I'm a slacker. I said I would be better about blogging and I haven't been. I didn't even do a book review for January... worst mom ever.
But, as always, it's not that we weren't reading, I just wasn't blogging. So I'll knock out two months at once right now. For January, we had a random sampling of books. Some Valentine's themed, some foreign and some new favs.
1. Froggy's First Kiss by Jonathan London
Froggy does a lot. He's like Fancy Nancy... but green... and a frog... and a boy... okay I mean he's like Fancy Nancy in that there are tons of Froggy books for every season and Valentine's Day is no exception. The catch phrase in Froggy books is someone - his mom, teacher, sister, friend etc- always yells, "Froooooooogy" at him at least 2 or 3 times. Eva thinks these are quite funny and likes to read them herself. She can tell it's time to say it in the big, drawn out fashion when the word sprawls across the whole page. Not quite reading the word, but I'll take it.
Froggy spends tons of time in this book making a very special Valentine. All along you think he's making it for a girl he likes but, in the end, it turns out it was for his mom all along. Awwww :o)
2. Red Knit Cap Girl by Naoko Stoop
This is an adorable book from Japan about a girl who wants to get close enough to talk to the moon, but can't seem to figure out how. With the help of her animal friends, she finally figures it out. The trick, in the end, is she has to be quiet enough and patient enough for the moon to come close. And then she and the moon can talk all night. Very sweet book with pretty illustration and Eva likes that the girl is so small. Eva is beginning to understand just how petite she is compared to other people so she identifies well with other "little" people.
3. Skippyjon Jones in the Dog-House by Judy Schachner
Ohh Skippjon Jones... he may be the cutest thing to happen to children's books in the last decade. He's a spunky, Siamese cat with an awesome imagination and, since he's all the rage at school right now, Eva just loves his books. In this book he images he is a Chihuahua dog and because a semi-gangsteresque character. Kind of long, but very cute and very worth reading.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For February we did the same as last year and focused on books for Black History Month. Again, I was amazed at the feeling that welled up inside of me when I came across a book that I had read as child. The years really do fly by so fast, it almost breaks my heart. Every time I hear Eva wishing for something in the future, something when she's a "big girl"... I cringe a little. Because she already is a big girl. Somehow, despite my best efforts to baby her, she is a big girl with her own thoughts and likes and dislikes and friends and desires and fears and dreams and hopes and everything else that comes along with being a real person. Every day she grows more- I hate it and love it. I pray she grows to know the value of a person regardless of external characteristics.
1. Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter
This book was very popular when I was a kid and I remember the song went with it, although I can't remember the tune anymore. This is a book about the Underground Railroad and a family that follows it to freedom. Eva had a hard time understanding the beginning of the book, when it talked about the black man being sold. Her mind couldn't grasp the owning of people; to me, that's a good thing.
A must read for any child.
2. If A Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks by Faith Ringgold
This book was very long with lots of words. Eva actually ended up "reading" me the story instead since the pictures were so vivid. At times it was difficult, I had to explain who the men in the white hoods were, but it was a good book nonetheless. Plus, Eva got a kick out of the fact that Rosa had our same last name :-)
3. The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles
This book... where do I start. I don't know if it was the story itself or fact it's a book about a kindergarten girl that I read to an almost kindergarten girl but- for whatever reason- the book made me cry like a baby. The book follows Ruby as she is sent to the school, the first black child admitted through forced de-segregation, and how unpleasant it was.
We've all seen the Rockwell painting of little Ruby with her lunchbox being escorted by US Marshals into school but did you know that she went to school alone? All of the white parents 1) pulled their kids completely out of the school and 2) stood outside the school building every day for months and screamed horrible things at her as she entered. Grown people, screaming obscenities at a 6 year old. Makes me sick to my stomach to think about. And then poor Ruby had to have class alone with just her and the teacher for months.
I won't give away the part in the book that got to me, because I think everyone with children should find this book and read it, but I will say that even Eva understood the impact of it and was moved.
