the day the crayons quit

If you've ever wondered what in the world a crayon might be thinking, The Day the Crayons Quit is for you.  Written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers, it is a hilarious story about a boy named Duncan and a stack of letters he finds one day, from his disgruntled crayons.  Avery thought the funniest part was the letter from the white crayon because "you can't see him."  In the end, Duncan resolves things in a brilliantly simple way.

Thanks to The Land of Nod for sending this funny book.

neutraface slab blocks

You can introduce children to thoughtful design early on with their playthings.  This set of Neutraface Slab Blocks by type foundry House Industries is made of replenishable Michigan-grown, kiln-dried basswood and is a great introduction to different typefaces and hopefully a subsequent appreciation for them!  Other amazing block sets by House Industries can be found here.

water in the park

Water in the Park is a “day in the life” of a park and its people and animals, from the wading dogs and turtles in the pond, to the babies playing in the sprinklers.  It's a celebration of community, and the lovely green space of the park that brings it together in meetings and interactions throughout the day. 

In her note about the story, author Emily Jenkins says, "The story comes from my spending early mornings and evenings in Prospect Park, in Brooklyn, New York, one summer when we had many, many ninety-eight-degree days.  I watched people and thought about the way the park's water is used differently by all the inhabitants of the neighborhood, human and animal."  Water in the Park was wonderfully illustrated by Stephanie Graegin.

This book smells of summer and captures its nostalgia in so many lovely ways--it's definitely a great book to welcome this year's warm season.

not a box

When is a box not a box?  When it's a race car or a mountain or a hot-air balloon.  Not a Box, by Antoinette Portis, captures the joy and magic of the quintessential childhood experience: pretend play!  The book follows a rabbit as he transforms a box and imagines it as a multitude of different things.  The sparse text adds to the charm of the bold, thick line drawings.  Avery's favorite part is when the box turned into a building.  This book is a reminder that sometimes some of the simplest objects make the best toys.  Now, where's that old box we were about to throw out?!