New Website! -----> jacketsandsleeves.com

Hey everyone! I have exciting news!

I have a new website! 

Go to http://jacketsandsleeves.com to check it out!

This is where I will post all of my new book reviews, so stay tuned!

You can also find me on Twitter, at jacketsnsleeves!

Mud Pies and Other Recipes

 
 
Title: Mud Pies 
and Other Recipes

Author: Marjorie Winslow

Illustrator: Erik Blegvad
Best for Age: 5-12
ISBN: 9781590173688

Publisher: NYR Children's

Collection (2010) 

List Price: Hardcover, $14.95

 

Have you been in the market

 for a make-believe cookbook?

 

I thought so. Well, I am pleased to inform you that your search is over! You needn't look any further than Marjorie Winslow's Mud Pies and Other Recipes.

There are few other cookbooks out there that include such delicacies as Seesaw Salad, Mud Puddle Soup, Gravel en Casserole, or Pencil Sharpener Pudding.

As Winslow describes in the Forward of her text,

"This is a cookbook for dolls. It is written for kind climates and summertime. It is an outdoor cookbook, because dolls dote on mud, when properly prepared. They love the crunch of pine needles and the sweet feel of seaweed on the tongue [...] Doll cookery is not a very exacting art. The time it takes to cook a casserole depends upon how long your dolls are able to sit at the table without falling over. And if a recipe calls for a cupful of something, you can use a measuring cup or a teacup or a buttercup. It doesn't much matter. What does matter is that you select the best ingredients available, set a fine table, and serve with style." 

This may be a make-believe cookbook, but it doubles as a fantastically creative storybook. Read Winslow's instructions out loud and you are sure to receive lots of giggles in return. Young readers will love her downright silly recipes, such as Fried Water, Dandelion Souffle, and Crabgrass Gumbo. And children are sure to enjoy Erik Blegvad's timeless black and white illustrations.



This fabulously fictional cookbook was originally published in 1961, but it was brought back into print by the New York Review of Books. 

According to their website (http://www.nybooks.com/books/imprints/childrens/), 

"The New York Review Children's Collection began in 2003 in an attempt to reward readers who have long wished for the return of their favorite titles and to introduce those books to a new generation of readers [...] Praised for their elegant design and sturdy bindings, these books set a new standard for the definition of a 'classic.'"

After doing a bit more research I have to admit that I agree wholeheartedly with their claims. I love the idea of reviving a favorite old book from its "out-of-print" grave. Sure $14.95 may seem a bit steep for a make-believe cookbook, but I think the price is great for such a beautifully constructed version of a timeless classic. 

And the best part is, you can submit your own out-of-print favorites for consideration! Simply go to http://www.nybooks.com/books/recommend-book/, and give them the author, title, and original publishing date of the book you want to see published as a part of the NYRB Classics series!

In the mean time, have your little ones curl up with a nice warm cup of Rainspout Tea, and a fresh slice of Pine Needle Upside-Down Cake, and they are sure to devour Marjorie Winslow's delightful Mud Pies and Other Recipes.

My Out Of Print Favorites (DIBS on submitting them to NYRB):

1. Becky's Birthday, by Tasha Tudor. First published in 1960, this is one of my absolute favorite books of all time. You know those books you used to read as a kid that you just wanted to jump inside of? Well, this book still elicits the same reaction out of me every time I pick it up. It is the most adorable story following a little girl's special day, complete with fresh churned peach ice cream and a party in the woods with a cake that floats down the river. I remember I would always pick it as my bedtime book when I had a babysitter, because it is deceivingly long and I would try to stay up until my parents came home. But the instant comfort of Tudor's sweet-as-homemade-peach-ice-cream story and breathtaking illustrations always lulled me into an easy sleep. I would love for this book to be reprinted, because as of now there are only 5 used copies available on Amazon, and they are priced at $56 each (however, I've seen new copies for as much as $250).

2. Miss Jaster's Garden, by N.M. Bodecker. Although it was first published in 1972, my dad and my older sister and I found this gem at our public library's annual used book sale years and years ago. I don't know how old we were when we got it, but I do know that our very well-loved copy has some added original illustrations of our own (of the purple crayon variety). It follows the adventures of a little hedgehog by the name of Hedgie, and his loving, yet mostly blind, caretaker named Miss Jaster. One day Hedgie falls asleep in one of Miss Jaster's empty flower beds, and she mistakenly sprinkles flower seeds on his back. A few weeks later Hedgie has a lovely bouquet growing out of his quills, and as he prances and dances around the grounds, showing off his beautiful garden to the world, Miss Jaster mistakes him for a flower thief and adorable chaos ensues. If you can get your hands on a copy I HIGHLY recommend it!

The California Young Reader Medal Program

You have probably heard of the Newbery & Caldecott, but are you familiar with the California Young Reader Medal? I mentioned it in my last post on Princess Hyacinth (a 2011-2012 CYRM nominee), but to explain further, the CYRM is like the Newbery & Caldecott in that it awards the "most distinguished" children's books every year. However, one could think of the CYRM as the People's, rather than the Critic's, Choice Awards.

As the CYRM describes on the program's website, http://californiayoungreadermedal.org/:

"Since its inception in 1974, millions of California children have nominated, read, and voted for the winners of the California Young Reader Medal. Young people suggest the names of favorite books for nomination, or teachers and librarians note repeatedly read or requested titles, and these are submitted to the California Young Reader Medal Committee. Members of the committee read the suggested books, discuss their merits and appeal to children, and then decide upon a well-balanced list of nominees."

I love the CYRM because it accurately reflects what children enjoy, rather than what adult librarians enjoy. If you haven't noticed already, a lot of picture books are actually written with credit-card-holding adults in mind, instead of kids (who, unlike adults, only have brightly colored monopoly money to spend). Students from kindergarten through high school read, nominate, and vote for their favorite books in five categories: Primary (Grades K-3), Intermediate (Grades 3-6), Middle School/Junior High (Grades 3-6), Young Adult (Grades 9-12), and Picture Books for Older Readers (4th Grade and up). Because young readers are calling the shots, you know that all of the nominees are going to be kid-friendly and fantastic!

The winners from the current (2010-2011) list of nominees will be announced May 1st on the CYRM website! But there is still time to have your young readers cast their votes! Check the website to print out their ballot, and be sure to mail it in by April 1st!

2010-2011 Nominees:
    > Primary
         - A Vistor for Bear, by Bonnie Becker ***
         - Pete and Pickles, by Berkeley Breathed ***
         - Duck, by Randy Cecil
         - Martina the Beautiful Cockroach, by Carmen Agra Deedy
         - Thelonius Monster's Sky-High Fly Pie, by Judy Sierra ***
    > Intermediate
         - Igraine the Brave, by Cornelia Funke ***
         - Greetings from Planet Earth, by Barbara Kerley
         - Zorgamazoo, by Robert Paul Weston
    > Middle School/Junior High
         - Elijah of Buxton, by Christopher Paul Curtis
         - Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam, by Cynthia Kodohota
         - Skulduggery Pleasant, by Derek Landy
    > Young Adult
         - Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins ***
         - Adoration of Jenna Fox, by Mary E. Pearson
         - Unwind, by Neal Shusterman
    > Picture Books for Older Readers
         - Moon Over Star, by Diana Aston
         - John Paul George & Ben, by Lane Smith ***
         - Four Feet, Two Sandals, Karen Williams


They also just announced the 2011-2012 nominees!
Get your ballots in by April 1st, 2012!

2011-2012 Nominees:
    > Primary
        - On Meadowview Street, by Henry Cole
        - Let's Do Nothing, by Tony Fucile
        - The Odd Egg, by Emily Gravett ***
        - Princess Hyacinth, by Florence Perry Heide ***
        - I Need My Monster, by Amanda Noll
     > Intermediate
        - Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning, by Danette Hayworth
        - Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School & Other Scary Things, by L. Look
        - The Small Adventures of Popeye and Elvis, by Barbara O'Conner
     > Middle School/Junior High
        - Revolution is Not a Dinner Party: A Novel, by Ying Chang Compestine
        - Waiting for Normal, by Leslie Conner
        - Every Soul a Star, by Wendy Mass
     > Young Adult
        - Graceling, by Kristin Cashore
        - Beastly, by Alex Flinn ***
        - If I Stay, by Gayle Forman
     > Picture Books for Older Readers
        - Goal!, by Mina Javaherbin
        - Henry's Freedom Box, by Ellen Levine ***
        - Wabi Sabi, by Mark Reibstein

*** = My favorites, which I will most likely blog about soon, so stay tuned!

So if you are looking for a truly fabulous, kid-approved book,

go check out these amazing CYRM nominees 

at your local independent bookstore!

Looking for an independent bookstore in San Diego?
Here is a handy little list just for you...

- The Yellow Book Road (Liberty Station, Point Loma)
- Warwicks (La Jolla)
- Bay Books (Coronado)
- Bluestocking Books (Hillcrest)
- Mysterious Galaxy (Clairemont)

Princess Hyacinth: The Surprising Tale...

 

Title: Princess Hyacinth: The Surprising Tale of a Girl who Floated

Author: Florence Parry Heide
Illustrator: Lane Smith
Best for Age: 4-8
ISBN: 9780375845017
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (2009)
 List Price: Hardcover, $17.99 

Girlie princess books are a dime a dozen these days, and the majority of them are just plain awful. You know the picture books that I am talking about, the ones that are wrapped in shiny pink covers, doused with glitter, and contain computer-generated illustrations and terrible stories. Factor in the multi-billion dollar, and increasingly permeating nature of the Disney Princess industry, and you've got a full-fledged princess plague on your hands.

An example from this nightmare of a genre, even though it is not exactly a "princess" book, would be the Pinkalicious series, by Elizabeth and Victoria Kann. I know these books are extremely popular with young girls, but I just can't stand them. In my opinion, the illustrations are too much to handle (think if Lisa Frank and Barbie had a Candy Land themed acid trip), and the story lines are lacking. For example, in the first book the main character is obsessed with pink cupcakes, eats too many of them and turns pink herself, then throws a fit about eating green vegetables to counterbalance the popping pink hue of her skin. Even as the cupcake lover that I am, I have to admit that this is not the best message to send little girls. The bottom line is, there are so many better picture book options for young girls, even books about princesses.


Case in point: Princess Hyacinth: The Surprising Tale of a Girl who Floated, written by Florence Parry Heide and illustrated by Lane Smith. It is one of my all-time favorites, and I was so excited to hear that it is nominated for a 2011-2012 California Young Reader Medal (but more on that later). 

So why is this book so great? Because the story is silly and amazing (a princess who FLOATS?!), the language is elevated and fun, but not too advanced to go over a young reader's head, and the illustrations are downright awesome.

Young readers will love to hear the tale of poor Princess Hyacinth, the floating female. Her mom and dad, the King and Queen, make her wear a very heavy crown strapped under her chin, as well as a very heavy robe, and even heavy socks that have little golden weights sewn into them, to keep their royal daughter on the ground. If Princess Hyacinth doesn't wear her princess clothes she just floats up, up, up.

But Princess Hyacinth wants to float around outside! She is tired of dragging herself around the castle, and spends her days looking longingly at the children playing outside on the palace grounds (while she sits in her swimsuit, strapped down to her chair). 

Needless to say, Princess Hyacinth is "terribly, horribly, dreadfully bored," so one day she decides to go for a walk (which, of course, requires her to get all dressed up in her princess clothes). On her walk she comes across a balloon man, who she convinces to tie a string to her ankle so she can float around in the sky like one of his balloons.

 

 
But "alas and alack," something goes wrong, and the balloon man lets go of the string holding Princess Hyacinth's ankle, and she begins to float away! 

Young readers will surely be eager to see how she gets down...




Heide's use of dramatic, yet fun, elevated language is part of what makes this book so enjoyable. As Princess Hyacinth floats, kids love to hear how she "whirled and she twirled, she swooshed and she swirled, she zigged and she zagged and she zigzagged. She zoomed and caroomed and cartwheeled." This type of creative language draws young readers further into a story, and increases their vocabulary with new words and expressions.


Heide's story is brought to life with Lane Smith's phenomenal illustrations. Smith's pictures are whimsical and sweet, but relatable too. For example, Princess Hyacinth doesn't look like a Barbie doll princess, but rather a cute little 8-year-old girl. Smith's work is colorful, but it does not attack the eye, and there are plenty of things to look at on each page (kids will love to point out the different animal-shaped topiaries). The book also makes illustrations of the text itself, using different colors, fonts, sizes, and shapes to make the text playful. For example, when Heide writes that Princess Hyacinth floats "up, up, up," the line of text floats up, up, up the page. 

This book is so sweet, witty, and playful, it is sure to become a bedtime favorite. So avoid those jarringly pink, computer-generated, monstrosities, and pick up a copy of Princess Hyacinth, I promise you won't be disappointed. 

Other Not-So-Princessy Princess Books I Would Recommend:

- Monster Princess, by D.J. MacHale <--- Fabulous rhyming book about inner beauty!
- The Fancy Nancy Series, by Jane O'Connor  <--- A little glitter, a lot of awesome vocab! 
- Princess Says Goodnight, by Naomi Howland