So I have this addicting thing I like to watch . . .Hoarders. I don't have cable but the magical world of the internet and mobile computers allows me the pleasures of such things as blogging from my bed right now, or sometimes watching this show via the Hoarders website. It is a bit of a guilty pleasure I give myself on music lesson nights while the boys are bettering themselves with learning a bluegrass tune, I like to kill a few braincells and zone out.
I am not quite sure why I keep going back to it. I think it is so interesting and to be honest I sometimes look around my own house and am like ughh- the piles and clutter etc . . . and then I watch an episode and then resolve to clean out a little something the next day!
So if there were a new picture book to go along with Hoarders, this would be it! More by I. C. Springman caught my eye because of (can you guess) the marble! It is a good book for kiddos to open up the conversation about how much is enough and excess. Besides the brillant illustrations by Brian Lies, two things that I like about the book: one is the friendship role of the mice to the magpie, second how there is a sparseness of text in contrast to the excess in objects.
It is a fun book that can be used for ISpy like exploration and inspiration to go outside and try and find some magpies to watch and observe. Here is some more magpie info to explore if you want to read up on them.
Back to those marbles, I love that it is one of the first and last objects the magpie holds onto- smart birdie! You may notice the outhouse in the picture. I could not resist showing you the first glimpse of my outhouse garden shed that my folks got me- I need to lay the foundation this weekend, but I am pretty excited! Did you know that many highly collectable marbles have been found on old "privy" sites? You know falling out of pockets and such. I am thinking of adding a little secret stash of marbles in the outhouse for when little friends step inside because it is fun!
Marbles are always treasures and worth holding onto! And yes in case you noticed, that is a stained glass moon on the door- seriously could that be any cuter?
