Icicles by Anonymous From Sing a Song of Seasons by Nosy Crow

Icicles

We are little icicles

Melting in the sun

Can  you see our tiny teardrops

Falling one by one? 

                                   --Annoymous

Emily of New Moon by LM Montgomery

Since we were talking about magic, I thought I might as well trot out Emily of New Moon. 

LM Montgomery has always tended toward magic and the unexplained. While that tendency is kept in check through most of her books, it peeks out every once in awhile. Emily of New Moon is one of those times. 

(This is a newer edition of the book, but I really like the cover. I think it is my favorite of the ones I own.)

Since Emily is an orphan sent away to live with elderly relatives on a farm, people sometimes think Emily and Anne are pretty similar. But Emily is supposedly more autobiographical, and is definitely a few shades darker than Anne ever got. Situations for Emily were not as sure to end well as they did for Anne. 

(This was the cover that we got when I was a teen--mid 1990's.)

Of course, there are other differences between the two books as well--Emily lived with her father until she was 8-10. So she had sweet memories to sustain her when her relatives didn't understand her and her poetic flights of fancy. Similarly, she also was grieving on a level Anne never got to since Anne couldn't remember her parent's death. 

But similarly, Emily settles into her new life, just like Anne, with a close friend or two; austere older relatives who soften up and love her; and an imaginative, poetic mind. 

The difference is that the ending here has a deeper level of magic than any of Anne's experiences. A fevered hallucination brings a long unsolved mystery to a close. 

I would say I like Anne better, but Emily is more relateable in many ways. So.... both are definitely worth reading! 

Anything by LM Mongomery is worth reading though, so that's not surprising. 

(This cover was the first one I read, probably early/mid-1980's.)

I took these picture last summer (why am I so bad at getting posts up on time?!) and I MISS wildflowers. We have three inches of fresh snow from last night..... Spring IS coming. We had a day in the 50s this week, so we are getting closer! 

The Enchanted Schoolhouse by Ruth Sawyer & Illus by Hugh Troy

Since it was just St. Patrick's Day and this book is all about a wee Irish fairy, it seemed appropriate. 

Mom bought this little red guy for my kids, but I love him! 

The pictures are similar to Garth Williams, so totally adorable.

Brian Boru is a young Irish lad who is told stories of the little people that populate Ireland from his grandfather. 

His uncle Seumas in America had recently written to say that Brian Boru could join him over there and had sent the fair. 

Brian felt a bit self conscious about going to America without being able to bring something to show American kids how terrific Ireland was. Since there wasn't a lot Brian could take with him, since life was pretty austere with his Da and Granda, Brian wondered if maybe he could catch a Irish fairy and bring it to America with him.  

Unfortunately, Brian Boru is told by Old Timothy, his grandfather, that there has not been any fairies seen for 50 years. 

Brian talks to his teacher about this and his teacher gives him some potential pointers for catching a wee man and keeping him.  

Brian Boru follows his advice and..... 

....through careful planning, catches a wee man. An angry wee man. Angry because Brian Boru had taken his little red cap. Without a red cap, he has to do everything Brian Boru tells him to do.

Brian keeps him in a teapot tied with string on his journey to America. Where Brian is introduced to ice cream and discovers that the wee man has a sweet tooth. 

Showing him America

Disaster almost struck when a custom's official spots the teapot and asks questions about it. Brian Boru narrowly avoids losing both the teapot and the fairy man.

The wonders of an American grocery store

And finally, they arrive in Lobster Cove, Maine, where Uncle Seumas and his new wife have a house.  

Brian Boru asks the wee man what he thinks of America--

'Tis not any of it I'm liking. You can have it all to yourself. My ears are exploding with noises, my shins are blue with dandering about--and were it not for the ice cream I would be afeard to live through another night, into another day. 

Meeting his new aunt. 

Geraniums on the windowsill! 

Exploring their new home. 

Fishing with Uncle Seumas

For all of America's finery, the school was in terrible disrepair. Which Brian doesn't understand. His school back in poverty stricken Ireland was a beautiful and gentle stone building. 

His new teacher finds some slides of Ireland and Brian Boru shares a little of his homeland with his class. 

But magical things are afoot with the wee man in attendance. One day, each time the student's turn their page, a little lamb's tail whisks all the words off the page. 

Finally the class sees the wee man.

Brian uses his big wish to try to get the people of Lobster Cove to improve their schoolhouse. The wee man organizes a flock of birds to fly the schoolhouse away to an abandoned island. 

Where the children are tucked in by the birds and spend the night. 

The animals all become bewitched, including the cows, who walk through town with flower collars and mooing softly about...

Moo! Moo! A poor lot of humans, you!

Not a quart of milk will we let down

Till there's a new schoolhouse in this town. 

Moo, moo, moo! 

And you will have to see how it all works out by reading it for yourself.

But suffice it to say, that no kids could ever make fun of Brian Boru or Ireland!

The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill

I think it may be the long winter, but I am feeling incredibly thankful for the existence of tea right now. 

So here is a book. About tea. Growing on dragons. 

Yeah, sort of of bizarre, but it is a cute book! 

But first. Check out this super cool bowl and plate I found at Salvation Army in Anchorage. It has thin spots that let light shine through. It makes me really happy. 

I didn't plan on schlepping them back to NY from Alaska, but... I did. 

See the dots? I don't even know what this sort of thing is called, but it impresses me greatly. How does that even HAPPEN? 

Magic. That's what. 

Okay, back to the book.

The characters are an interesting blend of species, but are all pretty adorable. 

The illustrations are amazingly cute. 

Blacksmiths getting some press time! 

Once upon a time, blacksmiths were as important as medicine.

Goblin blood. And a nose ring. And blacksmithing.

That is one tough mama!

This book has been praised for breaking gender stereotypes, for obvious reasons.

On a trip to town Greta hears some nasty wolves/coyotes cornering some pitiful creature. 

So she gives them the meat she just bought and scoops up the pitiful thing.

Greta takes the wee thing home. 

Her father tells her the pitiful thing belongs to Hesekiel who owns the tea shop near town. Greta returns it to its owner and learns it is a small tea dragon. 

Tea dragons grow a wonderous tea on their horns. 

Greta is invited to come back to learn more about them. On the way home she meets a stranger. With cotton candy pink hair and her own tea dragon.

She invites her home

And they become friends.

SO COZY

Greta starts blacksmithing for real.

The tea dragon society, dedicated to preserving tea dragons is born.

And they have picnics under blossoming trees. 

I want a picnic under blossoming trees.

At the end, there is an entire tea dragon handbook, which is very detailed and intricate. Pretty sure this is just the beginning of The Tea Dragon Society. Because why not?

And I see a second book is on it's way this fall, so.... 

If you want to read this book in it's entirety, it's online! And free! Super cool!