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Monday, March 17, 2014

Tunes I'm Loving Now

I like playing a song on repeat until I can hardly stand hearing it anymore. The following comprise the soundtrack of my last week of winter. Enjoy.


Robyn, "Dancin on My Own"


Patty Larkin, "Green Behind the Ears"


Warren Zevon, "Don't Let Us Get Sick", performed by Jill Sobule




Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Underground New York Public Library


Ummm, hello Underground New York Public Library! Photographer Ourit Ben-Haim chronicles New Yorkers deep in good reads on the subway. These are her beautiful pictures. Enjoy her blog at the link and remain eternally grateful for your literacy.




Sigh. Fantasizing over a car-less commute.
P.S. Her blog also reveals the titles of the books making it a great resource for new reads.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton, 2012


Oh yes! I love this bright, simple picture book and so do many of the kids I've read it to.

Sweet George is an affable pooch with some bad habits. When Harry, George's owner, heads out, he leaves George with a specific instruction: Be good. And George agrees that he will. But some temptations come along in the shape of cake, cats, and a nice pile of dirt. And George is unable to resist! He makes a mess of things, and Harry is sorely disappointed upon his return. Feeling rather remorseful, George apologizes and then gives it the old college try again on his walk with Harry. Will George be good? Will he resist temptation?

Author-illustrator Chris Haughton conveys that real emotion all kids, all people experience...that push and pull between being good and being naughty! George's ears and eyes tell you exactly how he's feeling. And Haughton's monochromatic red and purple, retro illustrations are bright and simple. They do not distract from the story but enhance it instead.
Throughout the book, George encounters dilemmas...to eat the cake or not? Chase the cat or leave it be? And at each of these intersections, the narrator asks, "What will George do?" All kids will love being the chorus of this repetitive question as well as the exacerbated response. "Oh no, George!"

I highly encourage you find a local copy of Oh No, George! to enjoy with the closest kid. All ages will laugh at George's limited will power, and the story may prompt discussion on doing the right thing, apologizing, and trying again tomorrow. And what's more important than that?

*Check our Haughton's blog for a fascinating description of how this book came to be. (He leads a pretty interesting life, as you'll see.)