Clip-Clop by Nicola Smee

Clip-Clop by Nicola Smee

Rating: 5 galloping stars

Talk about a book that hooks little ones onto books!

"Who wants a ride?" asks Mr. Horse.  One by one, Cat, Dog, Pig and Duck hop aboard, and go for a ride.  Of course they ask if Mr. Horse can go faster, so faster they go...until... "Whoa, stop, we're falling off!"  Mr. Horse skids to a halt and the animals fly through they air and land in a haystack.  Mr. Horse is worried; the animals all shout, "Again!!"



"Whoa! Stop! We're falling off!"

 This is such a fun book to read, and one of the best 0-12 month books that exist out there in my oh-so-humble opinion.  The pictures are big and clear and cute, the words are simple, and it's great fun to put your little baby on your lap and go for a "ride," making your lap bouncier and bouncier as Mr. Horse goes faster and faster in the book. 

This was one of the first books we bought Lorelei after she was born, and we bought it for our nieces around the same time.  Both my sister and I have had to purchase and re-purchase replacements for our girls and the boys that followed them because it was such a favorite.  Ben is still happy with it...I think it's in his bed (or behind his bed, as his habit is now to slide all his books behind his bed before he falls asleep) right now. 

You can't go wrong with this book!  I've not read the sequal, the holiday version Jingle-Jingle.  Have you?

Tea for Ruby by Sarah Furgeson

Tea for Ruby by Sarah The Duchess of York Furgeson, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser

Rating: 3.5 stars

Whenever I see a book at Pottery Barn Kids, I always wonder if it's a good one.  I mean, I am a total sucker for most of the stuff they sell (especially the bedding) so I always suspect that they have some inside scoop on what books are good, too.

But, it turns out, I'll buy more quilts from them than books.

This is a good book on manners, and if you daughter likes the Fancy Nancy series, she'll undoubtedly enjoy this one.  Ruby, the main character, gets a fancy invitation in the mail to have tea with the Queen.  She's so excited she breaks every rule that most little kids struggle with: interrupting others, dressing appropriately, talking with her mouth full, things like that.  She does her best to remember as she strolls into the "palace" gates, only to find, to her delight, that the Queen is actually her grandmother.

There's not much to this book, but the pictures alone hold Lorelei's interest for a few minutes at a time, mostly because of the fancy dresses that Ruby imagines herself wearing when she has tea with the Queen.  I can relate--I remember drawing fancy dresses on my mother's blackboard after school when I was in grade school.  And I was a horseback-riding tomboy! 

This is a sweet book if you're a grandma, and I love the idea of Lorelei having tea with one of her grandmothers a few years from now--at her house or at a fancy place.  Maybe at a house, learning manners, knowing what to expect at tea, is a good warm-up.  This book helps a bit, but it's not our list of books to buy others or ourselves.

Bless Me: A Child's Good Night Prayer by Grace Maccarone

Bless Me: A Child's Good Night Prayer by Grace Maccarone, illustrated by Sam Williams

Rating: 5 stars

I recently gave rave reviews to the book Miss Lina's Ballerinas, and every time I read that book to Lorelei I kept thinking, "Man, I know Grace Maccarone wrote something else I like."  Tonight I realized this book is it! 

I really love this book.  There are a handful of books that are wonderful good night books, but this one is near the top of the list...maybe the very top?  I'd have to think hard about that...but I keep meaning to post some "list" posts of some favorites...it's on my to-do list...

Anyway, this book is a little religious, which is perfect in our family.  It's a soft, quiet rhyme blessing a handful of things in a child's life: cars, chairs, bears, mouse, dollhouse, toes, head, and finally "Bless the water, earth, and air / Bless the children everywhere."  The illustrations are perfect--some stuff to look at, but not too many things to distract a child at the all important time in a parent's life: bedtime.

This is an off-the-beaten-path book, which I think make it a great gift for the birth of a baby or a 1 to 2 year old.  That's when Grammy gave it to Ben!  And I just read it to him (and his pink pajama-ed big sister, who gave him a priceless hug and kiss before leaving the room with me) an hour ago.

Pinkalicious (series) by Victoria Kann

Pinkalicious (series) by Victoria Kann

Overall rating: 2 stars

My husband was giving me a hard time the other day about the fact that I don't have many books that are rated 2 or 3 stars.  I explained to him that it pains me to use my few writing minutes to write about a bad book when there are so many good books out there...  But since Lorelei insisted we check almost every single one of these books out from the library, I feel compelled to blog about these silly books.

In short, they are the equivalent of cheap plastic toys that get played with a few times and then left in the playroom to take up space and gather dust. 

The only one with any redeeming qualities is the original Pinkalicious, because it has the saying: "You get what you get, and you don't get upset."  Of course, the little girl does get upset, so it's not much of a learning moment for her.  But the gist of the story is that Pinkalicious (what is her real name?!) eats too many pink cupcakes even after her parents tell her to stop, and she turns pink.  She even eats more after that; only when she turns red does she heed her doctor's advice and eat everything green in her family's refrigerator. 

In Pink Around the Rink Pinkalicious' mom surprises her with a brand new pair of ice skates, which Pinkalicious promptly colors--with a marker!--pink.  Her parents are only mildly annoyed (and her father has a hint of a smile/smirk).  Though she thinks she'll be graceful, she's not, and her pink skates leave tracks of her non-graceful-ness.  And the pink rubs off.  Her mom comforts her: "Now they're unique, like you."  What?!  That's how you take care of personal property?!  Not in our house.

Goldalicious is pretty hard to read.  Ok, so Pinkalicious has an active imagination and imagines that she has a unicorn named Goldicious--thankfully a less atrocious "Goldie" for short--who follows her around.  She even lets her little brother "play" with Goldie.  I don't know what else to say but this book might never get checked out again unless it's while Grammy is visiting and I'm not around to read it.

In another paperback book, Tickled Pink, Pinkalicous is sharing a joke book with all her friends.  While everyone is laughing around her, the class bully (dressed in black, of course) challenges her to come up with a joke of her own.  She thinks of one in the middle of the night and, though she thinks she'll flop, she comes out on top by tickling everyone pink.  I guess this one isn't horrible, but it isn't that great, either.

I don't even want to waste your time by describing the rest of them.  Lazy?  Maybe, but...you get the idea.  While I'm glad Lorelei is interested in books, and almost any book is better than no book at all, I would probably return these if someone gave her them as a gift.  There are too many other wonderful ones, and these are just plain silly.

Tremendous Tractors by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker

Tremendous Tractors by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker

Rating: 5 stars

Once again, thanks to my friend Beth and her avid little readers, we've stumbled across another great author, especially (but not exclusively) for boys. Mitton is right along with Andrea Zimmerman/David Clemensha and Philemen Sturges and Byron Barton for books that Ben in particular loves.

Thanks to Tony Mitton, Ben lasted a record-setting 25 minutes in the library (Lorelei was in preschool).  He sat on my lap as we read Mitton book after Mitton book, happy to look at the machine pictures, hear the great rhyming story, and sit in my lap without having to share it (at least I hope that that was part of the reason he was content to stay so long).

Thanks to Tony Mitton, I've already got my nephew's birthday present picked out.  Along with this great book, which is surprisingly informative without being over-the-top education-y, there are a total of ten of these books, including Terrific Trains and Flashing Fire Engines.  Could you ask for a better set?  I'm not sure!  This author and these books are great finds for our family and they will be read over and over again here and probably bought over and over again for other people.

How to Raise a Dinosaur by Natasha Wing

How to Raise a Dinosaur by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Pablo Bernasconi

Rating: 3.5 stars

I am pretty confident that my nieces will like this one!  This new book is funny and unique, with slightly messy illustrations to match a slightly silly idea: a dinosaur as a pet?!  The idea so preposterous and crazy and fun that, for imaginative little kids, they are sure to be taking care of their (hopefully) imaginary dinosaurs within an hour of reading this book.

What makes the book just a little extra fun and extra different is the lift-the-flaps pages.  Not just ordinary lifting of flaps, but a tiny book within a book and other little surprises that Lorelei loved finding and opening when reading this (carefully, because it's a birthday book) with Grammy the day it arrived in the mail.

I'm not sure if this is a book that is fun to read after two or three dozen reads...would the flaps maybe get old or, like in our house, ripped off and um, eaten?  There's not a huge point to the story--not that all great books require one--and once the idea of having a dinosaur as a pet wears thin, it might gather a bit of dust. We'll experiment on my nieces and see how long this book engages them!

Stomp, Dinosaurs, Stomp! by Margaret Mayo

Stomp, Dinosaurs, Stomp! by Margaret Mayo

Rating: 3 stars

We love Margaret Mayo's books--we check out one or more every other time we go to the library.  I just realized that I have only reviewed one-- Roar! --so I'll get on the ball and tell you about the others we've enjoyed soon.  In honor of my twin nieces' birthday month, the dinosaur book reviews continue...to Mayo's latest book.  This one isn't her best; the rhymes just seem to be a little more forced, to trip a bit instead of roll right along.

That said, Alex Ayliffe's illustrations are so toddler-friendly that the text could be an English teacher's nightmare and the book would still be worth checking out.  I like how the dinosaurs are torn-paper-versions of realistic dinosaurs.  The brightly colored dinosaurs and their prey (never other dinosaurs, though they do fight/wrestle with each other) just jump out at you, which is great for this read-aloud stage.

This is a good vocabulary book, too.  Words Lorelei learned include: gulp, whack (good as long as it's not your little brother getting whacked...and not in a Sopranos sense!), charge (not in the credit card sense), head-but, chomp, mash (helpful when we made mashed potatoes last night), guard, trap.  Not bad, and a nice change from Lorelei's favorite-of-the-moment books, the Fancy Nancy and Pinkalicious series.  It's good to have a brother, I think!

Night Becomes Day by Richard McGuire

Night Becomes Day by Richard McGuire
Rating: 4.5 stars

This is a random and unique and neat journey that takes the reader from day to night with one long poem and 1940s-style drawings that illustrate the journey (and help explain that the book actually is a journey to young readers).  Plus, it's a good way to teach the basic concept of environmentalism--oh and life, too: everything comes from somewhere or things are connected. 

Here's a sample of the first four pages:

"Night becomes day / And day becomes bright / Bright becomes sun / And sun becomes shine / Shine becomes sparkle / And sparkle becomes stream / Stream becomes river / And river becomes ocean."

And building becomes cloud

The book continues on in calm, lilting pattern until "Good becomes night" (at which Lorelei said the other day, "Hey!  He's saying good night!").  Ben loves the illustrations, Lorelei likes how one thing leads to another, and I like how the book shows and tells how everything is interconnected. 

There's even an overtly environmental part, about recycling, where "Trees become paper / And paper becomes news / News becomes trash / And trash becomes new."  With this book we've really had some good conversation about where things come from, especially paper and water.  We're not over-the-top green (we shamelessly but with a few tiny good reasons drive two SUVs, so we'd have to make some major changes in our life to drastically reduce our giant-sized carbon foot print!) but we try to do our part.  Little messages like this help me teach our kids.

We've checked out a few books from McGuire, and we've liked the random-ness and neat-ness of all of them, but need to look at some more.  Hope you enjoy checking his books out, too!

Miss Lina's Ballerinas by Grace Maccarone

Miss Lina's Ballerinas by Grace Maccarone, illustrated by Christine Davenier

Rating: 4.5 stars

Confession time: I bought this book for a little birthday girl in Ben's class but, once I read it again at home, I couldn't not give it to Lorelei.  So she got it from Santa and we have read it about twice a day for the past week or so.  It is a really fun read--I had no idea how many words and girls' names rhyme with "ballerina!"

Miss Lina teaches a bunch of cute little girls--all dressed in pink, all with names ending with "ina."  Well, not just a bunch.  To be precise, eight.  They danced in four rows of two every minute of the day.  The beautiful illustrations that give Lorelei something to look at more closely when she "reads" this by herself show these ballerinas joyfully leaping at the market, through the zoo, at bedtime, and everywhere in between. 

Enter the bit of adversity: a new ballerina joins the class (luckily, her name--Regina--ends with "ina" too)!  But, wait!  Now there will be nine!  Three rows of three?!  In the beginning, the girls all bump into each other and cause even the super graceful Miss Lina to tumble down.  They just can't get the hang of it.  Miss Lina smiles, and tells them they'll soon realize how delightful three rows of three will be, as soon as they adjust to the addition.  Of course, within a few pages, they do, and they repeat all the things they do in a different line up.  Check out the book trailer (it's about 50% of the text):

This is such a good example of perspective, and how different things can look from the lens of a child than that of an adult.  The girls are "befuddled" at the thought of having to dance in a different lineup, but Miss Lina nods wisely, letting the girls figure out for themselves how to adjust to this change.  What seems like a minor nothing to an adult is a major catastrophe for the child.

Lorelei is of the age where it's helpful to have a book or story to which I can relate a current situation in her life.  We've asked her to move from one room to another in our house, and while we dressed up the new, bigger room with a "big girl bed," a new quilt from beloved Grammy, a dollhouse from Santa (yup, we caved), and we will soon paint it pink...she is still sleeping in her old room.  I don't want to make a big deal out of it and I don't care if the situation stays this way for a few more months because to her, it's a Huge Change to move ten steps down the hall and into a bigger bed.  For us, it's a funny little thing that is actually a gift.  Anyway, it's all about perspective, and it's hard to require a 3 year-old to have one!

This is a really sweet book, a must for any ballet-crazed child!

Dinosaurs Galore by Giles Andreae

Dinosaurs Galore by Giles Andreae, illustrated by David Wojtowycz

Rating: 3.5 stars

Our twin nieces are, as Lorelei puts it, "crazy about dinosaurs" right now.  I mean, completely obsessed.  We've lent them all the books we have on dinosaurs and we bought them new dinosaur books for Christmas.  And for their birthday in two weeks?  You guessed it: dinosaur books.  This is one of them.  I like it, though I don't love it.  (I already got the ones I love for them: Danny and the Dinosaur and When Dinosaurs Came with Everything).

We really like Giles Andreae--he seems to produce solid B books, with an occasional knock-out like Giraffes Can't Dance, which is one of our favorite books to give as a gift.  This dinosaur book has an opening and closing, and in between each dinosaur gets to say his own little rhyme to describe himself to the reader.  It's got a pretty good rhythm and, in case your little one is like our nieces, it's not too annoying to read twice a day.  (I hope my sister agrees!)  The pictures are bright and just scary enough (which is to say, not too scary), and there's a little pink dinosaur to find on every page.

A good addition for the dinosaur obsessed kiddo!

The Birthday Fish by Dan Yaccarino

The Birthday Fish by Dan Yaccarino

Rating: 5 stars

Simple tale, simple illustrations, simple winner.  I know Sheryl Crow wasn't the one to coin this phrase, but the line from her song sticks out: "It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you've got."  What a good lesson...and not one that I've mastered, as I'm a dream customer for any of Anthropologie's weekly emails that enter my inbox.  I try...

This story is about a little girl who wants a pony.  That's all she wants.  She asks for a pony every Christmas, every birthday, every time she goes to sleep at night.  She's sure that today, her fourth birthday, the box she's about to open is very small pony.  But it's not.  It's a goldfish.  She's about to flush it down the drain (yikes!) when the goldfish magically speaks up and tells her that if she sets him free, he can grant her any wish.  So she wishes for TWO ponies and sets off for the nearest lake.

On the way there, she realizes she needs to walk carefully so as to not upset his water.  She shades the fish from the sun.  She stops at a pet store to buy the fish a snack.  When they reach the lake, the fish and girl sit together and watch the sunrise.  Instead of setting him free, she takes him home--she no longer wants the pony.  She's content with her fish.

It was a good book to read around Christmas, though we were pretty good at keeping gifts to a reasonable limit.  But it's a good book to know about if this lesson needs to be taught again, like I need it taught to me again.  And again.  And again.

Every Friday by Dan Yaccarino

Every Friday by Dan Yaccarino

Rating: 5 stars

It's official--we love this Dan Yaccarino guy.  We've only read a fraction of his books, but we are totally hooked.  And if I didn't love him because of his books, I read this neat little interview with him on a cool book blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast.  Yup, we're in love (thanks, Beth, for the recommendation!).

This book is one of my favorites of his, of the 6 books of his we've read so far.  It's a simple, short tale with simple, gorgeous illustrations of a boy and his father's Friday ritual: going to the diner.  The book starts with the father kissing the mother good-bye (it's the best of many great pictures; there's so much going on in the picture that Lorelei and Ben and I take a few minutes to look at it) and follows the boy and his father through three city blocks.  They pass shops, wave to familiar faces, and walk slowly amidst everyone else who is hurrying.  They arrive at their destination: the diner!  Clearly regulars, the waitress asks: "Pancakes?" and gets a nod.  She waves farewell to them and adds, "See you next Friday!"  "Already, I can't wait," the book ends.

The story was inspired by Dan Yaccarino's Friday ritual with his son; the book starts with a nice suggestion to start rituals like this in your family.  So, we took his encouragement and the kids and I "took Daddy to the diner!"  We had a great time, and Lorelei and Ben were amazed at the music at our table and the busy-ness of the joint.  The bacon was the biggest hit (of course!) but the blueberry pancakes were a close second.  But the best part was doing something a little different, and how wonderful that the something a little different didn't involve any cleaning up on my part!

Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas by Jane O'Connor

Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas by Jane O'Connor, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glassner

Rating: 3.5 stars

A friend of mine whose daughter is into anything and everything princess asked me what I thought about Fancy Nancy recently.  She and her daughter had read all of the Ladybug Girl books (read my review of Ladybug Girl at the Beach here) but my friend didn't like Lulu the Ladybug Girl very much--"she's kind of a brat," she said.  I agree, though the books are still pretty good.

I was hesitant about Fancy Nancy (here's my review of a bunch of Fancy Nancy books all in one post), but now I like her.  Love?  Not quite yet.  But I appreciate her a little more now, maybe because Lorelei's a tiny bit older than when we first read the books.  Her outfits are definitely outrageous and her insistence on looking her fanciest every moment of the day makes me want to roll my eyes while Lorelei isn't looking.  But, and here's the good part: Nancy always does the right thing.  Sometimes she pouts on her way to doing that right thing, and while I don't even want Lorelei knowing what pouting is--let alone doing it!--at least Nancy arrives at a good ending.

In this book, Nancy and her family go get a Christmas tree and wait for her grandfather to arrive to decorate it.  While waiting for him, Nancy pleads with her parents to let her put up the new tree-topper, a super annoying angel thing that rotates and shines and might do flips, too.  They let her, of course, so the tree is bare except for the enormous tree topper.  Then she and her dog are playing tug-of-war and she knocks the tree over, breaking her beloved tree topper.  Her grandfather arrives and tells her "if you break eggs, make eggnog!" or to improvise.  The whole family gathers around to make a new tree topper with all the glitter, pom-poms and other fancy stuff they can find.

That's the other thing I like about this series: they really do teach new vocabulary words.  Many times the words are great--improvise is probably one of my favorites.  We use it every day when we have something that Lorelei thinks we should (I forget a lot of stuff at the grocery store).  So, we improvise! 

Another thing Fancy Nancy helped us with was our field trip "uniform" the other day.  Lorelei's teachers told her to wear her green school T-shirt, something Lorelei didn't want to do.  I asked her, "What would Fancy Nancy do?"  We didn't wear every necklace and bracelet she owned like I suggested, but we did wear it with polka-dotted leggings, a tutu-like skirt, and big green bows in her hair.  My husband gave me a look, but luckily didn't question the outfit out loud.  It was hilarious, but she was happy and the T-shirt stayed on (until they got back from the field trip, when she asked her teacher to help her take it off). 

So we'll keep reading them--but not buying.  Not sure if I want them just lying around the house for her to get inspiration for her outfits everyday!  Boas and feathers are just not my thing...

Geez Louise! by Susan Middleton Elya

Geez Louise! by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Eric Brace
Rating: 4 stars

Had any stink bugs around your house in the past few months?  We had, like a bunch of people in the mid-Atlantic, hundreds of these little bugs clinging to our house for a few weeks in early Fall.  They were only a little stinky, but very gross. 

Why am I writing about stink bugs in this blog entry about this book?  Because Louise, of Geez Louise! is a stink bug!  I laughed as I read that for the first time, and kept chuckling throughout this book.  Another funny thing: explaining to Lorelei why the illustrator, Eric Brace, put wafting green squiggly lines behind Louise in every page.  To show the reader that Louise was stinky!  That alone made this book worth a checkout!

But the story is great, and a better reason to go find this non-stinky stinkbug book.  Basically, it's about a bully who gets put in her place (in a good sorta way). 

No one likes Louise the stinkbug because, well, she stinks, except her one faithful friend (Termite Tara).  Louise is a talented ice-skater; it's the one thing she really enjoys.  When there's an ice-skating contest, Louise is excited to finally show people that she's more than just a stinky bug.  But the mean bully Kiki the Cockroach (Boo! Hiss!) is competing, too.  Kiki intimidates everyone into not competing against her, but Louise is brave--and a little nervous, too, of course.  Louise skates first, and does really well.  Kiki skates second, and does okay until she skates past Louise, whose stinkiness affects Kiki's concentration!  Louise wins and Kiki never bullies her--or any other bug--again.

A stinkbug who takes on a bully and, with some talent (the hard-earned kind of ice-skating and the natural kind of flatulence-esque smell), gracefully wins in the end.  Hooray!

Away We Go! by Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Away We Go! by Rebecca Kai Dotlich, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

Rating: 5 stars!

A friend of mine suggested we read more Dan Yaccarino books, so we checked out eight of them at the library.  Overkill?  Nah!  This one isn't written by him; like our first book with his name on the cover (Trashy Town), he illustrated this one.

I LOVE IT!  I am going to buy it for a few Christmas gifts.  Wait, after some Googling I just realized that I can't find it new anywhere except here, used (and a new one that would put me back $140!  It's good, but not that good).  That's a bummer. 

But it should be available at your local library, and it's really worth checking out for your little one.  Lorelei likes it, but it is really better for Ben's age (2) or even younger.  It has wonderfully bright, unambiguous pictures that we've looked at a dozen times already.  It's just your basic transportation book, with a little guide on the back on how to use it to teach your child a few things in addition to the idea that you can go places by bike, horse, hot air balloon, etc.

Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates

Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates
Rating: 5 stars

There seems to be a few books out recently where dogs love to read!  This book is just as wonderful as How Rocket Learned to Read, though a little different.  Dog Loves Books is a simply wonderful book.  I mean, it is one of the books that I always hope Lorelei chooses for me to read to her because it makes me smile inside, realizing why I love books.  Dog and I have a lot in common...  I'll explain.

Dog loves books so much he opens a bookstore.  But no one comes (right away) to buy any books.  So he makes himself some tea and waits.  Then he can't wait any longer; with a room full of books he decides to start reading while he waits. 

I can't help but stop and say: Such a good habit!  You know the saying "always bring a book:, right?  In Peace Corps we'd say "Always bring two" because there's a whole lot of waiting, especially when waiting for transportation in developing countries!  And on that transportation, too... 



Simple drawings illustrate a simple story of dog's love of books.

 Ok, back to the book.  So Dog reads a few books and is instantly transported into the books.  His bookstore gives way to a dinosaur-filled jungle, and when he's done with that adventure he opens another and hangs out with a kangaroo and her joey.  When his first customer comes in, he's more than ready, because he knows what books to recommend to her. 

This, of course, totally takes me back to my days in India and Thailand, where I'd spend hours and hours reading, completely getting swept away by whatever story I was reading.  This skill was such a gift, especially when I could really feel the hundreds of miles between me and my family.  I'm doing my best to build this skill with Lorelei and Ben, mostly by having books available to them at all times, especially when they are falling asleep or waking up, and when we're in the car (are you surprised I don't have a video player in my car?).  Habits start young... 

The story ends: "Dog loves books, but most of all...he loves to share them!"  I'm right there with you, Dog.

Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha

Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

Rating: 5 stars

When my husband read this book to the kids, he first asked me: "Is Christina Aguilara in this book?"  In case you're wondering, no.  I always love exchanging some grown up quips about books such as these...it keeps me chuckling on the inside.  (Like the time in Thailand a coworker asked me how to say beetle in English after she showed me one she had stashed in her refrigerator for breakfast the next day.  "Inedible," I said.)

ANYWAY!

Zimmerman and Clemesha ROCK at books for little boys (and Lorelei likes their books, too, especially this one).  This has a very similar feel to it as Dig! which is another of our all-time favorites of theirs.  In this book, Mr. Gilly drives around "trashy town" to pick up trash.  He goes to the school, the fire station, the park, etc, and loads it up.  After he empties the cans into his truck, you get to read the catchy refrain: "Dump it in, smash it down, drive around the Trashy Town!  Is the trash truck full yet?  NO!  Mr. Gilly drives on."  He collects trash until his truck is full, then dumps it out and heads home.  When he gets home, he takes off his gloves and realizes there's only one more thing to clean up--himself!  He goes to take a bath.

This is a super cute book (not too dirty!) with fantastic, unique illustrations by Dan Yaccarino, someone we'll be checking out in the next few weeks thanks to a suggestion to my friend Beth, whose kids are a few years older than our kids.  I hear we'll be pleased with what we read!

Five Little Monkeys... by Eileen Christelow

Five Little Monkeys...  by Eileen Christelow

Rating: Overall, about 4.5 stars

These books are fantastic go-to books for reading aloud.  While they aren't super special treasures or books with priceless lessons sewn with rich words and creative characters, they are fun, engaging, and reliable.  Those are all good things!  I've put the "treasury" of books on the left; this is a great gift for a 3- or 4-year old, boy or girl.  We've really enjoyed these books, and they are always standbys if I need to check out a few more books from the library. 

One thing is curious about the books: where's Dad?  Apparently, he's out of the picture; there's no mention of him in any book, so only Mama is left to tend to her five offsprings.  Gulp!

Here are a few sentences on each book:

Five Little Monkeys Bake a Birthday Cake  The five monkeys decide to bake Mama a birthday cake; they wake early and make the cake, but they are so excited to follow the recipe that several add in the required baking soda, eggs, oil, etc.  While it bakes they go upstairs to make mama a present (with every tool imaginable...this is a good example of GroupThink!), only to return when they smell something burning.  Firemen arrive, but instead of putting out a fire they help ice the cake, which they eat together even though Mama's birthday is actually tomorrow.  This makes Lorelei and Ben giggle everytime.

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed  We all know how this one goes, and when I got this book as a gift when Lorelei was a baby it gathered dust on the shelf.  But when Ben was around 18 months we read it almost daily...the kids realized what was going to happen, so predicting it was fun and easy, and they could quickly fill in the words in the text.  But it does encourage bed-jumping, something I don't frown upon unless it's right at bedtime.

Five Little Monkeys Play Hide and Go Seek  This might be Lorelei's favorite.  It is a poem--I wish all these books were--and the monkeys play hide and go seek with Lulu, their sitter, while Mama goes out dancing (good for her!).  They hide inside, and then outside, and then in their beds.  This is a counting book--Lulu counts first to ten, then 25, and then to 100.  Lorelei likes to count along with her, so this is a good book to encourage counting to those high numbers (we like to do that in the car, too).

Five Little Monkeys Wash the Car  This is another I-hope-my-kids-don't-do-that book, but it's pretty safe anyway.  Unless you have paint handy and your kids want to paint your car.  Anyway, Mama wants to sell their old car, but it doesn't have any takers.  While she takes a nap, the monkeys wash it, paint it, then push it down the hill...into the swamp!  There, they convince the alligators to push it back up to the house, and buy the car, too.  Mama and the monkeys go buy a fancy red convertible.  Good ending!  We bought this as a board book at the airport, which was silly--it has way too many words in it for a less-than-2-year-old to sit through.

Five Little Monkeys With Nothing to Do  "Boring" was a bad word when I was growing up, and we don't say it in our house.  So this one isn't my favorite, but it's still a good standby.  The monkeys complain about not having anything to do, so Mama suggests they clean up their very messy room, get washed up, pick flowers for their grandmother's visit.  They get muddy during the last activity, so they go and change, which a) gets everything messy again and b) gives them more things to do!

Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping  Another math book.  This one is actual addition and subtraction, done in a funny way.  Mama goes shopping, but keeps gaining and losing monkeys, depending on if her monkeys wander off with a friend or if a friend wanders off to be with her brood. 

Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree  We've not read this one!  Have you?

The Alphabet Tree by Leo Lionni

The Alphabet Tree by Leo Lionni

Rating: 4.5 stars

We need to read more Leo Lionni books.  Swimmy was one of my favorite books growing up, and he has so many different books that there are plenty to explore.  Because I feel a little guilty for knowing so little about his books, we grabbed this one the last time we were at the library.  It's so great, and hits us at an especially good time as Lorelei is interested in and curious about reading and writing and spelling.

So here's what happens in the book:  There's this tree, the alphabet tree, and all the letters cling separately onto leaves on the tree.  A big gust of wind blows through the tree, blowing some of them away.  The remaining letters are scared, and huddle together in a big clump at the base of the tree.  The "word bug" flies in and suggests they group themselves into words so that they're stronger.  This they do, spelling "cat" and "dog" and "wind;" now they are able to sun themselves on the top branches without fear of getting blown away. 

Then a fuzzy caterpillar creeps up and suggests they get together and "mean something."  He helps them make sentences, which they happily do, but he's still not satisfied.  "You've got to say something important," he explains.  So they spell out: "Peace on earth and goodwill to all men."  All critters and letters are pleased, but the caterpillar tells them to hop on his back, so he can take them to the President.

The book was written in 1968, during the Vietnam War.  I'm not a huge advocate of political messages in books, but...this one made me smile, mostly out of respect for the crazy time period that came before my birth and for the fact that a lot of people would agree with this book and gift this book today if they knew about it.

So we'll keep exploring Leo Lionni; rgardless of his political views, we like his style.  Got any favorites to recommend?

Oh No, Gotta Go! by Susan Middleton Elya

Oh No, Gotta Go! by Susan Middle ton Elya, illustrated by G. Brian Karas

Rating: 4 stars

Is my daughter the only preschooler who thinks s/he can speak Spanish (or another language)?  We watch Handy Manny once-ish a day, and we've read a handful of bilingual books over the year.  I avoid Dora like the plague (sorry if you're a fan--Lorelei loves her but her little voice drives me crazy.  I try to focus on the positive like maps, adventure, and helping, but...it's just not my favorite) so...where does this interest come from?!  I wonder if it's a natural part of language learning; there are other languages out there being spoken other than your own.  As a culturally-minded mom (and a former Peace Corps Volunteer) I don't mind this at all.

So this book fell in our laps.  Not literally, of course.  It is mostly English with a smattering of Spanish words thrown in.  The text rhymes, making it even easier for Lorelei to remember big chunks of the book.  That's a good thing, because the first few times we read it together she only remembered, "Where is un bano?  Donde esta?"  I was about ready to slip the book in the night return box in the library after tucking her in...  But, after a few weeks, she remembered a whole lot more.

The story is funny and cute; a little family of three get in the car to go somewhere and the little girl suddenly has to go to the bathroom.  I find it really amusing that it's the father who is responsible for forgetting to remind her (we moms never would!) but of course they promise to find one quickly.  They drive around the city until the find a restaurant, at which they quickly park, run in and...run smack into a long line!  They beg forgiveness to skip to the front, and the little girl "comes out with a smile."  They eat at the restaurant, but the little girl focuses more of her time and attention on the limonada, so we all have a big laugh when, after getting back into the car, she asks: "Where is un bano?  Donde esta?"

Rose's Dollhouse by Roger Priddy

Let's Pretend Rose's Dollhouse by Roger Priddy

Rating: 4.5 stars

So this one really isn't a book.  Just wanted to let you know that I wasn't pulling a fast one on you or anything.  Awhile ago I wrote about how Grammy attended Lorelei and Ben's preschool's book fair, and she let them each choose a book.  Ben chose Katy and the Big Snow while Lorelei chose this non-book book.

I should preface this entry by saying that my husband and I are waffling about whether or not to get Lorelei a dollhouse for Christmas or for her 4th birthday in May.  I wasn't allowed such a girly-girl thing when I was young, so it's hard for me to just give to the pink and princesses and dollhouses.  But I recognize that the imagination that is required and gets developed is a super positive thing...  So, we waffle. 


Lorelei in full play.

 This book came as a surprise to us, because it is a fold-out dollhouse.  That means there was some interactive fun for me and Lorelei while we set it up--punched out the furniture and glued it together--and figured out how you play with it.  Soon after we got all the members of the family standing on their own two feet (well, and their triangular little stand), Lorelei was totally engaged in walking the little girl around the room, putting the (removable) stickers in places she thought appropriate, and making the dog and cat go where she believed they should go.

It was fun to watch, and it was a nice do-it-on-our-own activity, something she and Ben do really well anyway, but something that needs to be nurtured and developed, so...I encourage that play-by-yourself thing in segments throughout our days.  I really see how much Lorelei likes to play with this dollhouse, that niftily and swiftly folds back down into a book as soon as Ben wakes up from his nap.  He's a little rougher than Lorelei still (might take awhile for that to change!) so we protect this book-dollhouse from him.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure we'll delay the dollhouse purchase until her birthday in May.  I'm good at procrastinating on such things, but I also think that with a little more time, the creative and imaginative play that she applies now will be totally in full swing.  But, really, this book-dollhouse definitely helps as a warm-up to a real dollhouse, and is a deal at $10.  We'll see how long I can hold out on the purchase!

Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends by Carol Buckley

Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends by Carol Buckley

Rating: 4 stars

If you're the type who cries at Hallmark commercials, make sure you have a tissue handy when you read this.  It is the true, sweet story of Tarra the elephant (that used to be on Little House in the Prairie) who retired to an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee.  Tarra was the first of five elephants, but the only one without a best friend.  Until a stray dog, Bella, came into the picture.  They become inseparable, and manage to find each other even after Bella has a strange and life-threatening injury (from which she recovers--whew!). 



Tarra gentle pats Bella with her trunk.

 Lorelei's in the elephant class in her school; we're all about elephants these days.  So I couldn't pass this book up when I found out about it.  The story is told in simple words and there are a ton of photographs to accompany each sentence, especially the heart-warming page when they are reunited after Bella's injury.  It left me wanting a little more story, but the pictures are really what Lorelei and Ben love.  There are a few pages in the back that tell you/your child more about the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, and a portion of the book's profits go towards the sanctuary.

In all, a good book for a good cause.  Worth checking out, if not buying!

Firefighter Ted by Andrea Beaty and Pascal Lemaitre

Firefighter Ted by Andrea Beaty and Pascal Lemaitre
Rating: 3.5 stars

Anything with a firefighter or fire truck on it generates mass excitement in our house from "the Little Guy," as we often call Ben.  He still doesn't have many words in his vocabulary, but "WEE AHH WEE AHH WEE AHH!" means (obviously!) firefighter.  Or fire truck.  Even Lorelei easily comprehends this; this morning I asked Ben what shirt he wanted to wear.  He responded with: "WEE AHH WEE AHH WEE AHH!"  Lorelei interpreted: "He wants to wear his fireman shirt."  I just hope that pretty soon he's able to say "fireman shirt" so the rest of the world doesn't have to become fluent in Ben-speak.

So we like Firefighter Ted.  Ted is a little bear who smells smoke after waking up, and since he can't find a firefighter to fight what is (obviously!) a fire, he becomes one.  He finds a truck and fire extinguisher and puts out the fire (his toast).  He goes to school and solves various dangerous, usually hot problems in funny ways.  For example, a kitten and two puppies and two tricycles are on super hot asphalt, with their toes steaming.  So he puts them in a tree.  "No need to thank me!" Ted says to the curious onlookers as he skips his way to school.

I don't love the book because of Ted's run-in with the principal, Mr. Bigham (he's a warthog, chuckle chuckle).  Mr. Bigham tells him he's late for class while standing in front of the fire alarm, so Ted ties up Mr. Bigham with caution tape and squirts his fire extinguisher at him.  I don't think this is funny, and I really don't think it's funny when Lorelei and Ben laugh at it.  I'm from the old school line of thinking, where disrespect for those in authority (or any adult at all) was met with punishment, usually just a glaring I'm-disappointed-in-you look. 

But we'll check out Doctor Ted because it's not THAT bad, and Ted does mean well.  And he does rescue Mr. Bigham in the end when the principal's pants catch on fire.  "Only you prevent pants fires," Lorelei now reminds me.  Good to know!

Henry the Steinway: A Star is Born by Ally Coveleskie and Peter Goodrich

Henry the Steinway: A Star is Born by Ally Coveleskie and Peter Goodrich, illustrated by Laura Friedman

Rating: 3 stars

And now, from left field, a children's book about pianos, read by a family without any members who play a piano.

But Lorelei insisted that it looked like a good book the last time we were in the library, so we checked it out and read it a few times.  It's a little odd...the pianoes' faces are a bit quirky, a bit creepy if you asked me.  But there's a point to them: each piano is unique (I never knew that), even ones that were made at the same factory on the same day in the same style.  So, at concert halls, there's a whole brigade of pianos from which visiting pianists choose when they perform.  That's kind of neat.

The story is how Henry arrived at the family whose house is now his home, and also a story about how pianos are made.  I won't be checking out the sequel, but for those of you out there with budding pianists in the house, it might be worth reading.

Pete and Pickles by Berkeley Breathed

Pete and Pickles by Berkeley Breathed

Rating: 4.5 stars

I think this is the most touching children's book I've ever read.  I mean, I had tears in my eyes at the end.  While I do love it personally, it was almost too serious for Lorelei.  I am hoping that someone who has read the book is also reading this, and has a moment to share their opinion.  Was it too serious for the kid in your life? 

Here's the gist of the story: Pete was a "perfectly predictable pig," whose life was quiet and dull, and revolved around missing his late wife, Paprika (she's never mentioned in the text; we see Pete vacuuming her grave and looking wistfully at old pictures of her).  He was lonely, but didn't know it.  Until one night, as he was having a nightmare that he was drowning (that's the only thing pigs do well in water).  An elephant tries to escape her dull life in the circus, but Pete sends the elephant away with the clown who comes looking for her.  After the elephant leaves dandelions and a smile, Pete is curious and ends up helping her escape.

Their life together is anything but quiet and dull.  Pete is no longer predictable, and Pickles easily wiggles her big self into Pete's heart by taking him high-diving, sliding down a hill of leaves, and rowing in an elephant gondola.  Pickles also plants dandelions on Paprika's grave.  But Pickles goes too far when she tries on Paprika's clothes and has the chimney painted with blue skies and clouds, and Pete yells at her: "It's time you probably left!"

This yell causes Pickles to fall into the tub, which she breaks with her heft, which bursts a pipe that quickly floods the whole house.  Pete is frantic--remember what pigs do best in water?--and the two animals climb to the highest part of the house, but only Pete can reach the highest window by standing tall on Pickles' extended trunk.  Poor Pickles is left underwater, but still smiles at Pete.

So then there's a page of darkness, when Lorelei and I were left wondering what happened, hoping someone saved them, or they found a way to save each other.  "When the fireman finally climbed to the window the next morning, he could not believe what he found."


Breathed's daughter's original illustration, and his own.



Pete takes a gulp of air and swims to Pickles to give her air, snout to trunk.  Again and again.  "All night.  Every hour.  Every minute.  Every breath shared."  The two collapse, entwined and exhausted, with the firemen scratching their heads above them.  And when they finally awoke?  They had the first of many new adventures together.

 SUCH a touching story of friendship!  I am in awe of Berkeley Breathed, his imagination, his amazing artwork, and the gift he's given readers through this book.  In the back flap of the book is another great story.  Breathed explains that some years ago, his daughter drew a picture of an elephant holding a small pig in a "nose hug and putting flowers on his head" at a restaurant.  Why?  He asked her.  "Because he's lonely, Dad."  Then she leaned in and whispered  "...But he doesn't know it." 

As if the story could get better, but it does!  Breathed fleshed out her sketch later that day and finished the story two years later.  Even with the serious tone--and that won't flaw it for all readers--this is a remarkable book.

Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney

Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney
Rating: 5 stars!

I love this book!  I love this book!  I love this book!

Just had to get that out. 

While we're huge fans of all Anna Dewdney's books, I often shy away from them when I give them as gifts because they are situation-specific.  I mean, do I really want to give Llama Llama Red Pajama to a little 2 year old who might not have issues with the dark?  If my gift develops into a fear, I'm definitely off the guest list for next year's party.  And Llama Llama Misses Mama is a wonderful book about separation anxiety when school starts, but...it's November and the kids we know are mostly from school.  So...

...enter this book!  It's for anyone who celebrates the holidays, especially those who want to focus on the less-fluffy and commercial, more substantial and meaningful reason for Christmas.  It doesn't touch on the Holy Family--so if you're looking for The Christmas Story, this is definitely not it. 

Our little llama hero is having difficulty waiting for Christmas (as a person with little patience, I really empathize) and constantly counts down the days.  He sees fluffy snow, funny elves, and tons of cheap-o gifts during a trip to the mall with his mother.  He bakes and bakes zillions of cookies, does almost as many Christmas-related crafts at school, decorates his house with equal amounts of holiday stuff.  As any little kid--I mean llama--would, he gets overwhelmed and has "HOLIDRAMA!"  Hey, I know that concept!  I've been there! 

In the end, it's a great, gentle reminder, told (as always) in a wonderful way with catchy, rhyming text and super cute illustrations that:

"Sometimes we should take a rest / and hold the ones we love the best. Wishing, waiting, wanting things... / we forget what this time brings. / Gifts are nice, but there's another-- / the true gift is we have each other."

This is one that you should just order 4 or 5 of, just to keep on hand for your holiday giving list. 

Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition by Carol V. Aebersold and Chanda Bell

Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition by Carol V. Aebersold and Chanda Bell, illustrated by Coë Steinwart



Rating: 3 stars

Holy mass-marketing, Batman.

I tell you what, this mother-daughter author team is making a bundle this holiday season.  It seems that I can't turn around any store or look through any catalog without seeing this book advertised, pumped up, shouted about.  So, when our family stopped off at a bookstore last weekend, I snuck away from the pack (of course, I prearranged the sneaking off...there are few unilateral decisions I make in my life anymore) to read this book.  The kids are only vaguely aware of Santa and all that jazz, but...you can't be too careful these days.

In case you've not read the book yourself, it's about an elf that sits up on a shelf (duh) and watches over the kids in the house to make sure they're being good and therefore deserving of Christmas gifts.  There are all these rules attached to the elf--You can't touch it!  You can't talk to it!  Its magic might be tainted if that happens.  The book comes with your own little elf--I think his name is Fisbee but you can give him another name if you like (without any tainted magic). 

Honestly, I find the mass-marketing a bit annoying.  (Their website is so high-fallutin'...maybe I should be impressed but MAN they have put a lot of money into this!)  The fact that the sub-title is "A Christmas Tradition" rubs me the wrong way--here is a company telling ME what traditions MY family should have?!  And, as I stated above, we haven't once said to Lorelei and Ben that they need to be nice or else they won't get any gifts this Christmas.  I am sure that day will come, but...it's not here yet.

But then I went to said high-fallutin' website and read the story of the authors.  Aebersold explains that she grew up with this tradition, with an elf on her family's shelf, and soon other members of the family had elves on their shelf, and it really helped set the tone for Christmas--a quiet, subtle reminder rather than an angry, threatening one (probably said in a tired tone of voice from an over tired parent).  It definitely helped me become less annoyed with this book because the person shoving the tradition towards my family seemed pretty sweet and innocent...but not completely sold.

Still, this book might find its way onto your shelf.  Along with that Fisbee guy.  Am curious if it works, so let me know your feedback, especially if your kids dig it.  I might have to change my tune and buy one on discount after the holidays for next year!

Race You to Bed by Bob Shea

Race You to Bed by Bob Shea

Rating: 3 stars

Lorelei and Ben would be more generous with their stars...they like this book a bit more than I do.  I think it's the image that I have a problem with: Race you to bed!  Ready, set, go!  Faster, faster!  I mean, I've tried for over three years to create a pretty successful, mostly calm (splashing not included) bedtime routine that actually does not involve a race.

But this book is catchy with its nonsensical rhyme "Sneeze to bed! / Grilled cheese to bed! / Angry, angry bees to bed!"  It is so random in a way that makes me wonder but makes my kids giggle.  On the "Clang to bed... / bang to bed... / bring a BRING-BRANG-BRUNG to bed!" the bunny plays the nosiest instruments known to mankind...on the way to...bed?  I always ask, "Would Mommy let you take these things to bed?"  Both kids: "Nooooo!"  I'm a party pooper like that.

But I do like the ending.  The bunny gets to bed: "Looks like I beat you! / Beat you to bed!" and then with a startled look: "Oh, you're already in bed? / You were way up ahead? ? Okay then, race you to sleep!"

I like that kind of race.  Can I get in on that?

The Adventures of Polo by Regis Faller

The Adventures of Polo by Regis Faller

Rating: 4.5 wordless stars

We've stumbled into the world of Polo, an adventurous French pup whose imagination takes him to some pretty neat places.  I'm not a huge fan of wordless books...I once checked out a bunch because I read an article saying that it was The Thing To Do with 3-ish-year-olds, but I just wasn't into them.  Neither was Lorelei, so it was an easy genre of books to not check out again.

But we ordered this book, not realizing it was a wordless book until we got it home.  I'm so glad we made this mistake!  Lorelei sat and "read" it for ten to fifteen minutes when we first got home from the library.  She could easily follow along little canine Polo's adventures: laughing when he slid down a line and plopped onto a cloud, gasping in surprise as Polo sees what he thinks is a giant fish from inside a submarine, and wondering out loud what Polo was going to do on the next page.  The illustrations are charming and funny, full of slap-stick type humor that toddlers totally get.

The only negative thing is Polo's run-in with a polar bear.  He and his new friend of the feline variety find an igloo on top an iceberg with a scary polar bear inside.  The polar bear frightens them with his silent roar (this part is actually one of Lorelei's favorites) and the cat and Polo look scared.  But then the polar bear slips and falls off his iceberg and splashes into the cold water below.  That's not so bad, but Regis Faller adds a little picture of Polo and the cat laughing.  Boo.

But I can't end on a bad note.  I overlooked that not-so-great part and added my own words (the beauty of a wordless book): "Glad that he was ok after that fall!"  There are lots of things to love about this book: I love how Polo meets all different types of animals along his not-so-straight path from his tree house and back again.  He had a little imaginative adventure with each, waves good-bye, and sets off on his way, alone, until he pops into someone new.  I actually think it's a sweet message about friendship--how some friends stay a long time in your life and other friends just come for a short while and disappear into the woodwork. 

I also wonder if this book is a little gift to parents--it's a book children can "read" to themselves, after all, so maybe I'll check out a few more of the Polo books so I can get through The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest a little bit faster...

Ballerino Nate by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Ballerino Nate by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, illustrated by R.W. Alley

Rating: 3.5 stars

Little (dog) Nate sees a ballet with his class at the end of his kindergarten year, and decides that he wants to learn how to dance ballet, too.  His mother finds him a class, but it doesn't start until Fall.  All Summer long Nate dances happily everywhere and anywhere; all Summer long Nate's big brother Ben teases him that only girls dance ballet.  His parents shush Ben every time, simply saying: "That's not true, Ben," to whatever falsehood falls from his mouth that moment.



"Ballerinas all have to wear pink shoes and a dress."

 Finally little Nate goes to his first class.  He loves it!  But he realizes that Ben is right--he's the only boy in the class.  So his mother takes him to a "real" ballet--not just a little school performance by students, but one danced by professionals.  He looks on in awe...the illustration of this is my favorite.  From the stage you see the dancers, but more important you see the whole audience, colored in dim grey, except for Nate and his mother, who are colored in brightly.  Nate is about to explode out of his seat in excitement!  Nate is thrilled to see that nearly half of the dancers are men, and that their roles are integral to the performance.  He even talks to one backstage, who explains that "ballerina" is for the top female dancers, while "ballerino" is the term for the best male dancers.

This is a lovely book that challenges the only-girls-do-this and only-boys-do-that stereotype.  It's a great one to read a few times just to put into your kids' heads, maybe to let them think a little outside of the box, or maybe to provide information that will prevent teasing/bullying later on.  I really like this book, but of course wish that the language was a little softer.  I wish that Ben didn't say "yuck" or "stupid" and that Nate didn't say he "hated" dresses and shoes.  I'm being harsh, I think, because I can't imagine boys saying much else at 5 or 6.  I'm still living in la-la land because my boy isn't saying much at this point!

Truck Duck by Michael Rex

Truck Duck by Michael Rex

Rating: 4.5 stars

There aren't many words in this book, and that makes it one of my personal favorites when it comes time for Ben's choice of two books at bedtime.  By then I'm pretty much counting down the seconds till I kiss him good-night and close the door.  I love the little guy, but man does he wear me out some days!

It's just a simple, rhyming text: "Truck duck / Chimp blimp / Plow cow / Cab crab..."  The pictures are very realistic and clear, with the right animal sitting in the driver's seat chug-chug-chugging along.  Ben likes the pictures of the trucks and animals while Lorelei likes the rhyming. 

The only one that makes Lorelei, when she's with us at nap time for a reading of this book, get a wrinkled-up expression on her little face is "Hog frog."  "Why are motorcycles called hogs, Mommy?"  I sure don't know.  I keep meaning to ask my Moto Guzzi-riding stepfather, the kids' GrandBill (husband to beloved Grammy), but I keep forgetting.  What he doesn't know off the top of his head he knows at the tip of his fingers (what a Googler that guy is!), so...I'll let him weigh in on this heavy question.

I Want to Be An Astronaut by Byron Barton

I Want to Be An Astronaut by Byron Barton

Rating: 5 stars

Byron Barton should definitely be required reading for little boys.  His Machines at Work and Building a House are some of our favorites, and we've read all his other books a number of times. 

A few weeks ago my husband encouraged me to get Ben out and do some more fun stuff with him like I did with both kids all summer long.  I love some gentle prodding like that to push me out of my comfort zone, so Ben and I dropped off Lorelei and went to the Air and Space Museum out by us, called the Udvar Hazy Center.  We had a great time, and Ben was totally amazed by all the airplanes, helicopters, and space shuttles.  Of course he's about a decade away from really having the attention span and desire to read all about each and every aircraft, and he's way too young to do the way-cool simulation rides that they have there.  But my husband was really right--it was a cool new thing that got Ben to really look around him and see something new. 

We had a great time walking through everything.  I loved the helicopters the best, and Ben loved the look out tower at the top where you can see planes take off and land from Dulles.  (It would have been my favorite had an airplane actually flown by us, but we were whisked away from it before we could see one because some fancy-schmancy diplomat needed the room cleared for his/her visit.  Humph.)

I let Ben choose two books at the gift shop--one for him and one for Lorelei.  This was his choice for himself, and it didn't surprise me at all.  We've checked it out from the library two or three times, and both kids love it.  The text is very simple and the pictures are bright and glossy and uncomplicated.  "I want to be an astronaut, / a member of the crew, / and fly on the shuttle / into outer space."

Who wouldn't want to do that?  And I wonder: what will be our kids' options for space exploration? 

Oh, Daddy! by Bob Shea

Oh, Daddy! by Bob Shea
Rating: 5 funny stars

Among the library books we brought home last week, this is definitely in Lorelei and Ben's top three.  Maybe the best of the bag! 

It's a simple little story of a father hippo trying to get his son to do something.  Using the classic trick of doing the desired thing wrong, the son laughs and shows his father how to do it correctly...and therefore does what his father actually wants him to do. 

For example, Dad Hippo comes in, "dressed" with a bucket on one foot, a boot on another, oven mitts on his hands, underwear on his head, and a flower pot on his head.  "Is this how you get dressed?" he asks his son.  "Oh, Daddy!" his son says, and shows him how to do it the right way.  The little hippo shows his dad how to get in the car, eat his lunch, water the flowers, and give a hug the right way. 

If you don't employ this tactic with your kid--and how could you not?!  It's the oldest trick in the book!--you should start now.  This book would probably help an obstinate kid for at least a few weeks...  The only drawback, and it's not a very big one, is that the little hippo says, "Easy peasy, mac and cheesy!" after showing his dad how to correctly get in the car.  Your child will, without a doubt, pick that up.  It doesn't bother me too much, though Lorelei has only repeated it six or seven times a day, not 50 or 100 times.

Katy and the Big Snow by Virgina Lee Burton

Katy and the Big Snow by Virgina Lee Burton

Rating: 5 valuable stars

Lorelei's preschool just had their annual book fair.  The only reason I didn't spend my husband's entire paycheck there: Grammy was in town, so I made her spend her entire paycheck there.  Thoughtful, don't you think? 

We actually didn't spend that much money, but generous Grammy did let each child pick out a book--though I think my twin nieces got to choose two each...got to say something about that favoritism thing...unless it goes in my kids' direction...  Anyway, I'll write about Lorelei's choice, but this was Ben's choice--heavily assisted by me.  While I don't read through books from the library first, I always want to make sure we're buying good ones.  I don't want to waste Grammy's money!  I don't think you can go wrong with Virginia Lee Burton, a classic writer that you probably associate with her most famous book, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, a great book that has been in Ben's bed for the past two weeks.  I had never seen this book before and really liked what I read when I skimmed it.

Grammy wonderfully planted the book on Ben's car seat for the drive home and we read it later that night together.  It is wonderful in that classic, old-school values sort of way.  Ben was hooked from the first line: "Katy was a beautiful red crawler tractor."  I loved the next line: "She was very big and very strong and she could do a lot of things."  How wise of Burton to make a big, powerful tractor female--makes both little girls and boys curious about her.  Lorelei and Ben listened carefully to the story after the first few lines, curious to hear how Katy would use her strength.  Burton explains how Katy did a lot of different jobs throughout the year; "the harder and tougher the job the better she liked it." 

When winter came, Katy was so big and strong that she stayed put when there was only a light dusting on the ground.  But one day that dusting turned into a huge blizzard, and Katy was the only plow who could cut through the snow.  Everyone and everything in the town came to a stand still, unable to do their regular duties.  Then Katy came to the rescue, slowly but surely plowing everyone out, enabling the police to protect the city, the Postmaster to get the mail through, the Telephone Company to repair downed lines.  By the end of the day she was tired but still she chugged on until the roads were all clear.  Then and only then did Katy stop and rest.

What a great story about taking on a challenge, finishing what you start (see the sweet Ella Takes the Cake for another one), working hard, and helping those in need.  Those are such valuable lessons that Burton manages to pack in a classic book with sweet drawings.  This is a wonderful holiday book; I can't say how grateful I am to have it on our shelf.  I'm going to order up all of Virginia Lee Burton's other books from the library right now...any favorites I should read first when they come home with us for a visit?

P.S.  I might extra-like this book because of my name.  I just wanted to point that out before one of you guys did.

Police Officers on Patrol by Kersten Hamilton

Police Officers on Patrol by Kersten Hamilton, illustrated by R.W. Alley

Rating: 5 stars

We had some high excitement at our house a few Sundays ago.  Our doorbell rang--something that doesn't happen in our not-so-populated neck of the woods--and who should be standing at our door but...a policeman!  While Lorelei rushed to introduce herself and explain how we've been reading a book on policemen ("I'll go get it and show you!" she exclaimed, then darted off to find this book and show it to the officer, who was appropriately impressed and sweet.), Ben just stood and stared in awe at the police cars.

Us parents were not so excited as he was looking for a burglar who has been prowling around our county for a few months.  He is getting closer and closer to our house.  I'd be more worried if we didn't have two big ol' dogs who'd be happy to take a bite out of crime.  Literally.

Anyway, since we were just reading this book, the visit was a super positive one--a "teachable moment" as teachers and parents like to say.  The police officer explained how he was looking for a bad guy and wanted to keep us safe.  In the book, there are three different problems (broken traffic light, lost child, and burglar) that three different officers (two male, one female) help to solve.  The pictures make the situations just serious enough to make it a problem, but light enough that the child isn't worried or frightened.  The refrain is: "Uniform! Badge! Radio!  When you need help, we rock and roll!" so we checked out the uniform, badge, and radio on the officer on our doorstep.  He was a good sport; we (mentally) gave him two gold stars.

I'd say this is a must-read, just to introduce the police to your kids.  Hopefully your neighborhood will be burglar-free for the next few decades, but...better to teach your kids all about community safety before they really need the lessons.