(Only a little) Library Love

Our days at the library have been a bit like (an unnamed toddler's) use of the potty... regular, but a little too quick to accomplish much good, or in fact, leave the place "better than we found it" *AHEM*.

Sorry. Was that TMI?

Nevertheless, despite our quick in and outs we have managed to score some really good deals*! You may notice a bit of a love theme, so feel free to tag this post for February 14th next year (sorry I couldn't help you out for this year).

Mama Loves by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
This one was so sweet! I loved how the rhymes all began with "Mama loves..." and ended with  "and ___ with me!" It was actually a book that I could see a homeschooling mom appreciate in particular, since it seemed that the mama in this book is doing a lot of homeschool-y things. But there was one scene of the mama going to a coffee shop - and at least *that* one fit me pretty well.

Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda
Picked this one up on a recommendation from Carrots for Michaelmas - loved the artwork and the story. But the kids just couldn't/wouldn't get into it. Shelve it for next year I guess.

The Friend Ship by Kat Yeh
A sweet tale of a hedgehog who mishears some animals say "[A] Friend ship is out there. You just have to look!" and then goes on a voyage to find the mythical friend ship. The ending makes me LOL and I'm not sure the wee girl understands why, but she still likes the story a lot. The little dude seems to like it too.

My Dad by Charles Fuge
This one... what can I say? I swear the pictures were originally of gorillas and then at the last minute edited to be bears. And it (inexplicably) takes place in a tropical jungle/woodland forest that grows both bananas and carrots (or maybe they're parsnips?) Is that even possible? I don't think so.
Clearly I'm far too picky. Because the story completely appeals to the little dude, and he loves to have it read to him at nap. And it is a cute little book. So... good for 2 year olds, but bad for picky mamas who would like their picture books to have some accurate details in them.

The Geography of Genius by Eric Weiner
Ok, not exactly part of the love theme (but maybe we can construe it to be?) This is my current read and I can say it's much better than the author's "Geography of Bliss". I picked it up because of the author's stated intention for why he would go on a search for the world's most creative places:

"Am I hoping that some of the genius I encounter will rub off on me? Sure, but I am middle-aged, and any hopes of my becoming the next Einstein or Leonardo have long since disappeared, along with my hair. But my daughter--nine years old and brimming with brightness and infinite possibility--is another story. There is still hope for her and what parent doesn't secretly wish that his or her child might become the next Darwin or Marie Curie? ...Family has variously been called a clan, a tribe... but it is also a microculture, one that we shape more directly, and profoundly, than any other. Like all cultures, family can either cultivate creativity or squelch it. This is a big responsibility if you think about it, which is precisely why, up until now, I've avoided thinking about it. But that is about to change. Creativity, like charity, begins at home."

See? There's the tie-in to love. *wink* I'm not saying I'm trying to raise the next Marie Curie over here, but cultivating a love of learning has been on my mind a lot and I just wonder if this book might have any take-aways. I'll let you know. (If you remind to. I'm notorious about forgetting to write down insights and such.)

*And now for our super sweet deal that we got from the library! Over on IG I posted a pic about all the things I found while looking for the lost CD part of a book/CD combo:

Not a bad stash. But missing CD it is not.

So I sucked it up and went in to ask how much to pay for the missing CD, and the result? They marked the whole combo as lost, so I could keep the book for $5! I'm still holding out hope that the CD will show up, because if not my "awesome" deal will actually have cost me $1.05 more than if I just bought the book on Amazon. OK kids... time to find the CD...

What did you check out this week? Feel free to share here, or over with the Mighty Miss Alicia at Sweeping Up Joy.