Children’s Books about Family

January 26 – Walk Your Pet Month

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About the Holiday

January has been designated as Walk Your Pet Month to remind pet owners of the importance of regular exercise for their pooches – or other animals who may enjoy a stroll. Keeping pets fit is one way to make sure they stay healthy and live a long and happy life!

Excellent Ed

Written by Stacy McAnulty | Illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach

 

Ed, the Ellis family’s dog, is feeling a little left out. All five of the children are excellent at something, but not Ed. All the Ellis kids can eat at the table, ride in the car, sit on the couch, and use the indoor bathroom, but not Ed. Each kid has his or her own talent—playing soccer, calculating math, dancing, and baking cupcakes—and while Ed can carry a ball in his mouth, count to 4, spin after his tail, and eat cupcakes, it’s just not the same.

One day Ed wonders—if he was excellent at something, could he have the same perks as the kids? He considers his talents and comes up with what he thinks is a good one. He knows he’s great at breaking stuff! Surely this will earn him a place at the dinner table. But even before he gets going, Elaine runs in with the news that she’s broken the record for most soccer goals in a season. Ed sadly realizes that Elaine is better at breaking stuff than he is.

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Image copyright Stacy McAnulty, text copyright Julia Sarcone-Roach. Courtesy of Alfred Knopf Books for Young Readers

Again Ed thinks. Suddenly it dawns on him that he’s excellent at losing things—he even lost himself last week! This kind of ability was surely worth a ride in the van. But just as he’s about to jump in, the twins both shout, “I’ve lost a tooth!” Foiled in this attempt, Ed goes back to the drawing board. Hmmm…it was just there, at the tip of his brain…oh, yeah! Ed is fantastic at forgetting stuff! After proving to Dad that he doesn’t remember eating just a minute ago, he’s ready to take his place on the couch. But Ed is thwarted again by Edith, who is thrilled to tell her family that she forgot to be nervous during an audition and is now the lead ballerina.

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Image copyright Stacy McAnulty, text copyright Julia Sarcone-Roach. Courtesy of Alfred Knopf Books for Young Readers

Ed whimpers. Is there nothing he’s most excellent at? Maybe he doesn’t even belong in the Ellis family. Just then Ernie drops his sandwich and Ed gobbles it up, leaving no crumbs on the floor. “‘Wow, Ed! You are excellent at cleaning the floor,’” Earnie says. When Emily and Elmer come home, Ed runs to meet them and covers them in kisses. “‘Ed! You’re excellent at welcoming us home,’” the twins exclaim. Later, with the couch stuffed with Ellises, Ed lays across Edith’s and Elaine’s feet. “‘Ed is excellent at warming feet,’” Elaine and Edith agree.

Ed wags his tail—he is an excellent floor cleaner, welcomer, and feet warmer! Now he knows why he doesn’t sit at the table, stays home instead of riding in the van, and doesn’t join the family on the couch. He realizes that he is an important part of the Ellis family, and that he’s always loved and appreciated. Now, if only he could figure out that indoor bathroom thing….

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Image copyright Stacy McAnulty, courtesy of Alfred Knopf Books for Young Readers

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they doubt their place in the world. Stacy McAnulty explores that feeling through Ed, who worries, works the problem, and discovers that he is without a doubt excellent just the way he is. Giving the Ellis kids a variety of ages and talents makes this a great universal book for readers. McAnulty’s twist which turns “negative” gifts for breaking, losing, and forgetting things into triumphs for the Ellis kids is ingenious, adding humor, depth, and “ah-ha! moments” to the story. The mystery of Ed’s abilities is well-kept until the end, and the solution comes as a happy surprise.

Readers will wish they were part of the Ellis family, with their exuberant smiles, supportive cheers, snuggly, crowded couch, and, of course, adorable Ed. Julia Sarcone-Roach’s vivid illustrations are infectious as Ed perks up his ears, rolls his eyes skyward and with tongue out thinks about his situation. Scenes of his shenanigans will elicit giggles, and Ed’s sweet looks and wagging tale will win readers’ hearts.

Pet owners and animal lovers will want to bring Excellent Ed into their families. A wonderful book for story times or those times when you need a little encouragement, Excellent Ed is inspirational for all kids! 

Ages 4 – 8

Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2016 | ISBN 978-0553510232

Discover more about Stacy McAnulty and her picture books, chapter books, and novels on her website!

View a gallery of picture books, illustration, sketches, and film by Julia Sarcone-Roach on her website!

Walk Your Pet Month Activity

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A-maze-ing Pets Maze

 

When dogs are out for a walk, they love to take circuitous routes as they pick up scents that are too enticing not to follow! Can you find your way through this printable A-maze-ing Pets Maze? Here’s the Solution!

Picture Book Review

November 19 – National Adoption Day

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About the Holiday

National Adoption Day is a national collective initiative to raise awareness of the more than 100,000 children in foster care who are waiting to find permanent families. Sponsored by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, The Alliance for Children’s Rights, and Children’s Action Network, National Adoption Day was instituted in 2000, and since then has made the wishes of nearly 58,000 children come true. Last year 4,000 children in foster care found forever families on this day.

The Story I’ll Tell

Written by Nancy Tupper Ling | Illustrated by Jessica Lanan

 

A mom and her child snuggle in a big comfy chair reading a book together. “Someday,” the mom thinks, “when you ask where you came from, I’ll tell you a story.” She considers telling her child that they came from a faraway land, carried in a hot-air balloon that gently drifted down “like a feather” into the backyard. “‘You’re home now,’ I said. Then I wrapped you in a blanket as red and silky as the balloon’s sails.”

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Image copyright Jessica Lanan, text copyright Nancy Tupper-Ling. Courtesy of Lee & Low

Or perhaps she will remember it differently: the blanket was fashioned from the silver cape worn by a mysterious horseman who rode into town with the baby in his saddle bag. Maybe, instead, it was an angel: “Wrapped in her arms, you followed a trail of lanterns around the world until you reached our doorstep. How your eyes sparkled when I first saw you.” But, no. She thinks back over the years and once again hears a lark singing high in the birch tree. “When I climbed to the top,” the mom will say, “you were cradled in the branches. Did you know I’d never let you fall? Your hands fluttered like leaves when the clouds passed by.”

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Image copyright Jessica Lanan, text copyright Nancy Tupper-Ling. Courtesy of Lee & Low

The child’s mom might use her own grandmother’s tale of how she, herself, was found in the cabbage patch. But she would alter the setting slightly to a riot of tiger lilies that peppered her baby’s cheeks with pollen-like freckles. Or the child may have arrived in town with the August moon, the illustrious honoree riding on the dragon float as musicians played and lion dancers performed. “Your smile was as wide as the ocean when I cradled you.”

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Image copyright Jessica Lanan, text copyright Nancy Tupper-Ling. Courtesy of Lee & Low

Maybe the baby’s parents weren’t at a parade, but walking along the seashore when their child “floated in on a wave. No, not a wave! I’d say there was a dragon queen who kept you by the sea to raise you as her own….I waited inside until the dragon queen fell asleep. Then I tiptoed inside and rescued you from her dark cave.” Even as she imagines all these stories, however, the child’s mother knows they will not be believed, “because it will be hard to fool the brightest child in the world.”

The true story, however, is just as marvelous and magical as any invention. So when the child is old enough to wonder, the mother says, “I will tell you how we gathered you in a silk blanket and flew on wings through the sky. Your eyes sparkled like the ocean below, and your hands fluttered as clouds passed by.”

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Image copyright Jessica Lanan, text copyright Nancy Tupper-Ling. Courtesy of Lee & Low

Bringing a child into a family is always an awe-inspiring experience, almost inexplicable in the changes it creates in the heart. Sometimes the true story doesn’t seem to begin to accurately reflect the wonder of it all. Nancy Tupper Ling plumbs the depth of these feelings in The Story I’ll Tell, offering lyrical imaginings drawn from the fairytales, myths, and legends that are part of our global inheritance and enlighten our lives.

As a mother plans what she will someday tell her adopted child, readers learn that each of her various scenarios contain aspects of the actual story. Throughout, Tupper Ling offers assurances of the anticipated and enduring love the parents have for their child. While the ethnicity of the adopted child is not stated, images suggest that the baby was born in China. The book is also written without gender pronouns and illustrated with gender-neutral clothing and the short hair of most babies, making this a universal book.

Jessica Lanan’s gorgeous, ethereal paintings perfectly reflect the emotional power of Tupper Ling’s text. With each page the baby comes to the mother and father anew, highlighting not only the moment that the child became theirs but also the waiting that took place beforehand. Each two-page spread glows with sunlight, lantern light, or starlight and is connected by a swooping ribbon of imagination that carries aspects of the child’s heritage in its wake. Lanan’s vibrant palette of reds, blues, yellows, and greens depicts the joy of both parents and their child. Every page is infused with exquisite beauty and invites readers to linger to appreciate the full impact of this story.

The Story I’ll Tell makes a wonderful gift and is a must for all adoptive parents and their children. It is also an exceptional book to be shared with all children.

Ages 2 – 8

Lee & Low Books, 2015 | ISBN

Discover more books for children and adults by Nancy Tupper Ling on her website!

View a gallery of Jessica Lanan‘s illustration work for children’s and middle grade books

National Adoption Day Activity

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I Love My Family! Portrait

 

Use this printable heart-framed I Love My Family! Page to draw a portrait of your family!

Picture Book Review

November 6 – Marooned without a Compass Day

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About the Holiday

It may seem appropriate that the origins of this holiday are lost to history, like someone left to languish on a deserted island. But it’s true that—at some time or another—most of us feel marooned without a compass, flailing with decisions about what to do, who to confide in, even who we are. Today is an opportunity to reflect on the direction you are going in life and, if you find you are off course, to steer once more down the right path. It’s comforting to know that someone will be waiting for you when you reach home—wherever that may be.

In a Village by the Sea

Written by Muon Van | Illustrated by April Chu

 

High on a cliff a small house looks out over the sea, where fishermen are poling their craft and setting their nets. “In that house, high above the waves, is a kitchen.” In the kitchen a warm fire blazes under “a pot of steaming noodle soup.” A woman, preparing ingredients for dinner, watches, mixes, and stirs while the pot simmers.

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Image copyright April Chu, courtesy of aprilchu.com

“By that woman is a sleepy child, yawning and turning. By that child, tucked in the shadows, is a dusty hole.” If you peer into that hole, you will see something astounding—a brown cricket is “humming and painting.” The cricket, brushes in four hands is surrounded by paints contained in seashells. It is painting a “sudden storm, roaring and flashing.”

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Image copyright April Chu, courtesy of aprilchu.com

A white boat rides this roiling sea, rising and dipping with the crashing waves as lightning flashes ahead. Under the cover of the boat’s canvas roof a fisherman eyes the threatening sky and waits for the storm to end. In his hand he opens a precious box. Inside are two pictures: one of a small house high on a hill; the other of a smiling woman holding a little child while their dog looks on. Next to these sits a special cricket.

In the painting there is also a small house, and “in that house is a family waiting for [the fisherman] to come home.”

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Image copyright April Chu, courtesy of aprilchu.com

Muon Van’s lyrical tale expands and contracts through the eyes of family members to reveal not only the actions and emotions of one afternoon but those that eternally exist in each character’s heart. In the opening page readers view the small house from afar as the husband and father fisherman casts off on his journey. Children are then invited into the kitchen and finally into a small crevice.

Through the cricket’s tiny painting, readers once again see the wider world with its storms and worries. Narrowing the perspective to the fisherman’s view as he looks at his photo box, however, they understand that comfort and reassurance are always close at hand. As the next page zooms out, children are again invited into the little home to join the woman, baby, and vigilant dog as they gaze out into the bay, watching and waiting for one particular boat.

Van’s quiet and simple story holds much universal feeling as it traverses both homey and unpredictable landscapes. As each page depends on the previous one, a gentle suspense builds, enticing readers to follow wherever the story takes them. The inclusion of the “dusty hole,” where a cricket—a symbol of good luck—paints the rest of the story, is irresistible and lends the tale a mystical quality.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-in-a-village-by-the-sea-on the shore

Image copyright April Chu, courtesy of aprilchu.com

April Chu’s gorgeous paintings transport readers to a Vietnamese fishing village with their delicate and colorful details. The small home glows with the light of paper lanterns and the fire in the stove. As the perspective of the text changes, so does the perspective of Chu’s paintings. When readers peer into the soup pot, bubbling with delicious vegetables, the family’s Labrador gazes up at them, almost begging to know what smells so good. Another bird’s eye view lets kids watch as the dog discovers the hole under the rug, a beautiful device to increase their enjoyment of and wonderment at the story.

Kids will marvel at the cricket’s artistic talent, as the stormy sea churns with whitecaps and lightning flashes from the tip of the small creator’s paintbrush. But it is Chu’s mastery that makes each page so meaningful.

Ages 3 – 10

Creston Books, 2015 | ISBN 978-1939547156

View a porfolio of picture books and other artwork by April Chu on her website!

Marooned without a Compass Day Activity

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Sailboat Maze

 

Sometimes getting through a maze is as smooth as sailing on a calm sea—and sometimes the path is a little choppy. Get your pencil ready and chart a path through this printable Sailboat Maze!

Picture Book Review

September 26 – Family Day

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About the Holiday

The purpose of today’s holiday is simple—to fully appreciate the family one has, whether it is small or large, with a whole crew of siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and others. The founders of Family Day, which is celebrated on different dates around the world, wanted people to relax their busy schedules and spend time with those they love in a meaningful and fun way. The great thing about family is they are always there for you when you need them most—as we see in today’s book!

Meet the McKaws

By Ged Adamson

 

Captain Stan and Tiny McKaw, Stan’s parrot first mate, love everything about being pirates—“Sailinng the seven seas, fighting battles, and searching for treasure! What could be better? Yes, life is pretty perfect for Stan and Tiny” until…Tiny’s parents come to visit. Mr. and Mrs. McKaw aren’t on board 5 minutes before the squawking begins. Mrs. McKaw takes exception to Stan: “‘He doesn’t’ look like much of a captain to me. He’s just a boy!’” And while Mr. McKaw is trying to apologize for his wife’s behavior, he lets out “a huge, disgusting BURP!”

Tiny’s mom is appalled at the state of the ship, calling it “a messy old wreck,” and Tiny’s dad starts in with a long, meandering story of his days as a pirate, complete with a treasure map, a deserted island, the Kraken, sword fights, canon fire, a treasure chest, and even a commendation. I think you get the picture. Problem is…Mr. McKaw never was a pirate.

Maybe a nice sit-down dinner will clear the air and get things started off on the right pegleg again. With a big grin the cook presents the special meal he has prepared in the McKaw’s honor, but after “just one mouthful, both the McKaws were violently sick. ‘Horrible! Horrible!’” cries Mrs. McKaw. The poor cook bursts into tears and runs back to the galley. Perhaps nighttime will bring a little relief. But no, Mr. McKaw snores and Mrs. McKaw nags in her sleep.

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Image copyright Ged Adamson, courtesy of gedadamson.com

The next morning Captain Stan wakes up to the worst insult of all—guano dots his royal blue pirate coat. Even this offense, thought, pales in comparison to what Stan sees next. Perched between his parents sits Tiny in a crisp white shirt and tie with his feathers slicked back. This is the last straw. “GET OFF MY SHIP!!” yells Captain Stan. Mr. and Mrs. McKaw waste no time in flying the coop, but there’s no respite for Captain Stan and Tiny for dead ahead is a colossal storm.

The ship is no match for the lightning, crashing waves, and fierce winds. The cook, the cabin boy, Captain Stan, and the remains of the broken brigand are washed into the roiling sea. “Just when all seems lost, however, Tiny gives a great SQUAWK! ‘It’s Mr. and Mrs. McKaw!’” cries Stan. “‘And my aunts, uncles, cousins…everyone!’” says Tiny. The parrots rescue everyone and fly them safely to a nearby island—Blue Feather Island, which just happens to be Tiny’s home.

All the members of the parrot family help Stan build a new ship, and in the process he discovers a new perspective on Mrs. and Mr. McKaw’s personalities. “Mrs. McKaw’s bossiness turned out to be very useful” as she delegates jobs, and Mr. McKaw keeps the crew entertained while they work “just by being Mr. McKaw.” The two are even hungry enough to eat up everything the cook prepares, much to his delight.

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Image copyright Ged Adamson, courtesy of gedadamson.com

With a new ship finally complete, it’s time for the McKaws to take wing. Stan thanks them for all their help and apologizes for throwing them off his ship. On her part, Mrs. McKaw apologizes for being rude and thanks Stan for taking care of Tiny. And what about the new ship? It might be even better than the original with a bold parrot-emblazoned sail and a parrot figurehead pointing the way. As the crew sets sail, Captain Stan acknowledges, “‘You know, Tiny, I’m really glad I met the McKaws.’”

With the dash of a swashbuckler and the true aim of a compass, Ged Adamson depicts the high and low tides of family life in this high seas adventure. His humorous portrayals of personality traits that can drive family members crazy will resonate with kids and adults alike as they laugh through the travails Captain Stan and Tiny suffer during a visit by Tiny’s parents. In a sweet turn of events, though, Adamson reminds us that when storms come—in whatever form—the momentary squalls are forgotten, the anchor of family relationships is dropped, and everyone battens the hatches together.

Adamson’s vivid illustrations of Captain Stan in his sharp pirate garb, colorful (in more ways than one) Mr. and Mrs. McKaw, and the well-fitted wooden ship will delight pirate fans of all ages. Mr. McKaw’s imaginary stories are cleverly portrayed as chalk drawings on a black background, and the sea swirls with cool hues of blue and turquoise. Like Captain Stan readers will be glad they have a chance to Meet the McKaws and will want them to visit again and again.

Ages 4 – 8

Sky Pony Press, 2015 | ISBN 978-1629146188

Discover more of Ged Adamson’s work on his website!

Meet Ged Adamson and learn about his inspirations, his writing life, and his other books in this funny and insightful Q & A!

Family Day Activity

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Original Avast! Pirate Treasure Map Board Game design by Conor Carroll copyright 2016

Avast! Pirate Treasure Map Board Game

 

Gather your family around and set out to discover buried treasure and the treasure of spending time together! This printable, original board game has all the excitement of a pirate voyage across the bounding main, including shark attacks, mutiny, the Kraken, mermaids, mateys, and more!

Supplies

Printable Avast! Game Board and Game Pieces

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Original artwork copyright Conor Carroll and Celebrate Picture Books, 2016

Directions

  1. Print the Avast! Board Game pages (Options: print on white paper, parchment-colored paper, or on card stock. To make white paper appear old – as in the picture – paint with a tea wash before taping together. See directions for tea wash below)
  2. Tape together the 4 pieces of the map. (Option: map pages printed on regular paper can be  glued to a piece of poster board to make the game board more sturdy.) 
  3. Print the Avast! Pirate Loot Tokens
  4. Cut out the Avast! Pirate Loot Tokens
  5. Print the Avast! Game Cards
  6. Cut out the Avast! Game Cards

To use a tea bag to make the map look old:

  1. Steep a black tea tea bag in 1/4 cup boiling water for 3 minutes
  2. Squeeze the tea bag dry over the cup and discard
  3. With the paint brush, paint the 4 pages of the map with the tea before taping them together
  4. Let dry or dry with a hair drier set on Low.

To Play the Game

  1. Each player chooses a Pirate Loot Token as their playing piece to move along the board
  2. Shuffle and stack the Game Cards
  3. Choose which player will go first
  4. Players choose the top card from the pile and follow the directions to move spaces on the game board.
  5. After moving, players should put their game card in a discard pile
  6. If Game Cards run out before the end of the game, flip over the discard pile and use the cards again
  7. The first player to arrive at the X on the map finds the treasure and is the winner!

Picture Book Review

August 14 – It’s Family Fun Month

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About the Holiday

August is a perfect time to have fun with the family! The days are long and warm, and there are so many activities to discover. Get away from the heat at a pool, the beach, or on the cool shade of a forest path. Explore your adventurous side while camping or traveling to an unfamiliar town, or increase your knowledge by visiting a science, art, history, or other museum. Before school starts up for another year, get out there and have fun!

Rosie the Raven

By Helga Bansch | Translated by Shelley Tanaka

 

In a nest high in a tree, a little pink egg among the blue speckled ones hatches a little girl. As soon as all five babies are out of their shells, the hatchling says “Mama and Papa took us under their wings. It was nice and warm there.” The babies are hungry and the little girl, following the example of her brothers and sisters, opens her mouth wide to enjoy the “worms, flies, maggots, and snails.”

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Image copyright Helga Bansch, courtesy of annickpress.com

As they grow, the little ones “slept, had cawing contests and goofed around.” Because the little girl is always cold, her papa got her a red dress and hat. “‘Our little Rosie,’” Mama called me,” the girl says. Although Rosie and her nest mates are a happy family, Rosie says that “every day others would come and stare at us” as well as offer unsolicited advice: “‘It needs to exercise its wings” or, because they considered Rosie ugly without feathers, “Rub it with birch leaves. That will make its feathers grow.”

Under the critical gaze of these outsiders, Rosie looks at herself and notices for the first time that she is different than her Mama and Papa, her brothers and sisters. Her siblings are already learning how to fly, their caws are wild and resonant, and their feathers are fluffy and soft. In comparison, when Rosie flaps nothing happens, her voice sounds “pitiful,” and she has no fluff.

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Image copyright Helga Bansch, courtesy of annickpress.com

Rosie “so wanted to be like them” that she beats her “wings over and over.” She caws until she is hoarse and rubs herself with birch leaves until her skin glows green. Soon she decides that “all this was just silly.” “‘I’m just different. And if the others talk about me, what do I care,’” she thinks. Besides, she learns that her “kind of wings are quite useful for other things.”

When Rosie’s siblings fly away from the nest after several weeks, the nest seems quiet. As the weeks progress and “the air began to smell like autumn, it was time to set out for the south.” Rosie’s parents practice flying with Rosie on their back until she can ride safely. Finally the day comes when they make the trip, and they find a new home in a tree that is perfect for Rosie to climb. Now it is her job to gather food for the family—which will soon include four new babies.

In her new home Rosie meets a frog who is going to teach her to swim. After their first meeting, the frog asks, “‘So, what are you really?’” “‘I am Rosie the Raven!’” Rosie squawks loudly. Then she goes home and climbs up to her nest in the tree, looking forward to tomorrow.

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Image copyright Helga Bansch, courtesy of annickpress.com

Helga Bansch’s Rosie the Raven, bathed in tones of beige and black and punctuated with the red of Rosie’s cap and dress, is a quiet, but powerful book of what it means to be different and who defines that difference. The story of the Raven family is all the more eloquent and compelling for its being told through straight narration and not as a fairy tale or fable. The moment when Rosie looks at herself through others’ eyes, but quickly rejects the notion that her identity as a Raven is based on her having wings or feathers as well as her decision to stay with Mama and Papa affirms the idea that the true self is found within.

Bansch’s little Ravens are endearing as they frolic in the nest under the watchful and loving eyes of Mama and Papa. Rosie exudes a strong sense of confidence and happiness that readers will respond to. Bansch’s pages are a mix of panels, collages, and beautiful two-page spreads that give the book a distinctive look and feel. Fields and mountains are created from maps and bits of printed material in a variety of languages that emphasizes the book’s theme. Rosie the Raven could easily become a child’s favorite for bedtime or quiet story time and would be a wonderful addition to home as well as school libraries.

Ages 4 – 8

annick press, 2016 | ISBN 978-1554518340 (Austrian edition Die Rabenrosa: 978-3702658748)

To view more books and artwork by Helga Bansch, visit her website!

Check out more books for children and young adults at annick press!

Family Fun Day Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-bungalow-house-coloring-page

Home is Where Your Heart Is Coloring Pages

Apartments Coloring Page

Bungalow Coloring Page

August 13 – Garage Sale Day

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About the Holiday

Isn’t every nice-weather Saturday garage sale day for someone? Nevertheless, the second Saturday in August has officially been designated with this special shopping moniker. Garage sales aka yard sales are fun to explore—you never know what treasures you might find. Hosting your own can free up space in your house to start fresh or, as in today’s book, reaffirm the most important things in life.

Yard Sale

Written by Eve Bunting | Illustrated by Lauren Castillo

 

From the first words—“Almost everything we own is spread out in our front yard”—readers realize that this is no ordinary yard sale. A little girl sits on the front porch of her tidy house gazing out sadly at the family’s furniture, toys, books, and knick-knacks that are all for sale. The family is moving to a small apartment: “‘Small but nice,’ my mom told me.” The apartment has a secret bed that opens down from the wall “right in the living room.”

When the yard sale opens people stop by to look, “picking up things, asking the price, though Mom and Dad already put prices on them.” Even though the items are priced low, people haggle over how much they want to pay. A woman complains that ten dollars is too much for the little girl’s bed because the headboard has crayon marks on it. Watching, Callie now wishes she hadn’t made the marks to show how often she had read Goodnight Moon. Her mother settles for five dollars for the bed.

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Image copyright Lauren Castillo, courtesy of laurencastillo.com

Suddenly, Callie sees a man loading her bike into a truck and runs to grab it. The man is confused, sorry for taking it, but tells her he has just bought it. Callie’s dad runs over and explains again that the apartment has no place for the bike or sidewalks nearby to ride it on. Callie looks at her dad who seems to have tears in his eyes, “but probably not,” she says. “My dad doesn’t cry.” She relinquishes the bike, but asks the man, “‘Will you give it back to me when we get our house back?’”

Callie’s best friend, Sara, is waiting for her. The two friends hug and talk about why Callie has to move. “‘I wish you didn’t have to go,’” Sara mutters. “‘Why do you, anyway?’” Callie shrugs. “‘I don’t know. It’s something to do with money.’” They don’t understand what has happened, and Sara offers, “‘I could ask my parents if you could stay with us.’” But Callie’s heart tells her where she belongs. “‘My parents would be lonely,’” she says. “‘…I’d miss my mom and dad.’”

The sale continues and people drive away with tables, chairs, and clothing. For a moment, Callie feels important when a man asks her if their large potted geranium is for sale and she directs him to her dad. By the end of the day almost everything is gone. Callie’s mom “looks droopy” and her dad is comforting her. Callie sits dejectedly watching the final things being carried away and thinking that she will give Sara her red heart necklace and invite her to visit their new apartment.

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Image copyright Lauren Castillo, courtesy of laurencastillo.com

At that moment a woman comes up to Callie and says, “‘Aren’t you just the cutest thing? Are you for sale?’” Callie has a visceral reaction: “A shiver runs through me, from my toes to my head.” She runs to her parents, crying. “‘I’m not for sale, am I? You wouldn’t sell me, would you?’” Her parents drop what they are doing to hug and reassure Callie that they would “‘not ever ever, ever’” sell her. “‘Not for a million, trillion dollars.’”

With everything gone, Callie and her parents go back inside their “almost empty house.” It’s okay, Callie thinks. None of the stuff is important, and it wouldn’t fit in their new place anyway. “But we will fit in our new place. And we are taking us.”

For so many children frequent relocations or sudden moves from a home they know is a reality. Eve Bunting’s Yard Sale treats this subject with sensitivity and honest emotion through the eyes of a little girl for whom the change is confusing but ultimately reassuring. Bunting does not stint on either the setting of the yard sale itself, where people quibble over a couple of dollars, or the toll the day takes on the family. Her dialogue always rings true, and her straightforward delivery allows for understanding and for the moments of humor to shine through.

Lauren Castillo’s ink-and-watercolor paintings anchor this emotional story in a homey, loving environment even as they realistically portray the atmosphere of the yard sale. The full range of feelings are apparent in the characters’ faces from sadness and doubt to kindness and acceptance. Children will respond to Callie with her earnest attempts to understand and feel the comfort and encouragement Callie receives as her parents bend down to talk to her, hold her hand, and give her hugs.

Yard Sale is a poignant story that offers assurance and insight both for children who are facing a move and the friends and classmates who will miss them. The book’s theme is applicable to other daunting circumstances and would be a welcome addition to classroom and local libraries as well as for individuals encountering change.

Ages 4 – 9

Candlewick Press, 2015 | ISBN 978-0763665425

To view more books and artwork by Lauren Castillo, visit her website!

Garage Sale Day Activity

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Garage Sale Maze

 

A garage sale is a bit like a treasure hunt. Can you find your way through this printable Garage Sale Maze from the roadside sign to the items for sale? Here’s the Solution!

July 21 – It’s National Culinary Arts Month

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About the Holiday

Culinary arts from entrees to desserts and everything in between are celebrated during July. Whether you like going out to restaurants or staying in for a home-cooked meal remember to thank the chef for their time and talents!

Kitchen Dance

By Maurie J. Manning

 

A little girl wakens to sounds coming from the kitchen—“Glasses clinking. Water swishing. Forks clattering.” Then more personal sounds—humming, laughing, and “hush!” The girl slips out of her blankets and climbs to the top bunk to wake her brother, Tito. Together they tiptoe downstairs and peek through the kitchen door. “A bright skirt flashes by! Four feet fly!”

With a wooden spoon microphone the kids’ father sings, “Cómo te quiero! Oh, how I love you. Umm, hmm.” Juggling stacked plates in one hand while using the other to dance hand-in-hand, the kids’ parents glide, slide, and twirl around the kitchen floor. Laughing, their mom closes cabinet doors with a bump of her hips as she spins into her husband’s arms “then out again, like a yo-yo on a string.”

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Image copyright Maurie J. Manning

Pots and pans find their storage space with a swirl and a dip while another is dried with the swish of a towel. Around the kitchen the couple dances, “feet tapping, water dripping, sponge wiping, towel snapping.” While singing, “they tango across the room with the leftover tamales.” As they turn toward the door, Mama glimpses her little ones. The kids squeal and start to run, but Papa swings open the door—“Hola!” He pulls Tito into his arms, while Mama catches her tiny daughter.

As the four whirl around the kitchen, Tito and his sister sing into wooden spoons, “Cómo te quiero! Oh, how I love you!” They “twirl around and around in a circle of family.” The dance slows to a gentle swaying as Tito and his sister grow sleepy. Mama and Papa carry their drowsing children upstairs and cover them once more under their cozy blankets. “Cómo te quiero,” Papa whispers. “Besitos, mi’ja,” Mama says “Sweet dreams.”

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Image copyright Maurie J. Manning

Maurie J. Manning’s sweet story of a private moment between parents that becomes a celebration of family love offers a fresh, fun, and lively glimpse of the small events that contribute to real connectedness. Telling the story from one of the children’s point of view adds a deeper level of understanding and recognition that of the strong bond between the parents. The repeated phrase, “Cómo te quiero! How I love you!” is reassuring and allows kids to read along with the book’s most important theme.

Manning’s vivacious and vibrant illustrations bring to life the swirling energy of the text. Tito and his sister creep downstairs in a house bathed in shadow only to open the door to flashing yellow, green, purple, and orange brilliance. The scenes of Mama and Papa dancing together, using a wooden spoon as a microphone and pot lids as cymbals as well as twirling hand in hand while balancing stacks of dishes are filled with happiness, and the  picture of the two tangoing with tamales will make kids giggle. Tito and his sister are adorable as they spy on their parents with astonished looks on their faces and then join the dance.

Kitchen Dance is a joy for story time or bedtime, and in these always busy days would be a welcome reminder that carefree moments carry their own special meaning.  Kitchen Dance is a great addition to a child’s bookshelf.

Ages 3 – 8

Clarion Books, 2008 | ISBN 978-0618991105

To learn more about Maurie J. Manning, her books, and her art, check out her website!

Take a look at the Kitchen Dance book trailer!

 

National Culinary Arts Month Activity

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-wooden-spoon-microphone-craft

Wooden Spoon Microphone

 

With this easy craft you can turn a wooden cooking spoon into a fun microphone for playtime or in case you ever have to sing for your supper!

Supplies

  • Long-handled wooden spoon
  • Black craft paint
  • Silver craft paint
  • Black permanent marker

Directions

  1. Paint the handle of the spoon black, let dry
  2. Paint the head of the spoon silver, let dry
  3. After the paint is dry, make rows of small dots on the head of the spoon