Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy: A Book Review (recommended for ages 4-8)

This book takes quirky little factoids about how bubble gum was invented by an accountant and turns it into a fun, interesting read. The illustrations are great, too. They capture the magic of mixing a little of this and a little of that until, voila!, you have bubble gum!

This book is great for everyone; parents and kids alike will learn a fact or two about bubble gum and how it came to be. I had no idea regular gum had been around for so long, but bubble gum wasn't invented until the 1920's!

This book makes me happy. And, bonus: My four-year-old didn't ask me to buy gum after we read the book.

Check out Meghan's website for more information. 

Top Nine Must-Read Nonfiction Picture Books for Your Preschooler / Kindergartner

      

                                                             

A quirky story about the invention of bubble gum.


















The 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast incites panic.

The story of how Jacques Cousteau fell in love with the ocean and made diving and documenting the underwater world his life's work.












A poetic and rhythmic tale about the lightship and its important job.

You won't want to miss the story of the Apollo 11 space mission.















An important story about a brave young girl who leads one of the largest strikes of women workers in U.S. history.


















Jen Bryan's biography of the poet/doctor William Carlos Williams makes his life easily accessible to all ages.














                                                                                     

The story of Paul Erdos, a genius mathematician who travels the world.



















Philippe Petit stretches a wire between the towers of the World Trade Center and entertains onlookers.















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Slow Family Living: A Book Review

Dave and I have a difference of opinion when it comes to relaxing. He likes to nap or watch a sports game. I don't like napping and I'm not very good at not doing anything. I panic. I look around and see all the dog hair on the carpet. My knitting needles call to me. I even start to feel sorry for the dogs and think about being dragged down the sidewalk, I mean, take them for a walk. That's how desperate I get. Although it sounds counterintuitive, being productive is relaxing for me.

So I'm sure Dave was excited when I brought home Slow Family Living: 75 Simple Ways to Slow Down, Connect, and Create More Joy by Bernadette Noll. There are so many great ideas in this book for how to step out of the daily (monthly, yearly) grind and be intentional about connecting and enjoying your family. Noll includes everything from setting up a tent in the backyard to cleaning blitzes to throwing the rules out the window and letting the kids stay up as late as they want. In our world of Instagram, Texting, Twitter, Facebook, Wii, etc, we could use a little slowing down, looking our family members in eyes, and doing something together. With 75 different ideas, everyone is sure to find at least a few that they could incorporate into their lives.

Unfortunately for Dave, the book didn't change my dislike for naps, but it did make me think about having a dance party in the living room.

The Silver Pony by Lynd Ward: A Book Review

When I first checked out The Silver Pony from the library, I thought the librarian had made a mistake. The huge book wasn't something I had requested for myself and it looked too big for E. But I was wrong; I had requested it, as per the recommendation of Jim Trelease in The Read Aloud Handbook. And I'm so glad I did; it turned out to be a beautiful story in pictures.

Although it seems massive for a preschooler, it didn't take us long to read. (I guess it depends on how much text you make up to go along with the pictures.) But don't be daunted if you don't feel like you are super creative when it comes to wordless books, the pictures tell the story so well, you won't have to dig deep to find words to add. The pictures depict a young farm boy who gets whisks away from the farm by a silver pony. Together, they go on a grand adventure, see the world, and meet new people. The illustrations are ones you won't want to miss.

One caveat: There is a point in the story where the young boy gets spanked by his father. Be prepared to answer questions about that form of discipline if you read this book with your child.

I don't know about you, but I could use an an adventure with a silver pony today.

Book Review: Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban (recommended for ages 4-8)

I'd seen the title of Bedtime for Frances around and when it appeared in Jim Trelease's Read Aloud Handbook (highly recommend!), I borrowed it from the library. To my surprise, I found out that Frances is quite a demanding little bugger and quite adept at delaying her bedtime.

I like the inclusion of time and the alphabet in this book, but really don't want to put the idea in my kids' heads that if they get out of bed, and Mommy and Daddy are eating cake, they'll get a piece, too. Oh, no. Mother and Father Badger are much more accommodating than I am. Once 7:30 p.m. rolls around, I am done. D.O.N.E., done. And I'm not sharing the chocolate ice cream I've been squirreling away and looking forward to since 6 a.m. when the kids woke me up.

After a long time of putting off bedtime, Father Badger eventually loses his patience and resorts to threatening. Now that I can relate to! Finally, a glimpse of reality. And it works, too. Frances actually stays in bed.

The book does encourage kids to face fears and ends with Frances realizing it's "my job to sleep," but I'm not willing to risk that line flying over E.'s head and all the rest of the delay tactics and fears sinking in. My sanity depends on that strict bedtime. My alone time with my husband does as well. And my bowl of ice cream. Sorry, Frances. You're cute, but not cute enough.