My Garden (With an Update on Mr. McGregor’s)
The Peter Rabbit birthday party was a success. During the scavenger hunt, only one kid panicked when I ran around the yard waving a rake yelling,…
Why Trixie, Why? My Emotional First Reading of Knuffle Bunny Free
As I wrote in a pervious post, we are having a Peter Rabbit Birthday party. The little guests will hop on over this Sunday. Also as…
The PBH Bedtime Canon
Who knew that getting a kid to sleep would be so exhausting… Is she too hot? Too cold? Hungry? Thirsty? Not tired? Overtired? Should we turn…
A(nother) Good Day, by Kevin Henkes
A Good Day by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow Books, 2007) begins like this: “It was a bad day….” Here at the Picture Book House, it wasn’t exactly…
The Rain is Raining all Around…Let it Kiss You
We are on our third day of steady rain with the occasional thunderstorm here in Oconomowoc, WI. It is also National Poetry Month. If I had…
Waiting Out the Storm, With My Daughter
As I’ve written before, like Grandfather like Granddaughter, but apparently not when it comes to thunderstorms. We woke up to one this morning, and my daughter…
A Good Day of Good Books
The nights when I sink into sleep thinking, “Ah, this was a good day,” are usually nights that cap days filled with good books. This morning…
Lucky Ducklings? Lucky US
I’m always telling my daughter she’s a lucky duck. “You’re a lucky duck! You get to go to the park!” “You lucky duck, you. You got…
FEE FI FO FUM! Another Generation Smitten with the Snortsnoot
I grew up in a book house. Years ago, my Dad’s family owned Brainard Books in Crystal Lake and Elgin, IL. My Mom, an English teacher,…
Prepare for a Peter Rabbit Birthday Party
I gave my daughter a choice: “Would you like a Fancy Nancy birthday party or a Peter Rabbit birthday party?” “Peter Rabbit!” she yelled. As it…
Who Lives Here, Lives Here, Now
Yet another snowy day here in Wisconsin. My inner snowman already went North for the summer, so I just couldn’t suit up the kids for March sledding. But…
Jamberry: We Eat it Up
Kindred spirits think alike, which is why not one, but two dear teaching friends gave me copies of Jamberry by Bruce Degen (HaperFestival, 1983) in the months…
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes Makes a Move
It was an emotional day. My baby went in to get a haircut and came out a little boy… and Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little…
Meet Illustrator Lisa Papadopoulos
In my head I was and always will be Anne of Green Gables, and I grew up across the street from my kindred spirit, Diana Berry,…
Jasper & Joop: A Perfect Pair for my TIDY/MESSY Family
This morning my daughter and I had something we often don’t: time together, alone. We hung out at our local bookstore. Usually, book shopping goes like…
Ten, Nine, Eight: A Quiet Bedtime Countdown
It’s not what my son does while we read Molly Bang’s Ten, Nine, Eight (Greenwillow Books, 1983) that is interesting. It’s what he doesn’t do. My squirmy, wormy,…
The Baby Goes Beep RETURNS!
My son and I spent our early morning hours today in the land of misfit books. There were three books that had been long awaiting repairs,…
and then it’s spring on yet ANOTHER snowy day in WI
Did I mention that I am a huge fan of the Steads? Oh yes, I did. So last year when I saw and then it’s spring…
A Cozy Sunday Night at Derry Fair
We signed our one and two-year-olds up for swimming lessons on Sunday nights. They hop out of the pool when they should be hopping in bed;…
Hush Little Digger, It’s Still So Early
Mornings are still not as they should be in our house, and this Saturday morning my husband took the first shift (5:15-5:45), and I took the…
Picture Book House 