Penny Paperheart

"Sharing happiness one heart at a time" is the sweet message from the adorable Penny Paperheart.  Little Penny made her debut as a doodle on a greeting card for Hallmark, but is now a character in her own book Penny Paperheart that is followed by many "Hallmarkers" - apparently this is the term for people who shop frequently at Hallmark. Now you can find Penny merchandise, such as Penny Playsets, at all Hallmark stores as well as online that give a whole new feel to paper doll play.  Also on Hallmark's website are cute videos starring Penny and her friends as well as downloads that include coloring pages, finger puppets and paper hearts to share. Follow this link for some Penny Paperheart fun (the videos are about half way down the page)!

The book Penny Paperheart was left for Emmy a few months ago by the fairies who visit the little fairy houses that she makes around the house. Let me explain...Since we live in an apartment on the fifth floor, we don't have direct access to the outdoors, so collections of nature items can be found in Emmy's room.  These items are often made into little fairy houses that cannot be taken down until evidence of a fairy visit are found.  So, unbeknownst to her, I leave evidence of their existence. Sometimes I simply rearrange the little house, but other times I leave little trinkets hidden in her fairy houses.  Trinkets such as a pretty rock, a polished stone, an interesting seashell, a handwritten note or something a bit bigger like this book.  It brings me much joy that Emmy still believes in fairies and it is such a relief when the fairy house is put away and vacuuming can commence once more!

I must share the back story to Penny Paperheart, as stated at the end of the book, as it is one of friendship, collaboration and inspiration.

One day an artist named Terry Runyan drew a little doodle.  She gazed at the little gril she sketched and then began to noodle.  Isn't she cute?  Who could she be?  Terry continue to think, then showed her sketch to her talented friend whose name is Mary Fink. 

Mary thought Terry's charming sketch was oh so very sweet, so Mary designed the girl's paper town and when it was complete Terry and Mary thought to themselves, "It's time for her to be named" "Not just a name, she needs a story!" the two artists both exclaimed.

Andre du Broc is a writer friend.  Playing with words is his art.  When he saw their little sketch he squealed, "She's Penny Paperheart!" The three friends loved their paper girl and that love just grew and grew.  Penny Paperheart had a name but not a thing to do.

That's when their dear friend, Stacy Lamb, offered a bit of advice:  "She gives away her paper hearts - that's what makes Penny so nice!" And that's how four devoted friends all played a wonderful part in bringing to life a paper girl named Penny Paperheart.  

After our first reading of Penny Paperheart, Emmy went off and gathered art supplies and began making hearts with notes on them to share with family members, friends and the neighbors in our apartment building.  Emmy highly recommends this book to readers of all ages as she says, "Penny is so cute and when I read her story, I want to be kind to everyone."  We hope that you will have a chance to get to know Penny and spread kindness to those around you.  

Tooth Fairy Books

With the recent loss of her two bottom teeth, Emmy's tongue has found a permanent place to rest in what we call her little window! It is funny to see her rubbing her tongue in the place where her teeth used to be. Emmy can often be found looking in the mirror to see if her permanent teeth have arrived yet. Today, there is evidence of a new tooth. VERY EXCITING!

As I said previously, in this post where Emmy and I were pondering the tooth fairy, many of the books on this subject do not convey the message that I wish to give to my baby girl. Of all the tooth fairy books out there *sigh* none of them have truly been what I am looking for. Childhood is so full of wonder and magic and I feel that it is my job as Mommy to keep it that way as long as possible. Until a publisher decides that my book about the tooth fairy should be published (well, the book in my head anyway), here is the best loose tooth book that we have found and a few others that we have enjoyed.

The Best: Little Rabbit's Loose Tooth by Lucy Bate pictures by

Diane deGroat. This book was written in 1975 and has since been republished with updated illustrations (stick with the original illustrations if you can - they are so warm and

so sweet!).

Emmy and I love this book the most for several reasons:

(1) Little Rabbit's loose tooth falls out in a bowl of chocolate ice cream which is Emmy's very favorite treat!

(2) Little Rabbit discovers she has a "window in her mouth" when the tooth falls out which is how Emmy describes the space where her teeth once were.

(3) Little Rabbit gives her tooth a bath in the sink just like Emmy did when her first tooth fell out.

(4) Little Rabbit put her tooth under her pillow just like Emmy did with both of her teeth.

(5) Little Rabbit has many good ideas about what the Tooth Fairy might do with her

tooth, but her first thought is that the Tooth Fairy will give the tooth to a baby rabbit that was just born, and that's how little baby rabbits get teeth which is what Emmy and I believe!

(6) Little Rabbit found a shiny coin in place of her tooth just like Emmy.

(A word of caution: Little Rabbit does wonder about the existence of the Tooth Fairy and even says she doesn't believe, but I just skipped over those lines. Always, always read - or at least scan - a book prior to reading it with your child)

A few other tooth fairy books that we have enjoyed:

Charming Opal - a Toot & Puddle book - written and illustrated by Holly Hobbie. This book is dear to Emmy and me as it portrays the story of two friends who take such great care of little Opal as she loses her very first tooth.

Silverlicious, which is the most recent addition to the Pinkalicious series by Victoria Kann, tells the story of Pinkalicious who doesn't just lose any tooth, she loses her SWEET tooth and now nothing tastes sweet. With visits from Cupid, the Easter Bunny, an elf and finally the Tooth

Fairy, aka Tootheetina, Pinkalicious finally discovers where sweetness really comes - from within "Always be as sweet as your sweet tooth."

(Click here to see our previous post about Pinkalicious.)

Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from Around the World, by Selby Beeler and G. Brian Karas, is a wonderful resource book. When the author posed the question, "What did you do when you lost your baby teeth?" he was fascinated by the amusing answers he received so he put these traditions together in a simple yet entertaining manner. Also included in the book are the names, parts and functions of our teeth!

For our final recommendation, we would like to share Gone With the Wand, by Margie Palatini and Brian Ajhar, with you!! It is a very funny tale of how the Tooth Fairy helps the Fairy Godmother when she has "a very bad wand day."

"I'm Kapoofski is what I am!" cried Bernice. "Edith, I think my wand is -- gone." I almost choked on my crumpet. What Bernice Sparklestein, gone with the wand? Rubbish! Why her work was legendary! the stuff stories were made of. And she had the pictures to prove it!

Be sure to read this one for some good enchanting fun!!!

And that about wraps it up. We hope these book recommendations will help you when a little one in your life loses his or her first tooth. By the way, a book under the pillow to replace the lost tooth is a 'tootherific' idea!

Pondering the Tooth Fairy

"Other than a dimple

in a cute little chin,

What's more adorable

than a toothless grin?"

Emmy lost two teeth!

With the first tooth, Emmy and I were both in shock. She kept telling me, "Mommy, I lost a tooth." and I know I nodded and said something not very enthusiastic like "Really?" and continued to fold and put away the laundry until I finally tuned in and realized that she was serious and in her hand was her teeny, tiny tooth. On the inside, I was completely freaking out (she's not yet five years old)! On the outside, I celebrated by taking her up in my arms and dancing the 'Lost First Tooth Dance' around the house.

Emmy's Daddy and I had not yet devised a plan for the whole Tooth Fairy thing, but we quickly got our acts together. Emmy placed her tooth in a little box and placed it carefully under her pillow. She awoke to find a spinning toothbrush that she could decorate with stickers, animal flossers, and money under her pillow!

Truth be told, I had a really hard time with the loss of this first tooth. I was just not prepared. There are so many milestones during the first two and a half years of life and then things just kind of level off. Now I am realizing how much Emmy has grown these past couple of years...she feeds herself, dresses herself, brushes and does her hair, brushes her teeth, plays independently, shares with others, draws detailed pictures, writes words, speaks clearly, uses a vast vocabulary, initiates conversations and so much more!!! Emmy is just so sure of herself. With the loss of the teeth and her upcoming fifth birthday, I am certainly not feeling very sure of myself, but all I have to do is look in her twinkling eyes to know that everything is right where it is supposed to be and happening at the exact right moment!

As with most things in parenting, the tooth fairy story was thought of on the spot. With a bit more research on customs pertaining to tooth loss, this story has been refined and continues to build as more and more questions are asked by Emmy.

"How does the tooth fairy get into the house?"

"What does she do with the teeth?"

"Why does she leave money?"

"How does she carry all of the teeth?"

"Can you see the Tooth Fairy?"

"Where does the Tooth Fairy live?"

Worldwide there is much folklore, interesting tales, stories, fables, myths, and legends about the customs and beliefs surrounding lost baby teeth. The ancient Egyptians believed the sun made teeth strong, so they threw lost teeth towards the sun. Centuries ago in Europe, parents ground children's teeth into a powder and ate it to protect their children from witches. And one of my favorites...In Mexico, the little Tooth Mouse would take baby teeth and leave a coin in payment. He would use the teeth to replace the ones he lost from chewing on tough stuff.

With another tooth wiggling its way out of Emmy's mouth, I shared with her that the Tooth Fairy spoke to Santa Claus about her lost tooth, as well as her wiggly one, so he left her an extra special gift under the Christmas tree - a tooth fairy pillow! Moments later, as Emmy bit into her chocolate Santa on a stick, out popped her second tooth! It was so wonderful to have a special place to put the tooth. The pillow was rushed upstairs and placed under her bed pillows. The next morning the tooth was replaced with a shiny coin, some dollars and a bit of fairy dust left behind (glitter).

I am still searching for a book to share with Emmy about the tooth fairy. There are quite a few out there, but the messages given are not the ones that I want to share with Emmy. For example, a tooth fairy that keeps the teeth to make a necklace or adorn her throne or build her castle doesn't follow my story. I've explained to her that the tooth fairy collects the teeth, polishes them and tucks them inside the gums of brand new babies. The tooth fairy leaves behind a bit of fairy dust where the baby tooth used to be to help the permanent tooth grow healthy and strong. This story has really helped Emmy with her daily brushing as she wants her teeth to be well cared for so that the new baby will have pretty white teeth. She has also decided that every time she brushes, the fairy dust is pushed into her gums to ensure a healthy new tooth will grow just for her.

As I continue to search for a "just right" book to share with Emmy and with you, as well as help to honor this important milestone, I'll leave you with this poem - Emmy's favorite at the moment.

In this pocket you will find

A teensy, tiny tooth of mine.

So while I sleep where

dreams are made,

Let's see if you

Can make a trade.

In this pocket

I will lay,

the little tooth I lost today.

Please, dear fairy,

tonight as I sleep

leave me a coin.

My tooth you can keep.

Fairy Houses

A whimsical series of books that are truly delightful to share with children of all ages is Tracy Kane's Fairy House Series. The series began when the author visited an island off of the coast of Maine where she discovered fairy houses built among the trees and bushes. She was immediately taken back to childhood where collecting items from nature was a favorite pasttime. A video was then produced titled Kristen's Fairy House. The video was a grass roots production where Tracy Kane played an artist creating a children's picture book and a friend's daughter played her niece, who was building the fairy house that inspired the artist to create a picture book. The success of this video allowed Tracy to get her creative juices flowing and publish the Fairy Houses Series: Fairy Houses, Fairy Boat, Fairy Flight and coming soon Forest Secrets.

When I was teaching second grade in Laconia, New Hampshire, I had the opportunity to meet Tracy Kane when she participated in an author visit at our school. She was simply delightful. She engaged the students in a reading of her first book Fairy Houses, shared some of her story boards, encouraged the students to build their own fairy houses and autographed books. My students brought in many fantastic items found in nature and set to work immediately on creating the most fanciful fairy houses ever. This experience stuck with me and I've been waiting for that just right moment to engage Emmy in this experience. Today was that day! She is always busy collecting things from nature, but today she was creating a pile out of the sticks she had picked up. The sticks were looking very much like little houses and so we began our journey into the world of fairies!

As soon as we got home, I brought out my signed copy of Fairy Houses. Since Emmy wanted to know where the fairies were and when they would visit her house, I knew I had better share this book right away. As the main character, Kristen, builds her fairy house, many forest creatures visit from a bird helping himself to the berries carefully placed around the front, to a frog frolicking in the rock pond, to a deer licking the salt from the carefully placed seashells. Finally, a visit from the fairies........or were they just beautiful butterflies. It's for the reader to decide. Emmy and I know for a fact that the fairies will visit her house! And I'm sure we will be checking this special house out tomorrow to look for any signs of visitors.

If you would like to build your own fairy house, keep these rules in mind:
1. Fairy Houses should look so natural they are almost hidden. A location close to the ground is best.
2. You should use only natural materials. Dry grasses, leaves, sticks, pebbles and pinecones are just a few examples of materials to choose.
3. Be careful not to use or disturb any of nature's materials that are still living, especially flowers, ferns, mosses and lichen. Fairies do not like to disturb or destroy anything that is growing in nature.

Check out Tracy Kane's website for more information along with some pretty amazing photographs of fairy houses that are sure to inspire.

I can't think of any better way to spend a morning, then out in nature with your child(ren).
Enjoy!