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…Who Choose To Follow Their Heart

I thought I hit Publish on this post weeks ago! Anyways, here it is now…

What we’re reading this week:

Picked up 4 little treasures last week from the library and here they are:

The Boy Who Wouldn’t Go To Bed:
Creator: Helen Cooper; Publisher: Puffin (December 1, 2000)

Does bedtime stretch on forever at your home? It sure does in this little boy’s case. He will go to any lengths to avoid the ‘b’ word and stay up all night – from racing with a train to roaring with a tiger. But alas, even his playmates are way too sleepy to keep him company. Only one person can manage to keep up with him, not out of choice, but because she can’t rest until he does. Enjoy this imaginative and beautifully presented book with your little ones, noting the little details in the illustrations and how they depict the child’s magnified view of the world. It takes you through castles, jungles and even to the moon and back as the little boy tries to find someone – anyone – to keep him company through the night.

I Don’t Want To Go:
Creators: Addie Sanders, Andrew Rowland; Publisher: Lobster Press; 1St Edition edition (April 22, 2008)

This book is so easy to relate to and takes no effort to enjoy with your little one. You know how kids are anxious about doing things or going somewhere and no amount of convincing or coaxing works? Until one day, they realize for themselves what they’re missing. ‘I don’t want to go’ has all the enjoyable elements of a children’s picture book and some more. Vivid illustrations, simple, repetitive text, an easy to follow plot and the story of a little boy who doesn’t think he’ll enjoy the visit to his grandparents’ house…until he does. Every page of this book reads like a mini story with a problem-resolution element and the more you read it, as many more details your child will probably uncover. When you’re going crazy trying to convince your anxious, stubborn tot to do something or go somewhere and he just won’t budge, give this book a go – it’s the next best thing to saying “I told you so.”

The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Creator: Beatrix Potter; Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap (January 26, 2004)

Good little bunnies Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-tail may have had milk and currant buns for dinner but who has the better story to tell at the end of the day? You don’t need a reason to explore this children’s classic and every time you do, it seems to get more enjoyable.  Read the tale of naughty little Peter with your little one and see if you can get him or her to see that’s it’s better to be good and nice instead of adventurous and naughty…chance are, your child will settle for the latter even if it means having to go to bed without dinner.  Mine did. She has this impish grin and the sparkle in her eyes as she cheers Peter on at every point. Sure,  it would be easier if our kids were good little bunnies, but I’ll take unpredictable, insane, hair-tearing parenting fun over ‘easy’ on most days – wouldn’t you?!

The Piano
Creators: William Miller, Susan Keeter; Publisher: Lee & Low Books (August 2004)

OK, the only reason we borrowed the book was because it had a picture of a young girl at the piano on the cover and since my daughter is currently taking lessons, we were drawn to it. It was only after I brought it home that I saw that it may have actually been intended for slightly older kids, with its many layers and undertones. That didn’t stop us from enjoying the story however. The Piano is a story of love, passion, dedication and sacrifice, among other things, yet all woven into a very simple tale set in the early 1900s. A free spirited, young black girl’s curiosity takes her to a white neighborhood she has never been to before. Her love of music leads her to a white lady’s mansion. The book takes us on a journey into the little girl’s mind, her love of music and how little everything else means to her in comparison. Chores, hard work, the color of her skin, physical pain and sacrifice seem insignificant compared to the joy she derives from experiencing music. And in her quest for this experience, she manages to take others along on the beautiful journey, touching their hearts and lives in ways unknown even to her. Her determination and passion to learn spill over as she manages to convince the elderly, white lady to overcome her reluctance and physical pain in order to experience music in a new light all over again. This warm tale of kindness, compassion and human nature is a pleasure to read and great for sharing with your child, even if she’s too young to grasp every subtle reference to race, class or human nature. The illustrations are magnificent and tell their own story – and take you back in time to when not everything was as easily accessible to everyone – but to those who had true passion, nothing was ever impossible.