Groovy Mother Goose

I have a soft spot for vintage children's books. Okay, okay it's a big honking love. I am especially drawn to books from the 1950s and 60s. And there's just something about Mother Goose books that I like but what that something is, I couldn't tell you. Maybe nostalgia since most of us grow up with Jack, Jill, Little Boy Blue and Miss Muffet? Maybe the game of trying to figure out if there is any reason behind the rhyme? Seriously, most of it just reads like gibberish. Can't remember where I found this 1977 edition of "Dean's Mother Goose Book of Rhymes." The outside looks rough but the inside is just fine. I kept it intending to use it for craft projects but I just can't make myself tear it up. I mean, look at these crazy good illustrations by sisters Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone. Apparently a good copy can fetch quite the price so be on the look out.

  

 

 

  

  

 



This is probably my favorite rhyme in the book.

What's your favorite Mother Goose?

More books! More books! More books!

So, it was that day again. One of my favorite days. All those books just waiting for me to take them home. I don't miss the book sale at Emmet O'Neal Library. I probably should miss it (where will I put them? All the bookshelves are full!) but we all got stuff that makes us happy for no good reason and bringing home a bounty of books is one of mine. 

Joseph was a true champ hanging out so he got to pick out a few that I myself would have left. For example, that Diego book hiding in the back. It makes sounds. Sigh, but hey, I can put up with it. And that dinosaur dictionary. Of course we needed that! Duh, mom. It's not like the other four dinosaur textbooks we have at home are enough. (I love that Joseph only reads truly academic dinosaur books. He doesn't want it dumbed down to a kid level.)

I didn't need to get any board books — while we still read the ones we really love, Joseph is too old for them. But the "How Do Dinosaurs ..." series is awesome and this one, "How Do Dinosaurs Love Their Dogs?," should come in handy. We finally decided on a timetable on getting a dog — THIS SUMMER! The second board book, "Ghosts in the House!" is adorable. The little witch catches all the ghosts, puts them in the washing machine and then proceeds to decorate the house. I found a review with pictures at Every Day is Like Wednesday. 

Thanks to Once Upon A Bookshelf for sharing this picture.

Joseph IS the right age for picture books. So I brought home eight and Will picked out another, "The Sign of the Seahorse," for daddy because he's a fan of the author Graeme Base. I hope we'll fall in love with "Peter's Long Walk" (1953). A little boy playing with a fox and bunny and more?! Yes please! Find more pictures and a review at Once Upon A Bookshelf. 

Other picture books worth a mention — "Counting Birds" by Alice Melvin (honestly, that one's for me), "What Goes Around Comes Around" by Richard McGuire, "George Shrinks" by William Joyce and "Noah's Ark" by Peter Spier. Apparently that "George Shrinks" is very well known (even a TV show!) but this is the first I've seen it. 

Once again I wasn't sure what to get Will — he's such a one and done reader that I'm on the hunt for books he will re-read again and again. He is liking the "Nate the Great" and "Stink" series but those can be had at the library. I got the first three books in the "Little House on the Prairie" series. Bonus — they are hardcover 1953 re-issues (but these copies actually printed in 1961) with pictures by Garth Williams. I hope he will like them. But if he doesn't, I hope he'll at least appreciate the historical aspects. What a different time to live in! Just re-reading Chapter 1 of "Little House in the Big Woods" makes me appreciate the grocery store!

Also for Will, two of the books in the "My Father's Dragon" trilogy. Now to find the missing second book. I first saw it reviewed on Vintage Children's Books My Kid Loves and it shows promise. If the glowing praise found on GoodReads is any indication, "The Wizard Children of Finn" by Mary Tannen should be life changing! Lots of folks recall reading it again and again. I also picked up "Ender's Game" which I'm going to read first. I somehow missed it growing up. 

My favorite find of the day? The one that made me really happy? A British Harry Potter! The first book in fact — "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." Why did they change the name of the U.S. edition? Seriously, why? Can't wait to re-read this and see if I can find water closet instead of bathroom and lorry instead of trucks. I'm such an anglophile!

Past book hauls here, here and here. 

Top Books of 2013

Every year I like to look back at the books that we really loved. The ones we read again and again. Sadly, the list is getting shorter and shorter. Will has grown away from picture books and is reading lots of chapter books on his own. He's a one and done kind of kid, moving on to the next thing rather quickly. And our reading habits are changing — when Will was little we'd read an average of three books a night. Now most nights, Will picks a book and Joseph picks a book. And sometimes now Will's book he is off reading on his own and Joseph's book is brought from school so our own books aren't getting read again and again. But the main thing is we are still reading. Reading is good.

Will finished up the Magic Tree House series. And the Bad Kitty series is hilarious. "Dragons Love Tacos" by Adam Rubin with illustrator Daniel Salmieri came home from the library for Joseph but ended up a favorite of Will's as well. Santa even brought us our own copy after it was checked out several times from the library (a true sign of a favorite here). Will loves going to the school library and is still bringing home lots of Eyewitness Books.

Joseph had me read "Sheep in a Jeep" by Nancy E. Shaw with illustrator Margot Apple again and again. It's been a favorite forever and was on the 2011 list as well. But the real "star" of the year was "Lego Star Wars: Save the Galaxy!" It's a large format board book that recounts the first movie (I don't count those prequels!). In fact, I read it again just last night. Dinosaur books still top his list and Santa brought two new ones. I'll admit that I pass the dino books over to Chris to read because he does a better job pronouncing all the crazy names. 

Another favorite of ours that I don't think I've mentioned before is "365 Penguins" by Jean-Luc Fromental with illustrator Joelle Jolivet. I really don't remember how the book came into the house (how can I not? I find this weird) but the charming book about a family dealing with a slow invasion of penguins is well, charming! And funny. We've had it for awhile but we read it again and again. 

In a very unusual move for me, I actually read two books in 2013 that were actually published in 2013. Crazy I know. "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves" by Karen Joy Fowler made several Best of 2013 book lists and was much better than I expected. I also read "Amy Falls Down" by Jincy Willett.

For 2014, I've got a long list of books to read, most recommended by friends. I haven't wading into the Game of Thrones fandom yet. I'm already in the deep end for Doctor Who and Sherlock. I asked friends on Facebook — read the GOT books or skip 'em and watch the shows? I thought it would be a 50-50 debate but overwhelmingly the consensus was to read the books. I'm sure Chris would love that though. When I get my hands on a good book, I tend to ignore the house.

Case in point, around the first of December I randomly picked up the first book in The Mortal Instruments series, "City of Bones" and torn through the five books available in about a week (dishes, what dishes!) only to have the tortured love story come to a screeching halt with book six coming in March! Better than Twilight but not a good as Hunger Games is where I'd rank it. YA fiction has so much to offer these days.

So besides "The Goldfinch" — which I can't wait to read, why do I not have a copy yet?! — what did you love in 2013? What is on your must-read list for 2014?

Top books of 2012

Once again, here are the books that had us entertained in 2012. Previous lists here and here.

Joseph enjoyed hearing "The Three Bears" over and over. And if we weren't reading "The Three Bears," then mommy was re-telling the tale with much ad-libbing. One day Joseph suggested the three bears should really lock the door the next time they leave the house. I had some discussion with friends on Facebook as to what IS the moral of story? Is it lock your doors? Don't fall asleep while robbing a house? Buy better furniture?

"Nobunny's Perfect" by Anna Dewdney (of Llama, Llama fame) got checked out again and again from the library. Thanks to MayMay we got our own copy for Christmas. Joseph also loved "Big Mean Mike" from the library. I randomly picked it up off the new arrivals shelf only to come home and see that bunnies play a big part in the story. Yep, we're still surrounded by bunnies.

And dinosaurs. Joseph likes the "How do Dinosaurs ..." series by Jane Yolen. But his favorite dinosaur book is an old, scruffy one he found at the thrift store, copyright 1971. It's for much older readers so I thought it would be forgotten after we got home. Nope, he pulls it off the shelf again and again. I admit to passing most of the reading of the book off on daddy.

Will dove into the Magic Tree House books. And hasn't meet an Eyewitness book not worth flipping the pages. It was really amazing how boom, one random day his reading skills just took off. Like a switch. Now he's reading chapter books and acing the tests on them at school. We still read to him nightly, after he reads to us. "Ma Lien and the Magic Brush" (1968, Parents' Magazine Press) became a favorite thrift store-find. Again, I tend to pick up any PMP book I see and nine times out of 10, it's a keeper.

Much to mommy's happiness, I found the reincarnation of Douglas Adams, and his name is Jasper Fforde. I'm late to the party because the first book in the "Thursday Next" series was published in 2001. After I devoured all that was available, I picked up the next book by Fforde sitting on the library shelf, "Shades of Grey." The writing is fantastic, the plot complex and I was soooooo mad to come to the last page to see sequels mentioned but not yet written. Not to be confused with that other "50 Shades of Grey" which I will admit to reading. There are at least six Fforde books I haven't read yet so that should keep me busy in 2013. And I'll probably re-read all the Thursday Next books too. When I really love a book, I tend to read it too fast (and way into the night) so a second reading is always good.

Was there something you really enjoyed reading to others or by yourself in 2012? Got a long list for 2013 already? Please share.

Friday find — Southern Love written in cement

Adrienne Applegate

This is not my picture, nor is it my story BUT I love the poem so I asked to share both the picture and the story. On a recent trip to Wisconsin with her parents, Joseph's friend Odetta found a poem in a Madison sidewalk and being a toddler, stopped to read the letters. The author of the poem, Fabu, happened to drive by, saw an adorable red-head lying on the sidewalk and pulled over. How cool is that?! Fabu hails from down South and was Madison's poet laureate from 2008-2011.

Southern Love

I want love

to be like a good pot of greens

pick the tenderest parts

separate from the hard stem

wash gently and thoroughly 

removing every bit of dirt and grime

rinsing over and over and over 

with the clear, clean water of forgiveness 

season with savory meat, herbs and spices 

and then simmer, simmer, simmer.

I think it's a great description of what has to happen in a long, successful relationship — finding the good in each other, putting in the time and effort necessary to form a lasting bond. 

I'm a fan of poetry and have put several books on the boys' bookshelves. Our favorites include "The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders" by Jack Prelutsky and "Dirt on My Shirt" by Jeff Foxworthy. Then there are the classics, "A Child's Garden of Verses" by Robert Louis Sevenson and anything by Aileen Fisher. 

Favorite poems? poet? for adults? for children? Please share.

A happy video for Tuesday

Goodness, is it only Tuesday? The weeks are just dragging here. It's been a lovely summer but I'm ready for fall, ready for a return to routine. We start school Thursday but that feels forever away. So here's a happy book and video some of you might remember.  I grew up watching "Sesame Street," "Mr. Rodgers," "Reading Rainbow" — and despite watching all that TV, turned out all right. I was hopeful the boys would like "Sesame Street" too but neither turned into fans. (I think the newer seasons have lost some of the magic. Hey, there's always "The Muppet Show.")

When I brought home "The Four Seasons" from a thrift visit, I thought at least I can share some of the magic I remember with the boys. I think it's pretty neat that they took some of the skits and turned them into books. Dear Prairie Dawn directs Ernie, Bert, Cookie Monster, Herry Monster and lovable furry old Grover in a play about the four seasons, copyright 1979.

"First the sun starts to shine. Then the rain starts to shower, and up from the ground 

grows a beautiful ... flower!"

Enjoy!

Playing in the rain

"Peter Spier's Rain" 

Sometimes, a parent can forget that a kid just needs to be a kid. Sometimes, all it takes is a book to remind us how special and fun and messy childhood can and should be. 

For this post, I have to thank Vanessa at Silly Eagle Books for her post on Peter Spier and his mostly wordless books. A few days after the post, I brought home "Peter Spier's Rain" from the library. And a few days after that, it did in fact rain fairly hard at our house.

I took Joseph and his friend Woodrow out to play in the rain puddles (mom's still responsible — no thunder or lightning). They had a ball getting muddy. Then they had fun getting clean in the tub. Ain't it great to be a kid!

Friday find

I took a box of books to our 2nd & Charles last week. It's a huge used book store, the idea of the folks running Books-A-Million. What I like is they offer a higher buyback if you opt for store credit. Come on, we all know I'm just going to turn around and buy more books. I came home with three books — restraint! — including "What's for Lunch, Charley?" by Margaret Hodges, copyright 1961.

A quick scan at the book store convinced me it might be a fun read for Will. For a dollar, I can take a chance that we'll like it. It wasn't until I got home that I noticed the publisher's price (on the price tag) was listed as $25.00. What? The other two books had $3.99 and $1. So I did some research. Folks have fond memories of it in the Amazon reviews. And sure enough, the resale prices are pretty high. I'm going to consider it quite a find. 

How about you ... any good finds lately?

Good day at the thrift store

Woo-hoo! Got some good stuff today at the thrift store. At least, my boys consider it good stuff. I'm just glad to only pay 69 cents each for Star Wars weaponry. Now, we have a green light saber to battle with the blue one we have (My tip for sane play dates — have two of everything!). And the gun, well, that might be the first one I've ever bought him.

I think some folks think we're anti-gun. Maybe because when Will was little, we didn't buy him guns. Not that that mattered. Little boys will make anything to a weapon (sticks, legos, Barbies) so I worked on these rules — we don't shoot at people or animals. Will is older now and at the age that running around the yard with buddies shooting each other is their favorite activity. Now my guidelines are yes, you can run around the yard shooting at each other IF all parties agree to the game. And if you get hurt in a light saber/sword fight, tough. We still don't let him randomly shoot at people/cars/animals. It's not polite and could be misunderstood leading to sticky situations. 

I found this discussion thread on the Berkeley Parents Network helpful.

I practically squealed with delight when I found the vintage gem "I am a Kitten" (1970). And then another squeal for the "Best Story Book Ever" (not sure what printing but at least 70s). Me and the boys are huge Scarry fans! Both books were enjoyed at bedtime and will be read again and again. 

Also brought home: a Thomas the Train book for an upcoming birthday, the Dr. Seuss book "Please Try to Remember the First of Octember!", "Amos & Boris" by William Steig, Walt Disney's "Stories from Other Lands" (1965),  and Walt Disney's "Pinocchio" (1968 printing). 

Not bad for $5.01. 

Books!!!

No, we don't need any more. The shelves are fully loaded, groaning with each added book. But I still want more and the boys don't complain. Thank goodness for library book sales. This weekend was one of my favorites at Emmet O'Neal. I always find awesome titles and a few vintage gems. A couple of these are going on eBay (or Etsy? I don't know. What do you think?). I've got to pay for this hobby somehow!*

I don't pick these books willy-nilly. My book sale strategy (of course I have a strategy!) is to first pull any book that looks interesting. I usually have quite a tall stack. Then I sit, have a look at each one, decide what I want and put the rest back.

Here are the highlights, from the top:

The only book officially for momma, "Lost in a Good Book" is the second title in the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. I highly recommend. Especially if you miss Douglas Adams.

"Rain Makes Applesauce" ... reviewed here. So I wasn't going to leave it there.

"The Princess Book" ... is not your average princess book. The introduction tells us "many princesses are pink and pretty and protected." But the princesses in this book are "energetic, resourceful, funny — princesses who can run fast, think quick and look beautiful all the while. Princesses who will speak to girls of today." It almost makes me wish for a girl of my own to share it with. Because whether it's 1974, the book's copyright, or 2012, girls need strong role models.

"The First Book of Gardening" ... by Virginia Kirkus, 1956. This might be the book to get the boys and I playing in the dirt. It's written clearly and covers the basics. Best of all, the illustrations by Helene Carter are fantastic — black and white pencil drawings with the addition of light green accents throughout. Simple yet elegant. 

"The Daddy Book" ... Chris is getting this for Father's Day. You can find pictures of it here. It's far-out groovy.

"A Book of Christmas" ... This could possibly be the best find of the day. Copyright 1979, it's a 

3-D book with gorgeous illustrations by Tasha Tudor. In just about perfect condition too. Worth way more than the $2 paid for it. It's a very nice addition to the Christmas book stash.

Not pictured is an illustrated history book "Alabama Mounds to Missiles" from 1962. We've been enjoying it already. It should get a post all of its own.

Looks like the rest of the day will be spent trying to find a place for all these "new to us" reads.

Previous years' hauls can be seen here and here. 

*See a book you're interested in? Send me an e-mail.