Saturday, April 21, 2012

"all in a day"

last week on a not-so-warm morning, we decided to forgo the beach and went to story-time at our local library. we hadn't been in a while and once again we (unknowingly) made it to the very last day of the session. lucky for us we didn't show up next week to no story-time...though i suppose we would just sit and read books on our own. anyway, i'm getting off topic here.

after a rousing story-time complete with stories, songs, some really cool puppets and one awesome purple flower sticker (that nolan kept on all day...and night), we ventured out into the children's section, searching for a new crop of books to borrow. a few weeks ago, our friend elly lent us a book about kitties (my bug LOVES kitties). it was one of the first non-board books that nolan really got to play with and much to my surprise (and pleasure), he didn't destroy it! whew! so this time at the library, we decided to explore a new section that was FULL of paper-paged books.

our exploration was cut short by nolan booking it (hehe) out of the kid's section, over to the windows on the far side of the library to watch a bus go by. *sigh. but it had lasted long enough for him to pull five or so books off the shelf and for me to start reading one of them. i didn't get all the way through it before i had to abandon all the others on the floor (sorry, librarians) and chase him, but i read enough of it to know that it was amazing and that we must check it out.

it is called "all in a day" by cynthia rylant and it changed my world that day. i have since concluded that all children should own (or borrow from the library) this book and read it everyday. maybe not just every child, but every adult too. first of all, i love the illustrations (by nikki mcclure). they are simple black and white cut paper illustrations on alternating yellow and light blue backgrounds. even a newborn baby could be mesmerized by these pages (hopefully there is a board book version also for the younger babes). and the message...forget about it. it is perfect.

this is possibly some sort of copyright infringement, but as i've cited where it is from, i'm going to risk it and share the words with you too...

a day is a perfect piece of time
to live a life, 
to plant a seed, 

to watch the sun go by.

a day starts early, 
work to do,
beneath a brand-new sky.

a day brings hope

and kindness, too...
a day is all its own.

you can make a wish, 
and start again,

you can find your way back home.

every bird and every tree
and every living thing
loves the promise in a day,
loves what it can bring.

there is a faith in morningtime,
there is a belief in noon.
evening will come whispering 
and shine a bright round moon.

a day can change just everything,
given half the chance.

rain could show up at your door
and teach you how to dance.

the past is sailing off to sea,
the future's fast asleep.

a day is all you have to be,
it's all you get to keep.

underneath that great big sky
the earth is all a-spin.

this day will soon be over
and it won't come back again.

so live it well, make it count,
fill it up with you.
the day's all yours, it's waiting now...
see what you can do.


oh man...and i was just looking on the book jacket for copyright date info and learned that the author lives in portland. of course she does. awesome. and the illustrator lives in olympia, washington. and that the book is printed on recycled paper. i love you, nw.

and here are a few of the pages, so you get a feel for how beautiful this book is. enjoy :)

 

2 comments:

  1. you're awesome. and whenever i have the chance to look at your blog and gaze at the gorgeous pics of sweet nolan growing up, i smile (on my face and my heart) and think to myself, "what a blessed little boy nolan is to have picked a mama like Ms kimberly lam!" Yeah, i know you are not perfect! but are the perfect mother for nolan. LOVE YOU! KEEP GLOWING!

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