G is for...

 

Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox by Erin Dealey

Poor little Goldie Locks, she is covered in polka dots!  Uh oh, she has chicken pox!  A number of her storybook friends stop by to wish her a speedy recovery, including The Three Bears and Little Bo Peep.  Her precocious little brother teases her relentlessly, but he won't be laughing for long...soon he finds the tell tale spots on himself! 

The nostalgia of the illustrations combined with the clever rhyme made Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox one of our favorite library finds this summer.

D is for...

Don't Slam the Door! by Dori Chaconas

Please don't slam the door, you might wake the cat...and heaven knows we don't want that!  That naughty cat will play with Ma's yarn, starting a domino effect of crazy chaos, including a bear in the barn and cows in the house.  So please, whatever you do, don't slam the door!

The Sound of Music

 "The strings all soar, the reeds implore,
the brasses roar with notes galore.
It's music that we all adore.
It's what we go to concerts for."

My daughter Bailey is a music lover.  She is fascinated with musical instruments and can find a way to make any found object make a musical sound.  She enjoys rhyming words to create her own "songs."  I grew up playing the trumpet and french horn, so I'm hoping this love of music continues to grow and that one day she will learn to play an instrument of her own. 

This week's most popular bedtime story has been the musically themed Zin! Zin! Zin A Violin by Lloyd Moss.  The book begins with the "mournful moan and silken tone" of a lone trombone playing a solo.  With the turn of each page, the author introduces a new instrument as a new musician joins the stage.  The trombone is joined by the swinging sounds of a trumpet, forming a duo.  They are soon joined by the bright and brassy french horn, turning the duo into a trio.  As musicians and their instruments are added one by one, the stage is eventually filled with the entire orchestra, poised and ready to begin. 

I love that the author combines music education with a form of counting that is not often seen in children's book, providing a lesson in numerical group labels that may be unfamiliar even to adults...solo, duo, trio, quartet, quintet, sextet, septet, octet, nonet, and finally the chamber group of ten known as the orchestra.  I highly recommend Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin for your little musician.

How Do I Love Thee?

 

"I love you more than rainbows and beautiful blue skies.
I love you more than buttercups and wings of butterflies."

So many simple little things fill us with joy on a daily basis....beautiful birds with their sweet little songs, twinkling stars in the nighttime sky, ice cream with sprinkles on top.  But none of those things compare to the love we have for our children.  I Love You More Than Rainbows by Susan E. Crites uses vivid illustrations and sweet rhyming verse to convey a very powerful message of love.  I can't think of a better way to end the day than by sharing this book right before tucking your child into bed.

"So at night when the sky gets dark, and the moon begins to glow,
The stars will twinkle and deep inside I hope that you know...
How much I love you!"

A Hip Hop Tale

It's no secret that I enjoy children's books with clever wordplay and a touch of humor.  Hip and Hop, Don't Stop! by Jef Czekaj is one of those books.  Hip is a turtle from Slowjamz Swamp who loves to rap as slow as molasses.  Hop is a bunny from Breakbeat Meadow with a talent for rapping lightning fast.  One day they each see a poster for the Oldskool County Rap-off, and a new friendship forms as they practice together for the contest.  When the big day arrives, all of Oldskool County is there to see the contestants "battle" each other with their raps.  In the last round, Hip and Hop face off against each other.  Hip rapped so slowly that no one paid attention to him.  Hop rapped so fast that no one could keep up with her.  But when the two friends team up and rap together they find the perfect balance and pretty soon the entire audience is moving to the beat.  Hip and Hop share the title of "Best Rappers in Oldskool County."

My daughter enjoyed the bright, fun illustrations in Hip and Hop, Don't Stop!  The allusions to the world of hip hop music are amusing, including animal characters such as "Ludafish," "Jay Zebra," and "Queen LaTreeFrog."  The raps are clever and entertaining, and include visual clues to enhance the reading/rapping experience...red text is meant to be read slowly and green text is intended to be read very fast.  Hip and Hop, Don't Stop! was definitely the favorite pick from the library this week. 

Rainy Day Fun

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells."
                                                                 — Dr. Seuss

No collection of Dr. Seuss books would be complete without The Cat in the Hat.  The mischievous cat with the red and white-striped hat, red bowtie, and blue umbrella has captured the hearts of children worldwide and has become an icon of children's literature.  Who can resist the Cat and his bag of wacky tricks?  He and his rascally sidekicks, Thing 1 and Thing 2, certainly knows how to have fun on a dreary, rainy day.  His tricks can cause chaos and create quite a mess, but he always cleans up, so please don't be stressed.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."
                                        — Dr. Seuss (I Can Read with My Eyes Shut)

Today is Read Across America Day, a nationwide reading celebration that takes place annually on March 2—the birthday of one of the most beloved contributors to children's literature, Theodor Geisel, more famously known as Dr. Seuss.  We would like to celebrate this week by sharing some of our favorite Dr. Seuss books with you.

"Every day, from here to there, funny things are everywhere"

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish was my favorite book as a child and now I enjoy sharing it with my children.  With each turn of a page, the nonsensical rhymes take you deeper and deeper into a fantastic world that includes "Mr. Gump and his seven hump Wump," a Yink who "likes to wink and drink pink ink," and a Yop who likes to "hop from finger top to finger top."

"Do you like green eggs and ham?  I do not like them, Sam-I-am."

Green Eggs and Ham is my daughter's favorite Dr. Seuss book.  She would read it "in a box."  She would read it "with a fox."  From the first word, she is enchanted by the whimsical rhyme as the persistent Sam-I-am tries to convince his stubborn friend to try green eggs and ham.  The friend finally gives in and to his surprise, he actually likes green eggs and ham!  This book definitely comes in handy when trying to convince your own stubborn toddler or preschooler to try something new.   

"He can go like a cow.  He can go MOO MOO.  Mr. Brown can do it.  How about you?"

Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? features onomatopoeia at its finest!  Mr. Brown has a talent for making a multitude of sounds.  He can buzz like a bee, sizzle like a frying pan, and dibble dibble dopp like the rain.  Have you ever wondered what sound a hippopotamus makes when he chews gum?  Mr. Brown can do it...how about you?

We'll be back tomorrow with more of our favorite Dr. Seuss books!

Dinosaur Week - Mesozoic Monday

What better way to kick off dinosaur week than with our all-time favorite dinosaur book?  Ten Little Dinosaurs by Pattie Schnetzler is a terrifically Triassic counting book that flows with the rhythm of the playful children's rhyme "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed."  Two large googly eyeballs appear on the front cover, and re-appear on a new dinosaur with each turn of the page.  Ten Little Dinosaurs features a zany cast of familiar favorites such as Stegosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, and Triceratops, as well as a few lesser known dinos like Chasmosaurus, Spinosaurus, and Saurolophus.  Beginning with ten dinosaurs bouncing on the bed, the book counts backwards as the story follows the misadventures of the unlucky dinosaurs until "they all disappear in a geologic wink."  The humorous illustrations by Jim Harris paint the perfect picture as Stegosaurus crashes his bike and smashes his spike, Tyrannosaurus breaks his tooth munching on a mooth, and Archaeopteryx jumps off a peak and tweaks his beak.  And never fear, the author thoughtfully included a glossary with a pronunciation guide inside the back cover, so saying a brain-bender like Pachycephalosaurus will be a breeze!

There's No Place Like Home

"I'm off to find a planet where everything's just right!"

As I've mentioned before, we love a wacky twist on a traditional tale, and Goldilocks and the Three Martians by Stu Smith doesn't disappoint.  This zany take on the classic Goldilocks and the Three Bears is one of our family's favorite books.  I've lost count of how many times we've checked it out from the library!

Goldilocks is fed up with chores, homework, and her mom's strict rules, so one day she builds a rocket and prepares to set off on a quest to find a place where moms don't pack beets in your lunch, don't make you wash behind your ears, and actually let you eat on the couch!  "She filled her tank with porridge, packed cookies just in case, took her cat and dog along...and blasted into space."  Goldilocks and her pets scour the universe looking for a place that's just right.  After traveling to each planet in the solar system and finding a flaw with each one, they finally settle on Mars.  Upon landing, Goldilocks enters a quaint Martian house where she gobbles up a bowl of yummy Martian stew, rests her feet in a comfy Martian chair, and snuggles down for a nap in a cozy Martian bed.  The Martian family returns home to find their house in disarray and soon discover Goldilocks sleeping in the baby Martian's bed.  "Aliens for dinner! they all began to cheer."  Sleepy Goldilocks awakens to find the Martian family "ogling her like a burger and some fries", but her cat and dog come to the rescue and the whole crew scrambles back to the rocket to make a narrow escape.  The trio zooms back to Earth where they land with a crash.  As Goldilocks hugs her worried mom, she realizes that maybe the planet Earth isn't so bad after all.

The vibrant computer-generated illustrations by Michael Garland bring life to the action-packed story.  Unfortunately Goldilocks and the Three Martians is currently out of print, but we hope you will find it available at your local library.  It is definitely worth the search!

Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum

"Bubble gum, bubble gum, 
Chewy-gooey bubble gum,
Icky-sticky bubble gum
Melting in the road."

Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum by Lisa Wheeler was one of the very first books we ever checked out from the library.  We enjoyed it so much the first time around that we've checked it out three times since!  This enjoyably wacky rhyme begins with a single blob of bubble gum in the road.  That tiny blob of icky-sticky gum causes big trouble as one by one a whole slew of animals become stuck in the chewy-gooey mess.  What will the animals do when a big blue truck comes rumbling down the road?  They "must chew, and chew, and chew" of course!  The "light and lifty bubble gum" "floats them toward the sky as the truck zooms by."  Just when you think the story is over, along comes a big burly bear, and the bubble gum saves the day once again.  "Oh what luck!  The bear got stuck," and the icky-sticky story begins all over again.

The vibrant acrylic and collage paper illustrations by Laura Huliska-Beith make the story pop right off of the page.  They are the perfect complement to the energetic, onomatopoeia-filled rhyme.  And who doesn't love a good onomatopoeia?  We give Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum two enthusiastic thumbs up!

Bubble Trouble

"Little Mabel blew a bubble, and it caused a lot of trouble...
Such a lot of bubble trouble in a bibble-bobble way."

Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy is a tongue-twisting tale of a runaway bubble that causes nothing but trouble as it carries Mabel's baby brother away.  Mabel and her frantic mother chase the bubble all over as the baby bounces high above the town.  One by one the townspeople join in the pursuit, trying to come up with a solution to the baby bubble predicament..."they giggled and they goggled until all their brains were boggled."  Finally, the wicked boy Abel, "a rascal and a rebel" unintentionally saves the day with a sling and a pebble.

The use of playful rhyme and alliteration throughout the story make this tongue-twisting tale a delight to read.  The watercolor and cut paper illustrations by Polly Dunbar are whimsical and enchanting, much like the text.  So the next time you want to give your tongue a tickle, give Bubble Trouble a try.

Way Out in the Desert

'Way out in the desert near the ocotillo door
lived a rattlesnake mother and her baby snakes four.
"Rattle!" said the mother.  "We rattle!" said the four,
so they rattled in the shadow of the ocotillo door.'

Based upon the children's song "Over in the Meadow," Way Out in the Desert by T.J. Marsh and Jennifer Ward transported us right into the heart of the Sonoran Desert.  With each new verse, we met new and unusual desert dwellers such as Gila monsters, javelinas, and horned toads.   At it's core, Way Out in the Desert is a clever counting book.  The number of animals increases with each new verse, and the corresponding number is hidden on each page.  The spectacular illustrations by Kenneth Spengler really bring the desert creatures to life.  Living in Texas, we're familiar with most of the creatures featured in Way Out in the Desert, but we enjoyed referring to the glossary in the back of the book to learn more about a few of the more unfamiliar things like saguaros and palo verde trees.  The melodic text is a delight to read, even if you're not familiar with the original tune.  Luckily, sheet music for the song was thoughtfully included on the last page, an entertaining bonus for a certain little girl with a brand new keyboard! 

So the next time you feel the urge to run with the roadrunners or jump with the jackrabbits, Way Out in the Desert is a one-way ticket to a Sonoran Desert adventure.

"Yippee-O-Ki-Yee!"

Whenever I'm selecting a new batch of books to check out from the library, I'm always drawn to humorous retellings of classic songs, rhymes, and stories.  That is exactly what this book delivers.  There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea by Jennifer Ward gives a Southwestern twist to the classic silly song "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly."  In this version, a wily coyote swallows a tickly flea, plucked right from his knee.  In his quest for a remedy he continues swallowing a series of very interesting things, each one a little bit zanier than the last.  "It takes lots of practice to swallow a cactus!"  The flow of this rhyme is so catchy I find myself singing the story instead of simply reading it.  And the bold, delightful illustrations by Steve Gray make this one a new family favorite.

Troublesome Tresses

"She whines and she moans and she howls in despair, but Ella Kazoo will not brush her hair."

I'm sure that at some point as parents, we've all matched wits with a tenacious toddler who refuses to brush her hair.  This is a daily battle that I can certainly relate to, so when I saw this book at the library last week, I couldn't resist checking it out.  Ella Kazoo Will NOT Brush Her Hair by Lee Fox is a cautionary tale about a little girl who would rather do anything else on the planet besides brush her hair.  Ella "stashes her brush in the drawer with her socks," and when her mom desperately tried to tame Ella's mane, "she just runs off like a swift hurricane."  Ella's untamed tresses grow longer and more tangled with each turn of the page, until one morning Ella discovers her locks have grown so out of control that they've taken over the entire house!  "This hair must be stopped!"  A team of hairdressers rescue Ella from her troublesome tresses and "all due to a haircut, quite simple and snappy, both mother and daughter are blissfully happy."

We enjoyed watching Ella's tangled mane take on a life of it's own as the story progressed.  The wonderful ink and watercolor illustrations by Jennifer Plecas brought Ella's increasingly wild hair to life.  Most importantly, the hilarious Ella Kazoo Will NOT Brush Her Hair taught my daughter an important lesson...take control of your hair before it takes control of you!

Five Little Monkeys

"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"

I don't think there is anyone on the planet who hasn't heard the classic children's rhyme "Five Little Monkeys."  Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow brings the bedtime antics of the crazy little monkeys to life.  As the book begins, five little monkeys go about their bedtime routine, taking a bath, putting on pajamas, brushing their teeth.  Mama tucks them into bed, but as soon as she closes the door the fun really begins.  The five little monkeys have a blast jumping on the bed, but one by one each little monkey falls off and bumps his head.  Each time Mama calls the doctor and the doctor says, "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"  Colorful sketches illustrate the little monkeys' tale.  Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed is just one book in an entire treasury of monkey adventures by Eileen Christelow, so if your little one loves this book, he will surely love to follow along as the five little monkeys wash a car, play hide and seek, and bake a birthday cake.  The fun goes on and on!