (Canada) (US) was one of our favourites this week. It’s a delightful, rhyming tale of bats who sneak into the library one night when a window is left open. The pages in the book showing “bat-ified” images from classic children’s books is not to be missed. Here’s just a close-up of a small part of one page, showing the bat-ified version of Robert McCloskey’s classic Make Way for Ducklings. We had a lot of fun trying to figure out what book was being depicted in the images. One of a series.

Polar Bear Math (Canada) (US) tells the true story of the hand-raising of polar bear cubs Klondike and Snow at the Denver Zoo after they were abandoned by their mother (also at the zoo).  You can read just the story with super pictures on the right hand side, or read the math (fraction themed) on the left-hand side for more detail—e.g., using fractions to make their ‘baby’ formula, using fractions to measure their growth, etc. One of a series. The Guard Mouse is a wonderfully illustrated book—now sadly, out or print—from the 1960s about a mouse who works as a guard outside Buckingham Palace. When relatives of his from New York arrive, he shows them around London (the artwork of all kinds of classic London locations is superb), making sure to arrive back in time for the changing of the guard.

The Bugliest Bug (Canada) (US) is a lively, rhyming book about a contest to find the bugliest bug—but it’s actually a sneak attack by spiders (who aren’t bugs!). The boys demanded we re-read this immediately after finishing it the first time, something they almost never do anymore (that should give hope to those of you with 2 year olds!)   Abigail Spells (Canada) (US) is the story of two friends, and overcoming the disappointment of losing a spelling contest. Tops and Bottoms (Canada) (US) is a really unique book (it’s read on it’s side, for one thing) about a rabbit who outwits a lazy bear, his landlord, by making deals with him about sharing the tops or bottoms of the planted crops. When bear says he’ll take the top crops, rabbit plants root vegetables; when bear says he’ll take bottoms, rabbit plants lettuce. In the end bear wises up and says he’ll take BOTH tops and bottoms…and rabbit again finds a way to outwit him.   

Living Sunlight (Canada) (US) explains how all life on earth depends, ultimately, on the energy of the sun. One to add to your list of readings for upcoming Earth Hour / Earth Day celebrations. Heart of a Snowman  (Canada) (US) was a really ‘out there’ story about a boy who builds a snowman and that night is taken to a magical land by spaceship where winter animals take snowmen apart and rebuild them to try to make them perfect. It was strangely mesmerizing, and kept both my boys’ full interest. If You’ll Be My Valentine (Canada) (US) was a superb Valentine’s book to share with little ones, with playful rhyming poems on each page as a boy gives a Valentine’s to the important figures in his life (friends, family, pets, etc.). Something children can relate to far more than romantic Valentines, in my view. 

A Visitor for Bear (Canada) (US) tells the amusing story of a grumpy bear with a prominent “No Visitor’s Allowed” sign on his door, and a mouse determined to get inside and become his friend. Two Old Potatoes and Me (Canada) (US) is a book my boys first learn about on the show Reading Rainbow. It’s about a boy and his dad who—after consulting with grandpa—find a use for two old potatoes that they originally tossed in the trash. They cut them up and planted them, growing new potatoes to eat. Striking artwork and text. Cuckoo Can’t Find You (Canada) (US) is a simple rhyming book with hidden pictures—and perfect for Gareth who is just learning to read. For example, on one page the text says “Stork can’t find his fork” and has picture of a stork wading in water, with an upside down green fork cleverly hidden among the water plants. When I read it with Gareth, I did not read the final rhyming word aloud (“fork” in this case) allowing him to ‘read’ the word for himself (with help from the rhyme and the picture). The final page has a picture of a cuckoo and a good-quality mirror (Cuckoo can’t find you.) Excellent execution of a simple idea, and one that is perfect for children at the emergent reading stage.

Today I Feel Silly (Canada) (US) was a fun read about emotions, with colourful if chaotic artwork throughout. It covers both pleasant and unpleasant emotions in contexts children can easily relate to. Never Smile at a Monkey (Canada) (US) is book covering ways in which different animals can be dangerous, such as a monkey interpreting your smile as a threat. Good artwork and information as is usual with Steve Jenkins’ books, but the topic is pretty intense and my youngest found it disturbing to hear about the possibility of “dying within minutes” if pierced by a cone shells’ barb, for example. A Porcupine Named Fluffy  (Canada) (US) has been a favourite hear for years. It’s the very funny tale of a poorly named porcupine, and his one day finding a friend in a similarly poorly named rhinoceros. This book still makes my boys laugh after countless re-reads.

Happy reading!