When we saw The Barnabus Project on display at our local library this past weekend I have to admit, I couldn’t wait to read it. I was curious about what it would be about and totally understood why my little sister, Margo, ran to it and snatched it off the table.
Monday, May 22, 2023
Margo's Musings: What Will Happen to the Project?
Monday, September 26, 2022
Margo's Musings: What Fell From the Sky?
When we got to the library last week my little sister, Margo, was drawn right to the marble on the cover of a book. I couldn’t blame her. It looked magical!
~F
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Margo's Musings: Why Did the Snail Cross the Road?
Sometimes we spy snails in my dad's garden. My little sister, Margo, loves them and always stops to talk to them. So, I wasn't surprised when we made our weekly trip to the library and Margo ran over to Snail Crossing by Corey R. Tabor and snatched it up. She hugged it right to her chest with a wide smile.
~ F
Friday, May 20, 2022
Margo's Musings: Lines? Scribbles? Both?
Thursday, February 17, 2022
Margo's Musings: What's the Hurry?
My sister, Margo, loves sloths. They are pretty cute! So of course she spotted Sloth at the Zoom when we went to our town library last week.
Thursday, October 21, 2021
Margo's Musings: Say Cheese!
Last week when I visited the town library with my little sister, Margo, she was drawn in to the display with all the new books. I have to say there were lots of covers that had me intrigued! Although she enjoyed all the books we brought home, she did have a favorite.
Happy Reading!
~F
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Margo's Musings: Why Would Crocs Eat Rocks?
Our family has been so excited to be able to visit our local library in person again. There is something magical about walking among all the books and seeing shiny covers beckoning you over. The only hard part was narrowing down which books we would bring home with us this week. We've been reading a ton of great stories, but my little sister, Margo, has a favorite. The best part is, she likes to reread it together- but we don't need to reread every page, since it is a book full of facts.
Eat Your Rocks, Croc! is written by Jess Keating and illustrated by Pete Oswald. It's a fascinating picture book filled with unique facts about animals from all over the world. We are introduced to Dr. Sugar Glider on the opening pages, and we travel to different countries with them as they help animals solve some puzzling problems. Each page has a question for the doctor and then their explanation of the wild and weird. Did you know that crocodiles actually eat rocks? I had no idea before I read this book, but now I know why they eat them, and that they aren't the only animal that does! I love rocks, but I am glad I don't have to gobble them up to aid with my digestion.
The facts and the illustrations really work together in this book. I think the information could have been a little advanced for Margo, but the clever illustrations help make the facts easier to understand. Plus, my sister loves how bright and vibrant the pictures are throughout the book. There are lots of details and humor involved in the illustrations, which helps me to remember the information, and they make my sister laugh out loud. She can't get over a fish wearing a bib and having a fork and knife. I have to admit, the words and the pictures make the book fun and informative. The sidebars on the sides of each page add extra facts and scientific terms, which I really soaked up.
I love learning new things and would recommend this book to people of all ages who enjoy discovering that the world around them is filled with animals that have unique capabilities and qualities. Plus, you will be able to amaze your friends and family with the cool facts you learned. I definitely plan to read more books by this author.
Has anyone else read Eat Your Rocks, Croc? Or have you read another book written by Jess Keating or illustrated by Pete Oswald? We'd love to hear your thoughts.
Happy Reading!
~F
Monday, April 12, 2021
What Happens When a Garden Starts Growing?
Our town library is open with limited hours, and of course my parents make sure we get in each week to find new stories. It's exciting to see all the great book displays. Spring is the theme in the library, and Margo was drawn to the cover of this week’s favorite.
The Curious Garden was written and illustrated by Peter Brown. The unique looking trees and shrubs on the cover made me wonder if the book would be about a real or fantastical garden. I would love to read about both!
Liam lives in a dreary city. Most people stay inside, but he loves to be outside, no matter the weather or how gray the day seems. One day while out walking he notices stairs near the old railway, and he has to climb them to see where they lead. Liam is surprised to find dead plants among the broken railway. He can tell they need care even though he isn’t a gardener. Every day Liam tends to the garden. Sometimes he waters the plants too much and other days not enough. But he is learning. As the months go by, the garden flourishes and starts to spread out, growing along the old railway. New plants and flowers bloom. Color is everywhere, until the snow comes. Liam plans during the winter, and when spring arrives he's ready with his tools to help the plants wake up from their sleep. It doesn’t take long before the plants are thriving, and each year they spread out more and more. The plants in the garden are curious and want to know what's out there, so they keep moving and expanding. More gardeners start helping take care of the plants and flowers. The city is coming alive with beauty, and it is fabulous to watch! The Curious Garden is a book that will make you want to get your hands in the soil and help nurture the plants! The illustrations are beautiful and it is fun to look at all the details included on each page. My little sister, Margo, had a blast because she could spot Liam, with his bright red hair, in every picture. She’d point and laugh, “There he is!” The story helps remind the reader how important it is to treat our planet with kindness. We can help make it a happier place. Each effort we make changes our surrounding, and others may even catch our enthusiasm. I love to grow plants, and seeing everything start blooming in the spring fills my heart with hope and happiness. Even though the seasons change and our greenery gets covered in blankets of snow, we know that the world will burst with color once again. It’s the perfect time to read this book and get inspired to help some plants reawaken and grow. We are already planning our garden and will get to work as soon as it warms up a bit (we need to let the bees and other bugs finish resting for a little longer). I know we will be reading this book a few more times before returning it to the library. It's impossible not to fall into the illustrations! Has anyone else read The Curious Garden? Or have you read another book written by Peter Brown? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
Happy Reading!
~F
Monday, February 22, 2021
Margo's Musings: Are Little Girls and Unicorns Real?
Do our local librarians know my little sister, Margo, or what? The library is still doing curbside pickup and we look forward to the surprise books they add to our bag each week. They know that Margo loves unicorns and the picture book they shared has been read aloud at least ten times this week. Luckily, the book is so beautiful none of us minded all the readings!
Uni is a happy unicorn. While she's a typical unicorn, she has her own special differences. She also believes that little girls are real. Everyone else believes they are only made up characters in stories, but Uni just knows in her heart that real girls exist, and she's determined to find one. Everyone talks about Uni like she is silly, but they know she will grow out of her thinking. Not too far away there is a little girl who just knows unicorns are real. Like Uni, people think the little girl will grow up and change her mind. Margo loved looking at all the pictures of Uni. She's been looking for unicorns everywhere since we stopped reading the book. She also seems very proud of being a little girl, like the one in the story.
Uni the Unicorn by Amy Krouse Rosenthal is an adorable picture book that will beg to be read again and again. Uni is so sure of her belief that little girls are real, just like the little girl is so sure that unicorns are real. I do hope the two will find each other in the books that follow. The illustrations by Brigette Barrager are bold and beautiful. I love the bright colors, as they add even more magic to this sweet story. I love the way Uni and the little girl have similar experiences. I know this will be a big hit with anyone who loves unicorns. I have enjoyed many books by Amy Krouse Rosenthal in the past and this was another winner. I already know that Margo will be asking for a Uni the Unicorn book next week! Personally, I am excited to read one too.
Has anyone else read Uni the Unicorn? Or have you read another book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
Happy reading!
~ F
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Margo's Musings: Will Stone and Stick Stay Together?
We're still getting curbside pickup from our local library, and we feel so lucky. Our librarians chose awesome books for us to check out.
Stick and Stone was written by Beth Ferry and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. Just looking at the cover we knew it was going to be a good book. Stick and Stone is so cute! What a team.
Happy Reading!
~F
Monday, July 20, 2020
Margo's Musings: Will Sweetie Get Her Wish?
Has anyone else read Dandy? Or have you read another book written by Amy Dyckman or illustrated by Charles Santoso? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
~F
Monday, June 8, 2020
Margo's Musings: Can an Egg be Too Good?
In the story there is an egg. He's a very good egg. It seems crazy to him that the other eggs are so reckless and misbehave all the time. No matter how much he tries to get his friends to behave, they will not listen. This causes him a ton of stress, and he starts to crack. The good egg realizes he needs to go away and be by himself. While he is gone he starts to take care of himself; even pampers himself. Being away, he misses his friends and starts to learn that he can't be responsible for their behavior. Trying to control them wasn't making anyone happy. When he rejoins his friends in the carton, he has a new attitude. Of course, he still wants to be good—but he realizes it's possible to be too good and not enjoy life.
The book has some really great messages. Sometimes we need reminders that we can't control other people and what they do. We can only control ourselves. I also think it's important to take care of our health, so that was a point that hit home with me. The illustrations are awesome. The facial expressions on some of the eggs is priceless. Of course, the main character wormed his way into our hearts with those big blue eyes and enormous glasses. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good picture book. I can see it being used in school to help students learn lessons about behavior, self-care, and finding the balance in life.
The Good Egg is part of a series of books with similar titles (The Bad Seed, The Cool Bean, etc.). We look forward to checking those out as well.
Has anyone else read The Good Egg? Or have you read another book written by Jory John or illustrated by Pete Oswald? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
Happy Reading!
~F
Monday, May 4, 2020
Margo's Musings: An Astronaut Painting the Moon?
We had a curbside delivery of books at our local library, so we ordered what we wanted ahead. Usually my little sister, Margo, loves running around and looking at the displays, and she picks the books we read. She still gave her thumbs up or thumbs down when we looked at the catalog, but her favorite book from this week's haul was one I requested, The True Story of Alan Bean: The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon.
Looking up at the night sky is one of my family's favorite activities. It's a special time when we check out the constellations and the Moon. The Moon is amazing, and I think it would be fantastic to be an astronaut. The title grabbed my attention right away.
The True Story of Alan Bean: The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon is written by Dean Robbins and Illustrated by Sean Rubin. It tells the story of Alan as a boy, how he thought things looked, and his dream of becoming a pilot one day. When grew up and became a pilot, he also took painting classes. It was interesting to learn that he painted what he saw and let his imagination take over.
As an astronaut he couldn't believe what the Moon and Earth were like from space. He took pictures and even performed experiments on the soil. Once back on his home planet, Alan felt the pictures didn't do the Moon justice; they didn't show the magic. Alan set up Moon models and worked like a scientist to get everything right. Then he started painting what he saw and he let his imagination run wild. He worked and worked until he felt his painting showed how the Moon made him feel. It was fascinating to learn about the ways he enhanced the textures in his artwork.
Alan is an inspiration as an artist and an astronaut. The book has biographical information at the end, which I liked, but I think most of that went over Margo's head.
The pictures in the book caught our attention, but Alan's story made us fall in love with the Moon all over again. Margo and I set up easels and painted the Moon. I used a brush to paint, but my sister used her hands. Next week we'll do paintings of Earth.
I would definitely recommend this book to those who like space, painting, and using their imagination. You are sure to be inspired.
Has anyone else read The True Story of Alan Bean: The Astronaut Who Painted the Moon? Or have you read any other books written by Dean Robbins? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
Happy Reading!
~F