Curling up with some holiday classics

by Carly I had no idea just how many holiday-themed books we had kicking around the house until I started rounding them up for this post.  It really comes as no surprise since our family is big on Christmas and the Little Man is no exception.  However, since our personal collection was full of books appropriate for the 0-5 year old set, I happily spent a couple of hours exploring some local bookstores and libraries  (online and in person) to rediscover some old favourites and some new stories too.

Favourite Stories for Babies and Toddlers

• Merry Christmas Mouse by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond tells the story of "Mouse" as he counts his way through decorating the Christmas tree.
• The Lights of Christmas by Joanne Barkan with pictures by France Brassard was an inexpensive book with a huge appeal - Jake loved hitting the button that caused lights on every page to flicker and dance.  The rhyming story of little bears dreaming of the North Pole was equally sweet.
• After watching a Sesame Street video about different holiday traditions, the Little Man wanted to know more about them.  We found A Kwanzaa Celebration Pop Up Book by Nancy Williams and award-winning illustrator Robert Sabuda in our local library.  The vibrant colours and great pop-ups kept us busy for days.

Favourite Stories for Preschoolers

• In our home you just can't go wrong with the stories of the precocious "David", written and illustrated by David Shannon.  It's Christmas, David! is no exception.  I must have some little boy in me too as my favourite page is the one where David runs up the street in his birthday suit.
• Room for a Little One is beautifully illustrated by Jason Cockcroft and written by Martin Waddell.  Telling the story of the birth of Christ through the eyes of the peaceful animals who may have also sought shelter in the stable through simple prose and that stunning artwork.
• A Reindeer Christmas by Mark Kimball Moulton and illustrated by Karen Hillard Good is Jake's pick this year.  When Donnor loses his way during a dry run prior to Christmas, some loving children take good care of him even without knowing who he is.

• Finally, My Penguin Osbert by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel and illustrated by H.B. Lewis tells us what happens when Joe sends a very detailed letter to Santa regarding a certain arctic bird.  This story has resulted in a similar letter from Jacob . . . only his penguin is to be named "House".  Huh?

Favourites Stories for School-Aged Children

• The Best Hannukah Ever was recommended by our favourite librarian when I asked about Jewish holiday traditions.  Barbara Goldin Diamond and Avi Katz tell the story of a family that gives one another humourous gifts after misunderstanding their Rabbi's advice.
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss remains one of my all time favourites.  The illustrations perfectly match this classic story of materialism, greed and child-like giving.
• Stranger in the Woods by Carl R. Sams II and Jean Stoick won the Benjamin Franklin Award and the International Reading Association Award.  Given to Jake when he was born, he's only recently starting to pick it up on his own and page through the beautiful photography.  I think he'll enjoy it even more as he gets older.
• The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg with illustrations by James Bernardin tells of the mystery and miracle of Christmas, by highlighting the Christian symbolism found in the candy cane.

Favourite Books for Pre-Teens

• My nephews always loved Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas.  Not my personal favourite, but it the story held the attention of restless tween boys who didn't always like to read.
• Dicken's A Christmas Carol has also been re-written under a number of different publishers for 9-12 year olds.  The classic story of Scrooge's late-night visit of the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future is must read - especially if like me, you love The Muppet's version.
• When her older brother dies in an accident, Darcy is left feeling responsible for his death . . . until she meets the boy who received his donated heart.  Searching for David's Heart: A Christmas Story by Cherie Bennett is heartwarming and touching.

Favourite Books for Teens

• Love Santa: A Different Kind of Christmas Story by Sharon Glassman is a collection of children's actual letters to man in red himself.  In addition to the cool illustrations, Ms. Glassman also takes the time to encourage her teenage readers to become "undercover Santas".  Though she references the U.S. Postal Service, I loved the idea of turning things back on the reader with a challenge to reach out to younger children.
• Based on a true story and taking place in 1918, The Golden Ring: A Christmas Story by John Snyder tells the story of a father and daughter who share some puzzling dreams about a golden ring.

No post on holiday reading would be complete without the classic The Night Before Christmas poem by Clement C. Moore.  There are so many beautiful versions to chose from, but our family's favourite is one illustrated by Alison Edgson with "lift-the-flap" options throughout.

What are your family's favourites?

Carly has red hair and occasionally the temper to match.  She loves potatoes, rainy nights, photography, her husband and her 4 year old son, Jacob.  Probably in reverse order.   She also blogs.

Canadian Award Winners: Book recommendations from the Ottawa Public Library

This is the second post in a series of monthly blog posts by Ottawa Public Library children’s librarians! We hope you enjoy today’s post and remember to check back every month for great children’s books ideas. by Margaret Kirkpatrick, Children's Librarian, Carlingwood Branch        

*Click on the picture of each book to be directed to the Ottawa Public Library page about it

I am always interested in how readers choose their books. One way is to look for the gold stickers on books, meaning that they have won an award. But who puts the stickers on the books? What do they mean?

For me, I look to the Canadian Library Association Book Award’s website. The Canadian Library Association sponsors three book awards, each reviewed by a panel of Canadian librarians across the county. These people know their books!

Kids Can Press has a list of their books that have won book awards. This will give you an idea of the vast number of book awards there are. You can decide which ones are your favourites! Scholastic Canada also has a list of book awards that their books have won: I want to tell you about four of my favourite authors, who are Canadian Award Winners, and some of their books. All of these books, and others by the same authors and illustrators, are available at the Ottawa Public Library. And don’t forget, Ottawa Public Library is a bilingual library, so we have copies of many of these favourites available in French too.

Paulette Bourgeois

Everyone knows Paulette Bourgeois because she wrote the Franklin books. But before those books, she wrote two of my favourites.

Perhaps an oldie, but definitely a good one! Sarah loves her yellow boots. But one day, they just won't fit anymore. No amount of stretching will make them big again, and a disappointed Sarah must choose new boots. This picture book tells an endearing story about facing and happily resolving a familiar childhood dilemma. Illustrated by Brenda Clark, and published in 1987.

When a farmer brings Mrs. Kerr's class a dozen eggs to incubate, the class project quickly goes awry. In no time at all, Mrs. Kerr's classroom has become a farmyard and the situation is spiraling out of control. Illustrated by Bill Slavin, and published in 1990.

Non-fiction readers will enjoy the following books:

The Dirt on Dirt covers not only what you think of as dirt, but also everything on and around the planet relating to dirt, from dirt homes big and small to secrets the dirt hides and much more. Youngsters will also find a bucketful of fun things to do with dirt, including how to build a bike racetrack, create fossil footprints and grow a garden playhouse. Illustrated by Martha Newbigging, and published in 2008.

Why does the sun shine? How big is our solar system? Where do comets come from? How far away are the stars?  Find out how to • make your own telescope • make a two-stage balloon rocket • make moon craters • look at the sun safely • cook with the sun's rays Written with Cynthia Pratt Nicolson, and illustrated by Bill Slavin. Published in 2007.

And some other non-fiction books by Paulette Bourgeois worthy of attention: Changes in You and Me: A Book about Puberty Mostly for Girls (2005) Changes in You and Me: A Book about Puberty, Mostly for Boys (2005)

Phoebe Gilman

I love Phoebe Gilman for her strong female characters, even in picture books. Princesses? Yes, but problem solving, resourceful princesses!

When Princess Leora's father leaves the castle, he tells her if anything goes wrong to release balloons from the castle tower as a warning to him. While he's away, her evil uncle, the Archduke, makes himself king. What's worse, he pops every balloon in the kingdom. Princess Leora must find at least one balloon to save the kingdom! (1984)

The delicious smell of Grandma’s noodle pudding tempts a group of pirates to steal it. They steal Grandma too, and it takes some clever thinking on Melissa’s part to rescue her. (1990)

In this hilarious fractured fairy tale, everything seems to go wrong. Goldilocks lives with the seven dwarfs, a princess kisses a reluctant dragon, and she and her prince rescue the Wicked Witch of the West...until all mischief is sorted out and everyone lives happily ever after. Jean Little and Maggie de Vries’ whimsical text and Phoebe Gilman’s magical illustrations make this a magnificent feast for anyone who loves a good story — even when it’s wrong!

The blanket Joseph's grandfather made him is transformed into many things as the years go by: a jacket, a vest, a tie, a handkerchief--and finally a button. Gilman's modern adaptation and lively illustrations turn this favorite Jewish tale into a contemporary classic (1992)

Captain Plunk and his pirates find a treasure chest floating on the ocean waves, but instead of a cache of pearls inside, they find a baby girl! Precious Pearl becomes the pirate crew's lucky charm, even though she has a bad habit of giving away their treasure. When Pirate Pearl leaps onto the deck of Prince Basil's ship, he recognizes her as the long-lost Princess Pearl. In no time flat, the princess has rushed back to the castle and dumped the evil Count Crumple in the dungeon. But wait —    she's not ready to marry Prince Basil and settle down to rule the kingdom yet. Pearl invites the prince to join her pirate crew, and he helps her give away her newest treasure! (1998)

Melanie Watt

Melanie Wattis an award winner extraordinaire! Her books Chester and Scaredy Squirrel won the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbons Award for illustrations (sponsored by the Canadian Library Association) two years in a row! Impressive!

Scaredy Squirrel never leaves his nut tree. It's way too dangerous out there. He could encounter tarantulas, green Martians or killer bees. But in his tree, every day is the same and if danger comes along, he's well-prepared. Scaredy Squirrel's emergency kit includes antibacterial soap, Band-Aids and a parachute.Day after day he watches and waits, and waits and watches, until one day … his worst nightmare comes true! Scaredy suddenly finds himself out of his tree, where germs, poison ivy and sharks lurk. But as Scaredy Squirrel leaps into the unknown, he discovers something really uplifting … (published in 2006)

After reading Scaredy Squirrel, you will definitely want to read Scaredy Squirrel makes a Friend (2007), Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach (2008), and Scaredy Squirrel at Night (2009). And remember, they are available in french too at the Ottawa Public Library.

Chester is more than a picture book. It is a story told, and retold, by dueling author-illustrators. Mélanie Watt starts out with the story of a mouse in a house. Then Mélanie's cat, Chester, sends the mouse packing and proceeds to cover the pages with rewrites from his red marker, and the gloves are off.Mélanie and her mouse won't take Chester's antics lying down. And Chester is obviously a creative powerhouse with confidence to spare. Where will this war of the picture-book makers lead? Is it a one-way ticket to Chesterville, or will Mélanie get her mouse production off the ground? (published in 2007) Chester and Melanie have more adventures in Chester’s Back (2008) and Chester’s Masterpiece (2010).

Watt presents a character you just can't say "no" to: salesman Mr. Al Foxword. Al can sell anything. You can't help but be impressed by his lineup of satisfied customers: he's sold an icebox to a penguin, an umbrella to a fish and a dirt vacuum to a mole. Al knows you're looking for a great book, and this is your lucky day. Say goodbye to books that leave you bored and uninspired. Research shows that 100 percent of Al's customers notice a dramatic increase in happiness after buying his book. Not totally convinced yet? Just when you think you're ready to close the book on this relentless salesman, he comes up with a clever tactic that you simply can't refuse.The retro design and the sheer absurdity of Foxword's powers of persuasion make for an off-the-wall picture book with major crossover appeal that pokes fun at our hard-sell society.

Barbara Reid

Barbara Reid. My absolute favourite. My favourite author. My favourite illustrator (plasticine is her medium). My favourite everything. If you haven’t discovered Barbara Reid, run to your nearest library, or computer and request all of books by Barbara Reid. Every one of her books. You will not be disappointed. French or English, you can choose, but choose Barbara Reid.

Tell me a story, read me a book... Babies love books, sharing books with your child every day will open up a world of fun and learning. Bouncy verse and delightful illustrations of babies and children reading make this a great place to start. (2004)

Everyone loves a party! Help yourself to a slice of cake and join the gang for the best get-together ever. Barbara Reid's rhythmic text and bright Plasticine pictures capture all the fun - the games, the food, the friends. We all give a cheer for the party! (1997)

My grandma went a-travelling, said: "what would have me bring?" "Not much," said I, "just a piece of sky, and a hundred songs I can sing..." And Grandma manages to do just that, delivering into a young girl's hands a pack of unusual souvenirs, from "billabong goo" to a sitar's zing. But more important, she brings the enduring gifts of enthusiasm, love and respect for a hundred different places and peoples the world over. (1994)

It came in the night. "Perfect!" said Scott. "Snow!" said Jim.At recess the schoolyard is full of happy kids. Scott is making snowmen, Jim is working on the world's greatest snow fort. At lunchtime they join forces to create a perfect snow surprise! Barbara Reid combines her trademark plasticine artwork with ink and watercolour panels to bring a timeless Canadian tale of winter fun to life. (2009). This book has been described as a “perfect book”, and has won many awards! This is an all-too-short list of four of my favourite award winning authors and an introduction to some of their books. Next time you are at the library, ask your librarian which authors, illustrators, and books, are her favourites. She will have a long list too!

“Best picks” for Hallowe’en reading from the Ottawa Public Library

Kids in the Capital is so excited to be launching a new series of monthly blog posts by Ottawa Public Library children's librarians! We hope you enjoy today's post and remember to check back every month for great children's books ideas. By Rebekah McCallum, Children’s Librarian, Cumberland Branch

With Hallowe’en just around the corner, it’s time for librarians at the Ottawa Public Library to choose some spooky stories for our storytimes. This year, I’m planning to mix some of my favourite dark tales from past years with ghoulish offerings newly arrived in the library children’s collection.

I’m delighted to be able to share my “best picks” for Hallowe’en reading with you through this forum. You can order all of these books online through OPL’s online catalogue and stop into your local branch to pick them up, or to discover your own spine-tingling favourites.

My first shivery suggestion is Dan Yaccarino’s ever-popular version of “Five Little Pumpkins”. In this simply-illustrated and brightly-coloured board book, we meet the five little pumpkins of the popular Hallowe’en fingerplay. Each pumpkin face has its own character, and each speaks to the reader in turn. Babies and toddlers will enjoy the book’s rhyming text and the expressive, but friendly, faces of Yaccarino’s illustrations. Young readers can also trace a ghost from page to page, count witches on broomsticks, and meet a black cat as they turn from page to page. A great Hallowe’en choice for those of us who prefer minimal spookiness!

For preschoolers who can take just a little more of a scare, author Rebecca Dickinson brings us a new Hallowe’en counting book. “Over in the Hollow” is based on the classic counting rhyme “Over in the Meadow”. But instead of an “old mother toadie” and a “green mother frog”, here we meet “an old, moldy mummy and his little mummies too”, “a hairy uncle werewolf” and “a spooky mama owl.” The new words fit the rhyme perfectly, and little readers will enjoy Stephan Britt’s textured, cartoonish illustrations with their many engaging and comic details.

Another recent publication, Ross Collins’ “Dear Vampa” details the sufferings of the Pire (read vamPire) family when new neighbours, the Wolfsons, move in next door. These strange creatures, with their cocktail parties, cell phones, manicured lawn, and peculiar habit of sleeping at night, drive the Pires nearly senseless with aggravation. Finally, young Bram Pire writes to his “Vampa” in Transylvania, asking him to prepare the “guest crypt” for their immediate return. Not until the Pires have moved out in a huff do we realize that the Wolfsons are concealing a fiendish secret of their own. This picture book is perfect for kindergarten and school-age children, but parents will also enjoy the author’s ironic, fantastical take on modern suburban life.

I couldn’t offer a list of Hallowe’en book recommendations without including Ruth Brown’s masterfully spooky “A Dark, Dark Tale”. In this beautiful adaptation of the classic ghost story, tension builds as we move through sombre moor, forest and castle, progressing ever closer (so we think) to a creepy climax. Imagine the surprise and delight of small, shivering readers when – up the stairs…down the passage… in the room…in the cupboard… in the box – we discover, not a ghost, but a…MOUSE! A wonderful Hallowe’en choice, especially for reading aloud.

Preschoolers who are up for a slightly longer read will enjoy “The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin” by “Goodnight Moon” author Margaret Wise Brown. This splendid story was published posthumously in 2003, and beautifully illustrated by Richard Egielski. Brown tells the tale of a tiny yellow pumpkin growing in a sunlit field, who begins to imagine himself “a very fierce vegetable.” The pumpkin longs to make a ferocious face like the scarecrow’s, to scare away the field mice. The days grow darker, frosts come, and the little yellow pumpkin grows big and turns fiery orange. But he cannot make a fierce face until three children take him home and transform him into a Jack-o’-lantern. Wise Brown’s wonderful turns of phrase and Egielski’s glowing, autumn-coloured illustrations work seamlessly together, making for an excellent read.

Finally, if your child favours fact over fiction, he or she may enjoy learning all there is to know about Hallowe’en through Denis Brennan-Nelson and Donald Wu’s “J is for Jack-o’-lantern”. This multipurpose book has something for almost every age. Preschoolers will enjoy the full-page, brightly-coloured illustrations depicting witches, skeletons and funky costumes, as well as the short rhymes on each page following every letter of the alphabet. Older children (and their parents) will learn all kinds of interesting trivia about the history and science of everything Hallowe’en. And every age group can experiment with the book’s great recipe and activity suggestions. Essentially, an entertaining and splendidly presented encyclopaedia of the festival.

So there you have them… my frightening favourites for your little one this fall. Happy reading!

Rebekah

Sunday October 17th 10am- 3pm The Glebe Community Center 175 Third Ave @ Lyon St in The Glebe

Why I love Chapters. And it's not for the books.

by Zach I've always liked Chapters bookstores. They have books, places to sit, and the staff leaves me alone when I read stuff and then put it back on the shelves.   Since I've had kids, I've come to appreciate Chapters even more. Big, reasonably clean, air-conditioned, and no sharp tools for the kids to injure themselves (or anyone else) with.   However, the Chapters Rideau (47 Rideau Street, right downtown at Sussex & Rideau) has a particularly fond place in my heart, for one reason: Thomas the Tank Engine. They have what is, by my standards, a huge Thomas playset in the kids area, on the 2nd floor. I'm not familiar with the whole collection of Thomas toys, but it seems to me they must have all the trains, plus a ton of tracks, bridges, a roundhouse, and so on. There's plenty of pieces to play with, and lots of space around the play table for more than one kid at a time to get in there and start moving things around.   The tracks are all glued together, and onto the table. This may discourage creativity in designing new railway tracks, but I imagine helps keep things from wandering out of the store, or from falling over and thereby requiring parental hands to put everything back together.   Sometime in the relatively recent past they re-designed the kids area slightly, opening the space by, I think, removing some shelving. There's now a few extra kid-sized, colourful tables and chairs next to the train set, and, to my delight, some grownup sized chairs. If you're lucky, you can read something while the kids move Thomas and his friends and frenemies around. There are also bathrooms relatively nearby. I strongly recommend scrubbing everyone's hands after going anywhere within six feet of the Thomas playset.   But wait, that's not all! When I used to take my daughter, when she was around a year and a half or so, she greatly enjoyed the escalators in the middle of the store. We would go up, and then down, over and over. They're got wide steps, and she could navigate them pretty well, including doing the walking-up-the-down-escalator routine. If possible, I suggest going early in the morning before you really have to start dodging people who are actually trying to use the escalators to get to the books.   A little while ago, they added boxes and boxes of scooters and wagons to the kids area. A few are unpacked and available for use. I feel a bit anxious about kids speeding around in a relatively small area, on the 2nd floor, close to the escalators, but, if it buys a few more minutes of relative calm ...   Needless to say, there's books, too. We tend to use the library more than we buy new books (all our bookcases at home are overflowing, anyhow), but it's a great place to pick up a birthday or baby shower present. Who doesn't like books? At least, if you have the space for them...

Zach is a dad to a four-year old girl and a two-year old boy. He doesn't blog but he is married to Capital Mom who does.

Their own library card

by Brie The library has a special place in my heart. My mom worked for a long time for the Winnipeg Public Library and so I spent many, many hours over the years sitting in a corner of which ever library she was working at with a big pile of books.

Even after my mom no longer worked in the Children's section she would still bring home her favorite kids books for us to read. Part of the excitement I had when I first started going to the library with my now 4-year-old girl, I first took her to story time at 5 weeks even though she had no idea what was going on, was being able to find the kids books I used to love to share with her.

Now we have hit another exciting milestone. The girl and her two-year old brother got their very own library cards! I even took pictures. For those of you that know me, you know this is a big deal because I never carry my camera with me.

This is the girl with her library card. She was very excited to finally get it in her hands. She even tried to write her name on the back. Unfortunately the space is pretty small and so she had some trouble fitting her larger letters on. So I helped. I also helped the boy by signing his card. He didn't appreciate that very much and insisted on signing it himself.

I had kind of assumed that my kids were too young for a library card, then I heard about Every Kid a Card. This campaign is encouraging kids to sign up for library cards. Until September 24th any kids 12 and under that sign up for a library card also get a City of Ottawa pool pass, a Every Kid a Card zipper pull, an invitation to the Big Wheels wrap-up event, a Ottawa Senators hockey card and a ballot to win fabulous prizes including a laptop, two Ottawa Senators tickets or a Sparty's Kids Club membership. My kids had to rip the envelope open as soon as they got it and deposit the ballet right away. I tucked the rest of the goodies in my diaper bag for later. And by later I mean a time where I can look at them quietly by myself.

Getting the kids their library cards was quick and easy. The hard part came when we went to leave. There was a serious of unfortunate events evolving too many books, my forgetting to bring a bag, the girl's determination to carry her books herself, the elevator being out of service and a steep flight of stairs. Finally the three of us and our books managed to leave the building but not before I cursed the architect for designing a library with such excellent acoustics.

Do your kids have a library card? How old were they when they got their first card? And most importantly, do you make them pay their own fines? :-)

Brie is the mom of a 4 year old daughter “the girl” and 2 old son “the boy”. You can read her blog at Capital Mom.