Writings, Wanderings

The second part of February had several good children's books reads as I continue on my quest for 2020. Baby Bedtime by Mem Fox & Emma Quay made my five-star list and received its own blog entry . Just a heartfelt story. Zoo Day: A My First Experience Book by Anne Rockwell was an easy read about a young boy and his sister's first trip to the zoo. While the words and illustrations were decent, I am more excited about the options for enrichment activities related to this book. Only a few pages in is a map of the zoo. Ask the young reader where he or she wants to go first. After reading, have them draw their own maps (buy animal stickers ahead of time for a different creative approach). The boy says that he is a little afraid of the lion's roar. Find out which animal makes your reader nervous. Wrap up the reading by asking what souvenir he or she would like to take home to remember a day at the zoo (I love how the book adds in the reminder that the animals have t...

A very touching children's book. This tale about a mother elephant and her baby is told in a delightful rhyme pattern that is perfect for a read-aloud. Each action is one that a young child can relate to, loving gestures of a parent. The illustrations created with pencil, acrylic, and Photoshop pull their design from knitting and other objects such as doilies and baskets. The visuals are lovely.

Hard to believe but we are halfway through February already! I am unfortunately behind in my children's books reading goal for the year, but I do have a few more selections to share with you. Scuba Bunnies by Christine Loomis was actually a January read that I missed in my previous wrap-up...This adorable book followed several bunnies as they traveled from bath time into the ocean waters, all in engaging yet simple poetry. It would be fun to discuss their different animal encounters and find out what animal your child would most like to meet (I just hope they won't be disappointed that there aren't any sea creatures in their bathtub!) Bats at the Ballgame by Brian Lies is a beautiful addition to this series. With well-done drawings and an engaging rhyme pattern, I definitely recommend reading this one out loud together. Plus, there are a lot of cute parallels between the bats' baseball game and human ones. The storyline of Where to, Little Wombat b...

My top two non-children book reads for January were For Everyone by Jason Reynolds and The Girls by Abigail Pesta. For Everyone is a poetry book that takes an honest look at life. I gave it 5 stars and its own blog entry . The Girls by Abigail Pesta. Wow, this was a tough one, but I do not regret one bit picking it up from the local library. I have loved watching gymnastics my whole life, even did a two-month stint back in elementary school at the local Y on the four apparatus that female gymnasts conquer. The unfolding of the abuse scandal over the last few years has been gut-wrenching. I hate what these young woman have been through but applaud their courage in standing up and testifying. This book documents many of their stories. The focus in on the girls not their abuser nor the system that protected him. Yes, he is a character but the protagonists are the women and the events they chose to share, some of them for the first time with the public. I believe the author h...

For Everyone  by Jason Reynolds This book really resonated with me. As an adult you're expected to have it all together and yet there are those moments where to paraphrase a popular meme, you find yourself looking around for a more adultier adult. Other days you just don't feel as though you are where to want to be. And some days, you simply feel lost. This collection of poems addresses these emotions in honest, reflective verses. I felt like I was part of a conversation as I paged through the four parts of the book, the words pulling me along. One of my favorite segments was when he talked about how creativity was for everyone, not just the typical artists. Jason's words were encouraging and also motivating. The writing wasn't just to make you feel ok about where you were in life but to keep moving forward, no matter the stage or walk you were in. I recommend this book "for everyone" but especially anyone who's searching for the n...

  Alma and How She Got Her Name  by Juana Martinez-Neal was my favorite children's book read for the month of January. As my blog entry for it says, this story was so much more than I expected, and I highly recommend checking it out. I really appreciated the honest, strong message in When I Was Eight by Christy Jordan-Fenton. This book is a very respectful introduction to what some indigenous children in Canada faced, a story that was paralleled in some places in the United States as well. Little Pea  by Amy Rosenthal was a four-star read for me. It was just so cute! How many parents (aunts, uncles, babysitters) can relate to a young kid not wanting to eat their vegetables? Well, this tale turns that idea upside-down: Little Pea desperately wants to get to eat his dessert of vegetables but first he has to face eating sweets for dinner. I also love the clean, minimalist drawings of the book. After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again by Dan Santat...

First off, let me say that Malaga, Spain is an awesome city that deserved far more than the not-even-really-24-hours that I gave it. If you are traveling through southern Spain and have the room in your itinerary, go there! This Mediterranean city is the birthplace of the famous artist Pablo Picasso and pays tribute to him with more than one museum. His birthplace is closed on Mondays, my day in the city, but the Museo Picasso with over 200 of his pieces on display was open. The museum follows the artist's development from his childhood years and sketches into adulthood with both paintings and sculptures. While a chronological order is the main pattern, some displays focus on a topic such as his art that involved animals. The museum is not huge but does involve walking and there aren't always places to take a rest especially if it is busy like the day I visited. I was pleased with the audioguide although at times it was a lot of information and I was ready to move on befo...