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By Mom Unplugged, June 20, 2007 8:37 pm

This is a find-it alphabet book with a twist. The challenge is to find each letter of the alphabet in very realistic paintings of scenes of city-life (New York City is the inspiration). Some letters are very obvious, others not so easy.

I did an experiment, and upon opening the book randomly, the letters were hidden well enough that I couldn’t always figure out what I should be looking for. But if I went through the book in order so that I KNEW what was supposed to come next, it was easy (for me as an adult), but often quite cleverly disguised.

This is a really fun book for pre-readers (no words, just letters to search for) and readers alike. It is a great travel book, or one to keep in the car. It really makes both kids and adults learn to look at everyday objects with new eyes.

The artwork is truly amazing and each page is a pleasure to look at. No wonder it is a Caldecott Honor Book!

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By Mom Unplugged, June 5, 2007 8:31 pm

Jamichael Henterly’s sweet illustrations in this book are so lovely and detailed, you could spend quite a time studying them! The rhyming text is minimal but very pretty (Rose Fyleman wrote it in 1918!).

This is a simple book that teaches children the value of kindness. The fairy goes to the market four times. Each time she buys an animal, which she enjoys for a while then sets free; or once a lovely “winter gown” which she enjoys for a while then gives to a cold frog. The final illustration depicts the fairy surrounded by the four animals that she helped / set free.

I just stumbled upon this by accident at Amazon while searching for a fourth book for a 4-for-3 promotion order. It was a lovely find!

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By Mom Unplugged, May 25, 2007 9:42 pm

This sweet series of books contains the poems and illustrations of Cicely Mary Barker, arranged by season or subject. Since it is now spring, I feature Flower Fairies of the Spring. These little books were first published in 1923 and the language and pictures do feel like they come from the past.

Despite the age of the book however, it is still charming and fascinating today. My 6 year-old fairy-loving daughter frequently requests one of these poems before bed. Be advised, the language is quite sophisticated and some children, particularly younger ones, might be bored. Perhaps you might want to check it out of the library first.

Each two-page spread introduces a different flower fairy through a poem and accompanying illustration. For example, first are The Crocus Fairies, then The Colt’s-Foot Fairy, followed by The Celadine Fairy, etc.

Since Cicely Mary Parker was English, many of these flowers may not be so familiar to American readers. Perhaps it could be a good introduction to a botany or gardening lesson or discussion?

The illustrations are gorgeous. The fairies are lovely and expressive. For the pictures alone, this book is worth a look. Recently, the “Flower Fairies” have become quite commercialized. This series is the classic original and contains no modern, commercial references whatsoever.

I believe that these poems and illustrations can be found all together in a large volume, but I like this series since the books are quite small (about 5.5″ x 4.5″) and seem all the more magical because of their tiny size.

Other books in the series are:

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By Mom Unplugged, May 16, 2007 2:04 pm

I have just started straightening out my garden, so this seems an appropriate book to feature today.

This is a simple book about the “life-cycle” of a vegetable garden. We follow a family and their garden through the seasons beginning with their eager springtime anticipation of the last frost, and ending with fall canning and the wait for next year’s garden. There is a certain comfort in this book as we follow the rhythm of the seasons, knowing that next year all will be the same.

The illustrations appear to be in colored pencil and are a nice complement to the simple happenings in the garden.

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By Mom Unplugged, May 2, 2007 3:06 pm

I believe that this is originally a Dutch story. The Apple Cake tells the tale of an old woman who, wishing to make an apple cake, sets off to the market with a basket of plums in the hopes of trading them for some apples.

The narrative follows the woman and her encounters on the way to the market. The kind lady trades her plums, and eventually other items, in order to help people she meets along the way. Of course, just when you think she will never get her apples, she makes a final trade for some apples!

Would she have gotten the apples if she had not been so kind to strangers? What would have happened to the strangers and their predicaments if the woman had not gone to the market that day?

Children learn the importance of kindness and generosity, as well as the power of positive karma! The story is a bit convoluted for really little children, but ages three or four and up should enjoy it immensely. I also love the pretty pastel illustrations. There is even a recipe on the back for a delicious-sounding apple cake. A “Kids Cook Night” idea perhaps?