Mommies say shhh! (Let's read)

Can we read? No. 128

Hiya! I hope today is already treating you well.

It’s my children’s last day of school — they are released from bondage at 11:15am (does every school district everywhere hate working parents and do everything they can to make our lives an impossible hell?) — and I’m not sure I’m ready for any of it.

“Not sure I’m ready for any of it” sums up my life very succinctly right now. Summer always feels a little upside down, even when we settle solidly into a new routine for the season, but this one is much more so than usual: I’m getting promoted at work (like, the work I do full-time that pays my mortgage and buys my children swimsuits and sunscreen and passes to our community pool, not to mention the earplugs I will wear while we are utilizing all of the above), I’m traveling for said work 5-6 times over the next eight weeks, I’m frantically starting to write a book proposal (and like any new project of mine, working myself into a creative drive that is probably, on multiple levels, pathological), and I’m moving out of my house into an apartment because my husband and I are separating for awhile.

Yes, I 100% just kind of slipped that last bit in, because I don’t know how to say it, and I’m not even sure I should say it, but I think I established awhile ago (at birth?) that I am almost completely incapable of not saying it, whatever “it” happens to be.

(Just yesterday a coworker of mine said, “It’s really refreshing to always know where you stand.” Let me tell you, not everyone feels that way, but sure, let’s go with “refreshing.”)

I don’t keep a lot of secrets and I’m not ashamed of any part of my life. If you are lucky enough to be with someone for 20 years, approaching your 15th wedding anniversary, with two small children and two careers and a home and this whole world you’ve built together and an ongoing story of things you’ve been through, without deep struggle: good for you. I am genuniely happy for you. I suspect deep struggle is part of the package and while it’s true that my marriage has been, and can be, and still is the grounds of my spiritual evolution, it is (like many) also complicated as hell and (like some) unmanageable, at least for the time being, and I refuse to pretend otherwise.

And: I am okay. I am sad and scared and scattered, but not only those: I have been thinking a lot about the two words that people most often use to describe me — confident (#1) and capable (#2) — and I am not even going to pretend these things aren’t true because it’s supremely annoying when people are falsely humble. The appropriate response to a compliment is thank you, NOT omg, stopppp! That’s not true!

It’s true that I am confident and I am capable.

And I am okay.

And whatever comes next, I will continue to be okay.

I am surrounded by love and support.

And somehow, some way, my needs are always met.

Onwards.

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The Dumpster Diver by Janet S. Wong, illustrated by David Roberts (2007)

This issue was first published in issue No. 47 — I’ve edited and updated it here

This goofy, fun story is about, well, a dumpster diver — Steve the Electrician, who wows the neighborhood kids by slinking into the basement storage room and emerging transformed. Together Steve and the kids, “the diving team” (made up of hose handlers and fauceteers), dig up all sorts of discarded treasure, which they use to build wild but useful creations. Do they look like they’ve come from a dumpster? Yes, yes, they do. Are they inventive and useful? Absolutely.

The diving team has two rules: “keep your mouth shut” and “don’t blow your hose all over the place.” But beyond that, everything is imagination — “an old blender can become a lamp. And old lamp can become a table” — and this is deeply satisfying to all, until another neighbor, the Grouch, accuses Steve of being crazy and lazy, and then Steve himself is injured during a dumpster collapse. This causes the diving team to reassess their process: rather than dumpster diving they go door-to-door asking for unwanted items, which they then use to build a wheelchair for Steve.

I really love this book — I am, after all, the person who wrote an entire Spotlight On: Makers and Making issue, so it’s not surprising that the “make do and mend” messages in this one appeal, and I especially admire how Roberts’ zany watercolors illustrate (pun absolutely intended) the playful attitude that one person’s junk is another’s treasure. Most importantly, however, this imaginative peek into a strange hobby is a super enjoyable romp for little readers. If you’re looking for a fun one, this is it.

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Mommies Say Shhh! by Patricia Polacco (2005)

This review was first published in issue No. 3 — I’ve edited and updated it here

When I’m elbowing my way through library sales and see a Patricia Polacco book, I grab it and put it in my bag without even looking at it. Doesn’t matter what it is, she’s just reliable gold, and this title is no exception.

Sweet and simple but richly illustrated (as all Polacco’s books are), this is a playful romp around the barnyard, where each animal has its noisy say, until finally, with a new baby on her lap, Mommy says “shhh.”

This was my youngest’s absolute favorite at about 18 months old — if you have a little one, prepare to read it and read it (and read it and read it). It’s a worthy library addition or gift for that age group.

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Golden Tales: Myths, Legends, and Folktales from Latin America by Lulu Delacre (1996)

This captivating anthology brings to life the rich tapestry of Latin American culture through a collection of 12 enchanting stories from the lands of the Taino, Zapotec, Muisca, and the Quechua — a diverse range of sources not usually given much attention in the children’s publishing world, so Delacre’s masterful, vibrant tapestry of myths, legends, and folktales is very welcome.

Though there are bright, oil-on-canvas illustrations sprinkled throughout, this is really best as a read-aloud for listeners who don’t necessarily need images — and in many ways, I think this is best, as it allows imaginations to run free through the different times and places featured, full of the sights, sounds, and traditions that showcase Latin America’s rich cultural history and diversity. From the mystical jungles of the Amazon to the bustling streets of Mexico City, each story is a window into the folklore and beliefs that have shaped the region’s identity, and it’s an engaging and evocative trip, whether you’re dipping into the stories one by one, or back to back.

Golden Tales is a treasure trove of storytelling that will delight readers of all ages.

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Enemies in the Orchard by Dana Vanderlugt (2023)

I tore through this book last fall as part of my duties as a judge in the poetry category for a children’s literature award (check out the finalists for poetry collections as well as novels in verse), and while I enjoyed it quite a bit, I thought that was it: I marked it as read and definitely did not expect to think about it as often as I do.

Part of it is the realization that during World War II, there was a U.S. program that loaned German POWs to American farmers as a free labor force, and that this happened as close to home as Michigan 🤯 So, there’s that. It’s hard to drive past farm fields every day and not, at some point, think of this history.

But there is also the fact that Vanderlugt wrote a compelling, thought-provoking, and surprisingly fast-paced story — a German POW working in an apple orchard meets the daughter of the farmer, destinies intertwine, tensions rise, family dynamics get even more complicated than family dynamics already are, drama and emotion abound — and I could not put this one down.

Even for middle-grade readers who are able to handle more mature subject matter, this truly is a Young Adult story, but for those of you looking for an excellent title to hand to your 14-18yos (or to read yourself!), I highly recommend this one.

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Thanks for reading today!
Sarah