All About Art Board Books

-posted by Meghan

We love museums of all types – dinosaur, sciences, history, kid, fire, police, cultural, music and more.  In fact, when my kids (Molly & Jacob, the twins who are now 6) were born, and I went from working in the office 70 hours a week to being home with babies all week, I craved outside stimulation.  I also missed my spreadsheets.  So I made a new one, of all the museums in the city, and decided to visit a new one with the kids every week for their first year.  And I did!  (Luckily, LA is a huge city with hundreds of museums!)  And I discovered that while I love them all, art museums have a special place in my heart.  So, here are board books about art and artists to share with the babies in your life to introduce them to the world of art and art museums.

Mini Masters Series by Julie Merberg
This series includes Dancing with Degas, A Picnic with Monet, A Magical Day with Matisse, In the Garden with Van Gogh, On an  Island with Gaugin, Quiet Time with Cassatt, and by the time you read this, about 17 other titles.  We kid!  Actually, it’s wonderful that this series is so well rounded, because there is something for everyone – whether it’s exposing your kids to your own favorite artists (that’s why we got into the series – to show the kids Degas from the moment they could focus their eyes!) or to activities they are drawn to – pictures of kids at the beach, of the garden, or flowers or a tropical island…  the sweet rhymes and the order of the pictures tells a story and a little blurb in the back grows with the kids and teaches them a little bit about the artist.  It’s a great series for introducing kids to great works of art.

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Andy Warhol’s Colors by Susan Goldman Rubin
This is one of our favorite first color books.  Warhol is perfect for kids, right?  Big, bright images that simple words can easily capture.  Each color has a picture of a different animal and a few simple words describing it.  And now that my kids (at age 6) are past the stage where they eat books and board books are a necessity, this book has actually become a great inspiration.  They can relate to Warhol, and their bright colors and stark art often is reminiscent of his.  While they don’t ever drag out pictures by Rembrandt to try and imitate, they do look to this book to inspire their drawings.  That’s a board book with legs.

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Touch the Art: Julie Apel’s Series
Did I just throw out the word favorite?  That may have been a favorite color book, but these  were hands down our favorite art/artist books(and the series has grown and gotten even cooler since the Molly and Jacob were at the eat book stage).  With titles like Pop Warhol’s Top, Brush Mona Lisa’s Hair, Make Van Gogh’s Bed, Find King Henry’s Treasure and Tickle Tut’s Toes, the books really do invite kids to touch the art and make it seem real – Mona Lisa’s hair is brushable, Raphael’s angels have real wings, Warhol’s Marilyn has fluffy eye lashes and mummy Tut has gauzy bandages.  Making the art 3D gives it the appearance of coming to life for kids, and bridges the notion of representation vs reality.  Plus it’s super fun.  It’s not often adults learn things from a board book, but you will from these.

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NY Metropolitan Museum of Art Series by the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Show me the 30 something (or their parent who read the book aloud to them) without a soft spot for the Met because of From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and I’ll show you someone who is not a reader.  Or doesn’t have a heart.  (Or are those the same people?)  So putting the institutes name on the books guarantees that many of us will gravitate to these as first art books for our babies, no matter what.  Luckily, Museum ABC, Museum 123and Museum Shapes live up to the Met name.  You won’t mind looking over and over at these books as each explores a notion (letter, shape, number) and then shows four works of art from the Museum collection that illustrate it.  Gorgeous, interesting and wonderful talking points, from babies pointing to bigger kids exploring the notions and seeking inspiration for their own works.

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Beautiful Oops by Barney Saltzberg
This book isn’t about celebrated artists or museums.  It’s about becoming an artist yourself, and the most important lesson any artist (any person!) can learn, which is that every mistake is simply an opportunity to make something different, new and beautiful.  How lovely is that, to impress on even the youngest baby?  A tear may be an alligators mouth.  A spill may make you rethink your art, and end up making it more.  Not only does it help you think more creatively, it gives you a fantastic mantra for those kiddos who get frustrated (livid, stymied) when they can’t make what’s in their heads, or who want to shred a paper once they’ve made a mistake.  Can that mistake be made into something beautiful?  I’m glad to have written this post today, because it reminded me of this book, and how I should re-read it myself often (and we should find the kids’ copy and read it together again).

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The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
This one isn’t a board book, but we love it and think it’s a great baby book, so on the list it goes.  It’s about writers block, or rather drawers block, if you will – what do you do when you don’t think you can draw, can’t create art, or aren’t any good?  Just make a mark.  See where it takes you.  It’s another book that’s wonderful for itself, and also for it’s message.  Kids can get so frustrated with art, and being artists themselves , in thinking they don’t know what to do, or how to do it.  By making a mark, they may make their mark — on another person, on the world.  Every painting started with one simple dot.

Museums – A Book Flight

Museums!  If you think you are a museum lover before you have kids in your life (whether to teach or to raise), you become a museum worshipper once kids appear.  You just experience them differently… no more staring for hours at a painting and actually reading about the materials and life of the artist – you experience them at warp speed, but still with thinking and probing and learning.  Kids might not want to linger (at least not the younger ones) but the way they see things, and the questions they ask will give you a whole new outlook and appreciation.  You might find yourself playing I Spy in the paintings , or Hide and Seek among the antiquities.  And you’ll definitely start experiencing a whole world of museums that you probably never knew existed (Fire Truck Museums, Kid-seums and the like).  Well, now you can experience them this way, too: reading about museums!  Here are books for everyone in the family that take you deep inside a museum.

Family Read-Alouds:

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil Frankweiler by E.L. Konsigsberg
Imagine hiding out and  secretly living in a museum!  That’s what Claudia and her brother Jamie do in this 1967  Newbery award-winning novel. We both love the Metropolitan Art Museum–and can imagine ourselves happily camping out there for a week, as this duo manages to do.  In the course of their adventure, they discover a mystery as well as the wonders of the museum’s treasures.  Ruth savored reading this book aloud to her little daughter Meghan–who can’t wait to read it to her little ones and experience it anew.  A perfect read-aloud adventure to introduce children to the magic of the museum experience.

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Stories of the Mona Lisa:  An Imaginary Museum Tale about the Museum of Modern Art by Piotr Barsony

A book about art, history, a father and daughter–and a fabulous story?  What’s not to love!  Artist Piotr Barsony acts as guide and story-teller through his “imaginary” museum, describing genres of paintings, and the history of modern art–all through the Mona Lisa.  Just imagine the differences between for example, a Van Gogh Mona and an Andy Warhol Mona.  A perfect book for all ages.

Toddlers and Pre-School:

You Can’t Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman
This book has many things going for it, one of which is the fact that it is a true picture book.  Not one single word.  And when your throat is hoarse from reading, it’s the kind of book you can sit and flip through with the kids and let them provide the narrative.  Which is both restful and highly entertaining.  It’s about a little girl and her Grandma taking a trip to the Met.  The security guard tells the girl that she can’t bring her balloon into the museum, but agrees to watch it for her.  The moment she leaves, the balloon escapes, and leads the guard and an ever growing entourage on a merry chase through the city.  The balloon’s journey through New York mirrors the girl’s journey through the museum and it’s delightful and enjoyable on several levels.

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Miffy at the  Museum by Dick Bruna

With sing-song rhymes, Miffy the bunny explores and discovers the wonders of a museum, wondering what the artist thought, and contemplating growing up to be an artist herself.  Miffy has been around for almost 60 years, and there’s a reason why.  The simple line drawings and barely there stories draw kids into whatever world she is visiting.  It’s a fun book to bring along to an art museum and ask kids the same questions Miffy asks.

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Museum Trip by Barbara Lehman

Another winner from the author of the fabulous (and award-winning!) The Red Book.  In this wordless picture book, a boy enters a work of art.  As viewers, we get to see him from shifting perspectives as he shrinks into the mazes and pathways that make up the different works of art.  We even peek at him as he receives a medal, which he still has on when we leaves the museum, his real size again.  The celebration of imagination, and mixing of real and daydream are a kind of magical realism at the pre-school level.  Love this book!

Early Readers

all of the above, plus. . .

The Museum by Susan Verde, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

For both of us, going to museums and seeing artwork creates a bubbly effervescent kind of physical joy.  Exactly what writer (and yoga teacher!) Susan Verde writes  about poetically, and Peter Reynolds illustrates to perfection in this marvelous little picture book.   Try reading it to little ones before a trip to the museum. . .it will serve as a wonderful introduction.

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Library Mouse:  A Museum Adventure by Daniel Kirk

A museum adventure is just the ticket for Sam and Sarah, two mice who live in a museum.  Sam, an author, and daily journal keeper, creates a new notebook for sketching as well as writing and decides that the nearby museum would be just the place to try out his new explorer’s journal.  Sarah, always up for excitement and exploration, is all set to go, but does have her doubts about the uses of a journal for such an adventure. Pretty soon, though, she’s a fan, too, as they include ticket stubs, maps, and drawings of Egyptian mummies, dinosaurs, and other cool discoveries.  They also meet a surprising new friend and artist. . . We loved–and chuckled over– the masterpieces reproduced lovingly with mice as subjects in the “special gallery.”  A wonderful way to introduce young art lovers to great art through history, with a twist!

Tweens

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett

Our favorite of the Blue Balliet series of artist detective stories for middle schoolers.  Like The Mixed-Up Files. . ., Chasing Vermeer
features two intelligent kids who put their heads together to solve a puzzle.  At the heart of the mystery is a stolen Vermeer painting.  Petra and Calder, two sixth-graders in the amazing Ms.Hussey’s class, try to figure out the clues in a set of pentominos (mathematical puzzle pieces),  a mysterious book, and public clues published in a newspaper.  The great city of Chicago makes a terrific setting for this art caper.  If you enjoyed this duo’s adventures and want more art mystery, check out:  The Wright 3 and The Calder Game.

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The Court of Stone Children by Eleanor Cameron

“Magical” and “intriguing” are two words we often hear readers use to describe this wonderful historical fiction/ghost story that brings to life the atmosphere of a small museum, and what it’s like to run one.  The plot is intriguing, as we meet the characters through the eyes and world of Nina, a young girl going through struggles in her recent move to the city.  In her visits to the museum, she encounters others involved in their own struggles.  We thought about listing this one under family read-aloud, since it has appeal for adults and kids alike. . .so consider it as an additional chapter book read-aloud, or put it into the hands of the teens and tweens in your life to savor on their own.

Adult Readers (YA and Beyond)

The Diviners (YA) by Libba Bray

One of our favorite settings:  New York City in the 1920′s, complete with silent movies, Ziegfield girls, speakeasies, . . .and of course museums.  Evie O’Neill loves it all when she moves from her boring rural home to live with her uncle in the big city.  But the museum where he is a curator is a bit of a challenge;  The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition,  and the Occult is known by the locals as “The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies.”  Soon after Evie’s arrival, she is drawn into the investigation of a series of murders, and also discovers her own occult powers.  The dramatic supernatural plot is compelling and draws young adults–and older ones, too–into the mystery.  A great read–and fortunately, the first of a planned series.

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The Art Forger:  A Novel by B.A. Shapiro

Twenty-five years ago, the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum in Boston was robbed; thirteen masterpieces were stolen and have never been recovered.  Barbara Shapiro bases her mystery novel on this famous heist, re-imagining where  a famous Degas painting might now be.  The tale is filled with intrigue–and fascinating true information about art forging.  I found the writing voice humorous and clever, and the relationships believable.  Of course, growing up in the greater Boston area, the Gardner museum was a favorite for both Meghan and me (Ruth).  And perfect timing for our read of this new book:  the FBI recently announced they have solved the case, but haven’t found the originals yet.  For a fact-based, entertaining glimpse into the world of art, artists, and museums, give The Art Forger a try.

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Little Red Riding Hood Around the World

She had her beginnings in Europe with the French Court and the folklore of Germany–and over the years, Red Riding Hood’s tale has spread around the world and into different cultures.  (Check out our Book Flight on Little Red Riding Hoods.) Her story has been rewritten, adapted, painted, danced, and sung.   Here’s a taste of our favorite multicultural picture books of Little Red Riding Hood.  If you come across other intriguing versions, be sure to let us know!

Lon Po Po by Ed Young

In China, children hear about a very scary and wiley creature:  Lon Po Po, the Granny Wolf.  In Ed Young’s Chinese retelling, three sisters are left home alone while their Mother goes to visit Grandmother on her birthday.  Of course, she reminds them to keep the doors locked.  The crafty wolf overhears the instructions, disguises himself as a Granny and tricks the girls into letting him into the house, dousing the lights once he is inside.  Luckily, Shang, the eldest daughter, sees through his masquerade and the girls are able to escape his grasp and get rid of him forever.  The artwork is absolutely stunning; the watercolors and pastels are rich and dark, with the wolf hidden in the landscape in many of the scenes.  No wonder it earned the 1990 Caldecott Medal!

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Pretty Salma:  A Little Red Riding Hood Story from Africa by Nikii Daly

Instead of the Big Bad Wolf, here Pretty Salma encounters a Big Bad Dog on her way to market for her mother.  While her mother has warned her not tot talk with strangers, Pretty Salma is still tricked by Mr. Dog into giving up her her beautiful clothes.  The wiley Mr. Dog dresses up in them and races to Grandma’s house.  With help from her storyteller Grandfather–dressed as Anansi–the family triumphs over the bad dog.  Colorful illustrations show a contemporary urban Africa.  This book is a wonderful addition to your Red Riding Hood collection.

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Petite Rouge:  A Cajun Red Riding Hood by Mark Artell, illustrated by Jim Harris

Not a wolf, nor a dog this time, but a “big ole swamp ‘gator” from the Bayou names Claude.  He wants to eat up Petite Rouge who is on her way to bring Gumbo to her Grandmere, with her trusty side-kick, the clever cat TeJean.  The Louisiana swamp is the setting this time, and the retelling is filled with delicious dialect.  It’s a humorous book, both is words and pictures, told in rhyming verse with dynamic illustrations.  A winner!

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Little Red Riding Hood by Gennady Spirin

Is this a Russian version or Dutch?  Well, a little of both. Gennady Spirin grew up in Russia and trained at the Moscow Art School.  In his beautifully-illustrated book, he combines Russian technique and story details with his love of Dutch Renaissance paintings.  You’ll see the landscape of 17th century Holland, complete with windmills and cathedrals.  Grandma is a woman of the times, elaborately dressed in lace.  The wolf is the complete Renaissance man, with a ruffled tunic and broad-brimmed feathered hat.  The pictures add to the drama of the retelling.

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Little Red Riding Hood by Andrea Wisnewski

We can’t resist this taste of home:  Little Red Riding Hood in Old Sturbridge Village, set in early 19th century rural New England.  The black and white papercut designs remind us of Nikki McClure’s artwork:  delicate and intricate.  They almost seem to be woodcuts!  Then, the bright and colorful addition of watercolor makes the pictures truly breath-taking.  It’s a nice addition in this tale that Little Red Riding Hood’s father is the woodsman who comes to the rescue.  The women are quite strong, too–and though Grandma is eaten, she ends the book “none the worse for wear.”  Lots of special details to find in the pictures, too, making this a popular choice for little ones.

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Flossie and the Fox by Patricia McKissack, illustrated by Rachel Isadora

Author McKissack uses her home language to recount this Little Red Riding Hood variation, told to her by her grandfather. The main character, Flossie, lives with her grandmother, Big Mama,  in the  rural South.  Big Mama warns her to be careful of the fox when she sends her to deliver eggs to Miz Viola.  Now, Flossie has never seen a fox, and asks, “How do a fox look?”  Her grandmother replies, “A fox be just a fox.”   When Flossie does meet the fox, he tries to frighten her, but she scoffs at him, cleverly  telling him she doesn’t believe he is a fox.   His insistence on proving he is a fox proves his undoing.  This humorous and engaging tale is enhances by Rachel Isadora’s  delicious paintings.

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Book Flight: Little Red Riding Hoods

Little Red Riding Hood is one of those classic fairy tales that most children know, or certainly  have heard references to the characters.   A few weeks ago, we reviewed the latest retelling  in the sci-fi contemporary YA novel Scarlet.  That got us thinking–and sent us on a search  for versions of Little Red Riding Hood for the whole family. (For Little Red Riding Hood Around the Word, click here.)

First, a little history.  The first written version is by Charles Perrault (1697) and was clearly a moral tale with no happy ending.  Little Red Riding Hood is eaten by the wolf.  The End. Perrault is clear about the moral:  “From this story one learns that children, especially young lasses, pretty, courteous and well-bred, do very wrong to listen to strangers, And it is not an unheard thing if the Wolf is thereby provided with his dinner.”  The Brothers Grimm published their version  (“Little Red Cap”) in 1812 with a revised, somewhat  happier ending: now, the little girl and her grandmother are saved by a huntsman who was after the wolf’s skin.  If this  taste of Little Red’s history piques your interest, check out The History of Little Red Riding Hood.

Fascinating stuff!  You might want to start by reading the originals in translation:

Little Red Riding Hood by Charles Perrault

Little Red Cap by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Family Readalouds:

Little Red Riding Hood by Jerry Pinkney

Sometimes, the best family read-alouds are gorgeously-illustrated picture books whose images enhance the text and  draw the the whole family into the story, examining the details in each page.  Jerry Pinkney’s retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ version of Little Red Riding Hood is just such a book.  What better introduction to Little Red, with the special hood crafted for her lovingly by her mother, and of course, the sly and scary wolf?  The patterns and colors in the homey setting and the wintry woods are exquisite watercolors.  Another nice detail–the mother and daughter who were models for the illustrations are a biracial family that Pinkney knew.  The wolf is drawn as a real creature as well.  The story is well-told, too–the danger of the original is there, but no blood and guts.  Appropriate even for a pre-school audience.

Early Readers:

Little Red Riding Hood retold and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (easy to read)

Trina Schart Hyman does a wonderful job of retaining the Grimms’ story (without being gruesome), being true to the original moral story, and indulging young readers in lush and detailed illustrations.  Kids love the addition of a little black cat that follows Little Red Riding Hood throughout her journey.  This book will make readers want to explore Hyman’s other beautiful illustrations–and they will have dozens of books to choose from.

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Red Riding Hood retold by James Marshall (early readers)

This contemporary retelling is popular with new readers.  The language is accessible, but not stilted, and the story is true to the original, but Marshall keeps it less-than-scary with cartoon-style drawings  and some really funny touches (such as after-dinner mints next to the sleeping wolf).  The villain himself is quite smooth–with impeccable manners, and some guilt for his actions (“I’m wicked. . .So wicked,” he mutters.)  We love that Granny gets mad at the wolf for coming into her house and interrupting her reading!

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Little Red Cowboy Hat by Susan Lowell, illustrated by Randy Cecil

We love this cowgirl version of Little Red Riding Hood–one with a feminist twist.  Sheriff Little Red wears her badge proudly and is pretty darn tough–she even shoots rattlesnakes with her slingshot.  But she is still intimidated by the crafty–and sleazy–wolf who blocks her path.  Luckily, Grandma to the rescue (love this!) who has been chopping wood and  bursts from her bedroom with an ax.  Together, she and Little Red chase the wolf away.  There’s still a moral to the story:  ” ‘Now, Red, have you learned your lesson?’ asked Grandma. ‘Yep. A girl’s gotta stick up for herself,’ said Little Red.”

Tweens:

Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten:  The Story of Little Red Riding Hood as Written by the Wolf by Trisha Speed Shaskan

It’s always fun to look at these classic tales from another perspective.  In this retelling, Little Red and the Grandmother are the perpetrators, and the wolf is a misunderstood vegetarian. True, he does eat them in the end, but only because he was really hungry; he would have far preferred an apple!  In fact, that’s what he is imagining they are. . .It’s not my favorite shifting point of view tale, but a nice addition for an exploration of Red Riding Hood. Kids like it, and that’s what’s important.   It could be a terrific jumping off point for other children writing their own versions from the Wolf’s perspective.

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Little Red Riding Hood:  A New-Fangled Prairie Tale by Lisa Campbell Ernst

This Little Red Riding Hood is so-named because she is always wearing her red hoodie and riding around on her bicycle.  Ernst retains much of the original tale, but in this mid-Western prairie version, we have spunkier women  In addition to Little Red Riding hood, Grandma is a terrific character:  a tractor-driving, muffin-baking  feisty women who puts the Wolf in his place.  Yet the moral remains true to Perrault’s centuries-old tale:  Don’t talk to strangers!  The book is a funny and very enjoyable read, with the classic lines about eyes and ears–and a happy ending this time.

Young Adult:

Scarlet Moon (Once Upon a Time) by Debbie Viquie

Set in England during the Crusades, Scarlet Moon casts Ruth (the Little Red Riding Hood character) in the role of romantic heroine a la Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella (but with more feminist traits).  In the first chapter, she is attacked by a fearsome wolf and barely saved by her brother.  Flash forward  to her teen years:  her brother is off fighting and Ruth is learning her father’s trade of blacksmith.  Whenever possible, she visits her grandmother, who has been banished to another village for her healing and “witchcraft” skills –and Ruth still bears the scars of her terrible encounter with the green-eyed wolf as a child.  Lord William is the love interest in this tale–and he has a “terrible secret.”  Here’s a hint–he’s the wolf character and Moon is in the book’s title.  Surprisingly intriguing with mysterious twists and turns.

Adult Short Stories available on-line (suitable for YA)

To Grandmother’s House by Cecil Castellucci

Ruby Riding Hood by Hanna C. Howard

Adult:

Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked:  Sex, Morality, and the Evolution of a Fairy Tale by Catherine Orenstein

Orenstein opens up the familiar story of Little Red Riding Hood and explores it in depth–historically and in popular culture.  What is it about this fairy tale that is so enduring?  This is very interesting research, written in an informal and compelling voice.   It’s smart and funny, and has some intriguing literary references–like Anne Sexton’s poem “Little Red Riding Hood” and Matthew Bright’s movie Freeway.  If you’re really into Little Red Riding Hood, you’ll want to dig into this book!

2 YA Series: Boys & Girls

-posted by Meghan

So, when you have kids in school, they get sick.  They get you sick.  You pass it back to them.  This has been a brutal winter for the flu, and in our house, someone had been out cold with something violent for the last 2 months.  Knock wood, it’s over with.  On the downside, we watched a lot more TV in our house than we usually do.  On the upside, we also read more.  And there were times when we were all sick, and I didn’t feel up to reading, so they watched TV, and I read.  And when I read comfort books, I read YA.  So I did a fair bit of catching up this winter.  I read lots of sequels in series I already love, but I also discovered two new series that I’m enjoying, and as they have some nice similarities, I thought I’d put them together.

Neither is set in a dystopic future, rather in more of a old fashioned world of the past.  Both concern rulers, but not princess-in-disguise ones (well, one is a prince in disguise) as it’s actually about the making of a ruler.  Both have a love interest, but those are incidental, not central.  And one features a boy, one a girl.  So pick your pleasure.  I recommend them both.

Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Elisa is the heroine, and at the beginning, a very unlikely, unlovely and unworthy one. At least that’s how she sees herself.  And since she’s our narrator, that’s also how we see her.  Set in a world of magic and divine right, Elisa was born with a godstone, meaning she is blessed (or cursed) with the charge of being “the one” to do something great.  Overweight, pampered and cosseted, yet slightly useless, she lives in the shadow of her beautiful and dynamic older sister.  We meet her on her wedding day to a handsome prince of a near by kingdom.  And while she does undergo a transformation, it’s mental (the physical changes are secondary).  The ugly duckling doesn’t necessarily become a swan, but she becomes a strong duck who sees her own capabilities and worth.  Interesting for it’s exploration of religion without being a treatise on religion, this book makes you think.  And for all that heroines like Katniss or Tris are every/any girl, their strength and beauty somehow sets them apart.  Yet for all that Elisa is the God-chosen one, she somehow feels like a very real and relatable girl.  And hoo-boy, there’s a shocker of a twist… The sequel, Crown of Embers, is equally compelling.  The third book in the trilogy comes out later this year, so it’s an excellent time to catch up!

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Again, what makes this book good is the journey.  Here’s the log line: The entire royal family has been killed.  No one in the kingdom knows.  To save the country, a noble man finds three boys who look like the youngest son of the family, who was in fact killed by pirates years ago.  These boys compete to convince him that they can impersonate the second son and rule the kingdom before it spirals into chaos and civil war.  The winner becomes prince.  The losers die.  The biggest problem with the book is SPOILER ALERT (I’m not actually going to tell you the spoiler, but telling you that I figured out the twist, tells you there is a twist, so now you know) is that the twist is something that anyone who has ever read a book, ever, has figured out by about page 2.  Seriously, if it takes you to page 5, you’re skimming and not paying attention.  Actually, if you haven’t already figured it out, you’re not paying attention.  YET – I like this book.  I like the way the reveal happens.  I like the main character and how we see who is he is as a person and who he will become.  And it sets us up nicely for the next book (The Runaway King)…  oh, and I like that he’s a boy!

So somehow, I managed to give away the whole book, while telling you nothing pertinent.  Useless!  But here’s what’s useful – if you want a break from dystopic future leader/princess of the revolution books (and I say that with lots of love), these are fabulous books to put on your summer reading list, introduce to the young teen in your life, and then indulge in a fabulous and deep conversation about our very inner natures and secret selves.  Enjoy.

May 19th is Circus Day

In May of 1884, the Ringling Brothers first began their circus performances, with traveling animal acts, acrobats, clowns, and a range of other performers.  This year, we recommend a trio of picture books to celebrate the magic of the circus experience. For some family ideas for celebrating Circus Day, click here for craft ideas, games, and other activities.  Raising Our Kids also has posted some free, printable circus coloring pages for quiet downtime, or to occupy little hands during–and after– readalouds.

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Circus by Lois Ehlert

We are big fans of Lois Ehlert’s books, with their bright bold colors and enticing cut-paper collage.  Circus is Ehlert at her best, with quirky but spot-on choices to represent circus magic.  The ring-master tells the story by introducing each amazing animal or act, like the Pretzel Brothers, a pair of leaping lizards, Hugo, the world’s largest elephant, and marching snakes.  There is even a very lovable clown (which is good, because clowns tend to be a bit creepy for many of us).  The text and pictures capture the sounds, sights, and smells of the circus ( in a good way!), and can lead to terrific dramatic play for little ones as they act out the story.

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The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen

This delightful adventure is set in the 1800′s, and allows young readers to see circus life from the circus animals’ point of view.  On a steamship on their way to perform in Boston, the animals are shipwrecked on an island off the coast of Maine.  It’s a great escape for the animals from their cruel circus boss, but the people on the island are not so happy to find elephants walking through their gardens, monkeys hanging from their clotheslines, and exotic snakes wandering through their pantries.  But the tide turns when the tiger saves a young child, and the townspeople come together to do the same for the animals.  The illustrations are bright, energetic, and humorous, and children love the rhyming text.  Thanks to Ben and Jake for introducing Aunt Ruth to this great book!

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Olivia Saves the Circus by Ian Falconer

We love Olivia’s expansive and magical imagination!  In this Olivia tale, she tells her class how she spent her summer vacation–under the circus bigtop!  She explains to her classmates that when “all the circus people were out sick with ear infections,” luckily she was able to take over because, modestly put, she knew how to do everything!  She walks on stilts, juggles, and best of all, she is Queen of the Trampoline.  Olivia is always hilarious,  from her funny facial and body expressions to her fashion sense (here, as the temporary tattooed lady), to her droll story-telling.  Olivia is quickly becoming our family’s favorite pig in literature!

Bicycle Books: Fiction to Honor Bicycle Month

~posted by Ruth

We are bike riders in this family–for commuting, for pleasure, to get to places on mountain bikes we couldn’t enjoy otherwise.  Our latest bicycle fanatic is Jacob, who recently mastered the two-wheel challenge sans training wheels.  As you can see in this picture, he is already attempting junior ramps!

So it’s about time we celebrated May as National Bike Month.  There are, of course, lots of non-fiction books about bikes, but it’s also fun to include a little fiction in our bike-celebration reading diet.  Enjoy the following, with something for every member of your family.

Picture Book:

Duck on a Bike by David Shannon

This has been a favorite book with the twins since they were babies.  Of course, we all love anything written and illustrated by David Shannon.  Molly and Jacob loved it so much, we bought if for their cousin Hazel–and it soon became a favorite for her, too.  Why do they all love it?  Well, it’s a great readaloud as Duck  gets the crazy idea to borrow an appealing red bike and learn to ride it.  Along the way, she meets all kinds of animals, who think it’s very silly to see a duck on a bike.  The quirky humor, funny illustrations, and of course, the chance to shout out animal sounds throughout the book make this book a winner.  It’s even fun for the adults reading the book to their appreciative audience, and a great introduction to talking about bike-riding experiences.

Tweens:

Hokey Pokey by Spinelli

In this fabled world, there are no adults.  It’s a land where children make the rules without adult concerns, and the joy of riding a bicycle, racing like the wind, is a kind of supreme ecstasy.  But one day Jack, the leader of the kids and the protagonist of the story, wakes to find his beloved bike, Scramjet, has been taken by Jubilee (an enemy largely because she is a girl).  The story is a kind of sci-fi, fantasy allegorical tale of childhood, coming of age, and accepting a new world that was always there. It starts slow, I found, but really grows on you and I’ve seen it used very successfully as a read-aloud with 5th and 6th graders (both at home and school).  Now is the perfect time to dip into the latest Spinelli novel–and take a carefree spin on your bike.

Teens and Older:

The White Bicycle by Beverly Brenna

Taylor Jane travels to France for the summer and chronicles her trip in her journal.  Since her diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome at age 11, she has learned to use her writing as a tool to help her process her experiences, and as readers, we are able to eavesdrop on her thinking as we read those journal entries.  The White Bicycle figures prominently in her dreams, where the “the speed and wind on my face as I ride is exhilarating.”  The book is the third novel about Taylor Jane, and in my mind, the most compelling.  The respect for the gifts as well as challenges of autism is refreshing and informative.

Adults:

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

In our not so distant past, bicycles were a daily means of transportation.  References to bicycles, then, figure prominently in many of our literature classics.  Two Sherlock Holmes stories, for example, feature bicycles and bicyclists.  You and your family might enjoy these Arthur Conan Doyle short stories as part of your National Bicycle Month celebration. You can find them at the following links as well as in the complete collected works.

The Adventure of the Priory School by Arthur Conan Doyle

Part of the fun of this story is Holmes’ clever deductions based on the bicycle tire tread tracks.

The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist by Arthur Conan Doyle

Watson chronicles the story of the lovely Violet Smith, who has taken up the hip trend of women cycling in the 1890′s.  Unfortunately, she is stalked by a lone bicyclist and Watson takes up this challenging case by himself at first.   Mystery and marriage schemes abound.