Children's Books discussion

In May, we'll be exploring a spring-time theme. Please review the Official Nominations (appearing in Messages 2-9 below) and select the *five* books you would most like to read. Then, vote for these by listing them in a comment below. Votes will be accepted until April 18th. Thank you!

If you're new to the group and have further questions on how the nominations/voting/selection process works, please see here (and always feel welcome to ask questions): http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...

A few to begin:

Spring Story by Jill Barklem

Let's Look at Spring (non-fiction)

And the Good Brown Earth (goes throughout the year but a lovely book about gardens which many of us start this time of year)

Hooray for Spring by Iwamura

Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale or the original by Sibylle von Olfers

Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic

Kitten's Spring by Fernandez

This one looks great; it's not at my library but I couldn't help adding it to the list:
Spring by Gerda Muller

EARLY SPRING (MAPLE SYRUP)

Ininatig's Gift of Sugar: Traditional Native Sugarmaking

Maple Syrup Season

The Sugaring Off Party

At Grandpa's Sugar Bush

Sugarbush Spring

Sugaring Time

COUNTING/LIFTING BOOKS

Easter Babies: A Springtime Counting Book

Peek-a-Bloom!

SPRING IN GENERAL

In the Spring

How Robin Saved Spring

Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms

When The Root Children Wake Up

Spring Story by Jill Barklem!!!!!!

Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms by Julia Rawlinson (even though it was nowhere as good as Fletcher and the Falling Leaves)

(I might think of some more. Looking at the suggestions thus far, I'd love to read a book that features maple syrup!! Perhaps Ininatig's Gift of Sugar: Traditional Native Sugarmaking. I have it at home but haven't read it yet. It has a lot of text though. But, some book with maple syrup as a focus, I would like.)

Mama, Is It Summer Yet? -- Even though the title includes "Summer" it's really about spring-time and all the things leading up to summer.

Gundula wrote: "EARLY SPRING (MAPLE SYRUP)

Ininatig's Gift of Sugar: Traditional Native Sugarmaking

Maple Syrup Season

The Sugaring Off Party

[book:At Grandpa's Suga..."

Gundula, I love all your "sweet" book suggestions. Lol

Here are a couple the first looks very interesting
Flower Fairies of the Spring
Bear Wants More

and another Spring Thaw

It's time to VOTE for your top five picks! Please choose from books listed in our Official Nominations (message 2-9) and list your choices in the comments below. Thank you!

At Grandpa's Sugar Bush

Ininatig's Gift of Sugar: Traditional Native Sugarmaking

Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic

How Robin Saved Spring

Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale

Those are my votes for "Spring" Sorry about all of the additional posts. Blame the website, Goodreads has been decidedly annoying this morning and posting comments is really not working well.

Here are my votes:

And the Good Brown Earth

A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox

Ininatig's Gift of Sugar: Traditional Native Sugarmaking

Spring Thaw

Spring Story

Was anyone else surprised by how few exciting spring books there seem to be? Such a wonderful season seems to have inspired fewer good books than other seasons.

Wilhelmina wrote: "Was anyone else surprised by how few exciting spring books there seem to be? Such a wonderful season seems to have inspired fewer good books than other seasons."

Yes! :-( It's so disappointing. Not only in the quality but also quantity--my library just doesn't have very much about this season! Especially when we eliminate the Easter-themed reads there are so few books about spring itself. I think this is the fewest nominations we have ever received, probably as a result of the lack of books out there. Oh well, we have some great books on the list so I'm hoping we'll have another wonderful month of reading and discussion even if the "Master List" won't be quite so striking this time around.

Spring Story by Jill Barklem

A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox by Wendy Pfeffer

Ininatig's Gift of Sugar: Traditional Native Sugarmaking by Laura Waterman Wittstock

At Grandpa's Sugar Bush by Margaret Carney

Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale by Sibylle von Olfers

Sorry for the two maple sugar ones, but I'm a bit of a fanatic.

Mina and Abigail, I'd think we were missing many books, but I know the group members here, and you two in particular, would probably have found many more if many, many more exist.

Wilhelmina wrote: "Here are my votes:
Was anyone else surprised by how few exciting spring books there seem to be? Such a wonderful season seems to have inspired fewer good books than other seasons.
..."

I did notice! Plenty for other seasons just not spring.

My votes:
At Grandpa's Sugar Bush
Spring Story
How Robin Saved Spring
Spring Thaw
The Sugaring Off Party

My 5 votes:

Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale

Kitten's Spring

Spring Story

A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox

Ininatig's Gift of Sugar: Traditional Native Sugarmaking

My five choices:

Hooray for Spring

Spring Story

The Sugaring Off Party

Flower Fairies of the Spring

And the Good Brown Earth

I would like to vote for:

At Grandpa's Sugar Bush
The Sugaring Off Party
Spring Story
Spring Thaw
And the Good Brown Earth

Thanks to all for voting! The winners are:

Spring Story

Ininatig's Gift of Sugar: Traditional Native Sugarmaking

Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale

At Grandpa's Sugar Bush

A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox

Sixth/Alternate Title:
Spring Thaw

Please join us starting in May for our discussion! :-) Meanwhile, I hope you are all able to get these from your local library.

Thanks Kathryn, going to reserve now. Fun list!

Oh wow, this is a first. I was only able to reserve 2 of the 6 titles. I will enjoy reading all of your thoughts on the other titles.

Crystal wrote: "Oh wow, this is a first. I was only able to reserve 2 of the 6 titles. I will enjoy reading all of your thoughts on the other titles."

Too bad, my library only has two of the titles as well. I've placed ILL requests for the other four, maybe you could try that as well.

Oh, BUMMER! Well, I'm hoping other members will have better luck. I always assume people have checked out their library to see if books are available before they vote for them and I hope that translates to a good availability at libraries across the country but I guess that is not always the case :-( Perhaps, if you read a few other spring-themed books that are available at your local library you could share your thoughts over in our "Master List and General Discussion" thread. I'm lucky in that I'm able to get five out of the six this time around. I was nervous we wouldn't have the sugaring books here but the only one I can't get is "Ininatig's Gift of Sugar: Traditional Native Sugarmaking" which is too bad as it sounds interesting but I'm sure some very kind group member who is able to read it will fill us in on the details! ;-)

Gundula wrote: "Crystal wrote: "Oh wow, this is a first. I was only able to reserve 2 of the 6 titles. I will enjoy reading all of your thoughts on the other titles."

Too bad, my library only has two of the title..."

Kathryn wrote: "Oh, BUMMER! Well, I'm hoping other members will have better luck. I always assume people have checked out their library to see if books are available before they vote for them and I hope that tra..."

I went to the library today and they found one title for me. They also showed me how to use the ILL system and said it was not guaranteed. I tried for a title she said I would most likely get, we will see. So that will be 3 or 4. Much better than 2.

On a side note, I was tickled when I asked my daughter if she wanted to go to the library and she said, "Yes, I love the library!"
I answered, "You do? You love the library?"
She said, "I want to hug it!"
I laughed, that's my girl!

Kathryn wrote: "I always assume people have checked out their library to see if books are available before they vote for them and I hope that translates to a good availability at libraries across the country but I guess that is not always the case :-( "

Ironically, I never check. I just choose books I either want to read or those I've liked/loved, yet I can get all 6 this time.

Crystal wrote: "my daughter if she wanted to go to the library and she said, "Yes, I love the library!"
I answered, "You do? You love the library?"
She said, "I want to hug it!""

Adorable! You're raising her right!!! ;-)

Abigail wrote: Crystal: that is so adorable! I don't know that I've ever wanted to hug the entire library, but I certainly have hugged specific books! ;)


Lisa wrote: "Crystal wrote: "my daughter if she wanted to go to the library and she said, "Yes, I love the library!"
I answered, "You do? You love the library?"
She said, "I want to hug it!""
Adorable! You're..."

I am so happy she loves books and the library. She squealed when we drove up to it. I feel like that sometimes when I find a book a want to read. =) Glad to know I am not the only one who has hugged books. =)

"Crystal wrote: "my daughter if she wanted to go to the library and she said, "Yes, I love the library!"
I answered, "You do? You love the library?"
She said, "I want to hug it!""

That is SO cute! I love it!

The only time I am happy to see children crying is when they are leaving the library; it is encouraging that they want so much to stay!

Miriam wrote: "The only time I am happy to see children crying is when they are leaving the library; it is encouraging that they want so much to stay!"

I agree. :)

I may possibly have read too many books about spring while deciding which books to include on my spring booklist. I look forward to joining you for your June discussion. I enjoyed participating in the black history month discussion and reading back through older discussions about nature, dinosaurs, and space.

Happy May Day!

Amy wrote: "I may possibly have read too many books about spring while deciding which books to include on my spring booklist. I look forward to joining you for your June discussion. I enjoyed participating in ..."

Glad to hear that, Amy! :-) It's nice to know that previous threads are still read and appreciated. We'll look forward to having you back in June. By the way, if you read any particularly outstanding books about spring feel welcome to post about them here. This is the place to discuss books about spring that we aren't reading as our "official six" for the month and I'm sure other members would love more suggestions.

I know a few of you voted for Kitten's Spring and I, too, thought it looked good. It's a new book at our library and I was lucky to nab it right away. It's adorable! Full of vibrant spring scenes and cute mother and baby animals. The illustrations include clay figures (like the cat on the cover) and they are delightfully detailed and often humorous and adorable.

For those of us who were surprised by the shortage of excellent Spring books, this upcoming one looks great.

And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano

Wilhelmina wrote: "For those of us who were surprised by the shortage of excellent Spring books, this upcoming one looks great.

And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano

[bookcover:And..."

Oooh, it does! Thank you for posting!

King for a Day


In King for a Day (2013) Rukhsana Khan's words and Christiane Krömer's accompanying artwork textually and illustratively present how in the city of Lahore, Pakistan, the spring festival of Basant with its kite flying competitions and evening fireworks has arrived, how young protagonist and first person narrator Malik has for this year's festival only made one kite to use in the kite battles over the city, but is still sure that "Falcon" will definitely be fast enough to reign supreme, to avoid having its strings cut, and that with his specially constructed for speed, agility etc. kite, Malik will also be able to capture the most kites and to thus be considered "King for a Day" (hence of course the book title). And with King for a Day Khan vividly features a unique spring festival (and that King for a Day of course also tells of Malik's ingenious, competition winning kite construction and kite flying know-how and equally so showing him successfully standing up to and repeatedly defeating a despicable local bully) and with Krömer's illustrations (using a mix of drawings, paper and Pakistani-themed textiles) not only reflecting what Rukhsana Khan's is telling, what she is verbally describing in King for a Day but also nicely visually expanding on the presented text, with Christiane Krömer's collages capturing the crispness and the variety of the many different types of kites in the sky above Lahore for Basant and with Krömer's artwork also depicting that Malik sits in a wheelchair. So yes, and indeed really wonderfully I must say, in King for a Day, that Malik has physical challenges and is in a wheelchair is only shown through and with Christiane Krömer's pictures and is not ever mentioned in and by Rukhsana Khan's text, and that this in my opinion demonstrates how Malik is simply and first and foremost a young Pakistani boy from Lahore who enjoys Basant and is an expert kite maker and flyer and that this also adds power to the idea that Basant is a holiday for everyone and that all abilities and all ages can and do participate (and successfully so).

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...