There are good books, there are great books and then there our books which touch our lives in a very special ways. They tell stories which inspire us, make us happy, tales which we instantly connect with, stories which make us pick the book up again and again.
Today, I'm writing about one such book which I recently came across. The title of the book was appealing enough for me to pick it up for my little Z. What I didn't know was that the stories in the book will touch my heart as much as they inspire my daughter. The book is called Goodnight stories for Rebel girls. It's written by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo. It has illustrations by 60 female artists from across the globe.
I made Z pick up her abosolute favorites and she did give me a long list after a lot of drama, according to her, "how can I pick only a few. I love all the stories." Anyway, her favorites include Margaret Hamilton, Brenda Chapman, Ann Makosinski, Coy Mathis, Maria Montessori, Jane Austen, Cleopatra, Julia Child, Simone Billes, Ashley Fiolek, Nelly Bly and Malala Yousafzai. I can't blame her for picking so many of them.
We have read these stories once and we are reading it once again... I know it definitely isn't the last time she is (sorry we are) reading it. I love the message in the beginning of the the book as well; "To the rebel girls of the world: Dream bigger, aim higher, fight harder, and when in doubt, remember you are right."
I wish I had Goodnight stories for rebel girls, when I was a little girl.
Please do not think twice and pick this up for yourself and your kids.
A nice warm Sunday morning and all you want is to stay in bed for just a little longer. Usually, I start thinking too much, throw the covers and get up without even letting my mind relax. That Sunday was different, it was a Sunday, which made me lazy and just stay in bed for a little longer. Since, my husband was snoring away, which was pretty unusual (no not the snoring bit, but the staying late in bed bit), I thought, I would enjoy my Sunday. After contemplating for half an hour, trying to enjoy, I got up. As I stepped out of the room, I see my 6 year old sitting there, reading The BFG for the nth time. Now, if you know Z, you'd say that's not unusual, I agree. What was unusual was she was all dressed up... teeth brushed, changed, ate breakfast and combed her hair.
I, for one, don't want her to grow up too soon, I want her to feel like a baby... I tried to ignore the sight as a 'one-off' and sat down with my chai and mobile... She gets up, goes in my house help's room and says "Mumsy uth gayee hai, breakfast banate hain" (Mumsy is up, let's make breakfast). She takes my house-help to the kitchen and gets breakfast ready. Half my breakfast is 2 slices of toasted whole wheat bread and at least she prepared that. I see her get the plate from the kitchen. I try, not to look up, and she says, "Excuse me Mumsy, breakfast is important." I pout, keep my phone away and take the plate. Once I'm done she takes my plate and I'm back with my phone (I usually avoid phones on Sundays, but the scene in front of me was super scary).
I feel like someone standing in front of me, AGAIN. I look up, she has a The BFG: Plays for Children in her hand. She says, "I did everything for you, and you forgot your promise."
Ahhh! Blackmail, I like that.
Me (my smile which had faded away back on my face): "Yes Z, tell me" I throw my phone away.
Z (now, she is pouting): "You promised you will read the 'whole book' with me"
My smile fades away a little... one part of my brain says "What? You promised to read aloud a 120 'pager' in one day... are you nuts?" another part is constantly saying, "A promise is a promise, besides she did so much for you in the morning."
My smile broadens and my eyes twinkle, "Let's do it"
Z has a broader smile and a brighter twinkle in her eyes, "Yes!" she said... As if saying, "You fell in the TRAP again"
Score: Mumsy 000 Z 100
Post that 1 and a half hours were filled with completely crazy book-a-licious fun.
Actually
Score: Mumsy 100 Z 100
After I read the last page, I turn to Z and say, "Next time, just tell me to read, avoid the drama."
Some books leave an impact on you no matter how simple the story line. With a few books you can't put a finger on what is that one thing that really touched your heart. A kitten called Moonlight is one such book. This one is a winner also, because it makes Z and me snuggle up, read and go into our own little world. A world full of hugs, books and a little ball of fur... Moonlight is a lot like Fluff (our own little kitten - which is little no more). Anyway, let's come back to the book before I start discussing about anything besides the book.
A kitten called Moonlight is a story by Martin Waddell and beautifully illustrated by Christian Birmingham. Charlotte and her mom have a favorite story (don't we all), this is a special tale as it is based on an incident which actually happened. The story about the night Charlotte and her mother rescued a little kitten by the sea. The kitten wouldn't have been found, if not for the silver moonlight. That is the reason why Charlotte chooses to name the kitten Moonlight. The book talks about being selfless and caring for others.
What makes this book all the more special are the life-like illustrations by Christian Birmingham. The soft strokes used are just perfect for a story which talks about being sensitive and caring.
Z loves this book, both Z and me are cat people, and A kitten called Moonlight is just the perfect this mother - daughter duo.
I'm a huge fan of Patricia Polacco, and Z is slowly catching up. Thank You, Mr. Falker, is the first book by Polacco she has read.
The book is about a little girl Trisha, her family, especially her grand dad is really excited about the fact that Trisha will soon start reading, as she is about to enter big school. Trisha loves books, and she wants to read, but how much ever she tries, she is unable to read.
Trisha and her granddad
In
the middle of all this, her grandparents die and she moves cities (and
schools) with her mom and brother. In the new school, her problems
increase, her classmates call her dumb.
Enter Mr. Falker and he not only helps Trisha learn to read, he changes her life as well. He gave her life a direction.
What
Z and I loved about the book, besides the beautiful story, was the
fact that Trisha's story is the real life story of Patricia Polacco, yes; and
the difficulties she faced in school. I also loved the way how the word
'dyslexia'* is not used once in the book and without being too preachy she put forth her story in
such a beautiful manner.
Trisha and Mr. Falker
This story brings tears to my eyes whenever I read it, and when I read it to Z, she said nothing, she just hugged me.
This book unfolds a beautiful story, a page at a time. I struggled while reading as a child and that is the reason, today I teach kids to read and to love books. I understand Trisha's frustrations and how she feels helpless. My problems were nothing in front of this girl.
This book has to be a part of every children library and every classroom. Teachers have to read it out loud to the class and believe me, you will be surprised at the way children will react.
As a treat, you can see this beautiful narration of my favorite story:
*Polacco struggled a lot in school because of an un-diagnosed dyslexia, You can watch this video about her struggles here. Her life changed at the age of 14 years when she met the real Mr. Falker.
There are many reasons why we picked Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School for Z.
Z will be entering class I next year, Z loves her hair, and of course, the central character has a very very special first name :).
I was eyeing this book for a long long time, and finally I got it at a
great discount on Amazon.The book is written by Laurie Halse Anderson,
and is beautifully beautifully illustrated by Ard Hoyt. Hair of Zoe
Fleefenbacher Goes to School is a book about Zoe Fleefenbacher, her
entry in big school and her hair which have a mind of their own.
Zoe
loves her pre-school and her teacher. Her teacher let Zoe's hair help
her carry out a lot of tasks in the class. Things change when Zoe enters
1st grade. Where her teacher, Ms. Trisk, says "Her hair needs to be
tamed, First Grade has rules". She tries everything to tame Zoe's hair,
Zoe hates it when Ms. Trisk tries to tie her hair, but she cannot say
anything, First Grade has rules you know!
Will Ms. Trisk be successful in taming Zoe's hair? Or will she fall in love with them like Zoe Fleefenbacher's Kindergarten teacher.
You will have to read it to know what fun is in store for you.
According to Z "Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School is the best book I have read this month Mumsy, I just cannot stop laughing. I am just like Zoe Fleefenbacher"
Your Turn Now - Heartening Stories of Everyday Kindness inspired by the Little Blue Card, is a simple yet beautiful book published by FunOKPlease. It is penned by Lubaina Bandukwala and illustrated by Shraddha Pimputkar.
Frankly, when I read about the book, I was a little apprehensive about it, I wondered if Z would appreciate it. The reason was, I usually do not pick up moral or inspirational stories for Z. If she learns a lesson from a fun story, it is alright, but I steer clear away from moral stories. The thing is, my little girl reads for fun, she enjoys reading like nothing else, I don't want to take that away from her.
Anyway, I picked up the book, just to try it out. It is clearly meant for slightly older kids, but I was ready to explore the book with Z. And did we love it or what????
Both of us were totally in love with the stories and Rushabh Turakhia's global initiative Your Turn Now. You can read more about it here.
The book was an eye opener for me as a parent, I didn't realise, in today's fast paced life we are leaving humanity, kindness and love behind. It was a simple book, which touched me at many levels. For a little girl, who isn't even 6 yet, this was a big book with lots of stories, stories she wants to re-visit and discuss with her friends, her parents, her teachers et. al.
In Z's words, "The book is just so good Mumsy, I think I will read it again. I loved the kindness cards I received with the book, I will be kind and share it with my friends."
I have ordered a copy for the library as well, and looking forward to purchase Your Turn Now-2
You can pick a copy of Your turn now from the Flipkart link below:
"Mirette on the High Wire" won the 1994 Caldecott Award and I can easily see why. It is such an amazing read, after reading it, Z's reaction was "Mumsy, I want to walk in the air." I picked up this one for The Reading Room and Z borrowed it from there. The book amazes me at many levels, and I get a similar response from my 4.5 year old.
Being a mum of a little dreamer, I have a huge responsibility of not only letting her dream; but also telling her that when you fall you can get up and become stronger. I love books with intelligent, strong, smart female characters, and Mirette is that and much more. Mirette has so much about herself, but she is also someone with whom little girls will connect with easily.
The story takes place in Paris more than a 100 years ago, Z is obsessed with Eiffel Tower & Paris... I knew she'd love it. Mirette is a little girl who's mum runs a small boardinghouse, and Mirette helps her mum with chores. The boardinghouse is filled with different performing artists, jugglers, actors, mimes, acrobats etc. One day, a famous tightrope walker named Bellini comes to the boardinghouse. All he wants is privacy, Mirette watches him practice in the backyard and she instantly wants to learn Bellini's art. Bellini takes Mirette as his pupil after a lot of convincing from Mirette. Once a great tightrope walker, Bellini is scared now. Will he overcome his fears and walk again??? Well, you'll have to read the book to find out.
The book teaches us to believe in our-self and it is not preachy at all (that is another thing I love about it).
The illustrations are pleasing to the eye, and they do justice to the amazing story of Mirette & Bellini.
Malala a Brave Girl from Pakistan / Iqbal a Brave Boy from Pakistan by Jeanette Winter
I usually don't pick up non-fiction for Zoe, I enjoy fiction more and
so does she. The only books we picked up which were non-fiction were
Islamic stories. It changed recently and I'm very very happy it did.
I picked up Malala a Brave Girl from Pakistan / Iqbal a Brave Boy from
Pakistan when I got it as one of the suggestions on Amazon. The book
written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter, it is a beautiful boom and
introduces kids to 2 amazing kids. These kids rose from normal
kids and they turned into heroes. Two brave hearts from Pakistan who
had the courage to stand up against all something which they felt was
wrong and unfair. Both were shot at, unfortunately, Iqbal died and
Malala miraculously survived.
I have read about Malala Yusufzai before (who hasn't) but I didn't know
about Iqbal Masih. I googled about him, after I read the book.
We loved the illustrations and the simplicity in the narration. It's perfect for 4+ years.
My little bookworm liked Malala's story a tad bit more, when I asked
her why... She said "because Malala was a super brave girl and she
wanted to go to school".
Zoe was also a little sad that Iqbal didn't survive, and that's another reason why she liked Malala's story better.
Book: The Magic Paintbrush Author: Julia Donaldson Illustrator: Joel Stewart
This story talks about a little girl Shen and her magic paintbrush. Things Shen paints with the brush comes to life. We at BZM love books with strong female characters, and Shen is one such character. She's true to herself, smart, loyal and intelligent.
We love how the story is rhyming. The illustrations, though different from any Donaldson book, are super cute.
In Z's words: "I love how Shen draws things with her paintbrush, and they become real".
BZM Thumbs Up:
Love the story, simple words and a very beautiful tale.
Book: My Name Is Not Isabella Author: Jennifer Fosberry Illustrator: Mike Litwin For ages: 4-8
Why we picked it and what was our reaction: I'm raising Z who is an Isabella as well, and the line on book 'Just how big can a little girl dream' did it for me. I was tempted to pick the book and read. Hence I ordered it. BZM Take: What do we say, Z doesn't want to blink when we read the book. She laughs at Isabella and loves her mum. We also loves the fact that Isabella wants to be astronaut Sally Ride, activist Rosa Parks, shooter Annie Oakley and her mum... She doesn't want to be a princess or a doll (or whatever). Isabella is a girl who knows she can be anyone and everyone, she loves being herself at the end of the day after all the adventure. Her mommy is also a role model for her. The mommy doesn't hush Isabella, in fact she joins her in her dreams and adventures (how cool is that). The amount of confidence Isabella exudes and the kind of support she gets from her mom is AWESOME.
The illustrations are adorable, check this out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7Jam0f4rx8. Z can read the book all by herself and that is why the book gets brownie points from Z, not that she would not have loved the book any less otherwise.
We are eying Isabella Girl on the Go and Isabella: Star of the Story now... soon!
BZM gives a perfect 10. The book engages the child immediately, and keeps them engaged throughout the book (and I'm talking about 'I don't even want to blink' engage).
BZM Says: Go pick it up now, you can also try My Name Is Not Alexander (similar book featuring little Alexander). We suggest you buy it for your sake and your kid's sake.
A is for Anna Dewdney, Z loves her Llama Llama series, especially Llama Llama Red Pajama and Llama Llama Holiday Drama. I love the way she writes, the rhyming words are FUN. And the illustrations are Super. We have done a review of one of her books on BMZ earlier. Our 2 favorite Dewdney books are Llama Llama Red Pajama and Nobunny's Perfect (LOVE THE BOOK)
We love getting books and Llama Llama Red Pajama was gifted to Z by Annie (my elder sister).
Day 1: We're
reading 2 books by Zoe and mums favorite author.... no points for
guessing. .. Julia Donaldson. The Gruffallo and Monkey Puzzle.... Z loves
these so much that she'll shower you with Love Hugs and kisses once
you're done. For those who don't know....
Gruffallo is about a smart little mouse who creates an imaginary
creature -Gruffallo, to scare the other animals in the woods... as he
takes a stroll through the words... what happens when he actually meets
The Gruffallo. Monkey Puzzle is about a little monkey who is looking
for his lost mum...The butterfly tries to help, but will he be able
to?... #HappyRaisingReaders
Day 2 We are celebrating Dr. Seuss' 110th. We read 2 of his famous (and Z's favorites). Both are written by Dr. Seuss as Theo. LeSieg. 1st was '10 Apples Up on Top 'where a lion, a dog, and a tiger balance apples on their heads while doing all kind of tricks. The other was 'In a People House'. A Mouse invites a bird to take a tour of a 'people house'. Amidst all the chaos your beginning reader will learn 65 new words of things at home. #HappyRaisingReaders
Day 3: Today
we are celebrating Animal Fun... So be it the Friendly Patched Work
Elmer by David McKee... or the Llama who doesn't want to go to sleep
without his Mama.... in Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney... And
there is a ritual in our house... we start Llama Llama Red Pajama with
this song.
Day 4- And today was reserved for 'Papa Please get the Moon for me' & Head to Toe... We thought, we have done Julia Donaldson, Dr. Seuss ... it was high time we do Eric Carle
She read it immediately after coming from School with her 'Reading Glasses'
Day 5: Day
5 we talked about Kangaroos and both books are not 'Wordless' but have
minimal words. First we read Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett (where there
is a Kangaroo on just a page) and Pouch by David Ezra Stein. Her smile
speaks it all.
Day 6- We are also celebrating World Book Day... we read Born to Read by Judy Sierra and Charlie Cook's favorite Book by Julia Donaldson. Zoe is a HUGE fan of both the books and so am I...
Day 7... Since we picked up What the Ladybird heard by Julia
Donaldson... Z wanted to read another by the same author and she picked
The Gruffalo's Child... Her wish is my command as far as picking books go.
Day 8 - What a beautiful theme... Today we read 2 books we really love... Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza. The first is a classic, but I'd like to talk about A Mother for Choco... Its a book about a little bird in search of her mom (sounds like another classic by P.D Eastman)... well it isn't ... This is a beautiful book you can pick to talk about adoption.
Day 9 - We read a beautiful book on daddies... 'Daddy calls me
Doodlebug' by J. D. Lester... since she read a book about dads she
picked a book about mums as well and we picked the beautiful Pranav's
Picture by Nandini Nayar
P.S She wants to read TabbyMctat now because she says Tabby is daddy cat and Samuel Sprat is baby cat.
Day 10: Today we've not stuck to the theme as Z insisted on reading 3 books she loves... so we read There's a dragon at my school by Jenny Tyler and Philip Hawthorn, Curious George visits the Zoo and A blessing from above by Patti Henderson.
Day 11 - We read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Dr. Seuss ABC... Ditto Padmini ... :-D
I use sounds instead of Alphabet names, I don't want Z to get confused and today my little reader surprised me by reading 'B-I-LL' Bill (Bill Martin Jr.) on the cover of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom :-D
Day 12 - I picked up 'Oh the Pets you can Get'
By Seuss which highlights being kind to pets (very crucial per me) and
The Golden Egg by Maggie Kneen, a book about a duck's Easter hunt (Z
loves it)... but Z wanted more, so we read Big Dog...Little
Dog by Eastman, P.D - a book that talks about friendship and opposites,
What I like about me by Allia Zobel Nolan (We love this one) - an
amazing book which tells kids that, when the world is talking about
'fitting in' being different makes you special. We finished it with
Barty's Ketchup Catastrophe - by Sally Chambers
Day 13: Today was a celebration of Berenstain Bears so we read Bears of the wheels and Bears on the moon. Then Z wanted to read There's a Map on My Lap! - All About Maps by Tish Rabe.
Day
14: We Love this theme and have got so many books which celebrate being
yourself. In fact Tale in a Mail celebrated being yourself in January.
We read 'What I Like About Me!' by Allia Zobel Nolan AGAIN coz I think
it is a beautiful book on the theme. We also read Always by Ann Stott
(this was part of TIAM) where a child asks his mom "Do you love me when I
finger-paint with toothpaste on the bathroom mirror?" and lots of
similar questions... mom just says 'I will love you Always... for who
you are' ... and finally we read Tara Tomboy Princess: Tara's Favourite
Things, the book talks about Princess Tara who is a tomboy and loves
doing things she likes.... like climbing trees, making sand castles, and
painting with her favorite colour green.
Day 15: We read Never Too Little to Love by Jeanne Willis ... a beautiful flap/pop up book, which tells that you are never too little or too big to love. Another pick was Karen Katz' Excuse Me: A Little Book of Manners which beautifully tells your child about Manners... its a Flap book.
Day 16: Today Z read 2 books out for mommy - hope that counts :).... on the theme Leslie Patricelli's Baby Happy Baby Sad and Happy or Sad? (Making Faces) by Caroline Davis.
Then mommy read to Z Opposites in Tinga Tinga Tales (it is an animation from Tiger Aspect, makers of the hit children's animation Charlie and Lola. Tinga Tinga Tales is inspired by traditional animal stories from Africa and the Tingatinga artwork of Tanzania, and is animated in Nairobi, Kenya.) We also read Snail and the whale by Julia Donaldson and ended our session with Night Night Little Pookie by Sandra Boynton
Day 17 The picks were easy... we read The Color Kittens and Elmer and the big bird. Today Daddy was at home so he read Elmer and I read Color Kittens.
Happy Holi
Day 18: So today I picked Jr. Kumbhakarna by Arundhati Venkatesh and Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown. Then Z wanted to read Postman Bear by Julia Donaldson and 10 Green Bottles a sing song book.
Day
19: Today Z came from school and said 'So Mamma, what are we reading
today.' Yes, even before we could have lunch... We picked Zog by Julia
Donaldson which was on the theme. Love the way Donaldson has shown even
dragons can be good. I asked Z what else she wants to read. She picked
up Whacky Wednesday by Theo LeSieg (Dr. Seuss), it's Z's LOL book. The
3rd she picked was The Susu Pals by Richa Jha which she loves she
changes the name of the characters, there is Z (of course) and her
besties in the book as per Z. I love the illustrations by Alicia Souza
Day 20: Happy World Storytelling Day ... Today Zoe read The very Hungry Caterpillar and made a handpaint caterpillar. We also Read ebooks from Pratham Books' 'Udte Udte' (Flying High) in Urdu and the Annual Haircut day in English. Today is also the 45th anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Day 21: We aren't huge fans of sing-along books. Z doesn't like them a lot neither do I. The ones she likes she didn't want to read today... so I was in a fix... Today Z picked her own book. She picked 10 Little Monkeys and 10 green bottles hanging from the tree. Daddy read these to her.
Then I read Marvin K. Mooney, will you please go now by Dr. Seuss (a personal favorite) we finished our morning does of reading with Animal Orchestra by Tibor Gergely ... she loves this one because she loves musical instruments.
Day 22: Day 22: Sloppy Joe by Dave Keane, a book about a messy boy whose clothes and room is always messy. Since Z is this little Miss. 'Neat & Clean' she always has a big laugh saying 'What is he doing??? What is he wearing'
Then we shifted to The Smartest Giant In Town by Julia Donaldson, about the scruffiest giant who transforms into the smartest giant when he picks a new shirt, trousers, tie, belt, socks and shoes. George helps many animals on his way back home and becomes the kindest giant in town at the end of the story... (LOVE IT).
We then read Fanny by Holly Hobbie, about a girl who wants a Connie Doll (read Barbie) which her mom doesn't allow of. Then she makes her own doll - Annabelle. This is a story about Z & me... :)
Day 23: Being Zoe's Mom read The Susu Pals by Richa Jha with beautiful illustrations by Alicia Souza. It is a fun, humorous book about BFFs and how their relationship goes through ups and downs. They are 'Chaddi Pals' :)
Next we read Night Night Little Pookie by Sandra Boynton, Pookie has been read to Z since she was a year old. When I used to ask Z who her best fried was ... for the longest time her answer would be 'Little Pookie' ... so how can we miss out reading Little Pookie when the theme was 'Best Friends'
Day 24: We started with The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss ... then we moved on to The Story of Peppa Peg... Zoe's current favorite. We finished the reading with The Unboy Boy by Richa Jha - Another book that's close to our heart.
Day 25: Mom and Daughter are both down with fever. We gave school a miss but couldn't say no to books. So we read 10 Apples up on Top by Seuss (Apple being Zoe's favorite food). Then I let her pick 2 more books I'm the Best Artist in the Ocean! by Kevin Sherry - about a giant squid who loves to draw and starts drawing on the other fish in the ocean. We finally read a favorite The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Day 26: So its Sick Day 2, I picked up The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein - a must for this prompt... actually a must for any day. You can't see that in the picture unfortunately. Then we read 2 of Z's favorite since she demanded - Tabby McTat and Room on the Broom.
Day 27: Today we read Party Animals by Kathie Lee Gifford. I love the illustrations and the message the book sends across. I cannot think of a child who wouldn't like the book. Then we read The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle and since Z wanted to read Pepper is Selfish, we read.
Day 28 We read 'Snowmen at Christmas' by Caralyn Buehner, then we read 'Hide and Seek Pig' by Julia Donaldson which was gifted to Z by her Ammoo (Grand Mom), then we read The Thinga-ma-jigger is Coming Today! by Tish Rabe (what a super fun book) and we finished with Where is Baby's Valentine by Karen Katz
Day 29 We read Amazing Grace in Urdu, moving on to Junior Kumbhakarna Arundhati and finally read There's a Wocket in My Pocket by Dr. Seuss
Day 30 We ended the challenge with Z's favorite author and her current favorite book Room on the Broom... my God what an amazing book and how beautifully they have shown that witches can be the most kind hearted creatures in the world :-). We finished with Jack and FlumFlum Tree by Julia Donaldson. Love Love Love it.
