Sunday, September 20, 2009

This Week's Library Haul

In which Destructo shows why books are good for kids.

1. No, David!
by David Shannon
David's mother always said, "No, David!"
David never listens and he makes a mess, but in the end, his mama loves him anyway. I love this book and the picture of David running away down the street naked always makes us laugh.

Recommended for: every child everywhere except the kids of the sneering lady behind me in the grocery store the other day because HER kids obviously never, say, try to eat one another's hair while trapped in the cart.



2. Strega Nona Takes a Vacation
by Tomie dePaola
When Strega Nona tries to take a vacation, her assistants Bambolona and Big Anthony screw up and make a big mess, but Strega Nona comes back and loves them anyway.

We have had to read this book every night. It's a true sequel, and better if you've read the original Strega Nona, where Big Anthony fills the town with pasta. It's best, though, if you get to hear it in my fabulous variety of Italian accents.

If you like Tomie dePaola, check out the birthday treat Jarrett Krosoczka made him at Three Kisses for Tomie.


3. several Curious George books, all of which have the same plot: Curious George tries to be a good little monkey but is too curious and so makes a mess and gets in trouble but it all turns out okay and everyone still loves him anyway.

Are you sensing a trend? Let's switch it up.

4. Bear Feels Scared
by Karma Wilson, illus. Jane Chapman
I'll be honest: we didn't take this book out. We took out Bear's New Friend, which is pretty good. But we heard Bear Feels Scared at story time and it's awesome. Bear, who you'd think would be a big, tough guy used to scaring others turns out to be a bowl full of chicken when he's left alone in the woods. Luckily, his friends find him and bring him back to his safe cave.

Let me repeat: Bear is a big boy who you'd think would be, um, destructive, but he really feels scared a lot of the time.

Recommended for: anyone who gets scared.

And then, tonight at bed time, after reading these for the 100th time, after I checked his room for monsters and hung the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door so no bad guys can get in, Destructo snuggled up next to me and told me about when Tinkerbell knocked him off the slide today.

"It was a mistake," I said. "Everybody makes them."

"Yeah," he said. "But you yuv me anyway."

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

How precious! He is so special!!

Tara Lazar said...

I think you need to make an audio recording of Strega Nova for us!

Tara Lazar said...

Of course that was supposed to be NONA, not NOVA! HA!

cath c said...

before i even read this post: no david is still one of my 11 yo's favs of all time! i must have read it to him eleventy million times when he was little and beyond. along with the dog version, 'oh, tucker!' i think he could relate and laughed his cheeks right off his face.

and strega nona is definitely in my top 5. i swear i was a strega nona in a past life. that's the only reason my spaghetti sauce is the one sought after in my household of italians, including my mil!

cath c said...

and now i've read the post and am a puddle of aw at the last line.

sruble said...

All great picks, and the art on the bear books is gorgeous!

I got 14 pbs at the library this weekend, but I didn't see these 3. Next time!

Jacqui said...

Thanks, Anonymous.

Tara, ha! Even my daughter is all, 'why do they talk like that?'

cath c, we are working on eleventy million around here.

sruble, there are so many out there, aren't there? Aah.

Diane T said...

Keep the book reviews coming, I love hearing what Destructo and Tink have to say.

And thanks for covering "Mama Mama Red Pajama" before; I gave it to my nephew for his birthday and already it's a big hit. All we had to do was mention it yesterday and he couldn't stop chattering about llamas.

Amber Lough said...

Oh, I'm a puddle of mush now.