Time slows by the syllable

Fred Rogers: The Last Interview and Other Conversations by Fred Rogers (Adult Nonfiction)

Though a lot of Fred Roger’s responses weren’t new to me, I still immensely enjoyed this book comprised of six of his last interviews. I most enjoyed each time he asked the interviewers the same questions they asked him. Sometimes he asked additional questions too!

As I read the interviews, I could hear his gentle, warm, and deliberate voice in my head, and like everything else he produced, I was just as comforted. One interviewer, Phil Hoose, writes, “And then the voice arrives and instantly everything is all right. It is a slow voice, offered with modulation and care. There are spaces between words and bigger spaces between sentences…Time slows by the syllable.”

Favorite moments:

Fred Rogers states that his grandfather, Mr. McFeely “was the kind of person who would really support your strivings for autonomy.” Wow, what a beautiful character trait I’ve never really thought about. Who helped me with my strivings for autonomy when I was a child? Who helped you? Every day I feel enormous gratitude to work in a place that provides a safe place for kids to learn, play, and grow. And really, it’s also a perfect place to encourage striving for autonomy too.

Though I’ve heard it before, I never tire of hearing Fred talk about how important it is to share your love for what you do with children or anyone really. He writes, “I think one of the greatest gifts you can give anybody is the gift of your honest self.”

Because I don’t have an early education background, I hadn’t heard of the term, “permissible regression” prior to reading this book of interviews. I’ve been thinking about it a lot and really enjoyed Fred Rogers’ song about it.

Perfect for fans of Fred Rogers or anyone who needs a hug from a book!

* This book is part of a series!

reviews!

Sharing a few reviews!

You're Not Listening by Kate Murphy (Adult Nonfiction)

Though it took almost 100 pages for me to really sink into this book, I left it with a few aha moments and a handful of ways to think about listening differently.

Moments I enjoyed most: The lump of clay analogy describing what happens when we listen. “…It’s like a game of catch with a lump of clay. Each person catches it and molds it with their perceptions before tossing it back. Things like education, race, gender, age, relationship with the other person, frame of mind, connotations of words, and distractions all influence how the clay is shaped. Add more people to the game of catch and the complexity and range of meanings increases.”

Shift and support responses, which begins on page 137.  I’ve been working on giving more support responses, but it’s tougher than it sounds.  Even though there are times I’m not drawing attention to myself, my support responses can use some help.  For me, it’s helpful to have a name for what I’ve been trying to work on because it’s easier to remind myself.  I also appreciated the ideas for responses and how to phrase responses so that they’re supportive and not full of hidden meanings and agendas (some of which I wasn’t aware of).

I enjoyed Murphy’s brief dip into mishearings on page 164. Though I had a few chuckles about her experiences with mishearings, this section was both sad and helpful because I spend a lot of time with the senior population.  

Though there are many books devoted to our shrinking attention spans, Murphy spends only a chapter on this subject and the role it plays in listening.  The connection between our attention spans and hearing feels substantial and also has the potential for the most growth within my control.  I’ve spent a fair amount of time thinking of ways to grow my attention span, and really I just need to stop picking up my phone so much.  

I appreciated You’re Not Listening and though several chapters could easily be standalone books, I think I got just enough information and practical takeaways so I’m not so overwhelmed during conversations that I’m distracted by what I should be doing…and not listening.

Baby Animals First Colors Book by Alexandra Claire (Board Book)

Such a happy, colorful book with rhyming text that is bold, easy-to-read, and simple. Each color introduces a new animal with opportunities for counting, movement, and discussion – Where is your nose? What do you smile with? How are you different from this animal? What other animals are this color?

* This is part of a series!

* This would make a great storytime book!

Oak Leaf by John Sandford (Picture Book)

A beautifully illustrated journey of an oak leaf enjoying autumn. I felt just like the oak leaf in this story, blowing and swooshing through the sky, changing color, dodging foxes, and resting on a calf’s nose. This book invites the reader to move, make fun sounds, use all of their senses, and become a part of the book, which is exactly what happens to the leaf! 

* This would make a great storytime book!

For everyone with a soft spot for spunky characters

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker (Juvenile Fiction)

Grade Level: 2-3. Clementine is a spunky, imaginative girl who gets into all sorts of mischief, which really stems from her desire to be helpful most of the time. For example, she “helps” a friend who accidentally snips off a chunk of hair by giving her a dandelion haircut complete with red marker curls. One of her helpful moments turns into a celebration at the end of the book, so I think she just needs to hone her wonderful desire to make life better for everyone and think things halfway or all the way through. She also has some interesting and helpful ways to cope with her emotions. She rides the service elevator in her apartment to help calm herself down whenever she’s mad. When she has pointy thoughts, she looks at clouds, which are round, and therefore help smooth out the worries. It’s a laugh-out-loud, well-written story with a lovable main character. My only gripe is the audiobook narrator, whose voice didn’t suit the main character at all. But this is a small gripe. The print version has excellent illustrations to go along with the story so it ended up working out well. A great readalike for fans of Cleary's Ramona series and Barrows' Ivy + Bean series.

Reviews!

Parrots, Pugs, and Pixie Dust: A Book About Fashion Designer Judith Leiber by Deborah Blumenthal and illustrated by Masha D'yans (Nonfiction Picture Book)

Prior to reading this, I hadn’t heard of Judith Leiber. I most enjoyed learning about her tenacious passion for creating art and quirky handbags. The illustrator, Masha D’yans, does a smashing job bringing Leiber’s personality and art to life. It’s such a beautiful book I cannot bring myself to shelve it. I’m also a sucker for biographies that shine a light on true love and/or long marriages (even if it’s not one of the main topics of the book). It sounds like Judith and Gerson Leiber had the real deal and there’s even a sweet photograph of them together at the end of the book. There are also pictures of her handbags at the end too!

Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood (Juvenile Fiction)

Grade Level: 3-8. Wow, what an intense and gripping story based on a true historical event I hadn’t heard of prior to reading this. The poetry format doesn’t make a lot of sense and it’s poorly done, but the story, characters, and inclusion of every detail of the author’s intense and fascinating research more than make up for the bizarre poetry format. I couldn’t put this book down and struggled to carry on with my life while reading this, but thankfully it’s a short read. I am really impressed with how closely the book follows the true events of the SS City of Benares when it was torpedoed while carrying children who were part of the Children’s Overseas Reception Board. I also appreciated how Susan Hood didn’t sugarcoat the story but didn’t get too graphic with the details or put too much focus on the few deaths mentioned. Though this is a great step up for fans of the “I Survived” series, it’s also an excellent choice for anyone looking for historical fiction or adventure stories.

A Gift

Thanks to The Phoenix Soul for publishing my poem, A Gift.  It's a gift I experience at least once a week during my walks with the dogs and Robert.

librarying

I haven't really talked a lot about library land lately.  It has been busy.  It was wonderful to see so many patrons come in this summer.  It was the happy kind of chaos.  

My library system will be doing in-person storytimes this fall and I feel very fortunate to be giving a family storytime.  I will sharing all my storytime stories soon.

I don't get out too often, but when I do, my work at the library will sometimes come up.  I hear a lot of people ask if I'm sad that books are going away and whether I think the library is in danger of going away too.  They are shocked to hear how busy we are and how there are many people who still need information and books.  How we acquire that information is changing and has always been changing and evolving.  I can go on and on about access to information, community-building, helping kids become lifelong readers etc. etc. but I won't!  What I can do is make sure I'm spreading the word about how awesome libraries are and all the exciting (and sometimes crazy) work I do. 

Here are the things I did at the library today:

* I assessed the meeting room for fall storytime.  So many things to move!  So many drawers without locks to block with tables that will need to be locked.  Most of the outlets were missing covers.  And because there isn't any place for strollers outside the room, I needed to figure out a place for stroller parking.

* I ran through my storytime for the first time to see if it lasted roughly 30 minutes.  Lots of changes to make but I am not surprised.  I also did a little more prep for the storytimes - themes, books, early literacy skills, activities etc.

* I was on the desk for 6.5 hours but not all at once!  I helped a maskless patron print, scan, and email a document to their work stating they had tested positive for Covid today and would be out for several days.  Truly, this happened.  I also helped a few others on the computer, with various questions concerning their materials, and even had a strange audiobook happening.  An audiobook with two different stories spread out through the five discs but still showing the right author and story on all discs.  Publishers make mistakes too!

* While I was on the desk I managed to check my emails, work on program and committee projects, read a stack of picture books, and jot down a couple reviews.

* I tidied books, did several sweeps to keep all the the displays full, and talked to patrons in the stacks.

And because I had the late shift today, two of my favorite patrons, stopped by to share something very special with me when I wasn't here.  But they left me a note and Danny let me borrow his book.  One of the best moments of my week!

It's truly a job with an incredible amount of variety.  Though I have an idea of what I'll be doing each day and a to-do list out the wazoo, each day is completely different.