Back to school with blogger Rachel Formaro and It's a Book!

We're Back to School! The girls are loving their classes and teachers and Kim and I are excited to invite friend, writer and soon to be mom, Rachel Formaro to post at Bees Knees Reads!
I met Rachel and her husband Tom at the bookstore last year when they were releasing, their children's book, Alfonso the Christmas Pumpkin. And now they are expecting their own sweet, little girl "pumpkin" right around the end of October. So I'm sure we will have many wonderful picture book reviews and joyful insights from Rachel.

We have to catch you up with what we've been doing... Kim is making art for Etsy and getting back into the studio and printmaking. Her baby turned 1 last month! Little C is 3 and D is now 6. My baby turned 5 last month and started Kindergarten and my 6 year old has found a new love, HORSES, and her 1st-grade friends of course. I have a Horse book review post planned for all who share that passion. And I've been enjoying running Coastside Books. The shop is ever evolving and it's a challenge to keep up with the new releases!

One of the reasons we love to blog is that there is no obligation to do so and we can connect with so many literature- loving creative people on the blogosphere. We are grateful to Margo at The Fourth Muskateer for passing along the Versatile Blogger Award. And we're gathering our lists so we'll be passing on the award to 15 Versatile Bloggers in the next few posts.

My picture book pick of the month is Lane Smith's It's a Book, that clever, clever man. I get that people love their e-readers yet the art of the book and the tactile experience of books can not be replicated electronically. And I do like electronic media, I'm a blogger after all, but reading, for me, especially children's books is a pleasure best reserved for paper pages. I've included the trailer for fun but the book has a punchline that will make any adult smile wryly. Smith's publisher, Macmillan says, "... IT’S A BOOK is a delightful manifesto on behalf of print in the digital age...." You'll just have to find it and read it to get to that smart-ass last line : )


Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that today is Tasha's Tudor's Birthday and here is a lovely post by Clarice over at Storybook Woods celebrating Tasha Tudor Day 2010. Reading Tasha Tudor's books with my mom and sister is a favorite childhood memory. I dreamed of the pastoral life and intimate country traditions Tudor illustrated and I especially loved her Christmastime and holiday illustrations.

Well, I've packed a lot of news into this post and I'm looking forward to Kim and Rachel's favorite picture books and versatile blogger award lists. The rules say we can pass it along to 15 bloggers so I'll link 5, Kim will link 5 and Rachel will link 5. Happy back to school!

Congratulations to my 6-year-old nephew whose band The Legos just won a professional studio session with their original song at an LA battle of the bands competition!!!!

In honor of your new hipster status D, I'm sending you a copy of Alternative ABC'S (Chunky Edition) to read to your little bro.
This is the ABCs book for future skaters and rock guitarists but also for earth lovers and environmentalists!

Look for it in the mail soon Kim xoxoxox

NYC Book Week and Powered By Girl

Today, Monday, May 24th is the start of BEA's New York Book Week. There are some amazing events planned to celebrate all week long. If you live in NYC or just happen to be there visiting, be sure to stop by Tilbury House's newest children's book, One of Us release party. I got to view this wonderful book was so impressed with its message about "bravely being who you are, "that I wrote a little blurb about it here.

Bring your kids to Book Culture (at Broadway and 114th St.) today, May 24th at 4pm to hear this brand new story read by author Peggy Moss (recommended for ages 5-11) and see first-hand how a book is made. Then, illustrator Penny Weber will lead the kids with glue and glitter to create their own story characters.

At 6pm, the party will move to Book Culture on 112th st (between Broadway and Amsterdam) where you will hear some amazing speakers including author Lyn Mikel Brown, author illustrator Dimitrea Tokunbo and her daughters and girls and women advocate/ humorist, Betsy Sweet. The reception will have music, refreshments, prizes and interactive projects.

There will be an exhibit of small self-portraits by children's book illustrators on display all week at Book Culture and on sale to benefit Powered by Girl, a new campaign from Hardy Girls Healthy Women. I have donated my self portrait to be included in the show! (above)

Hope you can stop by to join in the fun!

Children's Book Week Poster

I hope everyone had a joyful Mother's Day! Today kicks off Children's Book Week and this year you can send away for this poster by Jon Muth. How nice it would be to have Stillwater around the house to read to the children... Hmmm in my make believe world, like the Land of Make Believe as Fred Rogers would have it. (But maybe not as scary as some of those puppets.)

There is a book out titled 75 years if Children's Book Week Posters: Celebrating Great Illustrators of American Children's Books by Leonard Marcus if you're inclined to start collecting. This should be a good week around the kidslit blogs and here is a page with CBC activities and events. Enjoy the week!

Of Mice and Hamsters

Nancy's cat Jake passed away. He was 20 years old. I think the girls took it kind of hard. They had a nice funeral in the backyard but I heard that her littlest daughter wanted to dig him back up because she missed him dearly.

So now there is a new addition to her family and it is a dwarf hamster named Tiny. I don't know much about hamsters. We had one as kids but I was too young to really remember. Nancy recommended this book which is all about dwarf hamsters.

Meanwhile we have been reading Petshop Lullaby by Mary Ann Fraser. It's nighttime in the pet shop but the littlest hamster can't sleep. The animals try everything to soothe and calm him. In the end they discover that he likes to sleep in the daytime. It's a great way to teach kids about nocturnal creatures. I wonder if Tiny's keeping Nancy up at night too? My little guy has a new tooth coming in so I'm there with you!

Since we're on the subject of cute rodents I must share this adorable blog I just found called Mouses Houses . Isn't it amaaaazing?!

Seems we have a soft spot for mice. Here's a few of our past book reviews on mice to check out: Mary and the Mouse the Mouse and Mary, Chopsticks, Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears and Miss Bianca.

Ocean's Child

I must return this overdue library book today. I've been holding onto it for a bit too long....

Ocean's Child by Christine Ford is a poetic, soothing bedtime story about parental love and oneness with the universe.
A pregnant inuit mother and her child paddle in a small boat through the ocean at dusk and observe the "children of the ocean" being snuggled to sleep by their mothers.

When the last lullaby of the whale song is sung, Baby naps on Mother's back.

To Ocean's child we say good night.

Goodnight, little whale, good night.

I held onto this book because the inuit seascape illustrations by (Caldecott award winning artist) David Diaz glow and radiate with a warmth that I've never seen before in any illustration and I'm in love with the peaches, yellow and turqoise color combinations....


(and also because I wanted to share this book with you).

It's a wonderful rhythmic and hypnotizing bedtime story that is sure to calm, soothe and lull your little one(s) to sleep.

Happy Easter

Author/ Illustrator, Marjolein Varekamp sent this darling photo of her daughter and her Easter Rabbit, Jip. Marjolein who wrote and illustrated A Wonderful Week with Bees Knees Books is currently working on a new book about a little mouse named Harold for a Dutch publisher due out fall next year. Congratulations Marjolein!!!

My family is enjoying a very wet and windy Easter indoors this year and the girls are looking forward to a week off for spring break. It looks like we'll be planning some crafty things to do inside the house. And some gardening when the weather clears and the earth is nice and soft.

Happy Easter!