Book Review: On Beyond Zebra

Gabe recently expressed an interest in reading Dr. Seuss to the kids. Since then, we have been faithfully picking out some Seuss each time we go to the library. Well, each time we remember to return the last Dr. Seuss book. One of the last ones we got out, "On Beyond Zebra" was just amazing. He explains how most people end the alphabet at Z for Zebra, but for some that is just not enough. He continues the alphabet in a way that only, well, in a way that only Dr. Seuss could. If you have ever read "Dr. Suess's ABC" you might have a vague idea what I am talking about. A Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz is just the beginning of Suess's imagination when it comes to the alphabet.

Frankly, though, this is great! Not only is it fun to read, it stretches the understanding of letters. It is like learning the basic principles of letters and phonics, then just going absolutely crazy with it and having a lot of goofy fun!


I did start thinking though, just like we end the alphabet with Z (which is fine by me, 26 letters is plenty, in my mind) often, we stop with "Horton Hears a Who", "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!", and "There's a Wocket in my Pocket". But there are so many amazing books written by Dr. Seuss, some with serious lessons to be learned, some to help learn letters, numbers and rhymes, or some that are just plain goofy. Either way, it is worth checking out a few you have never read and trying them. Just be careful which ones you choose before bedtime-some can be pretty long! :)

Book Review: In Surplus

Um, no, that is not the title of a book. But Family Fun featured this book site that looks like a lot of fun, so if you are in need of a good book to read with kiddos, but like me, prefer to go the library with an idea of what I want, check out justonemorebook.com. A little more handy than amazon. I am sure that not all of the books are worth reading, but I am always excited to find another resource.

Book Review: DK's Peekaboo Series

These are the best baby books! Do they have the best writing? No. Do they have a brilliant toddler plot that will entertain Mommy and Daddy, too? No. Are they on my top 10 children books to make sure you read list? No. So why are they so great?

• Peekaboo flaps that are large, most of the page, really
• Bright colors
• Touch and feel textures
• Featuring pictures of other babies
• Did I mention big peekaboo flaps?

Basically, this has everything a baby actually wants out of a book, other than chewability. Lucy absolutely loves these, it is a guaranteed laugh every time. I actually picked up two of these for Joe when he was a baby. He seemed less inclined to sit still in a rocking chair and just read than his big sister. He would, but he enjoyed it more if we threw in DK's Peekaboo books, or their Touch'n'Feel books. Something active for a wiggly little baby to do. Something tangible.

So, no, they are not classics, or even quality literature, but babies sure do enjoy them. And that is worth a lot.


Lucy is wondering why the computer is beeping while she tries to quietly read her book so Daddy can keep sleeping. :)

Sleep Guide

Sigh. It appears that I may not be cut out for the six posts/week blogging. But I will keep trying. My current problem is that Lucy is being cranky during what is usually my blog time, rather than sleeping, like she usually does. Lucy decided to ditch sleeping through the night when she had to share a room with 7 other people while we moved across country. Okay, I will admit, that is fair. However, the hours she has been keeping lately, are not. I think she slept through the night once since we have been here. And I felt like a completely different person. She was a better sleeper as a newborn. Which means I have let her learn some bad habits. Drat.

So while I am here deeply regretting sending my copy of Babywise into storage, here is a great little chart to help you find a sleeping book that might match your personality and views on parenting. I personally felt the word "controlling" might be a bit strong, but oh well. In the mean time, here are some practical tips if you are new to the sleeping baby, or not sleeping baby problem, regardless of which book you choose.

• This is not a one size fits all solution. With my firstborn, I was a passionate, sold-out Babywise person. I have come to realize, it mostly depends on your personality and that of your baby. If you are content nursing your baby through the night for as long as your baby wants, that is your choice. Some mommies sleep better with baby right next to them. I am not one. But I no longer think moms are wrong for wanting that. Enjoy the stage. It will not last forever. Find what fits you and your family best.
• Read each book with a grain of salt. While I was pregnant with Lucy I inhaled parenting books. I am not sure why, but I did. One thing I noticed, most authors think that theirs is the best way. They are often negative towards other perspectives, no matter how much they try to be polite about it. Take the negativity for what it is. They disagree because they believe in their method, not because the other method is "wrong."
• I read and implement Babywise. However, this can mean different things to different women. On my third time through the book, I realized that he is not very specific on some things. He is very helpful, and mostly what I would call specific. However, it is relative to where you are coming from. I am a medium strict. Maybe getting less so all the time. That could explain a few things. I know moms that profess to use the babywise method and it looks completely different for all of us. Most books have guiding principles that can be implemented with flexibility.
  
• I think this is the most important one. Chances are pretty good, if you are not sleeping through the night, you are praying that your baby will sleep through the night so that you can, too. :) I know I am. However, pray as you seek out wisdom from others, whether authors or other moms. Again, what worked for them, may or may not work for you. I have found God to be incredibly faithful in providing peace. He makes the path I need to choose clear in all areas of parenting, including when to start solids. No problem is too small for prayer.
• This is similar to the previous one, but go with the peace. If you feel uncomfortable about it, find a different way. Um, as a side note, listening to your baby cry is uncomfortable. This is different from not feeling peace about allowing your baby to cry. If you felt that allowing your baby to cry was the right decision, but are now feeling uncomfortable and rethinking, talk to your husband and ask him to pray with you. I appreciate the less emotional perspective of my husband, just as I am sure that he appreciates my slightly more emotional perspective. :)
• None of these problems will last forever, or make or break your child. While my life feels like it revolves around working out Lucy's sleeping and eating issues right now, the truth is, this is a short season and it will be resolved soon. Realistically, this is small in the scope of problems Lucy and I are likely to encounter. Take for instance that she laughs at me when I try to correct her. Yikes.
  

Book Review: Everywhere Babies

My mother-in-law sweetly got this book for us when Emily was little and we were getting ready for Joe to arrive. It has babies, well, everywhere. Written by Susan Meyers, Everywhere Babies is an adorable book to read, or just look at. It goes through baby basics, "Every day, everywhere, babies are born-fat babies, thin babies, small babies, tall babies," and so on. Babies are born, kissed, carried, fed, like toys, are loved, etc. There are so many things to get out of this book. At first, Emily and I would read through it and talk about how we used to do that with her. Then, we talk about how the new baby will be born. Maybe we will have a small baby. Most likely we will have a bigger baby. At first our baby will eat mommy milk. Then our baby will have to learn to eat big kid foods. Don't ever give baby food unless Mommy says it is okay. Sometimes we like to look through and name the babies. We decide which one reminds on most of our friends.

I have to say, I also really enjoy reading this book. The illustrations are not only sweet, they are very realistic. Who cannot relate to the picture of the mother sound asleep in rocking chair, baby nursing in one arm, a book in the other hand. Or the dad in his boxers and undershirt on the couch blowing raspberries on the babies belly, probably while mom is asleep in bed. The pictures make me smile, laugh, want another baby, or just be content in the season I am in. Even if you are not in a season where you need to help someone get ready for a new baby, this book is a lot of fun to just read. Very well written and very well illustrated.

Before We Begin

I think I might be a bit of a closet nerd. Or maybe not closet. I think this is really cool. I have been reading parenting magazines since I was in highschool. In my defense, I spent a lot of my time helping moms out, and it was helpful information in tiny, well illustrated bits. Nothing heavy, like a textbook. ;) I also find developmental psychology pretty fascinating. I always loved reading about it in the parenting magazines. Even getting to take a whole class on it. Maybe getting to take quiz after quiz on developmental stages in pretty much every class. Well, maybe not that part. Anyway, until becoming a parent, I completely devoured this stuff. Honestly, it can be useful, or at least interesting to notice and identify the stages as they pass by in a blur.

Now that I have my own children, physical and even mental development take a back seat to spiritual development. Yes, I realize that they are all connected. However, I would say that, other than time spent taking care of food and bottoms, most of my time and concern is spent encouraging spiritual development. I include discipline in this category, but cause that is the reason why I discipline. That plus my sanity. All of those weeks and months spent learning the socially acceptable discipline methods are thrown out the window after months of living in the trenches. I have come to the conclusion that discipline feels like a battle sometimes because IT IS A BATTLE. The most important battle I will ever fight. It is the battle for my children's souls. There are a few implications here. The first and most important one, is, not to sound cliched, but this is a battle that must be won on my knees in prayer before it will be won anywhere else. And here is the hard part, what does God say about discipline. Well, lots. But as with most things, He did not include a detailed handbook. (Oh, I really wish there was one for potty training.)

Ginger Plowman's book, "Don't Make Me Count to Three": A Mom's Look at Heart-Oriented Discipline is such a wondeful resource. One of my friend's responses to this book was "Where has this book been and why didn't someone give it to me when my first was born?" And that pretty much sums it up. Here is why I completely love this book:

1. It is completely biblically based. She has Bible verses to back up everything! It was the first parenting book that I read that I did not feel leaned too far one way. Not too strict. Not too lenient.
   
2. Lest I feel overwhelmed by my lack of memorized scripture, she has a "cheat book" with common discipline issues and the verses that relate the them, as well as some recommended phrases for helping kiddos work through it.
3. She has a wonderful combination of worst moments we can all relate too, happy moments that remind me why I love being a mom, encouragement to persvere, and very clearly explaining why this is important.
4. She walks through several comic and very relatable situations from her own life and clearly lays out guidelines for working through the most common issues.
5. Did I mention the "cheat book"? More like a calendar, called Wise Words for Moms? Destined to hang in my kitchen once I find where it was packed?
6. I usually begin discipline books skeptically. This one, everytime she would make a point, it felt like what my heart had needed to hear for so long. The mommy heart that is torn between compassion and tenderness, and knowing that discipline is a necessary part of parenting (and the occasional or regular frustration.)

I really cannot say enough good things about this book. It is on my list of books I think all mommies with young children should read.

Why am I starting a preschool/education series with this? Because as useful as the rest of the knowlegde is, or can be, this is the most important thing. Teaching our children to love Christ and training the in the way He instructs us. If we cannot do these things, the rest is meaningless. :)

Guest Reader

My children are pretty comfortable with all of the people that show up at the door. It is a rare person that comes to our house who brings out our childrens shy streaks. The first question that comes out of their mouth is "will you play house with us?" Often, they ask people to read them as well.

I could not think of a book to review, so I thought I would just pass along the encouragement to make sure that your children not only get to read with you, but they also get to hear someone else read. Whether its Grandma and Grandpa, the librarian at story time (some books stores also offer story time, although not usually as wonderful,) or an audio book. Listening is a learned skill, and like all skills it helps to practice in different settings. I know of parents that play the Bible on cd, or classical literature while their children are playing to get them some extra exposure. Personally, I like to get ones with picture books, set the kids up on the couch and get something done. My kids, however, prefer to snuggle with Grandma while reading. Either way, it would be difficult to read too much.

Organic Cheat Sheet

I often stumble across priority lists, like this one, and find them useful. This one comes from Greg Horn's book Living Green: A Practical Guide to Simple Sustainability. This is a cool little book becuase, well, it is little. Pretty much every chapter is a nice short list like this one. He lists the short version, and the chapter is him going into further detail. This list is from chapter two: Sustaining Health from the Inside:

The Top Ten Foods to Buy Organic

1. Meats: Theser are high on the food cahin, and thus can concentrate chemicals from the animal's diets in their fatty tissues.
2. Dairy products: Also high on the food chain and ric in fats, which is where harmful chemicals become stored.
3. Fish: While not strictly organic, it is critical to buy wild fish and avoid all farmed fish, which can contain high levels of contaminants.
4. Berries: Strawberries, raspberries and other berries including grapes have a thin, absorbent skin that you eat. These fruits are heavily sprayed and tend to absorb more of the chemicals that they come in contact with during produciton.
5. Salad crops: Lettuce, spinach and celery are highly sprayed and have no outer shell to protect the part you eat--the leaf.
6. Mushrooms: Mushrooms are highly absorbent, and conventional growing uses powerful fungicides between crops to keep stray species from invading the intended crop.
7. Root crops: Conventional potatoes, yams, carrots, onions and other root crops can be sprayed with fungicides as well as pesticides, and the parts you eat grow in direct contact with the chimicals.
8. Bananas: Banana plantations use up to 20 times more pesticides per acre than crops grown in industrialized countries. Conventional bananas are often grown iwht a blue plastic bag of pesticides placed over the soft, absorbant skin of the fruit. Enough said?
9. Waxed Fruit: That shiny apple has a wax coating that locks in the pesticides and makes them very difficult to wash off.
10. Coffee and Tea: Technically not "foods," but hot-water brewing can concentrate the residual pesticides used in the growing process while it is extracting the "good stuff." Remember to use an unbleached filter and to avoid the Styrofoam cup like the plague!


It is a very handy little book for a basic intro into sustainability. If you are looking for some basic, non-overwhelming guidelines, it is worth taking a look at.

Book Review: C is for Caboose

I am really enjoying our new library. I was pretty impressed with the book selection so far. Although, I must say, I think they have rules posted on every single surface. Anyway, we, well, Joe found a great book. I am discovering that alphabet books are a dime a dozen. There are alphabet books, there are really pathetic alphabet books written for the sake of being "educational" and then there are really good alphabet books. I think that C is for Caboose: Riding the Rails from A to Z is n the really good alphabet catagory. Almost all of the pictures are old photos or posters from the railroad. Many of the letters have two examples to go with them. Sure, some are simple, such as A, which is for all aboard. But most of them were things I did not know anything about. Which means that both the kids and I learned a lot reading this book. I now know about zephyrs, bullet trains, monorails, and the Flying Scotsman. I really enjoyed both the illustrations and the words. Another bonus, the little tidbits were pretty short, so it help the attention of wiggly kids. Of course, it helps that it is about trains. :) This book was good enough to make it on next year's Christmas Wish-list.

Book Review: A, My Name is Alice

I love this book! My kids love this book! They thought it was quite hillarious. We had to rename the guy on the J page Josiah because one of the characters was named Emily. I really enjoy reading books that make my children crack up, but this one made me crack up, too. You know how when you read ABC books and you get to the "X" page and are positive they made it up, unless they used the good old standby, xylyphone? Well, Jane Bayer just goes all the way, and while he did not make up his "X" names, he makes everything else about this page up in a clever and funny for mommy way.

I am biased, because I really enjoy Steven Kellogg, but I thought this was another good one from him. He illustrated it and Jane Bayer wrote it. Jane Bayer included several words with the letter sound and used a repetitive rhythm that is as fun to read as it is pleasant to hear. And, of course, with Steven Kellogg illustrations, I would read it anyway. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by what I was expecting to be just another standard alphabet book.

Getting Closer: Friday Review

This is more of a review of an author than one specific book, but here it goes. We found this book at the library this week: The Boy on the Bus written and illustrated by Penny Dale. It took me a few days to place why this book looked familiar. When I was a in high school, spending every spare moment babysitting, I found a book called Ten in the Bed at the library. I checked it out and dragged it around to all of my babysitting jobs. I was enthralled with this book. I wanted to read it forever and ever and ever. (Might be a useful quality in a book right now, eh?)

So now I have read a grand total of two book written and illustrated by Penny Dale, which does not qualify me to recommend all of her books. However, I really enjoyed both The Boy on the Bus and Ten in the Bed. And I think I will request Ten Out of Bed from the library. The illustrations are sweet and enjoyable. Actually, very adorable. The words are variations of the familiar nursery songs-a big plus for reading to toddlers! I am a big fan of books that have staying power with moms. It takes a lot to be willing to read a book over and over and over again.


On a completely unrelated note, Ralph has a song called Abbie's Alphabet Soup. I am not sure how I feel about Ralph, his music seems fine. His music video's disturb me, but not my children. Regardless of how I feel about him and his music, it is worth pointing out that this is an alphabet song that presents phonic sounds for the letters! (He looks less scary on his website. Maybe I just don't like his suit in the music videos.)

Book Review: Maisy's Rainbow Dream

Part of my preschool plan is being intentional about which books we are reading. Ok, most of my preschool plan involves being intentional about which books we are reading. Its an easy starting point for me. So, when we go to the library, I try to get a number book, a color book and an alphabet book. A little extra practice and exposure never hurt anyone, right? This week's color book was Maisy's Rainbow Dream by Lucy Cousins.

Maisy has a crazy dream about things that are different colors, conveniently the same order as the rainbow. (Watch for the items in her bedroom when she wakes up at the end of the book. :) The book itself is not anything amazing, but it does go through the colors. It is well paced and few words/page, making it an easy read for my two and three year olds. The pictures are bright and colorful-lots of opportunity for color practice. And, like all dreams, it is pretty crazy silly. Which was what I enjoyed. Emily and Joe were laughing pretty hard, and I enjoy seeing them laugh about stuff-especially when it is not that forced fakey laugh.

We enjoyed the other Maisy book we got from the library, but I have not read enough to make an accross the board recommendation. :)

Book Review: Animals: A First Art Book

Well, so much for routine. A midweek round of food poisoning threw me off. So, here I am, getting slowly back on track. Yippee. :p To top it off, my computer ran out of battery while I was feeding the baby, and I did not save my first draft. Drat. I apologize. The first one was really good, we'll see how this turns out. Here it goes.

I am always looking for fun ways to expose my children to culture. I love cultural experiences such as plays, opera and art museums, but the problem is, I have the attention span of a toddler. This works out great for my toddlers, not so great for my husband. Luckily for me, he is very patient. Attention issues aside, there are a lot of great ways to sneak some culture in, or just have fun with it.

We found this book hiding in the juvenile art section of the library last week. Lucy Micklethwait's Animals: A First Art Book has a variety of art from Renoir to Warhol and the artists use a variety of materials, from scrolls to eucalyptus bark to paint on. The words are very simple concepts such as stripes and feathers-different ways of grouping animals. It is not anything astounding, but it is a simple and easy way to look at some artwork of different styles and from different eras.

Another idea is to go check out art books from the library-the kind full of just artwork, not so many words, and look through them together. (Pre-read to see if there is nudity or other things you would rather not explain or expose your kids to- just because its classical or cultural does not make it good.) Play "I Spy", take turns finding things on a page, or you be the boss-you find it first and tell your helper what to find, like reading "Where's Waldo". (Can you find a dancing bear? Can you find something red? Something brown?-yes, a great opportunity to practice colors!) Another cute book is You Can't Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum, by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman. This one has less artwork, but a cute story. Have fun!

Book Review: George Shrinks

Emily found a new favorite book this week (read: we read this book two or more times every day this week.) William Joyce's George Shrinks is pretty simply written; its the pictures that are fascinating and make the literary experience adventurous and funny. A little boy awakes to find he shrunk during the night. The story is a letter his parents left him, detailing his chores while they are out, expecting him to be his normal size. However, being the (mostly)obedient son, he completes the chores creatively. Emily and Joe enjoyed the silliness, making cat noises, and looking for frogs while George waters the plants, but this books highest praise: we're not sick of reading it yet. :)

Book Review: The Animal Hedge

The Animal Hedge by Paul Fleischman and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline is a very sweet and inspiring story. A man and his three sons live on a farm, but when a drought hits, they need to sell the farm and sharpen tools to earn enough money to eat. The man is very sad, since his passion is in raising animals and he can no longer do this. He soon begins seeing animals in his hedge, and trims baby animals and grows them into adult animals in his hedge. As his sons grow and it becomes time for them to seek a trade, he directs them to the hedge. He chops it down and gives them the task of trimming the new hedge. They each see their own calling in the hedge: one a coachman, one a sailor, one a fiddler. They leave home to pursue their own trades. When they return home, they ask their father how the hedge was able to choose their trades so well. "Slowly they realized that they'd seen in the hedge what lay deep in their hearts and heavy on their minds." They realized that they had also seen what lay on their father's heart. I will not spoil the ending, but it is sweet and touching.
The Russian-born illustrator says, "I was mostly influences by eighteenth- and nineteenth-century American folk art." And you can tell. Ibatoulline's illustrations in this book are beautiful! They only add to the original charm of the story. I would read this book if I could only look at the pictures. I felt like I was walking through an art museum (not something I am likely to experience much at this stage in life. ;)
It is a little on the wordy side, but not bad. Too long for Joe, but Emily made it through with a little animal sound pracitce on several pages. Probably for 2 and up, but like I said, it is worth reading even if you have to edit the story and just look at the pictures.
Honestly, Emily prefers My Big Animal Book, but you can only read that one so many times. Plus, it is good to experience quality literature and artwork with our children. Someday, she too will prefer books like The Animal Hedge, but for now reading the book that Mommy wants to read is a perfectly good reason to read a wonderful book.

Book Review: Hug

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have written!! Maybe I should let go of grand ambitions and stick with simple. :)
Josiah got a really cute book for his birthday called Hug by Jez Alborough. It is a board book about a little monkey who sees other animals getting hugs from their mommies. (A great opportunity to practice jungle animal names and noises!) The Elephant mommy and baby help the monkey eventually find his mommy and get his own hug. The book ends with hugs all around (a great chance for a few of my own!) Another plus about this book is there is maybe two different words in the book, making it a great opportunity for an early reader.