Who thought Six year old girls were so hard to buy a book for?

I just went shopping for little bit's birthday book to go in her package and realised that she had hit a "stage" that was a little difficult to select a book. The tadpole turned six. She's not a baby anymore but in her half day kindergarten she isn't reading independently yet so she isn't ready for a chapter book. She needed a picture book but not a babyish one. I searched my memory, the web and the local big box book store. I repeatedly phoned her mother with questions. (Has she read this? Does she have that?)

I had scored a hit more than a year ago with "Fancy Nancy" by Jane O'Connor and illustrated sweetly by Robyn Preiss Glasser. Nancy loves everything fancy and her unfancy family lovingly accommodates her. My miniature diva of a granddaughter thought this book was a manual for how to live your life. She even persuaded her mother to redecorate her room to look like Nancy's. "Fancy Nancy" has several sequels (Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy, Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words, and Fancy Nancy Bonjour Butterfly) Now Nancy has spawned an industry and Nancy mania is in full force in that stores this holiday season. Our little fancy girl bought several of the sequels with her own money and since she doesn't read this blog I can let you know that I was overcome with Fancy Nancyness and bought her this Madam Alexander doll for Christmas. Her mother says that she has begun to outgrow Nancy but still likes her. I do recommend these highly for your 4-6 year old but I was still on the hunt. What book would make my six year old girl's heart happy?

I considered the popular and now a classic, "Angelina Ballerina", by Katherine Hobabird illustrated by Helen Craig. My little bit isn't a dancer but every girly girl thinks she is. Angelina is a little mouse that wants to be a ballet dancer more than anything else. She has many, many sequels. It's the 25th anniversary of "Angelina Ballerina" and a great read for little girls. A phone call to the Mom verified that the tadpole has read most of them at the library. (Drats those library going Mom's.)

I then considered "Toot and Puddle" by Holly Hobbie. If you were alive in the 1970's you could not escape seeing greeting cards, dolls, lunch pails, calenders, clothing and fabrics printed with images of this old fashioned little girl with the big sunbonnet and patchwork apron. In an article profiling Ms. Hobbie in Victoria magazine several years ago she said that she had been under contract to draw the old fashioned little Holly Hobbie girl long after it had stopped being fun. When her contracts expired she only painted for herself and raised her children. When her adult daughter fought a losing battle with cancer that left her bald, pink and referring to herself as "piggie", mom and daughter started sending little notes back and forth illustrated with little pink pigs. Out of these notes Ms. Hobbie created Toot, a pig that loves to travel the world, and Puddle, a pig that loves to stay at home. There are lots of Toot and Puddle books and this year marks the 10th anniversary of the original book. I love these pigs and they are great for preschoolers but they seemed a bit too young also. I was delighted to find a new book, "Fanny" by Holly Hobbie for written especially for girls. Fanny, for whom the book is named, is a delightfully drawn realistic girl (you have to love her tutu over her play clothes). Fanny wants a Connie doll but her Mother will not get her one. Fanny's mother doesn't like how Connie dolls look, (they look suspiciously like Brats dolls.) Fanny solves her problem very creatively. The new hardbound version comes with two precut paper dolls, one you get to color yourself. You'll be happy to know that little bit loved it (and so did her Mama.) I'll post more on this subject as this little kidlet has a cousin a year younger and we need to search for a Christmas book for her.