fiction favorites…The Avion My Uncle Flew

The Avion My Uncle Flew, by Cyrus Fisher, illustrated by Richard Floethe

The following day Albert wheeled me into a little parc. He asked to be excused a few minutes. He said he wanted to buy some tabacco across the street. A tall man happened to walk by me and went on and returned and sat on one of those iron benches the French have in parcs. He was one of the tallest men I’ve ever seen, all bones, with a white face and a beard that was lopsided. I mean, it grew thicker on one side than the other. He had greenish eyes. He watched me with those greenish eyes. They made me uncomfortable. I wished Albert would hurry back.
“Bon jour,” he said in a voice soft as mucillage.
I said, “I don’t speak French.”
At that, his eyes opened wider. “Don’t you now?” he said, in English just as good as mine. “I’m surprised at that, my young friend. If I had a son as intelligent as you appear to be, I’d quickly teach him French and take him with me and show him a good time instead of foisting him off with a stupid hotel porter.”
It never occurred to me to ask him how he knew I was with a hotel porter.

Johnny Littlehorn,13,  injured in an accident at his Wyoming ranch, is newly arrived in France. The war in Europe has just ended, but his father still works as a liason in Paris, so Johnny and his French-born mother are joining him.  It’s a wretched business, as far as Johnny is concerned. Why, these French people don’t even know enough to learn a “proper language to speak — I mean, a language like the kind of language you and I and sensible folks speak.”  In short order, Johnny’s injuries are seen to by an army specialist, and he is sent to the village of St. Charmant to live and recuperate with his Uncle Paul.

Strange things begin to happen, though, from Johnny’s earliest days in Paris. A sinister stranger talks with him, seeming to know far more about him than is possible. Monsieur Fischfasse introduces himself to Johnny by one name, yet his father seems well acquainted with him by an entirely different name. What’s more, this foreboding fellow seems to be following him to his uncle’s place.

What can he want? And who is the Nazi spy said to be lurking in the mountains near the town? And are they in cahoots?

Johnny is up to his eyeballs in espionage, danger, and the surprising joys and friendships he finds in this place where they speak such a confounded, nonsensical language! It’s a rip-roaring adventure, including a breathtaking flight in a glider…but I won’t give it away.

This is a Newbery Honor book from 1946, and one of our family favorites. One of the most unique novels, it introduces the reader to increasing amounts of French as the story develops. The plot device in which Johnny is challenged by his mother to write at least two full pages in French by the end of his stay, allows us to learn a bit of French vocabulary along with him. In our family, we read this book aloud, and since I can speak French, my kids learned to comprehend each new bit as we went. The story culminates with 3 pages entirely written in French — Johnny’s letter to his mother. It’s quite a triumph for readers/listeners to be able to comprehend the entire letter! For those with absolutely no knowledge of French, your pronunciation will be a definite challenge! but independent readers will likely learn to recognize the words as they go and comprehend the written French.

Nazi spy thriller, French language primer, and a story about bravery and one boy’s choice to not allow his circumstances to defeat him, this book truly packs in adventure, suspense, and humor.  Great fun for a wide age range of listeners, or capable readers from mid-elementary and up who aren’t afraid of those French words.
It appears to be out of print…sad! There are some used copies for sale at this Amazon link:

The Avion my Uncle Flew (Puffin Newbery Library)

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fiction favorites…Brixton Brothers: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity, by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Adam Rex

The Bailey Brothers, of course, were the sons of world-famous detective Harris Bailey. They helped their dad solve his toughest cases, and they had all sorts of dangerous adventures, and these adventures were the subject of the fifty-eight shiny red volumes that made up the Bailey Brothers Mysteries…
Steve had already read all the Bailey Brothers books. Most of them he had read twice. A few he’d read three times. His favorite Bailey Brothers mystery was whichever one he was reading at the time. That meant that right now, as Steve lay on his lumpy bed, his favorite book was Bailey Brothers #13: The Mystery of the Hidden Secret…which ended like this:
“Jumping jackals!” dark-haired Shawn exclaimed, pointing to the back wall of the dusty old parlor. “Look, Kevin! That bookcase looks newer than the rest!”
“General George Washington!” his blond older brother cried out. “I think you’re right!”

Steve Brixton, twelve years old, is a colossal fan of the Bailey Brothers mystery series and is determined to follow in their footsteps as an ace detective. He’s even got his very own, genuine, Bailey Brothers detective license (costing twelve cereal box tops plus $1.95 for shipping and handling.)

When Steve heads down to the library to research an ordinary school paper, however, he is abruptly swept up in a mysterious adventure beyond his wildest imagination. Secret agents, worldwide espionage rings, midnight prowlings, danger, captivity, and an epic criminal mastermind to foil — all this implodes upon him and his chum, Dana.

Will Steve and Dana dodge the bad guys, crack the codes, and solve the mystery involving a prized national secret?! That’s the thrilling story in this book!

This is the first in a jeepers-creepers-terrific series by Mac Barnett loaded with hilarious, over-the-top crime solving, courtesy of Steve and Dana. It’s a delightful spoof on the Hardy Boys, a fast-paced mystery/adventure, with a lovable, earnest hero. Fantastic read for anyone in the 3rd to 7th grade age range, with great appeal for boys (of course) and a title to keep in mind for reluctant readers over the summer.

There are 3 more Brixton Brothers adventures already, so you can dive right into a sequel if you like.

Here’s an Amazon link:

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity (Brixton Brothers)

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a list of…five affectionate stories about moms

Ol’ Mama Squirrel, written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein

If you think it’s prudent to never come between a mama bear and her cubs…let me introduce you to Ol’ Mama Squirrel!

This is one feisty mama! Of course, with all the creatures lurking about, just dying for a morsel of baby squirrel, she’s got a tough job on her hands for one so small. But each time she confronts an enemy with her steely look,  paws firmly on hips,  letting loose a shrill “Chook, chook, chook!“,  let me tell you, those creatures vamoose!

One enemy, however, is too large even for Ol’ Mama. No matter how she chooks and chatters, or even pelts this fellow with her store of acorns, still he threatens her babies. What will Mama do? Fortunately, she is up to the challenge, and with the aid of a formidable host of other mamas, the scalawag is sent packing!

Capitalizing on the legendary fierceness of mother love, David Ezra Stein has written a vibrant, enthusiastic, happy tale. Ol’ Mama is a delightful character, and the powerful results of her chook-ing are immensely satisfying! When I read it, I was reminded a little of the tsk-tsk-tsking done by the peddlar and monkeys in Caps for Sale — such a jolly, rip-roaring shout for everyone to break into throughout the story. Plus, the magnificent image of this no-nonsense posse of mama squirrels running down the intruder is fantastic!

Stein’s artwork is deceptively simple, with strong line, superb energy, and just the right combination of strength and pertness in Mama.     And not to worry — he promises no squirrels were harmed in the making of this book New in 2013, great fun for preschoolers and up.

Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

If somehow you don’t already know this classic story, it’s about a baby bird who hatches while his mother happens to be away, and then sets out to find her. Never having seen his mother, however, he can’t identify her. In fact — he walks right past her!  Unbelievable.

Checking with a kitten, a hen, a dog, a cow, and even a car, a boat, and a plane, our baby bird is tremendously distraught to find that none of these is his mother. The last straw occurs when a terrifying Snort scoops him up and carts him away. With that, the baby bird simply breaks out wailing! “I want to go home! I want my mother!“

And suddenly — all his problems are solved! Phew!!

I wonder how many times we read this book!  First published in 1960, it simply does not grow old. The tension builds up as that poor baby bird searches for mother until he is simply bawling out his woe…and then, everything turns quiet and happy and cozy! The smug, superior knowledge of the child-reader about such things as Snorts allows her to chuckle at this bird’s naïveté, but still…we feel his pain! And such a happy ending. So reassuring.

Perfect for beginning readers, but just as brilliant as a read-aloud for ages 2 and older. Everyone ought to know this one.

Mother, Mother, I Want Another, by Maria Polushkin Robbins, illustrated by Jon Goodell

It’s bedtime for baby mouse, and as usual mother helps him get ready, tucks him in, reads a story, and gives him a good night kiss. BUT…

The original illustrations are by Diane Dawson.

…this time baby mouse starts crying, “I want another, Mother!”

Ah…what a world of difference a comma can make! For Mama Mouse hears him say “I want another mother.”

Aghast that her baby prefers another mother,  but ever ready to provide for him, she runs around the countryside on her errand. Yet none of the local moms she recruits — Mrs. Duck, Mrs. Frog, Mrs. Pig, Mrs. Donkey — seems to be just what baby mouse is looking for. What does a young mouse have to do to get another…kiss?!

Funny and sweet, this story was published first in 1975. We read it many times with our small children, and now it’s been given new illustrations. Silly and sweet for preschoolers and up.

My Mom, written and illustrated by Anthony Browne

I have saved lots of incredibly dear notes and cards, painstakingly written and drawn for me by my children over the years. No matter how wobbly the spelling or Picasso-esque the portrait, words of praise from a child are golden to mothers.

Anthony Browne’s book reads like the simple declarations of a young child describing

Buy it in the UK and get a mum rather than a mom!

his faithful mom. She fills many heroic roles in his world, besides being “as comfy as an armchair” and especially, particularly nice. The capstone of it all, though, is her tremendous, unfailing love for him.

Isn’t that what we all long for? Someone to love us on, and on, and on? It’s an exhausting privilege to do this for the children in our lives, whether or not we are their mothers, and it’s what makes this brief book ring true and hit home.

Browne’s apple-cheeked, kind, down-to-earth mom looks like someone we’d all like for a friend. His illustrations are delightful, and very, very clever as he spins off from iconic images and artists. Plus, the lovely floral fabric in mom’s bathrobe imaginatively appears throughout the pages, tying all of this child’s thoughts together and to mom.

So much unrestrained love! Delightful.

This Quiet Lady, by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by Anita Lobel

In this story, a little girl is looking at photographs of her mother through the years. She finds them in frames around the house, and in the pages of an old scrapbook. “This baby smiling in her bassinette under the crocheted throw is my mother,” she says. Such a mind-bending thought.

As each page turns, we see that little girl growing up, going to school, getting married. There she is, a quiet smile on her face, “lovely and large” with child, and…voila! in the next picture she has a tiny baby in her arms. A new beginning.

It’s a book filled with quiet wonder, and Lobel’s illustrations are the perfect complement. On the left-hand pages she gives us quiet, muted snapshots of the narrator as she moves about the house finding old photographs or lolls on the summer grass with that hefty scrapbook. On the opposite sides are beautiful, soft, richly colored images of the photo she’s spied. Watching her mother grow up, we also watch the eras spin by, from frilly baby bonnet to a Beatle’s lunch box; flower-child fashions giving way to more sophisticated elegance.

It’s short and sweet, and may well prompt you to get out your own photos for your children.

Here are Amazon links for all these books full of mother-love:

Ol’ Mama Squirrel
Are You My Mother? (Beginner Books(R))
Mother Mother I Want Another
My Mom
This Quiet Lady

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fiction favorites…Breaking Stalin’s Nose

Breaking Stalin’s Nose, written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin

Out of the darkness, three large figures in State Security uniforms stomp into the kitchen. They follow my dad past where I’m standing and into the corridor toward our room. The last in line catches his cap against the laundry line, picks it up, swears, and clomps after the rest. All this noise in the middle of the night, but our neighbors’ doors stay shut. Nobody looks out to complain.

The guards pull out the drawers and dump our things on the floor. They shake loose pages out of our books. They cut up Dad’s mattress and feel inside it. They tap on the walls, listening for hidden places, and open part of the floor where the nails are loose. Soon what we have is in a pile, torn and wrecked. The only thing they don’t touch is a framed picture of Stalin.

Sasha Zaichik, age 10, lives with his father in Stalinist Russia. All his life he has gloried in Communism, eagerly awaiting the proud day when he is awarded the red scarf of the Young Soviet Pioneers,  zealous to prove his loyalty to the beloved Comrade Joseph Stalin. His reality is anchored in the communist maxims he’s memorized, in his father’s identity as an important member of the secret police, and in his mother’s vague illness in years past.

All of these foundational truths are about to be shaken to pieces over the course of two, turbulent days. 

Eugene Yelchin has written a gripping, sobering novel about the murderous reign of Joseph Stalin, one of very few treating this subject for middle graders. His superb story takes place over just two days, in which Sasha’s life and world views are turned upside down. Fear, a stubborn clinging to what he “knows” is true, betrayal, disbelief, revelations — a dizzying cluster of thought, emotion, and experience swirls through Sasha’s life as he stumbles through the tumult and danger. 

The author was born and educated in Russia, and has firsthand experience of “chats” with the Committee of State Security. In an Author’s Note, he writes of the insidious fear instilled in the Russian people by the Stalin era, a fear which prompted him to write this 2012 Newbery Honor book. As I have taught modern history to highschoolers, we have shaken our heads over how kind history has been to this ruthless man, who “executed, imprisoned or exiled over twenty million people” during a 30 year period, more than 3 times the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust.  Albert Marrin’s book, Stalin, is an excellent non-fiction account for highschoolers. Yelchin’s historical fiction title makes a fantastic addition to what is available for us.

Yelchin is also an incredibly talented artist, and his graphite illustrations in this book really act as part of the story. There is a menacing, art noir quality to them, and a surreal feeling that ramps up our ability to step into Sasha’s shoes.

Technically, this is a middle grade novel. However, to understand the

Eugene Yelchin

story, the reader needs to manage a great deal of dramatic irony, and be able to read between the lines. Those on the younger end of the spectrum, say 10-11,  might need help understanding that what Sasha says and believes is true, is often the opposite of what is actually happening, while it aligns more and more with reality as the plot moves along. It’s not a juvenile story, and older readers will likely appreciate it all the more.

 Here’s the Amazon link for this excellent novel:  Breaking Stalin’s Nose

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E-I-E-I-O…a list of five tales from the farm yard

Barnyard Banter, written and illustrated by Denise Fleming

Cows in the pasture, moo, moo, moo
Roosters in the barnyard, cock-a-doodle doo…

Straight out of the gate, this noisy, cheerful barnyard story sets our toes a-tappin’ with its wonderful rhythms, its boisterous animals, its irresistable invitation to join in with the moo-ing, clucking, braying and shrieking.

This is one rowdy, farm-ful of animals, yet each sticks to her proper pen — except for Goose. Silly goose is racing and ducking and craning her neck in hot pursuit of a dancing, yellow, butterfly. If you look carefully, you can spot the two of them on every page. Will she catch it? Sounding off, and a merry chase — that’s what this book is all about.

Accenting the cacophony of sounds are Denise Flemings marvelous, colorful illustrations. Egg-yolk yellows and tomato reds, lively spring greens and iridescent bluesy-purples explode from the pages. Massive cows and proud peacocks, springing frogs and curious kittens brim with energy. The lovely spattery look in the illustrations comes from “pouring colored cotton pulp through hand-cut stencils.” I can’t envision this process, but the pages are loaded with glorious happiness.

Great fun for the youngest of listeners who will very quickly memorize this and happily join in with all the animal sounds.

Farm, written and illustrated by Elisha Cooper

Turning the volume way, way down, taking time to stand in the middle of vast fields with a long, flat horizon, noticing the colors and textures of the land, the ordinary tasks of the farmer, the idiosyncracies of the animals…that’s the sublime feel of Elisha Cooper’s beautiful book.

Beginning in spring, Cooper walks us through the tilling and planting, the gradual warming of the days, the greening of the fields,and the harvesting. He introduces us to very particular animals and their funny personalities;  he describes interesting, realistic farm tasks;  he observes unusual aspects of farm life and beauty that many books for this age range overlook.

Paired with his lovely, descriptive writing are Cooper’s beautiful watercolor and pencil illustrations. So gorgeous!  Big, two-page spreads display the wide-open, long-horizon landscapes pouring out restfulness, while a myriad smaller illustrations pull us up close to observe tractors and seeds, pheasants and farm dogs. And just take a look at that incredibly handsome rooster on the cover! It’s framable.

What I love about this book is how it beckons us to stand still and look. To be quiet and notice. A bit reminiscent in personality to the Provenson’s work on farm seasons, but modernized with cell phones in the tractors. I recommend this as an absorbing read for ages 5 and up.

Life-Size Farm, by Teruyuki Komiya

Coming to us from Japan, this is part of a series of extra-large books that bring us face to face with animals in full-color photographs, at actual life size!

How is this possible? Well, you don’t get the whole cow. But…you do get a four-page fold-out of just her head, so you can get a true feel for how

These Shanghai cows are a tad more than life size.

enormous she is, especially compared to the tiny chick on the next page! How big is a cow’s nose, compared to your hand?

These animals are from a farm exhibit at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, and they include some critters we Americans would not normally associate with a farm, such as a mara ( do you know what that is?) and a ferret. That makes it all the more fun, though, and the Old McDonald bunch are there as well, from sheep to llamas, pigs to goats. 20 animals in all.

Each animal comes with a side bar of information listing the animal’s name, age, and scientific name. There are a few questions that help us look more carefully at the animal and observe interesting things about it. For instance, did you look closely at the shape of the goat’s pupil? It’s oval, like a jellybean. Do you know its special purpose? This book will tell you. There are also a few juicy facts about each species, illustrated in little comic squares.

Several animals are soooo big, they require fold-out pages to encompass just their heads. That’s exciting! Great fun for preschoolers and up. There are others in the series featuring zoo animals, if you enjoy this one.

The Piggy in the Puddle, by Charlotte Pomerantz, pictures by James Marshall

See the piggy,
See the puddle,
See the muddy little puddle.
See the piggy in the middle
Of the muddly little puddle.

Get your mouth in gear for the rapid, tongue-twisting nonsense in this delightful, silly story! It starts out running, and doesn’t let up until the final, merry syllable.

It seems there’s a young pig who simply loves to dawdle and diddle in the mud. Her fuddy-duddy father wants her out of there and all squeaky clean, but that little one simply won’t come out. Her mother cajoles her, her brother importunes her, but nope. She’s not in the mood for soap.

What ever will they do? They are flumoxed, until a most surprising idea occurs to Mother!

Written in 1974, this enormously jolly book is a family favorite of ours. The irresistable,  rhythmic, verse is paired with illustrations by the brilliant James Marshall. What could be better? His comical portraits of this portly bunch, their ridiculous apparel, facial expressions, and merriment are fetching and funny.

Read this to children as young as 3, or let early readers have a blast with all these diddle-daddle, mooshy-squooshy words themselves.

Cows to the Rescue, written and illustrated by John Himmelman

More silliness ahead!

It’s county fair time and Farmer Greenstalk has piled his whole family in the station wagon, loaded a pile of pigs in the trailer, and is ready for a jimdandy day.

But, consarn it all, the car won’t start.

Not to fear! Cows to the rescue!! Those heroic bovines scoop up kids, pigs, and all, thunder down the dusty road, and deliver everyone to the fair in short order. Excellent.

This is the running theme of the day, of course. Every time one of the Greenstalks runs into a spot of trouble at the fair, those swell cows come to the rescue. So handy.

Himmelman’s watercolor illustrations of those gallant cows, earnestly rushing, kindly tutoring, daintily scrubbing, nervously riding the Ferris Wheel, are enormous fun. You will fall in love with this herd of cattle in very short order.

Great humor, a wonderful chance to shout all together “Cows to the rescue!”, (this is perhaps not a bedtime story!)and a true day brightener of a tale. Preschoolers and up will have their funny-bones tickled with this one. There are other titles in this same vein by Himmelman, so look for those as well.

Here are Amazon links to this fine crop of  books:
Barnyard Banter
Farm
Life-Size Farm
The Piggy in the Puddle (Reading Rainbow Books)
Cows to the Rescue

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fiction favorites…The Spettecake Holiday

The Spettecake Holiday, by Edith Unnerstad, translated from the Swedish by Inger Boye, illustrated by Iben Clante

A stone fence, half-covered with climbing blackberry tendrils, separated the land belonging to Stubba Farm from the highway. Farther in, one caught a glimpse of some long red houses, built around a square yard. Straw thatched roofs covered with green moss came down over the low sides. And like a dome, the old oak trees lifted their rippling leafy crowns far above the buildings…

Suddenly something big and black and shaggy rushed past and jumped up on the car with wild howls of joy. And close behind came something white, fluttering and quacking. There was a flurry of black fur and white wings, of a red open mouth and clattering yellow beak.

Grandmother had to open the door and receive the wildly enthusiastic greetings. Then…they were introduced to the Newfoundland dog, Lubbe, and the wise old goose, Amelie, who was twelve years old, and had stopped laying eggs a long time ago, but was never going to be butchered, because she was just like a family friend.

“These are our grandchildren,” said grandmother to the animals. “Say hello now, and tell them they are welcome to Stubba Farm.”

Pelle-Göran, five years old, and Kaya, age eleven, have been brought to Stubba Farm in Skåne, at the southernmost tip of Sweden. The two children are in need of Grandmother’s special care — Kaya, because she has recently been orphaned, and Pelle-Göran because his mother has been badly injured in a bicycle accident and needs time to recuperate. The wise, loving care of Grandmother, the menagerie of animals at the farm, the delights of the countryside, and plenty of good cooking — that’s the recipe for mending their broken hearts.

Edith Unnerstad wove together sunlight and shadow in this novel in a remarkable way. Grandmother is a rock, a perfectly capable person with an understanding heart, who treats each person she encounters with respect. Life with her is largely carefree, with delicious farm fresh food, a barnful of kittens to adopt, picnics by the brook and paper boats to race there. Serenity and security settle upon the troubled children as they settle into this place.

Countering this are the unflinching portrayals of the children’s sorrows and fears. Pelle-Göran is an angry, fearful boy, having witnessed the accident that hospitalized his mother. Kaya is withdrawn and woeful. Other children emerge in the story who live in extreme poverty and are bullied in school; they are wary and withdrawn as well.  These wounded children often help one another through honest conversations about their troubles.  In addition,there are a number of frightening scenes beyond the initial bike accident, including a snake bite and a palpable near-drowning. Adventure, danger, sorrow, laughter, all comprise the new lives these children lead on Stubba Farm.

Unnerstad’s book won the Swedish version of the Newbery Medal, called the Nils Holgersson Plaque,  in 1957. It’s full of lovely, quaint Swedish references, Swedish place-names, a running discussion of the distinction between the southern Swedes and the Stockholmers, several Swedish folk tales, and most importantly, the spettecake in the English title.

Spettekaka is a traditional cake from Skåne which is baked by pouring batter onto a cone-shaped form which is turned on a spit over the heat. Literally, it is “cake on a spit.”  An intricate framework of rings and lacework forms a towering, crispy cake. It would be quite amazing to attempt!

Unnerstad was one of the most popular authors in Sweden, and she’s written quite a few other children’s titles which have been translated into English. This book won’t suit everyone, though those with a Swedish background will especially be drawn to it.  I found it a surprising, satisfying mix of soothing, playful, out-of-doors delight, and thoughtful, sober, reflection on the very real sorrows children sometimes must face. If I’d had it earlier, I’d have read it aloud with my kids, ages 6 and up.

It’s out of print in the U.S. at least, but here’s an Amazon link:  The Spettecake Holiday

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fiction favorites…Owls in the Family

Owls in the Family, by Farley Mowat, illustrated by Robert Frankenberg

I shoved my hand under the brush and touched a bundle of wet feathers…There was the missing owlet, the third one that had been in the nest, and he was still alive.
He was about as big as a chicken, and you could see his grown-up feathers pushing through the baby down. He even had the beginnings of the two “horn” feathers growing on his head. A surprising thing about him was that he was almost pure white, with only small black markings on the ends of his feathers. When we found him he looked completely miserable, because all his down and feathers were stuck together in clumps, and he was shivering like a leaf.

 Billy and his pal Bruce live in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, a town perched on the edge of vast prairie, where there’s more than ample room for rambling and adventuring. As he’s already the owner of  dozens of gophers, rats, snakes, rabbits, and one beloved dog named Mutt, it somehow isn’t surprising when Billy discovers and carts home an owlet orphaned by a storm.

One of the great things about this story, by the by,  is that he names the little fella Wol, after the Owl in Winnie-the-Pooh. 

Shortly after Wol joins the family, another forlorn owl is rescued, named Weeps. The hilarious bedlam that follows from having such a menagerie makes up this classic, semi-autobiographical novel by one of Canada’s most famous writers.

First published in 1961, Owls in the Family paints a picture of bygone years when children had an enormous amount of freedom to roam, when snagging gophers from the prairie and scrabbling up cottonwoods were chosen pastimes rather than electronic entertainment, when lack of supervision meant a boatload of trouble, a lot of bruises, and plenty of fun.  Sure, some of these boys’ shenanigans are not advisable, but their exertions and enthusiasm are refreshing and funny just the same.

This book reads a bit like Henry Huggins’, in a more rural setting, and the wonderful ink drawings of Robert Frankenberg echo that same, nostalgic, 1950s feel.  The comedy of these completely out-of-control situations will please readers ages 6 through adult. Makes a great choice for a  read-aloud, spanning a wide age-range, or a fairly short novel for young-ish or reluctant readers. Add it to a summer reading list if you’ve not already read this one and be prepared to laugh out loud.

Here’s the Amazon link:Owls in the Family

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surprise!…a list of five books packed with mysterious envelopes to open and magical flaps to lift

The Goldilocks Variations, or Who’s Been Snopperink in My Woodootog?, words by Allan Ahlberg, pictures by Jessica Ahlberg

This is the story of a “cheeky girl” named Goldilocks, who, as you well know, entered the home of three innocent bears, wreaked havoc upon porridge, chairs and beds, then bolted when discovered. Of all the nerve!

Thankfully, poor baby bear was given a lovely little bun later on that day.

Bears love buns!

Bears love buns, in case you didn’t know.

Had you heard, though,  that Goldilocks also visited the enormous cottage of 33 bears? And snooped in a spaceship (more properly called a trood)where lived three darling little Bliim? And entered a cottage occupied by a blithering bunch of fairy tale folk, where much pandemonium took place?!

And that’s not all! Allan Ahlberg has written a marvelous melange of stories starring this saucy gal, co-starring, delightfully, the humble

Sweet! This tiny pop-up book is inside the book…it’s a 3-act play!

Sugar Bun, quite soothing and delectable to Bears. These stories are sprinkled with Jessica Ahlberg’s charming, teensy, watercolor illustrations  – wee beds and overstuffed chairs, bitsy, colorful crockery, and oodles of small brown bears, not to mention the pert, sea-green, four-legged Bliim. Irresistable.

Rocketing the whole package up to sonic levels, are the wonderful add-ons: tabs to pull that transform a picture, like pulling the blind on a window; a tiny book-within-the-book containing an off-the-charts-darling 3-act play of Goldilocks performed with the help of dozens of bunnies; even a mighty-handy picture dictionary of Bliim vocabulary! This pleasingly-plump book is chock full of goodies that will light up the corners of your heart.

Gah! I’ve been waiting to get my hands on this book since I first caught wind of it. Published just last year, it’s the loving work of an extraordinary, beloved children’s author and his talented daughter. A birthday treat for ages 5 and up if ever there was!

The Jolly Postman, or Other People’s Letters, by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Decked out in a royal blue uniform, a bulging satchel slung over his back, riding his sturdy red bicycle, the jolly postman toodles up lanes and over the hills delivering letters to all your favorite fairy tale friends.

First up is a letter for Mr and Mrs Bear at Three Bears Cottage in The Woods. There is an actual envelope here, folks, complete with a charming postage stamp and postmark. Reach inside the envelope, pull out the letter — ah! it’s a sweet note from Goldilocks, apologizing for her mess. Her handwriting is quite clear, though her spelling wobbles (as Pooh Bear would say), and she’s drawn such cheery little illustrations on it, plus invited Baby Bear to a party.

After a cup of tea with the Bears, it’s back on the dusty trail for the Postman. He’s got a lot of letters and parcels yet to deliver to folks including the Wicked Witch, Jack’s giant, even Cinderella herself! Each has it’s own, particular envelope, and inside –my, oh my! — all sorts of goodies: an advertising circular, a picture postcard, a teensy storybook…

This gem was also written by Allan Ahlberg. Janet Ahlberg, his late wife and  illustrator of their classic collaborations, gave us  these quintessential, endearing pictures of dapper bears and idyllic countrysides, teapots and biscuits, and the steadfast, jolly postman. What child can resist the excitement of pulling out the items tucked in these fantastic envelopes? My copy is battered, torn, and stained from so many, many readings with my young children.

Almost 30 years old, The Jolly Postman is a treasure for ages 4 and up. (Gotta know those fairy tales first.)

The Hidden Alphabet, by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

As with so many of her books, this remarkable alphabet book by Laura Vaccaro Seeger is tricky to describe, and magical to experience.

Each page consists of a wide black frame, pierced by a die-cut, rectangular or square opening. These openings are windows to  hidden pictures beneath, and each one shows us an object beginning with the corresponding letter. So, on the “B” page, an opening shows two balloons, one cherry red, one lemon yellow, floating against a blue, star-spattered sky. It’s labeled: balloons.  Lift the black frame up, and what you see is the entire letter B, with the balloons revealed to be the circular bits making up the letter.

On the “W” page, the window shows a little blue wave, licking up against a sunny yellow background. W is for wave. Open the black frame and you see that the wave forms the triangular shape at the bottom of the capital W.  Brilliant.

Enthralling transformations on every page, and dramatic color schemes will capture the fancy of children too young to know their letters, and adults who learned theirs decades ago. Imaginative…satisfying… fun!

Boat Works, by Tom Slaughter

Ahoy there! I’ve got a riddle for you. In fact, I’ve got six.

Each riddle in this book begins with the question, “What am I?” Those bold, black words are stenciled onto the left hand side of a two-page spread, along with a tantalizing glimpse of a boat — but we are only seeing one quarter of the entire picture, which makes it quite tricky to guess just what kind of boat it could be.

On the right hand page, though, there’s a clue and a picture: I have two oars. Hmmmmm…..what kind of boat has oars? Give up? Lift up that page, which is entirely a flap, and voila! there’s another picture and clue: I have a rope that ties me to the dock.  What’s more, lifting up that flap has revealed another quarter of the scene. And when you unfold the top section, which is another flap, the whole puzzling scene is complete. A gorgeous, red rowboat floats along the dock. I’m a rowboat. Fabulous!

Fold everything up, and we’re on to another riddle.

Tom Slaughter’s striking designs are big and bold, in bright, primary colors, ready to grab the attention of young skippers. The completely, folded-out pictures measure 17×17, so they’re a brave, galumptious armful for a toddler. Sturdy pages will stand up to hundreds of readings, which is what I would predict for this snappy book!

The Birthday Present, by Bruno Munari

Once there was a truck driver who wanted to take a dandy birthday present to his son, John.

He starts out on in his large, yellow truck, but alas! 10 miles from home, his truck breaks down. Rats.

Happily, he is able to trade that truck for a snazzy green car. Bad luck for him, though, because at the nine-mile mark, it also stops.

This determined driver has to use all manner of transport, right down to his bare feet, before he finally arrives at home with the enticing red-and-white-striped

Photo by Thuy-Tien Crampton.

package. What can it be?!

This has to be one of the most unusual formats in a book I’ve come across. Its pages gradually decrease in size, so you uncover smaller and smaller pages as you go, a bit like the Russian Matryoshka dolls with that tiniest one tucked deep inside.

First up is a giant yellow lorry. Turn the page and a smaller, green car is printed on smaller paper. Turn that page and a gleaming, red motorcycle is on even smaller paper. And so it goes as our hero journeys mile after mile, encountering breakdowns all along the way. Midway through, the pages begin growing in size again until he reaches home. There, a boxy brown house awaits, with a little door to open: “Hello, lucky little birthday boy!” On the final page, the tantalizing package is there to be opened. Ooh la la!

Bruno Munari was an influential Italian designer who took pleasure in designing creatively for children in the midst of his other work. I was happy to come across Thuy-Tien Crampton’s blog where she discusses his art far better than I could, and I thank her for the work she did to create the photos of the book you see here. (Check out her gorgeous clothing for children on her Facebook page, too. The whole page exudes such a beautiful, delightful,

Much more likely to be found in your library.

summery-childhood feel. )

This book, from 1945, is one of about a dozen Munari created. Sadly, it’s not in print, but is still held in some larger libraries. I got my copy for a few cents at a library sale, though I notice they’re being sold for exorbitant amounts on-line. If you cannot find it, I’d encourage you to check out one of his other titles.

Here are Amazon links for all these popping, flapping, jolly-exciting books!
The Goldilocks Variations: A Pop-up Book
The Jolly Postman
Boat Works (Giant Fold-Out Books)
The Hidden Alphabet
The BIRTHDAY PRESENT.

A reminder: I am in the Amazon Associates program which means I get a wee bit of what you spend there when you click through to their site from my blog. It doesn’t add to your price; just gives me a little dab. Thanks to all who’ve been doing this. 

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fiction favorites…Keeping Score

Keeping Score, by Linda Sue Park

The Brooklyn Dodgers, who were in the National League with the Giants, had never won the World Series.
Not ever.
Not even once.
It was what Maggie wanted more than anything in the world: for the Dodgers to win the World Series. It seemed like she had wanted it ever since she was born. Every year the Dodgers — whose nickname to Brooklynites was “Dem Bums” — came close, either winning the National League pennant or finishing in the top three. But the biggest prize, the World Series championship, always seemed to slip away from them.
Although Maggie knew it wasn’t true, she felt as if the first words she had learned when

The Dodgers did finally win the World Series in 1955.

she was a baby were, “Wait till next year!” — the unofficial official slogan of Dodger fans.

Maggie Fortini is a dyed-in-the-wool Dodgers fan. In the early 1950s, that meant choosing between guys like Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella, Carl Furillo and Pee Wee Reese, for your favorite player. It also meant counting up games towards a championship, and always falling short.

Maggie loves hanging out at her dad’s old workplace, the firehouse, listening to Red Barber call the plays on the radio. There, she meets a new firefighter named Jim who is — horrors! — a Giants fan, but an awfully amiable guy for all that. Jim teaches Maggie the art of keeping score of the games, an elaborate system of marks and letters penciled into tiny boxes on a ruled grid. For Maggie, it’s an almost magical pathway into feeling an essential part of the Dodgers. She fastidiously keeps score for every game, developing new coded systems for tracking stats she feels are vital.

When Jim is drafted into the army and sent to fight in the Korean War, Maggie is equally faithful at writing to him. Their lively correspondence abruptly ends, though. Why isn’t Jim writing anymore? The answer is long in coming. When Maggie finally learns that Jim is suffering from deep trauma, she sets about with her typical determination to find a way to restore him. But nothing seems to help.

Life, like the Dodgers, can be so full of disappointment and heartbreak. What’s the use of hope, when the scorecard always seems to come up short. As the hurts of life pile up, and nothing seems to change them — not sacrifice, not prayer, not loyalty — Maggie questions the value of hoping, of “waiting till next year.” Yet hoping for good is what Maggie learns to cling to.

Happily, we never have to “hope” Linda Sue Park’s novels will be excellent! She is such a fabulous writer! Offering a keen depiction of the Korean War, enough baseball lore for the greatest of fans, a nostalgic look at 1950s Brooklyn, while exploring hope, friendship, trauma, finding one’s particular place in the world, and even prayer — this is a gem of a novel. Thoroughly enjoyable for both genders, I’d recommend it for ages 9 to 90. Includes maps to better understand the Korean conflict, and an Author’s Note about the intricacies of scoring, the Dodgers, her own baseball fervor, and some particular incidents in the Korean War.

With the Korean peninsula so much in the news, and baseball season just underway — I think it’s the perfect book for you to check out now!

Here’s the Amazon link:   Keeping Score

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batter up!…a list of five baseball stories for fans of all ages

Clemente! by Willie Perdomo, illustrated by Bryan Collier

Roberto Clemente, one of baseball’s greats, was born in Puerto Rico in 1934, and became the first Latino player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

A powerful hitter and exceptional outfielder, Clemente’s superb athleticism and legendary arm that rocketed the ball in from right field earned him many, many honors. Yet it was his humanitarian work in his homeland and other Latin American countries that made him one of the most beloved baseball players. A plane crash en route to assisting earthquake victims in Nicaragua  took his life. His generous spirit is noted each year when the Roberto Clemente Award is presented. 

Willie Perdomo has written a brief, affectionate account of Clemente, told from the perspective of a young boy named after him. This little boy’s father and uncle are huge Clemente fans, and he learns about this giant-of-a-man from them — about Clemente’s boyhood, his amazing stats, his graciousness, the tensions he endured due to his ethnicity, and his tragic death. At times the narrative sparks with electric enthusiasm; at times it’s hushed with honor and pride.

Bryan Collier’s paintings and collages glow with familial warmth,  jolt with bat-cracking power, and speak to the very human, kind outlook of Clemente. A time line, author’s note, illustrator’s note,  and book and website listings, all add to our understanding of this unusual ballplayer. Ages 5 and up.

Hey Batta Batta Swing!: The Wild Old Days of Baseball, by Sally Cook and James Charlton, illustrated by Ross MacDonald

Did you know the Brooklyn Dodgers changed their name to the Bridegrooms one year since so many of the players had married in the off-season?

Or that, back in the day,  it took nine balls to get a walk?

Only one or two balls were used during an entire game in those days, with fans returning any balls hit into the stands, until one owner declared that fans ought to be allowed to keep them. Who was it?

Ever heard of meatballs, lollipops, taters, and cans of corn? They aren’t items to buy at the corner grocer’s. They’re part of the abundant slang created over the long, long history of baseball.

A whole motley history of baseball is presented in this book, majoring on the quirky differences that governed the game a century ago. Nicknames and odd uniforms, sneaky tricks and crazy slang, old-time rules and a ballplayer traded for a bag of prunes — it’s all here.  The authors pitch it to us  in a breezy, humorous style that will interest folks ages 6 to 100…probably the grandparents among us could add a lot of colorful commentary to the information here!

MacDonald’s lively illustrations, done in watercolor and pencil crayon, exude vintage, all-American, comical charm. A perfect accompaniment.

Able to Play: Overcoming Physical Challenges, by Glenn Stout

Mordecai Brown lost a couple of fingers on his right hand in an accident at age five. Unpampered by his parents, and undaunted by life, Brown went on to become a star major league pitcher, pitched in the World Series, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Jim Abbott was born with an abbreviated right arm and no right hand. At a young age, he learned to catch, throw, and bat, practicing relentlessly, then went on to become a pitcher on the U.S. Olympic baseball team as well as playing for a decade in the major leagues.

Ron Santo secretly battled diabetes at a time when the disease was much more difficult to manage, while playing third base for the Chicago Cubs.

Curtis Pride overcame deafness, learning to lip read and focus on non-auditory cues, in order to make it in the major leagues.

The stories of these four men, their perseverance, and their refusal to allow physical challenges to define them or prevent them from achieving their goals, comprise this book. Each chapter follows the course of one player’s life. Stout’s writing is vivid, packed with interesting anecdotes, play-by-plays of key sporting moments, and direct quotes. Excellent sportswriting for mid-elementary and up. Be aware that there’s a fairly gruesome bit surrounding Mordecai Brown’s injury.

Included for each player are one black-and-white photo, sources for further information, and career stats. An inspirational book for all ages, whether able-bodied or challenged, athletic or not-so-much.

Full Count: Top 10 Lists of Everything in Baseball, published by Sports Illustrated Kids

Baseball and statistics go together like apple pie and ice cream, it seems to me.

Part of the ugliest uniform competition!

 

That’s why this book, with it’s top ten lists of everything under the sun connected with baseball, makes so much sense.

From more obvious lists, such as the top ten lead off hitters or world series moments, to some lighthearted entries like best facial hair or oddest pitching styles, there are 36 colorful lists of bragging rights here. Well, perhaps not all brag-worthy. There’s also a list of ten scandals and the ten ugliest uniforms.

Gobs of brilliant, full-color photography — this is Sports Illustrated, after all — fill the pages, with short commentaries for each of the entries. Super fun book for poring over, arguing about, quizzing Dad on, wiling away the hours on a summer road trip…ages 5-100. Published in 2012, so we’re right up to date.

No Easy Way: The Story of Ted Williams and the Last .400 season, by Fred Bowen, illustrations by Charles S. Pyle

Speaking of stats: Take a nine-inch ball, have someone hurl it at you 100 miles-per-hour, then try to hit it with a slim stick of wood. Little wonder that Ted Williams claimed “hitting a baseball is the single most difficult thing to do in sports.”

Williams, though, excelled at just that, and was the last major league player to maintain a batting average above .400 for an entire season. That was in 1941. Williams was playing for the Boston Red Sox, with Joe DiMaggio giving him a run for his money over at the Yankees’ club.

Williams accomplished this seemingly-unbreakable record by sheer, hard work.

Ted Williams

There was no easy way, he knew.  In fact, with just a couple of games left in the season and an average just mathematically high enough to call  .400,  lots of folks, including Williams’ manager, thought he should sit out the remaining games in order to not jeopardize his record. Williams refused, declaring he wanted to earn the record, the whole season through. No easy way.

Fred Bowen’s account of Ted Williams’ life, his pathway to major league ball, and the grueling 1941 season, is loaded with all the determination and tension surrounding the forging of that amazing record. Charles Pyle’s paintings are striking, capturing the feel of the 40s, the athleticism of the players, and seating us in the stands, the dugout, or right smack in the batter’s box. Excellent biography for ages 6 and up.

Here are Amazon links for this entire line-up of baseball books:

Clemente!
Hey Batta Batta Swing!: The Wild Old Days of Baseball
Able to Play: Overcoming Physical Challenges (Good Sports)
Sports Illustrated Kids Full Count: Top 10 Lists of Everything in Baseball
No Easy Way: The Story of Ted Williams and the Last .400 Season

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