5 wordless picture books to try with Mr3

"Before they read words, children are reading pictures."
― David Wiesner

I heart words. Printed, online, skywritten, painted... On billboards, in eNewsletters, books, subtitles on tv shows... I love them all. Yes, even the curse laden ones. Every time I read something it's like a mini-celebration that I can do so. It makes me squee. Which is possibly why I was thrown a little when I came across my first wordless picture book as an adult.

One of my earliest memories of reading is sitting with my dad and re-telling my own version of Sleeping Beauty - it had words but I was too young to read them (I was 3 years old, give me a break), and dad would flip the pages while I babbled away about what I thought was happening. (You can laugh at this bit: There had been a nits outbreak at kindy, and mum had had to check my hair, so of course that was in mind when reading Sleeping Beauty who had her head in somebody's lap and so I said "Shes' looking for nits, isn't she?" Gran was silenced, mum was mortified, and dad pretended he hadn't heard). My rendition of the story probably wasn't as good as the real thing, but it didn't really matter. As far as dad was concerned, as far as I knew, I was reading pictures.

It's very likely that I had come across wordless picture books as a kid, and just never noticed. But as an adult, it sorta blew my mind that whole stories could be told without words. And, as is usual with me, I requested any and all I could find in our libraries, and inhaled them like chocolate. (If you tell me you can't inhale chocolate then I will tell you to your face that you are wrong). It became one of those things that I then had to share with everyone. Mostly my nephews (who are now Mr15 and Mr16 and too cool for school, oh how I miss the days when they were little and books were magic). Mr9 doesn't like my help when choosing books anymore, and fair enough, otherwise I'd be angsting over why he hadn't gotten to War and Peace or Great Expectations yet. (Give me a break! I was an intense 9 year old).. But Mr3...he can't escape me. Yet. We're going to work our way through my favouritest wordless picture books (I suspect his mum thinks I'm being overly ambitious with expecting him to understand Robot Dreams and The Arrival but I don't think so) and see where it takes us.

If you have wordless picture book recommendations of your own (their subject heading is stories without words in the catalogue), then leave them as a comment, and we'll try those, too. Enjoy the list!

Top 5 most challenged books of 2012 (US)

"One man's vulgarity is another's lyric."
- John Marshall Harlan, Supreme Court justice, 1971

I am endlessly fascinated by the American Library Association's frequently challenged book lists. In fact, I was casting my eye over the 2012 list just this morning (hence this post). It's one of those love/hate things with me. I love that people are thinking about wider issues when it comes to books. I adore that these are being discussed on such a big scale. I heart that a lot of the books that are listed are ones that I've read (and sometimes even enjoyed). I hate (and I really do try not to use that word at all) that people feel they can think for me, that they better know what I should find offensive or questionable or inappropriate. This doesn't sit well with me. I feel like I should be the only one who can make that judgement on my own behalf. (Or, you know, The Office of Film and Literature Classification).

Where I come a cropper is in acknowledging that I'm not a parent, and 4 out of the 5 books listed below are kids/teen books.

I happen to think my parents did a good job at raising me. Admittedly, that's bias talking because, naturally enough, I happen to think I'm awesomeness personified. Or pretty darn close to it. I'm not a parent. Mostly because the idea of having children fills me with fear. The thought of being responsible for another person that isn't myself, and putting their care and well being ahead of my own, is just plain scary. I don't want to do it. I'm not sure I could do it. (In fact, I'd prefer to be a tan Peter Pan forever, please and thank you). I'd like to think that I'd be the epitome of grace under fire as a parent, however I'm not about to test that theory any time soon.

So where am I going with this? As a child, my parents let me read as widely as they could. I had read Plato's Republic by the time I was 9 because dad said I'd enjoy it. (I didn't, but I appreciated the thought). Robert Ludlum's espionage stories were my go-to-comfort-reads around that time as well (OH! The feels I got from The Parsifal Mosaic). Louis L'Amour instilled in me a lifelong love of cowboys and First Peoples' history in the US. Tolstoy's Anna Karenina infuriated me beyond my imaginings (more so than War and Peace) because WHERE WAS MY HAPPY ENDING, DARN IT? Kafka's The Trial became a story I never forgot. (And one that one of my lecturers would refer to constantly throughout my three years as a tertiary student umpteen years ago). My parents never told me what I could or couldn't read. They never set those limits. If anything, they would take note of what I was reading, and find more just like it. I think that is, in large part, why I am who I am today. It never occurred to them to stop me - or my friends, or other school mates/fellow library users of my age - from reading whatever we wanted to. I asked my mum about that once when I was in high school. Her response was "You're my concern - not anybody else. As for other kids, let their parent be the parent." And that's kind of my attitude, too.

Perhaps this is why I've never fully understood why anybody would want to ban or challenge a books. I understand people wanting to object. I understand people wanting to raise awareness, or wanting to correct misinformation in a book. (Or a film, or anything else for that matter). I most definitely understand why some people would protest about certain books over others. I wouldn't go so far as to say that censorship offends me. Certainly, though, it scares me. The idea that someone believes that they can think for me, that they better know what I should object to, is somewhat unpalatable to me. I have to say, I'm not likely to ever want to challenge or ban a book. What other people choose to read or watch is none of my business. I've got enough to worry about juggling my own neverending pile of THINGS and STUFF in the way of books/music/films, thanks. Doesn't anybody else?

(Note: Wow. This post intro ran away from me and ended up being somewhat disgruntled/ranty sounding).

5 picture books about families with two dads, two mums, and two uncles that I believe Mr 8 should know about

All at once, the suitcase burst open.
"Oh, my, it's a little girl from the jungle!" said the Queen.
"You're the child we've always wanted," said King and King.
- King & King & family by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland

Earlier this year a sibling and I were discussing the book And Tango makes three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell. For those of you who don't know Richardson's book, it's a true story about a penguin that was raised by two male penguins. We were discussing picture books, this one in particular, when Mr. 8 walked in partway through the conversation. When he realised we were talking about a penguin family with two daddies, he looked puzzled, and somewhat confused. (Much later we'd find out that he'd gone to our mother, a counsellor, with all of his questions about why two mums or two dads couldn't marry each other, which is more or less how this post came about). It was then that I realised we'd never really talked about how some families have two mums/two dads. Not deliberately. It was more that we'd all assumed the boys would grow up seeing all sorts of different versions of families all around us and not see same-sex parenting as a curiosity. After all, Mr. 8 knows firsthand about single-parent families (his mum) and how extended families provide help and support and babysitting detail (his mum's siblings and parents), but zero about same-sex families. In fact, other than my dad's late brother, I couldn't even think of extended family members (such as aunts, uncles, etc.) in same-sex relationships. I couldn't come up with anyone in my family whose whanau resembled And Tango makes three. Is that important? Yes, I believe it is. I don't want him to believe that the idea of 'family' is about numbers (i.e. how many people make up a 'family') or sexuality. I don't want him to think that his way of being parented is the only way. I don't want him to think it's the 'right' way, because I don't think that it is. It's only *one* way. Nor do I want him to grow up 'tolerating' or 'putting up with' people. I want Kalani (Mr. 8) to enjoy people as they are, where they are. I want him to value people and never, not at any time, think that anybody's whanau is less in his eyes because they have two mums or two dads or even two uncles. If I want him to grow up with that way of thinking, though, it has to begin with us, in the home, and I'm going to start with these picture books.

Note: I had kinda noticed that we don't have a whole lot of recently published picture books on this topic so I've got a list of recommended/reviewed titles that I'm going to suggest the library purchase for our collections. Comments, as ever, are always welcome.

Our top 5 bedtime stories for April

List by Danielle

"It's very simple why kids are crazy about dinosaurs -- dinosaurs are nature's Special Effects. They are the only real dragons. Kids love dragons. It's not just being weirdly shaped and being able to eat Buicks. It's that they are real."

~ Robert T. Bakker, Honolulu Advertiser, Jul. 9, 2000

February was superhero month.

April - April was also superhero month.

I don't think the superheroes are going anywhere anytime soon.

Spiderman is up there as flavour of the month, though he's got tough competition from Ben 10 and the Powerpuff Girls. Also, as far as literal flavours of the month go, cookbooks are also still a firm favourite amongst the kids. They love to flip through pictures of food and chat about what looks good enough to lick the page and what makes them go EWWWWWW.

Over the last couple of months we've really enjoyed visiting our new local libraries (Glenfield and Northcote), and browsing through a whole new collection of picture books and graphic novels. (We also made a nostalgic trip back to Tupu - hey, Richie & the team! - and Botany to raid their awesome kids' collections.) The kids have been having a lot of fun exploring not only the libraries but their play areas, gardens and surroundings. You can't get much better for a free outing for little kids than taking them to a library they've never visited, for real. Plus - stuff to take home!

5 great finds at Northcote Library

List by Danielle

'People like to believe there are mysteries yet to be discovered, loves to be lived.'
~ From 'Daytrippers' by Fábio Moon & Gabriel Bá

I moved house about a month ago, so now that the school holidays are in full swing, I'm taking a look around me for the holiday essentials... parks, beaches, playgrounds, and of course my local libraries. Last holidays we were treated to Lucy and the team's fun and hugely energetic Dare to Explore programme at my then-local, Panmure, the highlight of which was a treasure hunt that saw us solving maths, Dewey and alphabet clues as we ran in and out of the library and surrounds. This week we clocked the way the weather was changing and took ourselves to Northcote for a unicorn story and craft session.

If you've got young kids at home, I really recommend our Mythical Creature holiday programme as a way to unwind while picking up some new books and DVDs. While the 3 year old and I checked out the picture books, graphic novels and cookbooks - and played a game of hide-and-seek in the cute little garden courtyard - my 5 year old daughter got to listen to stories and show off at question-and-answer time, as well as making a very cool unicorn collage - painted in part with her foot! The librarians were really friendly and helpful, and we took home a great stash of books on top of our 2 hours of free entertainment.

Top 5 picture books about knitting

"Knitting is a boon for those of us who are easily bored. I take my knitting everywhere to take the edge off of moments that would otherwise drive me stark raving mad."
- Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much

If I could spend my days knitting and sleeping (with TV on in the background – and the occasional book to read), I would be very happy...

I <3 knitting. The meditative state it puts me in. The maths and problem solving. The physical nature of it. The pleasure in completing something. The joy in seeing that something being used and enjoyed.

One of my sisters made a rude comment once about handknitted socks – why did I bother making them when they’re so cheap to buy. So, being vengeful… I didn’t give her a pair for her birthday. And then, she had to listen to five other family members rave about their handknitted socks. So, I relented. And she said 'it's like putting your feet into heaven...' and that’s why I knit.

Because I really do knit love into each stitch (yeah, maybe a few swear words, or exasperated sighs along the way, but I try to keep them down)...

These picture books celebrate and acknowledge the love and caring – and addiction – that goes into knitting.

Nearly-made-the-list:
* Knitty Kitty / David Elliott ; illustrated by Christopher Denise
Knitty Kitty is knitting a scarf, a hat, and some mittens for her kittens, but when night falls and the snow comes down, the kittens request a blanket to keep them warm but Knitty Kitty has a better idea.

Annie’s comments: I appreciate the love that Knitty Kitty expresses through her knitting. But, the illustrations are a bit confusing for younger readers. Knitty Kitty is anthropomorphised – knitting, in a chair, dressed in human clothes… but her kittens are kittens. You know, cat-like... and she’s human-like. Mixed messages at best.

* Noodle's knitting / Sheryl Webster ; [illustrated by] Caroline Pedler
A mouse named Noodle finds a ball of wool and decides to knit a scarf, which grows so big that she is trapped inside her house.

Annie’s comments: Noodle shows the dangers of knitting – sometimes knitters become obsessed… and sometimes beginner knitters need to be reigned in – and taught how to cast off – before their knitting project takes over the world. Cute.

Annie Hoot and the knitting extravaganza / Holly Clifton-Brown
http://www.elgar.govt.nz:80/record=b2492044~S1 "Annie Hoot, an owl, loves to knit, but the other owls in the woods will not wear the clothes she makes for them so she goes off in search of other animals that will appreciate her knitwear."--Publisher's description. Annie’s comments: yeah, ummm… this one cuts a little too close to the bone :D. My name, the owl – and the frenetic, knitting-fixes-all attitude… and the lack of appreciation those closest to you can sometimes show towards your lovingly meant gifts. No, it’s not my picture book autobiography – but it feels like it could be.

Extra yarn / by Mac Barnett ; illustrated by Jon Klassen. http://www.elgar.govt.nz:80/record=b2649749~S1 With a supply of yarn that never runs out, Annabelle knits for everyone and everything in town until an evil archduke decides he wants the yarn for himself.

Annie’s comments: I want Annabelle’s knitting box. Seriously! Do you have any idea how big my yarn stash is? I think I’ve reached the level of SABLE (Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy... ie more knitting yarn than I will ever deal with in my lifetime). Not so sure I’d knit a sweater for a ute, tho!

With love from Grandma / by Harriet Ziefert ; pictures by Deborah Kogan Ray
Sarah’s grandmother loves to knit, and from her needles emerge hats and gloves, mittens and socks, sweaters and scarves, all to keep her children and grandchildren warm. Now it’s Sarah’s turn to get something extra-special: a big, beautiful afghan, made from wool Sarah has chosen herself. Something that large takes time, however. Summer turns to fall, school begins, Halloween comes, then Thanksgiving. Finally, Grandma announces she’s coming to visit—with the afghan. Sarah’s wait is almost over. But there’s still one thing left to do...

Annie’s comments: This is a heart-warming story of family love and traditions, and the joy to be found in precious handcrafted heirlooms.

Mr Nick's knitting / Margaret Wild & Dee Huxley
Mr Nick and Mrs Jolley met every morning on the train, where they both sat knitting until they got off. One morning Mrs Jolley wasn't there; she was in hospital. Mr Nick knitted her a present that would make her happy and help her get well.

Annie’s comments: knitters really do understand each other – and friendship can be formed, based on the fact you both knit. This book celebrates the knitting community and support that comes from within it. When a friend of mine lost their apartment in Christchurch, due the February earthquake, I cried. And I wondered what I could do – in Auckland. I knew she knitted. So I sent her down a copy of my favourite sock pattern (I’d sent her one earlier), a ball of my favourite sock wool, a set of needles, a sewing-up needle, and a card. And it made her cry, but in a happy way.

The story blanket / Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz ; illustrated by Elena Odriozola
Babba Zarrah has a beautiful woollen sitting blanket, which the children sit on to listen to her stories. Babba Zarrah always says that 'every question has an answer', and when she realises the villagers need new clothes, Babba Zarrah begins to unravel her blanket in secret to make them. She makes so many surprises that soon there is no more blanket to sit on. But when the villagers discover Babba Zarrah's secret, they decide to give Babba Zarrah a surprise in return...

Annie’s comments: I love Babba Zarrah. What’s not to love? She gathers the children together on her blanket and tells them stories. She loves her neighbours so much, she sacrifices her blanket to keep them warm (even the tailor’s cat). And her neighbours respond in kind. Warmth and love leap out of this book.

List by Annie

Our top 5 bedtime stories for February

List by Danielle

Enchantress: Can I be in your video?
Thor: Nay, witch. Thou dost headbang like a girl. Now be gone, less thou detract from my mighty rocking. More cowbell! Thus spoke Thor.

No doubt about it, February was Super Hero month in our household. Our first dip into the mighty, marvellous pool of superheroes (if you don't count last month's fabulous Traction Man) was my 5 year old daughter's discovery of superhero phonics books, early readers about heroes such as X-ray Rex and Jumping Jade.

The find of the month, though, has been Marvel's mind-blowing Super Hero Squad, which comes in several formats - DVD, chapter book, and junior graphic novel. I say mind-blowing, because for those raised on Marvel comics (not me) and even for those who came to the characters late through films like Iron Man, the X Men and Fantastic 4 flicks, the various Hulks... this is a whole new world. Imagine brooding, angsty heroes like Wolverine turned into wisecracking kiddy characters. Hulk as comic relief. Captain America as the wise old mentor/butt of jokes. The characters now have no back story - the Hulk has no human form, Wolverine (or 'Wolvie') appears in flashbacks as a baby, complete with adamantium claws. Thor, as in the quote above, went to Valhalla High School.

It about blows your mind, huh?

Couple that with the most catchy theme song ever to grace a kids' cartoon... It's time to hero up, squaddies!

Top 5 anti-kissing picture books

List by Annie, Central Library

'A child's kiss is magic. Why else would they be so stingy with them?'

~ Harvey Fierstein

There’s a stage when your little guy doesn’t want a kiss or a hug – from mum, or auntie, or… These picture books acknowledge that stage, and its passing.

What I want to know is – why is it mostly aunties who are the problem? I can’t remember any of my nephews (and it’s always boys in these books) having an issue with their aunties, or grandmothers. Mothers, though, they were a different story. So, those ‘no kisses from mum’ books may be right. Or, maybe I was lucky in my nephews. Hmmm… wonder how well the great-nephews will survive?

Honourable mention:
No more kisses! / by Margaret Wild ; illustrated by Nina Rycroft.
Baby has had enough kisses. He squirms and giggles and cries Stop! Stop!. Then he runs away, across the garden. His friends playfully chase him - until baby turns the tables and tries to kiss them instead!

Rollicking rhymes and backyard fun, with a great repeating refrain, make this a wonderful read aloud.

Our top 5 bedtime stories for January

List by Danielle

"There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Blessed, beautiful holiday sleep-ins this month have meant that the kids aren't so tired at bedtime, and are often still widely, loudly, bed-bouncingly awake by the time *I'm* ready to sneak off to bed with my own book. At 3 and 5, neither of them are really reading on their own - though the 5 year old is surely working on it - so they tend to latch onto interactive books (flaps, puzzle-solving, spot-the-whatever type books), or books with simple, funny stories that they can remember and tell each other, or books with plenty of visual stuff going on to absorb them.

Top 5 picture books with non-traditional illustrative styles

List by Annie, Central Library

'The artist's world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep.'
~Paul Strand

We're used to seeing picture books illustrated traditionally – you know, pen and ink, watercolour, oils, photos… Just like in non-book art, illustrators are branching out and playing with other media. What is interesting is seeing how well, or not, these 3D techniques translate to the 2D, flat image seen in a picture book page. That said, it can be difficult even with 'traditional' media to figure out what technique was used.

5 books I'm reading to Mr 7 tonight to celebrate 'Talk Like a Pirate Day'

List by Tosca

"And don’t they wear the bulliest clothes! Oh no! All gold and silver and diamonds," said Joe, with enthusiasm."
– The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Shiver me timbers, it's Talk Like a Pirate Day! It was the first thing on my mind this morning and, thanks to a few picture books I've grabbed off the shelves, will probably be the last thing on my mind tonight. My nephew Kalani - or Mr 7 as I call him - loves pirates. Adores them in all their glory, even with (especially with?) their blackened teeth, questionable bathing habits and general grumpiness. So grab up your best stuffed parrot (?) and your sparkliest eyepatch as I give you...5 pirate books that little lads and lasses will enjoy!

1,001 reasons to love kid's books, chocolate, songs, video games and albums

List by Tosca

"A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers."
- Plato

What if you had knowledge *and* numbers in the one book? 1,001 numbers, to be exact, with the accompanying 1,001 pieces of information to go with them? And if you were crazy enough to request and read 5 such books, well, those are some phenomenal numbers right there. My brain is crazy-jam-packed-full of bits of trivia and recommendations after the reading fest of the last four or five days. When I had the idea to do this list I thought it would be a relatively easy-ish thing to do: search the catalogue, request whatever interests me, read and add/not add. Foolish, foolish thought. Choosing which titles to request was hard enough but trying to play favourites with them was worse. I had to discount a whole heap because they weren't quite as interesting to me as I thought they'd be (golf? Really?!) or, really, were too 'highbrow' for my tastes (I think Mr. 7's fingerpaintings are a wonder to behold). I'm not a classy kind of person. Now I have a huge list of kids' books to re-read, chocolates to try, songs and albums to locate and listen to and video games to hunt down. Eek!

Also, I apologise for my absurdly long and somewhat dizzy version of 'honourable mentions.' And to the librarians who had to round up these enormous books to send them to me, thank you so much! And no, Sue, I'm not creating a bucketlist :) Well, not yet, anyway...

Top 5 items I nicked from Manukau Library's new books trolley

List by Tosca

'I would never read a book if it were possible for me to talk half an hour with the man who wrote it.'
- Woodrow Wilson

When I'm in need of inspiration or timeout (not like the naughty corner/naughty step kind of time out, though) I sneak away downstairs and raid their collections or their new books trolley. I find that I am greatly in need of inspiration this month. Ordinarily, I am full of words that are clamouring to be given voice here in this blog, but August seems to be a solemn month for me. As a result I have posted very little. I spent some of the last couple of weeks fretting about how hard I'm finding it to write posts that are engaging and funny or even relevant. And then last night I decided to let it run its course. After all, it doesn't mean I love books any less :) So today I offer up a simple post that is less about my sense of humour and all about the books: top 5 books I nicked from Manukau Library's new books trolley that are well worth the mention. Many thanks to Shanta for letting me ooh and aah over the trolley and 'borrow' a stack of new books for the day.

Top 5 birthday picturebooks I nicked off of Manukau Library's shelves

List by Tosca

"Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional."
- Chili Davis

I hate birthdays. Today is my birthday. Therefore, today is my Happy Hated Birthday. (Thanks, Robyn, for giving it this name). I quite happily celebrate other people's birthdays. After all, what's not to like about cake, right? Ordinarily, though, I'm not a fan of my own birthday. It isn't that I mind getting older. That bit I can live with. It's the constant, nagging feeling I carry that I'm not ready to be a responsible adult just yet. I want to be able to eat cornflakes for dinner, eat icecream on my un-birthday, splash in puddles on rainy days, sing along to my iPod on the bus and refuse to do things when I'm cranky and tired. That sounds like so much more fun than paying bills, babysitting, writing reports, eating sensibly and being considerate all of the time :) This quick list is my top 5 pick of birthday-themed picturebooks I nicked off of Manukau Library's shelves. They remind me that a childish delight in things - no matter your age - is sometimes necessary to navigating life. You'll probably see a couple of posts from me today. No doubt, both of them will contain a sense of the ridiculous. Something about my birthday brings that out in me. Here's to the ridiculously happy hated birthday!

5 books that helped me explain ANZAC Day to Mr 12 and Mr 13

List by Tosca

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."
- For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon

I've taken part in a few dawn parades and ANZAC memorial services over the years and have read numerous books about life back then but it has always seemed as if it were all one step removed. I have felt such overwhelming sadness for so many lives lost, thinking that these soldiers were young and brave and foolhardy and probably oh so very scared. As much as I have understood why we remember such a time, I have never really felt it. At least, not until this year. Whether it's age, frame of mind or the company I had at the time, I'm not sure. I have always found it quite hard to know how to describe ANZAC Day to the nephews and I've often thought that I do it a disservice when I recite the timeline in such a dry matter-of-fact way with no actual feeling for the people involved. The 'how' and the 'who' seems easily enough said, but trying to explain what motivated soldiers to enlist - going off to war, far from family, fighting, unaware if they were going to live or die that day, the next day, the day after... - that's not so easy to do. I've no idea how much of it all my nephews truly understood beforehand and, unlike many friends and acquaintances, we have no personal knowledge of any family members who fought in the war, so other than a general sense of empathy and sadness it often seems like they (we?) view it rather objectively. This year, in an effort to be able to answer any questions they might possibly have about ANZAC Day, I raided our collections for a mix of books that would, hopefully, help explain the day itself in particular, and the war in general. I rounded up a whole heap and, with the nephews, spent a long time going through each title (where Mr 7's input was very much missed). By the end, Mr 12 and Mr 13 were rather subdued and reflective and (maybe?) somewhat wiser. Unfortunately, we couldn't spend the day together this year as the boys would be with the grandparents in Taipa, so we've made a date to take part in our local memorial service in 2012, an activity we've never done together. We don't profess that these are the top 5 of everything we have on this topic, but they are certainly 5 resources that helped.

Top 5 best picture books of 2010 according to Huffingpost.com that I will be testing on Mr. 7

List by Huffingpost.com

"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents."
— Emilie Buchwald

I don't know much about children except that some of them like peanut butter and some of them don't. Weirdly, that has not stopped kids from liking me. My mother thinks that it's probably because I see them as mini-adults with quite distinct personalities of their own and, as a result, never talk down to them when really it's more that I really just don't look them in the eye and then they won't know that I'm afraid and/or don't know what I'm doing. I taught Mr. 13 and Mr. 12 to read and write by the time they were 4 years old and it was a hassle free process. Mr. 7...not so much. In fact, we tend to argue about what he wants to read versus what I want him to read. Quite heated discussions, too. Choosing picture books for my nephews has been, over the years, a hit and miss event anyway, only these days it's been more miss than hit. Mr. 7 trusts me to pick his nonfiction books but not the 'fun stuff' (as he calls it) and so my 'methodology' havers somewhere between letting him run crazy to choose whatever he wants and feeling like I should pick 'quality' books every now and then. Sometimes, though, to stop feeling like I'm being a neglectful aunt with next to no rules or boundaries, I will deliberately hunt up a few lists and see what other people are recommending as good, solid reads where the images and the text work well together. And Huffingtonpost.com think that they have such a one :) Is it? I'm not sure yet, I've only just requested the books. Assuming Mr. 7 sits still long enough I may find out. I live in hope eternal...

Honourable mention

City dog, country frog by Mo Willems

Dog loves books by Louise Yates

Other goose : re-nurseried, re-rhymed, re-mothered, and re-goosed by J. Otto Seibold

Top 5 reads for my NZ Book Month challenge

List by Tosca

"No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting."
- Mary Wortley Montagu

I don't read a lot of NZ authors as an adult. As a child, yes. As a teen, absolutely. As an adult - very, very few. If I see an NZ sticker on the spine in the library I tend to wince and move on. The 3 most recent NZ books I read were Mr. Pip by Lloyd Jones, The 10pm question by Kate de Goldi and Ruined: a novel by Paula Morris and those were well over a year ago. It was while reading 'Ruined' that I realised I'd become an NZ-book bigot and, really, my reason for being so wasn't good enough: I don't identify with a lot of NZ books. Which sounds totally daft because, as some of you know, I edit our romance newsletter and there's no way in Hades I identify with a Greek gazillionaire tycoon nor an impossible virgin secretary. Maybe, then, it's that I identify too much with NZ characters. I don't read romance stories with Maori or African-Americans because the character voices - and the possibilities - would feel too much like I was looking into my sibling's backyard. That would strike too close to home. And I think I'd prefer to have it all one giant step removed.

A year or two ago I set an NZ book challenge and lost focus halfway through. This year I plan to step outside my comfort zone (or maybe step back into it, I'm not totally sure yet) and pick 5 books across kids, teens and adults (fiction and nonfiction) and read them all for this year's NZ Book Month. The hardest part of setting this challenge has been choosing the books. Remember, it's been years since I've really read anything NZ-ish that hadn't been picked by our branch book club so I had no clue where to start. In the end I looked up a mix of book award finalists and winners from the Montana Book Awards,NZ Post Children's Book Awards and the NZ Post Book Awards - and so I offer up a jumbled mishmash of all.

I'm already partway through my Top 5 NZ Book Month challenge and, so far so good! Touch wood it stays this way. This month could either be really interesting. Or really awful. I'm about to find out. There are no re-reads on this list - everything is a first-time read for me. Almost as if I were an impossible virgin secretary about to meet a Greek gazillionaire tycoon but yet not.

Top 5 China in Your Hands

List by Annie

"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us."
- Hal Borland

It’s Chinese New Year – and how better to celebrate and acknowledge this event, than by reading some of these books set in China. Whether they’re historical or fantastic, they’re worth checking out.

Top 5 kids/teens books everyone should read

List by Annie

"If kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they'll have with twenty-six. Open your child's imagination. Open a book."
- Author unknown

‘Cos you know, they’re not just for kids. Books are written to connect with individuals, to tell a story, and not to tick boxes in a marketing department list (at least, they should be)…. These 5 books speak to the human condition – and, sometimes, you need a few years on you to hear them properly.

Top 5 car-trip distractions for little kids

List by Danielle

"I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them."
~Mark Twain

I was recently the back-seat passenger on a long-ish car journey (5 hours or so), wedged between two car seats with two occasionally-fractious pre-school kids. The trip went much more smoothly when I hauled the stack of books I'd packed for the trip out of the boot, and kept them handy for whenever distraction was needed. Amongst them were some of our favourite author/illustrators of late.