Red, Red, Red

I happened upon this Valeri Gorbachev book at the library. It caught my eye merely because my son's favorite color is red. He only colors with red crayons. He wants red cups and bowls at meal time. And if it were up to him, he'd wear red shirts every day. So this delightful book quickly became a favorite of mine and his.

All the animal neighbors are perplexed when they see Turtle in a hurry. He's looking for something red and he can't be late. Is it Rabbit’s red roses? Or Goat’s red socks? Their curiosity gets the best of them and they all follow him to the edge of town. They reach the top of a hill just as the sun is setting and much to the animals' delight- it's the sky that turns red. This book will make you want to slow down your busy life, and not just smell the red roses but catch a sunset too.

Harold and the Purple Crayon

A magician introduced me to this book. He was drawing pictures with a magic purple crayon and they appeared to come alive. When he recommended this book (and my husband said it used to be a favorite), I had to check it out. I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed.

Inspired by the moonshine in his bedroom window, a little boy (who can't sleep) decides to take a walk. With his purple crayon and a little imagination, he defeats a dragon, climbs a mountain, traverses an ocean and ultimately makes his way back to the city. But to his dismay, all the buildings and windows look the same. Luckily, he remembers that his window always had a view of the moon. When he finds the moon, he knows he is home. He "draws" up the covers and falls fast asleep. So next time you tuck your child into bed, make sure he can feel the moonlight on his face. You never know where it might take him.