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"Me and You and the Red Canoe"

Jatfomike

Jatfomike

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My daughter gave me this book for Christmas. She thought I would enjoy reading it to the grand kids some day. The author is Jean Pendziwol. According to her bio she is from the North Shore of Lake Superior. Its a childrens book and a very brief story about a child and adult age and gender neutral from the illustrations experiencing the Northwoods on a canoe trip. I dont have any grandkids yet but it probably will not be long before I do. I like to think that it reminded her of our first trip together. Of course the fact that I bought a new red canoe this past Summer may have had some influence on her purchase as well. I apologize for my prose and lack of punctuation but I am still having issues with posting errors.

Mike
 

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Thanks Mike, I'll look for that book. Children's literature sure has grown over the past 30 years. (No pun intended.) Many of the books we've collected over the years have gone to other homes, within our family and without, but grandpa keeps his secret stash for late night emergencies when the kiddies come to visit. IMO the very best way to get the best out of a children's book is to read it aloud, under the blankets illuminated with a flashlight. Yeah, sometimes mom comes in to repeat her warning "Okay, this is the last book, and then lights out!!" That's why grandpa keeps a secret stash under every bed in the house. You can never have too many good reads. Thanks again Mike.

ps All of this young stuff is excellent for us old folks too. I have three copies of Wind In The Willows for myself.
 
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With the kids gone now my wife and I have started downsizing in anticipation of retirement. The one thing we will probably never part with are the boxes of kids book classics in the basement. Whether I am car tripping canoe tripping or backpacking you will always find a good book and a cribbage board in my kit.

Mike
 
Good luck with the downsizing. We could never manage it. Our kids gave us that offended-confused look when we'd drop off Tupperware tubs of their stuff in storage from our basement. Doing the good cop bad cop thing meant I was the baddy, telling them that we "needed" the space. Well, that space sure was nice while it lasted. It got filled up with the detritus of our own lives. But we do have a somewhat streamlined home. Except for books. My wife implores me to build some bookcases or shelves. I open my mouth and without even realizing it blurt out "How about we just store them in Tupperware tubs in the basement?" Oooh, the circle of life, ha.
I wasn't entirely truthful earlier, not all the kid's books are just for the kids. My several copies of Wind In The Willows are mine. All mine. And our collection of Rupert is another not so guilty pleasure. Who doesn't want to wander into Nutwood on a rainy day to see what Rupert Bear and the gang are up to today? So yes, those small book piles are for the kids, but they make for excellent escape opportunities to a land of simpler lives and a more innocent colourful world.
 
Downsize?! I've been retired for 5 years, 33 days and I Upsize almost every month. Yesterday I brought home a nice bag of used tools I really didn't need from a consignment store. How do you pass up almost new Craftsman screwdrivers @ $1 apiece or 4 Tap Handles for $18.

Thanks for the book suggestion Mike I see my grandson and I reading it this summer.
 
Looking forward to reading this with a couple buddies of mine.

Alan
 
I got my copy yesterday. It was a nice read but I'm not so sure of the reception it will receive from the 5 and 6 year old boys I'll try it out on. Seems more of an enjoyable easy read for a young adult. It's more of a free verse poem than a regular kid's story which isn't necessarily a bad thing but different from what they're used to. I'll find out from one of them this weekend.

Alan
 
Alan Gage said:
I got my copy yesterday. It was a nice read but I'm not so sure of the reception it will receive from the 5 and 6 year old boys I'll try it out on. Seems more of an enjoyable easy read for a young adult. It's more of a free verse poem than a regular kid's story which isn't necessarily a bad thing but different from what they're used to. I'll find out from one of them this weekend.

Alan
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Sounds like the perfect opportunity to inject a little or a lot of whatever will captivate that audience. Farting moose. Dastardly villains. Cute Femme Fatale Forest Rangers. Thirty foot waterfalls into black quagmire muskeg. Whatever. You could stretch that book out forever.
Just remember to leave them hanging at the end of every chapter, and only show them the pictures, otherwise they'll be on to you.
 
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Alan Gage said:
I got my copy yesterday. It was a nice read but I'm not so sure of the reception it will receive from the 5 and 6 year old boys I'll try it out on. Seems more of an enjoyable easy read for a young adult. It's more of a free verse poem than a regular kid's story which isn't necessarily a bad thing but different from what they're used to. I'll find out from one of them this weekend.

Alan
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Hmm. I guess it has been awhile since I read to little ones. Sorry Alan. Maybe this book I have linked to below would be of more interest to them. Unfortunately it is only available for download but it is free. It is an adventure book about a boy and his grandfather on a canoe trip. The grandfather is kidnapped and the boy has to survive on his own using the skills his grandfather taught him. It is geared towards 11 to 17 year olds but might be a good book to read to them. It is written by Cliff Jacobson.

Mike
 
Jatfomike said:
Hmm. I guess it has been awhile since I read to little ones. Sorry Alan.
Mike
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No need for an apology. I think it's a good book but the Amazon description said it was geared for 5-7 year olds and I'm not sure I agree. But I don't have kids of my own either, just a couple boys I hang out with so hopefully I'm wrong. I'll let you know Jace's review after tomorrow.

Alan
 
My favorite children’s book author, Arthur Ransome, once said that any book good enough for a child to read is worth reading by an adult. While not about kids canoeing, his Swallows and Amazons is a great story of children camping on islands from sailing dinghies.
 
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