I should've noted with my last entry that a few months later Abby, with persistence, did listen to a complete reading of a Llama Llama book. In fact, she pulled the original out just a couple of days ago to be read.

Much to my surprise, there's been some interest beyond the initial core of "invitees" to this blogging party. I think the interest is not in my musings but in the topic of children's literature and, for sure, I find that satisfying.

Between November and December the project really began taking shape and my NOOK began to pay for itself. Looking back I wonder if I was beginning to see what the year would become.

Probably need to take advantage of a thesaurus more often, as I find myself over-using the word "charming." Yet I think reading or re-reading these books did charm me, putting me under their spells.

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The first re-read was Mr. Popper’s Penguins, which I’d put on my NOOK. Not only did it hold up after about 60 years but it charmed me once again. (I hope to NEVER see the Jim Carrey movie version!) Something I did not remember all these years—one of the penguins is named “Victoria”!

How do authors come up with their ideas? Dori Chalconas, who wrote When Cows Come Home for Christmas, is one of those authors I’d love to ask that question of. This may become a Christmas classic because I think it is so fun. Poor Moosha! Loving Moosha! Proves that every family somehow starts its own traditions for the holidays.

I clearly remember as a little girl loving Golden Books illustrated by Eloise Wilkin. As an adult I’ve tried to collect them, and I have about a dozen, I suppose, on my bookshelves. There’s just something about her characters’ faces that comforts me—along with the sweet stories. For the last time for this season, I read Baby’s Christmas to Abby. Even she seemed enchanted by the pictures. I know I was once again.

Probably the sweetest, dearest book I’ve read as a grandmother is Karma Wilson’s Baby Cakes. It is truly a book that I’d love to have written myself. “Baby Cakes, Baby Cakes, I love you. Baby Cakes, Baby Cakes, yes, I do.” It is written more for parents/grandparents than the child, but my grandchildren enjoy it also.

1304 pages for less than a dollar? Wow. So that’s what NOOK books can get you! Looking to reload my NOOK and looking to find my next book for this project, I came across the complete set of Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum. Have seen the movie Wizard of Oz a zillion times but I confess I have never read any of the books before. Finished the first one, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and was charmed by it—both the similarities and the differences in the stories in print and on screen. Even Aidan, my 6½-year-old grandson, was fascinated to hear how the Tinman came to be in the book, something never mentioned in the movie. Expect the rest of the series to come along later! And did you know that the first was written in 1900? I had no idea that they were that old.