Books | bekahcubed

Picture Book Highlights (Author COL-CON)

February 3, 2020 1 Comment by bekahcubed

The kids and I read right around 50 children’s picture books in January (in addition to some nonfiction, some board books, and listening to Cherry Jones narrate Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods and Farmer Boy.) These are some of the highlights from this month’s reading. We’re going to plug along with authors CON and on in February – but we’re also excited to continue our Laura journey with Little House on the Prairie and maybe On the Banks of Plum Creek as part of Barbara’s final Laura Ingalls Wilder Reading Challenge.

The Winter Wren by Brock Cole

"The Winter Wren"

We’ve read a couple of other whimsical folk-type tales by Brock Cole, but this was my favorite. In it, a boy goes off to wake up Spring, who is sleeping in Winter’s castle. Cole’s illustrations are just delightful and this story very fun.

Rachael Cole

Books by Rachel Cole

I was unfamiliar with Rachael Cole, but fell in love with her City Moon, in which a young child and his mother take a walk through the city at night, watching for the moon. The spare text does a good job of getting inside a child’s mind – and reflects the interactions between mother and child well.

Cole’s second book, Mousie, I will Read to You, illustrates the progression of a child’s reading and the wonder of introducing books to the next generation in a non-didactic way that both parents and children can enjoy (if myself and my children are any indication, that is.) This book lover teared up at the end – but don’t worry, this isn’t sentimental pablum. It’s just delightful.

So far, these are the only picture books Cole has written – but I’ll definitely be watching for more from her.

The Deer Watch by Pat Lowery Collins, illustrated by David Slonim

"The Deer Watch"

A boy wakes up early to get a chance to see deer with his father. Slonim’s thick oil (acrylic?) paintings give wonderful expression to the joy of experiencing nature at dawn. While we certainty don’t experience any scarcity of deer sightings her on the plains like the narrator does on the coasts, the experience of waiting silently for a reticent animal to show itself is certainly common to nature lovers everywhere.

So Close by Natalia Colombo

"So Close"

A couple of animals live next to each other, pass every day on their way to work and home from work. But then one day, someone ventures a “Hello” – and their whole lives change. A very simple, sweet book.

See You Soon Moon by Donna Conrad, illustrated by Don Carter

"See You Soon Moon"

A little boy packs up his belongings to go to visit his grandma. He says goodbye to what he leaves behind – but, to his surprise, the moon follows him all the way to Grandma’s house! My children enjoyed Carter’s thick paint on poster-board illustrations – they kept asking if they were birthday cakes (since they strongly resemble the cut-out cakes I make for the kids for their birthdays.)

The Most Important Gift of All by David Conway, illustrated by Karin Littlewood

"The Most Important Gift of All"

A little girl wants to give her baby brother a gift (like all the relatives are), but her grandma tells her that love is the most important gift of all. So the little girl sets off through the savannah to try to find love. A lovely story with lovely illustrations.

Books, Parenting

Tending my little farm

January 10, 2020 Leave a comment by bekahcubed

Five years ago, as a newly minted mother of a 4-month-old baby, I read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Farmer Boy and reflected on the chapter “Springtime.”

Laura writes

“There was no time to lose, no time to waste in rest or play. The life of the earth comes up with a rush in the springtime. All the wild seeds of weed and thistle, the sprouts of vine and bush and tree are trying to take the fields. Farmers must fight them with harrow and plow and hoe; they must plant the good seeds quickly.

Almanzo was a little soldier in this great battle.”

I wrote:

“This year… this passage reminds me of [the] springtime of our lives and the great trust that parents are given of sowing seed and cultivating little hearts. It’s easy to be complacent, to assume that children will learn what we want them to learn, that they’ll establish good habits, that there’ll be plenty of time to teach them tomorrow. But the best time to plant a seed and kill a weed is springtime. And the best time to communicate the gospel and establish good habits is early in life.

Which is why I am resolving to be a little soldier in this great battle – and to establish my own habits now, while Tirzah Mae is tiny. Now is the perfect time to get into the habit of speaking the gospel to my daughter, the perfect time to steep us both in Scripture songs, the perfect time to live a visibly Christian life around my home.

Because the life of the earth comes up with a rush in the springtime. And I want the life that grows in my daughter to be a good planting.”

Yesterday, I listened to Cherry Jones read this same chapter as we work our way through the audio versions of the classic “Little House” books on our way to and from various activities.

I reflected again on the metaphor of springtime and our young children. Now the mother of four (on the outside – plus one on the inside, one in heaven, and two reintegrated into their biological families), I see even more how tireless the springtime work must be – and how important.

This is springtime. Evil ideologies vie for my children’s minds as we peruse the picture books (in order by author last name) from the library. Corporate interests try to imprint their names and logos into my children’s imaginations, try to get my children to beg for their products, ensuring customers for life. My children’s sin natures spur them to do whatever they want, following the desires of their wicked hearts. Voices from all over encourage my children to follow their hearts.

Weeds, threatening to choke the good seed of the gospel. Weeds, desirous to take over any structure or order I might impose upon my children’s lives.

But this is springtime, and I would rather be fishing, like the naughty boy in Almanzo’s story – I would rather dump my seed in one corner of the field and head off to Facebook or Feedly or whatever my latest amusement might be. Yet I know what happens to that naughty boy’s field. It is overtaken by weeds.

So I must dry the dishwater off my hands and deal with the children who are bickering in the living room. I must drag myself off the couch to deal with the disobedient child (instead of endlessly repeating myself with escalating threats.) I must be a little soldier in this great battle.

God, grant me grace to tend my little farm well.

Reading My Library

Reading My Library (13 Years)

September 23, 2019 Leave a comment by bekahcubed

I briefly resurfaced from under the dark waves to discover that I’d missed an important anniversary – the 13th anniversary of my massive project to read every book in my local library. So, instead of giving my totals as of September 5, I’ve got totals as of September 23 – when I realized I’d forgotten to write an update.

TOTALS as of Sept 23, 2019 (13 years and 18 days or 4766 days)

Category	Items this year	Total Items	Total Categories Closed
Juvenile Picture	323	1980	611
Juvenile, Board Books	31	543	285
Juvenile, First Readers	2	77	3
Juvenile, Chapter	0	92	7
Juvenile Fiction	4	324	25
Juvenile Nonfiction	133	413	14
Teen Fiction	3	52	5
Teen Nonfiction	6	11	0
Adult Fiction	22	490	78
Adult Nonfiction	49	1002	52
Audio CD	488	1421	116
Juvenile DVD	8	61	2
Adult Fiction DVD	5	112	9
Adult Nonfiction DVD	18	63	2
Periodicals	33	127	2
Total	1125 items	6786 items
	2.94 items/day	1.21 items/day

We made two big gains in the past year, closing the board books entirely per challenge rules (543 total books by 285 different authors) and closing the picture books by author last name B (979 total books by 335 different authors).

I’ve also made significant headway with the audio CDs, trying to listen to one CD from each Library of Congress classification. I’ve “cheated” a bit with these, though, listening to albums that are available on Spotify that way and (mostly) only checking out stuff that isn’t available on Spotify. That way, I’m listening at home in addition to in the car. I have not, however, been faithful with recording what we’ve listened to on Spotify – which means I likely have an additional couple dozen albums that haven’t been logged.

I was hoping to get picture book authors “C” read in 2019, but it’s looking like that might be a bit of a challenge since the kids have decided that nonfiction is really where it’s at. We have read just about every book the library owns about new babies and about construction vehicles, as well as a fair bit about tools and floods. And then, of course, there are giraffes and states and butterflies and “black knights”. The children almost always tell me as we’re walking in to the library what topic they’re interested in researching this visit.

I’m a little surprised to find that I read a little over 80 books for myself (not counting re-reads). I really thought my personal book consumption had slowed almost to a halt over the past year, but apparently not!

Reading My Library

Picture Book Reading Report (April 2019)

June 11, 2019May 14, 2019 Leave a comment by bekahcubed

Sometimes, you’ve just got to press publish on the post you’ve been building over the course of a month – even if you haven’t got time to edit it. So, please forgive any roughness – and enjoy this peek into our month of reading.

Asterisks represent books I recommend (3 stars or above).

Written by Dori Chaconas

Don’t Slam the Door, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
Don’t slam the door, because if you do…it’ll wake the cat, who’ll set off a string of far-reaching implications. (Of course, someone slams the door!)
Mousie Love illustrated by Josee Masse
A mouse falls desperately in love and keeps asking his love to marry him (only to interrupt her answer with something else he thinks he should do to be worthy of her. I thought this was terribly fun, but it was really over the kids’ heads.
*On a Wintry Morning illustrated by Stephen T. Johnson
A sweet little daddy/child song that goes through a winter’s days activities. I sang the book to the tune of “Polly put the kettle on” and it worked quite nicely.
*Virginnie’s Hat illustrated by Holly Meade
When Virginnie’s hat flies off into the swamp she just about encounters all sorts of scary animals. This is a fun look at perceived dangers versus real ones.

Written by Authors Last Name CHAL-CHAP

Mr. Frog Went A-Courting, written and illustrated by Gary Chalk
Based on an old song (that I am unfamiliar with), the story of Mr. Frog is full of all the ridiculous twists and turns often found in folktales. Careful observation of the illustrations reveals a “hidden story”.
Pick a Pup, written by Marsha Wilson Chall, illustrated by Jed Henry
How will Sam know which pup to pick? (Spoiler alert: Maybe it’s the pup who’ll pick him.)
Mario Chalmers’ ABCs of Basketball by Mario Chalmers and Almarie Chalmers, illustrated by Emmanuel Everett
Part informational, part motivational – I just can’t get into the “believe in yourself and you can do anything” stuff (some kids, however hard they believe and even how hard they practice, will never play in the NBA.)
The Library Book by Tom Chapin and Michael Mark, illustrated by Chuck Groenink
This was the lyrics to a song, rather a fun one, but one whose tune I don’t know. I tried singing it unsuccessfully. Perhaps if I could have seen the endpapers and tried picking it out on the piano… (Or, you know, I could have looked on Spotify – why didn’t I think of that until after I was returning it?
This was the lyrics to a song, rather a fun one, but one whose tune I don’t know. I tried singing it unsuccessfully. Perhaps if I could have seen the endpapers and tried picking it out on the piano… (Or, you know, I could have looked on Spotify – why didn’t I think of that until after I was returning it?
Me Too, Grandma written and illustrated by Jane Chapman
A “jealous of the new baby” book except that little owl is jealous of how her baby cousin is taking Grandma’s attention. Cute illustrations, not my favorite genre.

Written and illustrated by Jared Chapman

Pirate, Viking, And Scientist
A scientist is friends with a pirate and a viking – but when both come to his birthday party he discovers they’re NOT friends with each other. Time to experiment to see if he can get them to be friends with each other. Not bad.
T.Rex Time Machine

Ugly juvenile illustrations. Hard to read out loud. Not a fan.

Written by Authors Last Name CHAR-CHE?

The Selfish Crocodile, written by Faustin Charles and illustrated by Michael Terry
The crocodile is selfish until he finds himself in terrible pain and someone helps him. Then it’s all sunshine and roses. A little too convenient an ending, I thought.
*Alphaboat written and illustrated by Michael Chesworth
A rather silly, but very fun romp off to C, packed full of word play using the names of the letters of the alphabet. A sample: “f we go here, what will v z? Atop this hill – a lonely tree where blue J’s flutter up to rest upon their X, safe in the nest.”

Written and illustrated by Remy Charlip

Fortunately
Very strange things keep happening to Ned, but fortunately… something stranger happens to save him from whatever disaster seemed so certain. This sounds like the sort of story an imaginative three year old might tell (rambling plot, no sense whatsoever, random strangeness everywhere…) I can’t like it.
Little Old Big Beard and Big Young Little Beard
The eponymous characters are cowboys and best friends and lovers of beans. But then they lose their cow. This is an almost plotless book.
*A Perfect Day
A simple book about what a perfect day might be – spending time together.
*Sleepytime Rhyme
A mama sings how she loves everything about her baby. The rhyme can be a bit awkward in places, but it’s nice overall.

Books out of order

*Maisy Learns to Swim by Lucy Cousins

Simple description of beginner swimming lessons (which don’t involve any actual swimming). These “Maisy First Experiences Books” are a very nice way to introduce kids to common childhood experiences that might seem a little scary if they don’t know what to expect.

Books about Construction

*Little Excavator by Anna Dewdney
Does this sound familiar? Yes, yes. I’ve only read it to Louis fifteen thousand times by now. Although really, if you have to read a book fifteen thousand times, this is a good choice.
*Mighty, Mighty Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
Of course we read this again (and again and again). And then I returned it (because I have SO many other books to read.)

What's on Your Nightstand?

Children’s Nonfiction Reading Report (March 2019)

April 10, 2019April 10, 2019 Leave a comment by bekahcubed

Fiction isn’t the only thing we consume here at Prairie Elms – in fact, if anything, my kids are more avid consumers of nonfiction than anything else. I force them to read my fiction picture books while they clamor to read more about whatever their current topics of choice are. When we go to the library, the kids overwhelm me for requests for “another baby book”, “another truck book”, whatever.

Baby Books:

Tirzah Mae’s obsession with pregnancy and birth continues unabated.

Before You Were Born by Ann Douglas, illustrations by Eugenie Fernandes, photographs by Gilbert Duclos

Written in second person (as in the title), this describes what a baby does inside the womb – and includes little “experiments” for children to do to get a feel for what life was like in the womb. The photographs are pretty 90s (this was published in 2000), but the information is solid. Good for someone who wants to discuss what’s happening during pregnancy without getting into the mechanics of reproduction or anything to sciencey (like many of the other books that discuss fetal development do). Warning: the cover of this is terrible.
Twin Tales: The Magic and the Mystery of Multiple Birth by Donna M. Jackson

An interesting book about multiples, featuring lots of profiles of multiples. This is not an early reader’s book. You’ll want to read it in sections if you’re reading to younger children.
Welcome with Love by Jenni Overend, illustrated by Julie Vivas

A little boy narrates what’s happening as his mother gives birth to his baby brother at their home in Australia. This features homebirth, children present at birth, and cosleeping. The illustrations are well-done – but they do depict a woman giving birth (baby emerging from between legs, bare breasts, baby’s penis, etc.) Really a lovely book – but some may find it a bit much.
Drugs and Birth Defects by Nancy Shniderman and Sue Hurwitz

Ugh, ugh, ugh. Scare tactics galore. Dated photos and language. Very “just say no”. But Tirzah Mae is all about fetal alcohol syndrome after Daniel and I did a series of webinars on it for continuing education for our foster home. And this is what the library has on the topic. So I read it and reread it and reread it again.
Baby on the Way by William Sears, Martha Sears, and Christie Watts Kelly, illustrated by Renee Andriani

A “what to expect when mama’s pregnant” book that (thankfully) doesn’t focus on jealousy. This is a little more comprehensive than most of this genre since it explains what to expect both before, during, and after the baby comes (mama may be extra tired during pregnancy, her belly will get bigger and her lap smaller, she’ll probably go to the hospital to have the baby, she’ll breastfeed and you might be able to hold the baby, etc.)

Giraffe Books:

Louis’s current favorite animal is (without a doubt) the giraffe – so we picked up some books about them (of course!)

Giraffe by Anders Hanson
Very simple and straightforward – just a couple of sentences per page.
Giraffes and Their Babies by Marianne Johnston

Straightforward picture book nonfiction – double-page spreads that could stand on their own (but at 24 pages, the book is short enough to be read aloud easily in one sitting), full-page photographs, and a glossary and index in the back. Unlike many nonfiction books of this type, this is graphically uniform and not unpleasant to look at.
Giraffes by Patricia Kendell

Similar to Giraffes and Their Babies except even fewer words per page. The graphics are a bit busier but not at all nightmarish.
Giraffes by Emily U. Lephthien
Slightly longer chapters than the rest of the books in this category. The graphics are also slightly more busy than all the rest.

Health Books:

Let’s Talk about Down Syndrome by Melanie Apel Gordon

There are ten photos in this book. Of those, only three depict a child with Down Syndrome. Instead they show a stock photo of ordinary kids with captions like “The doctor listens to this girl’s heart just the way he listens to the heart of a child with Down syndrome”. Seriously?

Truck Books:

I Drive a Dump Truck by Sara Bridges, illustrated by Derrick Alderman and Denise Shea

Large text gives a narrative (“Henry” describes his truck and what he does with it) while smaller text in call-out boxes give additional information related to the narrative. The illustrations are simple, pleasant, and engaging. I could see this being classified either as nonfiction (as in my library) or in the general picture books section.

Reading My Library, What's on Your Nightstand?

Picture Book Reading Report (March 2019)

April 4, 2019 Leave a comment by bekahcubed

I fell short of my goal of 45 picture books author last name “C” this month – we only got in 37. The children have really started to love nonfiction and re-reading, both of which cut down on my ability to quickly work my way through this section of the library. Altogether, we’ve read 108 “C” books here in the first three months of the year, which is 19% of the approximately 560 I estimate that are in this section. So I definitely need to step on it if I’m going to get it done this year!

Asterisks represent books I recommend (3 stars or above).

Authors Last Name CAR

Henry and the Bully, written and illustrated by Nancy Carlson
I’m not a big fan of Carlson’s illustrations – and even less a fan of books about bullying (which I tend to see as giving kids instructions on how to bully rather than being particularly helpful at avoiding or managing bullying.)
*Melanie, written by Carol Carrick, illustrated by Alisher Dianov
We read several of Carrick’s other books in February and I held off reading this one because it was longer than the rest. I totally shouldn’t have waited. This is a lovely fairy tale story that was a true delight to read.

"Alice in Wonderland: Down the Rabbit Hole"

Alice and Wonderland Down the Rabbit Hole by Lewis Carroll, retold by Joe Rhatigan and Charles Nurnber, and illustrated by Eric Puybaret
A very nice abbreviated introduction to the classic story.

Written by Mary Casanova and Illustrated by Ard Hoyt

Books by Mary Casanova

One-Dog Sleigh
One animal after another joins in to ride in the “one-dog sleigh”. Okay.
Some Cat!
A rescued cat and her new owners’ dogs make peace with one another. I’m not a cat person, or a dog person really, so this didn’t really float my boat. Your results may vary.
*Utterly Otterly Day and *Utterly Otterly Night
A truly delightful couple of tales. They tell of the adventures of a young otter in a sing-song rhyme. In one tale, otter thinks he’s a big boy and doesn’t need to obey (with predictable results). In the other, otter senses something amiss and does as he ought to save the family. I will definitely read these again.

Written and illustrated by Judith Casely

"Field Day Friday"

Field Day Friday
Two friends compete on the same team for their school’s field day – but only one wins the single foot race.
Mama, Coming and Going
After mama has a new baby, she can’t tell whether she’s coming and going – and she gets into all sorts of absent-minded scrapes.
On the Town
A little boy explores his community as part of a school assignment
Sisters
Melissa’s family adopts a girl from somewhere overseas – and the two girls must learn what it means to be sisters

Authors Last Name CAS

Books by Authors CAS

A Lullaby for Little One by Dawn Casey, illustrated by Charles Fuge
A gentle little story of a little rabbit and his big daddy rabbit.
The Cat in the Rhinestone Suit by John Carter Cash, illustrated by Scott Nash
A showdown of sorts with plenty of wild west imagery. Not my thing.
Kibby the Space Dog? by Andrea Cassel, illustrated by Melanie Regier
A first person story about a dog who had to wear a cone of shame. The dog is both overly self-aware and overly didactic: “I was being rejected because people thought I was now different. My life was not the same anymore. I lost my fun, playful spirit.”
Kazaak! written and illustrated by Sean Cassidy
A moderately fun story about a couple of porcupines, one of whom is afraid of bears, the other who is full of bravado thanks to his quills. Turns out, Mr. Fearful has to save Mr. Bravado :-)

Sterling, Best Dog Ever

Sterling, Best Dog Ever written and illustrated by Aidan Cassie
Sterling is delivered with a shipment of silver and tries to be good cutlery – but he soon learns that his family loves him for who he really is. Eh.

"Beach House"

*Beach House written by Deanna Caswell, illustrated by Amy June Bates
Caswell tells the story of a family traveling to the beach in short sentences of sweet poetry. Bates’s illustrations are just right. Lovely.

Written and Illustrated by Lauren Castillo

Books by Lauren Castillo

Nana in the City
A little boy is scared about his grandma living in the city – but she teaches him that the city is a wonderful place to live. Okay, but not particularly applicable to us.
The Troublemaker
Someone is taking off with a little boy’s precious belongings – but who can it be? A cute little story.

Written and Illustrated by Peter Catalanotto

Books by Peter Catalanotto

Ivan the Terrier
The title character keeps interrupting the author’s attempts at retelling fairy tales. Silly.
*Kitten, red, yellow blue
How does a woman keep track of the sixteen calico cats her cat gave birth to? Using colors, of course! A fun little book.

Matthew A.B.C

Matthew A.B.C
Mrs. Tuttle’s kindergarten class has 25 students, all named Matthew. How on earth does she tell them apart? Easy, actually. And the 26th student fills the gap nicely.

More books by Peter Catalanotto

The Newbies
When Luke’s parents seem to be too busy preparing for the birth of the new baby, he imagines himself some new parents (only to find out the old ones are better after all.
Question Boy Meets Little Miss Know-It-All
What if everyone was a superhero in costume – and the child who always has a question meets the child who always knows the answers? I enjoyed the story of their little show-down – and so did Tirzah Mae (probably because Little Miss Know-It-All wears a tiara!)

Authors Last Name CAT-CAZ

The Magic Rabbit

The Magic Rabbit written and illustrated by Annette LeBlanc Cate
When a boy magician and his rabbit get separated, will the rabbit find his way back to his friend?
Treasure Hunt written and illustrated by Lorinda Bryan Cauley
Let your kids go on a treasure hunt along with the characters of this book – all the way to a picnic in a clearing in the woods. The clues and illustrations were just the right difficulty for my two preschoolers (4.5 and almost 3).

Books by Author CAU-CAZ

*Nothing at All written and illustrated by Denys Cazet
Various members of the farmyard do all sorts of things – but what does the scarecrow do? I enjoyed the surprise ending.

Written and Illustrated by Randy Cecil

Books by Randy Cecil

Gator
When an amusement park shuts down, the gator from the carousel goes out to explore the world. Eh.
One Dark and Dreadful Night
A director keeps trying to put on a dreadful play – but his young actors keep turning them into ridiculous fairy tales. Double eh.

Written by Melanie Cecka and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully

"Violet" books by Melanie Cecka

Violet Comes to Stay
Cecka channels Cynthia Coppersmith or Jan Karon’s Mitford series – to present a story of Violet the white cat. It was okay but not amazing.
Viiolet Goes to the Country
Ditto the above.

Authors Last Name CE-CL

"Elbow Grease"

Elbow Grease by John Cena, illustrated by Howard McWilliam
A book about gumption – not giving up, whether you win or lose. Monster Truck “Elbow Grease” isn’t as tough or fast or smart or brave as his brothers – but he has gumption enough to finish the Grand Prix despite the odds. Good point but the story isn’t really my thing (but it might be yours or your child’s).

Swing

The Swing written and illustrated by Joe Cepeda
A very surreal story about a family who always loses things and a (magic?) swing that retrieves the lost things.

One Little Mouse

*One Little Mouse by Dori Chaconas, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
A lovely, lyrical little counting book. A little mouse tries to find a new home – and, after trying on other people’s homes, discovers that his own is best after all!

The Backwards Birthday Party

The Backwards Birthday Party by Tom Chapin and John Forster, illustrated by Chuck Groenink
A very, very silly birthday party. The endpapers include music to go along with the words, but alas, the library’s cover hides half the notes so I didn’t sing it to my kids.

Marco Goes to School

Marco Goes to School written and illustrated by Roz Chast
Fairly run-of-the-mill story of going to school and making a new friend.
*Tiger Days: A Book of Feelings by M.H. Clark, illustrated by Anna Hurley
A very nice book about emotions – how we can feel different things at different times and still be the same person. We’re working on managing emotions at home – and I picked this up ahead of schedule after I read Dawn’s review at 5 Minutes for Books. Very good.

Books about Construction

Little Excavator by Anna Dewdney
A sweet story of a little excavator who tries to do everything that the big trucks do, with little success. But when a certain task needs done, Little E is the kid for the job.
Mighty, Mighty Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld
A sequel (or maybe prequel?) to Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, this favorite describes how different construction vehicles must work together to get a job done. Very well done.

Books, Everyday Life

They Want to Do What They’ve Read

March 20, 2019 Leave a comment by bekahcubed

I believe I’ve mentioned how much it thrills my heart that my children want to do the things they’ve read about in books – especially in the Little House books.

And it does, honestly.

Even if I have to remind myself how thrilling it is when they’ve just strewn the floor with straw from the bale outside because “that’s what Mother did before they stretched the carpets in Farmer Boy.”

Reading My Library, What's on Your Nightstand?

Picture Book Reading Report (February 2019)

March 16, 2019 Leave a comment by bekahcubed

I’ve been struggling to figure out how to report on the picture books we’ve read. My goal is to finish my library’s collection of picture books with an author last name starting with C this year – which means I’m reading A LOT of picture books – many of which aren’t worth re-reading. But there are a few that are quite good. For now, I’m going to try separating out picture books into a post of their own and report briefly on each book. Titles with an *asterisk* are ones I think are worth re-reading (3 stars or above).

Authors Last Name “CAN”

Picture Book Authors CAM-CAN

*Pinduli by Janell Cannon
I did not at all expect to enjoy this story of a hyena who gets made fun of – but enjoy it I did. It’s all about how our words impact others. Quite good.
*Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
A young bat falls into a bird’s nest – and discovers that though he and the birds are different, they can still be friends. Very nice.
Bonjour Camille by Felipe Cano, illustrations by Laia Aguilar
I don’t know what to think about this exactly, except that I don’t think it’s worthwhile enough to spend too much time figuring out what I think about it.
A Friend for Einstein by Charlie Cantrell and Dr. Rachel Wagner
A tiny, tiny miniature horse is lonely. Who will be a friend for Einstein? Okay, not amazing.

Written by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

5-Minute Biscuit Stories illustrated by Pat Schories
Gentle stories of ordinary adventures children will likely be able to identify with. This anthology is a nice one if you happen to like the “Biscuit” books.
Biscuit Visits the Doctor
Half of the text is “woof”. No thank you.

"5 Minute Biscuit Stories" by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Hannah is a Big Sister illustrated by Dorothy Stott
As usual, this “new baby” focuses on an older sibling’s frustration – until she discovers she can soothe the baby. Eh
*I will Love You illustrated by Lisa Anchin
Pretty pictures, pretty rhyme, great for reading to a little-little one.

Books by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

*Mighty Tug illustrated by David Mottram
A sweet rhyming story about the small but mighty tugboat (and all the things he can do).
Not This Bear illustrated by Lorna Hussey
A little bear on his first day of school disagrees whenever his teacher says that “all the bears enjoy…” – but he finds that his first day of school isn’t so bad after all.
The Potty Book for Boys illustrated by Dorothy Stott
A rather standard “I’m a big boy” type book

Tulip and Rex Books

Tulip loves Rex
and Tulip and Rex Write a Story illustrated by Sarah Massini
A girl and a dog are friends. They like to dance. They write a story. Meh.

Authors Last Name “CAPO” to “CARL”

Monster Know Shapes by Lori Capote, illustrated by Chip Wass
A rather generic shape book with rather dull cartoon illustrations.

"Monster Knows Shapes" and "Cinderella's Stepsister and the Big Bad Wolf"

*Heroes of the Surf by Elisa Carbone, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
Interesting story of a beleaguered ship and the people who came to its rescue – based on a true story from 1882.
**47 Strings: Tessa’s Special Code by Becky Carey, illustrated by Bonnie Leick
A lovely letter written to a big brother about his little sister, who has Down Syndrome.

Books by authors CAN-CAR

Cinderella’s Stepsister and the Big Bad Wolf by Lorraine Carey, illustrated by Migy Blanco
A fun fractured, multi-fairy-tale mashup. Cinderella’s hard-working and kind step-sister doesn’t live up to the ugly name, so her mother sends her off to learn how to be evil from all the best (worst?) fairy tale villains.
**The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
We’ve read all of Carle’s books before – but Louis pulled this one off the shelf at home and OF COURSE I’m willing to read it to him!
A World of Your Own by Laura Carlin
All about drawing your own imaginary world – with lots of ideas for doing so. I found it to be just, meh.

Written by Nancy Carlson

I am not much of a fan of Carlson’s illustration style – or of most of her subject matter. Meh.

Harriet and the Roller Coaster
Henry’s bravado turns out for naught when Harriet discovers that she actually enjoys the roller coaster – while Henry discovers that it isn’t really for him.
Henry’s 100 Days of Kindergarten
I wasn’t a fan of the illustrations and I think I might be something of a Scrooge when it comes to depictions of classroom life…so this book was not for me.

Books by Nancy Carlson

Loudmouth George Earns His Allowance
George discovers that forcing his little siblings to do his chores doesn’t exactly save him time or energy.
Sometimes You Barf
I understand the idea, trying to make barfing less scary. But I just can’t enjoy this book.
There’s a Big, Beautiful World Out There!
There are lots of things to be afraid of – but even more to be glad to explore. Made all the more poignant when you learn at the end that the book was written on Sep 12, 2001.

Written by Nancy White Carlstrom

Before You Were Born illustrated by Linda Saport
This opens and closes with that “before you were born, God wrote your days in a book”, but the middle was enigmatic. I’m not sure whether I like it.

*Mama, Will It Snow Tonight? illustrated by Paul Tong
Three different mother/child pairs ask and answer “Mama, will it snow tonight?” Sweet.

"Jesse Bear" books

Better Not Get Wet, Jesse Bear
Guess Who’s Coming, Jesse Bear?
Happy Birthday, Jesse Bear and
*Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? illustrated by Bruce Degan
A rhyming series of inconsistent quality. I enjoyed What Will You Wear quite a bit – but found the others either too preachy or too repetitive to be truly enjoyable.

Books by Nancy White Carlstrom

*The Way to Wyatt’s House illustrated by Mary Morgan
A lovely transition from quiet to loud and back again. Fun.

What Does the Sky Say? illustrated by Tim Ladwig
Beautifully poetic, lovely word pictures of the sky speaking – but a bit hard to interpret. This has Psalm 19 at the end of it “The heavens declare the glory of God…” but the message of the book doesn’t really have the sky speaking the glory of God.

Authors Last Name “CAR” to “CAS”

I’m 3! Look What I Can Do by Maria Carluccio
I’m surprised this wasn’t a board book. It’s very, very simple. Simple enough to be boring to my two-year-old (who listens with half an ear as if to say, “well, duh, I can do most of those things. What of it?”)
*A Circle of Friends by Giora Carmi
A little boy changes his neighborhood when he gives a roll to a homeless man sleeping on the bench below his apartment. A lovely wordless book.
The Children Who Loved Books by Peter Carnavas
A book against Marie Kondo-ing your book collection :-)

Books by authors CAP-CAR

Haunted Houses Handbook by Monica Carretero
Nothing terribly objectionable, but really not my thing.
How Roland Rolls by Jim Carrey, illustrated by Rob Nason
Groan.
Papa’s Backpack by James Christopher Carroll
A child wishes he could go along “in papa’s backpack” when his father is deployed. I wanted to like this, but it just didn’t do it for me.

Books by Authors CAR

Spiders Dance by Maureen Carroll, illustrated by Bobbie Powell
A spider wants to dance – but has to learn his own way of dancing. The author made asides to the reader at the end of every page, which might have spoiled the story for me.
*Under a Prairie Sky by Anne Laurel Carter, illustrated by Alan and Lea Daniel
A boy dreams of becoming a Mountie – and pretends that he already is one.
*Guess Who, Haiku by Deanna Caswell, illustrated by Bob Shea
A cute book of haiku about different animals – offering the reader an opportunity to guess which animal.

Written by Jan Carr

*Dappled Apples and
*Frozen Noses illustrated by Dorothy Donohue
Poetic tributes to autumn and winter (respectively), filled with scenes from each season. Delightful – engaging enough for a four-year-old, a two-year-old, a one-year-old, and their mama.

Books by Jan Carr

Toe Shoe Mouse illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell
A mouse finds a home in a toe shoe – and a friend in the toe shoe’s owner Celeste.

Written by Carol Carrick

Lost in the Storm illustrated by Donald Carrick
Realistic fiction about a dog who got lost in a storm (and is found).

Books by Carol Carrick

Mothers are Like That illustrated by Paul Carrick
Simple and sweet, about how mothers love their children.

Other Picture Books

Papa’s Gift by Kathleen Long Bostrom, illustrated by Guy Porfirio
A rather saccharine tale checked out from the church library. One reading was plenty enough.

Books

Wrapping up our Laura Challenge

March 5, 2019 1 Comment by bekahcubed

I set an ambitious course for this year’s Laura Ingalls Wilder Reading Challenge. I would read Little House in the Big Woods and either Farmer Boy or Little House on the Prairie aloud to my children. I would read Little House, Long Shadow myself. And, by the fifth of the month, my children and I had already read Laura’s collection of fairy poems.

Alas, I completed only two of the intended books: the aforementioned collection of fairy poems and Little House in the Big Woods.

Three "Little House" Books

I found that while I spend plenty of time reading aloud to my children, it’s hard for me to direct that reading time. Unless I get out our chapter book first thing, I’ll have filled all the available time with reading Louis’s construction books and Tirzah Mae’s medical books, leaving little time for Laura.

Perhaps I need to tie chapter books to some other portion of our day, rather than doing it before naps. Maybe if we have it as the first part of our “school” day? Hmmm…

Our sad, soft molasses candy

At any rate, this was Tirzah Mae’s second time through Little House in the Big Woods and Louis’s first. Both were clearly engaged in the story and frequently begged to act out the things they had heard in the book.

Our pretty butter

This, of course, delighted my homeschooling heart – and I was pleased to indulge them (or maybe myself?) by making molasses candy and homemade butter. We also made Lincoln log houses, made “pictures” in the snow, pretended to play fiddles, and made pancake men.

We did not make cheese or braid straw hats, despite Tirzah Mae’s begging. Maybe next year :-)

Pancake man with blueberries

I am thinking that we will still attempt to read Farmer Boy, even though we’re no longer in the challenge month – Louis was engaged with Big Woods, but I think he’ll enjoy Farmer Boy even more – and I’d love to introduce him to new possible obsessions now that we’ve almost exhausted our library’s entire collection of construction books. Farming would be a delightful obsession, in this mother’s opinion (which, of course, means that he is unlikely to choose it!)

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Fairy Poems

As far as the collection of fairy poems goes, I enjoyed it quite a bit. The poems are whimsical and I enjoyed the introduction to “Drop O’Dew” and “Ray O’Sunshine”. The children enjoyed the illustrations, even if I didn’t really care for the style. But, as with many things, I only care for the words and can take or leave the illustrations.

We enjoyed participating in the Laura Ingalls Wilder Challenge again this year and are so grateful to Barbara for hosting it year after year.

Books, Everyday Life

Making Butter

February 20, 2019February 20, 2019 1 Comment by bekahcubed

Laura Ingalls Wilder describes the buttermaking process in detail in her Little House in the Big Woods.

Ma Ingalls grated carrot and heated it with a little milk to dye the cream. Then she churned the cream in a big dash church. The cream grew thick and then little bits of butter would slosh through the cover on the churn. Ma had to rinse the butter over and over in cold water. Then she put it into a pretty butter mold and turned the pats out onto a plate. The young Laura and Mary drank the buttermilk when Ma was all done.

We don’t have a dash churn, so we followed the instructions in A Little House Cookbook by Barbara M. Walker to make butter in a quart jar.

Let me tell you, a quart jar with a little over three cups of liquid in it is much too full to effectively make butter. We shook that thing off and on all day long to no avail. I put it in the cup holder of my car and we shook it when stopped at stoplights. We shook it here, we shook it there, we shook it everywhere.

Not butter yet

It whipped up and thickened but would not turn to butter until I opened it up (whipped cream everywhere!) and poured half into a second quart jar.

And we have butter!

Then I shook for a couple of minutes. Yellow grains of butter appeared. I was surprised when three more shakes gave me a solid mass of butter.

Rinsing the butter

I rinsed in ice water and gave the children their begged-for tastes of buttermilk.

Our (mostly) rinsed butter

Then to find the mold from my wedding mints to use for fancy “butter pats”.

Our pretty butter

We’re still eating our butter, but the kids are eager to make more so that they can drink more buttermilk.

Tirzah Mae drinking the buttermilk

For my part, I’m glad we did it but I’m also thinking we’ll hold off on doing it again until the kids are capable of shaking their own jars. My arms got TIRED!