7-Imp’s 7 Kicks #747: Featuring Two BookPage Reviews
June 13th, 2021 by jules
How about two new picture books today? Over at BookPage, I’ve got a review of Gabi Snyder’s Listen (Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster, June 2021), illustrated by Stephanie Graegin, and Julie Fortenberry’s Darcy’s First Sleepover (Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt, June 2021), cover pictured below.
Julie’s book — the review is here — is all about the worrisome thing that a first sleepover can be for a child, and Gabi’s and Stephanie’s Listen is, as noted in my review, a gentle invitation for children to pause, close their eyes, and appreciate every sound.
Note for any new readers: 7-Imp’s 7 Kicks is a weekly meeting ground for taking some time to reflect on Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week, whether book-related or not, that happened to you. New kickers are always welcome.
1) Walks.
2) Apple pie.
3) I’m enjoying my students in my picture book grad course this summer.
4) The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep as the current read-aloud to my daughters. (Thanks, Jone!)
5) My daughters are volunteering in the library this summer, and it’s entertaining to hear the youngest’s Adventures in Shelf-Reading. (When I had a work study assignment in my college library as a freshman, I was named the the top shelf-reader one month. #goals)
6) Keeping up.
7) I’ve been bopping along to this song all week:
What are YOUR kicks this week?
Those look like two books that would be good read aloud to end school.
Jules, hooray for sharing THE SNOW FELL THREE GRAVES DEEP with your daughters. THE INDIFFERENT STARS ABOVE by Daniel James Brown is a good fact based reference. (The part about taking baths and showers, incredible to think about …like a yearly bath? Wow) Depends how nerdy you want to get about the topic.
Yum, apple pie.
My kicks:
1. The sound and smell of rain yesterday evening.
2. Down loaded the new Sleater-Kinney album, Path to Wellness.
3. Eating outside at cool new food pods, Corner 14 (Oregon City, Rachel)
4. Finished Mare of East Town.
5. Finished reading THE VANISHING HALF.
6. Sending off goodies in the mail.
7. A sighting of a tomato forming on one of my plants.
Have a great week.
Love the cover art for both these books, as well as the subjects they cover. Love Listen for the great reminder to slow down and listen.
Jules – walks, apple pie and good music are a great combo. Love that your daughters are volunteering in the library for the summer.
Jone – thanks for the heads up on the new food carts in Oregon City! Any specific cart recs? Yesterday’s rain was so nice, and much needed. Yay for first signs of tomatoes!
My kicks this week:
1) In The Heights movie! So joyous and so fun. I’ve watched it twice and expect to have it playing in the background the rest of the month.
2) The season finale of Hacks. Jean Smart is so damn good.
3) This spring dance concert from the dance students at NOCCA, (New Orleans performing arts high school (and my alma mater), has some incredibly talented dancers and is full of joy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKV0OHmq4pw
4) Jon Batiste is also a NOCCA alum and his song Freedom and the video for it are another hit of joy for me this week. It was filmed in New Orleans and features a lot of cultural touchstones:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YHVC1DcHmo
5) A friend and I committed to playing tennis at least once a week this summer. yesterday was our first attempt and we are very rusty but managed some volleys. It started to rain, which was delightful, and we played some more but stopped once it started pouring.
6) Getting an update from a former client who continues to do well. Always a mood booster.
7) Slow Sunday morning with Daisy. Its raining so we’ve been cuddling on the sofa while I have my coffee.
Have a great week Imps!
Hi Imps! Hi Gabi, Stephanie, Julie, and company!
Jules: Go, Teacher Jules! Glad that your daughters are enjoying their volunteer work at the library.
Jone: Hello, tomato!
Rachel: That sounds like a great mix of kicks.
My kicks from the past week:
1) Scheduling
2) Timing
3) Rest
4) Patience
5) Persistence
6) Water
7) Room
Rachel, if you like Mexican food, Andelinas
Jone, I did not predict that Mare of Eastown ending. I’m glad your tomatoes are doing well. We have a rabbit that likes to sleep in the planter where our tomatoes are.
Rachel, love those last two kicks, in particular. Thanks for the reminder to start Hacks. When I was little, I’d hit the tennis ball on the side of our house and consistently make those “ooogh” sounds that professioanl tennis players make when they do a strong serve.
LW: Water! I got ill the other day from walking in the heat and NOT drinking enough water. I like “room” too. That could be many things.
Have a good week, you all!
Jules: Stay hydrated, stay well, and tell the rabbit I said hello. That’s adorable.
Jules, the rabbits in the with the tomatoes reminds me that the Juncos are currently building a new nest in my fuschia! The old nest doesn’t have enough cover now.
I love that, Jone. We saw some robins born recently in our rose bush, and now we have a mockingbird nest in our holly bush. It’s the best thing about spring.
Thanks, Little Willow! We should name that rabbit.