Go ahead and get a hankie out...

The Robot and the Bluebird. Get yourself to the library right now and get this book, then go ahead and grab a box of tissues. You might actually want to lock yourself in your room and practice a few times so you don't disolve into tears and upset your child, as Adam and I both did (repeatedly) while reading it.
Maybe this is a book that everybody knows about that I somehow missed, but I'm smitten. It's one of the most poetic books for children I've ever seen-- real poetry, the kind with just enough restraint and understatement. This is not your Disney-esque heartstring-y kind of story. And the illustrations-- I want to immediately go and rip off every single one as applique work. So simple, so vibrant, so full of heart. And my dear boy has put in a request. He, too, would like a robot who, in the place of his old broken heart, has a bluebird, instead. I haven't had much time at all to devote to crafting for myself lately, and I'm way backed up on dresses this week (thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to all of you who are buying them!) but I am going to have to make time for this one. I am thinking recycled sweaters are just the way to go. And I know you, too want a James Brown library bag like ours (how cool is that? We don't do a lot of tv around here, but we do a LOT of YouTube, and James Brown is a perinnial favorite. This week's big draws are The Jackson Five, The Carter Family and Bobby McFerrin with Yo Yo Ma, Edgar Myers and Mark O'Connor. He's got interesting taste, that one). That's a custom from a local artist-- order yours here today!