Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. ~Charles W. Eliot

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Happy Birthday Monkey Boy

The animal kingdom has a funny way of taking over when we're looking for the most apt descriptions of human beings. There's the mother bear, the tiger mom, the catty girl, the sweet little kitten, the silly goose, the slug, the dinosaur, the monkey, the beast and so many more. I have no doubt that you conjured up images of your own as you read each of my examples - images of people you know; maybe even yourself. Animal behavior has always been key to understanding and describing humans. Last night, after work, I took my daughters shopping for camp. They were all over the place in every store, like monkeys. They were enthused and energetic and, after a day of work, I was somewhere between a slug and Oscar the Grouch. I was ready for feeding time or nap time but my little monkeys were happily swinging from tree to tree to tree. Needless to say, shopping with three girls cost me a lot of bananas!

One of my favorite children's book authors broke onto the scene 10 years ago this week, speaking to the monkey in each of us (and particularly in our children right around bedtime). Jarrett J. Krosoczka, who you've read about before in this blog, saw his first book, Good Night, Monkey Boy, published 10 years ago on June 12. I am a big fan of Jarrett's both because of his incredible talent and because of his authenticity and goodness as a human being. Jarrett honored his 10 year anniversary in a blog post of his own that I urge you to read. Just click here and experience Jarrett's joy at having his first book published as well as his raising awareness of the impact he could, would and does have on others. Good Night, Monkey Boy is a treat to read at bedtime, naptime or anytime. Congratulations Jarrett!

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