May 2009

  • The Peace Book

    By sarajean on 5/24/09 8:50pm
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    The Peace BookThe Peace BookMy preschooler and I are huge fans of Todd Parr. I bought The Peace Book for her when she was just a newborn and we have read it over and over again since.

    The pictures, like the pictures in all of Parr’s books, drew her in when she was a tiny thing. They are simple, but bright and colorful, and very child-friendly. From creatures to people, beings are always accepted no matter how they look—and each and every one looks every different. Brown, yellow, black, red—some of Parr’s people are even blue or green! Everyone you meet is a friend in Parr’s world.

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  • Coraline by Neil Gaiman

    By becksta on 5/20/09 3:45pm
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    CoralineCoralineI don't often read children's books these days and when I do, it tends to be an old favorite. However, on occasion, when the mood strikes me and the moon is just so, I'll re-discover myself as a kid again and read a "newer" children's book afresh. "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman struck a chord in me for a few reasons, mostly due to the story and partially due to my own strange thoughts and observations of life. The book itself seems to be targeted for 6th or 7th graders, but like many other books for the same age, has elements that most anyone with a passion for good stories can enjoy.

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  • A Wrinkle in Time

    By becksta on 5/18/09 4:28pm
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    A Wrinkle in TimeA Wrinkle in TimeI'm a little weird. I'm an adult, have no kids that can read in my life, but am fascinated by the children's books of my youth. I recently went into a great bookstore in Seattle- Inner Chapters -and was wowed not by their huge selection, but by their cozy section of children's books, complete with nothing less than a collection of Newbery Award Winning books. I was in heaven, especially when I saw, "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle.

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  • Actual Size

    By sarajean on 5/14/09 6:19pm
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    A perfect gift for both animal enthusiasts and little ones just starting to learn about creatures and critters, Actual Size, by Steve Jenkins, is such a unique children’s book because it does just what the title implies: it depicts each animal at its actual size.

    Because each image is the actual size, many creatures do not fit on the page. Viewing an elephant’s foot taking up a whole spread, or seeing a moth that’s the size of a bird, can really change a child’s perspective and help him or her understand just how big—or, how small, in the case of the tiny dwarf goby fish, which measures less than an inch—an animal really is!

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