Friday Giveaway

Congratulations to Tiffany, the winner of last week's Friday Giveaway.  Tiffany, if you'll send me your email address, I'll send you a digital giftcard to be used in my shop. 

I won't be hosting a Friday Giveaway for this week.  Today is my husband's birthday, and we're both a bit under the weather, so what little energy I do have, I'm pouring into him today.

Check back next Friday with the return of the Friday Giveaway!

Mr. Biddle and the Birds

 

Mr. Biddle and the Birds

by Lonzo Anderson

illustrated by Adrienne Adams

 

There are some books, that no matter how many times I read them with the kids, every time I open the book and begin to read, I have a strange sense of everything being topsy turvy and not quite what it appears to be.  My memories of the book are so strong, the memory of my mother reading the book to me, the memory of the couch on which I sat, where the window and the door were located in the room, my long blond hair brushing against my bare arm - all of these memories are so vivid that they jar against the real and present moment of me sitting with my own kids, the voice of the story my own instead of my mother's.

 

No Fighting, No Biting.  Put Me In The Zoo.  The Cat In the Hat Comes Back (not the first, strangely enough.)  A Bargain For Frances.  The Monster at the End of This Book.

 

All these books, and many more, give me that strange but pleasant feeling of displacement.  But the feeling is always expected.  I tracked all those books down a long time ago, even before our children were born.

 

But every once in a while, I happen across a book I knew as a child but had forgotten.  And when that happens, during that first reading aloud . . . well, that's one of those magical moments that brings together my mother self and child self.

 

For the past few years, I've been particularly drawn to the illustrations of  Adrienne Adams.  When I see her work, I have to buy it.  Her pictures, no matter the book, almost give me that feeling.  I feel as if I've seen the book before, but nothing about the book rings a bell.

 

Now I know why.  Mr. Biddle and the Birds, illustrated by Adams, was a childhood favorite, although I didn't know it until my son brought it to me at a bookstore a few months ago.  One glance at the cover, and I instantly knew the whole book, everything about it.

 

So without further ado, I give you Mr. Biddle and the Birds.

 

 

Meet Mr. Biddle.  While laying in his hammock one day, he's overcome by the desire to fly with his good friends, four very large birds.  So he came up with an idea. 

 

First this sketch,

 

 

then time to build.

 

 

Voila!

 

 

Now, time to fit the birds for their corsets.  Yes, I did say corsets. 

 

 

How else are they to  pull Mr. Biddle's air boat?

 

Mr. Biddle wants to make everything is perfect before takeoff.  But the birds have other plans.  Poor Mr. Biddle barely has time to dive into the boat before it leaves the ground.

 

 

But it would seem the birds have been rather hasty in their flighty ways.  Before long, mayhem ensues.  And the flying boat, birds, and Mr. Biddle begin to go

 

down,

 

down,

 

 

crash.

 

 

Will they ever again get the boat to fly?

 

You'll have to read the book to find out.



Friday Giveaway: Your Choice!

 

This image is from a Bored, Nothing To Do by Peter Spier, a book available to purchase here in my etsy book shop.  This week's give is a little different, and if I do say so myslef, a bit more exciting.  I'm giving away a $25 gift certificate to be used in my shop, Books For Breakfast. 

 

Rules:

Must be a resident of the USA.
 

To enter, please dash over to my shop (here), browse awhile, then come back here and let me know on which books you would spend the bounty.

 

Usually, I limit entry to one per person.  Today, you have more than one opportunity to enter.  You can become a fan of my facebook page, where I am also accepting entries, and leave your book wishes in the comment section concerning today's give.

 

For those of you who blog, feature this post on your blog, send me the URL, and you get yet another entry into the Give.

The winner will be anounched next Friday.
 

That's it folks.  And before I forget, congratulations to Kim P. who won last week's give!  Shoot me an email with your physical address and I'll get it in the mail. 

 

I'll leave you with some images from books in my shop. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jack Kent's Twelve Days of Christmas

Jack Kent's

Twelve Days of Christmas

 

I look forward to Christmas time each year for many reasons.  One of which is the basket full of Christmas books.  Most of these books, the kids only ask for during the Christmas season.  But one has been a constant favorite with my son since about July. 

 

Jack Kent's retelling of the old English carol begins on the first day of Christmas,

 

 

with a partridge in a pear tree.  Familiar ground, I know.  But on the second day,

 

 

this familiar ground begins to grow some very strange fruit, indeed.  And by the fourth day,

 

 

 

our delight grows as does the young miss' panic.

 

 

By the tenth day, my son's laughter drowns out my caroling.

 

 

 

But no matter. At this point, the characters' expressions tell the story well enough.

 

 

In case you don't get it, the joke of the book is in the fact that on each successive day of Christmas, the love struck suitor brings what he's brought on Christmas days past, plus one new thing. 

 

 

So, by day twelve, the object of the suitor's love has recieved 12 partridges in 12 pear trees,  

 

22 turtledoves (2 doves x 11 days), 30 french hens (3 hens x 10 days),

36 collie birds (4 birds x 8 days),

 

 

35 golden rings (5 rings x 7 days), and so on , and so on,

 

 

and so on.

 

Kind of puts the carload of blinking, singing battery eaters from grandma into perspecitve.  At least poohing collie birds aren't roosting on the sofa.

 

Merry Christmas!

Friday Giveaway: A Book of Seasons

 

Alice and Martin Provensen's

A Book of Seasons

 

1976

 

The winner of last Friday's Giveaway is Sarah P.  Sarah, if you'll shoot me a message with your address, I'll get your copy of The Color Kittens in the mail.  Congratulations.

 

Today's give is a lovely little book about the seasons, written and illustrated by the Provensen's (as is The Color Kittens).

 

To qualify for the Friday Giveaway, you must be a resident of the USA (sorry, overseas shipping is a little pricey for a freebie), you must be human (please do not toss your pet's name into the hat), and only one entry per household. I will draw one name next Friday morning, and announce the winner of A Book of Seasons here at Books For Breakfast.

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

 

 



Henry Explores the Mountains

 

Henry Explores the Mountains

by Mark Taylor

illustrations by Graham Booth

 

My son adores Henry.  Which is why I am thankful that Henry and his dog Laird Angus McAngus adventure through three other books.  I chose one at random to share with you today.

 

 

Henry and Angus set out one day to explore the mountains before winter sets in.  He brings a long rope and his ever read set of flags which he uses to claim his conquered land.  These little flags come into play in every Henry book.

 

 

They forge over the foothills, through the valley, and into the mountain canyon. They encounter

 

a fox,

 

and a wolf.

 

 

But Henry and Angus are brave, intrepid explorers.  Thankfully, they are rescued just in time by an old mountain man who happens upon them.  After thanking him, Henry and Angus take their leave, and soon come to the top of the mountain.

 

And from the peak of Mount Henry, they spy . . .

 

 

a forest fire!

 

 

Angus is so excited he forgets to be careful.  Suddenly there is an avalanche, and Angus is carried away!  Poor Angus is knocked out cold, lying still on the ledge below.  Angus runs to the mountain man's cabin for help.

 

 

Will the fire be contained?  And what about our dear and loyal Angus?  Who will save the day? 

 

I'll give you a little clue to the ending.  Remember those flags?

 

 

They're mighty important.

 

Friday Giveaway: The Color Kittens

 

The Color Kittens

by Margaret Wise Brown

illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen

 

Yes, dear folks, I do realize that today is Saturday and not Friday, but I in keeping with the Friday Giveaway, I choose to pretend for the moment that I didn't miss my deadline. So without further ado, I give to you The Color Kittens, one of the best little books on color mixing.

 

To qualify for the Friday Giveaway, you must be a resident of the USA (sorry, overseas shipping is a little pricey for a freebie), you must be human (please do not toss your pet's name into the hat), and only one entry per household.  I will draw one name at next Friday morning, and announce the winner of The Color Kittens here at Books For Breakfast.

 

That's all for now, folks.  Have a good weekend.