While telling stories in Lakeville today – as I finished up with the toddlers – they were sitting so quietly, seemingly to wait for the next thing to come.  One of the teacher’s said “Look at them!  They’re mesmerized!  I’ve never seen them like this before!”

The other teacher in the room said “I have.  When Big Ryan came last year!”

Well, thanks to those teachers for making my whole summer!

Thanks to the many, many people asking about how my daughter is doing – because everyone who asks is always so nice and congratulatory – here a few pics recently – you’ll notice that her casts are gone – the doctor said after the first week that she didn’t think she needed them anymore – we were thrilled and she’s doing just great!

The funny thing is – no one calls her the same thing – my wife calls her Alexandra – her name – I call her Lex, my sister calls her Alex and my other sister shortens that to Al.  Poor kid – she’ll never know what her name is…

 

I was finishing my story “The Great Carrot Disaster” and in the end the farmer asks the children a few questions.  The first he asks is “If I gave my bunny an orange and a carrot, which would my bunny like to eat?”

And the kids respond with “The carrot”

Then I ask “If I gave my horse an orange or a carrot, which would my horse like to eat?”

And one of the little girls in the front shouted out “Apple!”

Summer is not over just yet… and I have been having so much fun scouring the beautiful state of Massachusetts telling my stories.  I have had the oppotunity to visit new places as well as seeing some of the regulars at the libraries I visit over and over – like the Hingham Library in the pic above and below!

I was also fortunate enough to visit Fairhaven last week where the librarian told me some bittersweet news – she has gotten a job in the Dartmouth Schoold and will not be the librarian at the Millicent Library any longer after the summer.  Good luck to you, Laura – I wish you all the best!  The show was also one for the books because My uncle Tony – who I have not seen in almost 10 years – made it to the show.

My Uncle Tony – and on the other side – his son Tony:

Hoo boy!  Where does the time go?  I realized I never even put up a July Book of the Month!  So sorry!  For that I will show you a book that makes me giggle every time I read it!  Here we have a story about a family who receives a penguin for every day of the year.  It’s such a distracting, hilarious premise that kids don’t even realize they are learning about math.  And the ending is one of the best I have ever read in a story.  Not to mention there is a “Where’s Waldo?” quality to the book where you have to find the penguin with blue feet on each page – and it gets harder and harder with each passing day!  Pick this book up for an uproarious good time with your kids!