Recent Wanderings

In spite of Covid 19, we were able to travel a little in September and October. Highlights of our trip were: 

Visiting Wendy’s Mom in Western New York. 

Whale watching off the coast of Massachusetts. 

Enjoying the sunset with friends in Rhode Island. 

Playing with our daughter and grandson in our country’s first capital. 

 

 

 Welcome

Camping in the NC mountains. 

Welcome to our blog. We are recently retired and have started this blog to share our wonderings and our wanderings. We look forward to sharing with you and hearing your feedback.

 

And Just Like that Summer's Over

Are you ready to go back to school? Ready or not, here come the children! Here are a few books to add to your back to school routine.

Here are two by a husband-wife team that might help us to dispel gender stereotypes.

Harrison Dwight Ballerina and Knight by Rachael MacFarlane, illustrated by Spencer Laudiero

Harrison Knight tells his own story with rhyming couplets. He can dance and be a knight; he can laugh and cry and show other emotions. A great way to show both boys and girls that everyone has feelings and everyone can express those feelings. I will definitely share this book when we talk about gender roles in children’s books!

Eleanor Wyatt Princess and Pirate by Rachael MacFarlane, illustrated by Spencer Laudiero

For all the little princesses who want to be pirates and super heroes and cowboys and monsters as well. Using solid, rhythmic language, MacFarlane gives good role models for playing many roles in a girl’s life and for doing what you want to do when you want to do it.

Amy is Famous by Barbara Bottner, illustrated by Yuyi Chen

Amy does well in school and is somewhat idolized at home, so she thinks she is star. When Cecile moves into the neighborhood, she stands out as a star as well. Amy thinks, “There can’t be two famous people in one tiny classroom!” And thus the feud starts. Luckily Amy’s mom helps her work through her jealousy and invites Cecile over to play. Surprise: Happy ending!

No matter what the season, we can always learn from the animals around us. Here are a few books about animals that teach us some lessons that will help in school. 

Summer by Cao Wenxuan, illustrated by Yu Rong

A tale of heat and quarrelling animals who find a solution. As summer moves into fall, you can look back at the hottest days and look forward to the cooler days of fall.

If Animals Went to School by Ann Whitford Paul, Pictures by David Walker

What would it be like to have a classroom full of animals from around the world? Paul and Walker use their imaginations to think about this and create a diverse school with a calm teacher who purrs her way through the day. When your classroom gets a little too wild, maybe you’d like to check out this imaginary classroom.

And finally, an old tale retold as well as a new tale with an important lesson. 

Fearsome Giant, Fearless Child by Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Julie Paschkis

Continuing in the tradition of Glass Slipper, Golden Sandal, Fleischman and Paschkis have teamed up once more to tell a tale that is a conglomeration of several tales told around the world. Each page includes an addition to the tale that comes from a different tradition. Fleischman cleverly makes the disparate parts work together for a new story and Paschkis continues the tradition of making the borders of each page convey the essence of the country that is being represented. 

Me, Myselfie and I: A Cautionary Tale by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell

When mom is given a smart phone for her birthday AND she is taught how to take selfies, it is a very bad idea! Mom goes crazy, taking selfies day and night and checking social media to see how many likes she has. Her daughters work hard to convince her that she has gone selfie crazy and needs to give it a break. The text and illustrations give us the feel of several other books by Curtis and Cornell, bringing us into the familiar world of silly and meaningful all rolled into one.

Four Biographies and some Non-Fiction

Samuel Morse, That’s Who! The Story of the Telegraph and Morse Code by Tracy Nelson Maurer, illustrated by el primo Ramón 

 For a picture book biography, this is a little dense with paragraphs of text on each page. But, for older children, especially those who have an interest in communications in general and the Morse Code in particular, this is great! Ramón’s whimsical depiction of Morse as a man with a smirk on his face matches the playful story that Maurer tells about Morse, his many inventions, frequent failures and ultimate success story. And little-known fact: being a telegraph operator was one of the few jobs open to women in the middle of the nineteenth century.  

Secret Engineer: How Emily Roebling Built the Brooklyn Bridge by Rachel Dougherty 

Emily was born in 1813 and after studying science and math in high school (highly unusual!), she married an engineer. Washington Roebling worked for his father’s company and was assigned as chief engineer for the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. When Washington became ill, Emily took over the engineering job, carrying messages from Washington to the crew and eventually learning the engineering points so she could be more confident in giving instructions. The Brooklyn Bridge was a new type of bridge construction and once the bridge opened, there were many who did not trust it to hold them up. Using her brains and her outgoing personality, Emily convinced the people of Manhattan and Brooklyn that the bridge was safe. It is still standing today! 

Wild Horse Annie: Friend of the Mustangs by Tracey Fern, Pictures by Steven Salerno 

Born in 1912, Velma Johnston, aka Wild Horse Annie, lived on a ranch and loved the wild mustangs that wandered on the vast territory of land out west. As she grew older, more people moved onto the land and soon the ranchers did not want the wild horses to enter their land. Annie worked tirelessly to pass laws to protect the dwindling numbers of mustangs still roaming our national lands. She was influential in getting a law passed to protect the mustangs. Fern has filled this book with facts about mustangs, Annie and life on a ranch in the twentieth century. Salerno matches the words with his colorful paintings of Annie and her mustangs. 

Go for the Moon: A Rocket, A Boy and the First Moon Landing by Chris Gall 

Chris Gall began building rockets during the time of the Apollo program at NASA and closely followed the moon landing as well as the other space exploration programs. In this book, he gives us two stories: the story of his own rocket building and interest in the space program juxtaposed with details about the first moon landing and exploration. Many scientific details are given with extreme specificity. Drawings are accurate and support the text in both detail and design. A great book for any young person who is interested in space, rockets or just the unknown.  

Moon: Earth’s Best Friend by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Stevie Lewis 

 
Sun: One in a Billion by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Stevie Lewis

Telling the story in first person from the perspective of the moon or the sun, McAnulty and Lewis use words and pictures to give the highlights of the moon and sun, howthey  formed, what they do for earth and how humans have visited the moon (not the sun!). The moon is given a female gender and the sun is male. McAnulty finishes with endnotes in each book that give more details for those who want to know more about the moon and the sun. Lewis’ drawings are whimsical and perfect for the lighthearted text. 

Wild Orca: The Oldest, Wisest Whale in the World by Brenda Peterson, Paintings by Wendell Minor 

 Mia and her family are listening for whales off the coast of Washington State. In telling Mia’s story, Peterson conveys many facts about the Orcas who travel up and down the Pacific Coast. End notes tell more about whales and how readers can sponsor whales. Illustrations are beautiful paintings of the sea and the orcas swimming, soft pastels contrasting with the dark orcas. The most fascinating fact to me: each whale has a specific sound that serves as the whale’s name. Other whales will call that sound when interacting with that whale. How cool is that? 

Some Great Books for Summer

Did you Eat the Parakeet? By Mark Iacolina 

When the little girl cannot find the parakeet, she blames the cat: Did you eat the parakeet? Did you laugh and say Bon appétit? Did he become a tasty treat? These and other clever rhymes make up the gist of the words, which tell the story through pictures. Hint: the parakeet is on the girl’s head. Love this book, fun to read when teaching about rhyming and making inferences.  

The Little Guys by Vera Brosgol 

The acorns are taking over the world. They are little, but they are strong. They are little, but they are many. No matter what they need to do, these little guys can do it. Nothing stops the little guys, so watch out, here they come! 

I Love You More Than… by Taye Diggs, illustrated by Shane W. Evans 

A sweet love story between a man and his son. Working together the words and the illustrations express the love a father has for his boy. More than singing or going to the movies or the beach. All of these expressions of love are accompanied by the pictures The liner blurb describes this as a good book for fathers and sons who do not live together, but the text does not indicate that the two are separated. Definitely a book worth sharing! 

Bedtime for Little Bulldozer by Elise Broach, illustrated by Barry E. Jackson 

Little Bulldozer has human parents, who get him ready for bed just like any other little boy. The only problem is that he is unable to sleep. He tries snuggling with his stuffed animals, and reading to himself, but he just can’t’ fall asleep. Finally, he trundles down the hall to where his sisters, a steamroller and a steam shovel, are sleeping soundly. In their cozy room he is able to fall asleep. What to do when you can’t fall asleep? Follow the lead of Little Bulldozer! 

How Do You Care for a Very Sick Bear? By Vanessa Bayer, illustrated by Rosie Butcher 

While told in lighthearted, simple text, this story deals with serious stuff. In an afterword, Bayer describes her own diagnosis with leukemia and how she treasured her friends who stuck with her through her more than two years of treatment. A very gentle reminder of how we should act when a friend is going through an illness.  

Bug Off! A Story of Fireflies and Friendship by Carie Best, Pictures by Jennifer Plecas 

Have you ever had a potential friend treat you in a rotten way? Maude has. Trying to please Louise so she can join the Bug of the Month Club, she goes overboard in her speech about fireflies and Louise gives her a hard time. After all, fireflies may be insects, but as Louise insists, they are not bugs. In the meantime, the reader will learn a multitude of facts about fireflies and maybe a thing or two about turning the other cheek and making friends in spite of rude behavior.  

Just a jumble of new books

Just have not had time to get these organized. Here are a few, more to come this week!

When You Grow up to Vote by Eleanor Roosevelt with Michelle Markel, 

Illustrated by Grace Lin

Eleanor Roosevelt wrote this little gem several decades ago. It has now been republished with updates by Michelle Markel. Who are our public servants? How does the government work? Why should we vote? This can be used as a resource for class projects or read a chapter at a time to help children understand the workings of the government. It is a great reminder of why we need to always vote.

Lucy Fell Down the Mountain by Kevin Cornell

First, it is terrifying as a young girl is falling down the mountain, so you have to suspend your belief in harm. Next it’s mystifying. Why would a rope from a mountaineer save Lucy as she is falling? Hmmm. No one knows. Finally, it is a bit disgusting as Lucy is saved by rolling into a huge snowball and barfing when the ball comes to a rest next to a chalet. Have to say, I am not a fan of this book. The art work is somewhat appealing, but the story is a little much for me, an perhaps for the primary grades as well. Who knows? This may be the book of the year for some kids!

Tessa Takes Wing by Richard Jackson, Pictures by Julie Downing

Baby Tessa wakes up early, jumps out of her crib and flies around the house, playing with big sister’s toys and reading her books. With the help of Bingo, the dog, she gets back to the crib just in time, before anyone else awakes. A fantastical dream of flying and maybe a way for the younger sister to get something before the older sister, for once. Have fun flying, Tessa!

Above and Beyond: NASA’s Journey to Tomorrow by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

A picture/chapter book, with illustrations and photographs of all the major space missions from the last 60 years. This will fascinate any girl or boy who still dreams of space travel. Chapters cover what we learned in space, who are scientists and astronauts are/were and even take on workplace discrimination against women and people of color. Each chapter includes Fun Facts and Fast Facts so the child who does not want to read all of the text still has something to look at and can gather some facts for sharing.

Little Chef by Matt Stine and Elisabeth Weinberg, Illustrated by Paige Keiser

Lizzie, aka Little Chef is preparing a special meal for her grandma who is also a super chef. The day includes a special fortifying breakfast, a shopping trip to the Farmer’s Market and cooking up a storm in the kitchen with mom and dad. Food and relationships often go together and in this book, it is certainly true. The recipe at the end allows more little chefs to find and use their own secret ingredients.

Every Last Bubble Must…Pop! By Jason Carter Easton, illustrated by Matt Rockefeller

Dewey is trying to catch the last bubble, but it flies too high, so he jumps on his trampoline, climbs to the roof of his house, takes a hot air balloon and finally commandeers a rocket to the moon. All in vain, as the bubble flies higher and higher out of his reach! Finally, back in his own home, he sees the bubble and knows its fate. Read if you want to find out what this is.

What are we thankful for? Books!

Just a few books to read. Not all can be used for lessons about thankfulness, but we can be thankful for all books. Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!

I Need All of It by Petra Postert, illustrated by Jens Rassmus

Jim and Dad are sorting laundry when Dad finds a stone, a button and a key in Jim’s pocket. When Dad wants to throw these items away, Jim’s imagination goes into overtime to explain why he absolutely needs these three items. A good jumping off story to get children to use their imaginations and tell tall tales. 

 

Olympians: Hermes: Tales of the Trickster by George O’Connor

Continuing in his tradition of illustrating graphic novels for the epic lives of the Greek gods, O’Connor has tackled Hermes, the messenger of the gods and a divine trickster. For any chld who is interested in the stories of the gods, this is a perfect summer read.

The Boy and the Whale by Mordicai Gerstein

An unnamed boy and his father find a whale tangled in their fishing nets. At first they assume the whale is dead, but soon find out it is alive, but barely. The boy wishes to continue to try to save the whale from the net, but his father thinks it is too dangerous and besides, if they cannot save their net, then he has to borrow another net in order to continue fishing and making a living. The boy disobeys his father and untangles the whale. Many moral issues presented here. When is it okay to disobey and adult? What is more important, our lives or an animal’s life? How can we support nature? Gerstein has presented a great moral story with beautiful images of the sea, the sky and the whale. 

If Wendell Had a Walrus by Lori Mortensen, illustrated by Matt Phelan

Wendell imagines what it would be like to have a pet walrus, meets Morrell who would like to have a pet whale and they have a whale of a time all summer, telling jokes, riding bikes and imagining their lives away. A great summer read to get those creative juices flowing. What kind of pet would you like to have?

Lost in the Library by Josh Funk, illustrated by Stevie Lewis

Patience and Fortitude are the names of two large stone lions that sit outside the entrance to the New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue. At night Patience goes in the library, always managing to return at daybreak, so no one will miss him. But, one day, Patience does not return and Fortitude must go in search of him within the library, finding him in the children’s section learning new stories to tell Fortitude when they are bored. While I love all libraries and those for children in particular, I found this book to be of limited interest to those who are not immersed in the world of libraries or this fantastic example of libraries as it is portrayed here. 

 

If I had a Horse by Gianna Marino

This book is an outstanding sensual experience from the minute your eyes light on the cover. A young girl dreams of a horse and the things she could do if she only had a horse. The drawings are ethereal in soft shades of teal and orange, yellow and pink, purple and mauve. The book ends with this sentiment: “If I had a horse, I would be fearless. Like Him./ And together…/we could do anything.” Can I look at this book every day?

Neymar: A Soccer Dream Come True by Nima Javaherbin, Pictures by Paul Hoppe

A child dreams of being a remarkable soccer player. Thanks to his father’s coaching and advice and his own ability to work hard to follow his dream, the dream of playing great soccer comes true. Basing her story on the life of Neymar da Sliva Santos, Javaherbin is careful to emphasize the hard work, hours of practice and perseverance that pays off for Neymar in the end. She also shares the love of family and camaraderie that Neymar’s family experiences. The pictures are realistic but of rather mixed quality.

How to find an Elephant by Kate Banks, Pictures by Boris Kulikov

Banks and Kulikov are a great team, working together on the Max books previously reviewed here. In this somewhat realistic fantasy, a young boy is bored and decides to go on an elephant hunt. On his way, he swings in a tree with a chimpanzee, takes a dip in a pond with a hippopotamus and shares his lunch with a colorful macaw. The elephant is cleverly disguised on every page and will make a fun search and find item with young readers.

Don’t Tell by Tom Booth

Did you hear about the super-secret book? Find out about the super-secret book AND who told the secret! If you have a hard time keeping secrets, check this out!

Brave Enough for Two by Jonathan D. Voss

Jonathan Voss was the illustrator for the award winning The True Story of the Bear who Inspired Winnie the Pooh. In this, the first book he has written and illustrated, he introduces Hoot, a stuffed Owl, and Olive, his girl. Hoot, in both looks and sentiment, reminds one of Winnie the Pooh. Olive is a girl who likes her adventures inside of a book, but Hoot convinces her to be brave and in the end, it is Olive who must be brave for both of them. Great story, great illustrations!