February 09 Book of the Month

Announcing Planet Silas' February 09 Book of the Month:

And if the Moon Could Talk by Kate Banks ; illustrated by Georg Hallensleben.

This is not the first book I've featured as a BotM by the writer/illustrator duo of Banks and Hallensleben (see our very first BotM entry, Close Your Eyes). I doubt it will be the last either. I just cannot resist their thoughtful and strikingly beautiful books.

I can think of no better way to end the day than curling up with Silas to read this book. Like Close Your Eyes, And if the Moon Could Talk is a gentle bedtime story in which tranquil nocturnal scenes are intermixed with images and text of a child's peaceful bedtime routine. The moon looks down upon and unites each image, be it that of a silent harbor, animals bedding down for the night, or the comfortable domestic setting of a young child's bedroom (Someday in the future when Silas has his own bedroom, I hope to make it as inviting a space as the one in this book). The vibrant colors and eloquently simplistic text are sure to capture the attention of both parent and child.

Here's a bonus book, just for the parents! I've decided to feature a parents' "book of the moment" whenever I happen to come across a title I think would be worth sharing. I doubt it will be every month since I honestly don't read them that often. Drew and I have been enjoying this books, so I thought I'd mention it:

Peaceful Parents, Peaceful Kids: Practical Ways to Create a Calm and Happy Home by Naomi Drew.

Among many other useful concepts, the idea that we ourselves have to emanate peaceful behavior so that our child learns to model it really resonated with us. We got the idea for a "house of kind words" from this book as well. Many of the concepts discussed would be easier practiced with a slightly older child, but at it's core, peaceful parenting cannot begin too soon! We plan on implementing other aspects found in the book as Silas grows, including having regular family meetings and creating family guidelines, rules that Silas will be able to help us set. One of the misconceptions that Naomi Drew dispels is the idea that peaceful parenting must mean never getting upset or frustrated, or that peaceful parenting equals passivity. This is of course, not the case (as well as impossible, if you ask me). Instead, peaceful parenting focuses on acknowledging both parent and child's emotions while dealing with them in a mutually respectful way. This is a helpful book and is also easy to digest in small quantities (very useful for busy parents).