Everyone who knows me knows that Kate DiCamillo is my favorite writer, but I'm usually talking about her many wonderful middle-grade novels, like Because of Winn-Dixie or The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. In the past few weeks, however, I've had multiple requests for recommendations of early chapter books for younger kids. There are several great series I recommend, but at the top of my list are Kate DiCamillo's Bink & Gollie series and her Mercy Watson series--both are big read-aloud hits with my niece and nephew (ages 3 and 5) as well as being perfect for kids who are just starting to read chapter books on their own. Both are delightfully funny, with ample doses of DiCamillo's sparkling wit and tender depth.
On Friday at the library I read Leroy Ninker Saddles Up, which is a stand-alone story in the Mercy Watson world, and then I immediately had to go home and read it out loud to Pete because it was too good not to share with him. This is what makes Kate DiCamillo remarkable to me: she can write a simple story that is beloved by six-year-olds AND cause a 43- and a 47-year-old to giggle and tear up together. It's a kind of hilarious love story--between a would-be-cowboy and his horse. It's a lovely picture of what it means to be a gentleman and to treat someone with courtesy and affection (as Pete noted). It's about listening, and about giving the gift of beautiful words. And dagnibbit, how does she always make me laugh and cry at once?
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