Have You Ever Done That?

This is one of my favorite children's books. So understated, but with a peaceful message about enjoying nature. My 3 y.o daughter loves it. the text is lyrical and spare, but manages to conjure up a very rich world you want to jump right in to. A very soothing bedtime read.

What a beautiful book. So simple in its essence, but so engaging. I found myself leaning back and closing my eyes and escaping to the world were the " wind [was] at my back" and I could fly "with wings". A perfect book for little ones and for grown-ups who need to slow down!

...if you live it that way. Too many people grow up timid and afraid of new experiences, new foods, new ideas... Don't let your children grow up that way. You might want to talk to them as you read about being careful and the difference between being cautious and timid, reckless and adventurous. But the take home message should be that if they'll exercise some good common sense (and ask you before doing anything dangerous), that life can be an amazing series of experiences that will be richer than anything they can watch on TV.

"Have you ever slept outside on a hot summer night?/Everything looks different/in the moon's strange light./The trees seem to whisper/so you bravely whisper back./Outside at night./Have you ever done that?" Each beautifully poetic question is answered "I've never...", and then continues on with "but I've..." From riding in a storm tossed boat, to picking up a snake, and nursing a sick baby bird, to flying out across the river on a rope swing "...and I knew that the water/was deep and cold and black./And I still let go./Have you ever done that?" Julie Larios explores the small wonders, possibilities, and accomplishments of a preschooler's world in this lovely and evocative picture book. Her rhyming text is full of imagery and magic, and complemented by Anne Hunter's beautiful watercolor illustrations, in quiet, subdued tones that send imaginations soaring. With its soothing, lyrical cadence, Have You Ever Done That? is perfect for lulling little ones to sleep at bedtime. "When the river is deep/and the corn snakes pause,/when the wild waves call/and the wounded crow caws,/Just stretch your wings/in the moon's strange light./You can start by sleeping out on a hot summer night."