MommaReads

An adorable story of what might happen IF a little girl and her daddy were to switch roles. Instead of cleaning the house and doing the dishes he would get to watch TV. Instead of eating oatmeal for breakfast she would eat an ice cream sundae. They both think that being the other might have some pretty great benefits, but in the end they decide that it’s best to be “me”. Oh, and it rhymes, I am always a sucker for a cute story that rhymes, too.

This book is about the quiet time a little girl and her dad spend together as they go on a walk around town listening to all of the noises they come across… from the sound of a jackhammer, to the sound of the crickets in the park to the sound of their own shoes as they walk. Read this book to your little one and then go on your own listening walk.

This rhyming book about summer has been around for decades (your parents probably read it to you, too). I love that it rhymes and I adore the pictures. This book also seems to capture how awesome summer is when you are a child. Not only is this a great book to read during the summer, but it’s also a great book to read in the dead of winter when you WISH it was summer.

Learn some science this summer! This is a FANTASTIC book for teaching kids the basics of science. The book is divided up into sections like: gravity, light, machines, energy, water, magnetism and weather. I would say the ideal audience for this book would be approximately ages 4-8, but each child is different. Ninety-nine percent of these activities are very easy to do and use items that you already have at your house. Go through the book and have the kids decide which ones they would like to do and then have them help you gather all of the materials. (as long as it is age appropriate for them to do so) Their enthusiasm will have them coming back to this book again and again. Teacher friends, this would be a great book to have in your classroom and it has MANY, MANY activities that could be used at a science center.

Another summer book for your family, but not one that you read to them. This is a fantastic reference to have on hand even when it’s not summer. It has great activity ideas for kids from ages 12 months to 10 years. There are ideas for games to play both inside and out as well as craft ideas. There are ideas for playing solo as well as playing with small groups and large groups. There are quiet time activities as well as raucous games for all the kids on the block. There are games that have been played for generations as well as new games. What is great about most of these ideas is that you probably have a lot of the things you’d need already laying around the house. You can check this book out from the library, but you might just want to go ahead and buy it because you won’t want to give it back.

It’s summertime, but Summer is ready for a vacation. She wants to go to the beach, go for a hike, pick wildflowers and eat fresh berries. She plays for too long though and doesn’t do her job. Her parents, Mother Earth and Father Time, have to remind her how important her job is and what will happen if she plays for too long.

If watermelon is a part of your summer, you will LOVE this book. It is the adorable story of a little watermelon seed spitting that gets completely out of hand. There will be giggles from your little ones with this book….guaranteed.

Your toddler or preschooler will love the simple words, rhyming text and fabulous illustrations. They are a perfect fit to describe how much fun summer can be.

Summer has started for many of you and this book totally embodies the awesomeness of summer as a kid…screen doors slamming, food from the grill, the ice cream man, playing baseball outside until it’s too dark to see the ball, catching fireflies… If your summer hasn’t started yet, this will give you something to look forward to. If your summer has already started….enjoy!!!

The kangaroo is sitting on her bed and is demanding wrinkle-free sheets, the oppossum is in her bathroom and is complaining that her toothpaste is too sweet and among other crazy animal antics, she has a llama in her room wearing her favorite jeans. What is she going to do with all of them? This is an adorable story with a twist at the end that your kids will love.