The Giving Tree

With the holiday season here there is much talk of giving and receiving.  I wanted to focus on the lesson of giving to others and being thankful for what we have been given so The Giving Tree came to mind.  This classic book does cover the bases of giving to others and being selfless.  I read it with my daughters (again) and we came up with a craft to go with the book that I'll share with you.

This is a book that I'm sure you have read as a child, and now you have probably read to your own children.  If you haven't, then you are missing out of a wonderful heartfelt story, but don't take my word for it alone, The Giving Tree has made the list for Top 100  All Time Best Classic Literature for Children and Young Adults, 50 All-Time Favorite Children's Books, and at the top of the list for 27 Books Parents Should Read to Their Kids Before They Grow Up.  

So what is it about this book that makes it stand up to the test of time?  

I think it's that no matter the age you are when you read it it's going to pull at some part of your heart.  The book has the wants, needs, and desires we all have as we grow in life.  When we are children we are content with what we have around us, but as we grow we want more, friends, money, a house, love, to travel, and then we again become content to just have what we have around us and just be.  

Maybe it's the lessons that can be taken from the book?  Unlike most children's books where there's one strong lesson, The Giving Tree is unique in that you can find a different lesson in the story each time you read it.  There's a lesson of all that trees give us (air, food, shelter) and we just take from them.  There's a lesson to be grateful for what you have, as the boy grows he's not happy with what he has but thinks the next step will make him happy.  Unconditional love is huge in the story, it's of giving all of yourself to someone else and receiving nothing back.   As a parent you understand this.  It grips your heart because you can relate so much to the tree just wanting the child to be happy.

Another thing that helps this book stand the test of time might be the simplicity of the illustrations and the spacing of the sentences.  I'm a huge fan of bright illustrations that capture the attention of kids and adults, but the lack of color and background details in Shel Silverstein's drawings make the relationship between the boy and the tree the sole focus.  There are no distractions. It is just the boy and the tree.  The illustrations and text pop on the white page, and it's easy to read.  The spacing of the text makes the story build as you turn the pages and pulls the reader in with each event.  I find that the illustrations done the way they are allows the reader to use their imagination to picture themselves with a tree.  We all probably have a tree we use to climb as a child, or sit under so having less details on where the tree is allows you to put that tree in your own setting.

I love the emotional depth in The Giving Tree.  The text only uses a couple emotional words but there's more that is implied.   As you read ask your child  how they think the tree feels.  Ask them how they'd feel having been in need/want of something and someone giving them what they needed.  Have conversations around these emotions.  As I said earlier this is a wonderful book even for older children; read the book and have them write a journal response on how they felt, or how they would feel as the tree.  Or to tell of a time they gave to someone knowing they were helping and would not get anything back.
As you are talking to younger children they might respond with just "happy" or "sad" you can expand their vocabulary and empathy by giving them more emotional words.   I think the tree might be curious at to where the boy has gone, and maybe a bit envious that he can travel the world while the tree can only stay in one place.  I think the boy is greedy for only coming to the tree when he's in need of something. 

After talking about the book, and reading it together a good activity that you can do with children of any age is to list things they are grateful for.  This year for Thanksgiving we made a poster around this idea of a giving tree that the leaves say all the things that we could think of that others have given us, and at the bottom we made hand turkeys that said the things we were thankful for.

So thankful for the people who have come into our lives and for all we have been given sometimes it's small thing that make a big difference.  A candy bar when you're feeling down.  The pets we have either been given or adopted.  A random stranger bought my daughter and I concert tickets to see who is now her favorite band.  That's something she'll remember forever and an experience I couldn't have given her at that time.  My family added us to their Netflix account and a friend gave me her audiobook account so we could watch shows and listen to books that otherwise we would have gone without.  Words of love, support, and encouragement mean the world to us, knowing that you have someone who believes in you really does make a difference.  

You can make your own Giving Tree in your house or classroom where you add leaves to it each time you catch a student spreading kindness to another child (giving them a crayon, helping pick up toys, and so on)  or add leaves for when you feel grateful for something you have.  This is a great way to see how blessed you are, how you have been helped and how you help others.



Random Acts of Kindness can be linked to this book, with how you can help someone else, like the tree helping the boy.  Think of ways you can help someone as a family or separately.  This time of year money is always tight so it doesn't have to cost anything.  Maybe you have a neighbor that you or your kids could shovel their walkway when it snows so they don't have to.  Maybe there's family that just had a baby, you can make a double batch of your dinner and take them one over so they don't have to cook one night.  Donate your used toys, books, and clothes.  If you know of a family that is having a hard time and can use that warp it and leave it on their porch.  Write a card or color a picture to send to someone, or visit and just spend time with those who might be alone.  You don't have to have money to give joy to others, and I think we see that in The Giving Tree, just a smile, a kind word, or helping hand can mean the world to someone.

I hope you all have a warm winter, and Happy Holidays!  

If you didn't click the links or you want more info check out these websites:
Teaching empathy: Evidence-based tips for fostering empathy in children
22 Benefits of Trees
7 Crucial Reasons Why Gratitude Can Change Your Life
How to Appreciate What You Have and Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
103 Random Acts of Kindness – Ideas to Inspire Kindness
randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas

Fireflies

There are so many wonderful things about summer and things to do this time of year that summer just flies by.  With all the running and get as much of summer activities in as you possible can type of crazy fast paced life that we are all experiencing it's nice to take the time to sit out and just enjoy a warm summer night.  One of my favorite things about summer nights has always been to watch fireflies.  I still enjoy spotting the flashing light of these neat insects.  So in the spirit of late summer nights under the stars I thought I'd share with you two lovely firefly books to enjoy with your little ones, and hopefully one dry night soon you can enjoy the silent natural light show of these bugs (which are actually beetles).

The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle


I found our copy of this book in a thrift store, and it was in rough shape.  It's an Eric Carle book! So I'm going with the family before loved the book a lot, the binding was well worn, the lights didn't work and there back cover had some of it missing, but I bought the book anyway because it was and Eric Carle book.  The same brilliant author/illustrator who wrote the classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Since we have owned this book, it has only received more love, and by love I mean it is literally falling apart from having been read so much.  One day far, far, in the future I will have to buy a new one to share with grand-kids.
Now about this book, the illustrations are classic Eric Carle in the colors, the brush strokes, and the geometric shapes.  The bold colors grab young children's attention and give them so much to look at and follow the story as you read to them.
The story itself is of a little firefly who is all alone, like the title suggest.  As he's searching for other lighting bugs he finds different light sources but then realizes that they aren't what he's looking for.  We follow this guy on his journey as he runs into a light bulb, flashlight, cars, eye, and then finally when all is quiet and dark again he finally finds other fireflies.  In the illustrations there's a sub-plot that is a family hearing a noise and going to see what's going on.
This is a book that we have found entertaining and makes you look forward to a summer night. 


Ten Flashing Fireflies


Written by Philemon Sturges
Illustrated by Anna Vojtech

This book brings me back to my own childhood and running around like crazy trying to catch lighting bugs.  Oh how fun that was on summer nights.
As the title implies this is a counting book.  I like that in this counting book you are counting both up and down at the same time so it's teaching children math.  There are 10 fireflies, as they catch each they add them up in the jar and subtract them from the field.  While the math isn't shown in numbers 10-1=9, that is the lesson that is taught.  Or I should say one of the lessons.  I love the different adjectives and verbs that Sturges uses to describe the fireflies light: burning, twinkling, flickering, blinking, and so on.  The use of different verbs, adjectives, adverbs are rich in picture books which helps develop a child's vocabulary.  The very last lesson in the book is probably the most important and relevant to the times right now, and that's to let what you capture free.  Collecting bugs and frogs, and the like is great for kids to have hands on experience and study and learn from nature, but each specimen that's caught needs to be let free.  The poor fireflies in the story are all in the jar and they stop being active or blinking, so the children let them free out into the night again.
The illustrations by Anna Vojtech are dark, they don't have bright saturated colors, but rather give you the feel of being out in the dark field at night.  The soft texture and muted colors capture the magic of summer nights.  I found it fun to look closely at the images and see that as the children are off trying to catch another lighting bug the jar is getting other animals visitors.  See if you children notice them while reading and you can talk about what it is.


Sadly my children don't have the same experience with fireflies as I did as a child and as is described in Ten Flashing Fireflies, in part it's because we don't live out in the country any more, but in larger part it's because their numbers are dwindling.  We still go out and enjoy camping and we still see fireflies but it's becoming more rare and they aren't nearly as plentiful as when I was growing up.

While I was putting this blog together I found fascinating information on the firefly!  If you would like to learn more about them please check out these sites:
Why Do Fireflies Glow? and how to attract them
National Geographic
Why Are Fireflies Disappearing?
NBC News: Dwindling Fireflies

Also some other books about them I have come across if you think you have a future entomologist in your mist check out these:

Circus Books

The chills and thrills of a circus are well knows, unbelievable stunts, the funny clowns, the well trained animals, food, all under the big top!  Back in a day when there wasn't YouTube and you couldn't see all of these amazing things for free in the comfort of your home you had to physically go to a real circus!  Today the chills and thrills that once inspired these books and made people flock out to see the unusual has been numbed for us, but not completely; there are still flocks of people who want to see all this in person so the circus while it's hay day has passed still lives on.

When I heard that there was a small family circus coming to our town I went in search of books to share with my girls, below are the books we read in order from the ones we liked the least to the best.

1.

If I Ran The Circus by Dr. Seuss.

I'm sorry, I know Dr. Seuss is brilliant and I love almost all of his books, except for this one.  In the 39 pages are crammed 1,732 words according to seussville.com.  Following the previously published If I Ran The Zoo (published 1950) six years latter I was expecting strange creatures and the made up Seuss words but the zoo book is by far better than his circus one.  It took me a couple days to actually read and finish the book with my daughter and I stumbled over the words.  It started off well enough with the Circus McGurkus was a lot of fun to say and the intro you can do your best announcer voice, but about half way though it lost me with just so much stuff and tongue twister fake words.

As with all Dr. Seuss books it does encourage children to open their minds and you can ask them what unusual things they'd have or do if they ran the circus or to use items around the house and make their own creature with a special talent.




2.

Circus Train by Jos. A. Smith is another circus book I feel slightly let down by.  The beginning was wonderful, and the watercolor illustrations are sentimental of a time the circus traveled by train.  My only issue with this book comes from the idea of turning the train cars into balloons and floating over the missing bridge.  Maybe this is my corrupted adult mind not bending to fantasy, but I just couldn't get my mind over it.  I thought for sure there would be another way to move the circus.  Other than that one small issue I had the book was nice.  Timothy the boy was a new kid in town wondering how he was going to make friends when he lived out in the country, he was a problem solver for the circus, and in the end was a hero who was honored in the circus having made friends with the group of people who made up the performers.

A good activity to do would be tell of how you (or the kids) would have solved the problem of the bridge having been out.  What could they have done?



3.

Circus 1-2-3 by Megan Halsey is a book for young readers.  This is a basic counting book.  The book is intended for children 2-5, but if you get it as a board book it's great for infants as well, as soon as they are sitting and holding objects you can let them hold the book open and point to the number, and tell them what's on the page.  "4 Bears" Counting books like this one a great to help learn numbers.  Megan Halsey has kept the focus on the numbers and given simple yet colorful images of the subject at a circus.  While my five year old and I would have preferred more text "4 ballerina bears in bright tutus balance on balls"  this might have taken away from Halsey's point of focusing on the numbers.  When you are reading this with your little one be sure to stop and let them count, make sure there are four bears, have them tell you about what the bears are doing.

4.

Not a big surprise to see one of the TV show character books here.  I don't think I've read a Clifford book I haven't liked.  The big red dog is an example of kindness, and friendship.  In his circus adventure Clifford helps save the show, with dressing up as a clown, to saving a high diver with his tongue.  Reading books with characters children know from TV gets them excited that they know who is in the book and can play the illustrations out in their brilliant minds like a moving picture.


5.

I love Stan and Jan Berenstain, they have created unforgettable characters of my childhood that are still carried on today in books that my children love.  Maybe it's because Papa Bear is the star of C is for Clown, that made me think highly of this book, but it's far from the only reason.  C is for Clown: A circus of "C" words has the simple building block style of writing that children like to read, especially early readers.  This style of writing and reading builds important memory factors in children's minds.  What do we have already?  Seeing the same words repetitively allows the child to subconsciously memorize the word.  This is one of the fun books that after reading it together five times your child will turn around and read it to their baby doll.  The book is funny, Papa Bear is the strong man who can carry cats, dogs, cows, a gigantic fish, but it's the tiny creature that will bring the strongman show crashing down in fits of laughter. One more reason I love this book, it teaches phonetics.  The "C" sound is one many children struggle with so by reading it aloud to them the hear how "c" should sound and by having them repeat the words back they are learning the correct way to pronounce the words.


Now for the best...because you know in the show you always save the very best for the end....
6.

The Ringling Brothers: Circus Family by Richard and Sally Glendinning
This book is quite a world apart from the other books, it's for a more advanced reader (grades 2-4) and it's a non fiction!  The fact that I learned about the Ringling brothers and how they started their own circus is probably why it's my favorite.  I love a book where I learn something and hearing a true story of perseverance.  This is what I want my children to understand, that you can start out poor, on the very bottom, but as long as you keep your goal in mind, and work hard that you can achieve your goal.  The story of the Ringling Brothers was well told from beginning to end.  This is a chapter book that has some illustrations spread throughout the book.  These illustrations were done by William Hutchinson and are detailed sketches with yellow and red accent colors.  While my oldest and I read this book we loved to stop and look at the people in the illustrations.


Does all this talk and reading about circuses leave you and your children wanting more?  I have gone to two circuses one was amazing and left me in awe (photos here), while the other was disappointing.  I'd say go see a large venue circus, the performers practice and that is how they earn their living.  I've gotten to meet a talented woman who use to travel with a side show and breaths fire, and did contortion.  It was great.  But if going to a circus is not in the cards for you or you don't support them, that is fine, encourage the kids to be like the Ringling brothers and put on their own show for each other.  You may be surprised at what hidden talents they have.

Maybe you have a contortionists in your house

or a snake wrangler

 Sometimes something as simple as bubbles and hula hoops can transform your backyard.  Check out some other kits and ideas below.

 In recent years there have been a couple wonderful movies that I would like to share with you, I have seen them both and they brought me to tears, Water For Elephants, and The Greatest Showman.

Library Books about Library Books!

It's no surprise we love our library so with National Library Week I had to share some great books that are about libraries, and library books.

As avid readers and parents of young children who we want to raise to be well read, we know how important our libraries are.  They offer us a wealth of knowledge, resources, and tons of books!  Even if the library you go do doesn't have the book you want chances are the librarian there can get the book to you by seeing if they can borrow the book you want from another library!

My library is one of my favorite places to go.  The people who work there have become my friends, they are friendly and extremely helpful.  There are always all sorts of programs going on, from story times, to book clubs, and art classes and various groups meeting.  I could go on for the whole post talking about all the things the library offers and all the ways the library rocks, but the biggest thing is how much money it saves me.  Let's face it, it would cost a fortune to buy every book that my children and I have read!  Without the library our literacy would be much lower.  We on average check out between 10-20 children's books per week and about 2 books for myself each month. I love to own books, I will buy favorite books on Amazon, I love to hit the book store, and I devour book sales I bring home more books to keep than I should, but in my defense, I will read them ALL one day!  If I do some math tho and say we read 50 children's books each month and figure the cost of each is between $5-$15 typically (for easy math I'm going to say $10 each book) That's $500 just on the cost of books I read to the kids.  No family can afford that.  Library cards are FREE! And you can take home $100 worth of books each week, read them, and return them, get and get new ones to enjoy.

I am going to share with you only some of the books that share the reasons we love libraries and talk about books in libraries, there are many more books that I could list for you.


1. Library Lilyby Gillian Shields
                    Illustrated by Francesca Chessa
                     copyright 2011

This little girl and her best friend are two kids after my own heart!  Lily at first is only interested in books, and reads all the time.  A fellow bookworm! Her mother forces her to put down her book and play at the park where she meets another girl who doesn't like to read *gasp!* Soon the two girls make friends, Lily shares her love of reading and her new friend shares her love of actually doing things.

My kids and I could relate to the two friends so well.  I am always reading, I have a book with me wherever I go.  While reading about adventures is a wonderful way to experience things and places you might never actually do, as people we need to interact with other people and go on our own adventures.  We try to find books ourselves that relate to things that we want to do or are going to do, then after reading about it we go out and do it.  It's a great way to get kids interested in reading and relate it to their own world.  Example: We want to have a garden, we will be getting books about gardening and reading and learning about how to garden, then put what we learn to work.

How does this book support the library?  Aside from the title of course.  Lily spends much of her time at the library.  The first page of the book tells about the library, and why Lily loves going there.  A child who loves to read as much as Lily needs that library card so they can read all the books.  Then when her new friend is finally interested in books they get her a library card as well.

The book was fun and fast paced.

Francesca Chessa filled the book with cute colorful illustrations that keeps the attention of children.

2. The Library by Sarah Stewart
              Illustrated by David Small
               copyright 1995


How could I not share a cute story that is the dream of most bibliophiles? I know I dream of having my own huge library in my house, in my mind it has always looked like the one from Beauty and the Beast, I have had to come to reality and lower my standards some, but this book The Library has given me a new idea!

Sarah Stewart has written a wonderfully cute story about a little girl who is the definition of bibliophile although she doesn't use that term.  Like Lily above, Elizabeth Brown has no other interest it seems other than reading.  This is the only down side of the book is that it doesn't make for a well rounded person whereas Lily does go out and do things.  Elizabeth doesn't play, or date, and even shopping trips and household chores are done haphazardly!  I made the comment to my daughter, audiobooks would have been a huge help to Elizabeth Brown!

The story is told in rhyme, and is easy, fun, and funny to read.  David Small did a great job bringing the comic side to the story with his colorful illustrations and cute doodles next to the text.  The wonderful art will keep the child's attention and adds a great depth to the story.  The book is one that any child will enjoy from older toddlers and up.

Sarah Stewart dedicated to the memory of the real Mary Elizabeth Brown who was a librarian.  I did a couple searches trying to find more info on her.  This book is a work of fiction, but I was hoping to find that it was based on a true story.  I did not find that anything to confirm this which made me a little sad.  It would have been nice to have planed a road trip to the house of someone who did give their house and book collection to the town.  The good news here is that there are other books that are based on true stories about libraries. Which brings me to my next book....

3. Dewey: There's a Cat in the Library! by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter
                                             Illustrated by: Steve James
                                                   copyright: 2009

This is a non fiction book, that is written like fiction.  It's based on the adult non fiction book Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by the same authors.  Dewey is on my to be read list! Since I have not read the adult book and can't tell you how that is, let me tell you about this adorable children's book.

What is it with cats and books?  In the illustrations from The Library, along with many other books along the same lines there are cats.  It seems that there is an uncanny link between books and cats.  Maybe it's that cats love to curl up with us and are content to be lazy and let us read with their company.

Dewey is was left in the book drop of the library in Spencer, Iowa.  The librarian cleans him up and he is named Dewey Readmore Books and he is given a new home at the library.  The children find him and enjoy his company, along with other patrons.  The story is told about his journey around the library and how he learns how he can make a difference there.

Vicki Myron and Bret Witter have done a great job making this an easy to read, cute story for children.  Steve James I believe used watercolors to do the illustrations because it has a dreamy feel to the images.  I love the colors and how they capture a child's attention.  Dewey is an adorable cat and you just melt into his adorable kitten face and laugh at his playful antics that are illustrated.

The first time I read it I felt let down by the ending.  There's this little girl that Dewey tries to cheer up and his usual antics don't work and then finally he makes her laugh and she gives him a big hug and he say "This is it...I'm a REAL library cat"  I wanted more at the end.  Like many good stories you're never ready to come to the end.  I was expecting the ending to be more along the line of him being a reading support animal that she is struggling to read and then reads to him and becomes more confident.  After I let this go and read the story again I realized that Dewey was there to make the patrons happy, and that's just what he did.

If you have a reluctant reader, or a child who is struggling I highly recommend looking into reading support animals like Tail Waggin' Tutors

4. But Excuse Me That is My Book (Charlie and Lola) by Lauren Child
                                               copyright: 2006

Most children can relate to having a favorite book.  As a parent you own this beloved book and have read it over and over and over, to the point that you don't even need to have the book with you and you can recite it word for word.  I feel you!  This beloved book does change as children grow, for us it's an every couple month thing.  If this is your child you they will relate to But Excuse Me That is My Book! 

This little girl, Lola, has her favorite book, it's the book she check out from the library all the time.  But one day she goes to the library and someone else is checking out her book!  Oh no!  As the story goes on Lola's sister tries to show her other books at the library and she does end up finding another book that she loves.

This is what libraries and librarians are for.  If you have a favorite book, they will help you find other similar books, either by the same author or on the same topic.  Our children's librarians are amazing!  They are always willing to share the knowledge they have.  For example if you like But Excuse Me That is My Book you should check out A Library Book for Bear by Bonny Becker because Bear has the same problem as Lola, he has a favorite book, and a favorite subject, so why should he go to the library, and then he finds the perfect new book!

Both of these books are fun to read and have such different but similar charters that have great read aloud personalities.
Lola "I want that book now, now , NOW!"
Bear, "A trip to the library is completely unnecessary, I have all the books I need."



5. Curious George Visits the Library by Margret Rey
                                             Illustrated by: Martha Weston
                                                 copyright: 2003

I've told you before how I love books that are also children's TV shows.  Curious George is one of the TV shows that I still at the age of 30 get caught up in.  The little monkey is super cute and his curious adventures are always entertaining.  It comes as no surprise then that we have read our way through the Curious George books that the library has and Curious George Visits the Library is my favorite out of all of them!

Curious George is so relatable to children, what child during story time has found it hard to wait for a certain book to be read?  Or gotten stir crazy sitting still?  Story times and special programs are always enjoyable at the library, and they do keep kids attention span in mind with songs and activities between books, yet still some little ones might find their attention drawn elsewhere.

The part where George starts pulling book after book off the shelves reminds me of most trips we take to our own library "Oh look there's a book about a horse! and one about the beach! Oh and of course we need a Piggie and Elephant book!"  We often leave with our bag filled.


The illustrations are classic.  Even being published in the 2000's Martha Weston has stayed true to what we expect to see in all Curious George books.  Colorful, fun, attention grabbing drawings that help tell the story and add laughter in George's antics.

The books have been around for more than 75 years!  That is a very long life span of a single character.  It's an impressive legacy to have for anyone.  Want to know more about the history of Curious George? Check out Curious about George it's a surprising and insightful article about Han Augusto (H.A.) Rey and his wife Margret, and how they created this monkey that is still capturing the hearts of children today.


These books I've shared with you are only a starting point.  There are over 100 children's books listed on Goodreads for Picture Books About the Library.  Also you might like to check out these other blogs for more:
11 Memorable Children's books about Libraries and Librarians
Favorite Stories about Libraries and Librarians
Don't worry adults there are plenty of books that are for us as well!  Check out these links:
Book Riot's 100 must read books about libraries and bookstores
BookBub's 11 Books that will make you Love the library even more

If you are someone who likes to keep track of what you're reading or make a to-be-read list check out some of these awesome book journals for adults:

Be sure to visit your library during National Library Week, and let the people working there know how much it means to have such a valuable resource in your community and how great they are doing!