I had forgotten a little pile of twigs in the grass. They were trimmings from last year’s Jacob’s Ladder, perennial geranium and such. I meant to pick them up on my garden walkabout when I spotted a robin fiddling around them. Robins have a way of picking and choosing in the dirt for whatever it [...]
Archive for the ‘Children's books’ Category
Working hard and wild things
Posted in Children's books, Famous and infamous, music, Nature/animals, tagged American Robin, Donna Summer, In the Night Kitchen, Last Dance, Maurice Sendak, She Works Hard for the Money, Where the Wild Things Are on Friday, May 18, 2012 | 22 Comments »
You’re “it” (question #1)
Posted in Books, Children's books, tagged Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House books, Little House on the Prairie on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 | 28 Comments »
The first day of spring usually has us covered in snow with temperatures below freezing and a mighty March wind blowing. This year – well, this year has given us the oddest of winters and record-breaking high temperatures. Trees are in leaf with fruit trees in blossom, the daffodils are nearly spent, and the mosquitoes [...]
Who’s Your Favorite Seuss?
Posted in Children's books, tagged Dr. Seuss, Dr. Seuss's birthday, Green Eggs and Ham, Horton Hatches the Egg, Horton Hears a Who, If I Ran the Zoo, The Grinch, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas on Friday, March 2, 2012 | 26 Comments »
“I meant what I said and I said what I meant, And an elephant’s faithful, one hundred per cent!” Horton, the Elephant. You know me well. Starting with Tom’s early morning reminder, followed by several emails, I’ve been advised that today is the birthday of Dr. Seuss! He delighted us with some 60 books and [...]
Moon Over Manifest
Posted in Adventure, Books, Children's books, Historical, tagged Clare Vanderpool, Great Depression, influenza epidemic of 1918, Moon Over Manifest, Newberry Award book, Spanish Flu epidemic, World War I on Friday, February 17, 2012 | 22 Comments »
I had just crossed the Illinois/Wisconsin state line, there was nothing worth listening to on the car radio with stations fading in and out faster than the speed limit, so I plotted my exit to the next Cracker Barrel for an audio book and, well, and a “pit” stop. There were plenty of books to [...]
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Posted in Arts and Crafts, Books, Children's books, Family and friends, Historical, Just for fun, tagged Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House books, Little House in the Big Woods, The Long Winter on Monday, February 6, 2012 | 26 Comments »
“In 1906 Laura Ingalls Wilder visited her daughter, Rose, in Kansas City, MO. While she was there this studio picture was made. Her life in the LITTLE HOUSE books was just a memory and her writing career had not begun.” From a postcard of Laura Ingalls Wilder Home Association, Mansfield, Missouri If you guessed Laura [...]
Feather duster or flowerpot?
Posted in Books, Children's books, Family and friends, Famous and infamous, Food, Gardening, Historical, tagged Elmhurst Garden Club, feathers, flower pots, Hats, High Tea, Serene Tea Elmhurst on Sunday, February 5, 2012 | 30 Comments »
I’m trying to decide if I want to put a flower or a feather in my hat. Important decisions such as a these take time, especially if you are someone like me who does not look particularly fetching in a hat. One’s hair must be right and the tilt of the hat just so. The [...]
Frog and Toad
Posted in Children's books, Gardening, tagged Arnold Lobel, Frog and Toad are Friends, Newberry Award on Monday, June 6, 2011 | 18 Comments »
I have been hopping around the acreage of late with the lyrics of Carole King in my head. A gentle movement in the flower beds, across the grass, and even at the back door and I hear strains of “I feel the earth move under my feet”. Toads and frogs and their ilk are in [...]
Murder at Hull House and Fever 1783
Posted in Books, Children's books, Famous and infamous, tagged 1783 yellow fever epidemic Philadelphia, Centuries and Sleuths Bookstore, Chicago smallpox epidemic 1880's, Fever 1783, Frances McNamara, Laurie Halse Anderson, Murder at Hull House on Monday, May 2, 2011 | 11 Comments »
This past winter, at a detour to Centuries and Sleuths Bookstore, I happened upon a local author, Frances McNamara and her mystery Death at Hull House. I hemmed and hawed, picked it up and put it down, and finally placed it on the counter of the store and bought it. It looked to be an interesting, historical [...]
Penny from Heaven
Posted in Books, Children's books, music, tagged Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Jennifer Holt, Pennies from Heaven, Penny From Heaven on Friday, April 15, 2011 | 11 Comments »
I’ve been thinking about my dad lately. Things we did together. His wit and sarcasm. His intelligence and integrity. He was a good dad and a great guy. This week marked the forty-second anniversary of his death. It crept up on me. I’d been feeling a little out-of-sorts, but, had been dealing with a few [...]
The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck
Posted in Arts and Crafts, Books, Children's books, Family and friends, tagged The Big Wave by Pearl S. Buck on Thursday, March 17, 2011 | 24 Comments »
When the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan last week, my good friend Janet mentioned that it brought to mind the children’s book, The Big Wave, by Pearl S. Buck. It rested on my mind, for most of a week. I finally checked our inter-library loan system and found several copies in the immediate area libraries. [...]
