Here I sat this week, sharing a quilt with Hypatia, reading picture books to her, and trying to teach her to use her new spool knitter. Books that were lovely for all of that:
Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco, is a lovely story about neighbors who become like family, and the little cat that is part of the bonding experience. As usual with Polacco's books, she touches on big issues of race, history, discrimination, and death, but in such a light and loving way that the children see the bad stuff but don't lose the love in the process.
With Love From Grandma inspired Hypatia to really want to learn to crochet. It's a simple story about the making of an afghan, and the passing down of it through the generations.
The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with the Chimps is yet another nice picture book about Jane Goodall. Hypatia has enjoyed all she's learned about Goodall - she has the perfect life to inspire children, I think.
The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton is an African American folk tale, about people flying away from slavery. It's beautiful, and the writing and language is just lilting, but of course it's also sad.
Piggy Bunny is about a piglet who doesn't dream of being a pig when he grows up - no he wants to be the Easter Bunny. His family and neighbors don't understand, and they want him to just love himself the way he is. But when Grandma and Grandpa come to visit, they help him get a bunny suit and see himself in a new way.
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