Moonlight

By Jan Ormerod

Copyright 1982

 

Moonlight was one of my oldest daughter’s absolutely favorite books.  We read it together countless times.  Although, since this is a wordless book what we were reading was pictures and not words.  Wordless books used to frustrate me.  It was often so much easier, especially when one is as over-tired as the parent of a young child often is, to mindlessly read the text while the child follows the pictures.  This is the wordless book that changed my mind.  

It is the simple story of a little girl going through her typical evening rituals of dinner, playtime, bath, and bedtime, with her loving, patient parents.  One of my favorite pages shows her using scraps from supper – some fruit rinds – to fashion a sail boat that she will later bring to her bath.  In the background, her parents are quietly doing the dishes together.  I like that while the parents are working on a mundane chore, the child is using her creativity and imagination.  So typical, isn’t it?

More than with other stories, when looking at a wordless book, one is able to bring their own experiences into it.  The pictures will tell a different story when seen through the eyes of a child than when seen through the eyes of the parent.  The reader will notice all of the important details.  But the details that are important to each reader vary.  

This book is proof that words are not needed to tell a heartwarming tale.  In fact, isn’t it true in so many situations that words are not always necessary?

The How and Why Wonder Book of Stars

By Norman Hoss

Illustrated by James Ponter

1972 printing

 

Lately I’ve been nostalgic for the brilliance of the night sky lit up with stars.  Admittedly, this is partly because I’m usually in bed before the stars have a chance to shine!  I really think, though, that if I lived away from city lights I would force myself to stay up late enough to marvel at the night sky undimmed by our ceaseless artificial lighting.

I recall a few times in my life when I’ve had the chance to actually see the Milky Way and to be able to pick out the constellations – times when I’ve been far enough away from civilization to enjoy this wonder.  This summer, I’ve been running a program for kindergarten and first graders at the library.  We read a book or two, and then work on an art project relating to the books.  One week, we focused on stars.  A girl got sort of a far-away look in her eyes and smiled as she told us about her recent vacation.  She talked about seeing “so many” stars and she “actually saw the Big Dipper”.  I’m sure that experience will stay with her forever, just like some of my star gazing memories have.

The night sky seems so magical, but there is science behind the magic, of course.  This book, The How and Why Wonder Book of Stars explains some of that science in a language for children to understand.  But the book also acknowledges the enchantment.  Perhaps the magic is because “our neighbors in the sky are so much a part of everyone’s experience.  Everyone can look up and behold the heavens.”  I really hope that everyone does still have a chance to be spellbound by our amazing night sky!

Silver Pennies

A Collection of Modern Poems for Boys and Girls

By Blanche Jennings Thompson

 

This beautiful little book caught my eye while I was browsing the vintage table at a used book sale.  Of course, it was just one in a stack of books that found their way home with me!  I didn’t look at it right away, but when I finally did, I was so pleased to find that this poetry anthology is even more beautiful on the inside than on the outside!

“You must have a silver penny to get into Fairyland” is what Thompson has reasoned, and she put this collection together so that “no child will be kept out of the fairyland of modern poetry for the lack of a silver penny.”  Each poem begins with a question for the reader to encourage them to think and feel more deeply about the poem.  What is nice is that the questions are simple and personal, not academic – with no right or wrong answer.  She knows that a poem will bring different feelings and memories to each reader, depending on past experiences and current emotions.  

Here is one that caught my attention this week:

           I Meant to Do My Work Today

I meant to do my work today –

           But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,
           And a butterfly flitted across the field,
           And all the leaves were calling me.

           And the wind went sighing over the land,
           Tossing the grasses to and fro,
           And a rainbow held out its shining hand –
           So what could I do but laugh and go?

                       ~Richard Le Gallienne

This poem must explain the reason I, after several years of a weekly blog post, completely forgot to write one last week!  It just completely slipped my mind.  Distractions!  The beautiful summer days, the garden, actual paid work, family, my 50^th birthday – apparently caused too much distraction to stay focused.  But that’s okay.  I was just collecting silver pennies.  And silver pennies are necessary for life!

The Story of Old Glory

By Albert I. Mayer

Copyright 1970

I stood in front of a huge wall display in the Smithsonian, waiting in anticipation for the brief seconds each half hour that the actual Star Spangled Banner would be revealed to the public.  At the time, this was the best method of preservation they knew of to keep the inspiration for Francis Scott Key’s anthem from disintegrating.  I never considered myself an overly patriotic person.  I love my country, yet am not always proud of it!  Still, when the barrier was slowly lowered as the anthem played, I got chills!  It’s a worn out, disintegrating, faded flag.  Yet, somehow, it inspires.  

This non-fiction book for children all about the history of the United States flag emphasizes one key fact.  The flag has gone through many changes over the years.  The number and arrangement of stars has not been static but has changed along with the growth of our country.  Our country is not the same as it was when the first flag was designed.  It is not the same as it was in 1814 when the anthem was written.  It is not the same as it was 30 years ago when I visited the Smithsonian, even though the number of stars has not changed.  And we can be sure that our country will not be the same in another 30 years.  

Old Glory has transformed along with us.  Will it change again?  Will the number of stars ever be altered?  Will we together adapt to the changes?  I hope so!  And I hope that the words of the Star Spangled Banner will be true:

“O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”