Category Archives: Bedtime Stories
Bedtime Stories: Almost Everything
Post by Mark T. Locker.
Almost Everything by Joëlle Jolivet.
What are you into? What does your kid like? Maybe it’s suits of armor. Or trains. Or maybe you are working on learning different kinds of fruit. Heck, maybe boat-shaped Batak houses are what’s cool with kids these days. Regardless, the aptly-titled book Almost Everything probably covers it.
Almost Everything is a huge (12×18”) picture book which features big, bold, bright, colorful images of, well, almost everything. Two giant pages featuring trees and flowers from around the world; two pages dedicated to the human body. Flip the page to find a huge spread of period costumes from across the globe. It goes on and on. It’s really quite impressive. There are other books in the series, including one all about animals and another about costumes/clothing from the world around.
I only have two warnings: this book is so big (two feet across when open) that kids want to sit right on it. We have torn a few pages this way. Second: if you are going to read this book in bed, you better have a very big bed. Happy reading!
Bedtime Stories: Revolting Recipes
Post by Mark T. Locker.
Even More Revolting Recipes inspired by the stories of Roald Dahl.
I know what you’re thinking: “This is a cookbook! Who in their right mind reads their child a cookbook at bedtime?”
My response is: who doesn’t want to be lulled to sleep with visions of delicious, gooey delectable treats? Rivers of fudge and fluffy marshmallow clouds? C’mon! Plus, all the recipes in this series are inspired by delectable (and sometimes disgusting) descriptions from Roald Dahl’s stories. From “Hornets Stewed in Tar” to “Tongue Rakers” to “Noshnibblers” the variety of names and dubious combinations is actually a pretty entertaining read. Each recipe is accompanies with an excerpt from his stories, from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to The BFG to a bunch I’ve never heard of.
Here’s the caveat. As hilarious and fun as it would be to whip up a batch of Stickjaw for Talkative Parents, what makes these recipes fun is what makes them horrible as well. Most are heavy on the corn syrup, marshmallows, chocolate, or sugar. Not to mention food coloring. My son and I love to look at the pictures and read the names of the recipes, but it is highly unlikely that we would make most of these, ever. Except maybe the Nishnobblers. Because you spread chocolate over bubble wrap, which makes for an awesome effect:
Bon appétit!
Bedtime Stories: Berlioz the Bear
Post by Mark T. Locker.
Berlioz the Bear by Jan Brett.
I know I have only recently told you faithful readers about a book by Jan Brett. But the truth is I picked out a small pile of her books from the library because I enjoy reading her works and my son enjoys them too. There is always so much happening on a given page that often he is still taking it all in by the time I have finished reading all the text.
Berlioz the Bear is no exception. I don’t know if this a folk tale in its own right or a take on some common folk tale themes, but I wouldn’t put it past Jan Brett to create fresh new folk literature out of thin air.
In this story, we have a group of bear musicians on the way to perform in town when the wagon wheel gets stuck in a hole and the recalcitrant little donkey will not budge. One by one the proud and confident neighboring animals try to pull the wagon, and its stubborn donkey, along the road. But when even the mighty ox cannot budge them, what tiny guy will save the day? The mysterious buzzing in Berlioz the Bear’s bass may provide a clue…
Bedtime Stories: Armadillo Rodeo!
Post by Mark T. Locker.
Armadillo Rodeo by Jan Brett
For those who know Jan Brett’s oeuvre, she is best known for retelling European folk and fairy tales: the Mitten; Red Riding Hood; Goldilocks and the three bears to name a few. In Armadillo Rodeo she shows her American side, taking readers to the hills of Texas. It’s a silly sort of story, about a mother armadillo and her four children, one of whom, Bo, is always distracted, always getting into trouble. When he sees that girl with the brand-new bright red cowboy boots, Bo inexplicably mistakes that boot for a red armadillo. (The author blames this on poor eyesight, but really!)
Intrigued by this unusual new friend, Bo follows the girl with the chili pepper-red boots all over and gets a glimpse of some down-home cowboy living. From bronco riding, to barbecue to hoedown, this adventure has all that Texas living has to offer!
As with all of Jan Brett’s stories, this one is beautifully illustrated. I don’t think the story is quite up to snuff of her others, but my four-year-old may disagree. Implausible plot points seem to be lost on him :-/
Bedtime Stories: Spirited Away the graphic novels!
Post by Mark T. Locker.
I love Hayao Miyazaki. His incredible attention to detail, the beautiful stories of children bridging the gap between the realm of humans and the fairy world. Spirited Away has become a classic Miyazaki film and I love it terribly. My son, although he thinks it’s too scary, is also fascinated by the story.
Enter the world of Manga. I found, at my local library, a five-part series of the movie, in Manga form. Each one is about 100 pages long, but there is so little dialogue that we can easily read one in a half an hour. All the parts that scare him in the movie are much less scary in print.
What’s also great about these books is they cover EVERY SINGLE THING from the movie, just cut up and put into a five-part series. Finally, Felix is learning a little bit about Japanese culture, as Manga books read back-to-front, right-to-left. I am considering buying these books, partly for me, partly for my son. They’re beautiful, engaging, and we can read a whole volume as a satisfying bedtime story.
