The Bunny Planet

I think that most readers of children's books would agree that Rosemary Wells is a truly special author/illustrator. Her books are funny, warm, and appealing to both girls and boys. Max and Ruby are great characters and their relationship is one shared by many siblings.

My favorite gift to parents of 3 and 4-year-olds is the box set of the Bunny Planet books--Moss Pillows, First Tomato, and Island Light.

These books are so special because they show children that bad days do happen and that they are still loved even when parents and others are frazzled.

In Moss Pillows, for example, poor Robert has to visit his Uncle Ed and Aunt Margo. It is not a good day:

"Ed and Margo's four boys all piled on top of him at once. Just before dinner Ed and Margo were bitten by the argument bug. Dinner was cold liver chili. All evening Robert had to hide from the boys."

When the Bunny Queen Janet tells him, "Here's the day that should have been," Robert has a wonderful day in the green woods all by himself. He plays music and has a tree house. Everything is simple and beautiful.

"The kitchen is my favorite room. It's easy to keep it clean. I have a secret recipe for toasted tangerine. Place the sections on a log, directly in the sun. Wait until they're warm and crisp. Eat them when they're done."

Such a nice counterpart to the uncouth relatives with (from Robert's only-child perspective) too many children. I hate the word "crisp," but Rosemary Wells I'll forgive anything.

Wild Wild Sunflower Child Anna

Wild Wild Sunflower Child Anna is a wonderful book and completely underated. Written by Nancy White Carlstrom (of Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? fame), Wild Wild Sunflower Child Anna is a gorgeous rhyming book. It begins:

Running and jumping
silly and loud
is Anna
in the morning.
Wild wild sunflower child
Anna.

Beautiful! It used to make me cry when I read it to my daughter. (My son is less enamored of this book, I have to admit.) My favorite lines are:

Lifting up the pressing stone
beetles rushing giddy.
Spiders spinning silent webs
around the silver winking.
Silent spinning
buzzing, blinking
breathing rainbows Anna.

Gorgeous. And, it scans!

Lack of attention to meter in children's books is a pet peeve of mine. In fact, when reading Carlson's equally good Jesse Bear aloud I need to add an extra "jesse bear" to each line to make the meter work.

Read Wild Wild Sunflower Child Anna aloud to a child today!