Let the Games Begin

Faster, Higher, Stronger.
According to the official site of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, there are 64 days until the XXth Games begin in Torino, Italy.

Colder, Slower, Longer.

According to savvy moms all over, there are about 124 days until winter is over. 124 more days until spring opens its doors and you can open yours. 124 more long days until the kids can safely play outside (and out of your hair).

To while away some of the ‘stuck inside’ winter days, we found a way to enjoy the wonders of the winter Olympics, and help your kids learn about the true spirit of athletic competition. It’s a book called Tacky and the Winter Games by Helen Lester. Tacky is our new winter games hero – and he’s a penguin (aren’t they the hottest animal around these days?) who lives in Nice Icy Land with his friends Goodly, Lovely, Angel and Neatly.

So snuggle up in front of the fire and read all about Tacky (yes, that kind of tacky, as in Hawaiian shirts). A free spirit in many ways, he nonetheless joins his friends in training for the winter games and adds his own special efforts to the team.

He’s an unlikely hero – think Eddie the Eagle of the 1988 Calgary games – who manages to both amuse and teach the lesson that it is OK to not always follow the pack. With its whimsical descriptions of winter sports suitable for penguins (our fave is the ski jumping with frozen fish for skis), this book is sure to entertain both young (about 3 and up) and old.

So Tacky may not embody the Faster, Higher, Stronger motto, but can you settle for cute, fun and entertaining?

Widely available wherever you buy your books.