The original version of this newsletter was sent out on Tuesday, March 25.
Sign up for All Booked, our bi-monthly newsletter exclusively for book lovers.
Hello, fellow bookworms!
This week, our amazing Advertising Director Sarah Sinclair is fulfilling her duties as an amazing grandma by helping introduce her new granddaughter to the magical world of books! Read on for Sarah’s roundup of charming kids’ books that promise to entertain both kids and grown-ups.
Also, the Carpinteria Festival of Books is sending out a call to area authors to participate in the second annual festival! The deadline to register is April 18, and the festival will be held April 27. For more information and to register, click here.
Happy reading!
—Tessa, allbooked@independent.com
We welcomed a new member to our family this year. My granddaughter Angelina Glad Sinclair turns two months old this week. I’m looking forward to so much in the months and years ahead, including reading the same books to her that I shared with my boys when they were little: Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, Richard Scarry’s Busy, Busy Town, and everything Dr. Seuss. Another favorite in our house was the Hairy Maclary series by Lynley Dodd, in which a scruffy terrier and his friends get into all sorts of adventures, until the intimidating neighborhood alley cat, Scarface McClaw, scares them all into running back home.
Wanting to add some newer titles to our faves from 30 years ago, I asked my toddler-parent colleagues here at the Independent for some of the most-requested books at their houses. Some that stood out were:
Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
If Animals Kissed Good Night by Ann Whitford Paul
Red Truck (and Friends) by Kersten Hamilton
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman
Knight Owl by Christopher Denise
Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You by Nancy Tillman
My other kids’ book expert is my best friend Juli — a kindergarten teacher and Nana to 4-year-old granddaughter Millie. Juli’s list of favorite kids’ books is unsurprisingly long, and includes Pete the Cat by Kimberly and James Dean, There Was an Old Lady by Lucille Colandro, and everything Eric Carle — with The Very Hungry Caterpillar as the star. Juli’s new favorite is Buffalo Fluffalo, by Bess Kalb. Fluffalo is a silly buffalo who “has had enuffalo” and stomps his way through life. This sweet story of friendship looks like it’ll be hours of fun for littles as well as those reading to them. Which seems to be the key to the best kids’ books.
No matter who I asked, there was one consistent title on everyone’s list. Goodnight Moon has been lulling babies and their loved ones to sleep since 1947. I’m glad to know that I’ll be in good company as I read Angelina her bedtime stories, and maybe succumb to a nap myself.
—Sarah Sinclair
FROM OUR PAGES
We’ve had some great author visits and interviews recently, so don’t miss out. Here is some of our book-related coverage from the last two weeks! Read all this and more at Independent.com.
A Passage to Novelist by Leslie Dinaberg
UPCOMING BOOK EVENTS
Below, you will find a few bookish events coming up in Santa Barbara. If you are hosting a bookish event in Santa Barbara, be sure to submit the event to our online events calendar.
Village Book Club: The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
Thursday March 27, 6 p.m. | Village Library Branch, Lompoc
Book Fair Benefiting UCSB Children’s Center
Sunday, March 30, 3-5 p.m. | Chaucer’s Books
Rev Up Your Writing Project with Santa Barbara Muse Makers
Wednesday, April 2, 6 p.m. | Fine Line Gallery
Book Fair Benefiting Brandon Elementary School
Wednesday, April 2, 6-8 p.m. | Chaucer’s Books
Book Reading and Signing: Michael Seabaugh
Thursday, April 3, 5-7 p.m. | Santa Barbara Fine Art Gallery
Book Talk and Signing: Robin Yardi
Sunday, April 6, 2 p.m. | Chaucer’s Books
S.B. SPOTLIGHT
We at the Independent get many books sent to us by area authors, sometimes too many! It’s practically impossible for us to read and review them all, but just because we are busy bees does not mean that they aren’t worth the attention. In an attempt to not completely drop the ball, we have compiled a list of books here that are either written by a Santa Barbara author, feature someone in our community, or have another tie to Santa Barbara. I urge you to look through this list. Perhaps you will find your new favorite read!
The following are the most recent titles that have been sent to us.
Outcasts of Essex by Jane Hulse
If you are a local author and would like us to feature your book in this section, please email allbooked@independent.com with the subject line “S.B. Spotlight.”
Book Reviews Courtesy of CALIFORNIA REVIEW OF BOOKS*
Thanks to the generous contributions of David Starkey, Brian Tanguay and their team of reviewers at California Review of Books, we are able to provide a steady stream of book reviews via our content partnership. Recent reviews at Independent.com include:
I Heard Her Call My Name: A Memoir of Transition by Lucy Sante; review by David Starkey
Memories of Distant Mountains by Orhan Pamuk; review by David Starkey
*At the present time, all of the Independent’s book reviews are provided in collaboration with California Review of Books (calirb.com).
You must be logged in to post a comment.