Feed Me Books Friday: Feeling the Love

In the Kindness of Strangers

Indulge me a moment, if you will, to share my personal story that inspired this week’s book selection. Earlier this year, we made a trip to visit a “Day Out With Thomas” event. B has long been a fan of trains, Thomas included, and the trip was a fun-packed day. Of course, there was a merchandise tent, mostly full of things I felt were either not toddler appropriate/sturdy enough/well-made or easy enough to find on Amazon and pay less for. However, I did see a display for a train car with the Day Out With Thomas logo and the year 2011. Being a sucker for all things sentimental, this is the souvenir I wanted. Which they were, of course, out of. Initially undeterred, I assumed that a merchandising powerhouse like Thomas would have memorabilia available online. Not the case. Finding this boxcar, which B never even saw on the display or realized I was after, became a mission. I can recognize the lunacy of it, but that recognition did not diminish my desire to acquire it. I looked up Thomas’ schedule and learned he’d be visiting Wales West Railway in Alabama this month. I’m a private enough person that I don’t share my hometown on my blog, but it’s not anywhere near Alabama – I wasn’t crazy enough to consider making a trip there, but I did a little website investigation and decided to take a shot at asking a stranger for a favor. I found some contact info for their staff party-planner (a party-planner must have a soft spot for kids, right?) and described my mission in an email. Shelby became my hero when she agreed to shop-for, purchase, and mail my souvenir without ever having met me or spoken to me in person. Her kindness continues to make me smile as I tell the story, and I’m just itching to be able to pass on a similar kindness to someone else! (By the way – if you live near or ever visit the Wales West Railway, please hug Shelby for me!)


A Pay it Forward Attitude

Ok, so my indulgence lasted more than a moment – my stories are long-winded – on to this week’s book. How Kind! by Mary Murphy was originally a library find but became one I wanted to revisit again and again. In simple yet bright text and illustrations, Murphy showcases farm animals passing along one kindness after another. A pig who is tickled by the kindness of a hen pays-it-forward, causing a chain reaction of kindness that includes carrots, flowers, and back-scratching! Each action is accompanied by the title phrase, “How Kind!” It is puzzling that the hen begins by giving away her egg to the pig, then is delighted when he returns her newly hatched chick, but it does give the story a pleasant circular feeling. I really like the concept that one kindness begets another, but it isn’t necessarily a trade-off or a give-and-take. The kindness spreads throughout the farm rather than passing just between two friends. I also appreciate that some of the kindnesses are material and some are intangible. Entertaining and encouraging for little ones like T, discussion worthy for bigger boys like B, How Kind is a great way to illustrate or expand upon the Golden Rule.
Appropriate for: babies, toddlers, preschoolers.

Have your come across any great books for teaching kindness and compassion? I’d love to hear about them – or any other good stuff you’re reading!

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Feed Me Books Friday: Which Would You Vote For?

Considering the Nominations

This week (May 2-May 8) is Children’s Book Week. Originally an effort in 1919 by the librarian for the Boy Scouts of America to improve the quality of children’s books, Children’s Book Week has since been overseen by the Children’s Book Council and the Every Child a Reader Program, a philanthropic effort on behalf of the children’s publishing industry. Prior to Children’s Book Week, children can participate in voting on-line or through classroom and library events for the books nominated for the Children’s Choice Book Awards. Books are nominated in five categories: 3 age ranges plus author and illustrator of the year categories. We requested the 5 titles in B’s age range and the 5 illustration nominations from our library so we could submit an educated vote (and share our thoughts with you). I’m curious – are you familiar with these? Did you vote? Even if you didn’t, what would your choice have been?


Book of the Year K-2

Shark Vs Train by Chris Barton

Very clever comparison story based on the premise of two boys playing with toys (a shark and a train) and discussing who would win. What is both entertaining and educational is the discovery that the nature of the contest has a very significant role in the outcome. A shark might eat more pies but a train would be a more popular carnival ride, for example.

Little Pink Pup by Johanna Kerby

This is the true story of a runt piglet adopted by the family dog and raised in an unusual way. The book is illustrated with photographs, which accents its non-fiction appeal. The story is cute on a literal level yet just below the surface is a powerful message on accepting differences in others.

Even Monsters Need Haircuts by Matthew McElligott

While the imagination and humor involved in this story are entertaining, I have to say it may be a little more than some younger children are ready for. The story itself is not the least bit menacing or threatening. A little boy takes over his father’s barber shop at night and provides haircuts to a parade of monsters and other fantastic creatures. While neither the text or the illustrations intend to make the monsters scary, the prospect of explaining each type of monster (Frankenstein, medusa, werewolf) to my preschooler who is yet unfamiliar with these specific characters was enough to make me think twice about sharing this one with B.

How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills

In this endearing story, Rocket the puppy unwittingly finds himself the student of an eager to teach bird who is enamored with reading and the alphabet. Rocket is initially disinterested in her lessons, but she lures him in by reading aloud from an enticing story. He is soon practicing letters, spelling, and reading, even though the bird must fly south for winter. He eagerly anticipates her return and resuming his studies. Appealing to book lovers and reluctant readers alike, Rocket really demonstrates the power and joy of reading.
 Hot Rod Hamster by Cynthia Lord

This book is an interesting combination of text styles. As the hamster goes about assembling a hot rod, there are bouncy, almost Suess-like rhymes posing choices in the decision making process. Children can use the rhymes as well as the illustrations to interact with the story. Between choices, the story progresses through the use of cartoon call-out style dialogue between the hamster and other animals. The many facets of this book allow it to appeal to a wide audience.


Illustrator of the Year

Robin Preiss Glasser for Fancy Nancy and the Fabulous Fashion Boutique
Detailed drawings and lots of action make these illustrations study-worthy.

Nancy Tillman for Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You
At once surreally-magical and disarmingly realistic, the illustrations are truly works of art.

Mo Willems for Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion
The combination of cartoonish drawings superimposed on realistic photographs is intriguing and entertaining. Willems also has a brilliant talent for using cartoon characters’ faces to express a huge range of emotions.

Loren Long for Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters
The illustrations of this ode to patriotism and childhood are just the right combination of peaceful and invigorating and whimsical.

David Wiesner for Art & Max
The creativity and imagination present in these illustrations is undeniable. The story is completely intertwined with the unfolding of the artwork, and each page’s illustration is part of the progress of the experience.


Our Choices:

How Rocket Learned to Read appealed to both B and I because of his current anticipation of kindergarten and my soft-spot for any one (or any bird) that can teach another to love reading.


David Wiesner is truly a genius illustrator and we couldn’t help buy enjoy and appreciate the thought, creativity, and talent evident in Art & Max. It’s the kind of art that while I might not aspire to duplicate, I am inspired to attempt a creative outlet of my own.


So – have you read these? Share your thoughts, your vote, or which you’re most intrigued to go find.


I have a request – each year for mother’s day I try to find a book that captures something special about the experience of being a mother or the relationship between mother and child. Last year I picked, Mother, Mother I Want Another. Haven’t decided for this year… suggestions?

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Feed Me Books Friday: All Aboard for Reading!

A Little Engineer Lives Here

We have 4 different kinds of train tracks, and B asked me for another set in the store today. He loves creating tracks and their surrounding cities, forests, or farmlands. He loves making long chains of cars and towing them around loop after loop. It is no surprise that train books are always popular at our house. Our most recent find capitalizes on his love of trains and his growing interest in reading to provide a cognitive experience of participating in the storytelling.


Chugging Along in Rhyme and Picture

I’m Taking a Trip on My Train, by Shirley Neitzel, uses both cumulative rhyming text and rebus pictures to make the story accessible to pre-readers. Each page adds another car, accessory, or location to the train story. The repetition of the rebus pictures used to replace key nouns (engine, tanker, people, trestle) not only emphasizes key vocabulary but also allows young readers to become familiar quickly and join in with the reading. This book became a favorite of B’s very quickly, and he not only fills in the words for the rebus pictures, but often finishes the rhyme with the descriptive text as well.

Appropriate for toddlers, preschoolers.

I’m on the hunt for other good rebus stories. Neitzel has several (we also enjoyed The Bag I’m Taking to Grandma’s). Anybody have other good rebus suggestions?

Enjoyed the new friends I met last week at Read.Explore.Learn. with JDaniel4’s mom, so you’ll find me there again. Leave a link with your book suggestion(s) and then check out the others listed both here and there!

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