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!

Kids Book of The Week: The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

I adore this author and will tell you about his other books that I love soon, but for today I had to chose The Curious Garden.  We checked it out from the library last week, and the sweet story and lovely illustrations have captured us all.

Little Liam lives in a bleak city with no greenery... until he happens upon a mini garden up on some old railroad tracks.  Liam nurses the garden back to life and it flourishes and spreads to every part of the city.  Other gardeners come out of their homes to help maintain this beautiful outside world, and Liam continues to work on his railroad garden until he is a man with kids of his own.

The bright, cheerful illustrations grow with each page as the garden itself grows.  The city that started out as dreary and grey becomes a happy and vibrant place for everyone.

If this story sounds a bit familiar, that's because it is.  Check out this info about the High Line in NYC.

Kids Book of the Week: Pete The Cat

Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin and James Dean

We heard this story at storytime at the library this week, and we've been listening to it non-stop. The girls love singing along with Pete, and I've got to admit, it's pretty catchy. We couldn't bring the actual book home, and I think it may be a bit young for P, but both she and L are absolutely mesmerized when the author begins speaking.  Very cute.

Today's Book: The Empty Pot

Last night I read The Empty Pot to L, and I was surprised to see how interested she was in a book that I thought would be over her head.  I learned my lesson: don't underestimate my children.  I did have to explain the word "successor" and I'm not quite sure she grasped that, but it didn't take away from her enjoyment of the story at all.

The Empty Pot is a lovely story of honesty and courage, and the illustrations are really beautiful.  We were given the gift by one of my husband's students when P was born, and it is one of the books that I come back to again and again.

I think I could be a children's librarian.  I love books and reading with my kids.  And I absolutely adore BBGB, a local children's bookstore here in Richmond, with fantastic owners and wonderful, knowledgeable employees.

They suggested we read The Doll People to P, and we all loved it.  So if you live in Richmond and haven't been to BBGB yet, go!  And bring your kids.  The shop has a cute and unique space for the children to explore, play, and read.

Hope you have a great day (and read something good!).