The Costco Connection - September 2013

September

Book buyers’ picks

Small story, big lesson book picks

NEARLY 20 YEARS ago, American Girl introduced a baby doll, Bitty Baby, with the intent of fostering nurturing play among girls age 3 years and older. Sure, Bitty Baby has outfits and accessories, but she’s always lacked the story-rich books of the bigger dolls.

“We’re really known for the stories, espe-
cially with the line for older girls,” explains
Stephanie Spanos, a spokesperson for
American Girl. “Story is considered the heart
of what we do. We wanted to do that for
younger girls as well.”
So, the company turned to children’s
author Kirby Larson to write a series of mean-
ingful picture books that address kindness,
curiosity, bravery and more.

“[American Girl has] been a lot of fun to work with, and it’s been fun to get in touch with that 4-year-old voice inside, which evidently is still there,” says Costco member Larson, the author behind books such as The Friendship Doll, Nubs, Two Bobbies and the

2007 Newbery Honor Book Hattie Big Sky.

Once chosen for the project, Larson says, she got in Bitty Baby mode and wrote seven of the eight titles in the series in one year.

“It was interesting to think about what
would worry little kids,” says Larson about the
scary noises and recital jitters faced by her
very young heroines. “I think sometimes
adults dismiss books for younger readers
because they aren’t dealing with earth-shat-
tering issues like surviving in the wilderness.
But these are issues that are really important
to a child.”
Each book includes a fantasy story within
the story where Bitty Baby solves the problem
her human best friend is facing. Each book
features illustrations by Sue Cornelison, and
each has two “For Parents” pages, written by
child psychologist Laurie Zelinger. These
pages provide information designed to help
parents discuss matters such as anxiety, travel,
play and more.

“These books give [children] a safe place to puzzle things out,” Larson tells The Connection. “That was one of the most challenging parts of the writing: making sure I wasn’t bringing too much adult sensibility to it.

“If we set out to teach a lesson, it would fall flat,” she adds. “But if you just focus on telling the best story you can, you are going to connect with someone’s heart.”

—Stephanie E. Ponder

The Costco Connection Bitty Baby the Brave with mini elephant, Bitty Baby at the Ballet with mini bunny and Bitty Baby Loves the Snow with mini bear are available in most Costco warehouses. ing into those long-forgotten memories, murders begin to happen. It’s all the proof J.P. needs to know his thoughts haven’t been just drug-induced hallucinations.

—Lindsay Bubitz, assistant buyer, books

NONFICTION

The Chew: What’s For Dinner?, from the hosts of The Chew. If I’m in the kitchen, chances are I’m baking or decorating cupcakes. Every now and then I toy with the idea of expanding my culinary skills, but it’s a fleeting thought. If any book can get me to pack away my cupcake tins, however briefly, it’s this one, with 100 recipes for every night of the week, contributed by each of the show’s hosts from their areas of expertise. Designed to match the rhythm of daily life, the recipes help with everything from making the most of leftovers and creating healthy versions of traditional dishes to using up leftovers for midweek meals and wowing friends on the weekends.

—Shana Lind-Stowers, assistant buyer, books

Michael Symon’s 5 in 5, by Michael Symon. As a new mother, my life has become all about finding shortcuts for everything but spending time with my little one. Food preparation is no exception. Symon has a simple formula to help home cooks pull together fresh meals that require a maximum of five fresh ingredients and cook in five minutes. Symon teaches readers how to set up their pantries with the essentials and then shares 120 recipes for a variety of mains, sandwiches, skillet dinners and more for all busy families.

—Jonna Erickson-Outlaw, assistant buyer, books

FICTION

Songs of Willow Frost, by Jamie Ford. I can’t help but think that most of us saw someone on TV or in a movie and wished we could have that character as a parent. (In case you’re curious, I very much wanted to be one of Shirley Partridge’s “chicks.”) Ford takes that idea and weaves it into a beautiful story of an orphaned boy searching for his mother. After seeing Willow Frost in a movie, 12-year-old William Eng leaves his orphanage to prove the film star is his mother. Roaming the streets of Depression-era Seattle, William learns surprising facts about his past and his connection to the actress.

—Beth Alley, inventory control specialist, books

Second Watch, by J.A. Jance. As a Pacific Northwest native, I’m a sucker for novels set in this area. One of my favorite series is Jance’s J. P. Beaumont series. In this, the 21st book about the Seattle investigator, knee surgery has him off his feet and dreaming of people he knew and things he did decades ago. While he’s look-