Go Green
Lily’s Victory Garden
Chester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories
Submitted by Ms. Sue!
Chester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories by Audrey Penn, illustrated by Barbara L. Gibson. Making memories of the ones we won’t see anymore is one way to make you feel better about losing a loved one. Chester Raccoon’s mom explains to Chester and his friends how they can “make a memory” of their friend Skiddil Squirrel after he has had an accident and won’t ever be returning. Chester and his friends, the other forest animals, gather at Skiddil Squirrel’s favorite place, Butterfly Pond, where they remember things that happened to him there. Chester watches a butterfly resting on an acorn and, after waiting patiently for the butterfly to fly away, he picks up the acorn. With all the funny memories they recalled of their friend, Chester decides to take the acorn home to make a perfect memory. This story will help young children understand the meaning behind attending a funeral or a memorial service and how “making memories” can help them find comfort. See this book listed in our catalog
The Tree House
Submitted by Ms. Tess!
The Tree House by the daughter-father-artist team of Marije Tolman and Ronald Tolman is a breathtakingly beautiful book in my opinion. It is a wordless picture book, with the “story” beginning on the front cover. We see a white bear riding a whale (perhaps a latent comment on global warming?) to a tree house in the middle of the water. The white bear is soon joined by a brown bear in a boat, and they decide to share the magnificent tree house. Soon the seasons change, the water disappears, and new animals migrate to and from the bears’ tree house, like gorgeous pink flamingos, adorable owls, and a murder of crows. The bears remain, snacking, reading, and enjoying their life together. It’s a completely lovely and enchanting book with engrossing illustrations that will hopefully spur dialog between you and your child. I implore you to please enjoy The Tree House as soon as you can. See this book listed in our catalog
Compost Stew
Submitted by Ms. Sue!
Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals, and illustrated by Ashley Wolff, is a poetic storybook about how you can put together your own compost pile or container at home. In this colorful collage illustrated book, using recycled and used materials, readers will find ingredients like apple cores, bruised bananas, hair snippings, insects, and other everyday used stuff to put into compost stew. What seems like ordinary trash and kitchen scraps become ingredients to add to the pot to rot. From A to Z you will learn about all the stuff you can use to make a compost stew. At the end of this rhyming alphabet book you will see the “Chef’s Note.” It contains useful information, and what not to use in your compost stew. When it’s done, you’re ready to spread it on the ground–mother earth’s treat! See this book listed in our catalog