It's Poetry Friday - Sharing An Old Book Discovery

  

        Poetry Friday is with Bridget Magee, HERE at her website, Wee Words for Wee Ones with a poem for peace. Thanks for hosting, Bridget!

        I hope you all are preparing to vote! My ballot arrived in the mail yesterday!

          Many of you know that I volunteer at a non-profit, all-volunteer-run used bookstore. We rely solely on community donations but do purchase a few new books for one shelf. I am one of the people who vet the donations every week. We find a few gems among the many books we do put on our shelves. Some are exciting finds for me, most often older children's books. When I spotted this book and the author, I grabbed it. It was published in 1973 (50 years next year!) and though I was teaching at the time, I do not remember ever seeing it. I suspect you, too, would love to discover an older book by Aileen Fisher! But perhaps you know it and I have missed out all these years?

        It's illustrated by Gordon Laite, lettering by Paul Taylor and it's a wonderful book about fall, in what is labeled the Bowmar Nature Series! What surprised and delighted me is that so long ago the illustrations included a diverse group of children. I've shared some of those pages and a few of Fisher's rhymes! Enjoy the peek!

           We have had warm weather very late this year and the mountains are in need. Skiiers are waiting. . .

It's Monday - More Lovely Books to Share!

  

            Visit Kellee and Ricki at UnleashingReaders and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts to see what they and others have been reading! Your TBR lists will grow! 

          I wish I could tell you I've finished Ghostlight by Kenneth Oppel but I have not. Too many things going on keep me from long bouts of reading. It has started well, and as books by Oppel are, it's a bit scary!

       Cheriee, some of these books below are by Canadian writers, and are wonderful!         

       I'm grateful for the following books from Candlewick Press. Although one as you will see is set long ago, all of these books celebrate family, They're warm and comforting, sometimes a bit adventurous, the memories that make us smile.

         In a poetic verse, Tanya Rosie tells the story just right for this time of year. It's fall for a mother and her young child and time to visit a special tree. They rise early, carrying tubs and buckets, and travel by bus to walk into the countryside: "The grass is long, it's wild when it waves. I point to the field with glee." That's when they finally arrive at their wonderful mulberry tree. They pick, stain hands and shirts, then make their way home to make pie! From early morn to bedtime, this family time feels like a memory to have again and again. I wonder if readers will remember one special time they've had. The story shows the mother-daughter closeness of what seems to be a single-parent household. Chuck Groenink's soft and nature-feeling illustrations, both full-page and with panels show the fun of such a day scene after scene. 

         In this debut picture book, high school art teacher Logan S. Kline tells a wondrous tale of long ago when, if people's fire went out, someone must go in search for it again. With a small intro to begin, the rest is an amazing wordless adventure when, after some argument, one young boy volunteers to go for the family. On the way, he takes refuge in a thorn tree from frightful creatures, manages to survive, and trek on with his own "fire" and determination. A lightning storm shows promise when smoke rises from afar. Along the way, he finds a way to save another creature, one that becomes a friend. I've read it more than once, seeing extra details Kline adds like the mountainous landscape, white-capped river waves, the people's attire. This will be one for young readers to imagine themselves in such a time and place. What would they do? How would they face the dangers? 

        Want a way to capture a special memory by the sea? Read this new book by Karen Hesse, with sea-worthy illustrations by Charlotte Voake. It's a rhyming ditty about one seaside walk with Granny and Bean who struggle against the wind, watch the gulls fly and curlews trill. They're bundled up and clearly, it's a chilly day but others are out, too, walking dogs, searching for shells in the sand. Granny and Bean even take tea! The story feels like a song to remember. The dedication from Hesse is to her "beloved Beans", and from Voake, "In memory of Little Granny, and our seaside adventures." Lovely book!

        Poppy's House and Something About Grandma, along with Granny and Bean, are loving books about the special memories made when staying with grandparents. I have them and now as a grandmother hope my own grandchildren bring good memories into their futures, too.