I’m thankful that Jona enjoys being read to, because I have so much fun choosing picture books to read together. Sure, for every library book we read we also read one or two Lego/superhero books as well, but thankfully he accepts my “only one superhero book per read-aloud” rule. I keep telling him that once he’s reading on his own he can read about whatever he wants, but he remains reluctant about the whole concept (despite flying through his reading homework). Sigh. And Violet isn’t quite ready to graduate to non-board books yet, but hopefully soon I’ll be able to share the joys of library books with her as well. For now, I’m crossing my fingers that eventually I’ll have an enthusiastic reader plus a child who can be trusted not to use a book as a weapon/chair/coaster.
{Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar} We listened to the first book in this 3-book series, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, on our road trip to Dallas last summer. Jona loved it and asked to check it out again, so we listened to the second book (all 3 were in the audio book set) last month. It’s full of the same kinds of zany stories as the first, and Jona adored it. I don’t think I could take all three books back-to-back, but I thought it was pretty funny too.
Wayside School Is Falling Down
{Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau by Andrea Beaty} Madame Chapeau always makes the perfect hat for all her customers, and for her birthday she made an equally fabulous one for herself. She got dressed up and headed to her favorite restaurant, only to have her hat disappear! Everyone tries to help her by offering their own hats, but she insists that she can’t take the hats made for them. In the end, a child with a homemade solution comes through for the hatless hat-maker. This was a colorful, sweet, adorable story, with just enough silliness for Jona to like it too.
Happy Birthday, Madame Chapeau
{Boats Are Busy by Sarah Gillingham} I unknowingly checked this out as a board book, and initially thought Jona wouldn’t go for it. Yet despite the format, this book is full of facts about boats, what they do, and the flags they use to communicate. Jona loved learning about the different kinds of boats and how they can use flags to have conversations with each other. It’s definitely too long and detailed for the normal board book audience (Violet sat through only the first couple of pages) so I’m not sure why they chose to put it in that format.
{In the Tree House by Andrew Larsen} On our way to school every day, Jona and I pass a house with an awesome treehouse in their backyard, and he has mentioned several times how cool it is. He enjoyed this book about two brothers who build a treehouse with their dad, and I enjoyed the relationship dynamic between the brothers. As the older brother grows up he spends less time in the treehouse with his younger brother, but a power outage one night brings them together–in their favorite place–once again.
{A Boy and a Jaguar by Alan Robinowitz} In this true story, a little boy is plagued by his stutter, but when he speaks to animals, especially the sad-looking jaguar at the Bronx Zoo, his words come out clearly. On every visit, he whispers to the jaguar that when he finds his voice, he will speak up for animals. Eventually he does, becoming a strong voice for jaguars and other animals in need of protection. Jona loves a true story, and I love an animal story, so we were both pleased with this one.
{Whale in a Fishbowl by Troy Howell} Wednesday the whale lives in a giant fishbowl, right in the middle of the city. The joy of her day is when she leaps up and sees a bit of blue off in the distance, yet she doesn’t know what that bit of blue is or why it brings her such joy. Wednesday’s life is changed forever when a little girl approaches her fishbowl and tells her that she belongs in the sea. She’s not sure what the sea is, but she’s filled with longing for a place she can only imagine. Honestly, I loved this sweet story and its beautiful illustrations, although it wasn’t a favorite for Jona.
Have you read any good children’s books lately?
