My Annual Happy Birthday Post for Richard Scarry (But who's counting?)

I've posted Birthday Blogs to honor Richard Scarry (June 5, 1919 - April 30, 1994) several times, but I've got to do it again because really - who's counting??

Find a vintage copy here, on Etsy!

Scarry once said, “I’m not interested in creating a book that is read once and then placed on the shelf and forgotten. I am very happy when people write that they have worn out my books, or that they are held together by Scotch tape. I consider that the ultimate compliment.”

Well, hats off to you, Mr. Scarry, because that is definitely the case around my house.  (You can read about my taped-up childhood copy of Scarry's Busy, Busy, World here.)  

Lately my two-and-a-half year old grandson can't get enough of Scarry's Best Counting Book Ever.   We've lost count of how many times we've read it!!!

My grandson actually dialogs with the story's main character, "Willy Bunny", who - at the suggestion of Father Bunny - walks through the book counting everything that comes across his path.

As a child, what I remember loving most about Richard Scarry's books was all the detail and things going on with all those animals characters!

These days, I read it to my grandson before his nap, and sometimes he wakes up asking for it again! It's really gotten him into counting all his favorite things - planes, buses, ships, bunnies, mice...

When we're done reading, we close the book and say "good-by" to everything on the back cover: Willy Bunny and the mice in the plane, the owl and little bugs in the tree, and the other animals marching along with Willy (my grandson is actually watching me type this right now, looking at this photo, and asking, "Willy Bunny, what're you doing??"  and "That Willy, Grandma.  Willy Bunny." It just melts my heart.  Thanks, Richard Scarry. sniff.)

Tea, Cravats, and "Humpty Dumpty Logic": Happy Birthday to Lewis Carroll!

"There are 364 days when you might get un-birthday presents

...and only one for birthday presents, you know.

There's glory for you!"

- Humpty Dumpty (from Through the Looking Glass)

Today I'm celebrating the birthday of Lewis Carroll.  Take a peek into my cupboard as I decide which tea to take!

Did you know: Alice had tea with the Mad Hatter in Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland book; but the concept of an "un-birthday" was introduced to her by Humpty Dumpty in Alice's second adventure, Through the Looking Glass - it did not involve the Mad Hatter at all!

I've made my tea choice, and it's got to be this one!  Seriously, this Wonderland Tea is an amazing blend of loose black tea leaves with apricot and ginger bits, and calendula petals. How to make it?

Mad Hatter Tea Blend

According to the Mad Hatter's directions on the tin:

HOW TO MAKE HOT TEA

(a.k.a. Uncold Tea)

by the Mad Hatter

Start at the beginning

(and when you come to the end...stop!)

Use a teaspoon per 8 oz of water and steep for 3-4 minutes.

(We recommend your clock be two days slow).

Move down the table to get a clean cup. 

Now, sit and have a cup with me as you read the following fun exchange from Chapter 6 of Through the Looking Glass.  It's a
conversation between Alice and Humpty Dumpty - as they dicuss cravats, unbirthdays, and birthdays (can you tell Lewis Carroll was a logician and mathmetician??)...

'It's a cravat, child, and a beautiful one, as you say. It's a present from the White King and Queen. There now!'

'Is it really?' said Alice, quite pleased to find that she had chosen a good subject after all.

'They gave it me,' Humpty Dumpty continued thoughtfully as he crossed one knee over the other and clasped his hands round it, 'they gave it me — for an un-birthday present.'

'I beg your pardon?' Alice said with a puzzled air.

'I'm not offended,' said Humpty Dumpty.

'I mean, what is an un-birthday present?'

'A present given when it isn't your birthday, of course.'

Alice considered a little. 'I like birthday presents best,' she said at last.

'You don't know what you're talking about!' cried Humpty Dumpty. 'How many days are there in a year?'

'Three hundred and sixty-five,' said Alice.

'And how many birthdays have you?'

'One.'

'And if you take one from three hundred and sixty-five what remains?'

'Three hundred and sixty-four, of course.'

Humpty Dumpty looked doubtful. 'I'd rather see that done on paper,' he said.

Alice couldn't help smiling as she took out her memorandum book, and worked the sum for him:

365
 -  1
----
364

Humpty Dumpty took the book and looked at it carefully. 'That seems to be done right —' he began.

'You're holding it upside down!' Alice interrupted.

'To be sure I was!' Humpty Dumpty said gaily as she turned it round for him. 'I thought it looked a little queer. As I was saying, that seems to be done right — though I haven't time to look it over thoroughly just now — and that shows that there are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents —'

'Certainly,' said Alice.

'And only one for birthday presents, you know. There's glory for you!'

'I don't know what you mean by "glory",' Alice said.

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. 'Of course you don't — till I tell you. I meant "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!"'

'But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument",' Alice objected.

'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.'

{You can read the rest of Chapter VI here at Project Gutenberg.}
For my previous posts about Lewis Carroll, click HERE.

"CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER": AUTHOR LEWIS CARROLL

Born: January 27, 1832
Died: January 14, 1898

Lewis Carroll was the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Dodgson invented his pen name by translating his first two names into the Latin "Carolus Lodovicus" and then anglicizing it into "Lewis Carroll")  Besides being the author of the "Alice" books, he was a Victorian-era logician and mathematics tutor at Christ Church, Oxford (you'll see how that comes into play in a minute).
  

Disney's Alice

Because of the popularity of the Disney movie, many people don't realize there are two Alice books and that neither of them is titled "Alice in Wonderland". The first book (published in 1865) was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and has an undeniable card deck theme - with "The Queen of Hearts" being a dominant character. The second book, titled Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, (published in 1872), switched to a chess theme - where two Queens, Red and White, appear.

Anyway, back to the math:  I recently came across a fascinating article written by Melanie Bayley for New Scientist about the curious mathematical aspects of the Alice books.  She says that what many have assumed to merely be fantastic imaginary tales for children, were actually Dodgson's (Carroll's) attempts to parody the absurdities of mid-19th century's new abstract mathematics - "Wonderland's madness reflects Carroll's views on the dangers of the new symbolic algebra".


And in this nonsensical world, Carroll seems to make the Cheshire Cat the logical voice of traditional geometry:

"'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'

'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.

'I don't much care where--' said Alice.

'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.

'--so long as I get SOMEWHERE,' Alice added as an explanation.

'Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, 'if you only walk long enough.'"

Speaking of nonsense, I can't even begin to understand ykcowrebbaJ!!!!!

Illustrations by John Tenniel (1820-1914/English)

Click here for some fun ideas in case you want to throw a MAD HATTER TEA PARTY to celebrate Lewis Carroll's birthday tomorrow!
(By the way, I just realized in re-reading Carroll's texts: that whole "un-birthday" thing doesn't take place at the famous Tea Party, but is rather a conversation that takes place between Alice and Humpty-Dumpty in the second book!  I guess I watched the Disney version too many times!  What misconceptions have you had?)

QUILTING STORIES

As we head toward the holiday season, I find myself thinking of family and the anticipation of our holiday gatherings...

I don't happen to have any quilters among my relatives, but I am always drawn to old quilts when I visit a flea market or antique store.  Like patches on an heirloom quilt, families have pieced-together memories of traditions, tears, laughter, struggles, celebrations, and faith.

And quilts are a great way to teach children about family, art, history, and even math!  I hope you'll enjoy sharing some of these books with your children - I've enjoyed discovering them!  Let me know if I've left out any of your favorites...


PICTURE BOOKS:

The Quilt Story by Tony Johnston, illustrations by Tomie dePaola (ages 4-8)

The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco (ages 4-8)

Eight Hands Round:  A Patchwork Alphabet by Ann Whitford Paul, illustrations by Jeanette Winter (ages 4-8)

The Log Cabin Quilt by Ellen Howard (ages 6 and up)

The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy, illustrations by Jerry Pinkney (ages 4-8)

HISTORICAL FICTION:
The Canada Geese Quilt by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock, illustrations by Leslie W. Bowman (ages 9-12)

Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria by Kyra E. Hicks, illustrations by Lee Edward Fodi (ages 9-12)

NON FICTION:
Quilting Now & Then by Julie B. Dock, Karen B. Willing; illustrations by Sarah Morse

Quilt-Block History of Pioneer Days(with Projects Kids Can Make), by Mary Cobb (grades 2 and up)

POETRY:
Baby Days:  A Quilt of Rhymes and Pictures, by Belina Downes (ages 4-8)

Pieces:  A Year in Poems and Quilts by Anna Grossnickle Hines (ages 4-8)

AND TWO MORE..
from my friend Jane Meyer's blog (fun post!)
The Quilt Maker's Journey and The Quilt Maker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau

If you want to delve deeper into quilting, I found a great website on quilting history and with patterns for children's quilts.

FAMILY FAVORITES BY STEVEN KELLOGG...

Steven Kellogg's books are not to be missed, if you're looking for imaginative and humorous stories that will hold even the youngest child's attention and interest.  Since 1967, Mr. Kellogg has written and/or illustrated over 100 picture books for kids...here are some that were our own family's favorites for ages 4-8 (click on the pictures to see how much they are from Amazon, or find them at your local library):

Find out what happens when Louis' Uncle McAllister brings back "a wee bit of Scotland" to him for his birthday.  Hint: This tadpole GROWS!  Heartwarming and hilarious story of a boy's devotion to his pet.  My kids wanted this book read to them over and over and over again!


Have you ever tried to explain the answer to this question to a 4-8 year old child?  This book will do it for you, as David M. Schwartz's concepts and mathematical calculations are helped brilliantly by Steven Kellogg's fun, detailed illustrations.  Another book we read over and over!


Pinkerton, the Great Dane, decides that a football must be an egg, after his owner, Emily, comes home from school with information about penguins and their amazing parenting skills...chaos ensues before Granny saves the day.  Other Pinkerton Books: Pinkerton, Behave!,A Rose for Pinkerton (Picture Puffins), Prehistoric Pinkerton (Picture Puffins), and Tallyho, Pinkerton! (Picture Puffins).  These stories were based on Mr. Kellogg's own harlequin Great Dane, named - Pinkerton, of course!


A "what happened next?" story unfolds as a mother asks her daughter how the class field trip to the farm went.  Kind of boring she says, until Jimmy's boa got away...again, chaos reigns and hilarity follows.  Written by Trinka Hakes Noble, with illustrations by Steven Kellogg.