Mother's Day Books Help Create a Love for Reading (FAMILY magazine reviews)

In honor of Mother’s Day, think about sharing some of these terrific books with your family.  A love for books and reading often develops as moms (and dads too!) share cuddling times together. 

·      Family stories can help your child know about the people who are important in her/his life.  Stories about her/his own family and stories about other families can give her/him ideas of how one thing can lead to another in a story and in real life. 

·      Consider telling stories about your parents and grandparents or about others who are also important to your family.  This can become a book you and your child make together, adding old photographs, or even magazine pictures. When you have fun writing a book together, reading it together becomes another pleasure.

·      Reading stories about families can generate questions from your child. Offer her/him chances to choose books about family related subjects linked to these conversations.  A book about a subject your child is interested in becomes a book your child wants to read, or read with you.

·      Use the 5-Finger Rule to help your child choose a book s/he will be able to read: Open to any page in the chosen book.  As your child reads the page have her/him make a fist.  Beginning with the thumb, have her/him put down one finger for each word s/he has trouble reading. If the fist is a completely open hand by the end of the page, look for an easier book.

Reading is a time for playfulness.  Let fun be your guide to reading together. 

Three Bears in a Boat by David Soman  

Dial, $17.99 (hardcover) 

Interest Level:  Pre Kindergarten – Grade 1 

(This book is available to purchase from Books & Books online: http://www.booksandbooks.com)

            When Dash, Charlie and Theo break their mother bear’s favorite blue seashell, they decide not to tell her.  Adding another “shouldn’t have,” the three set sail in their boat to find a replacement. 

            On the way, they discover other sailors, new islands, huge sea animals, and wide seas.  They ask a “salty bear” where to find a blue seashell.  He tells them, “… if you look in the right place, I reckon you’ll find it.” 

            Looking but not finding, they begin blaming each other.  After they get back on their boat, a huge storm blows in, scaring them. 

            Watercolor paintings in blues and greens define the small bears’ world.  From sand & surf and through their adventures, the text ripples with the water illustrations.  Central double page spreads show a brightness of glinting sunshine, casting a small boat shadow on the wide sea.

The darkness of the storm pages reflects their argument. Additionally, the contrasting bright glassy smoothness of the calm sea could not be more dramatic as they see home.  They know what they have to do.

A satisfying ending brings them back to Mama.  Although, the forgiving hug in the welcoming doorway’s yellow light is not the final word.

A Mom for Umande by Maria Faulconer

illustrated by Susan Kathleen Hartung 

Dial, $16.99 (hardcover) 

Interest Level:  Junior Kindergarten – Grade 3 

(This book is available to purchase from Books & Books online: http://www.booksandbooks.com)

            This story is based on a newspaper article about Umande, a zoo-born gorilla whose mother is very young.  She doesn’t know how to take care of him.  She doesn’t even know what he needs.

But, Colorado zookeepers at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo do know.  They teach him what a gorilla needs to learn.  They act like his mother.

One of the zookeepers takes him across the country on an airplane to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio.  There, Umande meets an older gorilla named Lulu. 

Rubbing, blotting and scratching the oil glazes on sealed paper, makes possible the interesting textures in the illustrations.  Among the effects this process creates are the realistic details for hair, ropes and hay.  Especially notable are expressions on the faces of both people and gorillas.

Umande and Lulu’s faces are particularly loving as they learn to know each other, play, and sleep together. “At last, Umande has a mom.”  Careful research is seamlessly woven through this gentle story.  An Author’s Note is included at the end.  

I’d Know You Anywhere, My Love by Nancy Tillman.  

Feiwel and Friends, $17.99 (hardcover) 

Interest Level: Junior Kindergarten – Grade 2  

(This book is available to purchase from Books & Books online: http://www.booksandbooks.com)

            Author and illustrator Tillman once again creates a timeless picture book. This funny, loving conversation is between mother and child.  Rhyming language generates easy grins.  And recognition beyond physical characteristics (including a “magical smile,” “the gleam in your eye,” “the sound of your feet”) produces laughter.

            The digital artwork is created in layers. It is completed with mixed media – chalk, watercolor, and pencil.  Each illustration identifies the mother somehow with the color red: umbrellas, hats, a blanket, boots, jackets, and even a red sail on a boat.  Attention to this color keeps the action moving across the page.  This is an eye-catching choice, adding love to the power of connection.

All through the book, the mother acknowledges the child’s disguises.  Among these are a rhinoceros, a fox, and a “wild spotted pony.”  And still she says, “I’d know you anywhere.”

             

More great books to choose from:

Baby Penguins Love Their Mama by Melissa Guion 

Philomel, $16.99 (hardcover) 

Interest Level: Pre Kindergarten - Kindergarten 

(This book is available to purchase from Books & Books online: http://www.booksandbooks.com)

Will You Still Love Me If . . . ? by Catherine Leblanc

illustrated by Eve Tharlet  

Minedition, $16.99 (hardcover) 

Interest Level:  Pre Kindergarten – Grade 1  

(This book is available to purchase from Books & Books online: http://www.booksandbooks.com)

           

Mama’s Little Duckling by Marjorie Blain Parker

illustrations by Mike Wohnoutka  

Dutton, $15.99 (hardcover) $6.99 (paperback) 

Interest Level: Pre Kindergarten – Grade 1   

(This book is available to borrow at the Miami Dade Library; Main Branch, Miami Lakes, North Dade Regional.  Also may be purchased from Books & Books online: http://www.booksandbooks.com)

SANDPIPERS (Monday Poem)

by April Halprin Wayland


Sandpipers run with
their needle beaks digging -- they're
hemming the ocean.



from Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems selected by Paul Janeczko, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, 2014, Candlewick

"HOPE" IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS (Monday Poem)

by Emily Dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

It asked a crumb - of me.

from The Poems of Emily Dickinson edited by R. W. Franklin, 1999,  Harvard University Press

WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS (Monday Poem)

by Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends

And before the street begins,

And there the grass grows soft and white,

And there the sun burns crimson bright,

And there the moon-bird rests from his flight

To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And watch where the chalk-white arrows go

To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,

For the children, they mark, and the children, they know

The place where the sidewalk ends. 

from Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, 1974, Harper & Row

LITTLE ORANGE CAT (Monday Poem)

by Charlotte Zolotow


Little orange cat,
you prowl
like a small tiger
(stalking what?)
in the field
of white daisies
and shining
buttercups.



from Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems selected by Paul Janeczko, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, 2014, Candlewick

Earth Day, Bees and Poetry Month (FAMILY magazine reviews)

Sharing books with your child(ren) can be an on-going joy.  Fill your home with all kinds of books – fairy tales, Aesop’s fables, poetry, biographies, history books, books on astronomy, on sports, on dance, art books and more.  Share your pleasure in books by visiting the library and bookstores -- especially used bookstores!  And don’t forget to let your child “catch” you reading. 

·      Remember that you can listen to audio books, and even e-readers can catch a child’s interest when other books might not.

·      Share the care of books with your child so s/he understands the importance of not drawing or writing in library books, and not throwing away unwanted books, but donating books instead.

·      Don’t hesitate to share with your child about famous authors and characters who are in books.  Showing them pictures of famous authors and talking about them and/or characters from books can encourage your child to become a writer. 

·      When your child sees you reading in bed, before breakfast, outdoors on a Sunday afternoon they can see books and reading materials as a normal part of your daily life. And develop the habit of reading as part of their life too.

·      Pay attention to what your child is interested in – as s/he gets older his/her interests will also grow and change.  What is s/he curious about? What is s/he asking questions about? Don’t be afraid to include books in other languages if your child shows interest in other languages or cultures. You might even find yourself developing skill in a language by sharing this developing interest with your child.

It is, in the end, all about being together and sharing something you both love.  Conversations about books, characters, and authors can make memories both you and your child will cherish

Bees, Snails, & Peacock Tails 

by Betsy Franco

illustrated by Steve Jenkins 

Simon & Schuster, $17.99 (hardcover) 

Interest Level: Junior Kindergarten – Grade 3   

(This book is available to borrow at the Miami Dade Library; Main Branch, Miami Lakes, Miami Beach Regional, North Shore Branch. Also may be purchased from Books & Books online: http://www.booksandbooks.com)

           

Poet Franco and award winning artist Jenkins once again combine their talents to create a brisk and appealing picture book. It’s a dramatic mix of science, poetry and art in happy nonfiction companionship. 

The artist uses colorful handmade paper collage to illustrate shapes and patterns in our world. Lively, clever verses together with stunning images show surprising mathematical symmetry, scientific geometry, and nature’s artistry.

Some of the words (Kaleidoscope, tapestries) will need explanations for the young audience.  Also, rhymes set limits on what and how much information can be shared.  However, additional background on each creature is attached at the end.

The Best Beekeeper of Lalibela: A Tale from Africa 

by Cristina Kessler

illustrated by Leonard Jenkins  

Holiday House, $16.95 (hardcover) 

Interest Level: Grades 1-3 

(This book is available to borrow at the Miami Dade Library; Main Branch, Miami Lakes.)

           

Lalibela, a town in the mountains of Ethiopia, is well known for its rich, golden honey.  Almaz, a young girl with spirit, visits the men who are the town’s traditional beekeepers, looking for advice. She tells them she wants to keep bees and learn to make Lalibela’s best honey.  The men give her a task to do.  But she is not able to complete it.

            Instead of welcoming her and offering to teach her what they know, the men laugh at her.  But the priest encourages her to find her own way to success.

            Golden illustrations balance with darker contrasting colors, giving readers a feel for the brilliance of an Ethiopian market village.  Using acrylic, pastels, spray paint, and colored pencils Jenkins has matched Almaz’s determination and Kessler’s purposeful language with its deep-hued African setting.

            An Author’s Note and a brief glossary of Tigringna and Amharic words are included at the end.

 

Flight of the Honey Bee 

by Raymond Huber

illustrated by Brian Lovelock

Candlewick Press, $16.99 (hardcover) 

Interest Level:  Kindergarten – Grade 2 

(This book is available to purchase from Books & Books online: http://www.booksandbooks.com)

           

One of nature’s most important creatures can’t live alone. The honey bee depends on, and supports its hive and family of bees.  In this engaging picture book, readers are invited to follow one honeybee on her adventures.           

Like a hunter in search of prey, a scout honeybee’s mission is to find flowers.  She sips their nectar to carry back in one of her stomachs. Static electricity charges her body as she flies.  This makes it easy for flower pollen to attach while she’s sipping.  Both nectar and pollen are bees’ food.

How Scout travels using her senses – to locate her “prey,” keep her from becoming another creature’s dinner, and protect her during a downpour -- is important to her success.  Scout’s experiences continue even when she returns.  Bright illustrations in watercolor, acrylic ink and colored pencil provide close-up and distance views.  Combined with compelling language, the narrative launches even before the title page.

Large text carries the storyline; Small text supplies additional details.  Back matter includes information about keeping bees safe, an index and brief introductions to both author and illustrator.

Additional books for the season:

The Buzz on Bees:  Why Are They Disappearing?  

by Shelley Rotner and Anne Woodhull

photographs by Shelley Rotner

Holiday House, $17.95 (hardcover) 

Interest Level: Grades 1-3 

(This book is available to borrow at the Miami Dade Library; Miami Beach Regional. Also may be purchased from Books & Books online: http://www.booksandbooks.com)

Buzz 

by Eileen Spinelli

illustrated by Vincent Nguyen  

Simon & Schuster, $15.99 (hardcover) 

Interest Level: Junior Kindergarten – Grade 3

(This book is available to purchase from Books & Books online: http://www.booksandbooks.com)

 The Bee’s Sneeze 

by Ellis Nadler  

Simon & Schuster 

 Interest Level:  Junior Kindergarten – Grade 1 

(This book is available to borrow at the Miami Dade Library; Main Branch, North Dade Regional, South Dade Regional.)

THE RED WHEELBARROW (Monday Poem)

by William Carlos Williams


so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.



from Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems selected by Paul Janeczko, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, 2014, Candlewick