Popcorn by Frank Asch

This next book wasn't one that I read when I was little but I remember being very much into the Moonbear series.  Before I get to that, I'm going to show you another series that Asch wrote called Baby Bear Series.

Popcorn by Frank Asch (1979)

 Published by Parent's Magazine Press, this is a cute story about Baby Bear and his Halloween party.  As he invites all of his friends to his house, he tells each one to bring their favorite treat.  Little did he know that popcorn was ALL his friends favorite treat.

 Even with all those kernels, they are delighted to pop each and every single one that was brought over.  This brings out a dilemma when the house starts filling, top to bottom, with popcorn.


So you can only imagine what they have to do to get out of this.....I mean, there's only one thing you can do with popcorn.

The illustrations are true to Frank Asch's work.  They are similar to what you see in the Moonbear series.  Pretty basic but yet beautiful in a sense that it shows great color for the decade it was made in.

 And thanks to Lonnie J for allowing me to purchase this book so cheap at the thrift store.  I never erase names or scribble out inscriptions.  I think it's wonderful seeing how the book was used.

Is this book worth it.  Used, definitely and you can get this book pretty cheap.  I've seen this book several times in the thrift store so it's something you can possibly find there.  But if you want to save yourself some time, you can find it at Thriftbooks, which is the cheapest way.  You can click here to purchase:

Popcorn by: Frank Asch $3.59

or you can purchase on Amazon for a bit more:

                                                                  

Just an FYI: If you want to purchase the 1979 edition (there are reprints of the book) it will cost you a bit more, probably around $10 or more.  

Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne

I've already posted a Winnie-the-Pooh love post but I'm going to do it again so I may express my admiration for the true author of the Pooh bear (no, it's not Walt Disney).

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

As you can see in the picture above, I have multiple copies of this beloved character.  Why?  Well, have you read the stories?  If you've only seen the Disney versions of these tales, you are sorely missing out.  Yes, the Disney versions are based on these stories.  I remember watching the Pooh story when he gets stuck in Rabbit's tree cause he's too fat.  But then I actually read the original story and it just seemed more true, much softer....more raw.  I don't know what it is, but I love the little naked bear compared to the bear with the red shirt.

Only 4 books were written about Pooh.  Two are actual novels and the other two are poem compilation books that include some poems about the characters.

When We Were Very Young - published in 1924
Winnie-the-Pooh - published in 1926
Now We Are Six - published in 1927
The House at Pooh Corner - published in 1928

As you can see, the original Winnie-The-Pooh book was not the first appearance, even though it's the first novel about the bear and his friends.  When you read the book, you will see a poem in there called "Teddy Bear".  This is about Christopher Robin's stuffed bear, which will eventually become Winnie-the-Pooh in further stories.

So let me go through each of these books that I have.  The one pictured above is the FULL complete set....the one I highly recommend getting cause it will be the cheapest out of all of them.  They include the two novels plus the two poem books.  I currently have two copies.  The first I purchased on Thriftbooks and the other I found with a dust jacket at a thrift store for $4.00.  Thriftbooks is only about $1.00 more expensive (plus .99 cent shipping if you don't order more than $10) and I've only seen the book once in the last 3 years in a thrift store.  You can click here to purchase from Thriftbooks if you'd rather not wait that long to find a copy:

The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh by: A. A. Milne $4.84

or if you are a person who is strictly Amazon, you will be paying around $8 plus shipping for a used copy, but you can purchase here to do that:
                                                                    

There are also these two beauties as well.  These are smaller so they are much easier to handle and are very classy looking on a bookshelf.  I only have the two novels because I found these two at a thrift store for $2.00 each.  I had to bring them home because they were in new condition.  No tears, no scuffs, no writing, and not a single page had been bent.  I really don't think the owners before had even read the books.  I was thrilled to adopt them.  If you'd rather have these books for easier handling and for eye candy ;-)......  you have to purchase each one separately on Thriftbooks

Winnie-the-Pooh by: Milne, A. A. $3.59

The House at Pooh Corner by: A. A. Milne $3.59

or you can purchase the complete set of all four books on Amazon by clicking here:
                                                                   

                                         

I just had to show this copy I got at a thrift store.  While it's not even a whole novel, it has three of the stories from one of the books.  I mainly got it because it was the first Scholastic printing from 1966.  And that was still 40 years after the book was published.  And how I wish brand new paperbacks from scholastic were still only .50 cents.

The main reason I have this last copy of a Winnie the Pooh story is because of this:

It has a two full pages of stickers of the original drawings.  All unused and all reusable to place in the book.  And guess what??????

They've been unused since 1986.  Found this gem at the thrift store for 50 cents.

Winnie the Pooh and Milne facts:

1. Winnie the Pooh was named after a real bear that Christopher Milne (A.A.'s son) enjoyed watching.  The bear's name was Winnipeg, or Winnie for short.
2. Christopher Robin was based on Milne's son, Christopher, but Christopher disliked his image in the book; saying that is was wrong of his father to use him to make novels..... (crap, if my father made a novel based on me, I'd take that as a loving gesture!!)
3. Disney now owns the rights to the Winnie franchise and has since the early 60s.  They are the ones who stuck a red shirt on Pooh
4. The quote "If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you" is actually misquoted.  Here is the real quote: 

"Pooh, promise you won’t forget about me, ever. Not even when I’m a hundred.”

Pooh thought for a little. “How old shall I be then?” 

“Ninety-nine.”

Pooh nodded.

“I promise,” he said.”

Sorry, to bust your bubble on that one.

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty

My husband is a computer engineer.  So when I saw a children's book that had to do with a child who wanted to be an engineer, I jumped right on it (or bought it).  This is a newer book so don't expect to find it in a thrift store or even for really cheap used anytime soon.

Why won't you find it at a thrift store?  Umm...because it's a totally awesome, sweet book!  Whoever gives this book up to a thrift store is crazy craze.  It's wonderful, fantastic, superb!  I can't say enough how much I love this.

And it's for BOTH genders....  as this does have relation to women's workforce during the world war, a boy and a girl can both enjoy this story.

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty

 This story starts with a girl name Rosie whose fear of criticism keeps her from sharing her inventions and engineering to others.

As she tries to invent things that would help others, but after being laughed at with one of her projects, she wonders if she could really become an engineer.  Rosie will learn from a great relative with history that she doesn't need to worry about what others are thinking and what everyone else does.  She only needs to believe in herself and see the bigger picture in how her inventions help others.

Now tell me that's not a story your child should hear.

 This book is in a rhyme and let me tell you, it's quite clever.

 The illustrations are spectacular.  The color is amazing and the drawings are just done perfectly that it even keeps my 2 year old's eyes on the pages.

There is another book that's related to this one that's out there that I have as well.  I'll definitely get that one on this blog real soon.  They are both worth paying full price for.  But you can purchase this book for a great price on Amazon.  Don't expect this book to be on Thriftbooks anytime soon.  If it does go on there, it will be for the same price as buying a new one on Amazon.  Click below to purchase!  You WON'T regret it!

The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle

For all of you who have read The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle, you will know exactly what I'm talking about when I say "What the crap did I just read and why did I read it?!"  

I do enjoy Eric Carle's illustrations and I'm a huge Caterpillar fan, but I'm still angry at myself for purchasing this book...even for $1.00.  

The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle (1977)

 Maybe I'm overreacting....and I mean maybe, but let me explain.

As you can see in the picture below, it has the same concept as the caterpillar book, with the growing size of pages...starting with a small 3 inch page to the full book size page.  On each page, the grouchy ladybug finds a new animal or a new bug and asks it the same thing, over and over and over "Want to fight?"  He does this every hour...as you can see by the small clocks in the right corner of each page.  Apparently, this ladybug has major issues as he finds some excuse to not fight each time.  Ugh.

 I won't tell you the ending.  Crap, I can't even spoil a rotten ending, but if you are expecting a dramatic, beautiful ending... it's not there.

By the way, this book did end up on the School Library's Journal of 100 Greatest Children's Picture Books.

Just a little tid bit on Eric Carle:  His artwork is most definitely recognizable by all who know him (even by one book).  He actually hand paints, then cuts the paper into the designs; just as you can see on the ladybug above.  He loves nature which is why most of his stories are about bugs, animals or even things we see in the sky.

If you disagree with my review, you can still purchase this book for a great price on both Amazon and Thriftbooks.  If you are purchasing $10 or more in books, purchase this from Thriftbooks.  Otherwise, purchase it on Amazon for $ .01 plus $3.99 shipping.

The Grouchy Ladybug by: Eric Carle $3.59

Sparrow Socks by George Selden

Both of my little boys each get one story before they go to sleep.  It's been this way since both of them turned 3 months old (when we switched them over to their crib from the bassinet).  It's now something my 2 year old can't live without.  There was once that he was being naughty before he went to bed so I decided to skip storytime and get him straight to bed.  As I was leaving, he started saying "book" over and over.  It made my heart melt.  He loved his storytime and knew it was missing that night.

So I sat next to him and read him this little gem:

Sparrow Socks by George Selden (1965)

This was such an original story, which I'm grateful to find nowadays.

I won't give away the ending, but if businesses could read this book, they'd understand how this story could reflect a huge impact on the way they perform and advertise

 My copy of this book is very old, as you can see.  Barely holding on (with tape) and worn fabric for the cover.  But I love it.  It shows that it's been used and read, which is what it was meant to do.

The Story:  Angus McFee works at his father and two uncle's sock factory.  His jobs usually consist of cleaning the machines and cleaning up the extra yarn that falls out.  One winter day, he discovers his sparrow friends are cold and places socks on each one to help them out.  But unfortunately uses up all the yarn in the factory despite the business being in financial turmoil.  Learn how this little boy finds out what doing a good deed for someone (or something) does in return.  
 The story was great, though I'd have to say this wasn't a story that would intrigue a 2 year old.  Perhaps more for the 8-10 year olds.  The paragraphs are long but more unfortunately, the illustrations aren't spectacular enough for little kids.  There is some great detail, especially when he drew the machines, and I do love how the pictures are black and white expect for the socks which are red.  But they are just pencil/pen type of drawings.

For the story, it's great.  One thing you have to be aware of is when the characters talk, they speak in irish/scots dialect.  Sometimes I had a hard time figuring out what they were saying.

I was fortunate to find my copy at the thrift store for .50 cents.  It was originally a library copy from the Salt Lake Countty library.  What's interesting, and I'm sure my boys will find it interesting too is how the late fee was only .02 cents per day.  So, back then, if you didn't return this book for a year after the due date, it would only cost you $7.30.

Where to buy:

This book isn't cheap since it's no longer in print.  But would make a great addition to a library that boasts historical and vintage pieces of literature or if you read this as a child and need it to keep those memories alive.

The best place to purchase is on Amazon for about $25 plus shipping.  Click the link below to purchase:

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

When I first learned to read, it was about the late 80's. So you can only imagine how many books my little boys own that are from that era. I've purchased every book that I can remember reading during that time and hopefully I can find more. There was one book that stuck out in my mind and I HAD to get it. At first, I couldn't find this book in the thrift store. I guess it's not something people let go of so easily, which is understandable. So I had to give in and purchase a new paperback version. But that's not what you are going to see here. Why? Because I finally found a used hardcover version at the thrift store for .50 cents. I did find one other paperback a couple years ago (after I purchased the new one) but I gave it away to a friend who had a son that's only 5 weeks older than my boy. She remembered the book, too, from her early years and needed it just as much as I needed it.

So here is one of my most memorable stories from my childhood:

 The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

This was a former library book from Texas.  

Don't know why they got rid of it.  It's a great copy.  Plus I love how libraries protect the dust cover by covering it with a clear wrap.  

If you haven't read this story....I feel for you.  It's wonderful!  Maybe the Big Bad Wolf isn't so bad after all, according to him.  While trying to find a cup of sugar so he can bake his grandmother a cake, he takes off in search of the ingredient.  On the way, he comes across three very rude pigs who refuse to help out this poor wolf.  Now, I do have to say, despite the wolf being nice, he's definitely not a vegan, so don't expect him to refuse free pork.  

I really wish I would have kept my copy from when it first came out.  I know my mother bought me a copy not too long after it was published.  

This is why you don't sell your kids favorite books at yard sales.  My mom sold each of my books at yard sales or gave it to thrift stores when I was about 13.  And now, I would have loved to give those copies to my boys.  

In a previous post, I told you how you can tell if you have a First Edition/First Printing.  You can view that Here.  

So, no where on the above copyright page does it say First Edition (some publishers don't even announce that, so you have to pay close attention).  But you can tell it's not a First Edition by it saying "First published in 1989 by Viking Penguin"  This edition was published only by Viking.  

The printing line is available on this book.  As you see, it says 37 39 40 38 36.  The lowest number is the printing lot for this book which would mean, in this edition, it's the 36th printing.

WHERE TO BUY:

You could possibly find this book at a local thrift store; if you are willing to take the time to search, and I mean a lot of time.  The last 3 years, I've found this book in 6 different thrift stores maybe about 5 times.  

But you can get this book for very cheap at Amazon; $4.00 with shipping for used, $6.00 for a new paperback, or around $11.00 for a new hardcover.

Or you can get it the cheapest at Thriftbooks ($3.59) if you order $10 or more for books so you can get the free shipping.  Otherwise, it's .99 cents shipping for each book.  Plus, when you reach $50 all together on all the orders you've placed, they will give you a $5 gift card.  I always take this route when I'm interested in multiple books.

Here are the links if you are interested in purchasing from any of these dealers:

                                                                   

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! by: Jon Scieszka $3.59