Winter Gift Guide: Picture Books

Picture books are my go-to gift. Here are three ideas that follow the Read-Wear-Play magic formula.

18-months+:

 The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett (a heartwarming Inuit variation of Goldilocks and the Three Bears; recently published in board book form)
Sea World Polar Bear Youth Slippers
Carter's Footed Pajama Blanket Sleeper 24 months- Polar Bear

Newly Literate+:

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of 2011; 2012 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book)

Krochet Kids The Thomas Jr. (handmade in Uganda)  

Melissa and Doug travel-size Flip-to-Win Memory Game (because in the book, the bear "remembers" and "forgets" the rabbit...)

Tween+ (including grown-up mid-century modern fans and Finlandophiles):

Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip: Book 1 (the five books in this series contain comics originally published in London Evening News in the mid-1950s)
Moomin Character Earphone Jack Accessory
Marimekko Tuuli Canvas Pencil Pouch by hannasboutique (use it for pencils/pens, snacks, hygiene/grooming kit, etc.)


I should mention, I got the idea for Read-Wear-Play themed gifts from Gabrielle of Design Mom--Santa brings her six children using that formula. I should also mention that I collected these images and links for fun and for your friendly use, and I am not affiliated in any way with any of the products or sellers.

What's your gifting formula? What books are on your wish list, or gift list?

Halloween: Book Costumes and Other Fun

A friend of mine crafted this typewriter (to attach to a cow costume) out of a Cheerios box! Her six-year-old was definitely the cutest union member of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type (by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin).

I love seeing little Halloween costumes based on book characters! Last year, Baby A was Gossie. And I can't decide what she'll be this year--Peter Rabbit? Pooh? Clifford/Emily Elizabeth? Or a fluffy monster? Time is running out! What are your costuming plans? Did you prepare weeks ago, or do you wait until the week before (like me)? I have been pinning book character costume ideas, if you still need them.

Our favorite Halloween book this year has been Little Goblins Ten by Pamela Jane, illustrated  by Jane Manning. The lyrics come off charmingly without ever trying to "force" a rhyme. It's a counting book, without feeling predictable. And the illustrations are part-lovely and part-creepy--definitely not too scary, but not cutesy, either.

My husband, 2.3-year-old, and I went to see Hotel Transylvania, and we were surprised at how much we all liked it! Next week, we'll be screening the classic It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

What are your Halloween traditions? Or are you trying something new this year?

Timeless Summer Children's Books

 When I was a kid, there was no summer bucket list. 

If I was in Finland, I knew I'd be picking berries, visiting a cabin in the woods, and running back and forth between the sauna and the ocean. 

If I was in Virginia, I knew I'd be at the pool six days a week, riding my bike to my best friend's house, and devouring a million Otter Pops on my cousin's front porch.

Every summer also included a curl-up with a book in a backyard hammock.

All these summer joys are timeless, don't you think? Do you read in a hammock?

Try these classics to soak up one more month of summer:

 

Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran, illustrated by Barbara Cooney, is my favorite. McLerran and Cooney capture the magic of imagination that turns a field of broken glass and stones into a lifelong memory of a beautiful society of neighborhood friends.

 

Amos and Boris by William Steig was just published in 2009, but the enduring tale of friendship and simply sweet illustrations will make it a classic. 

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahames was written as a lovely escape from Grahame's difficult life, and it is now a gift of fantasy to everyone who reads each adventurous chapter.

 P.S. last year's summer book picks

first two photos: my childhood

third photo: source

Summer Solstice Books + Activity Ideas

Summer Solstice feels magical, don't you think? As a child, I spent nearly every other summer in Finland, and on Juhannus [Midsummer's Eve] the sun really never set. At midnight, everything looks dusky, but not dark. Everyone stays up all night, celebrating with friends and family by visiting their summer cabin, grilling at a fire pit, going between the sauna and a swim in a river, drinking, dancing to a live band, and watching a huge bonfire float on the river. (Everyone does some of those things, at least!)

In Utah, we haven't done much to acknowledge Midsummer's Day, but this year, I'd like to do something fun. Do you celebrate the longest day of the year?

I checked out a couple of non-fiction picture books from the library for celebration inspiration.

The Summer Solstice by Ellen Jackson, illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis.

The Longest Day: Celebrating the Summer Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer, illustrated by Linda Bleck.

Each book explains the science of Summer Solstice, and the history and celebration of it around the world. The Summer Solstice is longer, with more challenging vocabulary, best for ages 7 and up. The Longest Day has 3-6 sentences per page, and seems best for ages 4 and up. Each book has several activity ideas in the back, all fun, educational, and inexpensive. 

In case you can't get the books in time for Midsummer's (Friday and Saturday!), I found some similar activities around the web:

flower crown wreath
sidewalk sundial
hot rock art

summer solstice snake image (fascinating link!)

trees image

Easter Basket Books

If you're playing Easter Bunny this year, stock your baskets with some sweetness that can be enjoyed over and over again.

For the one in perpetual motion:

 

Peepsqueak! by Leslie Ann Clark

For the detail-oriented and/or the artist:

The Easter Egg by Jan Brett. You can also make a mural with the illustrations.

For anyone past the phase of ripping pop-up books:

Peter Rabbit Easter Egg Hunt. It's a gorgeous interactive pop-up adventure based on Beatrix Potter's original illustrations.

For everyone remembering the true new life of Easter:

If the Savior Stood Beside Me by Greg Olsen. This is a compilation of Olsen's  paintings, mostly of Jesus with children, with text inspired by (but not really quoting) the song by Sally DeFord. I'd like to make it a tradition to put a book in Baby A's Easter basket each year, and this year I chose this book. I prefer portrayals of Jesus to be realistic (as opposed to cartoonish) and I especially like to see portrayals of Jesus with children of diverse physical attributes and cultural backgrounds, because an overwhelming majority of portrayals that I've seen showcase only white, sandy-haired children. Any suggestions?

What are your Easter basket favorites? Have you been reading any Easter books this week?

P.S. A tip: Baby A is still playing with the plastic eggs my mom gave her last year. Opening and closing the eggs is great for fine motor skill development. Sometimes, when we're going somewhere she needs to stay seated, we put a tiny surprise in a plastic egg and pull it out when she gets antsy. 

Springtime Traditions

Happy Spring! I thought it was fitting to kick off the official start of spring by hanging out some hope in the magic of nature--I made my second annual tree wish. I use only ribbons and things around my house, and write my wish on a scrap of paper. I try to make it appealing to birds, in the hopes that they'll steal the ribbon for their nests, which I'm sure would be extra good luck. This year, I hung it two-and-a-half-stories high in the tree by leaning over my stair well.

(Can you spot my escaped, barefoot toddler?)

My mom reminded me that this year is the centennial celebration of Washington D.C.'s cherry blossoms. I grew up near D.C., and both the cherry blossoms and dogwood blossoms bloomed divinely for weeks.

I'd love to add these books to my collection as a reminder of my fourteen years in Virginia.

Remarkable Trees of Virginia illustrated by Robert Llewellyn and written by Nancy R. Hugo

Eliza's Cherry Trees: Japan's Gift to America written by Andrea Zimmerman, illustrated by Ju Hong Chin

Don't you think a book collection can tell a version of a person's life? And isn't springtime a perfect time to both reminisce and look forward with hope?
 

P.S. Tell me if you make your own tree wish--I'd love to see!

P.P.S. my springtime book picks

St. Patrick's Day Party: Atypical Books and Activities

My friends and I are planning a St. Patrick's Day party for our 1-2-year-olds this weekend. My elementary school self loved doing the leprechaun treasure hunts leading to a pot of gold coin chocolates every year, and I was sure that one day I would find the end of a rainbow. I haven't yet. But for the next generation's younger crowd, I'm thinking balloons in rainbow colors and Baby A's favorite treasure: fruit snacks.

This musical board book would be a fun way to kick off a rainbow-treasure-friendship party. The Forgetful Little Leprechaun gets help from friends to find his pot of gold, which (spoiler alert!) he left at the end of the rainbow, of course. His friendships are his true treasure in the end. (I am geeking myself out.) The text is fun and the music is actually nice; it plays the tune "Irish Eyes Are Smiling".

Or, if you want something outside of the pot-of-gold, play up the (probably untrue) but fun legend of St. Patrick banishing snakes from Ireland.

I haven't read The Last Snake In Ireland, but it looks intriguing. For a party theme, you could hide a tiny rubber snake in one of many cupcakes decorated green like the hills of Ireland, and whoever gets it is "it" in a game of Sardines, or first up in an obstacle course. Goodie bags or treats could include sour gummy worms masquerading as snakes, homemade bread sticks shaped like snakes, or celery cut and shaped to look like a squiggling snake.


For a fun and easy game in the traditional rainbow route: Crafting Chicks Find the Colors of the Rainbow Treasure Hunt {free printables}

Got any Irish-luck plans up your sleeves? Do you know of any fun books about Ireland or St. Patty? Or snakes?

Fat Tuesday & Sledding Day Books

my laskiaispullat aka shrove buns

Happy Fat Tuesday and Laskiaistiistai [Sledding Day]! Since the observation of Lent isn't very common in Finland, Fat Tuesday became a day where all the children have the day off from school and go sledding, then go home to pea soup and sweet rolls with whipped cream and jam or hazelnut spread called laskiaispullat. So whether you're sledding or working up a New Orleans fever (or both!), here are two picture books it's not too late to enjoy:

Just-published (2012) Dinosaur Mardi Gras by Dianne de las Casas, illustrated by Marita Gentry, has Rex, king of Mardi Gras, as the star of this dinosaur spin on the musical fun. Here's the book trailer. 

 

 

Red Sled by Lita Judge is also new (2011), but it is sure to become a classic. Lovely illustrations (like the one above) and few words tell a story of curiosity.

P.S. Leave a comment if you'd like me to send you the laskiaispulla recipe. It will change your life.

Bookmark at Bedtime: Read-Aloud Chapter Book Favorites

I just enjoyed taking a look at Simple Mom's list of favorite read-aloud chapter books. 

I distinctly remember my mom reading the Urpo, Turpo, ja Ihanaa series by Hannele Huovi, illustrated by Jukka Lemmetty, aloud to me and my brothers and sister. Two bears and a horse have all sorts of playroom adventures with funny dialogue. We begged for one more page almost every night, because we loved the story, but also because everything felt especially calm and interesting during family reading time. I can't wait to do this with Baby A when she is a little older, (although I love our nighttime cuddles with board books of her own choosing).

I love Tsh's (Simple Mom's) picks, and I would add:

Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Ernest M. Shepard 

and The Frog and the Toad series by Arnold Lobel.

A hundred other chapter books came to mind, but I think I'd keep bedtime reading somewhat light--not in quality--but in the potential to cause nightmares. I'd start with The Frog and the Toad, and work up to Island of the Blue Dolphins, then to Chronicles of Narnia series, and later, Huckleberry Finn, and Harry Potter series...with thousands of pages, dozens of books, and years of maturity in between. Read-alouds might move from nightly to twice weekly, and from bedtime to after supper, but I hope they continue a long time. I secretly fantasize that someday my family will have our own little book club, hashing out discussions of our current read over quesadillas on Monday nights.

Do you think the content should follow the child's maturity curve, or that children will process what they can and not worry too much about the stuff that's scary or past their understanding? 

Would you read the same chapter book to a four-year-old as you would an eight-year-old?
What would you add to the list?

The Real Story of Rudolph

As a round-faced (combo of squishy cheeks and serious bangs) five-year-old, I battled stage fright to sing a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer duet with my cousin Amanda. In front of an adoring crowd of sixty people from our church, we wore matching antler headbands.

I know, so cute.

But even then, I thought the story of Rudolph was incomplete. All the reindeer wouldn't play with Rudolph, and then he helped Santa, so they decided to be friends with him? After a couple of decades, or at least the Decembers of those decades, I have over-thought the lyrics enough to produce a fury of questions:

Is this song trying to teach children that in order to be accepted they just have to use a physical feature they feel insecure about to impress the ring leader? Or, is it more that people will like you if you save them from danger? Or save them from inconvenience? Why didn't Santa, or Mrs, Claus, or an elf, intervene if Rudolph was excluded over and over from playtime? And why would Rudolph even want to be friends with the reindeer who were so rude for so long?

I'm not alone in this. Jack Johnson would agree with me, I think. I heard his rendition of Rudolph (on my Pandora She & Him Holiday station--who doesn't have a crush on Zooey Deschanel?) 

So, I found Jack's Rudolph on YouTube just for you:

What do you think? That's the version I'm teaching Baby A, for sure.

Stranger in The Woods

Is it just me, or does that title send shivers down your spine? But I'm actually talking about the adorable and heart-warming photograph story, or as the authors put it, "a photographic fantasy":

Carl R. Sams II and Jean Stoick set up a snowman sprinkled with seeds and corn, and dubbed clever and lyrical words to the woodland animals' curiosity. "'Who-hoo's in the woods? Where? Where did the jays say? Where is he?' asked The Owl of Many Questions." The text is chirpy, and the excitement is so easy to relate to, if you have half as much snow as the Canadian kids in the book have. The back of the book even has a "Recipe for a Snowman". Building Baby A's first snowman is definitely on our to-do list this winter. Speaking of which, Stranger in the Woods is the book I chose for Baby A this year. It's not Christmas-y, just wintery, but I thought the photographs of animals and the brief, repetitive, fun text would draw her in. (If she were 3-8 years old, I definitely would have chosen the 25th Anniversary edition of The Polar Express.)

In other to-do news, our advent chain is nearly half gone. The point was not so much to give myself more things to accomplish, but to remind me to infuse the holiday season with family time and intentional joy. Here's what we've enjoyed so far:

give Baby A a Pikkujoulu book

make Christmas cards

hand-make gifts

decorate the tree

call grandparents

celebrate Itsenäisyyspäivä

make hot chocolate

hang a wreath

read a Christmas book

But there has been no sticking snow yet, for the snow angels and snowmen on our list. There is some rooftop snow--Baby A pointed to it and declared it to be ice cream! Oh, I wish.
Are you having a creamy white December? Have you been festive? What have you been reading?

Homeland: My Finnish-American Home

Yesterday, my little family celebrated Finland's Independence Day. I strung what are now vintage candle lights in the front window, hung my two small flags of Finland, tried (and failed) to make Finnish treats, and sat reverently by a real candle to sing Maamme. 

I just discovered this collection of Finnish books in English, if you're interested. We have several Mauri Kunnas books, This Is Finland (in Finnish), and a couple of the Moomin board books. (They were at my local bookstore; have you seen them at yours?) I've added Foxy: Finnish Folk Tales for Children to my read and review list. And obviously, I need to collect all of the Tove Jansson books, as Baby A and I are tireless fans of the Muumi/Moomin franchise. Indulge me, will you?

I have always considered myself to be 100% Finnish and 100% American (of the English/Welsch/Scott-Irish variety), and although my daughter is technically only a quarter Finnish, she's fully Finnish (and fully American) to me. 

There is a lot of discussion about mixed-race--and it is interesting to trace your racial history and to positively reinforce the blending of race in families by marriage or adoption--but I find it far more interesting to trace and reinforce the far more complex, fluid, and relevant phenomena of cultural blending.

What traditions do you find yourself mish-mashing? 

In my experience, children will take on any traditions with heart.

Old Christmas Reads and New Traditions

Do you revisit any favorite books or poems every winter?

I always read a few short favorites, and then mix in a few other classics.

Each year, (this is the second year of many to come, I hope,) Baby A gets a Christmas book. I still haven't quite decided which one to get her this year, though I'd like to give it to her tomorrow, on Pikku Joulu. My godmother suggested Mauri Kunnas' Santa books. I have Koiramäen Joulukirkko (Doghill's Christmas Church or Christmas Mass), and I'd love more Kunnas gems.

my bookshelf's bottom shelf for Christmas-y books

My holiday reads this year: 

Luke 2, The Holy Bible (Luke)

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, illustrated by Susan Jeffers

Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore (I like this nostalgic Perry Como video reading with 1958 Whitman Publishing edition illustrations by Florence Sarah Winship)

Lucia and the Light by Phyllis Root

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Pulling out these books adds to the anticipation and quiet busy of the season for me. For extra fun,  we'll be starting our Advent Chain tonight! We used this printable and tweaked it to fit our household.

my advent chain, adorning my refrigerator

Does your reading list look like mine, or is it different? What else are you doing, for the fiftieth or first time, to cheer up this winter?

Thanksgiving Harvest Storytime

Thanksgiving Day is practically here! 

It is one of my favorite holidays, because you can put as little or as much fuss into it, and either way, you will succeed! I also love the irony of pondering gratitude, then overindulging yourself into a food coma. It works for all ages, too. People in every stage of life enjoy gathering family and friends to eat a thoroughly thought-out meal. 

Baby A has had harvest food on the brain, too, lately, with repeat readings of To Market, To Market. My husband can't suspend his disbelief when it comes to a lady going to a market to purchase large, live animals, keeping them in her house, and then being surprised when they escape their pens. I buy in to it because it is charming, but I interpret it as a book about a woman who buys these animals, and despite the havoc they cause, she doesn't have the heart to cook them--so she makes soup and everybody is happy. I don't think it is actually intended to be plausible, nor vegetarian, necessarily, but in any case, it is fun! Baby A likes to say, "Uh-oh" at the appropriate parts in the book.

Here's a storytime perfect for Thanksgiving foodies:

Read: To Market, To Market, words by Anne Miranda (based on the nursery rhyme), pictures by Janet Stevens

Sing: Ask volunteers to hold various food toys, pictures, or real food in front of the group. Ask them to lift up the food, one by one, while singing to the tune of "Here We Are Together":

We're going to the market, the market, the market

We're going to the market to buy our food

Some [first food] and [second food] and [third food] and [fourth food]

We're going to the market to buy our food

This could be repeated with more foods, or by preparing the food (We're chopping up the carrots...).

Talk about: Thanksgiving foods, table manners

Sing: "Please and Thank You" (Shake maracas instead of or in addition to saying "cha cha cha" and replace some lyrics with lines such as If you'd like some mashed potatoes [cha cha cha] or a slice of pumpkin pie.)

Check out these lovely Thanksgiving book reviews.Would you like to peruse more Turkey Day reads?

And here's a list of Thanksgiving books that don't eat the turkey.

Do you have a kids' table? Check out these activity printables.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mums and Christmas

For Day 1 of The Happy Day Project, I decided to Shop for Sharlie. I have handmade Christmas gifts on the brain, so I decided to get the Mum Flower tutorial from The Pleated Poppy. Won't that make a sweet stocking stuffer?

I'll be visiting the shop again, for sure!

What do you think about Christmas starting in October? I started my lists and activity planning weeks ago, hoping that if I prepare now I can glide through December, sipping cocoa while admiring lit trees and mulling over the Bible. Or, do you think I will just be starting the bustle early and miss out on the last leaves to crunch under my boots?

I can't decide, so I'll just go back to thinking about mums. 

Remember Chrysanthemum? Of course you do, Kevin Henkes' books are enduring.

There are Lilys everywhere (Henkes also wrote Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse), but I still only know one Chrysanthemum. I'm glad she came around to her name! Do you ever find fictional characters appealing or relatable enough that you imagine their past or their future? Chrysanthemum went by Chrys in middle school (in my imagination), but don't worry, she's still proud of her whole name.

Are you having a scattered, but happy day like I am? Tell me your thoughts on early, early Christmas prep, flowers, and unusual names! Or, you can choose a focus, but I can't promise that I will!

Gosling Sighting and Thanksgiving Countdown

Celebrity news! 

I saw Gossie, the small, yellow gosling who likes to wear bright red boots! She trotted, cute as ever, in those boots on Halloween at her local library's activity stations--she and her friends met King Bear in a secret passage, fed wild animals a loofah snack, and had free reign of the puppet show theater.

Gossie handmade costume inspiration

I feel a little (a lot) behind sometimes (all the time), but somehow we have fun anyway. Did you realize there are only three weeks until the nationally scheduled day of lounging and over-eating!? I'd better get to the library to see if there are any Thanksgiving books left. I think I might skip the history and focus on the gratitude angle this year--what do you think? Any recommendations?
And I'm curious: do you have a polished silver or a plasticware kind of Thanksgiving table?

Pumpkin Stencils

I'm still in San Diego, but I wanted to drop in to let you know about this:
(You can't download these adorable stencils from the image below--I just wanted to share the info.) Go to Better Homes & Gardens Online to download as many stencils as you'd like, and BH&G will donate to March of Dimes and other charities. The "catch" is that you enter your email address to register, but you can de-select the free newsletter offers. Then you enter your address for March of Dimes post mailings, which I don't mind, because they don't over-solicit and they give good health information about pregnancy and infants. After that, you choose the stencil you want to download (I chose both "Holding Hands" and "Butterfly") and you get a .pdf with the stencil and directions. 

It only took a few seconds, and I donated to a cause I care about, plus I have an alternative to my standard crooked smiley-face jack-o-lantern. If you want more stencils, you can download other fun designs to support  Rebuilding Together, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Humane Society of the US, and Susan G. Komen. 

Happy carving!

Taking Candy from a Baby

 

Are you trick-or-treating this year? I have been debating whether a nearly one-and-a-half-year-old is too young to solicit gluttonous portions of candy from strangers. But then a friend of mine pointed out we could keep her candy for ourselves... I mean, she could have the lollipops. She's been eating lollipops for months, thanks to a friendly neighbor who carries them around in his pocket just in case. I wasn't going to give Baby A candy until she was two, but apparently I did not have the willpower to stop my well-intentioned neighbor from introducing the one thing other than a pacifier that will quiet a toddler forced to go along for one more errand. 

When do you think kids should get candy? And did you wait for a certain age to start trick-or-treating?

P.S. I'll be playing hooky in San Diego the rest of the week! Maybe I'll find a new picture book at Sea World. Let's catch up Monday, yes?