this week's library book
It's been a lovely warm winter here in southern California, so I've been trying to find a few books that remind the kids what snow looks like. (They seem to have forgotten our many winters in Brooklyn.) This sweet book You Can Do It, Sam by Amy Hest almost makes me miss waking up to a fresh layer of snow on the brownstones.
Sam and his mom spend a snowy morning baking cakes. (I must say that Mrs. Bear is the most patient, sweet little mother I have ever seen.. I should try to be more like her when I am baking with my kids...) When the cakes are ready, they wrap them up in little red bags with a sign that reads "A Tasty Surprise".
The snow continues to fall. Sam and Mrs. Bear pack up their cakes in their adorable green truck and set out to deliver them to the neighbors. Mrs. Bear waits in the truck as Sam makes his way through the snow to each door, leaving his surprise on the doorstep. "You can do it Sam!" says Mrs. Bear.
After delivering their cakes to all the neighbors, they return home. Just two cakes are left, one for Sam, and one for Mrs. Bear, which they enjoy in front of the fireplace.
Inspired by this book, we're starting to bake treats more often around here. Instead of eating them all ourselves (which is surprisingly easy for us to do), we're packing them up and dropping them on the doorsteps of our friends and neighbors. We try to make it very dramatic.. I run up to the door, drop the treats, ring the doorbell, and run as fast as I can back to the car (sometimes losing a flip flop along the way) and JR drives off as fast as he can. We have yet to be caught.
02.15.2009
Reader Comments (39)
I really like your blog! You have such talent, thanks for sharing it. I'm moving to NYC this spring and I'm wondering where exactly you lived in Brooklyn, and how you liked it. I've been looking into apartments and it sounds like a great place to live. If you have a second and don't mind, I'd love an email from you. :) Thanks!
i have that in our library. my twins are a bit young still, but i will remember to read it when they are older and then do a ding dong bake ditch. sounds like fun.
at least we californians are finally getting some rain. you can take them up to mt. baldy to see snow, i think there will be plenty after this storm. :)
What a gorgeous book this is! After weeks of meltingly hot weather in Sydney, we are now experiencing many days of drizzly rain. Perfect reading weather! Your library book posts have inspired me to pop down to our local library and borrow a new book for each of my children. Thanks for the encouragement.
This is a great idea! Since I bake with my 2 children anyway, this should be easy to do. I found your blog last week and it is VERY sweet :)
hahaha!
It's so funny)great idea.
you've inspired me,really!
We love the Sam books, esp. Good Night Sam. I bought some of those little smily notebooks and they inspired a cute craft.
http://tinyurl.com/amb9o8
Ahhh... flip flops. I remember those!
Thanks for the book idea -- we're off to the library this morning, so we'll take a look for it!
This is my son's favourite book...how funny to see it here. We must have read it hundreds of times by now
Your friends and neighbors must love opening their doors to treats. :) I find it's easier to enjoy a nice batch of cookies or cupcakes if they're shared! Not so many in the house to tempt you with. :) I'm throwing a baby shower soon for a dear friend of mine, and we're all bringing our favorite children's books for Baby S... this one might have to go on the list.
This is a really cute idea. It will be so fun to look back on these. Your blog is great, such beautiful ideas. I love it.
This is adorable! Thanks for sharing it!
I made a dot cake this weekend and posted about it today, linking to your Dot Cake post. Thanks!
You should put the kids in your double stroller with the wind cover on it and take it to the beach. After pushing it around in the sand for a while, maybe they'll start to recall what it's like to deal with snow in Brooklyn!!! :)
I could really go for some sun right now...
I'm especially enchanted by the use of a getaway car when delivering your treats. I bet your kids really get a kick out of that and it is great that your husband is part of the action. We live in such a serious world, it's nice to see people having a little fun and pulling some thoughtful pranks.
I have to say that I recently found your blog and went through and read every single entry. I'm enchanted by your talent and creativity! I'm also tickled by your library book of the week series! I work in a library and have a sneaking suspicion that you may patronize my library system.
Anyways. Thanks for posting such amazing ideas!
I love this book (and your beauuutiful site) but my personal favorite snow book is "Too Many Mittens" by Florence and Louis Slobodkin--I just love the illustrations. You can read it online, here: http://www.slobodkin.org/books/target57.html.
You still can't beat A Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. My two year old loves it.
I'll have to check out these Sam books. I think my eight-year-olds would really get into the bake-and-dash. Thanks for sharing!
I love your library book series. This looks like a really cute book with nice pictures too.
Thanks for featuring this book. My son's name is Sam, so I collect "Sam" books. This is one of my favorite.
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