More Mo!

A while ago, Francis made this sweet card for Mo Willems at 826 Michigan drop-in writing (for ages 6-8). I scanned it because it was so cute, but Mo got the original.

Fran even wrote a thoughtful note with suggestions for Mo's next Elephant and Piggie book.

So you can imagine our surprise when this came in the mail today for Fran:

All we can say is, we want more Mo! We can't get enough of that guy! And we loved his shout out to 826.

First the Good News...and Then the Bad.

Now this is good news.

An Ann Arbor illustrator has won the Caldecott!

And here's the bad news: there are now 25 holds on the lovely book I have checked out.

Update (1/14/10): 65 holds!

Two Great Articles on Play

Watching screen time and having big chunks of time for sustained play are always on my mind. I think play is what makes great writers, happy people, self-directed learners, risk-takers, and enhances your socially savvy.

Here are two great articles: one from The New York Times and one from CNN.com.

It kind of makes me want to build a fort.

December Was Busy...

December will need a wrap up post (at some point.) We had a spontaneous production of "A Charlie Brown Christmas", an "ice rink" in the basement, a book party, lovely dinner parties, and Claude's insistence on reading everything by her-own-self.

But we were also busy doing stuff like this:

Happy New Year from The Reading and Writing House!

Inferences about Chicago

Our Broadway babies have been listening to the "Chicago" soundtrack in the van lately. It is very inappropriate for small children, so of course they love it. Currently Claudia begs for "All that Jazz" and "The Cell Block Tango".

The tango song is a lively tune where the six merry murderesses of the Cook County Jail explain how they (justifiably) murdered their husbands or lovers: shooting for popping his gum (so understandable!), poisoning with arsenic, stabbing with a knife while carving up chicken for dinner... (Actually, I believe that guy ran into her knife TEN TIMES. So that must have been an accident.)

While the song was playing on our car ride last week, Fran shook his head disapprovingly and piped up from the third row, "Those ladies are being really mean to their mens." (I love his use of "mens.")

Other mothers would think, "Wow, I should really not let them listen to this," or "Hmm...this is inappropriate for my children, " or perhaps, "Wow. I should stop the music. Now." My only reaction was excitement and joy that he is developing his ability to infer. After all, the song indicated that these reactions were necessary and justified, and Fran questioned that. He was thinking and reasoning about what was unsaid. Bravo.

But personally, I think those guys did have it coming...