I don’t blog much about my oldest, Grasshopper and Sensei. It’s not because she’s a teenager (8th grade!) though that would be reason enough. One reason is that she hates being photographed.
The elusive Grasshopper and Sensei.
She’s never wanted to be in the spotlight. She hates that. She’s a pretty wonderful kid though. Very kind (doesn’t get that from me or my husband!). Emotionally attuned to the collective vibe in any room and highly motivated to make sure that everyone gets along.
They don’t intentionally dress alike anymore but what do you know?!
As the oldest, it goes without saying that she’s a responsible kid. You can see that when she was in preschool, taking care of her wild younger sister who looks like she’s about to run off into the street.
Grasshopper and Sensei holding back little sister PickyKidPix.
Today, I wanted to share the picture book You Were the First for my oldest. She broke us in as parents and paved the way for her siblings. And because my oldest is an artist, I’m sharing some of my favorite pieces of her art from her blog.
I loved this painting so much that I bought it from her because she sells her work and I was afraid I’d never see it again. She’s been working on her negotiation skills. I should be thrilled that she chiseled me for $130!
My husband took her to play golf and they had a great time together. This is a photo she took using her iPhone. She’s really into photography too. Golf, not so much.
She hates working on technical drawing skills, but it seems to be coming along. I took this page out of her sketchbook.
I can’t believe my oldest will be in high school next year! The years are short but the days are long!
You Were The First by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
Sprout’s Bookshelf has a wonderful book review of this picture book. We both like that this is a mixed-race family celebrating the oldest child!
You Were the First is a beautiful book, gentle and sweet, written by a skilled author who knows what children enjoy.
… it is quiet books like this that parents can share with their children when it matters, when they need bolstering from the world around them. (And it could easily work for adoptive families, as there’s no mention of pregnancy or birth, just an opening scene of the darling boy in his bassinet.)
It’s worth noting that this is a transracial family, Asian American and white, which for me is a huge bonus. It’s always nice to find a title like this that reads so easily and soothingly — and diversity too? From Sprout’s Bookshelf
The Kid Lit Blog Hop hostesses are super-excited to unveil our new Kid Lit Blog Hop button. Tada!!!
The Kid Lit Blog Hop began roughly 1 1/2 years ago and the original design for the button was drawn by my then 9 year old daughter, who complained that she could have drawn something much better if I hadn’t insisted on stick figures. While the old logo is certainly recognizable, we felt it was time to breathe new life into the Hop. Please feel free to grab the code for the button (below) and pop it up into your sidebar or elsewhere on your site.
Big thank you to designbox1, who we found through Fiverr, for working closely with us in creating our beautiful new button.
Children’s Book Week ~ Kid Lit Giveaway Hop 2014
We also want to invite you to participate in the Children’s Book Week Kid Lit Giveaway Hop 2014 (May 12 to 18). Are you a children’s book or teen literature blogger, an author, a publisher, or a publicist looking to share copies of a fabulous book? Mother Daughter Book Reviews and Youth Literature Reviews are joining forces to provide you with the opportunity to take part in a Blog Hop featuring links to giveaways for fabulous children/teen’s books, gift cards, cash, or other prizes. What better way to celebrate Children’s Book Week?
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On to the Kid Lit Blog Hop!
Welcome to the 37th Kid Lit Blog Hop where twice per month (the 1st and 3rd Wednesday) we continue to develop a dynamic and engaged community of children’s books bloggers, authors, publishers, and publicists. So, you are always more than welcome to join us by popping in a post and hopping around to meet some of your fellow Kid Lit bloggers and authors!
We are pleased to welcome Divina from Beauty of the Picture Book as co-host this week. Please pop on over and give her a quick hello and welcome and be sure to follow her as specified below. Welcome Divina!
Happy Hopping everyone and enjoy the Hop!
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Co-Host:
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That’s a *lovely* tribute to your daughter, and I really love the painting of hers that you bought. Your posts on picture books always make me wish I still had someone in that age range to read to–at least I have a niece who’s fast approaching that age range.
Hi Asakiyume,
I love picture books too and my kids are now reading chapter books but I do think picture books are for everyone and will occassionaly have them read them with me to “evaluate” them. They do still love picture books but they won’t read them on their own! Thanks so much for your kind words about my daughther’s painting!
Another great, personal connection to children’s literature by sharing about your daughter. She’s talented:) I get the picture thing. Not big on them myself. From what I read she is an introspective and emotionally in touch kid: wonderful qualities:) Qualities that I believe aren’t recognized enough in this society as great qualities to have as a person. She sounds like my niece: introspective, intelligent, observant, very talented artist, and could see things about life, people, nature, our society that most don’t slow down enough to take notice or just don’t have the ability to. At least this is the way my niece is and she is doing very well with her now as a recent SUNY Purchase grad.
Hi Jim,
Congrats to your niece on her recent graduation. I’m sure my daughter will cringe that she is in my blog but she doesn’t read so she will probably never find out!!
I think qualities her qualities of being kind, working well with others, and being emotionally in tune with those around her will come into play more when she graduates from college and starts working in the real world. It’s funny because she hates to be alone and we had this discussion that most fine artists work by themselves. My daughter said that would be torture for her and agreed that she wanted to apply her artistic bent towards something besides fine art.
She is headed to high school next year and there is this math class she will be taking in which the entire basis of the class is solving real world problems (and other math word problems) by working in groups. This might be a cutting edge idea of teaching math entirely through group work but she’s excited for this and typically she hates math. I’m hoping that this kind of learning format plays to her strengths. It will be interesting to see both how my daughter likes this kind of class and how kids who learn this way do when they apply this to the real world in the future.
Mia, thanks so much for sharing our review. We looooooved this book so very much, and I am thrilled to see it getting a wider audience via your awesome blog!
Hi Mary,
I love your blog! Thanks for letting me link to your wonderful post! ‘You Were the First’ is such a great picture book and it’s nice to give the eldest some special attention now and then since the new baby, or in our case, the loudest and neediest child hogs the attention! It made me think that there are not really many picture books that celebrate the eldest; most are more about preparing for a new baby, don’t you think?
I was just looking at that book the other day at the bookstore, very sweet.
Seeing kids grow into ther own person is amazing. Your daughter’s art is beautiful!
Hi Ann,
You are so kind to say that. I will tell her that you said that and you are a graduate of RISD! She really wants to study at RISD after high school!
I would argue that you are very kind! Your daughter sounds wonderful, and so does this book!
Thanks so much MaryAnne!! Hugs!
I just loved reading about your oldest, and her art is wonderful. I love the premise of this book, as we only have one, I have a feeling we may need this kind of book some day he he. Thanks so much for another great book recommendation and for joining us on the Kid Lit Blog Hop
Thanks so much Julie! I will pass on your kind words to my oldest. She is so surprised and thrilled when people look at her art!
How wonderful it is to see them grow up to be such caring individuals.. Thanks for sharing the lovely pictures Mia. And its good to know that there are these special books around that we can all relate to so much!
-Reshama @ Stackingbooks
Thanks so much Reshama! It is nice to have a book to celebrate the eldest! Now we need one for the middle child!!