Hi readers,
Here at the Bach Haus, we just love Kevin Henkes. He's got all these adorable books about mice characters (Lilly, Chrysanthemum, Wemberley) and the stories are great, as are the illustrations, both done by Henkes. He has a real talent for storytelling that is appropriate for his audience. They are books that kids & parents alike can love.
Kitten's First Full Moon seems to be a departure from the style we had come to know & love. But even though this book is very different from his mice-books, this is a wonderful book in its own right. The illustrations are black & white, very different from the Lilly books (and others). But I think the black & white adds charm & hits the right tone here - it just would not be the same with color illustrations. Kitten is outside at night, with only the light from the moon to guide her. Doesn't everything look black & white then?
The style of illustration is a lot different than Henkes' other work as well. There are big, heavy lines and lots of simple scenes. But again, that style works well for this book. I don't think it would work at all for Chester's Way, but here, it's perfect.
I should probably mention what the story is about. Kitten sees the full moon in the sky and thinks it's a big bowl of milk. She keeps trying to get the bowl of milk, but has no luck. The ending is very sweet, but I won't spoil it for you! So, just like the black & white palette and the thick-lined illustrations, the storyline is sweet & simple. I personally love children's stories in which a character completely mistakes one thing for something else. They're just endearing, I think. And kitten is an endearing character - we want to see her get that bowl of milk she is trying so hard for!
This book won the Caldecott Award in 2005. I'm glad the book has received such a prestigious award. It's charming & sweet and it's one of those books where there's more than meets the eye
Have you (or any children close to you) read this book? Please let me know if you enjoyed it!
Cheryl
Monday, August 16, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
If I was a flower....
Hi readers!
I've been listening to the Juno soundtrack. This song is called "All I Want Is You" by Barry Louis Polisar.
Hope you are having a nice weekend!
Cheryl
If I was a flower growing wild and free
all I want is you to be my sweet honey bee
all I want is you to be my sweet honey bee
and if I was a tree growing tall and green
all I want is you to shade me and be my leaves
all I want is you to shade me and be my leaves
I've been listening to the Juno soundtrack. This song is called "All I Want Is You" by Barry Louis Polisar.
Hope you are having a nice weekend!
Cheryl
Monday, August 9, 2010
Book Nook - Knitting Mochimochi
Hi readers,
Recommending a knitting book that one hasn't actually knit anything from is the equivalent of recommending a cookbook from which one hasn't made any of the recipes. You can only really discuss the surface things like the pictures, or how you feel inspired to make certain things from the book, etc. So take everything I'm about to write with that grain of salt: I haven't knit anything from this book!
With that said, I love this book! And one of the things I love about it is the photography. I know, it's a little strange for me to launch right into a discussion on photography - this is a knitting book after all - but this book does photography very, very well. Allow me to gush: there are little knitted alligators and they are pictured coming out of the sewer. There are squirrels on wheels, photographed at the skating rink. There is a knitted TV Guy, pictured watching TV (competitive ice skating, we learn) on the couch, with a beer & TV dinner in front of him. And my favorite of all, Plucky Mushrooms, pictured in the grass with a lawnmower coming up fast from behind. The pictures really help tell the "story" of the knitted critters and they add to the overall humorous tone of the writing. The photographer didn't phone this one in - you can tell the thought & effort she put into the photos. On a side note, I'm amazed at some of the poor photography in some recent knitting books, things like out of focus subjects (and not in a creative way), photographs that don't show the knitted item well, etc. So it's nice to see a knitting book that gets photography right!
I also really like this book because of the humor. The knitted items themselves are funny (feet eaters!) & then the author describes them in such funny ways There are little hamsters and one of them has a little bubble above his head that says "make us for cute addicts and their enablers." Really, I chuckled throughout this book. How many knitting books can you say that about?
Not only does the author give us lots of funny descriptions, but she has also created a book-full of cute & whimsical critters that appeal to kids & grown-ups. Pigs with wigs, a moose who thinks he's a bird, a grouchy couch......there is much cuteness here. I also love that many pages are devoted to knitting techniques & how-to's (with lots of clear photos throughout!), so that when you decide which one to knit first (this is a tough decision) you'll have all the info. you need to re-create it as shown. Some knitting books skip this stuff, but I always appreciate when it's there, handy for the reader.
So, I'm sorry I can't report on how well-written the patterns are, but this book is great for reasons beyond that. Great photography, adorable knitted items, lots of humor in the pages and lots of knitted inspiration. I love knitting books that are more than "here's a pretty sweater to knit" & this one-of-a-kind book is just that. Check it out just to get a chuckle. And if you do knit anything from it, let me know! As for me, I think I'm going to knit those adorable mushrooms. They, like everything in this book, are just too cute!
Cheryl
Recommending a knitting book that one hasn't actually knit anything from is the equivalent of recommending a cookbook from which one hasn't made any of the recipes. You can only really discuss the surface things like the pictures, or how you feel inspired to make certain things from the book, etc. So take everything I'm about to write with that grain of salt: I haven't knit anything from this book!
With that said, I love this book! And one of the things I love about it is the photography. I know, it's a little strange for me to launch right into a discussion on photography - this is a knitting book after all - but this book does photography very, very well. Allow me to gush: there are little knitted alligators and they are pictured coming out of the sewer. There are squirrels on wheels, photographed at the skating rink. There is a knitted TV Guy, pictured watching TV (competitive ice skating, we learn) on the couch, with a beer & TV dinner in front of him. And my favorite of all, Plucky Mushrooms, pictured in the grass with a lawnmower coming up fast from behind. The pictures really help tell the "story" of the knitted critters and they add to the overall humorous tone of the writing. The photographer didn't phone this one in - you can tell the thought & effort she put into the photos. On a side note, I'm amazed at some of the poor photography in some recent knitting books, things like out of focus subjects (and not in a creative way), photographs that don't show the knitted item well, etc. So it's nice to see a knitting book that gets photography right!
I also really like this book because of the humor. The knitted items themselves are funny (feet eaters!) & then the author describes them in such funny ways There are little hamsters and one of them has a little bubble above his head that says "make us for cute addicts and their enablers." Really, I chuckled throughout this book. How many knitting books can you say that about?
Not only does the author give us lots of funny descriptions, but she has also created a book-full of cute & whimsical critters that appeal to kids & grown-ups. Pigs with wigs, a moose who thinks he's a bird, a grouchy couch......there is much cuteness here. I also love that many pages are devoted to knitting techniques & how-to's (with lots of clear photos throughout!), so that when you decide which one to knit first (this is a tough decision) you'll have all the info. you need to re-create it as shown. Some knitting books skip this stuff, but I always appreciate when it's there, handy for the reader.
So, I'm sorry I can't report on how well-written the patterns are, but this book is great for reasons beyond that. Great photography, adorable knitted items, lots of humor in the pages and lots of knitted inspiration. I love knitting books that are more than "here's a pretty sweater to knit" & this one-of-a-kind book is just that. Check it out just to get a chuckle. And if you do knit anything from it, let me know! As for me, I think I'm going to knit those adorable mushrooms. They, like everything in this book, are just too cute!
Cheryl
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Focus on Photography week: wrap-up
Hi readers,
As promised, here are a few more photos to share from my "focus on photography" week. It's been a great week: I've taken some decent shots & we've explored some new places we've never been to before. However, I've been putting a lot aside this week, so it will be nice to get back to normal.
This first shot is a dragonfly my 6-year-old caught in our butterfly net. She actually caught 2 at one time & this is one of them. She's fast!
This next shot was taken at Slate Run wetlands. I was so excited to be getting some good shots of a monarch butterfly - he was going from flower to flower, letting me get the lens right in his face. Well, it turns out this is not a monarch, but a viceroy butterfly, which is a very good look-alike. I was totally fooled!
Also on that same shoot, I came across these lovely little yellow wildflowers. I like the bright yellow together with the background green:
Any photography enthusiasts out there: have you been getting some good shooting in lately?
Hope everyone had a nice weekend!
Cheryl
As promised, here are a few more photos to share from my "focus on photography" week. It's been a great week: I've taken some decent shots & we've explored some new places we've never been to before. However, I've been putting a lot aside this week, so it will be nice to get back to normal.
This first shot is a dragonfly my 6-year-old caught in our butterfly net. She actually caught 2 at one time & this is one of them. She's fast!
This next shot was taken at Slate Run wetlands. I was so excited to be getting some good shots of a monarch butterfly - he was going from flower to flower, letting me get the lens right in his face. Well, it turns out this is not a monarch, but a viceroy butterfly, which is a very good look-alike. I was totally fooled!
Also on that same shoot, I came across these lovely little yellow wildflowers. I like the bright yellow together with the background green:
Any photography enthusiasts out there: have you been getting some good shooting in lately?
Hope everyone had a nice weekend!
Cheryl
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Photos to share
Hi readers,
I have a few photos to share from my "focus on photography" week. We've been going to lots of parks and ponds & having a great time. Here are just a few pictures from this week......there will be more to come, I promise!
Hope you are having a nice week, too!
Cheryl
I have a few photos to share from my "focus on photography" week. We've been going to lots of parks and ponds & having a great time. Here are just a few pictures from this week......there will be more to come, I promise!
Hope you are having a nice week, too!
Cheryl
Monday, August 2, 2010
Book Nook - Close Up Photography
Hi readers,
The "focus" of this week here at the Bach Haus is macro photography. I've checked out many books on the subject & I really like this one:
Close-Up Photography in Nature by Tim Fitzharris. There are two main reasons that I recommend this book. First, the author's photography is outstanding. To make a photography book stand out among the others, your photos have to be pretty good. I like his style a lot. There are a couple of pics in here that I keep thinking I wish I took that! when I see them. There's a walking stick with a dark background & light shining on its body (page 97) - the light makes the shot. There's also a backlit bee (last photo in the book) that also showcases great light. Just about every butterfly picture that's in the book inspires. Even if macro photography is not your hobby, this is a beautiful book just to look through. For those of us interested in macro, Fitzharris not only provides beautiful pictures, but also the techniques used to get the shot.
The second reason I like this book is that the author not only tells you the set up for the shot, but also shows you. In many of the photo descriptions, he puts in a silhouette of his camera body along with the lens/extension tube/supplementary lens/etc. that was used. It's one thing to read about all this equipment, but it's another to see it visually & see how it's stacked on the camera body. Photographers are visual people, after all & I found this really helpful.
I also like that he shares some tricks he used to get the shot. For example, there's a photo of a marmot (page 23) & the author tells us that he smeared some peanut butter near its burrow to get it to sit still for a shot. What a clever trick! I love it when photographers are forthcoming with this kind of info. - I would have never thought of doing that! Chapter 4 is titled "Subjects in the Wild" and in this chapter, the author gives all sorts of tips for photographing certain critters. For frogs & toads, for example, Fitzharris tells us a little bit about where to find them, what they'll be doing when you find them, the equipment & techniques he recommends for getting the best shot. It's really as if you had a professional photographer sitting down with you & saying, "well this is how I do it and what I've learned in all my years of experience" & then showing you some awesome photos as an example. Well, that's really what you get with this book!
There's a lot of great information in this book. Some of it is still over my head, unfortunately, but that's ok. Photography is a life-long interest. How boring it would be if you knew everything there is to know upfront. Then, there would be no reason to get out there & push yourself & try new techniques & equipment. This book does a good job giving the photographer lots of useful information and new ideas to work with.
Be on the lookout for macro photos from me this week!
Cheryl
The "focus" of this week here at the Bach Haus is macro photography. I've checked out many books on the subject & I really like this one:
Close-Up Photography in Nature by Tim Fitzharris. There are two main reasons that I recommend this book. First, the author's photography is outstanding. To make a photography book stand out among the others, your photos have to be pretty good. I like his style a lot. There are a couple of pics in here that I keep thinking I wish I took that! when I see them. There's a walking stick with a dark background & light shining on its body (page 97) - the light makes the shot. There's also a backlit bee (last photo in the book) that also showcases great light. Just about every butterfly picture that's in the book inspires. Even if macro photography is not your hobby, this is a beautiful book just to look through. For those of us interested in macro, Fitzharris not only provides beautiful pictures, but also the techniques used to get the shot.
The second reason I like this book is that the author not only tells you the set up for the shot, but also shows you. In many of the photo descriptions, he puts in a silhouette of his camera body along with the lens/extension tube/supplementary lens/etc. that was used. It's one thing to read about all this equipment, but it's another to see it visually & see how it's stacked on the camera body. Photographers are visual people, after all & I found this really helpful.
I also like that he shares some tricks he used to get the shot. For example, there's a photo of a marmot (page 23) & the author tells us that he smeared some peanut butter near its burrow to get it to sit still for a shot. What a clever trick! I love it when photographers are forthcoming with this kind of info. - I would have never thought of doing that! Chapter 4 is titled "Subjects in the Wild" and in this chapter, the author gives all sorts of tips for photographing certain critters. For frogs & toads, for example, Fitzharris tells us a little bit about where to find them, what they'll be doing when you find them, the equipment & techniques he recommends for getting the best shot. It's really as if you had a professional photographer sitting down with you & saying, "well this is how I do it and what I've learned in all my years of experience" & then showing you some awesome photos as an example. Well, that's really what you get with this book!
There's a lot of great information in this book. Some of it is still over my head, unfortunately, but that's ok. Photography is a life-long interest. How boring it would be if you knew everything there is to know upfront. Then, there would be no reason to get out there & push yourself & try new techniques & equipment. This book does a good job giving the photographer lots of useful information and new ideas to work with.
Be on the lookout for macro photos from me this week!
Cheryl
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Deadlines & dragonflies
Hi readers,
I had set out to get some butterfly shots. These were both taken at Slate Run Wetlands. I don't know what kind of butterflies these are - the first one I know is very common, I see him all the time:
I was feeling especially ambitious, so later this afternoon I packed up the Bachsters & we went to one of the parks for a dragonfly program. I didn't get any good shots to share, but I'm happy to say that my oldest caught 2 dragonflies! She's so proud of herself - and also amazingly fast! But it was a hot day & after a while we were all ready to pack it in. Smoothies & air conditioning to the rescue!
I hope you had a nice weekend too!
Cheryl
"I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by."
-Chris Messina as Eric Powell in Julie & Julia
Well, July 31st was my big self-imposed deadline to get my big knitting project finished, the one I can't quite reveal yet (sorry). And the date came & went and I am not anywhere near being finished. But that's the beauty of that whole "self-imposed" business - no one's going to fire me for it! So, there is a new date to work towards - Thanksgiving. And I'll be very thankful when my little project is finished so that I can start some new things I've been wanting to put in the queue!
The good news is that I finished my 5-year-old's knitted toy last night & it turned out great! She loves it and I love it. It all came together at the end - I was doubting myself a lot as I was finishing it up. I'm so pleased with it that I'm going to submit it to knitty, the online knitting magazine. Their website is here for those of you not familiar with it. Wish me luck on getting it published! So, that one's under wraps for a while too, I'm afraid!
Today, I went to Slate Run for a little photo shoot. I was at the park for a while & then explored the Wetlands. I could not believe the amount of bugs at the Wetlands - it felt almost prehistoric! There were tons of cicadas especially & they were so loud that I couldn't hear the focus beep on my camera. A very large bug - cicada probably - landed on the back of my pants at one point & I shrieked (the kids weren't with me so I didn't have to put on my brave-with-bugs-face) & I swear that bug shrieked too when I swatted him off! Here's a pic of one of the many cicadas (actually, it was neat to see so many - usually at home we hear them, but rarely see one):
I was feeling especially ambitious, so later this afternoon I packed up the Bachsters & we went to one of the parks for a dragonfly program. I didn't get any good shots to share, but I'm happy to say that my oldest caught 2 dragonflies! She's so proud of herself - and also amazingly fast! But it was a hot day & after a while we were all ready to pack it in. Smoothies & air conditioning to the rescue!
I hope you had a nice weekend too!
Cheryl
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