I love finding new books to read with Jona each month. I get just as giddy bringing him a stack of books as I do cracking open a new one for me. One of my goals last month was to apply to re-enroll in the library science program I started before I had Jona, and I’m thrilled that I’ll be starting classes again this summer. My first class is all about early learners and I can’t wait! Initially I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to go in with the library program, but I think I’m going to get a concentration in Children and Youth Services. Anyway, I thought this post would be a fitting place for me to share that.
On to what Jona and I read in March. (Poor Violet will get incorporated into these posts eventually, but for her it was A LOT of Duck and Goose, Dr. Seuss ABC, and Dear Zoo.)
{picture books we read in march}
{Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton} Who will win? It’s a no-brainer for an underwater match-up. Same for a head-to-head battle on the tracks. But who is better at trick-or-treating? Or selling lemonade? Shark and train battle it out in some wacky match-ups that elicited quite a few laughs at our house. This one won the “most requested” award.
{Olympig! by Victoria Jamieson} Boomer Pig is confident he’ll win the Animal Olympics; after all, he’s been working hard and practicing for all his events. He soon finds out that his hard work isn’t enough to bring him victory, but he doesn’t let that discourage him. I requested this one to read during the Olympics, but clearly I wasn’t the only one. The Olympics were over well before we got this one, but that didn’t bother Jona, he loved it just the same.
{What to Do if an Elephant Stands on Your Foot by Michelle Robinson} If an elephant stands on your foot you definitely don’t want to panic and startle it. Uh oh, too late, you already did! Well then you surely don’t want to run… and if you wind up in a tree, don’t shout or you’ll wake up the snakes. In this story, the adventuring hero learns the hard way what NOT to do in the jungle upon meeting all of its creatures. The rule of thumb at our house is the sillier the story, the more Jona will enjoy it, so this one was right up there.
{The Z Was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg} Sometimes I tire of alphabet books, because it seems there are only SO MANY WAYS you can present the ABCs. (Plus, after reading Dr. Seuss’s ABC for the millionth time to Violet, I consider myself a little jaded.) However, this one was refreshing and unique, and both Jona and I loved it. It’s black and white, and on each page a letter dramatically changes or disappears, from an evaporating E to a melting M. The alliteration is fun, the illustrations are excellent, and I love a book that builds vocabulary! This one checks all the boxes.
{Love by Matt de la Pena} I mentioned this one in my favorites post, because I enjoyed reading it so much. I love a book that takes a complex, multi-faceted concept like love and puts it in words that children can understand. While the story is suited for children, the complexity and meaning of love is still intact–de la Pena doesn’t pander and he realizes that children are capable of understanding the many meanings of love. The beautiful illustrations don’t hurt either. Jona liked this one and I, well, loved it.
{Wake Up, Rupert! by Mike Twohy} Rupert the rooster has one job. He is in charge of waking up the farm when the sun comes up. However, the trouble is Rupert doesn’t like waking up early. So he comes up with a plan so that he can enjoy just a little more shut-eye. As you may guess, his plan goes awry and the result is one sleepy, confused farm. This was a fun one. Thanks to Cara for the recommendation!
There wasn’t a dud in the bunch for March, we found some real winners! Do you have any picture book recommendations?
