The Suitcase, a review

Paul and I just read this NEW book, The Suitcase.  The newest book by Jane Meyer is a compelling story of what one thoughtful child would put in a suitcase, things for others, to help them and show love.

While reading it, my youngest child who is 18 months old pointed to the animals and other things that he recognized on each page...

As an artist, I found the watercolor illustrations appealing and love how the balance of detail and "white" space, whether it's clouds or a field, well done.

The message is one that my oldest child, was just talking about...during Great Lent, we should be helping others, volunteering at a soup kitchen, donating gently used clothing, visiting the sick, etc.  I think this book would be a wonderful gift for a child ages 1-10 years old, although teens and adults will also benefit.  Even I was touched and thought about what we can do to be a better person, after reading The Suitcase.  Very uplifting!

One of the first things that I looked for was where it was printed...in the United States!  More and more books are published elsewhere, and the quality isn't as good, in my opinion.

I will receive a reading copy of this book in return for my honest review.  And I'm so excited to get a paper copy for our family!

Kisses for Paul from his big sisters...one lucky little guy.  Today is March 7/20, which is the feast of St. Paul the Simple, (on the old calendar) his patron saint, and his namesday!

Learning everyday

 We celebrated my father-in-law's birthday last week together.  Paul and his grandpa...

Climbing up the ladder and going down the slide...by himself.  We try to play outside everyday.  In the rain, under the carport, in the mud and cold, too.  We  have had a warm winter this year, overall.  We are expecting snow tonight and I hope it's good, because we've only had about an inch at the most this year. 

The girls started public school last month.  It has been really good for them so far, learning in a bigger social environment, and after years of homeschooling, it wasn't that much of an adjustment, because they were in enough social situations on a regular basis. I still get to help with their learning, when they have questions about their homework. Today, Olivia is doing soccer conditioning and Hannah running track after school.

I'm looking back at old photos...and remembering how white Olivia's hair was...now it's still blonde, and every winter it darkens, then as the summer approaches, it slowly lightens.  Hannah's sprinkle of freckles and red hair is much like Paul right now.

I got a sneak peek at a new book and will be reviewing it next week: