August was out of this world busy. Between sick kitties, volunteer work, school back in session, and organizing group activities, life has never been more fun. With various field trips thrown in, mommy’s surprised we got much else done. However, we are back in action. Thus, books! Each month we’ve been blessed with incredible reads. This month was no exception.
Two of these books were included in Our Morning Basket. The others were personal reads for mom. Here’s a rundown of the books we enjoyed during the month of August:
- A Rat’s Tale (Tor Seidler) – Montague Mad-Rat lives a solitary existence in the sewers of New York City. His only delights are scavenging through Central Park for feathers and berries for his mother, and painting the seashells his aunt brings him. One day, he rescues the beautiful Isabel Moberly-Rat, and upon escorting her home is introduced to a world he never knew existed.
A very cute story. I think our older children found this story to be a tad slow. However, the illustrations are charming. - Good Morning, Miss Dove (Francis Gray Patton) – Miss Dove is a strict disciplinary, plus a well-respected teacher, who has inspired her students to individual greatness. One day during class, Miss Dove experiences great pain in her back. While in the hospital, her former students rally around her causing Miss Dove to reflect on her past.
Enough good things cannot be said about this story. Read it. You’ll love it. The story is not high in action and suspense, nor is it particularly funny. But it will touch your heart. One of the best reads we’ve covered in a while! - Nature Anatomy (Julia Rothman) – See the world in a new way! Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman celebrates the diverse curiosities and beauty of the natural world in this exciting new volume. With whimsically hip illustrations, every page is an extraordinary look at all kinds of subjects, from mineral formation and the inside of a volcano to what makes sunsets, monarch butterfly migration, the ecosystem of a rotting log, the parts of a bird, the anatomy of a jellyfish, and much, much more.
A highly recommended book, we borrowed this read from our local library. Mom liked it so much, it is now on my wait list for Amazon. We can see why everyone recommended Nature Anatomy.
- Baked Explorations ( Matt Lewis, Renato Poliafito, Tina Rupp) – Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito’s 2008 Baked was published to national critical acclaim and raved about across the blogosphere. Since then, their profile has gotten even bigger, with continued praise from Oprah and Martha Stewart; product availability in every Whole Foods across the U.S.; and a new bakery in Charleston, South Carolina, with even more traffic than their original Brooklyn location.
Mom checked out this book because – well – sugar. It didn’t disappoint. The recipes might seem a tad hard for those new to baking. However, most are within reach for the average home cook. - The Tiger, Love, #1(Frederic Brremaud) – A day in the life of the king of the jungle, this lavishly illustrated story follows a single majestic tiger through a wordless adventure of survival as it hunts prey and defends itself from other would-be killers defending their territory. This exciting tale is told without narration or dialogue, conveyed entirely through the beautiful illustrations of Federico Bertolucci. A beautiful, all-ages title that explores genuine natural behavior through the dramatic lens of Disney-esque storytelling. Like a nature documentary in illustration.While we might not want to judge a book by its cover, this one does not disappoint. Gorgeous inside and out, The Tiger is magnificent. My oldest found this at the library, but all of us have soaked up its pages, including my husband, the illustrator. When he wants to buy something, you know it’s good.
- National Parks, America’s Best Idea (Dayton Duncan) – America’s national parks spring from an idea as radical as the Declaration of Independence: that the nation’s most magnificent and sacred places should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone. In this evocative and lavishly illustrated narrative, Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan delve into the history of the park idea, from the first sighting by white men in 1851 of the valley that would become Yosemite and the creation of the world’s first national park at Yellowstone in 1872, through the most recent additions to a system that now encompasses nearly four hundred sites and 84 million acres.
Considering it is National Park month in the good ‘ole US of A, this book seemed appropriate. Filled with spectacular photography, National Parks was a lovely way to learn American History and explore God’s creation.
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