Tuesday's Tales 9.11.12

Good evening, my friends.

I hope you all had a good day with this beautiful weather.

It's hard to think that it has been 11 years since the attacks on the World Trade Center.  It was amazing to me today to read all of the posts of friends on Facebook who lost loved ones in the attacks.  Time has  flown by since that awful day, but 11 years later I am sure we all remember where we were and exactly what we were doing on the morning of September 11, 2001.  Remember to show your friends and family just how much they mean to you because we are all so lucky to be here today.

I had planned on sharing a new fun book with you all today, but I changed my plan at the last moment (aka right now) to introduce you to Hug Time by Patrick McDonnell.

"There was once a kitten so filled with love he wanted to give the whole world a hug!"  
So begins this sweet book about a kitten who travels the world to hug all of the creatures on his "hug to-do list."

The story is simple and sweet, and the beautiful illustrations (done in ink and watercolor) add to the charm of this absolutely lovely book.  The best part is the end when McDonnell tells the reader to hug those closest to him or herself.  Read it with a child and tell me the whole experience doesn't warm your heart just a bit...

Enjoy!

Tuesday's Tales 9.4.12

Hello, my friends.

I have taken a few days off, but now I am back in action.

I hope you had a lovely Labor Day weekend.  We had a great time with friends in Pennsylvania, and we even went apple picking on Sunday!  Summer is over, but I'm trying to keep some exciting things on the horizon so we have lots to look forward to.

Now, for today's Tuesday's Tale, I am going to tell you about an adult book for a change.  Gypsy Boy is a book that I just finished for the book club that I am joining (my first meeting/dinner with this group is coming up next week and I can't wait!), and it was a doozy.  Gypsy Boy is a true story of the author's horrific childhood (and brief glimpses into his adulthood) as a Romany Gypsy, moving from place to place, all the while being "trained" by his father to be an excellent fighter.

Walsh's training began at the age of 4 when his father would routinely beat him severely to try to toughen him up.  He was put into the ring with other boys by the age of 6, and never did he succeed in these fights, causing great shame and embarrassment to his father.  His mother and sister occasionally stepped in to try to protect him, but sadly his father was not the only person in young Walsh's life for him to fear.  To think of a child enduring so much at such a young age is just terrifying.

Despite the heaviness of the subject matter and the life of this young boy, Gypsy Boy is a very interesting book that I would recommend to anyone who is at all curious about learning more of Gypsy life and culture.

Tuesday's Tales 8.28.12

Ok, so I just couldn't stay away!  Not when I have this beauty to share with you:

We bought this huge book of fairy tales the other day and it is just incredible.  The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm is a collection of over 20 fairy tales that will appeal to both children and adults.  The tales are presented in a captivating and interesting way, and my girls love listening intently as we read them the stories that they already know, but are presented here in a unique way.  (For instance, in "Cinderella,"  the stepsisters both cut off parts of their feet to fit into the glass slipper, but the prince notices the blood oozing out of the shoe.  At the end, crows peck out the stepsisters' eyes as punishment for their horrible behavior.  Just a tad more dark and twisted than the usual telling of "Cinderella.")

Anyway, the stories are all familiar, but the illustrations which are done by a number of different artists are just magical.  The images are so striking and beautiful that all of us want to examine them closely before we can move on and turn the page.  The book is a collection of wonderful fairy tales for children, but it is also a truly incredible example of a children's picture book.  If I didn't have children I think I still would have bought this book for its stunning beauty.

Enjoy!  And I won't tell if you don't want to share it with your kids...

Tuesday's Tales 8.21.12

I mentioned last week that we read The Twits by Roald Dahl, and we all enjoyed it so much that I thought it perfect for today's Tuesday's Tales.

The Twits is a very funny story about a terrible husband and wife who are truly awful to one another and those around them.  Dahl's descriptions are incredible, especially that of Mr. Twit's beard which is   totally disgusting and could be a character of its own.  We were laughing out loud reading about their physical appearances.

The things these two do to one another are completely horrendous, and our girls thought it was absolutely hysterical.  Then, as we read on, we learned of their pet monkeys and their weekly bird pie dinner.  Dahl's imagination and creativity are simply amazing as they ooze off of every page.

This is a book for girls and boys of all ages.  Our three and five year old girls loved it, as did both my husband and I.  I can't wait to read some more Roald Dahl classics (such as this one) very soon!

Tuesday's Tales 8.14.12

What's up, friends?  I hope you are having a great start to the week and are excited for another Tuesday's Tales!

Today's book is a great one for city kids (NYC kids, to be exact) or any kids who will be visiting NYC: The Lonely Phone Booth by Peter Ackerman.

This is the sweet story of a phone booth on 100th and West End Avenue that is very popular with all of its neighbors until one day when the phone booth starts noticing everyone has these "shiny silver object[s]."

The phone booth becomes quite lonely and rundown because no one is using or maintaining it, until one day when there is a terrible storm and everyone tries to use their cell phones at once, jamming the circuits.  A little girl successfully uses the phone booth and everyone quickly lines up to use the dependable old neighborhood staple.

As I was about to read this to my girls tonight I realized that they have never seen a phone booth like the one on the cover, so I had to explain to them that before cell phones, this is really what phone booths looked like and how people made calls if they were not at home.  P and L were somewhat mesmerized by the idea of a telephone in a booth with doors that could close for privacy just sitting on a street.  We may have to make an outing up to 100th and West End Avenue sometime soon because, according to the book, the phone booth is still there, having been protected from the dump by the neighbors and the mayor.

Isn't it great when a story connects to your life/city?  Living in New York, we are lucky to have plenty of books to read and then go explore in person (such as Eloise, The Curious Garden, and now The Lonely Phone Booth).

Tuesday's Tales 8.7.12

Yesterday's post gave you a little hint about what book I'd be talking about today, so let's get right to it, shall we?

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown is the incredibly sweet story of a little boy named Liam.  Liam happens upon an old elevated railroad track in his dull brown city, only to find a tiny patch of greenery growing in this secret spot.  From that initial discovery on, Liam becomes a very diligent and thoughtful gardener, watering, pruning, even singing to the plants.  Under his care, the little garden thrives and slowly expands until it eventually spreads out over the entire elevated track.  Others see what Liam has done, and they, too, become gardeners, everyone caring for this lovely and unusual garden together.

The story, the illustrations, Liam - there is nothing not to love about this book.  If you live in New York or are planning to visit New York with children, I cannot recommend this book enough as it is based on the story of the High Line in Chelsea.  To walk through the streets of Chelsea and then climb up to explore this garden of the High Line is truly an incredible and beautiful experience.  Peter Brown has made the whole story of the beginning of the High Line accessible and fun for children, and my girls loved seeing the actual "curious garden" in person.

So, yes, if you couldn't tell, I love this book.  It's simply a lovely picture book to share with children.

Here are some photos of our trip to the High Line:

Have a great day, everyone!

Tuesday's Tales 7.31.12

I am slightly embarrassed about the books I am going to post about today because they aren't exactly my favorites.  I love books with beautiful illustrations and great stories or characters, and these books have none of that.  Why am I going to post about them, you may be wondering?  Well, my girls love them.

Meet the Rainbow Fairies.  These easy chapter books are about two friends, Rachel and Kirsty, who, while on vacation with their families, meet and help fairies.  Evil Jack Frost tries to cause problems everywhere he goes, and his mean goblins help him carry out his naughty tricks.  Without Rachel and Kirsty's help, the fairies cannot protect Fairyland from Jack Frost and the goblins.

One chapter book would have been fine, but it is a series of seven (!), and my girls do not tire of it at all!  Every night they beg me for "one more chapter, pleeeeaaasseee."  They love the little fairies and their adventures.  And guess what?  After The Rainbow Fairies, my girls want us to read The Night Fairies and The Party Fairies.  In all, that's 21 fairy books.

The girls were so excited about this series that at the present moment, we have about 18 of these fairy books checked out from our local library in NYC (sorry to anyone who is waiting on them).  Oh, and we happened to walk by the book aisle on a trip to Target last week, and what did we find?  Olympia The Games Fairy which of course I agreed to buy because I thought it would go well with our excitement over the Olympics.  Needless to say, I doubt I will be reading my children anything other than fairy books for the next few weeks.

Now, here is the interesting thing, not only do the girls like me to read these books to them, but they play with them throughout the day.  They use the books as if they are actual dolls, and they create voices, houses, even families for them.  It's pretty cute to see them walking around with the books, morning and afternoon, calling to one another in their high fairy voices.  For all of my resistance to these books, the girls have spent more time playing with, looking at, and reading them than any other books in our house.  I have heard people say that it doesn't matter what kids read, you just want to get them reading.  Hopefully that's true, and if it is, these fairy books are making my girls into voracious readers already!

Tuesday's Tales 7.24.12

Good evening, friends.  Have you been reading anything good?  I told you about Gone Girl last week, and now I am reading Unorthodox, a true story of a woman raised in a Hasidic community in Brooklyn who leaves her family and religion behind.  I have yet to get to the part of her story where she leaves, but so far it is really interesting and hard to imagine a woman today living as she did.

Today I would like to share with you a really beautiful version of Cinderella by Barbara McClintock.

My girls love princesses and all of the princess stories, but sometimes I get fed up with the versions with the nice dog, mean cat, and mouse friends.  McClintock's version has incredibly beautiful illustrations, and while the stepmother and stepsisters are nasty throughout much of the story, everyone comes together in the end.  It's a nice change of pace from the usual Cinderella story.  Don't get me wrong, though, my girls still love the old Disney princess stories, but I definitely prefer this one.

Tuesday's Tales 7.17.12

Hi guys.

Everyone staying cool?  I hope so.  If you need an indoor, air-conditioned activity, well, how about picking up a new book?

For the adults, I highly recommend Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn:

I know that I mentioned this book briefly last week, and I finally finished it over the weekend.  I stayed up late for two nights absolutely and totally engrossed in the story, waiting to figure it all out and see how it ended.  It was fun and funny; nerve-wracking and confusing; satisfying and bothersome; overall, a great read.  Just when I thought I had figured it out, more questions were raised and I was kept guessing.  Gone Girl is a great summer read for all.



Now, on to the children's picture book for the week - Yumi by Annelore Parot.

While the story is sweet as it introduces the reader to Yumi, a kokeshi doll, and her friends, the illustrations and book design were what really captivated me.  I must admit, I have a thing for Japanese art, architecture, textiles, etc., and Yumi is a feast for the eyes with its patterns, colors, and overall bold, graphic designs.  The cover with a fabric Yumi stitched on with her kokeshi tag was what initially caught my attention, but then each page is filled with fun illustrations of sweet Yumi and her life.

We all love Japanese food in our house, and P was especially thrilled to find tamago (the omelet sushi) in the illustration above.  The story isn't exactly riveting or gripping, but where it soars is within its illustrations that keep little readers busy.  Whether the reader is helping Yumi find her friend, Sakumi, or trying to get past the fluttering fish kites, there is something to look for or manipulate on each page.

Yumi is a fun book with beautiful illustrations that this mommy enjoys just as much as her girls do.

P.S.  Something tells me I may be adding this one to my collection soon:

Tuesday's Tales 7.10.12

What a day we had!  I really wish I could talk about The Curious Garden by Peter Brown today because we finally visited the High Line, but since I posted about it here, I don't want to repeat myself.  If you still haven't read it, it really is a charming story with great illustrations.

So, for Tuesday's Tales I want to introduce you to another really incredible book that you and your child will love - Press Here by Herve Tullet.

This is an interactive book with directions on each page for your child (or you!) to follow.  The pages seems to respond to your touch on the preceding pages, and it makes for a fun and participatory reading experience.  For example:

See?  Isn't that fun?  And those are just the first two pages!  For a sneak peak of what happens later in the book, check this out:

As if that wasn't enough, your child will learn about primary and tertiary colors as the dots collide and overlap:

I totally love this book.  I highly recommend it.

all images from Amazon.com

Tuesday's Tales 7.3.12 (children's version)

Ok, I just couldn't do it - sign off for the evening without posting about at least one children's book.  I love them so...

Fables by Arnold Lobel is such a fun, sweet, and engaging collection of fables that I have given it as a gift to many families on many occasions. At the end of each fable is a one line moral, teaching children a valuable little lesson upon which the fable was centered.  The main characters of the fables are all animals, and they will keep your child interested with their funny little stories (each fable is only one page long).  Some of our favorites include "Madame Rhinoceros and Her Dress," "The Crocodile in the Bedroom," and "The Pig at the Candy Store."  These fables are perfect for enjoying anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes reading together.

Happy reading!

Tuesday's Tales 7.3.12 (adult version)

Hi there, sweet peeps!  It's time for another Tuesday's Tales and one of my favorite topics - books!

I have focused on children's picture books a lot because I really do love them, but tonight at dinner, my family and I were talking about a book that we all really loved that never really made a huge splash when it came out.

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers is the true story of one man and his life in New Orleans before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina.  He decided not to leave when the storm was approaching, deciding instead to stay behind to check on his houses (he owned a building company and also had several houses with many tenants that would need to be checked after the storm).  So Zeitoun said goodbye to his wife and four children, thinking they would be reunited within a few days, only to embark upon an incredible journey of humanity and abuse.  Eggers first heard Zeitoun's story through Voice of Witness, the charity he set up in 2004 to record and examine abuses of human rights.

Read it.  You may be shocked at what you read, but it's such an unbelievable and remarkable story that we can all learn from it.

Tuesday's Tales 6.26.12

The sun is shining, the temperature is perfect, and it's Tuesday!  You know what that means, right?  It's time for another Tuesday's Tales.  Yippee!

The children's picture book for this week is Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault and illustrated by Fred Marcellino.

Puss In Boots is a 1991 Caldecott Honor book that combines Marcellino's rich illustrations with this funny tale about a mischievous and clever cat who belongs to a miller's son.  The miller's son thinks he is out of luck being left with the cat after his father's death, but the cat leads him to a life of riches and royalty.

Grab the book, cuddle with your child, and enjoy this funny story together.  Happy reading!

Tuesday's Tales 6.19.12

As part of my new blog experiment, Tuesdays will now be Tuesday's Tales, where I cover a book that has grabbed my attention.  I have a big thing for children's picture books, so I may post about something the gals and I are reading, or I may share the book I am currently reading, or both.  Who knows?  Let's just see where this goes.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Stead and Erin Stead is an absolutely charming book about friendship that is simple enough for little ones and big ones alike.  It is hard not to fall in love with simple Amos and his animal friends.  Stead's illustrations are what really draw me into this sweet story, with their fine detail and selective use of muted color.  She uses traditional woodblock printing techniques and pencil to create her illustrations, and to learn more about the process, check it out here.  It is easy to see why she won a Caldecott.  Oh, and if you really love the illustrations, you can buy prints from the book here.

Happy reading.