Wormy Worm Meets Hip Hop Dog

My sister Nancy and I are big-time Chris Raschka book fans, so much, that we talk about his books over phone conversations.
Yesterday, I was telling her how my little C, who just turned 3 (rhymes) wants me to read Wormy Worm over and over again as she squeals in delight!

It's part of his series of Thingy Things published by Hyperion from 200-2002.
Some in this series include: Moosey Moose, Whaley Whale, Sluggy Slug, Doggy Dog, Snaily Snail, Whaley Whale, Goosey Goose and Wormy Worm.

I know we've already had a few Chris Raschka posts at Bees Knees: there's one on the Hello, Goodbye Window which you can revisit here and A Kick in the Head here.

Meanwhile, Nancy is raving about Chris' new book: Hip Hop Dog published by Harper Collins which I haven't seen or read but can't wait to check out. The illustrations are not by Chris but Snoop Dogg fan, Vladimir Radunsky. It's a great combo!
Here's a super neato trailer I found of it:

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

Dark Night

French author/illustrator Dorothee de Monfreid has created quite a few wonderful picture books. Unfortunately, Dark Night is the only one I found that has been translated to English.

These are some of my favorite illustrations from the story. You can find an excellent review of Dorothee's book by Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.

If your library gets a copy in, check it out asap. It's wonderful!

In Our Mothers' House

My sister, Nancy passed Gringa ( A Contradictory Girlhood) by Melissa Hart on to me when she came down for a visit a few weeks ago.
Hart tells her coming of age story which starts early on with forced separation from her lesbian mom by the court system in California in the 1970's. " You can't grow up parented by two women. It's unnatural." This was the rationale of the court system back then.
She finds comfort in Latino culture as she tries to find her identity and tells of her desires, aspirations and vulnerabilities with total honesty (which made me laugh out loud a few times).
Melissa Hart grew up in So Cal with her father and stepmother and in Oxnard with her two mothers in the 70's and 80's and attended college in UC Santa Cruz and UC Santa Barbara , same as Nancy and I, so it was extra fun to read.
After my Tuesday Babygarten class with C, I noticed that our Studio City branch Library just got in a brand new picture book which happens to run along the same vein:
In Our Mothers' House by Patricia Polacco is a beautifully illustrated and wonderful story celebrating an untraditional family with two mothers raising their three adopted children in "a big old brown shingle house on Woolsey Street in Berkeley, California." Marmee and Meema's house is full of love and they teach their children that different is not wrong. But one family in the neighborhood doesn't accept them because they are different: "How can a family have two moms and no dad?"
Polacco shows an amazing, unique family that lives by its own rules and one that is held together by a very special love. The story lets us watch the three children grow up into perfectly normal adults with children of their own. Marmee and Meema enjoy their grandchildren and when they grow old and pass away, they are laid to rest in a green hillside overlooking the bay "near the place where they pledged their love to each other so many years ago."
The house remains as a gatheing place for the three children and their families. "All of our hearts find peace whenever we are there, together, in our mothers' house."

Now I'll leave you with a fun clip of Melissa Hart's recipe for the California 70's Frito Boat (I forgot to add that each chapter in Gringa ends in a recipe) Good Stuff!

Biblioburro

Dr. Seuss Day

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. SEUSS! D and I made this Green Eggs and Ham get-up for you. He proudly wore it to school this morning for NEA's Read Across America and to Honor you, Theodor Seuss Geisel.

Animals A To Z

Last week-end, my sister Nancy came down for a visit. We managed to sneak away sans the kids and do a little shopping. One of the vintage stores we shopped at had this amazing animal print fabric (above) and I know Nancy is still debating where she could incorporate it in her home. Well Nancy, it's still at the shop waiting for you and I snapped this image and also immediately thought of another great artist whose blog I follow: Elizabeth Graeber

This is her self-published book available in paperback on LuLu : Animals A To Z. Elizabeth Graeber is an amazing non- stop artist. She posts new works on her blog almost daily. Her art is outsiderish and almost undescribable.....sometimes quirky, silly, serious, wonky and always fresh and real. You can preview her alphabet animal book here. Believe me, it's unique and beautiful!

Noonie's Masterpiece

Since our move back to Los Angeles, I have been discovering lots of wonderful local artists. One artist whose blog I've been following is Sarajo Frieden. I think she actually might even live in my neighborhood. In December she had a show just a few blocks away. Her art is so inspiring!

She has just illustrated an amazing book published by Chronicle Books that we got before my son's field trip to the LACMA. He's a first grader now and learning about art and artists. (His favorite is Picasso.)

Noonie's Masterpiece was originally written as a play by playwright Lisa Railsback. The story is about 10 year old Noonie Norton. Her mother passed away and her father is traveling the world leaving Noonie with relatives who can't appreciate fine art and the brilliant abstract paintings Noonie creates. Uncle Ralph is an unemployed salesman, Cousin Junior is obsessed with aliens and Aunt Sylvia only cares about clean teeth. Noonie's eclectic art teacher tells her that "artists have the power to change the world." She creates an abstract painting for her relatives but the relatives detest it and take away her paints. Then, Noonie is visited by the spirits of Picasso, Van Gogh and O'Keefe who encourage her and tell her that "an artist never quits." Ultimately, Noonie does learn that artists do have the power to change the world!

Here is an awesome trailer of Noonie's Masterpiece: