Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

This post is dedicated to my sister, a second grade teacher who first introduced me to Marcel's particular brand of pluck and whimsy.  When I discovered a copy of his book on a recent sortie to the book store I knew I had to have it for the library.*  In addition to his quirky picture book, Marcel also stars in three animated short films, all of which can be viewed on YouTube. 

As the title of his book describes, Marcel is a shoe-wearing shell who lets the reader in on the challenges and thrills of being tiny in a normal-sized house.  He explains, " My car is a bug. If you do drive a bug you have to be pretty easy going because you are only going to get to go where the bug wants to go.  One week there was a maple sugar syrup spill in the kitchen and every time I would ride the bug no matter where I wanted to go I would just end up back at the kitchen.  Really what you just have to want to do is take a ride."

To break up your normal reading routine, share this picture book and then take a look at one of the animated shorts. Your kids won't be able to get enough of this good natured little shell and you might just find yourself incorporating Marcel-isms into your daily life.  For example, he asks his reader, "Guess why I smile a lot?"  The answer: "Uh, because it's worth it."  Indeed.

*As of this post, Marcel was still being barcoded and labeled at our cataloging center, but never fear, his tiny little shoes will soon be available on shelves at both library locations!

An Awesome Book!

Really, that's the title and it actually lives up to the claim.  It begins, "There are places in the world where people do not dream...of rocket-powered unicorns* and candy cane machines."  Originally self-published by a dad who vaguely resembles Scooby's side-kick in skinny jeans, this book took off online and became a word of mouth phenomenon before Harper Collins decided it would be awesome to publish it. 

If you're tired of giving Oh, the Places You'll Go! to every graduating senior in your life, try gifting this one instead.  This story's origins lend an air of authenticity to the "dream big" message.  But unlike Dr. Seuss's classic, this one is short enough to share with even your youngest dreamers.  The author and illustrator, Dallas Clayton, also has a website where you can view the book in its entirety for free, which I think we can all agree, is awesome indeed. 



*The author has trademarked rocket-powered unicorns, so don't dream that particular dream.

Septuplets, which is like twins only there are seven.

Kazuo Iwamura's adorable rodents return for a summer adventure in Seven Little Mice Go to the Beach.  In this installment, the family gets ready for a trip to the beach and Father insists on making seven life preservers.  He ties a rope to each one saying, "You children are good little swimmers, but we need to be safe in the water."  His concern is a bit of foreshadowing because he's the one who ends up stranded on a rock when the tide comes in during his afternoon nap.  Quick thinking on the part of Mother and the children results in a creative rescue and Father admits, sheepishly, "Now it's time for me to take swimming lessons!"

The individuality of each tiny mouse, down to their miniature shoes, makes pouring over each page a delight.  I'm partial to this series because the message is always understated.  I don't like to be bludgeoned with a moral, ease me into it with powerful artwork and simple text.  This could easily be used to talk about swim safety, how even grown-ups don't know how to do everything, or in preparation for a family vacation.

It's time for a check-up!

You've taken your children for check-ups with a pediatrician since they were two weeks old.  You know their height and weight percentiles, their booster shot schedule, and whether or not they've reached certain developmental milestones. But do you know if they are on target for kindergarten readiness? 

5 to Thrive is a campaign run by ReadySetSoar to help ensure that every child in Montgomery County is ready for kindergarten.  They maintain an excellent website that has links to local school districts with registration information, but most importantly it has an interactive readiness check-up for children ages 1 through 5 years.  The results give parents and caregivers ideas about what they can do to help set their children up for success in school.

And if, by any chance, you also have books in your house that need a check-up, take home Penelope Popper, Book Doctor so that everyone (and everything) is ready for reading!

Smiley Sidewalk Chalk

The first thing that came to mind when I saw the vivid scribbled fish on this black cover was, "Man, I want to lay on a warm sidewalk and doodle with some chalk!"

 Mies Van Hout's Happy is filled with bright fish sketched on a black page and a single word expressing an emotion.  The "jealous" fish is cutting his eyes at the reader and the "content" one looks down right blissful with its eyes closed and lips puckered up.

An excellent source of emotional vocabulary, this new non-fiction book might just inspire a therapeutic conversation over some sidewalk scribbling.

A little of this and that

This evening, as I perused our new book cart, drawing out the delicious window-shopping of never-been-cracked spines, three books stood out among the rest.  Rather than choosing one and returning the other two to their respective resting places, I give you an odd but satisfying assortment...a goulash of new books, if you will.

First, Step Gently Out, did as the title suggests.  Supported by the pure, simple poetic verse and lush photographs of insects, it's a shining example of non-fiction that is perfect for sharing with very young bug lovers.

Second, Lucy Rescued reminded me of the two giant lay-a-bout greyhounds who claim carpet real estate at my house.  Instead of the same tired pet shop storyline, this one's just right for a family who is adopting a dog and trying to help it settle into the family.

And finally, Nobunny's Perfect, a title new to board book format, made me think of my own new little bunny.  Full of perfect rhyming style, Dewdney pays homage to one of the greatest authors of bunny mischief in a dedication that reads, "with gratitude to Beatrix Potter, who knew bad bunny behavior when she saw it."

Now to get these treats to the shelf where they can be savored by another reader...

My Favorite Color

You may have guessed my favorite color by the scheme I chose for this blog.  Light green, forest, lime, or Kelly, I've got something in every shade.  I love it even more this time of year when the bare tree branches in my yard sprout new green leaves seemingly overnight.  Laura Vaccaro Seeger captures the variety and excitement of each special shade in her new book appropriately (if not very originally) called Green. 

Each double-page spread explores a different shade of green and features a tiny cut-out shape that hints to what might be on the next page.  Two pages in the middle invite the reader to decide what to call that particular variation of the color.  Making up silly words with your children is a great way to have a special inside joke and it also encourages creativity with language.

Pick up this title just in time for the greenest holiday of all, Earth Day!