Kitchen Dance

CRASH! "Hush!" SMASH! "Shush!" CLANG! Perhaps, as a kid, you were lucky enough to have been
woken up by your folks gearing up for a dish towel-snapping cha-cha.

Maurie Manning catches the magic of a midnight merengue in Kitchen Dance. The parents try to be quiet, but it's so hard to wash dishes while singing love songs into a wooden spoon. Their two sleepy children tiptoe down the stairs. They crane their necks around the kitchen door for a better look and catch Dad bending Mom backward over his arm. Cheek to cheek, their parents tango the tamales to the fridge. A samba. A rumba. And then Dad flings open the door.

Busted! Mom and Dad each lift a child with open arms. Soon everyone is singing into wooden spoons and twirling in a flash of pajamas and aprons. Step by step the dance slows and the children are danced back up the stairs. After a shower of goodnight kisses, eyes flutter shut to the soft words of a love song trailing off into the night...

This is one of those tender books that successfully avoids being either too sweet or maudlin. Every child should have the experience of being whisked off to bed on the tails of a kitchen dance--and a good story.

MightyM

Book Review: Seasons by Marie Greenwood

This beautiful boardbook explains in simple terms with emphasized vocabulary, the details of what happens when the seasons and weather change.  With bright colors, it first describes the seasons, and then continues through each, describing events, such as new animals being born and flowers growing, as well as possible activities for that season.

Seasons by Marie Greenwood is a wonderful blend of science facts and new vocabulary for those parents who want something more for their children.  Learning is fun for the very young!

Enjoy this book available at your public library.

Guest Post by Sheila

Book Review: Some Monsters are Different

     David Milgrim dedicates his picture book Some Monsters are Different  to  "...everyone who, like myself, has ever felt a little different."  Although the concept behind this book isn't new, the message is a good one that bears repeating:  Some people/monsters may be different, but they're also "... completely, perfectly wonderful ...just the way they are!"

Book Review: Secret Pizza Party by Adam Rubin

Pick up the phone and order in some pizza, because after you read Secret Pizza Party by Adam Rubin, you'll want to have your very own secret pizza party!  Rubin tells the sad tale of Raccoon, who only wants pizza in life.  Just pizza.  He's a simple creature; he doesn't ask for much.  Yet, unkind humans are constantly swatting him away with their prickly yellow brooms.  Happily, Raccoon gets a brilliant idea--he's going to host a pizza party of his own...in secret.  Everyone knows that secret things are special and regular things are boring (see page 9-12 for a detailed diagram of why this is true).