Somebunny Turned One!

Since it's publication in 1940, Pat the Bunny has been one of the most popular books for a toddler's library!  Dorothy Kunhardt wrote and illustrated the book for her 3-year-old daughter, Edith. 

Children love the interactive features of this cute little book (the original "touch and feel" book), and my granddaughter is no exception!

She loves to feel the softness of the bunny's fur, play peekaboo with Paul, touch Daddy's scratchy face, put her finger through Mommy's ring...

Happy 1st Birthday to the sweetest girl!

My daughter was beyond excited to find some cute little bunny paper products to complete the "Pat the Bunny" theme of Little L's first birthday this month.  

Book themed parties are so much fun, don't you think?  Click on any of the titles below to read my past blog posts, for more ideas.
Seriously Cute Storybook Party Ideas
Books About Tea For Two Year Olds
Nursery Rhyme Tea Baby Shower
Parties With A Book Theme

A BALLOON RACE FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

Feelings of nostalgia rise (along with the hot-air balloons on the cover of this book) every time I look at this fun recommendation that I'm re-posting from last year: 

The Great Valentine's Day Balloon Race

Published in 1980, it is one of Adrienne Adams' stories involving The Easter Egg Artists (1976), about a Rabbit family by the name of Abbott.  They have a son named Orson (get it? "Orson Abbott"/Our son Rabbit.)

In this particular tale, the Abbotts return for another adventure: Orson is determined to enter the Valentine's Day balloon race, but first, he must figure out how to build a hot-air balloon....with help from his parents and his neighbor, a bunny named "Bonnie".

They know how to make a balloon fly..."You just fill it with
something lighter than air, and it must go up."  They even tie
a big clothes basket to the bottom of the balloon to ride in...
Father goes first, but does not have a successful flight.

After the mishap, Orson figures out they need to make some
changes, so the whole family works on the balloon -
Bonnie, too.

Spreading the balloon on the ground, they puff it up
with a big electric fan.

They finally get it up and flying.  Orson names it
"Bonnies Valentine".  But the balloon needs some color....

After decorating it with some red hearts and flowers, it's
all ready to go! You'll have to read the story to find out
if they've got the know-how to win the race!

Any boy or girl would love this picture book (and will learn something about the science of hot-air balloons at the same time). Adrienne Adams' clear, colorful art is a perfect accompaniment to the fun adventure - for Valentine's Day or any day!!

source

Adrienne Adams was a very prolific illustrator of children's books.  I especially love her stylized work of the 1960's. Her Snow White and Rose Red (1964) and Twelve Dancing Princesses (1966) - both Brothers Grimm fairytales - were childhood favorites of mine (click the titles to see her illustrations).  Another of my childhood favorites (published in 1968) is Mouse House, illustrated by Adams and written by Rumer Godden (they also teamed together for Holly and Ivy, 1958.)

You can read more about Adams and see some of her other books here and here.

You can read my previous Valentine's Day posts here.

Something else for Valentine's Day:  February 14th (here before you know it!) is also "International Book Giving Day"!  Consider "Leaving a Book, Giving a Book, or Donating a Book" for a child, a friend, a school - anyone! 

Go here for details.  Remember,

A Book is a Gift you can open again and again

-Garrison Keillor

WHAT'S ON MY SPRING BOOKSHELF?

Spring is here, and Easter is near! Yesterday was the first official day of Spring. To celebrate, I got out some special books just for you. Any of these picture books make great Spring reading, and would be perfect for a child's Easter basket (watch for my next post: ideas for making book-themed Easter baskets). 

Right click on the titles for descriptions of each book.  I've listed them from left to right on the shelf...

1- What Do You Hear, Angel? Elizabeth Crispina Johnson/Masha Lobastov.
2- The Three Little Pigs, Paul Galdone  
3- Home for a Bunny, Margaret Wise Brown/Garth Williams
4- The Paintbrush Bunny, Adrienne Adams
5- The Hidden Garden, Jane G. Meyer/Masha Lobostav
6- Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present, Charlotte Zolotow/Maruice Sendak
7- Because You are My Baby, Jennifer Ward/Sylvia Long 
8- Easter Eggs For Anya, Virginia Kroll/Sally Wern Comport

Do you have a favorite Spring-themed book?  I'd love to know what it is!

HOPPING INTO THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT...

Notecards from Etsy

Today is the first day of the 2011 Chinese Lunar New Year. Welcome it with some fun books about China and Rabbits...


BRINGING IN THE NEW YEAR by Grace Lin.  Follow a Chinese American family as they prepare for the Lunar New Year. They all lend a hand as they sweep out the dust of the old year, hang decorations, and make dumplings. Then it’s time to put on new clothes and celebrate with family and friends. The celebration will include fireworks and lion dancers, shining lanterns, and a great, long dragon parade to help bring in the New Year. (The dragon parade in this book is extra long–on a surprise fold-out page at the end of the book.)



In a past post, I recommended several picture book stories set in China, that can be found HERE.  My kids and I really enjoyed reading aloud Chinese folk tales.  I've listed a couple more of our favorites:


TALES OF A CHINESE GRANDMOTHER, by Frances Carpenter.  (Ages 9-12) Wonderful folktales of the Chinese culture, told by an old grandmother. Each chapter is a different tale.


THE PAPER CRANE by Molly Bang. (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.  Beautiful paper cut illustrations.



...And of course, I can't leave out some of my favorite books about rabbits!


HOME FOR A BUNNY by Margaret Wise Brown (ages 4-8).  This was a childhood favorite of mine, about a bunny searching for a home, with softly colored illustrations by Garth Williams.

MARSHMALLOW by Clare Turlay Newberry. (ages 4-8) About a Tabby cat named Oliver, and a rabbit named Marshmallow. In Ms. Newberry's own words, "Every word of Marshmallow is true, even to the drawing of them wrapped in each other's arms. I know people find this hard to believe, but the bunny was so little and was so convinced that Oliver was his mother, what could Oliver do but be his mother the best way he could?


SEVEN LITTLE RABBITS  by John Becker. (ages 3 and up) This has got to be one of the CUTEST counting books I've ever seen! "Seven little rabbits walkin' down the road, walking down the road to call on old friend toad." Lots of repetition and rhyme, with beautiful pictures by Barbara Cooney.