Cheerios

I am now back at the library most days!  Though I have been spending a lot of time setting up Walk & Reads I've been going into the library almost every day.

We've been super busy on the children's side with kids looking for their summer reads.  And it's been nice to reconnect with regulars I haven't seen in a while.  But I haven't quite settled in yet and have been feeling a bit sideways.

Today that all changed.  Today the library felt like home again.

A small child came up to me and told me that something was stuck in the couch and could I help her?  Thinking it was a toy (naïve! Too many months away!), I dug around in the couch and found...Cheerios!  So. Many. Cheerios.  The child was thrilled.  Her mom was not!

The child just squealed and squealed with delight as she 'helped' her mom and I pluck out all the cheerios.  Such a fun game!

I thought I was going to smile my mask right off my face.  

It's fair to say this might be a different story if the cheerios were wet!

It's good to be back!

Magic in the Woods

Poetry in the woods!

Favorite May Reads Part 2

For the past few months I have been reading with two of my nieces through Facetime each week.  Autumn just finished first grade and Harper just finished second grade.  We've been reading a lot of early chapter books aka transitional chapter books, and I've really enjoyed learning more about this special kind of book.  Reading with my nieces is also one of the things I most look forward to.  It's been a great way to connect with them since we live so far away from each other.  They live in Arizona!  

I've been reading every early chapter book series I can get my hands on.  I've read a few series I did not like at all (sorry not sorry Magical Bunnies).  There have also been a couple books I've read with Harper that were surprisingly challenging (Nancy Clancy comes to mind).  Most of the series have been fun to explore and a couple are true gems.  Too Small Tola, which I mentioned yesterday, is at the top of the list.  I also love Ivy & Bean and the Zoey and Sassafras series, which I'll talk about in this post.

Here are the rest of the amazing books I read in May:

Kiyoshi's Walk by Mark Karlins and illustrated by Nicole Wong (Picture Book)

I really appreciate how Kiyoshi's grandfather, Eto "shows" him what poetry is rather than "telling" him. Though not all senses were represented, Eto demonstrates that poems are a combination of exploring our senses, listening, paying attention to our feelings, and using our imagination. The most beautiful moment for me was when Eto explained that poetry is about how our outside and inside worlds come together. All of this is done in few words with simple text and illustrations. It's a really great way to talk about poetry with all ages.

The Cat Man of Aleppo by Irene Latham & Karim Shamsi-Basha and illustrated by Yuko Shimizu (Picture Book)

The Poop Song by Eric Litwin and illustrated by Claudia Boldt (Picture Book)

This is my new favorite potty training book to recommend. It highlights the differences between the way animals and humans go potty. Though elephant poop doesn't really weigh a ton (thank goodness) and space Martians may or not poop by faraway stars (a delightful experience I'm sure), this book is so much fun to read and shows kids that using the potty like a big boy/girl is such a rockstar thing to do! It also has a catchy tune (look it up) and is guaranteed to give you at least one laugh (that will last the entire book).

The Zoey and Sassafras series by Asia Citro and illustrated by Marion Lindsay (Juvenile Fiction - Early Chapter Book)

This series is so great! Zoey's mom is a scientist who can see magic animals and one day Zoey finds out she can see magic animals too! Zoey and her mom offer their help any time the magical animals need it. Because Zoey's mom is a scientist, they tackle their problems with the scientific method. And the problems are so interesting and unique! For example, why is the dragon that shows up at their house so weak? And in later books, why does the monster grow mold on his back and what's polluting the merhorses stream? This beautifully illustrated early chapter series is perfect for kids interested in both science and fantasy. Included in the back of each book is a glossary for challenging words like 'hypothesis' and 'conclusion.' And I can't forget Zoey's cat, Sassafras, who can also see the magical animals and is an adorable sidekick and helper in all of Zoey's journeys to uncover the solutions to the magic animals' problems.

Malala Yousafzai by Isabel Sanchez Vegara and illustrated by Manal Mirza (Picture Book - Nonfiction)

This beautifully illustrated short bio of Malala focuses more on her life after the Taliban attacked her. I like how this book talks about the Taliban, which isn't an easy thing to do for the intended audience of this picture book. Vegara writes, "it was like being in prison for doing nothing wrong" when she talks about how women and girls weren't allowed to express themselves and have an education. I also appreciate the brief mention of Malala's college education and how she is fighting for women's rights along with other women from Pakistan, Nigeria, and Syria.

Planting the Trees of Kenya by Claire A. Nivola (Picture Book - Nonfiction)

After reading a small blurb about Maathai and wanting to learn more about her, I was delighted to discover the library has several picture book bios to choose from. If you are fascinated by Maathai's story of perseverance and her passion to help others "take charge of their environment," you may want to read all the picture books written about her (and maybe more). Though each picture book bio offers something a little different, Nivola's book was my favorite! It's a little wordy but not too wordy and it really focuses on the story of how Maathai positively impacted Kenya by planting just a few seeds. The illustrations are also beautiful, both soft and vibrant.

Favorite May Reads Part 1

I've been reading SO much and so many excellent books I am behind on everything else in my life.  

This will be a double post!

Get Your Community Moving by Jenn Carson (Adult Nonfiction)

A great resource for anyone looking to implement programs for all ages that develop and encourage physical literacy. A few great ideas I love are the idea of a Wild Rumpus parade or taking another book that's all about movement and bringing it to life, sensory bins filled with everyday things like yarn and paper towel rolls, and creating a weaving wall. I also thought the section about how long it takes kids to dive into deep play was interesting.

Toasty by Sarah Hwang (Picture Book)

Toasty is a slice of magical bread who really just wants to be a dog. Though I felt sorry for Toasty it didn't stop me from laughing the entire way through his incredible journey from toast to toast-dog. The illustrations have a lot to do with this. For example, there is a hilarious picture of Toasty woofing like a dog. I can't do it justice by writing about it, but I will say I laughed like a maniac when I saw it. Toasty has lots of struggles - he battles sogginess, being chased by dogs, and almost gets eaten. But there is no need to worry. Toasty has a surprising but happy ending. 

Grasshopper by Tatiana Ukhova (Picture Book)

I enjoyed this wordless picture book way more than I thought I would. I am always skeptical of wordless picture books because it's tough to carry a story without words, and I am usually flummoxed by the end of the book. I like how the girl keeps encountering nature in all its wildness and brutality and that it's not just expressed in one moment. I also like how she initially humanizes the grasshopper and provides shelter and a "friend," but eventually embraces his wildness. The illustrations are beautiful - so cheerful and lively - and provide the perfect backdrop for the story.

Malala's Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai and illustrated by Kerascoët (Picture Book - Nonfiction)

I've enjoyed most Malala books because her story is so impactful and empowering and her family support is such a beautiful thing. This Malala book is my favorite though, because of how the illustrations depict the inspiration Malala took from the magic pencil program she watched as a child. The changes Malala hopes to make are illustrated as an added golden layer to her current reality and become words of action through her persistence, courage, and belief in herself and her family/community/country. 

Too Small Tola by Atinuke (Juvenile Fiction - Early Chapter Book)

Tola is a spunky and determined girl who lives with her brother, sister, and grandmummy. Her brother and sister seem pretty involved with their own interests, but the family is strong and supportive of each other. 

Tola's life in Lagos, Nigeria has unique challenges I've never experienced. Her family cannot depend on electricity and water and she is sometimes late to school because they need to stand in line and pump their own water, their grandmummy works six days a week, and her father lives in another country in an effort to make money he can send to his family. 

Though there are extra challenges in Tola's life, there is routine, reminders to be thankful, and lots of family love. When Tola wakes up one morning and discovers they do not have water she grumbles only briefly before getting to work. Sometimes a small line in a story speaks loudly to me, and there is one in Too Small Tola that really stands out: 

"Under the table are six empty jerry cans waiting for mornings like this when the taps run dry - again." 

Though there is exasperation in this line, there is also acceptance, and more importantly, the jerry cans are right where they belong, ready to go. This line lets the reader know that though there are lots of things in Tola's life that are out of her control, her grandmummy is doing everything she can to create stability and comfort. The family and their community of neighbors felt very real to me and made it easy for me to instantly settle in and feel like I was a part of the story. The book contains three stories but they all flowed well so it didn't feel like I was reading three separate stories. I also enjoyed the simple illustrations. Though they're simple and in black and white, the characters' expressions always shined through. I hope this series continues!

Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake and illustrated by Jon Klassen (Juvenile Fiction)

A surprisingly in-depth look at personalities, relationships, and behaviors. There is Badger, who is set in his ways, has a routine, and is a serious petrologist. And then there is Skunk, who comes to live with Badger. He is spontaneous, loud, creative, and loves the company of chickens. Does Skunk win Badger over or does Badger kick Skunk out? 

As a person with a Badger personality, there were a few times I cringed and almost couldn't continue. Skunk was so lovable but so disruptive! When a hundred chickens invade Badger's workspace for storytime I could feel my blood pressure rising. But thankfully I stepped beyond the comforts of my Badger personality and continued to read this charming book. 

It's incredibly silly, at times bordering on ridiculous. But it's also sweet and weirdly introspective at times. After Badger says mean things to Skunk he ponders his behavior, and his observations are quite astute: 

"His behavior had revealed things about him that he'd rather not know and now he knew. He should change. But he was a badger set in his ways. It would be just like him to fall right back into his old patterns and not make a single change." 

The writing is incredibly imaginative: lightbulbs hum "fluorescently," muffin tins are "barnacled with batter," and their kitchen turns into "a chicken biome of the Tropical Chicken Forest sort." 

I also feel like it's my duty to warn future readers (especially readers with Badger personalities) that a potato is flung into the kitchen corner during one of Skunk's creative breakfasts. It sits there the entire book and Badger keeps hoping Skunk will do the right thing and pick up the "rocket potato." But something better happens to the potato at the end. It becomes a representation of Badger and Skunk's relationship. Potato power! You'll have to read the entire book to find out whether the "rocket potato" is ever picked up off the floor though! 

While I wait for the second book to come out, I'm going to go find a chicken whistle and invite every chicken in the county to my house for a storytime!

The Library Bus by Bahram Rahman and illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard (Picture Book)

Pari's mom drives a library bus and brings books and education to kids who live in remote villages and refuge camps and cannot go to school. When Pari asks when she will learn to read like the kids on her mom's bus route, her mom tells her she will be able to learn to read at a real school. Even though school should be a necessity rather than a privilege, I like that Pari's mom is up front with Pari about this problem. I also think Pari's mom is an excellent role model and a great example that all it takes is one person to make a positive impact on the lives of others.