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Dear Mr. and Miss Pricklyhearts

Love is in the air, and what better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than to receive romantic advice from our favorite prickly pals? Resident platonic porcupines Mr. Prickles and Miss Pointypants are ready to answer your questions!

Do you have any relationship advice for a badger (night animal) and squirrel (morning animal)? Our timing is always off and we never see each other.

Relationships are all about compromise. Perhaps split the difference in your schedules, and meet for a noontime woodland stroll or a midnight swim in the lake?

What’s your idea of a perfect date? How will you two be celebrating Valentine’s Day this year?

Any time we can spend together is perfect, as far as we’re concerned — whether we’re sticking around at home or out watching the moon rise. This Valentine’s Day, we’ll snuggle up together (carefully) and enjoy our favorite meal: twigs, bark, clover, and cabbage.

I don’t have a special someone. What do I do on Valentine’s Day?

Whatever you do, don’t spend the day pointedly glaring at the world; trust us, it gets boring fast. Get out there and frolic with your friends! As we always say, it’s much nicer being alone with someone else.

 How do porcupines show their love to one another?

We show our love by doing whatever we can to make each other feel less lonely. This usually involves lots of hugging, one of our favorite pastimes. Also, we like to send each other Prickly Love Notes. Feel free to download our favorites and email or snail mail them to your loved ones.

What do I get for Valentine’s Day for someone who has everything?

That’s easy. Nothing points the way to romance like a book, especially our own quill-fated love story!

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Let’s get out there and spread some LOVE!

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By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: February 14, 2012

New and Notable

Loved Classics

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

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I alternate between feeling that it’s like Sfar and Guibert’s The Professor’s Daughter (which has a happier ending) and the music video for Everlasting Love.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody.

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Just a real quick little pink bear-guy to remember the day.

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We have a well-loved, handed-down copy of this picture book. I noticed it's available as a bargain board book now - which I think is actually perfect for this cozy title. With Valentine's Day upon us, this is a sweet book to read while cuddling. The text is simple, and really does convey all the moods (good and bad) of a preschooler, all while proving to the little readers that we really do love them no matter what. That's an important message at an age where emotions run wide and wild.

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Valentine's Day is tomorrow, and I have reviewed some wonderful titles for younger readers that explain what this special day is all about and how it came into being. There are also some stories that have a Valentine's Day theme. You can view my reviews of these books on the Valentine's Day Feature Page.

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Baila where you still can

Yesterday, Manuel Ramos's post ended with a small poster about the Denver Valentine's Day Dance at Rick's Tavern. Last year, Sec. of the Interior Ken Salazar and two-time Grammy award winner Ruben Ramos recognized Rick Garcia for his contribution to Tejano and New Mexico music. The inscription on the award reads: "in recognition of keeping Tejano and New Mexico music alive in Denver."

The Mambo Club, The Doghouse, The Keg are long gone from North Denver's nightlife, places where you could swing a samba or toss your chanclas about the dance floor to the beat of mexicano accordion music or unas rancheras, whether or not the place had a license for dancing. Those and other Chicano clubs were replaced by gentry joints filled with those who invest in neighborhood homes because of their charm, much of which comes from its being an ethnic neighborhood. The entrance of the gentry of course razes a community, whitewashing its unique identity. In the end, there's nowhere for us to go for a baile on a Friday or Saturday night.

If you're a Chicano or something similarly latino, you know what such places mean, how la música mexicana can carry your body and alma to another place--one where spirits soar and prides swell with self-awareness. It makes you "feel like a Mexican." Maybe it reminds you of your Tío Ramón who would let out with a grito of "ay-yay-yay" whenever the band played Puño de Tierra. Or maybe after you had enough cerveza in you, you found you could actually sway your hips almost as sensuously as your Tía Consuelo seemed to be able to do so supernaturally.

That was all a thousand years ago. Yes, there are new mexicano clubs opening across the country--thanks to the influx of gente fleeing the societal plagues of Mexico--but at least in Denver most of those are relegated to the outskirts of town, where housing for the lowest-paid classes is almost affordable.

Things may be different in San Anto or Albu or East Los. But like Rick Garcia's plaque states, his tavern (it's actually a little north of North Denver) is one of the last "keeping Tejano and New Mexico music alive in Denver." Who knows for how long.

So, whenever you're in the Denver area, if you're looking for a place where gritos can still be shouted as politically correct, a club where everybody else dances better than you--like they were raised on bottled cumbia--make sure to hit Rick's Tavern, before the gentry discover the area. And maybe we'll bump hips at the Valentine's baile.

The Valentine's dance: Sunday, Feb. 12, 6–10:00pm, 6762 Lowell Blvd. (north of North Denver)

About the band: "The Rick Garcia Band performs a signature blend of Tejano, New

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Following up on last week’s Ryan Gosling meme, I’ve got a green fellow with a few special messages for you.

So  ladies, I know you love Kermit…but you should really watch out for someone…

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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All you need is love—but it’s also nice to have a good book to share with your loved one! Snuggle up with your little Valentine(s) and these lovable picture books recommended by The Horn Book Magazine.

In Sunday Love, written and illustrated by Alison Paul, sound effects and red, black, and white illustrations chronicle Bruno the Burglar’s Valentine’s Day escape from the Big House. Much of the appeal lies in the cinematic, Charlie Chaplinesque action, complete with slapstick escapades, buffoonish gendarmes, and a reunion with a true love—a sundae love, that is. 5–8 years. (Houghton)

Other forest animals spurn the friendly overtures of porcupine Mr. Prickles, protagonist of Kara LaReau’s Mr. Prickles:  A Quill-Fated Love Story. Mr. Prickles knows he’s “cute…[and] cuddly…on the inside,” but grows bitter in rejection—and then  Miss Pointypants, a female porcupine, moves in next door.  Pun-filled text shines a sympathetic light on lonely Mr. Prickles, and Scott Magoon’s playful (and cute and cuddly) illustrations bring out the best in the spiky hero. 4–8 years. (Porter/Roaring Brook)

Nancy Tafuri’s All Kinds of Kisses opens with a panoramic, early-morning view of a farm, where Rooster stands ready to rouse the creatures. In bucolic illustrations, the animals and their young wake and go about their daily routines. Accompanying text describes the type of kisses each baby animal loves—“Little Calf loves Mooo kisses…Little Kid loves Maaa kisses.” Finally, inside the farmhouse, a (human) mother gives her little one a kiss goodnight. 3–6 years. (Little, Brown)

Unlike that self-satisfied Guess How Much I Love You bunny, the narrator of Emily Jenkins’s Love You When You Whine is a parent whose claim of unconditional love has some grit. Rendered in Sergio Ruzzier’s comical, understated watercolors, a resigned mother cat lists numerous scenarios in which her impish daughter is less than well-behaved but, of course, still loved. 5–8 years. (Farrar/Foster)

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For those of you more interested in making pretty Valentines with your kids than the humorous bodily-noises variety I featured in yesterday's post (here), I bring you a technique that's:

• relatively easy (though a tad time-consuming),
• relaxing (a good project for while you watch TV or chat with friends/family),
• versatile,
• inexpensive, and
• impressive-looking

It also goes well with chocolate! What more can you ask for?

(I apologize for the blurry photo above. It was the only one I had of a quilled Valentine I made for a friend last year. I nearly always forget to photograph our Valentines...)


I'm not going to repeat the full how-to since I don't think I could do it better than Martha, but I'll outline the materials and basic steps I used to make the Valentine above. Then you can make your own version - one of the great things about this craft is that you don't have to be a confident artist to come up with your own lovely designs or make something that looks remarkably polished.

Materials and Tools

• Paper To make the Valentine above, I cut strips from bright copier paper and lightweight cardstock. (You can purchase special strips in different widths intended for quilling, but they tend to be expensive. Since uniformity is not crucial for this project, I'd go cheap.) You'll also need a piece of heavyweight cardstock or a blank card for the background. If you don't have colored paper, don't fret: white-on-white quilling looks elegant.
• Paper cutter Or a ruler and steady hand to make your strips. (Or quilling paper already in strips.)
• Scissors For adjusting length and fringing. It's nice to have decorative scissors that scallop the edge before you fringe, but they're not essential
• Glue Ordinary white glue is perfect. (I apply it sparingly with a toothpick.) A glue stick can work too, but may not hold some of the heavier blossoms.
• Curling tool You can buy commercial quilling tools (see here), but a skewer or skinny knitting needle works pretty well too. (Inna Dorman on her interesting kids and craft blog Inna's Creations  also has instructions for making a simple but effective quilling tool here.)
• Tweezers (optional) Help keep glue off your fingers and creations, but not essential unless you're working very small.

Steps

1. Make a heart "frame" I used my paper cutter to make a long strip of 1/4" cardstock, folded it roughly in half and then curled the loose ends toward each other, glued them together, and bent them into a loose heart shape. I applied glue to the edges with a toothpick and arranged the heart&nbs
   1 Comments on More Homemade Valentines: Quilled Hearts and Flowers, last added: 2/10/2012
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   Wendy said, on 2/10/2012 6:25:00 PM
   

   Gorgeous! This would be fun to work on while I watch Downton Abbey! :)

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It’s that time of the year again – that time when teddy bears show up with red pillowy hearts clasped to their chests and red roses triple in price.  Valentine’s Day.

In honour of this day –  a day in which Christian martyrs were honoured (many centuries past), courtly love was celebrated and now a day for lovers…and chocolate.

Here’s are some lovely reads to keep your heart fluttering.

The Fault in our Stars – John Green (2012)

Can any book compete with the bountiful feelings spilling out of readers for this book?  Two cancer stricken teens in love and full of philosophical and snarky conversation?  The answer is pretty simple, no.

Green has demonstrated real growth as a writer, as well as a firm handle on his trademark humour.

Liz’s review can be read here.

Penguin

Anna and the French Kiss – Stephanie Perkins (2011)

Voted most likely to make you want to pucker up to the nearest charmer with a gap in his teeth, Anna and the French Kiss is a delight.  You’ll fall in love with both Anna and the boy as they become friends and get to know each other – no instant love connection here.

Anna and the French Kiss takes the impossibility of an imagined connection and the pain of pining for someone who belongs for another, jumbles then all up and adds a foreign language.

Better yet, it all takes place in Paris.

And there’s macaroons.  Delish.

Penguin

Mandragora – David McRobbie (1994)

While this tale could largely be aligned with history (based on Victoria’s naval history in the Warrnambool area) and paranormal (mandrake before the Potterfication), there is a lovely touch of romance.

While the present day characters of Adam and Catriona are strong, independent and crushing on one another – it’s the couple of the past that makes me a little weepy.  The story of Margaret and Jamie is interlinked with the present characters, a shipwreck, mandrake dolls and some possession which makes for a rollicking read.

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Going Too Far – Jennifer Echols (2009)

While tFioS might be the go to in YA cancer stories, this one can loosely link in – any more and I spoil the unfurling of the story.

Meg is a complex, strong, contradictory protagonist with boatloads of humour, snark and moxie. She’s tortured, yet exuberant. All her characteristics, her dialogue, her motivations and her decisions are all clear to understand and as such y

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© Holly DeWolf

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Valentine for his classmates. By my son at age 7

The Valentine above almost got my son kicked out of school.

Long time readers of my blog as well as my unfortunate offspring will know that I have rather rigid rules for school Valentines. (See this previous post for example.)

• First, you must give Valentines to ALL your classmates so as to avoid hurt feelings.
• Second, and this is the even more important one: no crap TV character ones from Walmart. You have to make your own.

These rules resulted in my children creating exquisite works of art that I will treasure forever.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha HA!

Okay. The truth. What they resulted in was a bunch of crap "homemade" Valentines. Usually wonky construction paper "hearts" slathered with strange assortments of stickers, stained with tears shed during the inevitable frustration tantrums, and finished with lollipops taped to the front obscuring their signatures. If they bothered to sign them. But at least the cards didn't have TV characters on them...

That was until I discovered the six secrets to getting boys involved in public declarations of love (or at least sort-of-liking).

1. Let them use normally off-limits equipment in my studio, like the fragile light table or dangerous xacto knives
2. Encourage them to incorporate their current passionate interests
3. Assist with the boring parts like signing their names, putting the cards in envelopes, and addressing them (by "assist" I mean "do it for them")
4. Incentivize frequently with samples of the candy included with the cards
5. Maintain low quality standards
6. Have them write love poems

The first five secrets I figured out on my own. The last one, though, is thanks to their wonderful kindergarten teacher, Ms. Frey. She introduced them to classics of love poetry like:

"I love you,
I love you,
I love you divine.
Please give me your bubble gum.
You're sitting on mine."

The Valentine featured here took my fine-motor challenged child hours and hours to make. Not to mention the ages he spent creating the verse. In the process:

1. I let him use my light table (which is how the writing is more or less in a straight line). Also I let him use the xacto knife to slice a piece of scratch paper to shreds, even though that had nothing to do with his project.
2. I let him incorporate his current and longstanding interest in loud burping.
3. I allowed him to sign his name only once and then photocopied it. And I did all the stuffing and addressing.
4. I fed him lots of lollipops while he worked. Lots.
5. I mentioned the lack of rhyme in his rhyming verse and the half-finished border around the heart only once and didn't say another word when he insisted he was done.
6. I laughed - genuinely - at his funny poem and drawing. Actually I rather liked the absence of the expected rhyme. It was another little touch of humor (though I'm not certain it was intentional).

Then I sent him off to school with his packet of Valentines. Where the room mother at the

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By Nicki Richesin, The Children’s Book Review
Published: February 6, 2012

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and you know what that means: time to read some love stories! Below are just a few selections with which you’re sure to fall in love. So snuggle up with your favorite little reader and share a good laugh, a cuddle, and a whole lotta love.

Mr. Prickles

By Kara LaReau; illustrated by Scott Magoon

Even though Mr. Prickles may be prickly on the outside, he’s warm and fuzzy on the inside and looking for someone to see past his rough exterior. Thank goodness for Miss Pointypants who knows a thing or two about being judged on her sharp appearance. The deeper message LaReau humorously imparts is how to control one’s anger when ostracized by friends. Little kids who have been banished from the sandbox will love Mr. Prickles. (Ages 2-6. Publisher: Roaring Brook Press)

A Giant Crush

By Gennifer Choldenko; illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Ah, young love. This book is absolutely perfect for second and third graders confused by their beloved’s sudden mood swings. When a little bunny falls in love with another funny bunny, what’s a bunny to do? Leave it to a good friend to help him unravel the mysteries and agonies of a first crush. First rule of thumb: you have to speak to the one you love. (Ages 5-8. Publisher: Penguin Group (USA))

Love, Splat

By Rob Scotton

This tale about two star-crossed cats is seriously funny. Scotton’s silly illustrations of Splat the Cat reminded me just a bit of Garfield, but his story is pure fun. Splat goes to great lengths to impress his lady love, Kitten, but when Spike intervenes, it seems all is lost. Leave it to Kitten, with her feline prowess, to choose the best suitor to win her affections. (Ages 4-7. Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers)

Hedgehug

By Benn Sutton; illustrated by Dan Pinto

Two books about pointy critters in one review? Yes, indeed. In this “sharp lesson in love,” Hedgehug discovers love hurts after his many failed attempts to share a hug. In Sutton’s playf

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Valentine’s day is just about a week away, and we’re loving the fun gift ideas that companies are promoting for Millennial sweethearts. Here are few of our favorites: - Toms has a limited edition pair of shoes that are covered with pink hearts.... Read the rest of this post

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With Valentine's Day around the corner, writing about that special someone came to mind. How do you share your fictional lovers' stories - or not? Do you like your characters spicy or more discreet?

In The Killer Valentine Ball, a blind date becomes far more than Jess expected... a night she'll never forget, for reasons she never could have fathomed... (There's even a little zombie humor in here... heh-heh)

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Not only is Mr. Prickles: A Quill-Fated Love Story the perfect, fresh story for this Valentine's Day, but the author and illustrator also happen to be creative busy bees who have put together a few BONUS items sure to enhance Cupid's special day.

Haven't picked out your valentines yet? Look no further: click here for beautifully illustrated and clever cards and click here for some black and white ones that you can color in yourself!

We don't have to remind you that everyone loves STICKERS. Print these out on Avery labels (style #5293) and use them as envelope seals or lapel decoration.

Calling all teachers and librarians! The color-in valentines and sheet of stickers make a perfect activity to follow storytime.

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I know it seems like we've just celebrated Christmas, but January is going by very quickly. Soon it will be Valentine's Day. I found out about a couple great ways to celebrate the upcoming holiday.

Sponsor a Milk and Bookies party. Milk and Bookies is a nonprofit organization that helps kids become part of the process for enhancing the lives of underprivileged children. At a Milk and Bookies party, kids bring books to donate for kids who don't have books of their own. To find out more, visit the link above.

Send special valentine cards from Save the Children. Proceeds from these cute cards go toward Save the Children education programs, which help inspire kids to love reading. Save the Children helps kids around the world with programs in education, nutrition, and health. They are a "link between poverty and literacy."

By grade four, a student needs to be able "to read to learn." If a child is not on par for reading at his/her grade level by third grade, he/she will start falling behind dramatically. Underprivileged children are at the biggest risk for this literacy shortfall. Help make a difference in their lives--one book and one child at a time.

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just a sweet little sketch/drawing to honor cupid and my favorite day (pathetic, i know). ANYWAY, i am totally crazy about these tinted graphite pencils from derwent
http://www.pencils.co.uk/product.aspx?mid=733
they are just fabulous! i used them for the whole drawing-dry on the branch, leaves and little hearts and wet for the adorable little love birds:)oh, and a touch of ink on the branch as well.
happy hearts day!:)

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