Casper's books

[flea]

We're still reading, of course, and for several months Casper has had names for her favorite books, so she asks for "Hole Dig" or "Bad Mice" or "Tom Kitten." (Yes, we've gotten into the Beatrix Potters - I have half a set, 13 books, given to me by my grandmother when I was Casper's age. My mother has the other half of the set from her childhod. We've only suffered one badly ripped cover so far. The books were, mostly are, in great shape but I was famous as a careful kid. mr flea, who I don't think was read much if any Potter, really likes the books, especially her turns of phrase. In Tom Kitten the noises of the kitten in the bedroom upstairs "disrupted the decorum and repose" of the tea party.) Casper likes "CDB" and its sequel and "A Hole is To Dig" and its sequel. We read a lot of Mother Goose too - my boss gave her a nice Opie edition illustrated by memfault who draws the rabbit named Max, and we have at least 2 other editions. How familiar all these verses are - they're sort of an Anglo-American collective unconscious. I know songs to a lot of them, thing I've rediscovered that I suppose I learned in my childhood but don't remember. I just seem to know them. We read "Time of Wonder" (I shorten the text) since it's the only McClosky we actually own. Well, I have a copy of Ducklings that is too tattered to subject to Casper. She knows what's coming in books we read often and will start on the next page - "shoo fly!" - though she doesn't recite the text verbatim. Though she doesn't mind if we skip around in most books, and will get bored with a story and bring over a new book sometimes.

She loves Ring Around the Rosie and asks to play it often. She says "ashes," likes the falling down, and insists, "Mommy wie down!"