From Sea to Shining Sea

 Filled with a wonderful collection of stories and some of our favorite illustrators, this treasury of American Folklore and Folk Songs is a necessary addition to any children's library.  The Dillons, Anita Lobel, Egielski, Cooney, and Trina Schart Hyman are just a few of the artists included.  Spanning centuries and across the country it's a sampling of Native American lore, Gospel songs, tall-tales, and historical stories.  The hilarious skit "Who's on First?" is even included!  It's one of those books that nice to pickup and read here and there.

From Sea to Shining Sea

compiled by Amy L. Cohn 1993

Christmas in a Barn

Charlotte is singing "Away in a Manger" at our church's Christmas program this year.  She's very excited that she gets to dress as a sheep.  Along with practicing her song, we've been reading this sweet book.  It's illustrated by one of our favorites, Barbara Cooney, and tells the story of Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus born in the stable with all the animals around.

Christmas in the Barn 

Margaret Wise Brown

Pictures by Barbara Cooney 1952

When the Sky is Like Lace

A friend just recently pulled this off our shelf.  Another amazing book illustrated by Barbara Cooney.  I think it may be out of print, but it's worth tracking down. 

When the Sky is Like Lace

Elinor Lander Horowitz 1975

illustrated by Barbara Cooney

Elinor Lander Horwitz creates a magical story about a magical night when otters sing and slugs sulk and you can't scratch your nose and you eat spaghetti with pineapple sauce. It's a bimulous night when the sky is like lace and everything is strange-splendid and plum-purple.

There are some made up words in it that are perfectly believable and three fair haired girls walking barefoot on ground that "feels like the velvet inside a very old violin case."

One of my very favorites to read aloud. Charlotte kicked off her shoes and curled up on the couch to listen just now.

Because on bimulous nights when the sky is like lace, the trees eucalyptus back and forth, forth and back, swishing and swaying and swishing- in the fern-deep grove at the midnight end of the garden.

 

If you plan to go out on a bimulous night when the sky is like lace, here are some rules you must remember:

Never talk to a rabbit or a kissing gourami.

If your nose itches, don't scratch it.

Wear nothing that is orange, not even underneath.

Roxaboxen

Roxaboxen

Alice McLerran 1991

illustrated by Barbara Cooney

Oh Roxaboxen. I can not read you without a tremor in my voice. ‘Grey haired Charles…” Based on the true stories of former Roxaboxenites, the imagination of children comes alive in this desert town where they make roads and houses of stones and glass. I have read it so many times, and yet without a doubt that familiar lump forms in my throat at the very first page. Margaux will know what I mean.

Of course all of Marian's sisters came:

Anna May and Frances and little Jean.

Charles from next door, even though he was twelve.

Oh, and Eleanor, naturally,

and Jamie with his brother Paul.

Later on there were others, but these were the first.

Well, not really the first.

Roxaboxen had always been there

and must have belonged to others, long before.

A town of Roxaboxen began to grow, traced in lines of stone:

Main Street first, edged with the whitest ones,

and then the houses.

Charles made his of the biggest stones.

After all, he was the oldest.

At first the houses were very plain, but soon they all began to add more rooms.

The old wooden boxes could be shelves or tables or anything you wanted.

You could find pieces of pottery for dishes.

Round pieces were the best.

Everybody had a car.

All you needed was something round for a steering wheel.

Of course, if you broke the speed limit you had to go to jail.

The jail had cactus on the floor to make it uncomfortable,

and Jamie was the policeman.

Anna May, quiet little Anna May, was always speeding-

you'd think she liked to go to jail.

Midsummer Magic

Another out of print treasure. How do these disappear?  We found a copy minus the dusk jacket. 

Midsummer Magic: A garland of stories, charms, and recipes

compiled by Ellin Greene 1977

illustrated by Barbara Cooney

A lovely collection of midsummer stories, folklore, and recipes mostly from northern countries (England, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden).  This has one of my very favorite fairy stories in it, "Diccon and Elfrida." I read it to Madeleine one night and by the end we were left crying in each other’s arms!  Barbara Cooney does the wonderful illustrations.

Miss Rumphius

Miss Rumphius

Barbara Cooney 1985

Barbara Cooney has illustrated many many books. I have only just begun my quest to collect every one of them!  Miss Rumphius was the first one we got. I used to read it when I was babysitting as a teenager. It’s the story of Alice who travels the world, settles down in a little house by the sea, and must finally do something to make the world more beautiful. She ends up becoming known as the lupine lady for sowing lupines along the roads and hills of her village.

In the evening Alice sat on her grandfather's knee and listened to his stories of faraway places.