As the internet here is a bit sketchy its hard to stream things so my music selections have been limited to those I brought with me. However, I got an itunes gift card from a great friend for my birthday this year and I’ve had a blast picking and choosing a few new pieces to add to my collection. Some are new releases, some are older. Some I picked to use for school, some were purely personal. Some were randomly chosen from the small snippets you can hear before you buy them, some from the blogs or recommendations of others, of those, some heard in their entirety and some not heard at all. The finished product is this fun playlist.
Anything great I’ve missed while I’ve been gone that I should add to the next round?
Firework-Katy Perry
Let Her Go-Passenger
Counting Stars-One Republic
Hard Times Come and Go-Pokey LaFarge
Poor Man's Son-Noah Gunderson
A Crooked Road-Darrell Scott
Brave-Sara Bareilles
Have You Met Miss Jones-Chet Baker
Made It Up The Mountain-The Wood Brothers
(If) You Want Trouble-Nick Waterhouse
Let It Go-Idina Menzel
Just Give Me a Reason-Pink
Morning Song-The Avett Brothers
Come Out of the Woods-Matthew and the Atlas
I'll Take You Dreaming-Danny Kaye
Battle Hymn of the Republic-Red Nichols and his Five Pennies
Blue Ridge Mountain-Hurray for the Riff Raff
Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
a good book!
Man, it's been a long time since I've done one of these! I have no good excuses for my lack of blogging of late. Holidays, sickness, church commitments, home hoopla, you name it it's gone on but it's all a pretty sad reason for not being more diligent. I've missed you all! So, here are a few of my favorite picture books from the past month or so in no particular order. There've been some real gems come out this year and there have been a bunch I've missed but you can't go wrong with these.
Sleep Like a Tiger
Author: Mary Logue
Illustrator: Pamela Zagarenski
Pages: 32
Age Range: 1-5
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture book
Cover Score: *****
Overall Score:*****
Rating: G
A young girl who is not at all sleepy goes through the motions of getting ready for bed after her parents tell her she can stay awake all night as long as she's in bed. But once tucked in she tries another delay tactic and begins asking questions about other animals, do they all sleep too? Yes, her mom assures her, the whale and bats and dogs and bears and tigers and other creatures all sleep, some in the daytime, some in water, some in nests. Soon the girl has imitated each of the animals in some way and drifts off to sleep.
This is a beautiful story that has hints of Goodnight Moon about it but rather than framing the child’s world it acts as a magical dreamscape blurring reality a bit. The narration is gently repetitive and lyric, lulling the reader into a doze but it’s the illustrations that truly shine. The lush, deep-toned, mixed media layouts carry bits of Americana, Klimt and a myriad of charming details in the collage that can be pored over incessantly. It’s simply lovely and would make a great gift for new parents or toddlers.
Monsieur Marceau: Actor without Words
Author: Leda Schubert
Illustrator: Gerard Dubois
Pages: 32
Age Range: 5-9
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: PG (mentions of violence, older themes)
A great intro to the life of the world's premier mime, Marcel Marceau. Born in France in 1923, young Marcel was entranced by Charlie Chaplin and would practice miming and acting for his friends to make them laugh. His happy existence was interrupted by the onset of WWII. Of Jewish descent, he changed his last name and joined the resistance eventually saving the lives of hundreds of children and hiding Allied soldiers. After the war he studied mime, performing in countless countries on stage and in film; his signature costume and movements being instantly recognizable the world over.
I’m a huge fan of picture book biographies. I love that so many amazing people are made accessible to children through this medium and this one is really well done. Simple text brings his world to life for even the youngest of readers while an afterword and end matter provide some extra meat for older readers. The crux of the story revolves around his career, what a mime is and how he does what he does something many readers today probably aren’t familiar with. Several complete spreads are devoted to showing him working his craft. Beautiful oil illustrations capture his charm and the fluidity of his motions, the bleakness of war and the dramatics of show business. Perfect for Francophiles, artists, actors, or anyone with a curiosity about the lives of others.
Waterloo and Trafalgar
Written and Illustrated by: Olivier Tallec
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-9
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: PG (violence)
This is one of those rare books that can appeal to the masses but will most likely slip under the radar and be missed by most. A wordless battle goes on over the course of years and pages between two men, one orange and one blue (showing clearly their lines of demarcation) until a small bird comes along to show them the folly of their ways. It’s a brilliant and obvious cry for the ridiculousness of war with just enough silliness to keep young readers enthralled and enough truth to get older ones thinking. And the irony of the two men's names will add to the meaning for even older readers. A gem.
Creepy Carrots
Author: Aaron Reynolds
Illustrator: Peter Brown
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-8
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score:*****
Rating: PG (Some scary elements)
Jasper bunny loves carrots and the best carrots come from Crackenhopper Field. He stops by and picks and munches every chance he gets. But one day he hears the distinct sound of carrots creeping up behind him and pretty soon he's seeing creepy carrots everywhere! His parents don't believe him of course so he takes matters into his own hands and builds a moat/fence/gate all around the field so the carrots can't get out. A perfectly Hitchcockian twist at the end will leave you laughing, I promise.
I'd meant to showcase this one at Halloween but life got the better of me, as usual, so here you have it with my belated apologies. The story is one that will be enjoyed by most readers but will be truly appreciated by an older audience (parents, rejoice!) It's perfectly paced, slightly spooky, and filled with tongue-in-cheek descriptions of 'the soft...sinister...tunktunktunk of carrots creeping' and 'terrible carroty breathing' that may give tiny listeners pause. Black and white panel illustrations evoke frozen film noir frames with only the carrots and their dopelgangers (a bright malevolent orange) breaking up the monochromatic scenery. And the carrot-filled end pages are delightful!
Oliver
Written and Illustrated by: Birgitta Sif
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-8
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G
Oliver feels a bit different. He doesn't like the things that everyone else seems to and spends most of his time by himself. But he's not completely alone, he has an entourage of stuffed animals and toys that keep him company and combined with his rich imagination he's never bored or lonely. Together they search for treasure, cross bridges, fight sharks and even visit the other side of the world. But he comes to realize that his 'friends' can't always give him everything he needs. One day while playing tennis by himself the ball rolls away and he loads everyone up in the wagon for another adventure. But what they find isn't at all what they expected; the beginning of the best adventure he's ever had. I won't give away the little twist at the end but it's a good one and leaves Oliver being true to himself and the reader satisfied with the world at large.
Ahh the illustrations! Pencil sketches that have all the charm of Marla Frazee's stuff but in an entirely different style. Big eyes, spaghetti limbs, backgrounds that nearly overwhelm small Oliver and yet perfectly highlight his contentment at being practically swallowed by the world around him, filled with details and characters with charms and personalities all their own. And the lovely green tinted gallery on the end pages; be still my beating heart, they are almost worth the cover price on their own! Beautiful!
With the holidays swiftly approaching I'm going to take this opportunity to advocate the giving of books as gifts. There are few gifts that can have as lasting an effect as the perfect book. The ones above are fabulous choices, of course, but there are so, so many out there to choose from that with a little help you are almost guaranteed to find something for everyone on your list. A book can also be a vehicle for another gift as well if you don't want to be known solely as 'the person who gives books'. (I've already garnered that honor in my family, thank you very much!) Here are a few ideas:
This one for dad
A couple of these for the nephews
This for mom
Who's on your list? What books have you given/are you giving/been given? Can't wait to hear about them all, but until then...Season's Readings!!
Author: Mary Logue
Illustrator: Pamela Zagarenski
Pages: 32
Age Range: 1-5
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture book
Cover Score: *****
Overall Score:*****
Rating: G
A young girl who is not at all sleepy goes through the motions of getting ready for bed after her parents tell her she can stay awake all night as long as she's in bed. But once tucked in she tries another delay tactic and begins asking questions about other animals, do they all sleep too? Yes, her mom assures her, the whale and bats and dogs and bears and tigers and other creatures all sleep, some in the daytime, some in water, some in nests. Soon the girl has imitated each of the animals in some way and drifts off to sleep.
This is a beautiful story that has hints of Goodnight Moon about it but rather than framing the child’s world it acts as a magical dreamscape blurring reality a bit. The narration is gently repetitive and lyric, lulling the reader into a doze but it’s the illustrations that truly shine. The lush, deep-toned, mixed media layouts carry bits of Americana, Klimt and a myriad of charming details in the collage that can be pored over incessantly. It’s simply lovely and would make a great gift for new parents or toddlers.
Author: Leda Schubert
Illustrator: Gerard Dubois
Pages: 32
Age Range: 5-9
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: PG (mentions of violence, older themes)
A great intro to the life of the world's premier mime, Marcel Marceau. Born in France in 1923, young Marcel was entranced by Charlie Chaplin and would practice miming and acting for his friends to make them laugh. His happy existence was interrupted by the onset of WWII. Of Jewish descent, he changed his last name and joined the resistance eventually saving the lives of hundreds of children and hiding Allied soldiers. After the war he studied mime, performing in countless countries on stage and in film; his signature costume and movements being instantly recognizable the world over.
I’m a huge fan of picture book biographies. I love that so many amazing people are made accessible to children through this medium and this one is really well done. Simple text brings his world to life for even the youngest of readers while an afterword and end matter provide some extra meat for older readers. The crux of the story revolves around his career, what a mime is and how he does what he does something many readers today probably aren’t familiar with. Several complete spreads are devoted to showing him working his craft. Beautiful oil illustrations capture his charm and the fluidity of his motions, the bleakness of war and the dramatics of show business. Perfect for Francophiles, artists, actors, or anyone with a curiosity about the lives of others.
Written and Illustrated by: Olivier Tallec
Pages: 32
Age Range: 4-9
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: PG (violence)
This is one of those rare books that can appeal to the masses but will most likely slip under the radar and be missed by most. A wordless battle goes on over the course of years and pages between two men, one orange and one blue (showing clearly their lines of demarcation) until a small bird comes along to show them the folly of their ways. It’s a brilliant and obvious cry for the ridiculousness of war with just enough silliness to keep young readers enthralled and enough truth to get older ones thinking. And the irony of the two men's names will add to the meaning for even older readers. A gem.
Author: Aaron Reynolds
Illustrator: Peter Brown
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-8
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture Book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score:*****
Rating: PG (Some scary elements)
Jasper bunny loves carrots and the best carrots come from Crackenhopper Field. He stops by and picks and munches every chance he gets. But one day he hears the distinct sound of carrots creeping up behind him and pretty soon he's seeing creepy carrots everywhere! His parents don't believe him of course so he takes matters into his own hands and builds a moat/fence/gate all around the field so the carrots can't get out. A perfectly Hitchcockian twist at the end will leave you laughing, I promise.
I'd meant to showcase this one at Halloween but life got the better of me, as usual, so here you have it with my belated apologies. The story is one that will be enjoyed by most readers but will be truly appreciated by an older audience (parents, rejoice!) It's perfectly paced, slightly spooky, and filled with tongue-in-cheek descriptions of 'the soft...sinister...tunktunktunk of carrots creeping' and 'terrible carroty breathing' that may give tiny listeners pause. Black and white panel illustrations evoke frozen film noir frames with only the carrots and their dopelgangers (a bright malevolent orange) breaking up the monochromatic scenery. And the carrot-filled end pages are delightful!
Oliver
Written and Illustrated by: Birgitta Sif
Pages: 32
Age Range: 3-8
Published: 2012
Genre: Picture book
Cover Score: ****
Overall Score: ****
Rating: G
Oliver feels a bit different. He doesn't like the things that everyone else seems to and spends most of his time by himself. But he's not completely alone, he has an entourage of stuffed animals and toys that keep him company and combined with his rich imagination he's never bored or lonely. Together they search for treasure, cross bridges, fight sharks and even visit the other side of the world. But he comes to realize that his 'friends' can't always give him everything he needs. One day while playing tennis by himself the ball rolls away and he loads everyone up in the wagon for another adventure. But what they find isn't at all what they expected; the beginning of the best adventure he's ever had. I won't give away the little twist at the end but it's a good one and leaves Oliver being true to himself and the reader satisfied with the world at large.
Ahh the illustrations! Pencil sketches that have all the charm of Marla Frazee's stuff but in an entirely different style. Big eyes, spaghetti limbs, backgrounds that nearly overwhelm small Oliver and yet perfectly highlight his contentment at being practically swallowed by the world around him, filled with details and characters with charms and personalities all their own. And the lovely green tinted gallery on the end pages; be still my beating heart, they are almost worth the cover price on their own! Beautiful!
With the holidays swiftly approaching I'm going to take this opportunity to advocate the giving of books as gifts. There are few gifts that can have as lasting an effect as the perfect book. The ones above are fabulous choices, of course, but there are so, so many out there to choose from that with a little help you are almost guaranteed to find something for everyone on your list. A book can also be a vehicle for another gift as well if you don't want to be known solely as 'the person who gives books'. (I've already garnered that honor in my family, thank you very much!) Here are a few ideas:
- give a non-fiction book about a favorite animal along with passes to the zoo, aquarium, circus etc. to see the animal up-close and in-person
- movie tickets or a DVD along with the original literary version
- how-to book paired with equipment for the task (ie cook book and spatula, knitting and yarn, drawing and pencils etc.)
- biopic of a favorite musician with a CD or itunes gift card
- travel guide, historical fiction or non-fiction of a place along with plane tickets to that location-for those big spenders out there :)
- your favorite poetry book paired with magnetic poetry
- an epistolary novel (written in a series of letters or journal entries) along with a set of stationery or a journal
- for kids any book can be tied into a corresponding toy (a book about spring? kites! a book about vehicles? toy cars! a book about a bear? a teddy bear!)
- for more brilliant ideas check out this website
This one for dad
A couple of these for the nephews
This for mom
Who's on your list? What books have you given/are you giving/been given? Can't wait to hear about them all, but until then...Season's Readings!!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Happiness is...a package in the mail!
There's something magical about the possibilities contained within a plain brown box or mailing envelope.
I love to speculate for just a moment or two before ripping into the thing about just what might be inside (yes, I do this even when I know what is inside, somehow most of the magic is still there!) It's akin to the excitement you feel coming across in the old song from The Music Man where they sing about the Wells Fargo Wagon. It could be something as banal as a magazine, a bundle of letters, tickets to something or someone you've been longing to see, homemade goodies from a loved one, a semi-selfish splurge of something fancy yet frivolous, or (and this is my dream and I have this book to thank for it) even a penguin!
While I'm not looking for raisins from Fresno or a cannon for my courthouse square (though how cool would that be!?) "It could be something for someone who is no relation [packages for my roommates are almost as much fun] but it could be something special just for me!"**
Almost as exciting as getting a package however, is sending one off. I love to put together fun little surprises to (hopefully) boost someone's day; cards, candy, silly toys and totally unnecessary items as well as little things I know the givee will love and appreciate. I love the anticipation of waiting to hear back about how it was all received.
Just take a look at some of the goodies that came (and went) through my mail this past week...
Some I ordered for myself (James Roday, I'm looking at you!), some were sent to me and some I sent off to others. But each one did their part to make my day a little bit brighter and add a tiny bit of excitement to my generally humdrum existence.
What's the most exciting thing you've ever gotten in the mail? Are you expecting something soon? Have you ever sent something absolutely wonderful to someone else?
With the art of letter writing a quickly dying art thanks to email and skype and all, packages are the best things to come to most people's mailboxes anymore. (Hmmm, handwritten letters need a post of their own I think. Love, love, love getting letters in the mail too!) So, give your mail person a hug. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor...well, you know, and God bless our US Postal system!
**With a grateful nod to Meredith Wilson!
I love to speculate for just a moment or two before ripping into the thing about just what might be inside (yes, I do this even when I know what is inside, somehow most of the magic is still there!) It's akin to the excitement you feel coming across in the old song from The Music Man where they sing about the Wells Fargo Wagon. It could be something as banal as a magazine, a bundle of letters, tickets to something or someone you've been longing to see, homemade goodies from a loved one, a semi-selfish splurge of something fancy yet frivolous, or (and this is my dream and I have this book to thank for it) even a penguin!
While I'm not looking for raisins from Fresno or a cannon for my courthouse square (though how cool would that be!?) "It could be something for someone who is no relation [packages for my roommates are almost as much fun] but it could be something special just for me!"**
Almost as exciting as getting a package however, is sending one off. I love to put together fun little surprises to (hopefully) boost someone's day; cards, candy, silly toys and totally unnecessary items as well as little things I know the givee will love and appreciate. I love the anticipation of waiting to hear back about how it was all received.
Just take a look at some of the goodies that came (and went) through my mail this past week...
Some I ordered for myself (James Roday, I'm looking at you!), some were sent to me and some I sent off to others. But each one did their part to make my day a little bit brighter and add a tiny bit of excitement to my generally humdrum existence.
What's the most exciting thing you've ever gotten in the mail? Are you expecting something soon? Have you ever sent something absolutely wonderful to someone else?
With the art of letter writing a quickly dying art thanks to email and skype and all, packages are the best things to come to most people's mailboxes anymore. (Hmmm, handwritten letters need a post of their own I think. Love, love, love getting letters in the mail too!) So, give your mail person a hug. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor...well, you know, and God bless our US Postal system!
**With a grateful nod to Meredith Wilson!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Happiness is...a cute, cuddly owl!
I have this fetish for birds right now. And owls in particular. I'm sure it's partly because they are the current crafty trend and you can find them all over the place. But I like to think I liked them before it was cool to do so. Anyway, I've made a few purchases recently solely because an ornithological image was involved. I have this darling owl ring and a charming bird pendant that make me smile. And I've even tried my hand at craftiness, making a fun wall-hanging with a bird-in-a-cage silhouette, a fun little owl stamp and some felt to make a stuffed owl as soon as I find access to a sewing machine.
But my friend called me the other day to make sure I was 'her friend who likes owls', to which I responded 'whoooo me?' (I know, sometimes I'm so clever it kills me!) And last night when I met her for dinner she handed me a gift sack with the most darlingest (yes, I believe that was my exact wording) little owl I've ever seen! Look how cute this little fella is!
You can only appreciate about 1/3 of his charm because you can't cuddle him or pet him. He is soft and squishy and floppy in all the right places...I love him!! He completely made my week (well, him and his generous and lovely purchaser of course. 'P', you know who you are...love you too!)
He doesn't have a name yet. Any suggestions?
Here's to life starting to look up again. And if it doesn't, well, I have this little guy to hug and keep me company. I think I can handle that! :)
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