Easter Project

After the recital it occurred to me that I could easily have Kiel video me reading my favorite books for my darling grand children! Why not? My Mother read to me when I was a girl, and I read to my boys when they were little. Just because I don't live near my sweeties doesn't mean I can't be part of their daily routine. And maybe give my daughters-in-law a break - not that I want to deprive them of the pleasure of reading to their children, but maybe hearing Gramma read will keep them quiet when Mom needs to rest.



I am excited to begin this project. I think of all the books my Mom read to me, and start looking for them in our library juvenile literature collection. I don't find many there, a few though. Next I look at the Rochester Public Library collection and find most of what I am looking for either at the Chili branch or downtown. I make targeted trips to collect a few dozen of my favorites. I like to think of these books as classics, but it is obvious that the experts who come up with the Newberry and Caldecott award winners don't necessarily think as I do!



I talk Kiel into helping out, and we decide to record in the library fireside reading room. Now that I am mostly over my cold, I think I can manage reading without losing my voice or having a coughing spell. I can't wait to see how it comes out. Here is the list of books I am working on:

Potter, Beatrix: The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
Potter, Beatrix: The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Guarino, Deborah: Is Your Mama a Llama?
Dewdney, Anna: llama llama misses mamma
Dewdney, Anna: llama llama red pajama
Freeman, Don: Corduroy
Carle, Eric: The Very Quiet Cricket
McClosky, Robert: Make Way for Ducklings
Bemelmans, Ludwig: Madeline
Flack, Marjorie and Wiese, Kurt: The Story About Ping
Berlin, Irving: The Easter Parade (yes, they have made a delightful book out of the lyrics, showing a father rabbit and his young daughter rabbit!)
Tudor, Tasha: A Tale for Easter
Tudor, Tasha: A Is for Annabelle
Garner, Alan and Messenger, Norman: The Little Red Hen
Brown, Margaret Wise: Goodnight Moon
Galdone, Paul: Three Little Kittens
Brown, Margaret Wise: The Runaway Bunny
Martin, Bill and Carle, Eric: Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See
Martin, Bill and Archambault, John: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Tudor, Tasha: 1 Is One
Walton, Rick and Miglio, Paige: So Many Bunnies
Auch, Mary Jane: The Easter Egg Farm

As you can see, there is an Easter theme going on. And I include one of my favorite illustrators, Tasha Tudor. Half of the stories are simple for very young children, and half are picture books for those a bit older. I hope they enjoy them as much as I do. If you have suggestions about favorite books, send them on! I plan to do several rounds of these videos, targeting different seasons. Next will be summer and Fourth of July. Thanks.
Wildsmith, Brian The Easter Story