At the Ferry Building
Reading The Birth of Venus, by Sarah Dunant. Her mother gave it to her and, since she's picked it up, she can't put it down.
A book she recommends--Flux, a nonfiction book by Peggy Orenstein about women in their thirties to fifties on issues like gender, career, sex, marriage.
What she's been reading recently--children's books! She has nineteen-month-old twins. There are two books they really like. The first is a goodnight book called Goodnight, Gorilla, written and illustrated by Peggy Rathmann. It begins with a zoo keeper saying goodnight to all his animals and leaving for the night...but the gorilla steals his keys, unlocks all the cages and ALL of the animals follow the zoo keeper home and climb into bed with him. The zoo keeper's wife isn't going to have that, though. So, she takes the animals back to the zoo. How many times has she read it? Probably too many. Her kids like to repeat "goodnight" at the end.
The second is a counting book called Click, Clack, Splish, Splash: A Counting Adventure, written by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin, which is about a group of farm animals who, while the farmer is sleeping, steal the farmer's goldfish and release it in a lake. she says it's really helped her kids learn their numbers.
She likes both of these books because they have great plots.
Can you think of a kid's book whose plot beats these?
27 Comments:
My kids loved "Are you my Mother". Its got it all. Mystery, disappearance, love, fear, disappointment, and in the end it all turns out alright. My first grandson didn't like it. It made him sad that the mommy got lost and the little bird was all alone.
I really love the book Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell. Another one I really like is Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson. And, one of my kid's all time favorite is any of the 3 or 4 different Skippyjon Jones books written by Judy Schachner.
What a cool blog!
Such a great idea!
First time I've seen your blog. I love it. I grew up in San Francisco and as a kid, me and my pals would go all over the city on a 50 cent bus voucher and hit all the bookstores...just hours and hours spent in bookstores. i will be sure to visit again and again!
I also like "Good Night, Gorilla". :-)
There are a lot af very good children's books. I really like the books written by Wolf Erlbruch, David Macaulay, Joe Kaufman, and Eric Carle. I discovered that they are interesting for children of all ages.
Hi Sonya,
Being an avid reader, I love your blog. Entertaining and informative. I am currently reading 'Atonement'. Like Ian McEwan's style so have picked up 'On Chesil Beach', another book by him. However, 'The birth of Venus' sounds interesting. That will be next in my 'to read' list.
Vinita
I feel very interested and wondering that how can you capture so many people while at the time of reading difference.
I adored Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type. And, I still laugh when I read Junie B. Jones books. Just re-read 3 with daughters this week.
I loved the Birth of Venus! In the Company of the Courtesan, also by Sara Dunant, is also excellent.
Maybelle in the Soup, written by my dear friend, Katie Speck.... great young children's book. It's received a Star Kirkus Review. Outstanding!
For young adults ... check out A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce. It just came out this year. She's another good friend who has AMAZING talent.
BTW..... LOOOOOVE this blog! If you ever see folks reading of the previous mentioned books, and I find it on here ... OMG ... I might totally freak out. =)
Oh! I love love love the Ferry Building. I could go there every day. Problem is I am waaaayyyy down in So. Cal. We REALLY need something like that down here. Kids books.... There are tons. But my kids (2 and almost 4) love books by Sandra Boynton. They are short and funny and after reading them only a zillion times, the kids feel like they can read themselves as the words are all memorized. They especially to "read" "Blue Hat, Green Hat".
We loved Sandra Boynton when my son was younger, and I agree that "Blue Hat, Green Hat" is one of my favorite children's books. My son loved "Good Night Gorilla", but honestly it's not one of my favs. The only words throughout the whole book are variations of Good night. Anything by Eric Carle is great. We loved "Elmer" about an elephant that is different and brings joy because of his difference. I could go on and on about children's books, but right now we're into science books. Weighty reading for a 5 year old.
Just wanted to second wintourfan ... what a neat project. Thanks for doing it. I don't worry about not having a good idea for a book anymore.
As a kid I always enjoyed "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day," by Judith Viorst. I also loved "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" by Judi Barrett. It was just so imaginative!
A great one for kids: Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp by Carol Diggory Shields.
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These books all sound great--thanks!
Sarah J Clark, I will be on the lookout for Mabelle in the Soup and A Curse Dark as Gold.
Sonya
This is a great blog! My family love reading. Tonight's story was 'A Squash and a Squeeze' by Julia Donaldson. I heard of a project in England where city councils left thousands of free books around the city in everyday places. The idea was to pick up a found copy, read it, leave it somewhere for another to pick up. Interesting idea, no?
I have two nieces and a nephew and I love it because I get to read through all children's books. Every girl must read Robert Munsch's "Paper Bag Princess" so they know that they don't have to marry snooty princes when they grow up, and I just bought for myself, a beautiful children's book entitled "Zen Shorts" with the giant panda, Stillwater (Jon J Muth). Roxanne
Anything by Robert Munsch, but especially The Paper Bag Princess, a princess who doesn't need a prince...
Hey there ... I like the idea of your blog! It's excellent! Keep up the great work.
I'm currently reading A New Earth. If you want a picture ... I can take a self portrait or you can take one of me. I'm usually sitting at the Yeba Buena Gardens, upstairs near Samovar. Cheers.
My Kids & I love anything in that series! Must reads for the under 8 crowd!
I've read this book... really great! :)
The Birth of Venus was an amazing book, no question.
Children's books with great plots? "Owl Babies," by Waddell. . .Three baby owls must keep up their courage while their mother is out hunting. Children love the refrain, "I want my mommy!"
"Shark in the Park" rhymes and has a repeated refrain: "There's a shark in the park!" Clever cut-outs keep readers guessing--is it a shark, or just a kitty cat?
"I Stink" is great--a NY city garbage truck makes the rounds, and the sounds, that characterize a garbage truck's nightly run through town.
There are so many others. . ."The Wolf's Chicken Stew". . ."What Color is Your Underwear?". . .I could go on and on but it's past my bedtime!
"Stone Soup" is a favorite among "Green Eggs and Ham", "Winnie the Pooh", "Where the Wild Things Are" and "The Ordinary Princess"- the last is an introductory Chapter Book, but none the less an amazing tale where the Princess is cursed to be ordinary, and how that makes her happier than her other sisters with their unrealistic expectations about life.
I loved both Mickey and the Giant and Green Eggs and Ham when I was a kid.
Also, there was this book called Two Ways to Count to Ten. It was about jungle animals. It taught counting by ones (1,2,3,etc.) and by twos (2,4,6,etc.)
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