Lots of Folks Eat "Rice and Rocks"!

Today I'd like to tell you about the fun and imaginative book Rice and Rocks by Sandra L. Richards, beautifully illustrated by Megan Kayleigh Sullivan.  I tested my review copy out on my two little grandsons during their recent visit, and they thought it rocked!

Giovanni is excited that his friends are coming over for Sunday dinner, but his grandmother is serving rice and beans! Giovanni is okay with the rice, but doesn't especially like the "rocks", and he is embarrassed and worried that his friends will think their traditional Jamaican dish is weird.

Then his favorite Auntie comes to the rescue! She and Giovanni’s pet parrot, Jasper, take Giovanni on a magical flight across the globe, to the places where each of his Sunday dinner visitors' families are from. 

Giovanni is in for a surprise: in the different places they visit - Puerto Rico, New Orleans, and Japan - he finds lots of people eating "rice and rocks" too.  He and his friends have a lot more in common than he realized!

As you can see, Megan Kayleigh Sullivan's brightly colored and engaging pictures perfectly illustrate this story that celebrates the traditions of family heritage.

It's fun to help our children embrace the family histories and cultural traditions of the music and foods that are part of our ancestry.  And it's good to learn about the histories and family traditions of others - appreciating and honoring our differences as well as our similarities. 

I'm all about that - even more so after watching episode after episode of PBS's binge-worthy Finding Your Roots on Netflix!

Series host Henry Louis Gates, Jr. says:
As a parent, as well as an historian, I encourage you to introduce your children to their family history. A great way to start is by showing them photo albums and scrapbooks from the past. That's how my father got my attention. Look for family documents such as obituaries, birth certificates, diplomas - - anything that might show your ancestors' names and details of their lives. Talk to older family members. Track down distant relatives. And, write everything down! 
(source pbs.org: "Forming a Love of Family History" by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.)

Bravo to Sandra L. Richards for writing down a magical story full of humor and fun that celebrates her traditions and will inspire children to appreciate their roots - and eat their rice and beans!
Rice and Rocks
Age Range: 5 - 8 years/Preschool - Grade 2 
Hardcover: 32 pages 
Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing (August 23, 2016)

Our country is such a melting pot, full of many wonderful cultural traditions stories, music, and food - like those celebrated in this book. Go here for a past post I did of books that honor America's history and diverse heritage. And here for some Scandinavian stories, that are from my ancestry!

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

"With Light in Her Hair"

source

Today's post was inspired by the traditional Swedish song about Santa Lucia and these photos from my daughter, who was up late into the night baking Lussekatter ("Lucia Cats"). Such a nice treat for the children this morning as they lit their Advent Wreath candles and read the story of Saint Lucia!

Night walks grand, yet silent, 

Now hear its gentle wings,

 

In every room so hushed, 

Whispering like wings. 

Look, at our threshold stands, 

White-clad with light in her hair, 

Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Darkness shall take flight soon, 

From earth's valleys.
So she speaks Wonderful words to us:

A new day will rise again 

From the rosy sky… 

Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Saint Lucia was born in Syracuse, Sicily, during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. Making a vow of virginity, she gave away her dowry to the poor, and an angered suitor reported her to the authorities. She was condemned her to a brothel, but she miraculously became immoveable. After being set on fire she remained unhurt. She finally suffered martyrdom by sword. A tradition says her eyes were gouged out in torture, so she is considered by some as the patron saint of the blind. In Sweden, her feast day is also celebrated as the first day of Christmas. Traditionally, some families celebrate this day by the oldest daughter wearing a white robe with a red sash and evergreen wreath with candles.

Two Young Kings For Your Christmas Reading

A King of Kings and a King of Bohemia... I have two Christmas picture books that I'm recommending in today's post: The Christ Child by Maud and Miska Petersham, and Good King Wenceslas by Pauline Baynes. As I mentioned in my last "Prague Blog", both books have ties to my recent trip there.
 

THE CHRIST CHILD (ages 6 and up)
I found a used library copy of this book (published in 1931) by Maud and Miska Petersham at Shakespeare & Sons in Mala Strana, the "Little Quarter" in Prague.  (Whenever I come across an affordable old book by this incredible husband-wife writing and illustrating team, I buy it!)

The Petershams were truly pioneers in the world of children's picture books from the 1920-50's.  Maud was born in New York, and her husband Miska was a Hungarian immigrant. Their quaint and stylistic approach to story telling and illustrating is a unique blend of their backgrounds.

This book brings to life in vibrant color and small "chapters" the story of the birth and childhood of Christ from the text of the Gospels of Mark and Luke.

(Other books by the Petershams in my collection include The Circus Baby, Nursery Friends from France, Tales Told from Holland, and The Rooster Crows.  Many of the Petershams picture books can be found online, but it's a lot more fun perusing used bookstores, don't you think?)

GOOD KING WENCESLAS (ages 6 and up)
Pauline Baynes (well-known for her illustrations of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia) does not mince words in this re-telling of the exciting story of the young Bohemian Prince, Wenceslas - patron saint of Prague and the Czech Republic.

There are many legends surrounding this good saint, and his tragic death is recorded in history.  As with many saints' stories, Wenceslas faced his martyrdom bravely, and Baynes' hopeful re-telling (published in 1987) is book-ended with the words of the well loved Christmas carol about this good and brave King.

The other hero/saint in this Bohemian story is Wenceslas' grandmother, Ludmilla.  She brought him up in the Christian faith.

During our tour of Prague Castle, my mother and I were privileged to see both the Wenceslas Chapel (which contain his relics) in St. Vitus Cathedral, and St. Ludmilla's tomb in St. George's Basilica.

St. Wenceslas' relics are in the Wenceslas Chapel in St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague Castle.

Stained glass window in St. Vitus Cathedral by Mucha depicting (in the center) a young Wenceslas at his Grandmother Ludmilla's knee.

St. Ludmilla's tomb is located in a chapel in St. George's Basilica, Prague Castle.

A painting in St. George's Basilica near the tomb of Ludmilla, showing Wenceslas being taught by his Grandmother to care for the poor.

Just outside the walls of Prague Castle, I took a quick photo of my mom next to the statue of Wenceslas.

It had rained all day, so on our walk back to our apartment, we stopped at a little cafe for some hot tea. It was the perfect end to our wonderful time at Prague Castle!

Time Out for a Prague Blog

Happy St. Nicholas Day! Well, I took a little break from blogging to travel with my family to Prague.  After our last trip in 2011 (our son was at school there), you may have read my post about the Strahov Monastery Libraries.  

On this trip we not only re-visited those libraries, but amidst the Christmas markets, cathedrals, a castle, incredible music and architecture, we discovered some English bookstores!

At Shakespeare & Sons (just around the corner from the Charles Bridge in Malá Strana), I immediately gravitated to the back room full of children's books and found several by the very talented Czech-born American author and illustrator Peter Sis.

Can you spot his picture book, Madlenka?  Madlenka's tooth is loose, and she wants everyone to know! Talk about an international city block! Her neighbors are -- a French baker, an Indian news vendor, an Italian ice-cream man, a Latin American grocer, a retired opera singer from Germany, an African American school friend, and an Asian shopkeeper.  As we look through die-cut windows to the images and memories they have carried from old country to new, we can see that Madlenka's block is as richly varied as its inhabitants.  (ages 4-8)

I was beyond excited about the second book I found by Peter Sis - The Pilot and the Little Prince.  My grandson is going to LOVE it!  Did you know that Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was a pilot before he was an author??  This fascinating biography is beautifully written and illustrated by Sis.  A must read for aspiring little pilots! (ages 5-8)

We also found an Expat bookstore - the largest English-language bookstore in Prague, with a cafe that serves an "American Style Weekend Brunch" and good coffee (yay!) - The Globe Bookstore and Cafe.

This bookstore caters to students, but on Sundays they offer a Storytime for Kids! 

They have a great children's section and I was super excited to find this brand new edition of P.L. Travers Mary Poppins illustrated by one of my favorites: Lauren Child!!!

Take a peek at my photos from the Christmas Market in Prague's Old Town Square...it was lovely!

Such a sight! Stay tuned: I found a beautiful used Christmas picture book (from 1931) at Shakespeare & Sons that I'll post about later, along with a favorite book about the Bohemian Good King Wenceslas!  

This Thanksgiving be Thankful for Sarah!

This year, I'm re-recommending a children's book with a historical heroine who finally found success in securing our nation's unique Day of Giving Thanks. Told in a humorous style with silly caricatures, this book will interest children ages 5-10. (and parents will like it too!)

Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrations by Matt Faulkner.

Do you know about the (Superhero!) woman attributed to saving Thanksgiving?  Sarah Josepha Hale married David Hale in 1813, and they had five children. Left in financial straits by her husband’s death in 1822, she embarked on a literary career, becoming a poet and editor.  (She penned a very well know nursery rhyme: "Mary Had a Little Lamb"!) 

Love this version, illustrated by Tomie dePaola!

Sarah Josepha Hale loved Thanksgiving.  But the tradition began to fall on hard times, not being kept in the Southern, Midwestern, and Western United States.  

For 36 years she published numerous editorials and sent scores of letters to governors, senators, presidents and other politicians to garner support in making Thanksgiving a national holiday. Her request was rejected by four presidents, until finally President Abraham Lincoln said "yes" during the height of the Civil War.

President Abraham Lincoln and magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale.
PHOTO: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

If you can't find Thank You, Sarah at your library, click here to let your kids watch a digital reading of the book on Youtube.

If you'd like to learn more about Sarah Josepha Hale, go here to read the Pilgrim Hall Museum's article, "Godmother of Thanksgiving".

Thanks, Sarah!

ADVENT IS AROUND THE CORNER...

It's coming!  As you get ready to prepare your homes, make your lists, and gather gifts in celebration of the coming of the Babe in the Manger, don't forget that most important preparation: our hearts, to welcome our Savior!

I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but planning is key!  For those of us who are Eastern Orthodox Christians, Advent begins every year on November 15 - tomorrow - as a time set aside for fasting, prayer and almsgiving.  Western Christian Traditions begin Advent a little later, with four Sundays preceding Christmas instead of six.  

I think most people in our culture, whether secular or Christian, like to somehow countdown the 25 days of December leading up to Christmas. 

Every year I share new Christmas picture books that I've collected and saved in my little trunk. Our family loved picking a book each night to read together as we lit our Advent Wreath Candles for our nightly Scripture devotional and counted down the days until Christmas.

So watch my posts for this year's Christmas book finds! 

In the meantime, please visit my Advent & Christmas Resource Page, here, (or in the sidebar of my website) to see my past recommendations of fun activities like Making An Advent Calendar of Books, Christmas Traditions Around the World, and celebrating St. Nicholas, St. Lucia, and the Twelve Days of Christmas.  

Here's my current list of Christmas Book Favorites.

click for book list

And don't forget to go to my last blog post and leave a comment with your name for a chance to win my Book Bundle Giveaway!

Click here to leave a comment for my giveaway.