Orlando on Thursday written and illustrated by Emma Magenta

-


I really, really like the idea of a picture book that shows a (very young) child's day in a realistic way.  I think it is important for children to see their days, their lives depicted in important ways.  One of my absolute (out of print) favorites is Janet and Alan Ahlberg's The Baby's Catalog, inspired by their infant daughter's love of the catalogues that came in mail.  Emily Jenkin's (Toys Go Out) wonderful What Happens on Wednesdays, illustrated by Lauren Castillo.

What happens on Wednesdays is a lot like what happens on Thursdays for Orlando.  Mom goes off and Dad takes over.  It is so wonderful to see picture books depicting the shared parenting that, I think, is so common these days.  In all the families I have known over past 17+ years (mine included), Dad has taken the kids on his day off while Mom, wether she works or not, gets some alone time, too.  


Orlando narrates his story, telling us, "Thursday is the day Mami has to be busy in town all day.  I feel sad.  I don't like when she's gone all day.  Then I remember that Thursday is the day that Papi stays home with me.  I start to feel a little bit better."




Orlando and Papi play at home for a while, then head out to have an adventure.  Another magnificent thing about children spending time alone, individually with each parent, is the opportunity to benefit from the various interests that mom and dad each have.  I am not a nature gal by any stretch, but my husband is an Eagle Scout who loves taking the kids traipsing through creeks and hiking up mountains, which is great by me!  Papi bathes and feeds Orlando and gets him ready for bed, which is when Mami comes home!  They tuck him into bed and "read me funny stories with special sound effects."  Then, Orlando falls asleep happy because, "the best part of Thursdays is when Papi, Mami and me are all home together!"





Emma Magenta does a great job of capturing the perspective of a three or four year old while at the same time throwing in some of the complexities (that can sometimes spark tantrums) like the fact that Mami makes a different lunch than Papi.  Orlando experiences his emotions, his sadness and happiness, and ends up just where he (and listeners) want to be - between his parents.  The scribbly, collage-y illustrations might throw off mom and dad, but I guarantee you that toddlers will tune into them right away.  This book is PERFECT for kids between the ages of 3 and 5!

Emma Magenta has also illustrated a book by fellow Aussie (and famous, award winning actor, singer and new mom) Toni Colette!  However, I don't think Planet Yawn is available in the states just yet...



Popular posts from this blog

Fox + Chick: The Sleepover and Other Stories by Sergio Ruzzier

-
Image
Fox + Chick : The Sleepover and Other Stories  by Sergio Ruzzier Review Copy from Chronicle Books Friends. Opposites. Inhabitants of a pastel-hued, water color world that is vaguely surreal, Fox and Chick are back for a third installment of their inviting, if curious, easy-to-read stories. In "The Sleepover," "The Hammer," and "The Surprise," Chick's odd logic is once again upending Fox's life. Happily, Fox responds with patience and even wisdom at times. To these unforgettable characters and luminous illustrations, Ruzzier brings a sublime simplicity that makes this series perfect for emerging readers, adding books with character and intelligence to the often dull world of beginning reader books. If you aren't familiar with this delightful duo, definitely check out my reviews of the first two books (links below) where I put the greatness of Ruzzier's work into historical ( Frog & Toad ) context. Then check out ALL of Ruzzier's p
Read more

Be a Tree! by Maria Gianferrari illustrated by Felicita Sala

-
Image
Be a Tree! by Maria Gianferrari illustrated by Felicita Sala Review Copy from Abrams Kids I picture-walked Be a Tree! three times before I actually read the words. Felicita Sala's illustrations for Maria Gianferrari's poetic text are mesmerizingly immersive and richly colorful within a palette of earth tones. Throughout the text, Gianferrari, who shares her inspiration for this book in the author's note ( Peter Wohleben's The Hidden Life of Trees ), gently maintains the human connection to trees and the connections (and communications) trees share with each other.  Be a Tree!  begins exuberantly, inviting the reader to "Be a tree! Stand tall. Stretch your branches to the sun. Let your roots curl, coil in the soil to ground you." From your spine/trunk to your skin/bark and your heart/pith, the words carry you inward and then zoom outward and up to the canopy and ultimately, the forest. "You are one of many trees," and our roots "twine with fung
Read more

Reading Levels: A Quick Guide to Determining if a Book Is Right for Your Reader

-
Image
While I wrote an article titled Reading Levels: How I Assign Reading Levels to Books, How the Publishers Do It and How You Can Help Your Reader Find the Right Book at the Right Time that discusses how reading levels are determined by professionals and amateurs like myself, there is more on this subject to discuss. Determining the reading level of a book from the children's section is never easy, mostly because there are several different standardized methods of determining reading levels. Add to this the fact that knowing their children's reading level is most often the only tool a parent is armed with when exploring the bookstore, library, website, etc, and the job becomes even more difficult. While I think that knowing a child's reading level is a very valuable tool if your child is reading below grade level, I think that it is a secondary consideration when finding books for children reading above, especially well above, grade level because, in most cases, content app
Read more