Kiddy Litter

I Just Forgot (A Little Critter Book) By Mercer Mayer

Little Critter is trying hard to do all the things he's supposed to do and trying hard to do them right.  But, sometimes little critters just forget!  He gets it almost right over and over, like when he remembers to take a bath, but forgets to use soap.  Kids will relate to Little Critter's forgetfulness and parents will feel like maybe their little one isn't the only one of his kind.  The entire Little Critter series is worth a look.  Full of great illustrations that kids love with lots of little details and creatures to spot.

There Is a Bird on Your Head! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) By Mo Willems

Elephant and Piggie are besties!  They have lots of different adventures together.  This is a fabulous series for new readers and also great for reading aloud to tots.  My 2 year old ran around the house for months saying "fly, fly, fly, fly..." after we read Today I Will Fly.  I chose There Is a Bird On Your Head! because I cannot read it without laughing out loud.  The illustrations work so well with the words to create a very definite feeling.  Elephant asks Piggie if he has a bird on his head and Piggie proceeds to narrate all that is happening on Elephant's head.  This includes the bird falling in love, building a nest, laying eggs, and then eggs hatching.  A book to make parent and child happy!

Creole By Stephen Cosgrove

When I was a little girl I collected the books in this series (called Serendipity Books).  They are beautifully illustrated and each teach a lesson.  I have great affection for all the books in this series, but narrowed it down to one for this review.  This is a beautiful and sweet story of a creature who has a heart full of beautiful things to share, but is horribly ugly.  She is shunned by all the other animals who are afraid of her until one day she has a chance encounter with a baby alligator with a stutter.  The alligator is also an outcast and is not afraid of Creole.  He sits with her and gets to hear all the beauty in her heart.  He becomes determined to introduce her to the other creatures.  They come up with a plan that has surprising effects on all of them.  A great story to help kids understand the concept of not judging a book by it's cover.

Owen By Kevin Henkes

Here's a selection in honor of back-to-school season.  This is the story of a small mouse named Owen who is about to attend school for the first time ever.  He has a fuzzy yellow blanket that is his closest companion.  His well-meaning neighbor, Mrs. Tweezers, suggests he get rid of the blanket before school starts.  Owen is horrified by this suggestion, but his mom comes up with a brilliant idea that makes going to school a fun experience for everyone (and even Mrs. Tweezers approves). 

We're Going on a Bear Hunt By Michael Rosen

This is such a fun book to read as a family.  It's got a great rhyming rhythm.  When we read it, I read one line and then the kids repeat it.  They also love to get up and act it out as we read.  The story tells of a family going on an adventurous bear hunt.  As the obstacles appear they discuss ways to get around them.  For instance when they come to the mud, they can't go over it and can't go under it, they have to go through it.  The kids love pretended to tromp through the mud.  We have the pop-up version of this book and it adds a whole other element to the book, but even without any bells and whistles this is a great story that stands on it's own.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz By L. Frank Baum

Most of us are familiar with at least parts of this story thanks to Judy Garland and MGM studios.  I grew up on the movie and didn't lay hands on the book until my first child was in kindergarten.  Then I decided I would read it aloud to her.  We had so much fun and she was enchanted by the story.  It is quite different than the movie and has so much more to it, including more characters (very entertaining ones).  A great tale of fantasy that children will eat up and adults will enjoy feeding them. 

What to Read When By Pam Allyn

I am changing things up a little today to recommend a great resource.  This book is something every reading parent should have on their shelf.  It gives great tips on how to read aloud to kids and how to help your child become a lifelong reader.  It also has a section that lists different ages and suggests books for each age as well as giving insight into what type of books are best for that age group.  And to add to all that yummy-goodness...it has a list of fifty themes and book lists to go along with all of them, such as, adoption, courage, making a mistake, sleepovers, loving history...to name a few.  It's almost as necessary as kiddylitter :).

Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business By Esphyr Slobodkina

"Caps, caps for sale," is the cry of the peddler walking through the town with a huge pile of caps on his head.  On this particular very slow day the peddler decides to take a nap under a tree.  When he wakes up he discovers his caps are missing and after a moment he realizes that they've been stolen by the monkeys in the tree.  The monkeys mimic his moves as stomps in anger and shakes his fists at them.  Kids are very amused by this simple tale.  It's a fun one to let them "read" back to you after you've read it to them once or twice. 

The Baby Beebee Bird By Diane Redfield Massie

This is a beautifully illustrated picture book about a new addition to the zoo.  A new baby Beebee bird arrives and keeps all the animals up all night with "beebeebobbi...beebeebobbi".  The animals are exhausted the next day and decide they must keep the Beebee bird awake so that it will sleep at night.  Most parents will relate to how the animals feel.  Kids love to hear this one read as there are lots of funny sounds to be made.

Bats at the Beach Brian Lies

Have your kids ever asked you questions about how a bat lives and what they eat?  This might be a good book for you to check out.  It's a fun account of what a bat family outing might be like.  Their evening includes a night at the beach, boat races, and even a trip to the snack bar.  While there is a lot of silliness, it will give kids a basic understanding of some of their habits.  The illustrations are fantastic and the use of color is brilliant.  A really enjoyable book and a good prompt to learn more about these really interesting creatures.