Here's To You, Rachel Robinson by Judy Bloom and Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

We were on our way to the dentists yesterday when I noticed my older son (he's twelve - a fantastic reader, until we got an Xbox) was half way through this.

Seeing him reading something that wasn't a gaming magazine made me giddy with pleasure. The journey continued in silence as he read, as did our time in the waiting room. And this morning, when he emerged from his bedroom, bug-eyed from looking at god-knows-what on his netbook(actually I do know- special offers on the new version of the Xbox One), he said "Did you get me any other books from the library?" I hadn't. But, this morning, its Saturday and our local library is open until one. "They've loads of Judy Blooms up there." I said, "Why don't you go up and get a few?" Believe it or not he said....."Ok." I mean, its twenty five to one and he's not dressed yet, so I can't say if he will actually go, but it was nice not to get a look of scorn when I suggested it. Judy Bloom eh? Isn't she amazing?

Also, in the back of the same car on the way to the same dentist, my eight year old was reading this.

He hasn't finished it yet but I'm pretty sure judging by the silent concentration, that he will. I have and sighed with pleasure when I did. Its BEAUTIFUL in every way. Beautifully written with matching illustrations.

Action Jackson by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan. Illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker

My kids only know Jackson Pollack as a page in Olivia. We've read that so often that when I showed them Action Jackson they said "Oh! The Olivia picture."

Anyway, I saw Action Jackson recommended on What Do We Do All Day and got very approving looks from the librarian when I requested it. Apparently it has been sitting on a shelf for a year and I was the first borrower. I couldn't say my kids absolutely adored it, but my youngest did enjoy it and the elder ones (and their parents) now have a sort of idea how Jackson Pollack painted. I could certainly say the older guys liked it. (I just asked my eleven year old and he said he did, and was particularly taken with the idea that he kept going with a painting, even when there was an insect stuck to it.)

So how did he paint? Well, this book gives us a day in his life, as close to how it really was as the authors could manage. 

Its pretty straightforward for nowadays; working on the floor in a barn with house paints and sticks and dried up brushes, but I suppose for the time it was very different.

I found it fascinating and am now dying to see one of his works in the flesh. Theres a a bit of a bio in the back of the book, with photos, which is nice, but sad; he died at 44 for goodness sake. But overall, a very nice, very interesting book. I'm not sure what age I'd say its for, its in a picture book format but what it's explaining is really for ages six or seven and up. 

My Book of Telling Time (Kumon)

I have two middle boys. One of them was always "easy". Slept OK as a baby, ate well, smiled a lot. As a result though, I think he sometimes feels a bit forgotten. The other day when I was dropping him at school with his brothers, while I was doing my usual fussing about with schoolbags and sorting out collection times he said, "Look at me now, Mum, and say goodbye." The guilt! I have of course, been smothering him with attention since, which he doesn't like either. Oh well.

Anyways, I did notice that said boy couldn't read the time easily not too long ago. He's eight and  had done a whole section on it in school, so I knew something needed to be done. In about three afternoons, this book solved the problem. Its not often you can say that about a book, so even though I have blogged about the Kumon books before, I thought My Book of Telling Time deserved a mention.

holiday scrapbooks by Lucy Mitchell

Holiday scrapbooks.

We do this every year. Well, ever since we visited my brother in the States - it seemed so momentous to get all (then)five of us as far as California, that it deserved to be recorded. I learnt then that all you need is scissors, a glue stick and an old-fashioned scrapbook. 25 pages is enough. And just wait for the rubbish/memories to accumulate. A few (quite relaxing, actually) minutes spent sticking each day will result in a book they will look at forever. I guarantee you won't regret it.

We always camp in France these days and below are examples from our last two years efforts. Don't use ring bound notebooks, as we did the first year, they just fall apart. And make it as you go. Believe it or not the kids will actually help.  Empty sweet bags, receipts from the supermarket (holiday shopping is so much more treaty that normal home stuff), any entrance tickets, brochures. Really anything to do with what you did. Two of our boys usually have their birthdays when we are on holidays, so we put a card and a few clues about their presents in too. And they LOVE looking through them afterwards. 

So here we go; A seventh birthday,

 French Macdonalds wrappers,

The playground we camped beside for one night. We arrived late and didn't know the code to open the gate so had to loiter for someone else to open it and drive about an inch behind them to get through. In fairness the French are pretty cool about that stuff. No one batted an eye. We set up camp on the only pitch left and put the tent up in the dark. Once it was up we realised we were almost on top of the communal barbeques where a tattooed gang of muscly men gathered to chat, cook and drink. We feebly attempted to get the kids to sleep and wondered what to do.  Would we live through the night? Hopefully. My husband ventured out to the car to see if there was anything there to eat or drink and came back with a plate of sausages from one of the chefs. 

 My middle boys writing practice and my reading material. Nabilla will be a millionaire by the time she is thirty. At least I think thats what it means.

A bin truck for the birthday boy and a lovely French sweetie bag.

An extra sleeping mat and Lego. And a carambar.

 I didn't make that medieval village. My husband did. With a little help from the kids. Very little to be honest. And yummy biscuits and even yummier beer.

The bag our croissants came in each morning, horse-riding and chocolate milk.

More beer and an Ethni'Cite(Troglodyte settlement) information book. It was closed when we got there. On a Wednesday in mid-August. Because they close every Wednesday afternoon, explained the guide. 

So, I'd buy the scrapbook at home, its not the easiest thing to find abroad, even with the massive stationary sections in the lovely continental supermarkets. Ideally have it, the gluestick and a scissors in a ziplock bag. Then you dump the stuff in there and glue it when you get a chance. Once you start the kids will get involved. Everyone wants their stuff in it. And thats it! Have a lovely weekend!

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile by Bernard Waber

While I was thinking about collections of stories yesterday, this popped into my head. We all loved Ira Sleeps Over here, so I ordered this on the strength of that.

Lyle, Lyle Crocodile Storybook Treasury is a hardcover collection of Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, The House On East 88th Street, Lyle and the Birthday Party and Lyle Walks the Dogs. The last one is more of a toddler story and is illustrated by Bernard Wabers' daughter, Paulis. I thought at first it was just going to be a vehicle for the father to introduce his daughters work but no, its lovely. My three year old asks for it regularly.

The other stories must be well known to readers across the pond but Lyle was new to me. There's a good bit of reading in them - so for ages four to six they're a perfect, substantial read-aloud. One is more than enough for bedtime as they're not short. Like the Curious George stories I mentioned yesterday these just make me think childrens' attention spans must be getting shorter as stories written in the 40's, like George and 60's, like most of these seem way longer than lots written now. 

Anyway, this is where Lyle lives. Its on East 88th Street. Doesn't it make you want to go to New York? Or at least watch You've Got Mail?

It all begins when the Primm family move in. Alarmed on hearing a noise coming from the bathroom, they investigate. And find Lyle in the bath. What to do?

 He comes down the stairs to see them. Help!

 But really, there's nothing to panic about. Lyle is just such a nice guy.

 He helps around the house.

 Joins in socially.

 And keeps himself very clean. He loves baths!

 He doesn't mind if he's "on" in games. (or "it" as they say in the States.)

 How could you not love such a friendly guy?

 In Lyle and the Birthday Party, he does have a bit of a sulk.

 How does Bernard Waber draw a sulking crocodile? Aren't these pictures perfect?

 But behaving like that is so out of character, the Primms think he must be sick. And off he goes to hospital.

 Where, like all of us, he wonders why he is woken so early!

 But soon he is back to his cheerful, helpful self.

 And the Primms, realising that he may have been a bit miffed at not having a party of his own, throw him one. Because he deserves it. Because everybody loves Lyle.

Curious George

I got The Complete Adventures of Curious George two years ago after a lot of deliberation. It's over €22 after all. (Although it looks like now there is an edition that's almost identical for a few euros cheaper.) But its a keeper. In this massive hardback there are seven Curious George stories all written by the original creators of the monkey. (the character lives on but is now written and drawn by others.)

The first draft of the first Curious George story, (he was originally called Fifi) was written in Paris and left the city strapped on the back of a bicycle just hours before the Nazis arrived in June 1940. Margret and H.A. Rey, both Jewish had been living in the French capital and made it to the States through Spain, Portugal and Brazil. In Autumn 1941 it was published in America and in 1942 it was published in England. Although in the U.K. it was titled Zozo because the King at the time was called George(the one in The Kings Speech whose brother had gone off with Wally Simpson) and "curious" then meant homosexual. Written when it was and read now, there are aspects of the stories (there are six in this volume) which aren't terribly politically correct - capturing George for one, and quite a bit of pipe smoking, but who cares, these are great stories. And the illustrations - well here they are, in all their wonderful colours. They are fantastic.

Here is George after curiosity about the sea got the better of him.

 Where did he go?

 Aha!

 And here he is arriving in America, delighted with himself.

 Here he is flying a kite,

 and getting a pet bunny,

 being searched for in the Zoo,

 heading off to space in a rocket,

 going fishing,

 and helping in a hospital.

At first, for my then two year old, I had to paraphrase the stories as there are six or so lines per page, but now at nearly four, I can read them as is. He loves the book and I'm reckoning we will have at least two more years reading it. This anniversary edition has all the information about the authors and a few background details about the stories. If your into all that, which clearly I am, its fascinating. 

A School Like Mine

A School Like Mine. I picked this up in the library last week, really because I had seen a Dorling Kindersley book like it recommended on the Ben and Birdy blog. I don't often go for the big hardcover encyclopedia types, for no good reason other than I just love picture books and I don't want to carry something heavy to the car if its not definitely going to be read. But anyways, this looked interesting.

So interesting in fact that when I was having my mid afternoon slump pick-me-up cuppa yesterday, I read it myself. Its fascinating. A simple, clever idea, very well done. Each double page covers the daily life of a child in a different country. What they have for breakfast, how they get to school, what they do at school, their favourite toy, their family. I love this stuff. The French girls predictably healthy lunch, the Indian boys' cool stainless steel lunch containers that screw onto each other, the Mongolian little boys' raisin drink served by his teacher.

There is the temptation of course, of playing the guilt card (and being an Irish mother, I cannot resist it) and pointing out to ones kids how easy they have it compared to some. And this is true, but really the book is about children who seem happy and cared for. And the photos are quite "real" insofar as the subjects aren't in their best clothes, the shoes look a bit scuffed and the little Belgian girl has a ladder in her tights. Its as if the Dorling Kindersley people said they'd be along to photograph the kids but didn't give an exact time, so no one was quite ready. Or maybe they said, just let them wear what they normally wear on a weekday. Whatever they did it worked. This is about €16.something on Book Depository, so its not cheap, but it really is an education. For ages five to eleven, I'd say.