Everybody Rise by Stephanie Clifford. Publisher summary: A Bonfire of the Vanities for the 21st century mixed with Curtis Sittenfeld's Prep and Amor Towles's Rules of Civility.

I wanted to throw up while reading this book, but in a good way? It was just so hideously awkward and nerve-wracking to watch the heroine, ordinary Evelyn, try to pass herself off as a member of New York's elite upper class, knowing that she couldn't (could she?) possibly sustain it. The social striving reached Whartonesque proportions pretty quickly and then kept going. On the one hand you're rooting for E. to pull it off, on the other, you wonder why she wants so badly to fit in with these awful people and it makes Evelyn seem a little awful, too. But that just means you can sit back and enjoy her missteps along the way. NOTE: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. 

The Bullet by Mary Louise Kelly. Publisher summary: From former NPR correspondent Mary Louise Kelly comes a heart-pounding story about fear, family secrets, and one woman's hunt for answers about the murder of her parents.

I am a little obsessed with NPR so when I heard news correspondent Mary Louise Kelly had written a novel I had to get it. This is the story of Caroline Cashion, who one day wakes up with neck pain, goes to the doctor, and finds out she has a BULLET lodged in her neck near her spine. Of course she has no idea how it got there and finding out dredges up a bunch of secrets in her past. I feel like I keep reading books in this suspenseful, the-next-Gone-Girl genre, and while this one wasn't my fave, I really, really appreciated that I did NOT see the end coming in any way. My eyebrows went way up and stayed that way for the last 20 pages.

The Blondes by Emily Schultz. Publisher summary: A hilarious and whipsmart novel where an epidemic of a rabies-like disease is carried only by blonde women, all of whom must go to great lengths to conceal their blondness.

That premise in itself is interesting enough to sustain an entire novel but you also have main character Hazel thrown together in the chaos with her boyfriend's very angry, um wife. And oh yes, Hazel is pregnant with his baby. The result is awkward, sinister, redemptive -- a great mix. This book IS funny -- but there were also moments that chillingly brought back events of the past year, of riots and uprisings and people being taken down in the streets, only this time the image featured (usually affluent) blonde women, which was a weird juxtaposition that made you think about things in a new way, probably just as the author intended.

The Lake House by Kate Morton. Publisher summary: Living on her family's idyllic lakeside estate in 1930s Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure...

I haven't been too impressed with Kate Morton's last few books, finding them a little convoluted and too pat. But this one reminds me of her first, The House at Riverton, the one that originally turned me on to her. Everything ties up neatly at the end, which usually bothers me, but isn't that what you expect from Kate Morton?

A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan. Publisher summary: Elisabeth Egan brings us harried mother Alice Pearse, a compulsively honest, longing-to-have-it-all sandwich generation heroine for our social-media-obsessed, lean in (or opt out) age. 

So the book opens when Alice's husband spectacularly quits his law job and she must go back to work for the first time since her children were born. Just like in real life, you can't please everyone in the working mom/stay at home mom debate and there are a few points in this book where I found myself angry on behalf of one or the other group. But I did enjoy some of the details of Egan's plot, especially reading about the "innovative" (read horribly corporate and awful) book company Alice goes to work for. NOTE: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. 

Anouk has a lot going on lately -- new sibling on the way, new school schedule, new sports and friends and responsibilities -- so much so that she's become sometimes a little skittish about taking on new things. I can't -- I don't think I can -- I'm not sure I'll like that. So when we got the opportunity to review Ed Vere's new book, Max the Brave, I jumped at the chance, thinking it would be the perfect opener to talking about doing new things, even ones that seem a little daunting.


The fact that the main character is a cat didn't hurt (you know we're cat people over here). And the fact that the story reminded us of some of our old established favorites was good, too (there are hints of the classic The Monster at the End of This Book and of Jon Klassen's This is Not My Hat). But most of all, I enjoyed the fact that when Max the kitten first sets out to chase a mouse, he has no idea what he's doing, or even what a mouse looks like (leading to the story's hijinks). But he's determined to do it nonetheless.

And now, for the first time ever on the blog, here's A.'s review in her own words: "This book was good because it was silly. My favorite part was when [ED: spoiler alert!] the mouse played a trick on Max. The pictures of Max were cute and I want to read about him again tomorrow and the day after that."



Yay, little A.! Look for her to be eviscerating popular fiction in the New Yorker in 25 years or so.

To win a copy of Max the Brave for yourself, enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below! 5 copies will be given away (plus a snazzy red cape like Anne's) and you have until October 31st to enter. Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. The thoughts and opinions in this post are my own. 

Mr. Tweed's Good Deeds: Mr. Tweed is like a less obnoxious Where's Waldo (I don't know why I find Waldo obnoxious but I guess I do?) I think because it starts out slowly (he finds one kite, then two fish, then three etc...) or the message that you should do your best to help people even if it inconveniences you. This book is actually kind of hard -- Anouk and I never found that last gift-wrapped present before our library due date.



Beautiful Birds by J. Roussen and E. Walker: Anouk is definitely too old for another alphabet book but this one is SO BEAUTIFUL.


Tell Me What to Dream About by Giselle Potter: Why don't you dream about eating teeny tiny waffles with teeny tiny animal breakfast guests? Or wearing clouds like sweaters? Delivers on the whimsy and more beautiful illustrations.



Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson: A Press Here knockoff in which you can make trees grow and blossom and change throughout the seasons. Anouk cannot resist this type of book (though J & I are kind of sick of them to tell the truth).


Cecil the Pet Glacier by Matthea Harvey: Maybe because I'm pregnant, but this one made me teary. A little girl is adopted by a pet glacier on a trip to Norway -- at first she wants to be rid of him but then she learns that true friends will always be there for each other. Nou thinks it's hilarious how they feed the glacier pebbles. :)


The Cloud Spinner by Michael Catchpool: A fairytale/morality tale about learning to live simply, and about wants versus needs. Love the message, and the art.



Red Knit Cap Girl to the Rescue by Naoko Stoop: This adorable heroine and her adorable friends go on a journey to return a polar bear cub to its home. One in a series of three so far.

When you think of summer reading, you usually imagine it happening by the side of the pool or under a beach umbrella. Sadly (but truly) most of mine this year has happened in the middle of the night as I struggle with insomnia. When I was pregnant with Anouk I feel like I did nothing but sleep, with this one, I feel like there is something new every night to keep me awake (heartburn is the latest and greatest).

So that's the bad news; the good news is that I've managed to get through a ton of books on my summer reading list even though summer is only just officially here. And if you can't get what you want (sleep glorious sleep) having a good book to keep you company is at least a comfort.


China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan: This is a sequel to two summers' ago Crazy Rich Asians, which was also a fave beach read of mine. There is something about reading about fabulous rich people and their drama and exploring a part of the world (Singapore/Hong Kong) that I usually don't read about that makes for a wonderful poolside (and I did actually read this one by the pool, over Memorial Day weekend) read. Just when you think things can't get more shocking (a character arrives by helicopter to crash a wedding) they do (poison!) Love it. NOTE: I was gifted a copy of this book by the publisher.

Disclaimer by Renee Knight: What The Girl on the Train was trying to be, a mystery with a twist I didn't see coming. Catherine receives a book with the "resemblance to real people and events" disclaimer crossed out, the story recounts a secret that she's been trying to keep hidden for 20 years. Plus this mysterious book has an ending in which the unnamed author gets a grisly revenge, so C. better find him before he finds her.

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll: You would think that Ani (formerly Tiffani) would be gracious and generous after pulling herself up to join Manhattan's elite but she isn't, she's still bitchy and hardscrabble and that's why I love her. She's also determined to set the record straight regarding her pask but will these old events threaten to pull her back down again? I loved this book -- it was so much smarter and funnier and ultimately tenderer than I expected.

The Bookseller: This one's a bit like that old movie Sliding Doors: Kitty, a career-driven spinster (by 1960s) standards, begins to have vivid dreams of a second life in which she's a wife and mother. As her dreams become more and more real, you begin to wonder: which is actually her real life? And which is the dream? I felt this one was bittersweet in the end as Kitty was forced to choose one path over the other -- but isn't that what basically happens in every life? You give some things up to embrace others.

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume: Three plane crashes in three months in one town during the 1950s sounds pretty impossible but it really happened and it's the basis for Judy Blume's supposed last novel, which connects families and friends in various ways across four decades. It wasn't a perfect or even perfectly satisfying book ultimately but reading it did feel like visiting an old friend. Plus Judy Blume's Summer Sisters is the epitome of summer reading, how could I not pick up this one too?

The Life and Death of Sophie Stark by Anna North: I think the last book I read that so perfectly summed up a character without ever going into that character's head was The Great Gatsby and Sophie Stark is a little like that, as Sophie the avant garde filmmaker is basically her own creation and lives off of others' stories rather than her own. I never really sank into this book -- as I was reading I kept telling myself I would give up after the next chapter, but then kept picking it up again. Like Sophie herself, the book is unsettling.

A few weeks ago I received a review copy of The Picnic: Recipes and Inspiration from Basket to Blanket and was super excited, since picnics are a regular thing around here and we are always looking for new ways to liven them up. The book turned out to be a treasure trove of tips for making outdoor meals more convenient and picturesque and recipes for putting together the perfect array of food and drink for a well-balanced meal.

This fruit salad recipe was our favorite recipe we found. We've already tested it on a recent playground lunch and we made it again over the holiday weekend to take to one of the many BBQs we attended. It was a hit! Everybody in the world seems to love cherries, pistachios, and mint separately and when you put them together they seem exotic and extra-special. The tartness of the cherries matches well with the mint and the pistachios are a perfect added crunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Bing or Ranier cherries (stemmed, pitted, and halved)
• 1/2 cup shelled, roasted and salted pistachios
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

Toss together ingredients and serve in your prettiest bowl. Pro tip: use a chopstick to easily pit the cherries. I read that in The Picnic, too! I told you this book was handy.

Happy Monday!

Take Away the A by Michael Escoffier: Taking the letter out of various words to form new words is a new concept for my just-beginning-to-work-on-reading four-year-old, and this book fascinates her.


Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney: Maybe the loveliest kids' book ever? A little girl in Victorian times tells her grandfather she is planning on getting a job and seeing the world -- and then, she does just that. But her grandfather told her to not forget to add beauty to the world in some way, so Miss Rumphius also scatters lupine seeds to brighten the landscape -- lots and lots of lupine seeds. And then she gives her little namesake niece the same reminder. Just beautiful.



Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema: Like the House that Jack Built, only an African village is waiting for the rain that will bring the drought-stricken landscape to life.



The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak : The joke is on the parent (or reader) in this one. The book, as the title says, has no pictures but it has a lot of words that the person reading the book absolutely has to say out loud and which makes them say all sorts of silly things (Blork!) We read this book for 28 straight nights in a row, and it took at least 10 before I wanted to bash my head against the wall. Which is actually saying a lot in the book's favor.



Is There a Dog in This Book? by Viviane Schwarz: A group of cats (Anouk will read anything with cats in it) are suspicious of the dog that follows them through the pages of this book (she will definitely read anything with dogs). It was a nice alternative to the Book With No Pictures when that one got to be too much to bear for another night in a row. The two have something of the same vibe.



Julia, Child by Kyo Maclear: The story of young Julia Child and her friend Simcha writing Mastering the Art of French Cooking...but instead of teaching cooking they're trying to teach a bunch of grownups how to be childlike again? I don't know. I think the book is a little gimmicky but Anouk loves it and the message is truly sweet so it makes the list.



Harold's Fairy Tale by Crockett Johnson: I didn't even know there were other Harold and the Purpole Crayon books besides the original until we found this one in a stack at a used book sale. We like it even better than the original, probably because Harold seems so much more creative in drawing his way out of sticky situations (and we've read the first a thousand times).


What have your kids been reading lately?

Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio: So this might be the most adorable book ever. Two dog families find out that it's not what looks right that makes a family, but what feels right. We love the little Parisian touches, ooh lala.



I'm Not Bobby by Jules Feiffer: Rather than do what his mother tells him, a little boy imagines all the other things he could be besides himself (a rocket ship, a lion).




Gobble Growl Grunt by Peter Spier: My friend J. mentioned the other day that she searched high and low for a copy of this book when her kids were born -- A. and I came across it at the thrift store and brought it home for something like 10 cents. It's been worth 10 times that in the time we've had it. We love the whimsical way the animals are illustrated and the way they are grouped together on the pages according to the types of noises they make. I also like a lot that the quiet animals are represented, too.



Open This Little Book by Jesse Klausmeier: Anouk loves reading this book, which is not one book but a bunch of little books sandwiched inside each other, growing progressively smaller like a literary matrioshka doll. We especially love Giant's teensy book right in the middle.




Hide and Seek Fog by Alvin Tresselt: This book is written by the author of White Snow, Bright Snow, one of our other favorites. I love so much the beautiful and descriptive writing of how a little village looks with the fog rolling in off the water and how it affects all the people who live in that village.



Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook by Shel Silverstein: I never ran across this Shel Silverstein when I was little. The poems are all the same kind of funny ones you're used to -- but the words have switched letters. It's a hilarious challenge to read.




The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen: A town in Maine helps the animals that escaped off a circus ship hide from their mean owner. A. loves turning the pages and spotting the giraffe cleverly disguised as a clothesline or the elephant posing as a rock in somebody's garden.




Beach by Elisha Cooper: This is probably the most beautiful kids' book I've come across, with the watercoloresque illustrations of the beach. It looks so much like our beaches here in HRVA! The story is simple, basically describing what a day at the beach looks like, but that feels familiar too, and is probably why we love it. It scratches that can't-wait-for-summertime itch.

(to see vol. I of our favorite kids books, click here).

Lately, reading with Anne has gotten really fun. She not only can pick which books she wants but she has started to really understand the stories and we will talk about them long after we've finished reading, making up alternate endings and talking about other things the characters would do.

Our list of favorite books is growing longer every day. One of my favorite bloggers, Darcy, does really great lists of her family's favorite books for kids, and I love them as inspiration and as a record of books that have been enjoyed. So much so that I really want to share some of ours, too. (NOTE: this post contains affiliate links, which may result in a small commission for the blog if you click/buy anything through them!)




Paul Meets Bernadette by Rosy Lamb: Sometimes someone else's perspective can change the way we see things. This is what happens to Paul, a goldfish, after the lovely Bernadette is dropped into his bowl and shows him a new and fanciful way to understand his surroundings. The paintings in this book are so beautiful that I have considered copying them and hanging them in the house!


Nothing by Jon Agee: I love Jon Agee because he has kind of a weird, adult sense of humor. In this book, a harried antiques dealer sells "nothing" to a rich customer and the town goes crazy for it, wanting nothing for themselves, too. Pretty much all of Agee's books are hilarious, especially Terrific, in which a grumpy man learns that sarcasm and parrots don't mix.



if you want to see a whale by Julie Fogliano: Another one with great art. The text reminds me a lot of e.e. cummings and Anouk enjoys trying to find a whale on each page.



Little Smudge by Lionel Le Neouanic: In a series of Matisse-like illustrations, Little Smudge learns to stand up to the brighter colors by showing off his particular talents.



Press Here by Herve Tulliet: This is an interesting concept -- on each consecutive page, the dots respond to being pressed, shaken, and blown on by changing color, growing bigger, and moving. Of course the pages are the same whether you do the action or not but for now, A. still believes in the magic and has a lot of fun with this book.



Otis and the Puppy by Loren Long: Otis is a lovable tractor who helps solve problems around the farm. This is the third in a series (we like the others a lot, too).



Fancy Nancy Stellar Stargazer! by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser: I really appreciate the way the Fancy Nancy books introduce kids to new vocabulary words with clear explanations of what they mean, and the way that Nancy is traditionally girly but still interested in a wide variety of subjects. We're plowing through this series.



Swimmy by Leo Lionni: In this Caldecott winner, one black fish teaches a school of red fish how to swim together to avoid danger. Doesn't it seem like we read a lot of books about fish? Anyway, this one is beautiful, too.

What have your kids been reading lately?

It's been raining up a storm here in #HRVA these past few weeks -- my garden looks awesome but my kid is a little bored (and honestly, so am I). We've been turning a lot to craft books lately, and these two new releases are among our new favorites. I'm a big fan of sites like Pinterest, but they can get a little repetitive, with the same things appearing in my feed over and over -- it's nice to have a bunch of original, super-creative projects in one place when you're looking for a way to fill the rainy hours.

Disclaimer: I received review copies of these books from the publishers. My opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links that may result in a small commission for the blog. 


Maker Dad by Mark Frauenfelder: My first thought on seeing this book's subtitle was to roll my eyes a little -- does a book really need to be marketed to one gender over another? Then I opened it up, and immediately forgave the marketing team. Maker Dad is crammed full of projects that not only look amazingly fun but teach things like computer programming and how to use basic hand tools, skills that girls (and boys, too!) can put to use long after they've put the book back on the shelf. There's a strong emphasis on science and technology projects (how to put a video camera on a kite, create your own podcast, or build a robot that can draw beautiful abstract designs) with a few simpler ones (soap molding and extreme-bubble-blowing) thrown in. For the most part, the projects are aimed toward the older kid/tween set but this is one I'm definitely keeping in mind for when A. hits elementary school.




Project Kid by Amanda Kingloff: Project Kid, written by the former Lifestyle Director of Parents magazine, is definitely on the artsier end of the arts-and-crafts spectrum, no automated robots here (but there is a tutorial for a cute robot coin bank). While a few of the projects were a little twee, even for me (does anybody really need an embroidered flyswatter?), most were adorably innovative, and I did appreciate the emphasis on recycling and reusing instead going out and buying a ton of stuff just for the purpose of crafting (see PK's K-cup mobile, which is so cute it makes me wish I had a Keurig so Anne and I could whip one up). Bonus: Kingloff's tutorials for things like fringing and fabric dyeing are really helpful for those of us new to the kids-crafts rodeo, as are her checklists of things to have in your craft box so that you can stop, drop, and DIY at a moment's notice.

Do you do a lot of DIY at your house? Where do you get your crafting inspiration? Do either of these books sound like something your kids would like?

Happy Tuesday!

A few months ago, I posted on Facebook looking for recommendations for books, games, toys, anything, to encourage science, technology, engineering, and math skills, especially for little girls. When I was offered review copies of two new titles from Kids Can Press that seemed to promote just those skills, I jumped at the chance to read them with Anne. And we loved them so much that we're passing them along to you guys today.



The Mermaid and the Shoe by K.G. Campbell: Minnow, the littlest and most unremarkable of King Neptune's daughters, thinks she has no special talent until she discovers an unidentifiable object floating near her watery home and sets out to find out what it is. As Minnow questions and observes and tries out different theories, young readers learn a little bit about the scientific method. I'm not sure which A. and I liked better about this one: the idea that being brave and curious is something to cultivate or the gorgeous, evocative drawings of life in the mermaid kingdom under the sea. Either way, my mermaid-loving little girl wants this one over and over again and I am only too happy to oblige.



The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires: A little-girl inventor and her dog assistant set out to make the MOST MAGNIFICENT THING ... only to find out that what they come up with isn't quite magnificent at all. Instead of giving up, the girl and dog tweak their design until they come up with one that's perfect. The best thing about this book were the vocabulary words scattered throughout -- words like ratio, and antennae, and saws, and wrenches -- words you don't usually come across in a book about a female protagonist in pigtails and a dress. I also appreciated the message that it's OK to get frustrated and angry sometimes, and the one about how not everybody will be able to understand or appreciate your work, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have faith in your vision. All very good lessons for young ones to learn.

The Mermaid and the Shoe and The Most Magnificent Thing will be released on April 1, 2014. Click the titles above to order a copy.

Have you come across any great kids' books lately?

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post, which may result in a small commission for me. I received review copies of these books from the publisher. The opinions in this post are my own. 

If there's one good thing about being sick, at least for a busy parent, it's that you finally have time to read like you used to. Over the weekend, when I wasn't feeling well, I jumped into Jean Hanff Korelitz's new novel, You Should Have Known, and managed to finish it just as I shook off the tail end of the flu. I loved Korelitz's prior bestseller, Admission, and was delighted when I was offered a copy of her latest (which comes out today, as a matter of fact).

You Should Have Known is this year's Gone Girl, a taut, suspenseful novel about a woman who makes her living by pointing out the flaws in other peoples' crumbling marriages. But when Grace Reinhardt-Sachs's charismatic oncologist husband becomes embroiled in something darker than she ever could have imagined, she begins to ask herself what it is about her own marriage that she's failed to notice.

The writing is just so nuanced and well done -- despite the foreboding tone of the story, there were moments that made me laugh out loud, and I gleefully enjoyed the glimpses into the everyday excesses of Manhattan life. In short, I really liked this novel and am sharing in case you're looking for something to curl up with on these last drizzly days of winter (hopefully in better health than mine when I did!)

What are you reading lately?

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions in this post are my own. 

James's mom sent me this copy of My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag: And Other Things You Can't Ask Martha -- almost as soon as I saw it I knew it was destined for a place of honor on the kitchen shelf with my favorite cookbooks. I generally think the idea of being a "housewife" is a little nauseating (even though I am one?) but I do take a secret pride at being good at cleaning and I love learning new tricks.

Jolie Kerr's second book answers reader questions on how to clean the most random (yet filthy) things: everything from hair dryers to car seatbelts. The book has only been in the house a few days but I've already read it cover to cover and even used a few of its tricks (Woollite + vinegar to de-deoderantify workout clothes is my fave).

Most of all, I love Jolie Kerr's refreshing honesty and ability to deal with the grossest, most off-colored scenarios. And for reminding us all that you can still be a Clean Person even if you occasionally fall asleep eating chocolate in bed.

Chalk by Bill Thomson

On a rainy day, a group of friends finds a bag of magic chalk at a playground. Everything they draw comes to life, which leads to sometimes sticky situations, and the friends must scramble to draw new pictures to deal with the ones they've already drawn. Not only are the drawings in this book amazing, but the premise is a good way to introduce complicated concepts like problem solving and actions and consequences to kids who might not yet have the vocabulary to follow a verbal lesson on the subject.




Tuesday and Flotsam by David Wiesner

The beauty of Wiesner's works is that he tends to sets unfamiliar things in familiar places -- frogs floating over quiet suburban streets in Tuesday, an antique camera washed up on the beach in Flotsam -- and encourages you to go from there. Wiesner has several other books, but these two are our favorites, and I tend to buy them again and again to give as birthday presents for the kids in our crowd (spoiler alert for the few of you reading whose little ones' birthdays are upcoming). Funny, sweet, haunting and strange. A good mix.


Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole

The concept of slavery is still way beyond Anouk's pay grade at the moment but I brought Unspoken home as an experiment because I wanted to see how her little mind would interpret the complicated story of a white girl helping a runaway slave hide from patrolers. Unspoken is designed (it feels weird to say "written" when there are no words) well enough that she was able to get pretty close, pointing out the "bad men," understanding that the runaway character was hiding from them. I will note that she did seem to find a couple of the (beautiful, graphite) images a little disturbing, namely one of a pair of eyes peeking out from a haystack. So maybe this one isn't for the very youngest readers, but I think 4s and up should enjoy it (when we're reading it to A., we just skip that page and have no other issues).



Wave by Suzy Lee

This one is charmingly simple: A little girl and a wave play with each other at the beach. At first the two are separated, with the girl on the left pages and the wave on the right, but slowly as they jump, dance, and roll toward one another, they are drawn into the same frame. This was a fabulous book for helping A. overcome some of her fear of the ocean and just really cute overall.



You Can't Take a Balloon into the National Gallery by Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman

A boy and girl visit the National Gallery of Art with their grandmother, and the little girl leaves her balloon outside with a bystander, who accidentally lets it go and must scramble to find it. The balloon takes him on a chase through Washington, DC, encountering all sorts of people and famous landmarks, while the children and grandmother study paintings that reflect the balloon's movement through the city. (My favorite is a George Bellows painting of a boxing match juxtaposed with an argument on the floor of the US Senate). The National Gallery was one of our favorite places to go when we lived in the DC area, and it was nice to see it again, even in book form. Plus, we also really love the fun, Eloise-y vibe.


Have you read any of these books with your kids? What are some of your favorite wordless picture books?