教繪本七年，喜歡的作家一大串，不過有幾個大師會一直留在課程大綱裡：Leo Lionni, Dr. Seuss, Beatrix Potter, Shel Silverstein, Audrey Wood and Don Wood, Tomie DePaola, Maurice Sendak, Barbette Cole, Jill Murphy, Patricia Polacco, Anthony Browne , John Burningham, Ezra Keats 以及 Arnold Lobel. Arnold Lobel （羅北兒）的作品常被放在識字讀本區裡。Yvette特別喜歡裡頭的無厘頭笑料。他的書翻成中文之後全都是小朋友的經典，除了Dr. Seuss，大概是陪伴美國小孩長大最重要的作家了。

青蛙和蟾蜍是好朋友，青蛙年紀較長，比較像蟾蜍的心靈導師。他倆的著裝就夠證明彼此的友誼：綠青蛙穿土黃外套，土黃蟾蜍穿綠外套。這一系列有四本，假如你已經讀過，這一小篇可以幫大家溫習一下：


“The Hat”
from Days with Frog and Toad
By
Arnold Lobel

On Toad’s birthday, Frog gave him a hat. Toad was delighted.
“Happy birthday!” said Frog.
Toad put on the hat. It fell down over his eyes.
“I am sorry,” said Frog. “That hat is much too big for you. I will give you something else.”
“No,” said Toad. “This hat is your present to me. I like it. I will wear it the way it is.”

Frog went for a walk. Toad tripped over a rock. He bumped into a tree. He fell in the hole.
“Frog,” said Toad. “I can’t see anything. I will not be able to wear your beautiful present. This is a sad birthday for me.”
Frog and Toad were sad for a while. Then Frog said, “Toad, here is what you must do. Tonight when you go to bed, you must think some very big thoughts. Those big thoughts will make your head grow larger. In the morning, your new hat may fit.”
“What a good idea,” said Toad.
That night when Toad went to bed, he thought the biggest thoughts that he could think. Toad thought about giant sunflowers. He thought about tall oak trees. He thought about high mountains covered with snow.
Then Toad fell asleep. Frog came into Toad’s house. He came in quickly. Frog found the hat and took it to his house.
Frog poured some water on the hat. He put the hat in a warm place to dry. It began to shrink. That hat grew smaller and smaller.
Frog went back to Toad’s house. Toad was still fast asleep. Frog put the hat back on the hook where he found it.

When Toad woke up in the morning, he put the hat on his head.
It was just the right size.
Toad ran to Frog’s house. “Frog, Frog,” he cried. “All those big thoughts have made my head much larger. Now I can wear your present.”
Frog and Toad went for a walk. Toad did not trip over a rock. He did not bump into a tree. He did not fall in a hole.
It turned out to be a very pleasant day after Toad’s birthday.

《在家裡的貓頭鷹》是另一本「白目」的書。保有童心的人都會喜歡這本書，理性的大人可能「哼哼」就算讀完了。因為Yvette 偶像是「周伯通」、行為很像「櫻桃友藏」，所以別喜歡這本書。

“Tear-water Tea” from Owl At Home
by Arnold Lobel

Owl took the kettle out of the cupboard.
“Tonight I will make tear-water tea,” he said.
He put the kettle on his lap.
“Now,” said Owl, “I will begin.” Owl sat very still. He began to think of things that were sad.

“Chairs with broken legs,” said Owl. His eyes began to water.
“Songs that cannot be sung,” said Owl, “because the words have been forgotten.”
Owl began to cry. A large tear rolled down and dropped into the kettle.
“Spoons that have fallen behind the stove and are never seen again,” said Owl. More tears dropped down into the kettle.
“Books that cannot be read,” said Owl, “because some of the pages have been torn out.”
“Clocks that have stopped,” said Owl, “with no one near to wind them up.”
Owl was crying. Many large tears dropped into the kettle. “Mornings nobody saw because everybody was sleeping,” sobbed Owl.
“Mashed potatoes left on a plate,” he cried, “because no one wanted to eat them. And pencils that are too short to use.” Owl thought about many other sad things. He cried and cried. Soon the kettle was all filled up with tears.
“There,” said Owl. “That does it!” Owl stopped crying. He put the kettle on the stove to boil for tea.
Owl felt happy as he filled his cup. “It tastes a little bit salty,” he said, “but tear-water tea is always very good.”