Tuesday, April 19, 2011

More books from our library bag...




I know I just posted about books yesterday, but we read some more today and I just had to share : ). Next to Lois Ehlert, I think Eric Carle is one of my favorite author/illustrators. Again, his "think outside the box" style appeals to me. I also love the bright colors and different art techniques he uses. Some of our favorite Eric Carle books are: The Very Hungry Caterpillar; Brown Bear, Brown Bear; and Polar Bear, Polar Bear. I think the one we read today could be a new favorite! We sat down and read The Secret Birthday Message during story time. I loved it! The girls did, too. It's fun, simple, not too much text so the girls stayed engaged, and several of the pages were cut to the shapes detailed in the story. I love it when book pages have different shapes! It's the story of a boy who receives a note under his pillow the night before his birthday. He has to follow the clues to find his birthday present. Simple, yet fun! The girls asked to read it twice. It was my pleasure!



When I asked which book was the favorite of the day, The Secret Birthday Message got one vote and so did this cute little story! It was also my first time reading Ladybug Girl by David Soman and Jacky Davis. Lulu and her dog Bingo have to use their imagination to occupy themselves for the afternoon. Lulu's parents are busy and her big brother tells her she's "too little" to play ball with him and his friends. What follows is a day filled with all the things that "Ladybug Girl" can do. One thing I really love in this story are the illustrations. They really capture some fun expressions on the faces of Lulu and her dog. The girls didn't pick up on that as much, but I enjoyed it. There was a good amount of text, more than the previous book, but the girls stayed interested and really liked it. The inside and back covers also show Lulu in all of her many dress-up costumes...which the girls especially loved : ).




The last book we read...well, attempted to read because we didn't have time to finish...was Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt by Lisa Campbell Ernst. While I liked the illustrations, I'm kind of mixed about my thoughts on the story. In this story, Sam unexpectedly has to mend something that broke on the pig pen while his wife was away. He stays up all night and his mending turns out looking pretty amazing for a first time sewer. He shows his wife and wants to go with her to her women's quilting circle. The women basically kick him out, so he puts up fliers about men's rights and forms a men's quilting circle. The men then put themselves in competition with the women to see if they can make the better quilt for the fair coming up. Honestly, my first thought was...Sam, maybe your wife just needs a little girl time out of the house! And really, are there many guys out there who want to join a quilting circle? I know some men who can sew...and do a great job. I've seen their wives praise and encourage them in that. I would do the same thing. I can't really articulate all that I'm thinking here, but honestly, does there need to be a children's book that divides husbands and wives on something..can't they just encourage each other in their gifts and work together on the farm? Maybe I need to read the ending before I get too critical ; ).


Hope you enjoy!

No comments: