Lessons Learned from a Pre-Schooler

I was in the unique position of spending two uninterrupted weeks with a four year old. My camera roll reminded me of ten very important lessons we can all learn from spending time with our little ones.

 

#1 One piece of candy is worth three baby carrots.

 

#2 A box is never just a box.

 

#3 Sing, dance, and do the hokey-dokey. (pronounced as spelled)

[Musical accompaniment from storyteller and bookseller at our local bookstore, Joseph-Beth.]

 

#4 Cows do not have upper teeth.

 

#5 Fairies like mushrooms, acorns, and painted rocks.

 

#6 Even a field of dying sunflowers is magical.

 

#7 Blanket Forts are great places to eat cookies and play games on rainy days.

 

#8 Speaking of cookies, if you take only a nibble maybe no one will notice.

 

#9 You only need a cape to have superpowers.

 

#10 Make friends everywhere!

 

 

 

2019 The Year to Follow Friends

I’ve proclaimed 2019 the year I follow more of my friends’ blogs.

For years, I have followed Tara Lazar for her funny wit and her generous giving spirit. This morning I anxiously opened my Word Press to read the installment of this year’s Storystorm. It was a great article written by Cathy Breisacher about using picture prompts to generate story ideas. Check out the adorable cover to her new book coming out this March.

Afterwards, I checked out my reader list. It’s been a long time since I’ve read any blog posts from my reader and I was surprised to find that I don’t know more than half of the people I was following. I made a conscious effort to read and comment on those I know personally and those who I know through association. And I deleted many I had never heard of and don’t remember following or for what reason. But what bothered me is that I know a LOT more people who have blogs that are not currently on my feed. So… if you want me to follow (and hopefully periodically read) your blog, please leave a link or your address in the comments below and I will add you to my reading list.

Here’s to 2019! A year to support fellow writers and illustrators!

Happy Valentine’s Day

A word to the wise, when shopping for Valentine’s Day picture books check out the newest publications in addition to your old favorites. And, by check out, I mean your library shelves first. Then, check out your local bookstores before ordering online. Why? Because this year I found three terrific new books at my library went to the bookstore for my local shopping AFTER I did my online shopping for my out-of-town valentines. To my disappointment, only ONE of these brand-new books was available at the brick and mortar store. And since I waited until two days before Valentine’s Day, I couldn’t get my top picks for my hometown valentines. It turned out okay though, because I was able to pick up some wonderful titles anyway.

Click on the titles for a link to my Goodreads review of each book.

Be A Friend

written and illustrated by Salina Yoon (2016)

Here Comes Valentine Cat 

written by Deborah Underwood and illustrated by Claudia Rueda (2015)

Worm Loves Worm

written by J.J. Austrian and illustrated by Mike Curato (2016)

Hedgehugs

written by Steve Wilson and illustrated by Lucy Tapper (2014)

Penguin in Love

written and illustrated by Salina Yoon (2013)

I Wish You More

written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld (2015)

Be A Friend

February 11th is National Make a Friend Day. Two years ago I added this day to my Celebrate Every Day With A Picture Book tab. This year I’m excited to find a brand new picture book friend to celebrate this day.

Be A Friend by Salina Yoon (Bloomsbury, 2016)

Dennis expresses himself through mime. But not everyone appreciates Dennis’s unique form of communication. He is often alone and lonely. Then one day Joy notices him and he has someone he can give his heart to. They find that being different is okay and soon so does everyone else. This is a great example of how actions speak louder than words.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eric Carle finds his Friend

Last November, I wrote a post about Eric Carle’s book Friends. Today, I read an article saying that after 82 years Eric Carle found the little girl in his photo, which was the inspiration of the book. It is such an amazing story of reconnection, I just had to share it with you. I hope you like it as much as I did.

http://www.syracuse.com/kirst/index.ssf/2014/04/for_renowned_author_eric_carle_an_easter_miracle_after_more_than_80_years_in_tou.html#incart_river_default

My original post from November 19, 2013

http://julianaleewriter.com/2013/11/19/friends/ 

New Old-Fashioned Card

Here we are at our first Christmas as friends, bloggers, and mutual-followers, and I don’t have a thing to give you!  You have all inspired me, just by believing in me enough to follow my quest to authorship, and I thank you.  I have found enjoyment, education, the encouragement at your blogs.

I would like to extend a holiday wish for peace, joy, and love for all of you.

You’ll have to open the link below to watch the card come to life.

http://www.americangreetings.com/ecards/christmas/crossing-the-miles/pn/3360588?source=agpinterest

Friends

Eric Carle has long been a favorite in our house.  My children cut their teeth on his books.  My 3 year old granddaughter can ‘read’ Brown Bear, Bear all by herself.  Of course, she will only do this while sitting in your lap (smart girl).  My 15 month old granddaughter was dressed in a Very Hungry Caterpillar knit baby outfit for her first Halloween. And today, I picked up a copy of his newest book Friends for my son who just got engaged.

The artwork is amazing! Naturally.  It’s a beautiful story of a young boy who’s best friend moves away.  He is so lonely that he decided to go find her.  He swims through oceans, climbs mountains, travels through forests, and finally goes through a flower garden where he gathers a bouquet and finds his friend.  “I knew you would come,” she said.  And they got married.

On the last pages, Eric Carle shows the reader a photograph taken of him with a little neighbor girl when he was only three years old.  That photo is the basis for the cover art.  When he was six years old, he and his parents moved back to Germany and he never saw his friend again.  But years later, he married his wife Barbara who was one of the primary inspirations for this book.

Awww, I’m a sucker for a good love story.  I guess that’s why I immediately thought to buy this book, not for one of my granddaughters who love picture books, but for my son who loves his best friend.

Gotta go now, my eyes are a little wet.   Oh yeah, before I forget, here’s a nice little youtube of Eric Carle talking about his new book.  You watch while I get a tissue.  See you around the blog!

                                                                    

Me and Mom

This is a picture of me with my mother taken last May on Mother’s Day.  Many people have said that I look a lot like her.  I never really saw that, but in recent years I can see more and more of the similarity.  Sometimes I look in the mirror and am startled to see my mother looking back at me!

Notice how we’re both squinting into the camera?  That’s a bad habit we both have when we’re smiling.  Since this picture was taken, my mother’s vision had begun to deteriorate.  Although she didn’t know it at the time, she’d been developing cataracts in both eyes.  She found out this summer when she went to renew her driver’s license.  So we spent the better part of the summer having them removed.  I’d like to say that I was a perfect daughter throughout the whole process, but I must admit it was more than a little frustrating.  First of all, what genius decided that eye drops for cataracts should come in little tiny bottles with even tinier written instructions???  For goodness sake, the woman can’t see!  And to make matters worse, there was not one but three different eye drops to take in differing amounts and for differing lengths of time.  There was a full page sheet of ovals for her to fill in each time she took one of these drops.  So I did what any good teacher would do, I made the necessary accommodations and labeled three large ziplock baggies with the name of the drop and when is should be taken.  Then I cut her sheet into strips so that she only had to deal with one week at a time, because of course the directions for each drop changed each of the four weeks that it was administered!  And then we repeated the whole process for the second surgery.   Throughout all this process, she can’t drive…. so who gets to do all the shopping, library runs, post office delivery, banking, etc…. you guessed it!

Ah well, the good news is that now mom has almost perfect vision in both eyes and her driver’s license.   I still have my sanity and my mother… life’s good!

So here’s to all you children out there who are doing your best to help their parents, friends, and neighbors…. Keep up the good work, they appreciate it!