When the weather's nice, we can mostly be found outside. But a good, intentional read on a hot afternoon enhances our outdoor experiences.
Bear and Bunny Grow Tomatoes
by Bruce Koscielniak
We pull this one out every year, though I know you can find it at the library! It's a cute story with quirky illustrations proving the point that to successfully have tomatoes in the fall means planning, preparing a garden bed, weeding, watering, and working.
When my kids aren't keen on garden work come July, a gentle "are you bunny or bear?" is all it takes!
Miss Rumphius
by Barbara Cooney
I made sure to pull this off the library shelf this week, as the lupine is in full bloom along the highways and hiking paths right now.
It is a lovely story about Miss Rumphius, who, as a little girl, sets three life goals: to travel to far away places, to end her life living by the sea, and at her grandfather's request, to make the world more beautiful.
The words and pictures are a treasure.
We watch her go through life meeting the goals...and lupines are included!
Night of the Moonjellies
by Mark Sasha
Another great book with beautiful illustrations. This book has the feel of summer to me, as the seven year old boy tells the story of working for his Gram (Grandma) during the summer at their drive-in restaurant at the ocean.
We see him work together with family to run the business, feel the warmth of the summer ocean breezes as they sit to take a quick lunch during the quiet hour of mid-afternoon, hear the loud blaring of stereos as the evening crowd gets their dinners, and then sense the quiet peace of the ocean as he and Gram release a moonjelly to its' home far out in the ocean.
The ending is rich with sentiment and intentionality. This story captures a dominant essence of summer.
Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots
by Sharon Lovejoy
If you've not planted a garden in yet, this is a fun book to look through. This year the kids have chosen to take a large section of our garden plot to try one of the garden plans featured here: The Garden of Giants...we've planted birdhouse gourds running up a tepee, yard-long pole beans growing to form a tunnel into the tepee, walking stick cabbages to stand guard, and giant pumpkins to fill it in.
It will be an adventure to see what happens and journal its' progress.
There are many different garden plans featured, some being herbs, a pizza garden, a flower garden, and more. It also has many natural gardening tips featured throughout, whimsical illustrations, and includes top 20 plants to grow with children. So fun!
So, take a break from the computer and TV and open up a book this weekend.
Happy reading!
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