the hippest kid

Counting in the Garden

I can pretty much get my kid to do anything if it involves counting. "Jude, eat your oatmeal." "How many bites Mama?" "Uh, 1,000?"

Works like a charm.

The only thing he loves more than counting is his current obsession with the "I Spy" book he reads on the toilet. Kid can sit there for DAYS "finding" things in that book. 

In the spirit of keeping a good thing going, this book will soon be joining his collection. He will love counting the animals hidden in the luscious paintbox garden. Seriously, the illustrations in this book are eye-poppingly good. Bonus! If your kid likes plush the way mine does, you can get a little matching friend.

I can hear it now: "Mama, how many pieces of chocolate do I get if I find all the creatures?"

Available at Room Service Home.

   

Baby Make Me Breakfast

There are times when being a mom can be exhausting. Apparently I'm not the only one who wonders why the little one gets a free ride while we work so hard.

The titles from the "Baby Be of Use" series by Lisa Brown pretty much say it all... put those lazy babies to work.

Available at Lillibelle.

Sector 7 by David Wiesner

"Sector 7, Sector 7, pleeeeeeze mama, read Sector 7". Just preparing you for what will happen if you buy this book.

Available at Amazon.com

Halibut Jackson by David Lucus

-- Quick Pick --

Gorgeous illustrations, charming story, happy ending. What more could you want in a children's book?

Halibut Jackson available at Amazon.

My Many Colored Days

When you get to be 40 years old, you think you've got most stuff figured out. You know how to live within a budget, how to avoid pants that make your butt look big and the fastest route to work.

However, becoming a parent for the first time was NOT something I had figured out. I think younger moms have an easier time of parenting because they don't freak-out about getting it "just right". That lovely trait seems to develop the day after your 30th birthday.

This desire to get it just right led me to sign up with Parents as Teachers. I felt better with someone "trained" in child development looking over my shoulder. Someone that could say "Hey, if you keep doing that, you'll end up with a kid that kills kittens."

Gayle, our Parent Educator, is a dream. She suggests inexpensive ideas that help Jude learn and gives great all-around advice.

My latest find "My Many Colored Days" comes from her recent visit. Although not a new book, this beautifully illustrated work about our ever-changing moods is charming. I would even venture to say it is "just right."

Available at Amazon.com

The Fairy's Book of Fairly Good Manners

I so look forward to my newsletter from the Toymaker. Her beautiful paper crafts remind me that you don't have to spend big bucks to entertain the kiddies. The latest edition announced the arrival of "The Fairy's Book of Fairly Good Manners".

Those that know me know that I'm a real stickler for etiquette. I have a hunch that we would have a lot less war and crime if people were taught better manners at an early age. Shooting people just isn't polite.

From her newsletter:

"Print out this little book to give to someone who likes tiny things or needs a nudge to remember to say please and thank you."

Available from the Toymaker.

Arrow to the Sun

Joseph Campbell is my hero. Although he made his transition back in 1987, he remains very alive to me in his writings. Not a day goes by that I don't apply his wisdom to my life in some way.

One of the things I love most about Campbell was his ability to inspire people to greatness. George Lucas created his "modern mythology", Star Wars, based on Campbell's, Hero with a Thousand Faces.

Recently, I found Campbell's influence on an amazing children's book.  Written by Gerald McDermott, the Caldecott winning Arrow to the Sun is the timeless tale of a boy's search for himself, cloaked in Native American garb.

The beautiful illustrations and storyline lead Jude to beg for this book daily and I will never tire of telling it. The torch has been passed yet again. Thank God for you Joseph. Your flame continues to shine bright in my child and so many others.

Arrow to the Sun available at Amazon.

Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth

Most of my summer days involved trekking to the library by bike and camping among the stacks. Reading was and still is my favorite pastime.

At the library, I realized you could indeed judge a book by its cover because the best books were Caldecott and Newbury winners and all you had to do was find their shiny stickers.

I'd forgotten about my childhood short-cut to good literature until I starting buying books for Jude. The sticker has once again become a beacon, luring me to the precious gems.

Please check out the list of all the 2006 winners. My current favorite Caldecott read is "Zen Shorts", written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth, Scholastic Press. It is astonishingly good and I don't think I'll ever tire of its beautiful lessons.

From the ALA site:

"Zen Shorts, Muth’s story of inquisitive siblings befriending a wise panda, is told through luminous watercolors interwoven with three lessons, set apart by starkly contrasting Asian-inspired brush paintings. The interplay of artistic styles elegantly conveys the gentle, timeless messages of self-knowledge and acceptance."

Available at Amazon and my favorite place, your local library!

Blowhole Bookplates by One Good Bumblebee

--Quick Pick--

The folks at One Good Bumblebee keep on makin' the wittiest bookplates and I keep on bloggin' about them. I can't help it... Not many things make this jaded old sourpuss gut-laugh, let alone spew coffee on my computer screen. 

Available at One Good Bumblebee.

52 Fun Things to do at the Beach

--QUICK PICK--

Apparently, a trip to the beach can be way more fun than stinging jellyfish and sand in your face. In fact, there are "52 Fun Things to do at the Beach". Not 51, not 53.

52.

Available at Amazon.com.