Joyfully Retired

I believe I can safely say that we have reached what we used to call the dog days of summer. Most mothers know these days very well. The kids are no longer enthusiastic about being out of school but it’s several weeks before school starts up again. Their normal toys and other activities are starting to bore them. If a mother is lucky, she can ship them over to Nans’s house. But then, what’s a Nana to do?

I have an idea. I received two little books from an eight-year-old boy. Yes, real books written and illustrated by a child. It made me think: If that eight-year-old can do this, imagine what my brilliant little people can do. Let me show you the books and tell you what the stories are about.

The first one on the left is The Sneakiest Pirates. It’s a tale of a young boy, Pirate Pete and his dad, Scurvy James, setting sail on a mischievous adventure on the high seas to find the King’s loot, stolen by Peg Leg Chuck. This small boy and his Dad are clearly having the time of their lives.

The second book is The Heroes of Googley Woogley. This one is the tale of a young boy, Space Boy Pete and his dad, Space Man James, rocketing off into deep space to save the day. This small boy’s active imagination are again taking him and his dad into a cartooish adventure that is funny and a must read for little readers.

What do you think? A bunch of paper and a box of crayons, maybe watercolors for the older ones? I sent these two books to my granddaughters and they loved them. Actually, the four-year-old really loved them. The sophisticated ten-year-old did too but she has a different way of showing it. (“Well, Nana, you know I’ve been writing my own books for years now!”)

Give it a try if you’re looking for a satisfying project. You may have to do the writing for the younger ones while they tell you their story. Most children can illustrate their own book. If you need inspiration, these two books are reasonably priced and do make great gifts.

If you are still looking for something to do, put on the bathing suits and get out the garden hose. Here’s my two little charmers doing just that.

You can buy The Sneakiest Pirates at Amazon.
You can buy The Heroes of Googley Woogley at Amazon.