THE CIRCUS IS COMING TO TOWN!!!!

"In all the whole town, the most wonderful spot
Is behind Sneelock's store, in the big vacant lot.
It's just the right spot for my wonderful plans,"
said young Morris McGurk, "...if I clean up the cans."


So begins one of my all-time favorite read alouds, IF I RAN THE CIRCUS! "Young Morris McGurk" goes on to dream up a whole scenario about how he'll get animals and acts for his "CIRCUS McGURKUS". The zany rhymes and wacky nonsense words and pictures will draw any child into Morris' imagined plan that involves poor, unsuspecting Mr. Sneelock as his unlikely hero. If this won't get your kids imaginations fired up, I don't know what will!

I just saw a commercial advertising the RINGLING BROS. and BARNAM & BAILEY CIRCUS coming to our area, and was reminded of when a dear friend took our family to the circus. The whole experience made such an impression, that our kids' new favorite pastime became "Playing Circus". I made them up like clowns and they constructed a "tent" over our swing set with a bed sheet and sent their stuffed animals tumbling down the slide. We pretended their jumprope, lying on the grass, was a tightrope. My oldest son, David (then about five) illustrated a "book", dictating to me the experience of his afternoon at the circus. We still have it and I can't believe how he captured what he saw that day in his artwork (especially the elephants!).

"Circus Day" with Dave and Mary in our backyard.  

MORE PICTURE BOOKS:
SEE THE CIRCUS (Lift the Flap Series) by H.A. Rey, author/illustrator of the CURIOUS GEORGE books. (Baby-preschool)
CIRCUS written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert (ages 3-6)
OLIVIA SAVES THE CIRCUS by Ian Falconer (ages 3-7)
MADELINE AND THE GYPSIES by Ludwig Bemelmans (ages 3-7)
PETER SPIER'S CIRCUS (ages 4-8)
THE CIRCUS IS COMING (a Golden Classic) written and illustrated by Hilary Knight. (ages 4-8)
PADDINGTON BEAR AT THE CIRCUS by Michael Bond. (ages 4-6)
INDIA, THE SHOWSTOPPER by Kerry Argent (ages 4-8) Young circus (and elephant) fans will enjoy this story.
THE PAINTED CIRCUS: P.T. VERMIN PRESENTS A MESMERIZING MENAGERIE... by Wallace Edwards. (ages 6-8)


NON-FICTION BOOKS:
WHO PUT THE B IN BALLYHOO?The Most Amazing, Bizarre, and Celebrated Performers, by Carlyn Beccia. (ages 7-10)
CIRCUS by Linda Granfield. (ages 12 and up)

GLADYS HUNT: "GOOD BOOKS ARE FULL OF HONEY"

I was saddened to find out that one of my inspirations for reading aloud good books to my children - Gladys Hunt, author of  Honey for a Child's Heart - left this world to be with the Lord on July 4, 2010.  She is the second great lady I have known to have passed away on the 4th of July.  (The first was Margaret Kouparadze, a dear Russian friend, who was paralyzed from the waist down and suffered terribly for most of her life from Multiple Sclerosis.  We learned that she was a "shut in", and would take our children to visit her and keep her company playing games or just talking.  She never complained about her situation and we left each visit knowing we had received the greater blessing.)  I am so thankful to have been influenced in a positive way by two such godly women!

This is a quote from Gladys' blog:
Many years ago Erich Fromm wrote in The Art of Loving that children need two things: milk and honey. Both are necessary to thrive as human beings. Milk symbolizes the necessities—like good food, brushing your teeth, drinking your milk and plenty of sleep. Honey is just as important. It means finding sweetness in life, like beauty and goodness that nourishes the inner person. Fromm goes on to say that most parents are good at providing milk, but only a minority provide the honey that children need. Life is more than meat and potatoes! This is an idea that should stimulate and challenge parents to think about the way they use each day. Consider your own family "honey ratio."


If you are going to give honey it means you need to love honey and have some in your life to give to your children. Where do you find honey? Good books are full of honey. That’s why children say, "Read it again!" when you’ve already read the story twice. It reminds me of the proverb that says "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb; sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."  Children know.
(September 12, 2008)

PICTURE BOOKS WITH THREE-DIMENSIONAL ART

CAROL BAICKER-McKEE has done some brilliant 3-D multi-textured collage art and photography for several children's picture books, for ages baby-preschool.

•  MIMI written and illustrated by Carol Baicker-McKee (ages 4-8). Mimi is a quirky little piglet, who wears a purple cape and a silver tiara.
•  CHEEP! CHEEP! by Julie Steigemeyer, illustrations by Carol Baicker-McKee (baby-preschool). These chicks cheep, they peep, they creep, and they leap!
•  MERRY CHRISTMAS, CHEEPS! (same as above) The family of chicks gets ready for Christmas!

MOLLY BANG has written and illustrated another beautiful picture book in 3-D cut paper collages and paintings...

•  THE PAPER CRANE (ages 4-8) Story based on an ancient Chinese folktale - a stranger enters a restaurant and is served a fine dinner by the owner of the struggling restaurant and his young son. He tries to repay the kind owner with an origami crane made from a paper napkin, that dances when they clap their hands.

ROBIN BRICKMAN has done some intricate, 3-D paper sculptures for the following children's nature and animal books:

•  A LOG'S LIFE , by Wendy Pfeffer (ages 4-8)
•  WINGS, by Sneed B. Collard (ages 4-8)
•  BEAKS!, (same as above)

SCIENCE IS FUN!

Even a four-year-old can sometimes stump a parent with "why" and "how" inquiries... kids love to ask questions and there are some great non- fiction picture books available that can help you answer them! One author, in particular, has written some very informative and interesting books on science, for kids aged 4-8.

Dr. Franklyn M. Branley (1915-2002) is the author of over 100 books about science for kids. He was Astronomer Emeritus and former Chairman of the American Museum-Hayden Planetarium. He was dedicated to explaining science and encouraging young children to explore their world through his series, Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, which he originated in the 1960's.

What I appreciated about Dr. Branley's books is that they are simple and well thought out - not dumbed-down, but not too complex. Some of the books have easy, hands-on experiments.

Here's a list of Franklyn M. Branleybooks available on Amazon.


NOTE: We've read a few of these and they were GREAT! Just make sure you preview them - not sure how he deals with evolutionary issues...

MUSIC APPRECIATION FOR YOUNG SOULS

"A child’s basic attitude towards and appreciation of literature, music, history, art, philosophy, even science, and of course life and religion—must come first of all not from school, for the school will give you all this mixed up with modern philosophy; it must come first from the home and Church, or else he is bound to be miseducated in today’s world, where public education is at best agnostic, and at worst openly atheistic or anti-religious." -from ORTHODOX WORLDVIEW by Fr. Seraphim Rose

Yes, I'm writing about music today on my blog for children's literature! That's because there are some great stories out there that can help you introduce your kids to the orchestra, classical composers, and the world of opera and jazz...

PICTURE BOOKS:

Animal Orchestra (Little Golden Treasures book), by Ilo Orleans, illustrated by Tibor Gergely (baby-preschool). The rhyming text and fun illustrations will delight babies and toddlers

Gabriella's Song, by Candice Fleming, illustrated by Giselle Potter (ages 4-8). Young Gabriella lives in Venice and finds music and rhythm in the sounds of everyday life around her. She hums her melody and is heard by her neighbors, who share her tune with each other. Each interprets it a little differently and it spreads through the city and into the ear of "the brilliant composer Giuseppe Del Pietro". It becomes his inspiration for a magnificent symphony. Through the engaging text and whimsical pictures, your child will get to know a little bit about the old world charm of Venice and the power of music!

Pet of the Met, by Don Freeman (ages 4-8). We LOVED this book! The Metropolitan Opera has a tiny page-turner for the Prompter of the Metropolitan Opera...and he happens to be a mouse named Maestro Petrini. He is constantly trying to evade Mefisto the Cat. Hilarity ensues when the Maestro Mouse gets carried away during a performance of THE MAGIC FLUTE and joins the performers on stage for all (including the Cat) to see.

Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin, by Lloyd Moss, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman (ages 4-8). Clever catchy verse and zany, colorful illustrations bring music to life as the instruments that make up an orchestra are introduced by "a chamber group of ten". (A Caldecott Honor book.)

Mole Music, by David McPhail (ages 4-8). Tender-hearted story of a Mole who feels that something is missing in his life underground. After hearing a musician on his television playing beautiful music, he decides to get his own violin and learn to play. Find out if Mole can change the world with his music.

BOOKS THAT COME WITH CD'S:
Carnival of the Animals: Classical Music for Kids, by Barrie C. Turner, illustrated by Sue Williams. (preschool-2nd grade) My children absolutely loved listening to Camille Saint-Saens' CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS. I was excited to find this picture book that comes with a CD recording of music and narration!

The Jazz Fly, by Matthew Gollub, illustrated by Karen Hanke. (preschool-1st grade) A fly, who also happens to be a drummer, gets lost on the way to a performance. Lots of "scat" talk in the bouncy narration, and music from a jazz quartet, make the accompanying CD loads of fun. The illustrations have a jazzy style and are mostly black, gray, and white, with small splashes of color.

STORIES ON CD by "CLASSICAL KIDS":

Through these narrated dramatic stories, a little bit of history, and music accompaniment of some of the great composers, your children will be introduced to the joys of classical music. Fun and unique!

Beethoven Lives Upstairs;

Mr. Bach Comes To Call;

Mozart's Magical Fantasy: A Journey Through the Magic Flute;

Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery