Books as birthday gifts for kids

I love giving books as gifts, but every once in a while I'll find a combination book/toy gift that is a real winner; for example, a set of pentominoes with Chasing Vermeer, by Blue Balliett (Jazz and I have loved all three of her books that have been published so far and are anxiously awaiting a new one from her).

Here is my latest favorite combo, and it was a big hit with JaneG. just last week:

The gift was Grace Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Douglas Toys' red dragon.  JaneG. will sit with both book and dragon in her lap and is currently devouring the story.

Poetry Friday: Mary Oliver (b.1935)

Breakage
by Mary Oliver

I go down to the edge of the sea.

How everything shines in the morning light!

The cusp of the whelk,

the broken cupboard of the clam,

the opened, blue mussels,

moon snails, pale pink and barnacle scarred—

and nothing at all whole or shut, but tattered, split,

dropped by the gulls onto the gray rocks and all the moisture gone.

It's like a schoolhouse

of little words,

thousands of words.

First you figure out what each one means by itself,

the jingle, the periwinkle, the scallop

       full of moonlight.

Then you begin, slowly, to read the whole story.

Poetry Friday is being hosted today at Carol's Corner.  Check it out!

Happy 4th of July!