Doughnuts and Bunheads

Today's post is dedicated to two amazing artists: Laurie Keller and Misty Copeland. Hmmm....competitive me wonders, could I have been the first one to put those two talented women in the same sentence? 🤞

Hello, Arnie!: An Arnie the Doughnut Story by Laurie Keller

It was almost like it was MY birthday last week when this mysterious package arrived.  It was Laurie's new book AND a current leaping doughnut of me! Current because I'm in braids. (so yeah, when I rode my bike to Windy Hill Orchards on Sunday to pick up some apple cider doughnuts I made sure to get out my hair tiess. A bunch of my former students work there and I don't think any of them recognized me behind my mask and braids.)

After greeting all his sweet friends, "Hi, Plain!", "Top of the morning, Jelly!" Arnie is confused because there is a new pastry in the bakery.  This would be a good time to note, that I have to give Laurie Keller all the credit for naming my morning book club, "Pastries and Prose."  What could be this new big pastry, who doesn't even know which try to sit on? Not to worry, though! Our dearly beloved, every-single-if-I-remember-correctly-36-sprinkled chocolate frosted doughnut to the rescue! 

I can't wait to share with my students this week! We're going to have fun with it! How long will it take them to figure out who this new delicacy is? Message me later with your guesses! The closest one wins a doughnut!

Meanwhile, I still love this reading of the original Arnie: 

Bunheads by Misty Copeland and illustrated by Setor Fiadzigbey

I never imagined I would miss driving to dance every day. But boy do I.  The time in the car to catch up, laugh, listen to music. Inevitably, with only a few minutes to spare would my daughter take out her bobby pins to start her bun. Why didn't she ever start it sooner? Sigh.  Maybe I don't miss that part?

The upside is I'm still a dance mom.  Yes! Our daughter is a dance major and happy! We look forward to post-Covid times when we can watch her perform again.  Missing her last recital was just as hard for me as it was for her.

But I digress. I'm excited for the book birthday of Bunheads today! It's already received two starred reviews. Woohoo! A beautiful, inspiring story of a young Misty auditioning for the ballet Coppelia.  I'm not usually a picture book audio book listener, but Misty Copeland is the narrator of this one and I was already hooked from the 30 second clip I heard.

Will you join me at Politics and Prose Friday night for this event with Misty? The tickets are free with an option to add on a book.  Of course, I got one.  Do you think my bunhead would like it for her 18th birthday?  Maybe if it came with ticket to Coppelia.