King Bidgoods in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood & Illus by Don Wood

My husband Justin remembered loving this book from his childhood. We bought it and the kids love it too. It is silly and outrageous! 

And yes, I did buy that little golden tub just for these pictures. I rarely do that, but I happened to see this little golden tub one day at the store and it just seemed like I should buy it for ol' King Bidgood. The kids are enchanted with it. As we left for school this morning, Elsie carefully placed her pterodactyl and Woody the Woodpecker into the golden bath for a nice, day long soak. 

This poor page is trying to get the king out of the bath. He enlists support from the King's court.

No matter what they say or suggest however, King Bidgood finds a way to do it in the tub. 

Today we battle in the tub!

And everyone leaves soaked. 

Today we lunch in the tub!

The queen is not amused. 

This book is a Caldecott Honor book from the 1980's. The colors it uses are dated, but the pictures are still fun! 

And interesting tidbit, the page is based on Audrey and Don Wood's son. Did you know they were married? They are. And they have a son that looked like the page in the 1980's. 

Fishing in the tub. 

There is such a lot of silliness in this book--who creates a pond in a bathtub? This is why the kids love it.

Tonight we dance in the tub!

As the moon shone bright, the page has had enough. 

(Did you see all the loads of stuff he had to cart out each time the king made ponds and lunches in the tub? Poor kid.) 

He pulls the plug.

And finally, the king gets out. And you can almost see his bare bottom, which is hugely funny as well. 

Winter Streams by Bliss Carmen and

Winter Streams

Now the little rivers go

Muffled safely under snow,

And the winding meadow streams

Murmur in their wintry dreams,

While a tinkling music wells

Faintly from their icy bells

Telling how their hearts are bold, 

Though the very sun be cold.

Ah, but wait until the rain

Comes a-sighing once again,

Sweeping softly from the Sound

Over the ridge and meadow ground! 

Then the little streams will hear

April calling far and near, 

Lip their snowy bands and run

Sparkling in the welcome sun!

                                      --Bliss Carmen

Peace is an Offering by Annette Le Box & Illus by Stephanie Graegin

This is a sweet little book Elsie got from the Imagination Library book thing. (I do love that whole concept--free books for kids! It makes my mother/librarian heart exceedingly happy.)

This one is seriously adorable and gentle. A soothing, reassuring kind of poem about all the little things that build up into a child's understanding of what peace is. 

Darling endpapers

Peace is an offering, 

a muffin or peach. 

Peace is gratitude for simple things. Light through a leaf, a dragonfly's wings.

This may be a bad picture on my part, but in reality it is a delightful picture. 

Aren't the illustrations nice? So peaceful and gentle. 

This picture is mind-mindbogglingly cute!

(Like all Imagination library books, it has the English words with Spanish words underneath or nearby.)

And this one! 

So much cuteness! I am definitely going to check out Graegin's other books. 

All these questions that are so important. 

9-11 is referenced. 

Peace is a joining, not a pulling apart.

It's the courage to bear a wounded heart.

The courage to bear a wounded heart--this book even makes me stop and think. 

How to encourage peace--

So offer a cookie.

Walk away from a fight.

People gathered around an upright piano always make me happy. 

And then a lovely blessing. 

May peace walk beside you

Wherever you are.

Grover Cleveland, Again! by Ken Burns & Illus by Gerald Kelley

This is a pretty cool book! Ken Burns used to put his daughters to bed by repeating the lineup of American presidents. Apparently his daughters always said, "Grover Cleveland, AGAIN!" and giggled every time he came to that part. He told them that one day he would write a book about the presidents and call it that. So here it is.  

Each president has a two page spread, with facts in the blue banner, a short biographical blurb in the middle and random facts about the president or his time in the red. I love the set up, but I feel like the facts were a little... well known. They discuss the cherry tree "I cannot tell a lie" tale, his teeth, England as a ruler and how the colonies became states. 

But for young kids, they might be just right. I was hoping for more intriguing facts. I mean, Ken Burns...! But the facts are mostly pretty good. 

Ole T-Jeff was the inventor of the lazy susan and swivel chairs. 

I did not know that. 

Ulysses S. Grant was originally called Hiram Grant. When he went to West Point, they mistakenly registered him as US Grant, which he liked. So he changed his name. 

There he is! AGAIN! Only President to be married in office or to have non-consecutive terms. 

TR--gave an hour long speech with a chest wound.  

Harding has a fairly nice handling actually. He is generally hailed as one of our worst presidents, but Burns doesn't seem to see him in that way.  

FDR-the man in a wheelchair who was hardly ever photographed in a wheelchair.  

JFK--the catholic president who was so charming on TV

LBJ was a bit of a bully.

Gerald Ford threatened to quit his college football team when they agreed to keep his roommate (a black) from playing against a southern team. His roommate told him to play, so he played and won the game for his roommate. 

And he was clumsy.

HW parachuted to safety in WWII, so he celebrated his 80th, 85th and 90th birthdays by jumping out of a plane.  

And Obama. Who promised his daughters they could get a puppy if he became president. 

This is a pretty awesome resource for kids who are interested in history or kids who need some background on a particular president. 

Winter Adventure by Margaret Wise Brown and

Winter Adventure

Once I followed rabbit tracks 

           Up to a hollow tree.

When I looked in                 

                        A rabbit looked out at me.

His ears were down,             

His eyes were bright,

And his nose twitched          

Constantly.

I put an apple there            

For his delight

Then I stepped back--          

One step,      

                       Two steps,

                                              Three--

He shot like a bullet 

                From out of that tree. 

Leaving tracks in the snow, 

                       And the apple there for me.

                                                                 --Margaret Wise Brown

The Friday Nights of Nana by Amy Hest & Illus by Claire A. Nivola

This is a fabulous book about family and grandmothers and Jews. 

I love the artwork so much! Those blues and reds! 

The Friday nights of Nana begin early Friday morning in her kitchen and we are eating bread with sweet peach jam, which is her favorite and mine. 

Jennie has the day off school, so she can help Nana get ready for her Friday night dinner to celebrate the Sabbath. 

"Today I have no school!" I sing. "Lucky me!"

"Today you have no school!" she answers. "Lucky ME!" 

I love how delighted they are with each other. 

This picture right here is what made me decide this book needed to come home with me. I love interiors! 

Jennie is a little impatient for pie making and challah bread making.

They buy some flowers. 

Finally the house is scrubbed clean and it is time to get dressed.

And it is snowing! Jennie's impatience is a theme here--she is so excited for everything. 

Family

I love big families. 

And I love this view in through the window of the Friday Nights of Nana.