Reference Sunday: The Time Book

We have all heard the saying " Time Flys"~ well that seems true yet again. Here it is Labor Day weekend 2009 and I am wondering where the summer went. The book I want to talk about today is a clever book about time!

The Time Book: A Brief History from Lunar Calendars to Atomic Clocks by Martin Jenkins Illus by Richard Bolland is a artfully presented book on what "time" is.

It explores how time is measured and talks about early calendars....something that might seem like a dry subject but is told in a funny and interesting way with quirky illustrations.

I know kids (like my nephew Alex) who love to read information books better than novels....this should appeal to them.

Marvelous Toy by Tom Paxton

When I was a little girl my oldest brother used to play the guitar. One of his favorite guitar books was songs from Tom Paxton. My two favorite songs were "Goin' to the Zoo" and of course

"The Marvelous Toy"

"It went zip when it moved, & bop when it stopped

& Whirrrr when it stood still~

I never knew just what it was

and I guess I never will...."

I loved the "Whirrr" part because my brother could roll his "R's"......

This beautifully illustrated book brings back my happiest memories of childhood~it is warm and inviting. The fact that it comes with a cd is a plus because now all children can hear this wonderful music too!

Friday Fun Fact

Did you know reading to and with a child can be beneficial to their overall development? Children need stimulation so it even helps tiny babies learn to focus and learn. As children get older having them participate while you read helps them learn to use their cognitive skills.

Reading with your child is also beneficial to you----it is a great time to bond!

Robert Sabuda---King of Pop Ups

I have always loved Robert Sabuda pop-ups. The thing about Robert Sabuda is that he is also a talented illustrator in his own right. Once he started with Pop-Ups though he never looked back. He started relatively simply, one of his first Pop-ups was The Christmas Alphabet ~ a book of pop-ups using the letters of the alphabet mostly in white. Beautiful~but simple! My personal early favorite was his Cookie Count~I used to tell my nephew Daniel that this was a special book and that he could only look at it with me. Everytime he came over he asked to look at the "special" book. He was always amazed at it. Robert Sabuda also did one of the very first Kwanzaa books called A Kwanzaa Celebration~ which was great to read during story times!

My all time favorite is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz! It just amazed me how he could be so faithful to the story and the original illustrations with these incredible feats of paper engineering!

One of his most recent Pop-Ups is Peter Pan~another marvel!

Oh and my favorite non Pop-Up? Tutankhamen's Gift....I always liked King Tut. ;)

Fun Book of the Day: Urban Babies Wear Black

The Urban Babies Wear Black series by Michelle Sinclair Colman & Illus by Nathalia Dion are really cute board books that, in my mind, are not just for babies. They make great shower gifts and new baby gifts. There is one for every style of life. The first one titled Urban Babies Wear Black is perfect for our cosmopolitan friends. While the title Country Babies Wear Plaid is great for our rural buddies. They are a hoot!

Must Have Books for Children's bookshelves

As I have stated before I have been in the book business a long time. That being said I forget sometimes, as do other people who work in books, that not everyone in the world is as immersed in children's literature as us. The general public sometimes needs a reminder of the titles that every child should have in their library. So the following list is for new parents or grandparents or even friends who wish to give a child a strong base on which to grow.

These are listed in no particular order:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt

Brown Bear Brown Bear What do you See? by Bill Martin Jr Illus by Eric Carle

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Curious George by H.A. Ray

Where's Spot? by Eric Hill

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper

Moo Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton

Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

Now there are more classics out there and anything by these authors are good. But this is a good start to any children's library.

I will save the new favorites for another day!

Fun Book of the Day: Officer Buckle and Gloria

Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann is one of my favorite books. It won the Caldecott Medal in 1996 for best Illustrated book. This is a fun to read aloud book because kids get a kick out of discovering Gloria the dogs antics by paying attention to the fabulous illustrations. It is a great book for this time of year especially because it is a school story. I also love the fact that this won the Caldecott because it is a sweet and light hearted book that is really uplifting. Anything that can make a child laugh soothes the soul.