I am stymied by how many books I have checked from the library. I need to do some quick recommendations and return them. It is terribly embarrassing when I go to the library and the receipt tape is as long as me. I had 93 books from the library last week. I am down to 65 this week. Here are three that I really liked.
At first I thought A Froggy Fable was a bit too didactic but then I realized the title. For my own certainty I looked up the meaning of fable. It means: a short moral story (often with animal characters). It is a delightful book. The illustrations are charming and crisp. Here is a peek into the book at the illustrator's site. A frog is disturbed by the changes in his pond, otters splashing, blue jays cawing and a fallen pine tree. A boy on a bike plucks the frog from his home and puts him in a jar. Froggy eventually finds his way home and embraces the beauty of his home with all it's changes. Citcat actually sat through the tale in part because the frog was so endearing. We were able to have a short discussion about how we can handle change. Citcat thrives on routine and withers with too many changes. I intend to read this to Citcat a few more times to see if we can look at change as a good thing.
If teatime is part of your weekly routine you will want to check Teatime with Emma Buttersnap from the library. It is out of print and a used copy is very expensive. The story begins with a little girl helping her Aunt prepare a birthday tea party for a very special guest. The book describes the party preparations, story behind tea pots, an explanation of how tea is made, tea party manners and a brief history of tea. All of the non fiction content is tucked into the the fictional story. The very special guest is actually Aunt Pru. I like the message that the Aunt thinks of herself as special. The illustrations are distinctive. I don't know why out of print books become so desirable but I would really like to own this one. This is a picture book for an older reader. Amazon recommends it for grades 2-4.
Jody's Beans is charming and the watercolor illustrations are detailed enough for an avid gardener to enjoy. Although it is a picture book, I think a beginning reader would really enjoy the challenge of the book. Jody and her grandfather prepare a summer garden. The grandfather presents 12 runner beans to Jody and she asks what they for. He guides Jody in planting the seeds, thinning the seedlings; he helps her create a tepee for the plants and teaches her how to pick the beans. The family sits at the table and enjoys the beans with butter. When Autumn arrives they pick the last large beans to collect seeds for next year and the circle is complete. This book will delight any child who enjoys gardening.