Mushrooms Ferns and Mosses

Now that I'm slightly obsessed with terrariums (and they seem to be everywhere), I'm finding all kinds of good books for inspiration. I actually picked this up to use for art scraps (I liked the pictures of mushrooms and ferns) but found myself reading about the different types of fungi and moss. Now it's become a helpful companion to learning about and identifying what we find in our backyard or on nature walks. 

The How and Why Wonder Book of Mushrooms Ferns and Mosses

Amy Elizabeth Jesen

illustrated by Alvin and Cynthia Iliff Koehler 1965

There's also cool instructions for making a mushroom spore print which I think we'll try.

Picture Primer of Indoor Gardening

Recently I went to a terrarium workshop and made this lovely thing:

Not that I need another hobby, but it's pretty fun putting these together. I have lots of old jars that will be perfect for planting little green and foresty landscapes. I've already had the kids collect moss from our backyard. 

Picture Primer of Indoor Gardening

Margaret O. Goldsmith 1946

illustrated by Harrie Wood

I love the pictures in this book published in 1946. How to care for houseplants, plan small gardens, and make terrariums(!) is all explained.

The Tale of Three Trees

Good for reading on Easter or Christmas...

The Tale of Three Trees

Angela Elwell Hunt

illustrations by Tim Jonke 1989

Three trees sit on a hill wondering what they will be when they grow up. Their great dreams come to pass, but not in the ways they expected. The purpose of their life becomes a part of something bigger and greater than themselves in a story that surpases their wildest imaginations.

The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took him to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ships were being made that day.  Instead the once-strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat.

But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything.

Lilies, Rabbits, and Painted Eggs

Lilies, Rabbits, and Painted Eggs

Edith Barth

illustrated by Ursula Arndt 1970

Last night was the large bright Paschal moon. We saw it as we left the Good Friday service at my parents' church. Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the full moon of the Spring equinox- the Paschal Moon.

I lately just learned this. This book is filled with all kinds of information about the rites and rituals of Spring. The holidays of Easter and Passover are explained and how the various customs arose. It's quite enlightening. I learned about an old European custom of Easter fire, how the tradition of coloring Easter eggs may have come from North Africa, and the Easter parade of wearing fine new clothes was started in the Middle Ages.

I also love the embellishments by Arndt.

The Runaway Bunny

The Runaway Bunny

Margaret Wise Brown 1942

Clement Hurd

Little bunny learns about a mother's love and how you can never run away from it.

Another story by Margaret Wise Brown but this time illustrated in alternating black and white drawings and full page color pictures by Clement Hurd. Madeleine said this book was so cute (and she read it to her little sister, which I thought was so cute!). She recognized the illustrator right away from Goodnight Moon.

Home for a Bunny

Home for a Bunny

Margaret Wise Brown 1956

illustrated by Garth Williams

It's Spring, and Bunny needs to find a home. He sees all the other animals and asks where they live-  the birds in their nests, frogs in the pond, gopher in his hole. Then Bunny meets a friend and has someone to share a home with. I love how Garth Williams draws animals. You want to touch the page, they seem so furry and cuddly.

"Here," said the bunny.

"Here is my home.  Under this rock, under this stone, down under the ground, here is my home."

"Can I come in?" said the bunny.

"Yes," said the bunny.

And so he did.

Mr.Rabbit and the Lovely Present

Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present

Charlotte Zolotow

pictures by Maurice Sendak 1962

Well, it's time for some bunny books. Here's an odd little story with soft illustrations by Maurice Sendak. The style of these pictures seems so different from his other books.

The story is about a little girl who wants to find a birthday present for her mother. She asks Mr. Rabbit for help and help her he does. They go through all the colors that the girl's mother likes and find the right sort of things to give her.

"I would like to give her something that she likes," said the little girl.

"Something that she likes is a good present," said Mr. Rabbit.