and the train goes...

by William Bee

"Filled with sound effects galore, this rollicking read-aloud is perfect for transportation storytimes. The text moves along with a steady rhythm, describing the passengers who occupy the various cars of a colorful train."

This one reminds me of a favorite musical of mine, "Music Man". Each page has the sounds and rhythm of a train moving along. You meet each car's passengers page by page, with adorable illustrations. Love it!

Look! Look! Look!

Written & Illustrated by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
With Linda K. Friedlaender

"Three mice find a postcard with a painting of a bejeweled lady on the front (a reproduction of Portrait of a Woman, by Robert Peake). As they look, they begin to see patterns, colors, lines, and shapes. Their observations lead them to create their own art out of simple shapes made with paper, scissors, and markers."

I picked this one up thinking Olivia would be bored with it, but thought I'd give it a shot b/c I wanted to introduce her to the idea of studying art. She LOVES it! Every time we sit down to read this is her first choice.

Nancy Elizabeth Wallace is one of my favorite educational authors/illustrators. She's also done a few others that we love: Seeds! Seeds! Seeds! and Leaves! Leaves! Leaves! They are written so even toddlers can understand. I love her constuction paper illustrations too!

The Runaway Dinner

By: Allan Ahlberg
Illustrated: Bruce Ingman

"When Banjo Cannon sits down to dinner, his sausage (named Melvin) jumps off the plate and runs away. The kitchen furniture, cutlery, peas, French fries, carrots, the famished boy, and his parents follow out the door in Gingerbread Man fashion. The chase continues down the street and through a park where a duck eats Paul the pea, two fries sail away in a toy boat, and a picnicking family grabs the fork and knife."

This is a clever story that Olivia requests at least two times daily. Ahlberg has a unique flair to his writing, perfect for outloud-storytelling. Enjoy!

Some Favorites

I thought it might be fun to "host" a spot to share some of our favorite children's books here. We come home from the library with STACKS of books weekly and read them over and over until Olivia has got them memorized. Out of these stacks are usually one or two that I never tire reading, no matter how many times we read them. I always love hearing others reviews of books too. If you have any books you love, please share, or any links to book review blogs or sites. I am always on the look-out for new books. Please people - help keep this mama sane!! :)

By: Rosemary Wells
Illustrated by: David McPhail
This is kind of a poetic book. Brandon doesn't love this one, but I do, and it always entrances Olivia. It has four sections that have beautiful sensory descriptions of the activities in little Danny's life: the colors, sounds, smells, and textures. Rosemary writes beautifully and makes every-day things like gardening, going to the bakery, a winter walk, and a night-time lullabye sound magical. This one really made me think about how much of the detail and beauty around me I'm really experiencing. We went for a family walk and tried to use all our senses to enjoy everything around us. Cheesey? Maybe. But cheesey can be cool.

By: Audrey Wood & her son, Bruce Wood

Audrey Wood has written lots of children's books we love, but these are our latest favs. This is the first of a series that we love (Alphabet Mystery and Alphabet Rescue come next - equally great books!). The story of a little alphabet going on ... what else? An adventure. It is a new, fresh approach for kids who are learning their ABC's. Bright, colorful pictures, a clever storyline. This is a book I have read easily 50+ times with Olivia and we can still find ways to keep it fresh.
By: Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Illustrated by: Jen Corace

This book has simple, fun text and adorable illustrations. It is a reverse-psychology approach for kids who hate to eat their veggies. This little pea has to eat CANDY for dinner, and hates it. If he eats his five pieces, he gets a delicious yummy vegetable dessert. We love this one.