a day, a dog

Because it's still technically Mother's Day (four minutes left as I write this) I'll tell you about the day. One of my favorite things to do- besides early morning coffee in bed, is to drive about 45 minutes south on the Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Cruz. The natural landscape is awe inspiring. We stopped at Whale City Bakery in Davenport- in no time too soon too because my oldest gets carsick ...you should have seen how skillfully I held her up over the trashcan, no vomit on my shoes. Nothing was going to ruin this day : o

The carni rides are open on the Boardwalk and the girls had a blast riding the little whale cars round and round and round.... We had fun shouting their names, waving and relishing those giggly smiling faces- one of the many great mom moments.

But a trip to Santa Cruz is not complete without spending at least an hour in Bookshop Santa Cruz. Like many great independent bookstores, the titles are handpicked. How I wanted to take many picture books home! Alas, I chose two. One I've wanted for my collection of picture books for a long time is, a day, a dog by Gabrielle Vincent. I wouldn't say this is a picture book for young children as the images ( there is no text) depict animal cruelty and a major interstate pileup. Here is a good review by Elizabeth Kennedy and another by Blogging for a Good Book. However, as someone who loves a story told in pictures this book is a diamond. Maurice Sendak called it an entirely unique work of art with, "Fierce, fleeting images that manage, despite their intense breathlessness, to meticulously tell a tale full of power and honesty." Gabrielle Vincent is one of my most favorite illustrator/authors who is best known for her Ernest and Celestine books that have been translated into 12 languages. Well, that was Mother's Day in a nutshell. I'll write about the second book I picked up soon!