Billy's Bucket by Kes Gray

Billy requests the unusual gift of a bucket. At first his parents don't take him seriously. But eventually they agree to get him one. The bucket turns out to have magical powers, and of course the parents don't take it seriously at first... until it becomes a crisis.

I don't know what to think about stories where parents are dismissive of their kids. Parenting is hard work, and we all need to be respectful of each other. If my daughter told me not to borrow her bucket... well, first I would ask her to say it in a nicer way. Then I would probably respect that request.  There's a nuance to this issue that I'm struggling to get my mind around. But I do like the ecological subtext of this story -- I won't tell you what it is and give it away.

I Am Small by Emma Dodd

This beautiful book tells a sort of poem-story about a baby penguin. The images and print quality are stunning. The poem is right on in terms of parents and babies feel about each other.

Just Ducks! by Nicola Davies

I have a particular fondness for ducks. But I think other people will love this book too. It has a nice balance of artful illustrations, education, and a sweet story. We recommend it.

Too many books

I shouldn't be surprised that SFPL stocks their shelves with great books. What would be the point if they didn't? I continue to be impressed with the books I "randomly" select to read to my daughter. Here's the list of books we particularly loved that I am planning to return today:

Sophie's Fish by A.E. Cannon: This is a cute story about a little boy who is worried about babysitting a friend's pet fish. The artwork is really cool.

Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole: I'm a sucker for anti-traditional fairy tales.

All by Myself by Geraldine Collet and Coralie Saudo: My daughter loves this story about little chicks waiting and worrying about their mom. I love the artwork.

Benjamin and Bumper to the Rescue by Molly Coxe: My daughter loves that this book is about a child rescuing her mother, and I think the story is so sweet. The "bad guy" is cared for into acceptable behavior. The pictures are artfully composed photographs of toys, and I get a kick out of imagining the photo shoots with the artist tweeking little dolls to look just right.


Diary of a Fly by Doreen Cronin: ...and so it begins: I learned a lot from this book about the lifecycle of a fly. I thought it would be yucky and technical, but it's super cute.