BEAUTY BESIDE ME

Posted on 12/06/2012

Have you ever listened to a book read in Navajo?

Probably not.

What a special gift to give a child, to hear a story told in both Navajo and English.

BEAUTY BESIDE ME, STORIES OF MY GRANDMOTHER’S SKIRTS is a treasure of words, images and sounds.  Seraphine G. Yazzie, author, describes in storytelling style the many different chores shared by granddaughter and grandmother. With each activity, the grandmother wears a different colored skirt, but with each activity, she “shares her knowledge, wisdom, and love.”

Award-winning Navajo artist, Baje Whitethorne, Sr., illustrates each scene with charm and authentic details.  Each book includes a CD so readers can chose to listen to the story read in Navajo or English.  Both Navajo and English script are presented.

“Grandmother wore her brown skirt to make cedar beads….Grandmother’s brown skirt swayed back and forth, back and forth, while she gave each grandchild a bracelet or necklace for protection.  She shared her knowledge, wisdom, and love when she wore her beautiful brown skirt.”

BEAUTY BESIDE ME shows the tender relationship between grandparent and child as well an authentic depiction of Navajo life. Seraphine Yazzie is both an author and teacher and writes that she “hopes her book will encourage youth to both read and write creatively.”  The structure of her book provides a wonderful template for children to create their own stories about activities shared with parents or grandparents.

BEAUTY BESIDE ME is one of a variety of bilingual books published by Salina Bookshelf, a multicultural publishing company located in Flagstaff, Arizona.  The publishers have collaborated with RosettaStone to create CD-ROM software as a tool for anyone to learn basic Navajo.  Salina Bookshelf publishes educational, reference, and trade books that celebrate Navajo language and culture. Their books have been recognized with national awards for content, presentation, and illustration.    Many of their books, including board books for the very young, are published bilingual.

STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING

Posted on 12/04/2012

Catch a snowflake – on the flat of your hand, or maybe on the tip of your tongue.

Remember what it is like to stand on the edge of the woods on a snowy evening and feel the chill, sense the hush.

Robert Frost’s STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING is a beautiful book of images created by Susan Jeffers.  The book’s design is a marvel of surprises.  Susan Jeffers’ paintings evoke Frost’s snow-laden world.  Images unfold as the winter world of Frost is shown in softly muted colors of gray and white with surprises of color.  The poem becomes especially accessible to young readers as we follow the curious creatures of the woods, the activities of the children in the house by the woods, and especially the bundled-up “grandpa” even as he stops to make angels in the snow.  This book is a lovely gift to introduce a young reader to the joyful evocative poem given to us by Robert Frost.

“He gives his harness bells a shake,

to ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sounds the sweep

of easy wind and downy flake….”

The Poetry of Robert Frost, 1923

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (Dutton Children’s Books, 2001)

December 2012: ReaderKidZ Favorites!

Posted on 12/02/2012

These days, it gets dark early in the Northern Hemisphere. We hope that your days and nights are well-lit for reading, with festive lights and scented with evergreens and baked goods, and warmed by flickering firelight–or a working furnace. It’s the season of sharing and that means it’s time to think about PRESENTS!  We love presents. This month, until the western world grinds to a halt the last week of December, the whole gang at ReaderkidZ will share some of our favorite old and new kidlit books, in the certainty that they will make a wonderful gift for a child or childish person you know.

As we gather with families and friends, it’s also the season for gratitude. The ReaderkidZ  love children’s literature, love what we do, and are grateful that you stopped by today, occasionally or regularly.  We are grateful for our Artists-in-Residence and our guest contributors. Anything you’d like to see more of in 2013 or any comments, feel free to share with us. We value your opinions.

Dianne, Stephanie, Nancy, Deb, Jeanette, Kristin, Carmen and I all wish you and yours bright, warm, well-lit holidays full of books and loved ones, baked goods and presents.

Things Seen and Unseen, Spoken and Unspoken

Posted on 11/30/2012

LIFE IN THE OCEAN: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola (Frances Foster Books, 2012)

There’s something magical and infinitely satisfying about swimming through quiet ocean waters. Sylvia Earle recognized that magic and according to her mother, “lost her heart to the water” early on.

All her young life, Sylvia spent hours investigating the outdoors and recording what she’d seen in her notebook. So when, at the age of twelve, her family moved from their New Jersey farm to a home in Florida, near the water’s edge, it was not surprising that Sylvia’s “investigations” continued. Her subjects would not be the landlocked creatures of the farm, but instead the diversity found in “every spoonful of water in the deep ocean.”

Readers will enjoy a glimpse into the beautiful ocean world Sylvia came to know and study intimately.  She “believes that if we do not learn about the ocean world we will never really care about it or take care of it.” She’s dedicated her life to studying and encouraging others to protect “the blue heart of the planet.” What better way for young readers to gain some of Sylvia’s love of the watery world than to introduce them to LIFE IN THE OCEAN?

UNSPOKEN: A Story From the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole (Scholastic Press, 2012)

Though not a true biography, I’m including UNSPOKEN in today’s post because this wordless story gives voice to two characters from history – a young farm girl and the runaway slave she discovers. From the jacket flap: “The stranger’s fearful eyes weigh upon her conscience, and she must make a difficult choice. Will she have the courage to do what she knows is right? UNSPOKEN GIFTS of humanity unite the girl and the runaway as they each face a journey: one following the North Star, the other following her heart.”

About the book, author/illustrator Henry Cole writes, “…I wanted to tell – or show – the courage of everyday people who were brave in quiet ways…”

This stunning book does just that, giving voice to all that has been left unspoken.

On the Road to Mr. Mineo’s by Barbara O’Connor

Posted on 11/28/2012

ON THE ROAD TO MR. MINEO’S by Barbara O’Connor  (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2012)

Stella wants a dog and her parents won’t hear of it. So it’s not surprising that when a one-legged pigeon flaps and taps its way to Meadville, South Carolina landing on the tin roof of the shed Stella and her friend, Gerald, built the previous summer, Stella can barely breathe, she’s so excited. A one-legged pigeon! She’s bound and determined to catch that pigeon if it’s the last thing she does. And you can bet she isn’t going to let Levi and his scabby-kneed, germ-infested friends catch the wayward pigeon before she does.

Meanwhile, across town, Mr. Mineo is fretting over his lost – one-legged – pigeon, Ernie. Throw in a little brown dog and a host of characters, both young and old, and you’ll find yourself quickly lost in the comings and goings of the small southern town of Meadville. A town in which the pace is slow and relaxed and the paths of young and old cross. A town in which small, everyday things manage to weave themselves together in such a way that both the characters and reader are left with a smile and a good feeling that no matter what niggling problems life might come up with, it’ll all surely work out in the end.

Barbara O’Connor is a master at tapping into the ordinary, even routine, moments of childhood, and elevating them until they shimmer and shine. Check out ON THE ROAD TO MR. MINEO’S and other books by Barbara O’Connor HERE. And while you’re at it, enjoy this review of ON THE ROAD… HERE.

Oh, Nuts!

Posted on 11/27/2012

OH, NUTS! by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Dan Krall

Have you ever been to the zoo and seen the chipmunks running amok? Darting up trees? Whooshing through the grass? Zipping over branches and sidewalks?  But do you ever stop and pay them any attention? No. You’re too busy snapping photos of the tigers and elephants and giraffes, aren’t you? Well, that’s what happens to Cutesy, Blinky and Bob in Oh, Nuts!  Poor, poor chipmunks!

Sauer’s imagination cracks open a tale about three friends working together to flash a little love and affection in their direction. Cutesy thinks they need a makeover, Blinky thinks music is the answer and Bob is content to just follow along. But when their efforts fail to attract zoo-goers, a miracle ensues; Bob gets an idea. An idea so grand—paparazzi swarms them.  It’s a good thing these chipmunks think fast on their feet! Krall’s illustrations shine vividly and heighten the humor.  A crowd-pleaser for ages 3 and up.

Librarian’s Corner FAQ: Why Aren’t Books Rated Like Movies?

Posted on 11/25/2012

Why aren’t books rated like movies? How do I determine which books are appropriate for my child?

I recently heard from a teacher who wanted to know why books are not rated like movies so that she could select books to read in class that would not have any objectionable language or content. Selecting appropriate books to share with children is not a simple task. Concerns about content are varied and range from sexuality and cursing to dealing with death and grief or violence and addictions. With more than 50,000 books published each year, it would be impossible for books to be labeled like movies (less than 500 films are released each year). But even if they could be rated, libraries adhere to the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read statements that preclude labeling books in any manner that serves to restrict access to materials or that is not viewpoint-neutral.

While libraries don’t add labels to rate books or other materials in the collection, library staff can help parents determine what a book is about and provide information to help you decide whether the content is appropriate for your own child. Help in selecting materials is often called “reader’s advisory” and librarians use reviews and other resources, including our own experience with the author or the book, to provide information about the book. Reviews that are used to select books for the library collection will often mention if the subject is for a more mature reader or deals with a controversial topic, and may even tell you if the topic is dealt with in a way that is not age-appropriate for the intended reader. There are also privately operated databases like Common Sense Media, http://www.commonsensemedia.org/, that provide reviews for parents, focused on various concerns about the content of books and other media. In addition to offering information about violence, drugs, language, and sexuality, these reviews look at other concerns like consumerism, extreme emotions, and positive role models.