Old Armand is perfectly content with his life as a hobo, living under one of Paris' bridges. He worked odd jobs, or begged, to keep himself warm and fed - and he had no responsibilities, especially children. Children mean homes, responsibility and work. Armand does not like children. Then cold day in December, he found... Continue Reading →
The Real Santa Claus
Whether or not you celebrate Santa in your house, once your children are old enough to wonder, they will probably have questions about him. My children asked plenty. "Was he a real person? How did he get to be Santa Claus? Why does everyone talk about him?" If you're not sure of the answers, The... Continue Reading →
How Santa Got His Job
Perhaps you, and the children in your life, are wondering exactly how Santa got his job. Apparently Stephen Krensky wondered too, and so he wrote about Santa's job history in How Santa Got His Job. This creative picture book is fun to read aloud, and may illicit some giggles from your crowd, depending upon how... Continue Reading →
It Could Always Be Worse
Complaining? Bad attitude? Frustration? Whatever is causing the above in your house will be put into perspective after reading It Could Always Be Worse by Margot Zemach. Zemach retells a Yiddish folktale about a family of eight crammed into a one-room house. The father can no longer take the chaos, so he goes to the... Continue Reading →
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
Every time one of my children picks up a Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (by Betty MacDonald) book, laughter ensues. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle does not have any children of her own, but she is surrounded by plenty of children. In fact, parents in her town send their problem children to Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle to be cured. "What kind of problems?"... Continue Reading →
Caddie Woodlawn
If you like Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder, you will love Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink. I read and reread Wilder's Little House books as a child, but hadn't read Caddie Woodlawn until a few years ago. I wish I had read it as a girl! Caddie is really Caroline... Continue Reading →
A Boy, A Dog and a Frog
A friend of mine reminded me of this little storybook series after she had read my review about Mercer Mayer, one of my favorite children's authors. Although I put it in the "Read-Aloud" category, these are picture books - literally. None of them have any words - which I love! Preschoolers can 'read' these books... Continue Reading →
Masterpiece
Marvin is a bug - a very unusual bug. He not only enjoys swimming, but he's also become friends with a human boy. His parents are horrified, concerned about Marvin stepping outside their safe little world in the wall behind the Pompaday's sink. But Marvin, through his artwork, finds an unexpected friend in James -... Continue Reading →
Mercy Watson
Kate DiCamillo, author of Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Despereaux, brings her skill and humor to beginning readers in her Mercy Watson books. My first introduction to Mercy Watson was by CD - when my daughter checked out the first two books on CD and we listened to them together in the car. ... Continue Reading →
Mr. Men & Little Miss
As a child, some of my favorite books were Roger Hargreaves' Mr. Men and Little Miss books. He wrote dozens of them, under the titles like Mr. Tickle, Mr. Messy, Little Miss Sunshine, and Little Miss Chatterbox. Each story follows the adventures of it's main character as he or she goes throughout his or her... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 