Author Archive

Hooray for Grandma Jo by Thomas McKean

April 24, 2010 - 7:55 am No Comments

This is a very cute story about a grandma who loses her glasses while dancing in the kitchen which leads to her befriending a lion and catching a burglar. Grandma Jo is a very lovable character and her antics with the lion are very funny. Again, cute story.

Mimi’s Toes by Julie Aigner-Clark

April 23, 2010 - 8:04 am No Comments

Our boys love to read in bed, in the car and on the couch…so why not read in the bathtub, too!!! We read this book a zillion times when the boys were little. There are several Little Einstein bathtub books, but I think this one was their favorite because every time the book said “Mimi” I would say their name instead. What child doesn’t like a book about them? 🙂

Jack’s Garden by Henry Cole

April 22, 2010 - 4:40 am No Comments

We stumbled upon this book at the library. It is a cumulative tale like The House that Jack Built, but this book talks about the soil and the seeds and the rain and the seedlings and the plants and on and on and on until Jack has a garden. I am a sucker for cumulative tales because the kids can begin to “read” the story with you fairly quickly, but the thing I love most about this book are the illustrations. There is so much to talk about and see on each page. For those kids who love to look at the pictures while mom and dad are reading, this one is a winner.

Moo, Baa, La La La by Sandra Boynton

April 21, 2010 - 5:30 am 1 Comment

It’s been a long time since I have read this book, but I still remember it very well…it has been seared into my brain I have read it so many times. It is a very cute book about animals and the sounds they make, or in some cases, don’t make. To top it all off it has adorable illustrations AND it rhymes.

The Gift Horse: A Lakota Story by S.D. Nelson

April 20, 2010 - 5:12 am No Comments

Our oldest child is drawn to all things Native American. At 8-years old I don’t get to read to him very often, but when he does ask to be read to, this is really the only story he ever requests. It is the story of a young Lakota boy and his horse, a story of trying to grow up too quickly and a story of bravery. Not only is the story captivating, but the illustrations in this book are also spectacular.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

April 19, 2010 - 4:48 am No Comments

This book has been around for longer than most of us have been alive, so it must be a keeper. Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel, Mary Anne, get the job of digging the cellar for Popperville’s new town hall, but if they can’t get if done in a day then they won’t get paid. It’s a race against the clock and just about everyone thinks they can’t get it done. It’s a great story about underdogs and perseverance.

Pigsty by Mark Teague

April 18, 2010 - 3:23 am No Comments

We stumbled upon this book at one of our favorite bookstores a few summers ago. It has become a favorite at our house mostly, I think, because our oldest can completely relate to Wendell. Wendell’s mom has told him a zillion times to clean his room, but he doesn’t and it turns into a pigsty-literally. You can imagine the antics that ensue when the pigs decide to move in, play Monopoly, have pillow fights, etc.

Mortimer’s First Garden by Karma Wilson

April 16, 2010 - 8:36 pm No Comments

I love, love, love Karma Wilson and I also love Mortimer. Mortimer has several books, but in the spirit of spring, planting and gardens I thought you might enjoy Mortimer’s First Garden. Mortimer is a mouse who likes to eat seeds, but when he hears his people talking about putting their seeds in the dirt he isn’t totally convinced-at first. Who would put perfectly good food in the dirt? But when he hears his people talking about how their seeds will make everything green he starts to wonder if they might be on to something. Mortimer decides to plant his one seed. He grows impatient, but eventually learns that sometimes miracles do happen.

Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins

April 15, 2010 - 8:11 pm No Comments

I wish I could remember who told me about this book because I would thank them over and over again. It is such a fun book to read out loud. I didn’t know about this book when our oldest was young enough to enjoy it, but we definitely made up for it with our youngest. It’s the kind of book that gets stuck in your head and you will catch your kids (or yourself) marching around the house to the rhythm of the words in the book…one hand, two hands, drumming on a drum, dum ditty, dum ditty, dum, dum, dum. Enjoy!

I Went Walking by Sue Williams

April 14, 2010 - 8:27 pm No Comments

I miss the days of getting to read sweet, sweet stories like this one with a toddler on my lap. This story is great for many ages though because it includes animals, opportunities to learn colors, repetition and simple text. The illustrations are sweet as well and definitely help a beginning reader figure out unknown words as does the repetition. So, instead of reading it with a toddler on my lap, I guess I will just listen with a kindergartner on my lap.