It's a common scenario: 3am. A child's bedroom door creaks open. The looming child-shaped silhouette. The soft voice calling, "Mom?" or "Dad?" The called-for parent startling awake or cringing and thinking "Ugh... why??" The unrequested parent smirking sleepily.
3 AM
Audrey came in this morning (3am is TECHNICALLY morning) asking for her Dad. "I have a mosquito bite. It's really itchy and I need a bandaid."
I was silent, feigning sleep and hoping Ben would wake up and get out of our comfortable, warm bed and deal with the issue.
First, let me say, in hindsight, this is the way it SHOULD have gone: Bandaid acquired, lovingly placed on itchy bump, child sent to the potty, child kissed, child sent to bed, parent goes to bed and everyone is happy.
This is not the way things went.
Let me tell you about The Bandaid Thing.
The Bandaid Thing has become the mountainish molehill involving an entire box of 100 bandaids being used by 2 children in less than a month.
Cuts
Scrapes
Scratches (nature AND sibling/self inflicted)
Bug Bites
Sibling Bites
Bruises
The Mysterious "it's bothering me" Spot
Dry Spots
And the Super Annoying "I feel like it's going to bleed" Spots
So, I became a bandaid hoarder. Ben obligingly joined in the hoarding.
I suppose part of me is bitter because my children never took to my Mom's Magic Kisses administrations. (MY mom's kisses were ALWAYS magic..)
Oh, and the cost! Gasp!!
So, now, on to Ben's Suggestion.
After a brief pause, in which Ben might have been contemplating The Bandaid Thing (I know I was), Ben suggested a damp paper towel placed on the itchy bite.
Audrey trustingly and willingly went to gather the needed item and went back into her room.
The peace lasted about 15 seconds.
Audrey came back, insisting that the paper towel kept falling off her bite and that it wasn't working.
What SHOULD have happened: Bandaid acquired, lovingly placed on itchy bump, child sent to the potty, child kissed, child sent to bed, parent goes to bed and everyone is... mostly happy.
This is not the way things went.
Instead, we entered the Battlefield of Wills. Ben's curt answer was for Audrey to go to bed.
Whereupon, Audrey proceeded to do what made the most sense to her at 3am: a whiny, leg-flapping, foot-stomping tantrum. The one thing I will say about this performance is that it's really hard to take her seriously when one leg is jiggling around like a fish out of water while she simultaneously tiny-hops in place and her voice steadily raises in pitch to a dog whistle. We are usually so put-out by this time that we can't see the humor in the situation anymore.
Ben reiterated his order to go to bed, a little louder, and Audrey eventually obeyed in a loud, choking sobbing kind of way that threatened to awaken the sleeping brother.
Thus, Ben went to the kids' room and a series of fierce whispers, reprimands, sobbing, wailing and threats of punishments drifted out of the room to my ears.
It was then that I decided I needed to get up.
But, first, let's talk about The Principle of the Thing. Sometimes we call it Sticking to our Guns or Teaching a Lesson. I catch myself saying, "I'm the parent! I know better! Deal with it!" This is an interesting concept and I'm sure The Principle of the Thing has an appropriate application, BUT, a bandaid at 3am for a child just doesn't fit the bill.
The sibling of The Principle of the Thing is the unspoken, but sininster, I Have To Be Right.. All The Time. Usually with a mental, snobbish sneer.
At 3am, I had an odd epiphany. All of theses aforementioned sentiments are the ugly faces of Pride. Overwhelming self-importance in spite of being wrong.
So, I got up - not to save the day, but to repair my mistake of refusing to parent at 3am and leaving my hard-working, exhausted, allergy-inflicted husband going solo.
I found them both in the hall. Audrey weeping. Ben silently Bull-Snorting. The bandaid was finally bequeathed upon my child, but talk of grounding floated through the air.
I held my daughter close to me and whispered, "Is a tantrum going to make it better?" She shook her head through her tears.
I instructed her to get her bandaid on and went and sat with my husband on the edge of the bed. I rested my head on his shoulder so that he could see in spite of the darkness that what I said was only meant In The Most Loving Way Possible.
It's 3am, I said. She's tired. You're tired. She came to you with her own solution but still took your advice. When that didn't work, she came back hoping for relief.
What I didn't say but only realized later was that she did everything right. She may not be equipped or experienced to deal with frustration, disappointment and discomfort very well (who is at 3am?) but she asked for help, willingly took advice and then returned when faced with difficulty.
At 3am, is The Bandaid Thing worth it?
What is the value of a bandaid versus the worth of a child? If a bandaid cost $1... or $10... or $1,000, at what point would the pain or distress of a child be worth less than the cost?
Heavenly Father sent His Only Begotten Son - an unfathomable cost at the highest price. All because he believes we are worth it. If the most perfect being in existence believes we are worth the highest price, who are we to disagree?
So, Ben, without any prompting from me, went in to talk with Audrey. I don't know what he said, but he told me he apologized.
In that moment, I became a good wife and thanked him for being a good dad. Apologizing, for me, is one of the hardest things to do. My desire to be right makes apologizing painful. And Pride rears its ugly head.
Ben felt he didn't deserve to be called a good dad. He felt that everything he did that required an apology excluded him from the Good Dad List.
I said the first thing that came to my mind. "A good dad is willing to learn." Translation: A good dad (or mom) strips away pride, becomes humble and does what is right, even if it means admitting he (or she) was wrong.
Some people say that our children need to see their parents make mistakes so that they know it's okay and human to do so. No one is perfect. But, I say, much more importantly, that they need to see how the parent handles being wrong. And they need to see their parent apologize, humble themselves and repent for what they've done wrong. Love and hope comes from seeing that there is a chance and a choice to become better.
As Ben was settling back down to sleep, he said, "All this fuss for a twelve cent bandaid." By all parties, yes.
My last trial came as his words sunk in. I had a sudden need to find out if the bandaid really did cost twelve cents. My need to be right, factual, precise, correct. My own pride.
I wanted to get up, turn on my computer, look up the cost of the box of bandaids. A little simple math and I'd KNOW how much that dang bandaid cost. Was it a big or small bandaid? What is the abstract cost of missed sleep?
Would I feel worse if it turned out to be a five cent bandaid? More justified if it was a twenty cent bandaid?
Then I remembered. It doesn't matter.
So, I refuse to look it up. My daughter's worth, my husband's ability to be a good dad, my need to be right.
It doesn't hinge on a bandaid.
Showing posts with label Parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parenting. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Friday, May 29, 2015
Last Days of School!
I've really enjoyed taking first and last day school pictures with the kids. It's amazing to see how they grow and change over just a few short months!
You can see the inches she's grown in the length of the dress! Amazing!
She LOOKS so much older!
Hank has gained a few inches, himself. Most obvious in the length of his shirt!
My handsome little man loved school so much! He was sad to have to leave.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
First Day of School
In the midst of a move, Summer Vacation ends. Summer seemed so long when I was a kid. Now it seems like it was gone in the blink of an eye.
Right before Audrey's birthday in April, her dad came home from his training in the Army, and it hasn't slowed down since. Two birthdays, a wedding in Albuquerque, last days of school, a baby blessing and a priesthood ordination (lots of family in town), Ben finding a new, full-time job (yay!) which requires out of state business trips (not so much yay), Bad Wolf Day, Ben going back to do more Army training in Nebraska, Summer Library reading, Highland Games, Day Camp for the kids, our 14th wedding anniversary, family picnic and fireworks on the 4th of July, our Jump into Summer learning workpages and activities, playdates with cousins, Ben's birthday, and a variety of trips to the zoo and dinosaur museum. It was in the final week or two of summer break that I realized we didn't even go camping this summer. What a shame! What a whirlwind!
Even today, on the first day of school, it doesn't end. Ben left for another business trip an hour before Audrey went to school. However, keeping with our new tradition, I took these cute pictures of the kids in their new school outfits. I started this last year, with Audrey writing her own name and Henry holding a sign showing what she wants to be when she grows up. I think it will be fun to see the changes that happen over the years and the inklings of a photobook for high school graduation comes to mind! :)
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| When she grows up, she wants to be a Zoo Keeper! A girl after my own heart. :) |
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| When he grows up, he wants to be a Robot! |
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| If only you knew the fight we had at the store over this shirt... oh, wait. What? We never fight.... |
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| Our Monkey! |
It'll be a bit lonely in the house with Audrey gone for the better part of the day, but I'm sure we'll manage it. We already finished Henry's preschool work for the day! I'll be glad to get into a routine... and to get all these boxes out of my house!
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Henry's Monster
We have been continuing our five weeks of summer learning. We are on week 4, currently: Dinosaurs! Typically, what happens is Audrey finishes her work pages before Henry and turns hers over to draw on the blank sides. Henry rarely finishes before her and, therefore, almost never gets to make his own creations. Today was an exception... :)
It's unfortunate that I can't describe to you the stages that this picture underwent to reach its current appearance. It was certainly a process and Henry had a story that went along with it. I'll do my best to relate his narrative with fewer adult interruptions than happened at the time. I will also skip over the part where this drawing started out as a man (and the part where he wasn't wearing pants, and the part where his pants were see-through)... he morphed along the way.
That little dot (under the left side of his face) is his hun. She's far away. The three even smaller dots (under his tail on the right side) are his children. They're far away, too.
He's a pig-man.
Audrey: Here are his brains. (Proceeds to color the peach-colored squiggle above the eyes.)
No, this is his brain. (The brown squiggle at the right corner of his mouth.)
Audrey: Then what is that? (Pointing at her contribution to his drawing.)
That's his blood.
Audrey: Ewww... skin-colored blood!
He's crying because he's bleeding. (Proceeds to draw the open mouth. He pulls his own mouth into a grimmace and says:) He's crying like this.... what does a monster sound like when he cries?
Me: What does a monster sound like normally?
Rawwrrr.. RAAAARRRGGGGHHHHHHH!
Me: So, what would it sound like if he was crying?
Raa-haa-haaa-blaahhhh... Grrrr-hoooooo-hoooo-oooooooooo!
Me: Where are his teeth?
Right here... (starts drawing teeth.) He has a LOT of teeth. His teeth are sharp. He cuts things with them, like a knife. (He makes a sawing motion with his hands next to his teeth. I ask him what he cuts.) PEOPLE!
Me: Well, that sounds unfortunate. What does he do with the people after he cuts them?
He eats them!
Me: Does he cook them first?
Yes!
Me: Well, that's something, at least.
People and pigs are afraid of him because he eats them.
Me: So, he's a pig-man and he eats pigs and people?
Yes! But he doesn't eat horses because he thinks they taste yucky.
His hun and children are monsters too. (Are they far away because they're afraid of him?) Yes.
He's sad because he's bleeding... Graaaaaa-hooooo-hooo-hooo!! Grrrrrrrrr! Aaaaaggghhhhooooooo!
And, yet another motherly adage is proved: This will only end in tears... Apparently, monsters don't listen to their mothers either.
It took quite a bit of wheedling to get him to give me the picture so I could scan it. I'm glad he let me.. so I could share a little bit of my son with all of you. I think he's hilarious!
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Paper Nostalgia
When I was fairly young, perhaps around 10 years old, one of my sisters introduced me to paper dolls. The ones that came with outfits that could be traded out to my heart's content. Of course, I also learned that I had to cut them out myself. Not an easy task for someone of my age. Since this was my first experience, I was concentrating so hard on getting the clothes cut out perfectly, that I cut off the the most important feature of the delicate paper creations: the paper tabs. I discovered, to my dismay, that the clothes would not stay on no matter what I tried as long as they lacked the little tabs. I don't recall what happened with those dolls; perhaps the tabs were cut out and then taped on, or maybe I tried to play with them flat on the ground. Either way, the lesson was very much learned.
I've been thinking about paper dolls lately. I've wanted to give my daughter this experience as well. Well, not the exact experience. She wouldn't have been able to cut out those dolls to save her life. But, I wanted her to experience the joy of something so simple, and even a bit vintage, as a paper doll.
I did some looking around and, while there are a lot of paper dolls out there, not many of them appealed to me. I finally happened across some on Pinterest, and the link led back to here and here. These dolls are delightfully vintage, and wonderfully printer-friendly. Some brilliant person was able to take Hallmark's vintage wrapping paper and convert it into a digital format. Well, I knew a good thing when I saw it and immediately printed them out on card stock.
I think it took me nearly two hours to cut all of the dolls out, but they turned out super cute and my kids love them. That's right. Kids. Plural. Wee Willie was perfect for Henry, with fireman, cowboy, clown, baseball and football players and several other outfits. Dancing Debbie was a no-brainer for Audrey, with such outfits as cowgirl, jester, gypsy and countless fancy dresses.
At first, I cut out just a few outfits and gave them to the kids with the promise of more. I alternated new outfits between the two of them, and it didn't take long for them to wait anxiously at the door for the next new outfit. I also gave them envelopes to keep their little dolls safe.
The kids have been playing with them for several hours. I figure that in and of itself is worth the time, effort and printer ink.
And, perhaps, one day, they will feel nostalgic about paper dolls, themselves, and introduce their own children to them...
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Fashionable Six-Year-Old
Audrey's been dressing herself for quite some time. I try not to interfere with her choices, because there will come a time where peer-pressure may very well do that for me, much to my dismay.
Every so often, though, someone will look at my daughter and look at me and ask if I really intend to let her wear that... and, horrors, if we'll even dare leave the house! Well, aside from a few considerations, I figure I'll let her express herself any way she likes. In my mind, it shows creativity on her part.
The considerations are often boring: Can she wear that to school? (Apparently flip-flops are not allowed as we found out about a month before school let out for the summer.) Is it weather appropriate? (A long-sleeved shirt will be just as unwelcome in July as a sundress in December.) Can you see her underwear? (Fortunately, this is not because of any pant-sagging tendencies, but because of her penchant for skirts. A pair of simple shorts underneath does the trick.)
She has also started fixing her own hair, and I am more than happy to have her learn, even if the results often look like she's been trying to apply hair ties in a tornado. She'll need to know how to fix her hair soon enough. However, I try to make sure that her hair looks nice when my status as a decent mother might come into question.
While Ben was away training in the Army, he often only saw the kids from the shoulders-up via Skype. However, I made sure he got a good look at this ensemble:
Yeah. My little outside-the-box-thinker. In her mind, if she likes it, she should be able to wear it all at once, never mind matching. :)
Honestly, as long as I'm working on my kids' social graces, grammar and knowledge of the world outside their neighborhood, I figure fashion sense will only need to be taught if they don't grow into it on their own... I think if they haven't gotten it worked out by the time they're thinking about getting married, we might need to have a sit-down.
Friday, November 16, 2012
The Final 20!
Okay, so as far as the 100 Books before Kindergarten goes, we did make it and read all 100 books before Kindergarten started. I just became a giant mess by the time the end of summer came and neglected everything in my life that wan't breathing. I even stopped my own personal reading! I KNOW! It shocked me, too, when I realized. As of this moment, I'm re-reading The Hunger Games series. I find it isn't as confusing the second time around. But I digress.
If you remember my original post, which you probably don't because that was way back in May and I can hardly remember last week, I mentioned that we only owned 12 of the 100 listed. We have since acquired a couple additional books from the list and we only had to buy one brand new! That's right, ONE. Between the library, thrift stores and friends/family, we were able to get our hands on all the other books.
I decided to write out the final 20 in one blog. I know it's long, but it may be months before I get my life back on track again. Actually, I happen to know that my life is going to be an inconsistent mess until next summer and maybe even then since I am anticipating a move. Hm. Maybe I'd better get used to the craziness I call life right now. It may not ever go away.
Anyway, without further ado, the final 20.
21. Eddie’s Garden: And How to Make Things Grow by Sarah Garland (★★★★) This book was similar to the other book we read by Sarah Garland, Doing the Garden, which I reviewed here. Another sweet story by Sarah Garland, the kids and I enjoyed the simplicity and realism of this story. The simple joys of life never get old.
68. One Some Many by Marthe Jocelyn (★★★★) This was an interesting take on a counting book. The title seemed strange to me before we read it but it was all about words we use to count. One. Some. Many. The pictures were in the style of color block cut outs, bold and clear. Though the book didn't elicit any strong reactions from my kids, I know they were just soaking it up. Of course, I'm always pro-vocabulary. This may be one to buy.
71. Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle (★★★★) I love Eric Carle. His books are engaging, quite educational and memorable. This story was tender and a lot of fun. A daughter asks her father to get the moon for her and he goes to great lengths, literally, to get it for her. Several of the pages opened up quite large, which had quite an impact on my kids. It was a little longer than the usual Carle book, but it was just as entertaining.
73. The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend (★★★1/2) This story is about a cat who wants to make the perfect omelette He reasons with himself that if he built the perfect nest, the perfect chicken will lay an egg on it and his omelette is as good as his. His nest turns out to be a bit too perfect and trouble ensues. The kids loved this silly book and were able to follow the story easily. The pictures were really funny, too.
74. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin (★) Pete the cat is walking along with his white shoes on singing a song. He steps into a pile of strawberries which changes the color of his shoes. Then he steps in blueberries, changing them again (but, oddly, not blending the colors). All along he sings while he continues to step in stuff, changing the color of his shoes again. While this was a cute book, I found it unfortunate the educational opportunities were not taken. Why not blend the colors? Why didn't Pete learn to look where he was going? Is there a moral to this story? If so, it's: Life happens, you can't or don't need to take control. Good thing they're too young to read into it too much. Maybe that's the point?
83. Stanley’s Party by Linda Bailey (★★★) Stanley the dog's people go out a lot and he is left home alone. Normally, he is a good dog, but eventually he realizes that he can sit on the coveted couch and they'll never know. One thing leads to another and the dog takes over the whole house. I can still picture my 5-year-old shaking her head at the dog's naughtiness. In the end, Stanley had to mend his ways and his people learned a thing or two as well. Cute story. Beautiful, detailed illustrations. Worth the read!
84. Stella, Star of the Sea by Marie-Louise Gay (★★★1/2) Stella and her brother go to the beach. Stella's little brother, who has never been, is brimming with questions to which Stella always has the answer, right or wrong. But the real question is whether Sam will ever get into the water. This is a sweet story about a girl's relationship with her little brother. I'm a sucker for big sister/little brother stories for obvious reason. What a cute tale!
85. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf (★★★★★) I think everyone must know about Ferdinand. I remember watching the cartoon when I was younger. Ferdinand is the gentlest bull you could ever meet. While all the other bulls run and butt heads, he just wants to sit in his favorite spot and smell flowers. The pictures are simple ink drawings but beautifully detailed. This classic story has lasted through the years as a favorite for a reason. May it last through many more generations.
86. Strega Nona: Her Story by Tomie dePaola (★★★3/4) For those of you unfamiliar with the Strega Nona books, she is called a "witch" but is more like the town healer. For those of you familiar with Strega Nona, this is the story of her birth and learning to be a healer. Fun retelling of an old folk-tale with enough humor to keep the kids interested an entertained. Great story.
87. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig (★★★★) Sylvester finds a magic pebble that makes all his wishes come true. Unfortunately he makes a hasty wish in a moment of danger that separates him from his family. Miss A was very invested in this story. She was very concerned for Sylvester and was practically yelling at the book when his family was nearby and just didn't recognize him. Any story that engages my children gets a thumbs up from me!
88. Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester (★★★★) Tacky is an odd bird. The other penguins know it an are often perplexed by his oddness. In the end, however, it is Tacky who saves them all because he is different. What a delightful romp this book was. While there are a lot of books out there celebrating individuality, I especially liked that this little bird used his strengths to help others. A message worth reading.
90. The Three Pigs by David Wiesner (★★★★★) This traditional tale literally gets blown away. While the story follows the typical pattern to begin with, the story soon comes to life when the wolf huffs and puffs a little too hard and blows the pigs straight out of the book! This story won a Caldecott award for it's beautiful illustrations and it is well deserved. The twist on the story was refreshing as well. Win, win!
91. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka (★★★★★) I remember my mother reading us this story when I was younger. I've read a lot of story books and it says something for any book that I remember fondly after so many years. This version of the Three Little Pigs tale is told from the perspective of the wolf who paints the pigs in a very bad light indeed. According to him, the real story is about a sneeze and a cup of sugar. I'm glad my children were old enough when we read this to be familiar with the original story so that they understood the humor in this new one. While I don't think my daughter enjoyed the ugly-interesting style of illustrating, I'd say she got into the spirit of the story and had fun, which is exactly the point!
92. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Pam Adams (★★★★1/2) While this books follows the classic poem/song almost exactly, the pictures are what make the book (as well as the amusing moral in the end). In eye-popping color, the old lady continues to eat what isn't good for her, looking progressively more unhinged with every page turn. Instead of merely drawing each page with the newly added critter in her stomach, this book gradually increases the size of the die-cut hole in the page to include the newest creature. No matter how this story is told, it always amuses children, but this book adds a new dimension with gorgeous illustrations and well-placed windows.
93. Tuesday by David Wiesner (★★★★★+) The unassuming title of this book belies the stunning nature of this Caldecott winner. Every turn of the page brings new wonder to the odd happenings on what should be a normal Tuesday evening. But who wouldn't love the magic of ordinary bullfrogs flying through the air on their lily pads? The expressions on both the frogs and the other creatures they pass just as priceless as the wonder and magic this book brought into my children's lives.
95. A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker (★★★1/2) Bear simply doesn't want company, but that won't stop Mouse from trying in a sweet, polite and gentle way. While Bear becomes frustrated, my children were amazed at all the unusual places Mouse would show up and wonder aloud how in the world he could have gotten there. I will never get tired of a book my children interact with!
96. Wheels on the Bus: A Book with Parts That Move by Paul O. Zelinsky (★★★) The classic song is brought to life by moving parts in this fun book. We enjoyed this book very much, but I would hesitate at buying it myself as my children are not as gentle as I would like. Though, I would recommend this beautiful book to parents with children less inclined toward book destruction!
97. Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox (★★★1/2) This book keeps you turning pages as you try to find the green sheep. There are red sheep, blue sheep, thin sheep, fat sheep. If nothing else, this is a great book for teaching colors, opposites and vocabulary to young children. My five-year-old might have been a bit older than the targeted audience but she enjoyed it anyway.
99. Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill (★★★★) This is the one book I had to buy new because I couldn't find it at either library in my area. As it turns out, it's a good thing because this is one of those lift-the-flap books that certainly would have been in poor condition if I had acquired it any other way. Spots mother is looking for her puppy so that he can have dinner. She searches all through the house, looking in every possible place. My children loved discovering each new place and lifting the flaps to try to find Spot. As it turns out, this book has not left their room since we bought it. They love it!
100. Yoko by Rosemary Wells (★★★★) Yoko's mother sends her off to her first day of school with her favorite food: Sushi! Her classmates, however, are appalled by the unusual meal, branding it "Yuck-o-rama" Yoko's teacher has an idea up her sleeve, however, to help broaden the horizons of all her students! The author of the famous Max and Ruby books sends her adorable little animal characters on a food tasting adventure in the sweet book. If nothing else, it enforced what I always tell my own kids: Don't say you don't like it until you try it!
So that finishes the 100 book challenge. I do have another list somewhere of more books to read, but I'll be darned if I can't find it. Once I get the hang of the school year, I think I'll buckle down and find the list, strike off the ones we own or read this summer and start visiting the library again.
If nothing else, I reinforced my desire for my children to love reading as much as or more than I do! There's a magical world of books out there!
If you remember my original post, which you probably don't because that was way back in May and I can hardly remember last week, I mentioned that we only owned 12 of the 100 listed. We have since acquired a couple additional books from the list and we only had to buy one brand new! That's right, ONE. Between the library, thrift stores and friends/family, we were able to get our hands on all the other books.
I decided to write out the final 20 in one blog. I know it's long, but it may be months before I get my life back on track again. Actually, I happen to know that my life is going to be an inconsistent mess until next summer and maybe even then since I am anticipating a move. Hm. Maybe I'd better get used to the craziness I call life right now. It may not ever go away.
Anyway, without further ado, the final 20.
21. Eddie’s Garden: And How to Make Things Grow by Sarah Garland (★★★★) This book was similar to the other book we read by Sarah Garland, Doing the Garden, which I reviewed here. Another sweet story by Sarah Garland, the kids and I enjoyed the simplicity and realism of this story. The simple joys of life never get old.
68. One Some Many by Marthe Jocelyn (★★★★) This was an interesting take on a counting book. The title seemed strange to me before we read it but it was all about words we use to count. One. Some. Many. The pictures were in the style of color block cut outs, bold and clear. Though the book didn't elicit any strong reactions from my kids, I know they were just soaking it up. Of course, I'm always pro-vocabulary. This may be one to buy.
71. Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carle (★★★★) I love Eric Carle. His books are engaging, quite educational and memorable. This story was tender and a lot of fun. A daughter asks her father to get the moon for her and he goes to great lengths, literally, to get it for her. Several of the pages opened up quite large, which had quite an impact on my kids. It was a little longer than the usual Carle book, but it was just as entertaining.
73. The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend (★★★1/2) This story is about a cat who wants to make the perfect omelette He reasons with himself that if he built the perfect nest, the perfect chicken will lay an egg on it and his omelette is as good as his. His nest turns out to be a bit too perfect and trouble ensues. The kids loved this silly book and were able to follow the story easily. The pictures were really funny, too.
74. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin (★) Pete the cat is walking along with his white shoes on singing a song. He steps into a pile of strawberries which changes the color of his shoes. Then he steps in blueberries, changing them again (but, oddly, not blending the colors). All along he sings while he continues to step in stuff, changing the color of his shoes again. While this was a cute book, I found it unfortunate the educational opportunities were not taken. Why not blend the colors? Why didn't Pete learn to look where he was going? Is there a moral to this story? If so, it's: Life happens, you can't or don't need to take control. Good thing they're too young to read into it too much. Maybe that's the point?
83. Stanley’s Party by Linda Bailey (★★★) Stanley the dog's people go out a lot and he is left home alone. Normally, he is a good dog, but eventually he realizes that he can sit on the coveted couch and they'll never know. One thing leads to another and the dog takes over the whole house. I can still picture my 5-year-old shaking her head at the dog's naughtiness. In the end, Stanley had to mend his ways and his people learned a thing or two as well. Cute story. Beautiful, detailed illustrations. Worth the read!
84. Stella, Star of the Sea by Marie-Louise Gay (★★★1/2) Stella and her brother go to the beach. Stella's little brother, who has never been, is brimming with questions to which Stella always has the answer, right or wrong. But the real question is whether Sam will ever get into the water. This is a sweet story about a girl's relationship with her little brother. I'm a sucker for big sister/little brother stories for obvious reason. What a cute tale!
85. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf (★★★★★) I think everyone must know about Ferdinand. I remember watching the cartoon when I was younger. Ferdinand is the gentlest bull you could ever meet. While all the other bulls run and butt heads, he just wants to sit in his favorite spot and smell flowers. The pictures are simple ink drawings but beautifully detailed. This classic story has lasted through the years as a favorite for a reason. May it last through many more generations.
86. Strega Nona: Her Story by Tomie dePaola (★★★3/4) For those of you unfamiliar with the Strega Nona books, she is called a "witch" but is more like the town healer. For those of you familiar with Strega Nona, this is the story of her birth and learning to be a healer. Fun retelling of an old folk-tale with enough humor to keep the kids interested an entertained. Great story.
87. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig (★★★★) Sylvester finds a magic pebble that makes all his wishes come true. Unfortunately he makes a hasty wish in a moment of danger that separates him from his family. Miss A was very invested in this story. She was very concerned for Sylvester and was practically yelling at the book when his family was nearby and just didn't recognize him. Any story that engages my children gets a thumbs up from me!
88. Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester (★★★★) Tacky is an odd bird. The other penguins know it an are often perplexed by his oddness. In the end, however, it is Tacky who saves them all because he is different. What a delightful romp this book was. While there are a lot of books out there celebrating individuality, I especially liked that this little bird used his strengths to help others. A message worth reading.
90. The Three Pigs by David Wiesner (★★★★★) This traditional tale literally gets blown away. While the story follows the typical pattern to begin with, the story soon comes to life when the wolf huffs and puffs a little too hard and blows the pigs straight out of the book! This story won a Caldecott award for it's beautiful illustrations and it is well deserved. The twist on the story was refreshing as well. Win, win!
91. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka (★★★★★) I remember my mother reading us this story when I was younger. I've read a lot of story books and it says something for any book that I remember fondly after so many years. This version of the Three Little Pigs tale is told from the perspective of the wolf who paints the pigs in a very bad light indeed. According to him, the real story is about a sneeze and a cup of sugar. I'm glad my children were old enough when we read this to be familiar with the original story so that they understood the humor in this new one. While I don't think my daughter enjoyed the ugly-interesting style of illustrating, I'd say she got into the spirit of the story and had fun, which is exactly the point!
92. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Pam Adams (★★★★1/2) While this books follows the classic poem/song almost exactly, the pictures are what make the book (as well as the amusing moral in the end). In eye-popping color, the old lady continues to eat what isn't good for her, looking progressively more unhinged with every page turn. Instead of merely drawing each page with the newly added critter in her stomach, this book gradually increases the size of the die-cut hole in the page to include the newest creature. No matter how this story is told, it always amuses children, but this book adds a new dimension with gorgeous illustrations and well-placed windows.
93. Tuesday by David Wiesner (★★★★★+) The unassuming title of this book belies the stunning nature of this Caldecott winner. Every turn of the page brings new wonder to the odd happenings on what should be a normal Tuesday evening. But who wouldn't love the magic of ordinary bullfrogs flying through the air on their lily pads? The expressions on both the frogs and the other creatures they pass just as priceless as the wonder and magic this book brought into my children's lives.
95. A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker (★★★1/2) Bear simply doesn't want company, but that won't stop Mouse from trying in a sweet, polite and gentle way. While Bear becomes frustrated, my children were amazed at all the unusual places Mouse would show up and wonder aloud how in the world he could have gotten there. I will never get tired of a book my children interact with!
96. Wheels on the Bus: A Book with Parts That Move by Paul O. Zelinsky (★★★) The classic song is brought to life by moving parts in this fun book. We enjoyed this book very much, but I would hesitate at buying it myself as my children are not as gentle as I would like. Though, I would recommend this beautiful book to parents with children less inclined toward book destruction!
97. Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox (★★★1/2) This book keeps you turning pages as you try to find the green sheep. There are red sheep, blue sheep, thin sheep, fat sheep. If nothing else, this is a great book for teaching colors, opposites and vocabulary to young children. My five-year-old might have been a bit older than the targeted audience but she enjoyed it anyway.
99. Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill (★★★★) This is the one book I had to buy new because I couldn't find it at either library in my area. As it turns out, it's a good thing because this is one of those lift-the-flap books that certainly would have been in poor condition if I had acquired it any other way. Spots mother is looking for her puppy so that he can have dinner. She searches all through the house, looking in every possible place. My children loved discovering each new place and lifting the flaps to try to find Spot. As it turns out, this book has not left their room since we bought it. They love it!
100. Yoko by Rosemary Wells (★★★★) Yoko's mother sends her off to her first day of school with her favorite food: Sushi! Her classmates, however, are appalled by the unusual meal, branding it "Yuck-o-rama" Yoko's teacher has an idea up her sleeve, however, to help broaden the horizons of all her students! The author of the famous Max and Ruby books sends her adorable little animal characters on a food tasting adventure in the sweet book. If nothing else, it enforced what I always tell my own kids: Don't say you don't like it until you try it!
So that finishes the 100 book challenge. I do have another list somewhere of more books to read, but I'll be darned if I can't find it. Once I get the hang of the school year, I think I'll buckle down and find the list, strike off the ones we own or read this summer and start visiting the library again.
If nothing else, I reinforced my desire for my children to love reading as much as or more than I do! There's a magical world of books out there!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
12 More, A Short Break and 20 Left!
So, it's been a loooong time since I last posted anything. It's been quite a summer and we've been busy. We haven't given up on reading, however. We try not to miss a single night (though sometimes we do... I'm not perfect... just almost perfect!) If I can get my tush in gear, I'll have some blogs about what we've been up to the past month or so.
At the time we read these books, I was starting to feel the pressure of our busyness and we took a short break from this list and let the kids pick whatever books they wanted. I figured we were so close to the end that it wouldn't make much of a difference in the end. At the time of this writing, we have 3 stories left to read/find. I have one in my hot little hands right now, figuratively speaking, and the final two have proven to be quite tricky to find. I might have to break down and buy them. *GASP!*
65. No Sleep for the Sheep! by Karen Beaumont (★★★★) The sheep in this story is tired and all he wants is to go to sleep, but all the barnyard animals, one after another, keep coming to his door.The pictures were cute and easy for the kids to interpret what was going on. They enjoyed this story quite a lot.
66. No, David! by David Shannon (★★★★) David just can't seem to stay out of trouble! We had a couple of the David! books already, so the kids were familiar with how the stories go. Audrey, especially, has reached that age where she knows that David is doing (or about to do) something naughty. The narrative and pictures were fun and easy to follow.
69. Owl Babies by Martin Waddell (★★★1/2) Three owl babies wake up one night to find that their mother is gone. Where could she be? The pictures are beautiful and the story simple enough for my 3-year-old.
70. Pancakes for Supper! by Anne Isaacs (★★★) This story is about a young girl who gets lost in the woods and is forced to give the various woodland predators items of her clothing to save herself from getting eaten. Though my kids were new to this particular tale, it was reminiscent of the old folk tale of Little Black Sambo or The Story of Little Babaji. (Both Sambo and Babaji were written by the same author, only adapted in the newer version.) I felt that, aside from a few details and character changes, the story was almost identical. The kids were amused by seeing the large animals wearing clothing that was much, much too small for them.
72. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch (★★★★★) The princess of this story is just like so many other princesses. She lives in a castle, wears beautiful clothes and is going to marry a handsome prince. When a dragon comes and destroys her castle, burns her fancy clothes and carries off her handsome prince, what is a princess to do? This feisty little princess doesn't just take it lying down. She simply puts on a paper bag in place of her ruined clothes and goes to rescue her prince. This story doesn't end predictably at all and the kids enjoyed it very much. I'm all for a story that features a strong female character who goes after what she wants (or what she thinks she wants...)
75. Princess Pigsty by Cornelia Funke (★★★★1/2) The youngest princess in this story is tired of being a princess. She doesn't want to be waited on. She doesn't like the pretty dresses or having to smile all the time. When her father finally gets fed up, he sends her to the pigsty. This punishment doesn't get the results the king expected! Another story about a spunky princess who knows her own mind. Though, I think the humor was a little beyond my kids, they enjoyed the story, anyway.
76. Rain by Manya Stojic (★★★★) This story has a rhythmic quality when read aloud. The statements are simple and the pictures vibrant. The animals on the Savannah are waiting for the rain. First the porcupine smells it, then the zebras see the lightning and the message gets passed along from animal to animal until all the senses are touched.
77. Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins (★★★★★) Rosie, the hen, goes for a walk. Fox follows quietly behind. As Rosie goes on, blissfully unaware of the danger behind her, the fox gets caught up in obstacle after obstacle, each one worse than the last. This gently humorous book was good for both my 3-year-old and my 5-year-old.
78. Scaredy Squirrel by Mélanie Watt (★★★★★) The kids enjoyed this book so much that I picked up several more in the series the next time we went to the library. Scaredy Squirrel is afraid of EVERYTHING. He even checks to make sure there are no sharks around his tree. My husband read this one to the kids and was chuckling just as much as they were laughing.
79. Silly Suzy Goose by Petr Horácek (★★★★) Suzy Goose realizes one day that she is exactly like every other goose. So she goes out and meets other animals, wishfully thinking how nice it would be to be like them.. that is, until she meets a hungry lion! This was a cute story that both encouraged individuality and being happy with who we are, even if it SEEMS like we just like everyone else.
80. Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner (★★★★★) I was confident that this book would go over well with my kids. We already have two of the Skippyjon books and my kids love them. My son is especially obsessed. The first book in the series didn't disappoint. In this story, the little Siamese cat who wishes he was a Chihuahua, must save his friends from the huge bumble-beeto! Energetic and exciting storytelling is a crowd-pleaser at my house!
82. Some Dogs Do by Jez Alborough (★★★★★) Sid the dog gets a happy feeling on the way to school and suddenly finds himself flying! When he tries to tell his friends, no one believes him. After all, who ever heard of a dog that flies? Sid becomes so sad that he can't fly anymore. In the end, he figures it all out with the help of his dad. This was a cute story and the kids really liked it.
At the time we read these books, I was starting to feel the pressure of our busyness and we took a short break from this list and let the kids pick whatever books they wanted. I figured we were so close to the end that it wouldn't make much of a difference in the end. At the time of this writing, we have 3 stories left to read/find. I have one in my hot little hands right now, figuratively speaking, and the final two have proven to be quite tricky to find. I might have to break down and buy them. *GASP!*
65. No Sleep for the Sheep! by Karen Beaumont (★★★★) The sheep in this story is tired and all he wants is to go to sleep, but all the barnyard animals, one after another, keep coming to his door.The pictures were cute and easy for the kids to interpret what was going on. They enjoyed this story quite a lot.
66. No, David! by David Shannon (★★★★) David just can't seem to stay out of trouble! We had a couple of the David! books already, so the kids were familiar with how the stories go. Audrey, especially, has reached that age where she knows that David is doing (or about to do) something naughty. The narrative and pictures were fun and easy to follow.
69. Owl Babies by Martin Waddell (★★★1/2) Three owl babies wake up one night to find that their mother is gone. Where could she be? The pictures are beautiful and the story simple enough for my 3-year-old.
70. Pancakes for Supper! by Anne Isaacs (★★★) This story is about a young girl who gets lost in the woods and is forced to give the various woodland predators items of her clothing to save herself from getting eaten. Though my kids were new to this particular tale, it was reminiscent of the old folk tale of Little Black Sambo or The Story of Little Babaji. (Both Sambo and Babaji were written by the same author, only adapted in the newer version.) I felt that, aside from a few details and character changes, the story was almost identical. The kids were amused by seeing the large animals wearing clothing that was much, much too small for them.
72. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch (★★★★★) The princess of this story is just like so many other princesses. She lives in a castle, wears beautiful clothes and is going to marry a handsome prince. When a dragon comes and destroys her castle, burns her fancy clothes and carries off her handsome prince, what is a princess to do? This feisty little princess doesn't just take it lying down. She simply puts on a paper bag in place of her ruined clothes and goes to rescue her prince. This story doesn't end predictably at all and the kids enjoyed it very much. I'm all for a story that features a strong female character who goes after what she wants (or what she thinks she wants...)
75. Princess Pigsty by Cornelia Funke (★★★★1/2) The youngest princess in this story is tired of being a princess. She doesn't want to be waited on. She doesn't like the pretty dresses or having to smile all the time. When her father finally gets fed up, he sends her to the pigsty. This punishment doesn't get the results the king expected! Another story about a spunky princess who knows her own mind. Though, I think the humor was a little beyond my kids, they enjoyed the story, anyway.
76. Rain by Manya Stojic (★★★★) This story has a rhythmic quality when read aloud. The statements are simple and the pictures vibrant. The animals on the Savannah are waiting for the rain. First the porcupine smells it, then the zebras see the lightning and the message gets passed along from animal to animal until all the senses are touched.
77. Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins (★★★★★) Rosie, the hen, goes for a walk. Fox follows quietly behind. As Rosie goes on, blissfully unaware of the danger behind her, the fox gets caught up in obstacle after obstacle, each one worse than the last. This gently humorous book was good for both my 3-year-old and my 5-year-old.
78. Scaredy Squirrel by Mélanie Watt (★★★★★) The kids enjoyed this book so much that I picked up several more in the series the next time we went to the library. Scaredy Squirrel is afraid of EVERYTHING. He even checks to make sure there are no sharks around his tree. My husband read this one to the kids and was chuckling just as much as they were laughing.
79. Silly Suzy Goose by Petr Horácek (★★★★) Suzy Goose realizes one day that she is exactly like every other goose. So she goes out and meets other animals, wishfully thinking how nice it would be to be like them.. that is, until she meets a hungry lion! This was a cute story that both encouraged individuality and being happy with who we are, even if it SEEMS like we just like everyone else.
80. Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner (★★★★★) I was confident that this book would go over well with my kids. We already have two of the Skippyjon books and my kids love them. My son is especially obsessed. The first book in the series didn't disappoint. In this story, the little Siamese cat who wishes he was a Chihuahua, must save his friends from the huge bumble-beeto! Energetic and exciting storytelling is a crowd-pleaser at my house!
82. Some Dogs Do by Jez Alborough (★★★★★) Sid the dog gets a happy feeling on the way to school and suddenly finds himself flying! When he tries to tell his friends, no one believes him. After all, who ever heard of a dog that flies? Sid becomes so sad that he can't fly anymore. In the end, he figures it all out with the help of his dad. This was a cute story and the kids really liked it.
I have plenty to write about and just need to buckle down and do it. More books, summer fun, crafting and sewing projects, camping and other stuff I can't remember right now.. so, stay tuned! ;)
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
12 More, 32 left... Sprinting for Home!
Here is the other half of the list of 24. After finishing these books, we took a short break. We read a few books off the list and signed the kids up for the summer reading programs with both of the local libraries.
51. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems - (★★★★★) The kids liked this one a lot. It was easy to follow what was going on and the kids were very concerned for the little girl who lost her bunny. I love Mo Willems' books. They speak to young children in fun and simple ways.
52. Ladybug Girl by Jacky Davis; David Soman - (★★★★★) A friend of mine recommended the Ladybug Girl books to me several years ago, but I procrastinated checking them out and then forgot all about them. Lulu dresses up as Ladybug Girl and, when she does, she can be a super hero in her own way. We got one other Ladybug Girl book when we checked out the first one because I had a hunch that the kids would like it. Boy, was my instinct right on! We might just have to read every one there is!
53. Lemons Are Not Red by Laura Vaccaro Seeger - (★★★★) This was another window book. On the first page was a plastic window shaped like a lemon, but the color showing through the window was red. It stated on the page that lemons are not red. When you turn the page, there is an apple there: But apples are! The lemon shaped window is now showing a color from the previous page, which is yellow. This continues through the book, explaining that fruits and vegetables are NOT this color, but this other fruit or vegetable is. This was a fun discovery-style book for my kids. I think I might check it out again some time to see if my kids (instead) can tell me what color is right and what fruit or vegetable the wrong color might belong to... ;)
55. Llama, Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney - (★★★★★) We love the Llama, Llama books in our house. We were given Llama, Llama Misses Mama as a gift from my mother several months ago and my kids love it. So, it was a no-brainer to check out this one as well. The messages are fairly subtle in these books, helping to ease the worries of young children. In this case, the little llama was worried that his mama left after he went to bed. My kids have expressed this same worry to us. I think this is yet another series that we will have to collect for our own shelves.
57. Madlenka by Peter Sís - (★★★) My kids liked this book fairly well. I had difficulty reading it because quite a lot of the important bits were crammed into the perimeter of each page and were frequently sideways or upside down. It was a fun exploration of different cultures that can be found in a simple neighborhood. In the end, Madlenka tells her mother that she spent the afternoon traveling around the world. If it hadn't been difficult for me to read and explain the tiny details on the edges of the pages, I think this book would have been more meaningful to my kids.
58. The Mightiest by Keiko Kasza - (★★★★) This book reads like an old folk tale. Several large animals find a crown in the forest with a sign saying that it is for "The Mightiest". The animals compete for the crown by seeing who can scare a sweet old lady the most... if you have read many folk tales, you can probably guess how this tale turns out. If you haven't, you should check it out. This is a simple tale that makes for a great introduction to this style of story-telling.
59. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton - (★★★★) I found this story slightly dull, since I am a bad person. My kids liked it though. Mike and his steam shovel attempt to finish a big job in one day. The big question is: Will they finish in time? Like I said, my kids liked it. My son especially likes any book about construction machines. :)
60. Moose Tracks! by Karma Wilson - (★★★★1/2) The story's narrator tells a tale of how his house has many animal visitors but there are inexplicable moose tracks all over the place. The kids were just as perplexed as the narrator and I must admit that I wasn't quite sure what was going on until nearly the end. Cute story!
61. Mr. Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham - (★★★★) The title of this story is rather misleading since Mr. Grumpy really isn't grumpy at all. In fact, he's an incredibly patient and kind man, inviting everyone he passes on his outing. It was a fun romp for my kids, completely immersed in this little book.
62. Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming - (★★★★★) This was super fun to read aloud. The gardener plants a garden and looks forward to eating the lovely vegetables. When the night comes, however, some little bunnies hop in and "Tippy, tippy, tippy, Pat!" they hop into the garden and "Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!" on the gardener's vegetables. The gardener goes to great lengths to stop the bunnies from getting to his garden, with little success. I shall repeat, this book is completely worth reading out loud. The rhythm was half the fun!
63. My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann - (★★★★) Mouse and his friend, Rabbit are having fun playing with Mouse's airplane when it gets stuck in a tree. Rabbit enlists the help of many other animals to get the airplane out of the tree, much to the other animal's irritation. The pictures and story were simple and cute. It was easy for my kids to see how Rabbit's plan wasn't the best.
64. My Garden by Kevin Henkes - (★★★★★) We all liked this story quite a lot. The little girl featured in this story talks about the gardens that she can see, but then imagines what she would grow in her own garden. She would grow chocolate rabbits, tomatoes as big as beach balls, flowers that change color and seashells! The pictures are beautiful and imaginative. While Audrey knew that you can't grow chocolate rabbits in a garden, she was charmed by the story, nontheless! Very cute!
I have a few more that we have read since these, but I've let the kids pick out most of the books the last few times we've gone. I'll be getting back to the list very soon! :)
51. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems - (★★★★★) The kids liked this one a lot. It was easy to follow what was going on and the kids were very concerned for the little girl who lost her bunny. I love Mo Willems' books. They speak to young children in fun and simple ways.
52. Ladybug Girl by Jacky Davis; David Soman - (★★★★★) A friend of mine recommended the Ladybug Girl books to me several years ago, but I procrastinated checking them out and then forgot all about them. Lulu dresses up as Ladybug Girl and, when she does, she can be a super hero in her own way. We got one other Ladybug Girl book when we checked out the first one because I had a hunch that the kids would like it. Boy, was my instinct right on! We might just have to read every one there is!
53. Lemons Are Not Red by Laura Vaccaro Seeger - (★★★★) This was another window book. On the first page was a plastic window shaped like a lemon, but the color showing through the window was red. It stated on the page that lemons are not red. When you turn the page, there is an apple there: But apples are! The lemon shaped window is now showing a color from the previous page, which is yellow. This continues through the book, explaining that fruits and vegetables are NOT this color, but this other fruit or vegetable is. This was a fun discovery-style book for my kids. I think I might check it out again some time to see if my kids (instead) can tell me what color is right and what fruit or vegetable the wrong color might belong to... ;)
55. Llama, Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney - (★★★★★) We love the Llama, Llama books in our house. We were given Llama, Llama Misses Mama as a gift from my mother several months ago and my kids love it. So, it was a no-brainer to check out this one as well. The messages are fairly subtle in these books, helping to ease the worries of young children. In this case, the little llama was worried that his mama left after he went to bed. My kids have expressed this same worry to us. I think this is yet another series that we will have to collect for our own shelves.
57. Madlenka by Peter Sís - (★★★) My kids liked this book fairly well. I had difficulty reading it because quite a lot of the important bits were crammed into the perimeter of each page and were frequently sideways or upside down. It was a fun exploration of different cultures that can be found in a simple neighborhood. In the end, Madlenka tells her mother that she spent the afternoon traveling around the world. If it hadn't been difficult for me to read and explain the tiny details on the edges of the pages, I think this book would have been more meaningful to my kids.
58. The Mightiest by Keiko Kasza - (★★★★) This book reads like an old folk tale. Several large animals find a crown in the forest with a sign saying that it is for "The Mightiest". The animals compete for the crown by seeing who can scare a sweet old lady the most... if you have read many folk tales, you can probably guess how this tale turns out. If you haven't, you should check it out. This is a simple tale that makes for a great introduction to this style of story-telling.
59. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton - (★★★★) I found this story slightly dull, since I am a bad person. My kids liked it though. Mike and his steam shovel attempt to finish a big job in one day. The big question is: Will they finish in time? Like I said, my kids liked it. My son especially likes any book about construction machines. :)
60. Moose Tracks! by Karma Wilson - (★★★★1/2) The story's narrator tells a tale of how his house has many animal visitors but there are inexplicable moose tracks all over the place. The kids were just as perplexed as the narrator and I must admit that I wasn't quite sure what was going on until nearly the end. Cute story!
61. Mr. Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham - (★★★★) The title of this story is rather misleading since Mr. Grumpy really isn't grumpy at all. In fact, he's an incredibly patient and kind man, inviting everyone he passes on his outing. It was a fun romp for my kids, completely immersed in this little book.
62. Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming - (★★★★★) This was super fun to read aloud. The gardener plants a garden and looks forward to eating the lovely vegetables. When the night comes, however, some little bunnies hop in and "Tippy, tippy, tippy, Pat!" they hop into the garden and "Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!" on the gardener's vegetables. The gardener goes to great lengths to stop the bunnies from getting to his garden, with little success. I shall repeat, this book is completely worth reading out loud. The rhythm was half the fun!
63. My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann - (★★★★) Mouse and his friend, Rabbit are having fun playing with Mouse's airplane when it gets stuck in a tree. Rabbit enlists the help of many other animals to get the airplane out of the tree, much to the other animal's irritation. The pictures and story were simple and cute. It was easy for my kids to see how Rabbit's plan wasn't the best.
64. My Garden by Kevin Henkes - (★★★★★) We all liked this story quite a lot. The little girl featured in this story talks about the gardens that she can see, but then imagines what she would grow in her own garden. She would grow chocolate rabbits, tomatoes as big as beach balls, flowers that change color and seashells! The pictures are beautiful and imaginative. While Audrey knew that you can't grow chocolate rabbits in a garden, she was charmed by the story, nontheless! Very cute!
I have a few more that we have read since these, but I've let the kids pick out most of the books the last few times we've gone. I'll be getting back to the list very soon! :)
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
12 titles, 44 left.. More than half-way!
Okay, so, I've had to split what we've already finished reading into two lists, just to make the blogs easier to handle. I actually have twenty-four books that we've read since last time. When I looked at that list, I decided that no one wanted to read about twenty-four books all in one go!
You're welcome! ;)
38. The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster - (★★★) I realized after we read this that the author of this book also wrote The Phantom Tollbooth, one of my favorite childhood books. It was a fun little story about a little girl who visits with her grandparents, and one of their traditions is the Hello, Goodbye Window. They can wave to each other, see the stars, see their reflection on a dark night and see the garden through this window.
I personally did not like the illustrations, in spite of the Caldecott award. The kids seemed to like it, though.
41. I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child - (★★★1/2) A little girl is charged by her mother to feed her younger sister, who must be the pickiest child on the planet! The older sister must get inventive in order to compel her sister to eat anything at all. Audrey seemed to take in stride all the older sister's made-up foods. She knew they weren't really called those silly names. This is an issue we've dealt with in our own little family, but instead of making up silly names for food, we simply insist that they taste everything, even if they are just convinced they won't like it. ;)
42. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff - (★★★★★) My kids love all the "If you Give a..." books. We were lucky enough to inherit this book from my sister a couple of weeks ago. The illustrations are colorful and amusing and the cyclical story-telling style is so much fun. My kids have almost got to the point where they can anticipate the final line of each story.
43. If You’re Hoppy by April Pulley Sayre - (★★★1/2) This story takes the basic idea from the song, "If You're Happy and You Know It". The pictures were cute and the kids loved looking at the animals' antics. I only give it a lower score because after the first one or two "verses", the rhythm became harder to apply to that of the song. I struggled with that for the remainder of the story. I'm not completely sure that my kids realized the connection to the song for that very reason. They did enjoy the book, however!
44. I’m Not Cute! by Jonathan Allen - (★★★★★) This story was completely adorable and reminded me of my own little boy who frequently insists that he is not cute (or handsome). A baby owl is consistently accosted with hugs by all the other forest animals because they say he is so cute! He insists over and over again that he is not cute, but a deadly night hunter! His mother, of course, knows just what to say to make him feel better! ;)
45. The Imaginary Garden by Andrew Larsen - (★★★★) I enjoyed the encouragement of imagination in this book. A girl's grandfather moves to the city and can no longer have a garden. So, the two of them create their own garden on the roof of his building. As they add more and more details, the garden comes alive. The final details are added by the little girl, herself. The pictures were lovely and the story completely sweet.
46. In My Backyard by Margriet Ruurs - (★★★3/4) The first picture of the backyard is grayed out but, as each part of the backyard is described and the plants and animals described, the picture comes into full color. This was a very simple, informative book that kept the interest of my children. I, personally, would have liked a little more variety and description of what can be in our own backyards, encouraging discussion with my children, but it was a good book, nonetheless.
47. It’s a Secret! by John Burningham - (★★★) The little girl in this story wonders where her cat goes when he leaves at night. One night she says up to find out and he carefully explains to her that she can go but she must keep it a Secret! Honestly, I was a little nervous about this book to begin with. I know that secrets are an exciting part of the world of children, but with some of the "secrets" adults force upon children, I'm a little sensitive to anything that even hints in that direction. I'm not trying to imply anything about this story. It was a cute little story, if a little strange and had a vague, gently sinister quality to it. Perhaps it was the dark quality of the illustrations that put me off.
48. The King’s Taster by Kenneth Oppel - (★★★★) The narrator of this story is the dog who belongs to the King's Chef. The dog always tastes everything before the King to make sure that nothing tastes bad or is poisoned! But the old King dies and the new King doesn't like anything the Chef makes! The child-king finds crazy and inventive ways to express his displeasure about the food. The Chef and the dog travel the world to learn new recipes to serve the King, but in the end, something else is spoiling the King's appetite! Yet another great book about letting kids try a variety of food! The pictures were great and the story was fun. The kids really liked it a lot.
49. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn - (★★★★★) I loved this story so much and, yes, it even made me a little teary-eyed. A little raccoon must go to his first night at school and doesn't want to leave his mother. His mother teaches him a way to remember her and feel that she is close by. This was a sweet, tender story that I really enjoyed reading to the kids. I think they really enjoyed it too. Audrey is old enough that stories about love make a deep impression on her. If I ever find this book in the store, I'm buying it!
You're welcome! ;)
38. The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster - (★★★) I realized after we read this that the author of this book also wrote The Phantom Tollbooth, one of my favorite childhood books. It was a fun little story about a little girl who visits with her grandparents, and one of their traditions is the Hello, Goodbye Window. They can wave to each other, see the stars, see their reflection on a dark night and see the garden through this window.
I personally did not like the illustrations, in spite of the Caldecott award. The kids seemed to like it, though.
39. The Hoppameleon by Paul Geraghty - (★★★★★) The kids really liked this book, and the adults liked it too. It's about a "strange" creature who doesn't know what he is. (He's a tree frog!) In his journey to find out what he is and to find a friend like him, he notes the similarities between himself and other animals. I won't spoil the fun of revealing his ultimate guess on his name! The kids, especially Miss A, were engaged and frequently tried to tell the frog that he was a frog! Very cute!
40. How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long - (★★★★) A little boy plays on the beach when he discovers a pirate ship just off shore. He tries to bring it to his family's attention, but they're all too busy to notice. So, the pirates take him on an adventure! It's almost too good to be true for a little boy! He doesn't have to brush his teeth or take a bath. He doesn't have to eat fruits or vegetables. He doesn't even have to go to bed until he wants to. But, when he's ready to go to bed, who will read him a story and tuck him in? Certainly not a pirate! This was a good story for my kids. It was interesting and amusing.
40. How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long - (★★★★) A little boy plays on the beach when he discovers a pirate ship just off shore. He tries to bring it to his family's attention, but they're all too busy to notice. So, the pirates take him on an adventure! It's almost too good to be true for a little boy! He doesn't have to brush his teeth or take a bath. He doesn't have to eat fruits or vegetables. He doesn't even have to go to bed until he wants to. But, when he's ready to go to bed, who will read him a story and tuck him in? Certainly not a pirate! This was a good story for my kids. It was interesting and amusing.
41. I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child - (★★★1/2) A little girl is charged by her mother to feed her younger sister, who must be the pickiest child on the planet! The older sister must get inventive in order to compel her sister to eat anything at all. Audrey seemed to take in stride all the older sister's made-up foods. She knew they weren't really called those silly names. This is an issue we've dealt with in our own little family, but instead of making up silly names for food, we simply insist that they taste everything, even if they are just convinced they won't like it. ;)
42. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff - (★★★★★) My kids love all the "If you Give a..." books. We were lucky enough to inherit this book from my sister a couple of weeks ago. The illustrations are colorful and amusing and the cyclical story-telling style is so much fun. My kids have almost got to the point where they can anticipate the final line of each story.
43. If You’re Hoppy by April Pulley Sayre - (★★★1/2) This story takes the basic idea from the song, "If You're Happy and You Know It". The pictures were cute and the kids loved looking at the animals' antics. I only give it a lower score because after the first one or two "verses", the rhythm became harder to apply to that of the song. I struggled with that for the remainder of the story. I'm not completely sure that my kids realized the connection to the song for that very reason. They did enjoy the book, however!
44. I’m Not Cute! by Jonathan Allen - (★★★★★) This story was completely adorable and reminded me of my own little boy who frequently insists that he is not cute (or handsome). A baby owl is consistently accosted with hugs by all the other forest animals because they say he is so cute! He insists over and over again that he is not cute, but a deadly night hunter! His mother, of course, knows just what to say to make him feel better! ;)
45. The Imaginary Garden by Andrew Larsen - (★★★★) I enjoyed the encouragement of imagination in this book. A girl's grandfather moves to the city and can no longer have a garden. So, the two of them create their own garden on the roof of his building. As they add more and more details, the garden comes alive. The final details are added by the little girl, herself. The pictures were lovely and the story completely sweet.
46. In My Backyard by Margriet Ruurs - (★★★3/4) The first picture of the backyard is grayed out but, as each part of the backyard is described and the plants and animals described, the picture comes into full color. This was a very simple, informative book that kept the interest of my children. I, personally, would have liked a little more variety and description of what can be in our own backyards, encouraging discussion with my children, but it was a good book, nonetheless.
47. It’s a Secret! by John Burningham - (★★★) The little girl in this story wonders where her cat goes when he leaves at night. One night she says up to find out and he carefully explains to her that she can go but she must keep it a Secret! Honestly, I was a little nervous about this book to begin with. I know that secrets are an exciting part of the world of children, but with some of the "secrets" adults force upon children, I'm a little sensitive to anything that even hints in that direction. I'm not trying to imply anything about this story. It was a cute little story, if a little strange and had a vague, gently sinister quality to it. Perhaps it was the dark quality of the illustrations that put me off.
48. The King’s Taster by Kenneth Oppel - (★★★★) The narrator of this story is the dog who belongs to the King's Chef. The dog always tastes everything before the King to make sure that nothing tastes bad or is poisoned! But the old King dies and the new King doesn't like anything the Chef makes! The child-king finds crazy and inventive ways to express his displeasure about the food. The Chef and the dog travel the world to learn new recipes to serve the King, but in the end, something else is spoiling the King's appetite! Yet another great book about letting kids try a variety of food! The pictures were great and the story was fun. The kids really liked it a lot.
49. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn - (★★★★★) I loved this story so much and, yes, it even made me a little teary-eyed. A little raccoon must go to his first night at school and doesn't want to leave his mother. His mother teaches him a way to remember her and feel that she is close by. This was a sweet, tender story that I really enjoyed reading to the kids. I think they really enjoyed it too. Audrey is old enough that stories about love make a deep impression on her. If I ever find this book in the store, I'm buying it!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
16 More, 56 To Go.. Plus an Extra
It's been quite the adventure reading all these books. I don't think I've ever read so many new books in such a short time in my entire life.
5. The Best Pet of All by David Larochelle - (★★★★) A little boy wants a puppy and he asks his mother for one. She has many excuses to not get one. He finally bargains with her that if he can find a dragon, she will let him keep it. I'm sure she thought she was very clever, but soon found out otherwise! The kids were appropriately shocked by the dragon's behavior and were very interested in how it would turn out. There is a slight undertone of outsmarting one's parents, but they aren't old enough to catch that yet. I suppose this book will be stricken off the list when they get to that age! ;)
17. Corduroy by Don Freeman - (★★★★★) What a sweet story about a teddy bear who just wants to go home with a little child. His adventure in the store after closing time is cute and brought out touching concern on the part of my children. They really cared about this little bear!
20. Duck on a Bike by David Shannon - (★★★★★) When duck decides to ride a bike, nearly all the other barnyard animals scoff. But what happens when there are suddenly enough bikes for all? The kids laughed and giggled all the way through this book. Even Dad chuckled at a few bits.
23. The End by David LaRochelle - (★★★3/4) Audrey almost got the concept of this book. The whole story runs backward, starting with "And they lived happily ever after." Then it starts to explain why they lived happily ever after and so on. When you get to the end of the book, it goes, "Once upon a time..." It was cute and Audrey loved the pictures. She struggled a bit with why the story was running backward. I think she has difficulty with books that don't follow the "rules" of story-telling. When she gets older, I'll make sure to tell her that once she understands the rules, it's much easier to bend and play around with them. ;)
24. Epossumondas by Coleen Salley - (★★★★) This story reminded me of the style of old folk tales. Epossumondas' mother gives her furry son careful instructions on how to carry the gifts from his Auntie home. His careful obedience leads to trouble every time. Audrey was old enough to know that he was doing things all wrong. Especially when it came to getting the puppy home!
25. Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor - (★★★★★★) I know I'm fudging this a bit by putting in six stars... but Audrey LOVED this book. As soon as we were done reading it, she asked if we could please, please, please, keep it. I told her that because it is the Library's book, we have to return it, but if I find it in a store, I will buy it for her. Fancy Nancy is fancy and she likes to do and say everything in fancy ways. Her family is not fancy at all and she sets out to teach them how. An adorable book!
26. Fire Truck by Peter Sís - (★★★★) Henry loved this book for obvious reasons. Fire Trucks!! He and his sister even took it in stride when the little boy TURNED INTO a Fire Truck. Simple, cute book.
27. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow - (★★★★★) Both of the kids really liked this one a lot. As luck turned out, the library had holds on this book for weeks. I ran into it during our last trip to DI. When I got home, I found that the package I bought at DI had three copies of this book in it! So, I kept one and donated the other two to the library since they don't seem to have enough. ;) Audrey immediately wanted the book in the room and she's been reading it to herself the last few days. It follows the old finger-play nursery rhyme pretty much perfectly, but there is a cute little side not at the end. Fun!
28. Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London - (★★★★) Daddy read this book to the kids and I could tell he had a really good time with the sound effects. The kids were fascinated with Froggy's attempts to get ready to go outside. It reminded me of the dressing adventures in my own little family.
29. George and Martha by James Marshall - (★★★★★) I thought this book would turn out to be dull, just based on the cover. I guess I should have thought twice. There were five mini-stories contained in this book about two good friends who are hippos. The kids thought they were funny and cute. Did the message of good friendship and honesty sink in? I hope so! :)
30. Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley - (★★★★★) Audrey liked this book fairly well, but it was Henry who was completely taken with it! After I finished reading it, he ignored the other stories that night and looked at this book over and over again. The pages slowly reveal the big, green monster and then the narrator orders the monster away bit by bit. Taking control of the existence of a monster was a relief to me. Not only could the kids feel like they could make the monster appear, but disappear at will. Smart, clever story!
33. The Gruffalo’s Child by Julia Donaldson - (★★★1/2) While I thought the story was funny and cute, my kids needed a little explanation. Especially Henry. The Gruffalo's Child (a little hairy monster) goes out at night to find the Big Bad Mouse! Why a monster should be afraid of a mouse, I'm sure I don't know!
34. Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard - (★★★★★) Reading this story couldn't have come at a better time. Both of my kids were cranky and grumpy that night. As it turns out, so was Grumpy Bird. As Grumpy Bird stomped around, being grouchy, his little animal friends join him on his walk. By the time Grumpy Bird started cheering up, so were my children!
35. Guji Guji by Chih-Yuan Chen - (★★★★1/2) Guji Guji is a crocodile who was hatched by a duck. He loves his duck family, but what happens when some other crocodiles show up to tell him how he is really supposed to behave? What a cute story! The kids loved it and the pictures were great!
37. Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion - (★★★1/2) Harry does not like taking baths, so he buries the scrub brush and runs away. He goes and plays in some very dirty places and, after he decides that he misses home, ends up being a black dog with white spots instead of a white dog with black spots. When he goes home, his family does not recognize him... but will this turn of events make him reconsider taking a bath? This was a cute story and Audrey was engaged, but she wasn't especially taken with it. Kind of a shrug of the shoulders response.
50. Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes - (★★★★★) We got this book out of order because Audrey was begging and begging me to find her a cat book while we were at the library. The sweet librarian overheard her and brought me this book. I would have taken it no matter what, but I was especially pleased when I realized it was on my list! Kitten is convinced that the full moon is a dish of milk just waiting for her up in the sky. She tries and she tries with amusing and heart-breaking results to reach that dish of milk! Audrey frowned and worried and awww!-ed all through the story.
Multiple trips too and from the Provo and Orem libraries have made it so I've lost count. I suppose losing count of how often you go to the library isn't a bad thing at all!
In between some trips, I visited with one of my sisters who offered to give me a selection of her picture books as all of her children are pretty much too old for them, now. SCORE!! I have yet to unload the books from the bags they are in because I have no room in my bookshelves for them. You have to love books to understand how awesome it is to have more books than room. ;) A few of the books I got from her are on the list of 100 books. I'll have to fish them out when I get to those.
5. The Best Pet of All by David Larochelle - (★★★★) A little boy wants a puppy and he asks his mother for one. She has many excuses to not get one. He finally bargains with her that if he can find a dragon, she will let him keep it. I'm sure she thought she was very clever, but soon found out otherwise! The kids were appropriately shocked by the dragon's behavior and were very interested in how it would turn out. There is a slight undertone of outsmarting one's parents, but they aren't old enough to catch that yet. I suppose this book will be stricken off the list when they get to that age! ;)
17. Corduroy by Don Freeman - (★★★★★) What a sweet story about a teddy bear who just wants to go home with a little child. His adventure in the store after closing time is cute and brought out touching concern on the part of my children. They really cared about this little bear!
20. Duck on a Bike by David Shannon - (★★★★★) When duck decides to ride a bike, nearly all the other barnyard animals scoff. But what happens when there are suddenly enough bikes for all? The kids laughed and giggled all the way through this book. Even Dad chuckled at a few bits.
23. The End by David LaRochelle - (★★★3/4) Audrey almost got the concept of this book. The whole story runs backward, starting with "And they lived happily ever after." Then it starts to explain why they lived happily ever after and so on. When you get to the end of the book, it goes, "Once upon a time..." It was cute and Audrey loved the pictures. She struggled a bit with why the story was running backward. I think she has difficulty with books that don't follow the "rules" of story-telling. When she gets older, I'll make sure to tell her that once she understands the rules, it's much easier to bend and play around with them. ;)
24. Epossumondas by Coleen Salley - (★★★★) This story reminded me of the style of old folk tales. Epossumondas' mother gives her furry son careful instructions on how to carry the gifts from his Auntie home. His careful obedience leads to trouble every time. Audrey was old enough to know that he was doing things all wrong. Especially when it came to getting the puppy home!
25. Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor - (★★★★★★) I know I'm fudging this a bit by putting in six stars... but Audrey LOVED this book. As soon as we were done reading it, she asked if we could please, please, please, keep it. I told her that because it is the Library's book, we have to return it, but if I find it in a store, I will buy it for her. Fancy Nancy is fancy and she likes to do and say everything in fancy ways. Her family is not fancy at all and she sets out to teach them how. An adorable book!
26. Fire Truck by Peter Sís - (★★★★) Henry loved this book for obvious reasons. Fire Trucks!! He and his sister even took it in stride when the little boy TURNED INTO a Fire Truck. Simple, cute book.
27. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow - (★★★★★) Both of the kids really liked this one a lot. As luck turned out, the library had holds on this book for weeks. I ran into it during our last trip to DI. When I got home, I found that the package I bought at DI had three copies of this book in it! So, I kept one and donated the other two to the library since they don't seem to have enough. ;) Audrey immediately wanted the book in the room and she's been reading it to herself the last few days. It follows the old finger-play nursery rhyme pretty much perfectly, but there is a cute little side not at the end. Fun!
28. Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London - (★★★★) Daddy read this book to the kids and I could tell he had a really good time with the sound effects. The kids were fascinated with Froggy's attempts to get ready to go outside. It reminded me of the dressing adventures in my own little family.
29. George and Martha by James Marshall - (★★★★★) I thought this book would turn out to be dull, just based on the cover. I guess I should have thought twice. There were five mini-stories contained in this book about two good friends who are hippos. The kids thought they were funny and cute. Did the message of good friendship and honesty sink in? I hope so! :)
30. Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley - (★★★★★) Audrey liked this book fairly well, but it was Henry who was completely taken with it! After I finished reading it, he ignored the other stories that night and looked at this book over and over again. The pages slowly reveal the big, green monster and then the narrator orders the monster away bit by bit. Taking control of the existence of a monster was a relief to me. Not only could the kids feel like they could make the monster appear, but disappear at will. Smart, clever story!
33. The Gruffalo’s Child by Julia Donaldson - (★★★1/2) While I thought the story was funny and cute, my kids needed a little explanation. Especially Henry. The Gruffalo's Child (a little hairy monster) goes out at night to find the Big Bad Mouse! Why a monster should be afraid of a mouse, I'm sure I don't know!
34. Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard - (★★★★★) Reading this story couldn't have come at a better time. Both of my kids were cranky and grumpy that night. As it turns out, so was Grumpy Bird. As Grumpy Bird stomped around, being grouchy, his little animal friends join him on his walk. By the time Grumpy Bird started cheering up, so were my children!
35. Guji Guji by Chih-Yuan Chen - (★★★★1/2) Guji Guji is a crocodile who was hatched by a duck. He loves his duck family, but what happens when some other crocodiles show up to tell him how he is really supposed to behave? What a cute story! The kids loved it and the pictures were great!
37. Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion - (★★★1/2) Harry does not like taking baths, so he buries the scrub brush and runs away. He goes and plays in some very dirty places and, after he decides that he misses home, ends up being a black dog with white spots instead of a white dog with black spots. When he goes home, his family does not recognize him... but will this turn of events make him reconsider taking a bath? This was a cute story and Audrey was engaged, but she wasn't especially taken with it. Kind of a shrug of the shoulders response.
50. Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes - (★★★★★) We got this book out of order because Audrey was begging and begging me to find her a cat book while we were at the library. The sweet librarian overheard her and brought me this book. I would have taken it no matter what, but I was especially pleased when I realized it was on my list! Kitten is convinced that the full moon is a dish of milk just waiting for her up in the sky. She tries and she tries with amusing and heart-breaking results to reach that dish of milk! Audrey frowned and worried and awww!-ed all through the story.
It turns out that this is one of the books my sister gave us, too! BONUS! We get to read it as often as we want now!
Not on the list - Doing the Garden by Sarah Garland (Because no one has Eddie's Garden: And how to make things Grow. Though, I did request the purchase of this book) - (★★★★) Doing the Garden was a fun, simple story about a family going to the gardening store and getting seeds, plants, and even a tree. Audrey was completely amused by the dog's antics in the yard. We really enjoyed this one and hope that Eddie's Garden is just as fun... if we ever find it!
Not on the list - Doing the Garden by Sarah Garland (Because no one has Eddie's Garden: And how to make things Grow. Though, I did request the purchase of this book) - (★★★★) Doing the Garden was a fun, simple story about a family going to the gardening store and getting seeds, plants, and even a tree. Audrey was completely amused by the dog's antics in the yard. We really enjoyed this one and hope that Eddie's Garden is just as fun... if we ever find it!
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