Word After Word After Word by Patricia MacLachlan

Word After Word After Word by Patricia MacLachlan was such a wonderful read.   I started to read it one day but had to put it down because it made me cry.   When I finally picked it up again it only took me 20 minutes to finish.   For such a short book it is very powerful.

I am not sure if it is a book a child would pick up but it most certainly is a great book to be read in class.   Having taught fourth grade Sunday School I could relate to the kids in the book.   I am not sure if kids really talk this way or as sensitive as these kids are but part of me wishes there were more like them out in the world.

What is so great about this book is how in simple terms Ms MacLachlan teaches us that words are power.   I love the way that she shows us how words can be real or unreal....and that being unreal doesn't mean it isn't the truth.   I almost felt that Ms MacLachlan had channeled my sister Ann.   Ann has always been about words and truth....how they intertwine and teach us about ourselves.

This is a must read for any age.....like I said I cried through the whole book.....which is always a litmus test for me.   The more I am touched by the words in a story the more I love it!

Flashback Tuesday: Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr Seuss

My friend Joe S. recommended this book to me yesterday.   I always seem to forget how brilliant Dr Seuss was early in his career.

Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr Seuss  received a Caldecott Honor in 1950 the year my parents got married.   It is a sequel and one of his few titles that is told in prose not rhyme,  although there are quite a few rhymes in the book.  This is a timeless tale and fits in quite nicely with today's popular books as it is all about magic!

I love a story that teaches a lesson without being preachy.   There are actually many lessons in the book but the one that strikes me the most  is the lesson that simple words and truths can be very powerful.   This is the story of a king who thinks he can get anything he wants just because he wants it.   His sense of entitlement is amazing.   When disaster strikes because of this sense of entitlement,  it takes a little boy to tell him the truth.   Of course the king doesn't hear the truth and only see's what he wants to see.   By then it is too late.    Once the king understands it is his mistakes that caused the pain of the Oobleck's and is truly sorry for what he has done is the disaster averted.   Bartholomew is a great character because he told the truth even if it wasn't a popular thing to hear.   He has a strength of character that all kids (and some adults)  should emulate.   Everyone makes mistakes but if we realize that something is our fault and own up to it and can say the simple words "I'm Sorry" things can always get better.


Thanks Joe S.  for reminding me of this wonderful book! It is not one of Dr Seuss' more popular titles but it should be.

Reference Sunday: Time for Kids Big Book of Why: 1,001 Facts Kids Want to Know

Time for Kids Big Book of Why: 1,001 Facts Kids Want to Know by the editors of Time for Kids Magazine is a great new book for all those inquisitive kids out in the world.  This is the kind of book I would have liked as a kid.   Each page has lots of information told in a succinct way.   There are lots of great photos too.

This is the perfect book to get a child before they return to school.   It will help them brush up on things and get them interested in learning again, although they won't know that.   It is a great little reference book too.   I think there are plenty of adults who would also have a hard time not perusing it if it were lying around.....

Brontorina by James Howe illustrated by Randy Cecil

Brontorina by James Howe and Illustrated by Randy Cecil is one of the cutest new books I have seen in a long time.  This funny story of a dinosaur who wants to be a ballerina is really funny and heartwarming.  I just love, love, love the illustrations.   Randy Cecil so perfectly captures the expressions and feelings of the characters in this book.    This is a great story time book.   I would have loved to have  read it at my story times because I think the kids reactions would have been priceless.   I am also happy with the fact that it isn't a really girlie kind of book.   Even though it is about learning ballet I like the fact that there is a boy in the ballet class and that the colors aren't too pink.   The fact that it also teaches a subtle lesson about never giving up on your dreams is a plus.   A must have new book to read and enjoy!

Flashback Tuesday: Petunia by Roger Duvoisin

While on my walk today I was thinking of what I would write about on my blog.   I look forward to Flashback Tuesdays because I get to reach back into the past to find a book.   It had just started to rain and I was sort of following the street sweeper truck.   I didn't feel like following the all the way so I cut down a street I don't usually walk on.  It was as I was turning the corner that I noticed a really lovely house that I hadn't noticed before.   On the front porch was a statue of a goose with a wreath of flowers around it's neck.    At that moment Petunia popped into my head. 

Petunia by Roger Duvoisin is the classic story of a goose who finds a book and immediately thinks she knows everything...even though she hasn't read it.    I can't believe this book is 60 years old this year....it is such a timeless story.  This was always a great read aloud because the kids would get  really get into the story.   There are a lot of discussion points too.   The best books transcend time....this is certainly one of them.   A must have for your child's bookshelf.

Reference Sunday: Bite-Size Science: Everything You Need to Know About Science in Small, Easily-Digestible Portions by Robert Dinwiddie

I found this book at the bookstore and really liked the concept.   It was in a small local independent store where they had put it in the children's section.   It was such a cute book---I like cute and small.   I didn't realize until I went to the publisher's website that the book was written for grown ups and not kids.   How silly that is.   I know so many kids who would love this book....namely kids like my nephew Alex who loves books about facts and figures.   He would rather read this kind of a book than a novel or story book.  I figure he is reading so it is ok.  

Bite-Size Science: Everything You Need to Know About Science in Small, Easily-Digestible Portions by Robert Dinwiddie is a nicely packaged book with around 400 illustrations that explains science to the unscientific.   I enjoyed the explanations of things like the solar system, earthquakes even human body stuff because I could understand what it.  The language is simple and jargon free.   This is a great book for any one who likes to keep up on things without being overwhelming.   Like I said it isn't meant specifically for kids but it would be great for them too!

The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood illus by Renata Liwska

Sometimes a book comes along that speaks to me without being flashy.   Today's book is just that kind of a book.




The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Renata Liwska seems to be the perfect bedtime story book.   While that is a true statement I think it is much more than that.  I was instantly drawn to this book when I saw it on the shelf.   The illustrations are sweet and comforting.   When I read it I immediately felt calm and soothed.   I could imagine myself reading this to a child not just at bedtime but during the day, especially if that day has been chaotic.   It is the perfect book to help calm overly excited children and to give a nice respite before excitement begins again.   I would have loved to read this at story time......especially if the kids have been a bit rambunctious and loud.    It is surely to be a new classic and would make a great gift to new parents.   Just thinking about the beautiful and calming words makes me smile....