Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

Title: Good Night, Gorilla

Author/Illustrator: Peggy Rathmann

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 34 Pages

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Some of the best picture books for the very young readers are actually wordless books. With captivating illustrations and an engaging story, this nighty-night book squarely falls into that category. As you can see, the intriguing book cover alone is good enough to pique the curiosity of the little readers out there. Do you think the little gorilla is up to any good? Come on, let's find out. "Good Night, Gorilla!" says the tired zookeeper, as he begins his nightly stroll around the zoo. He was oblivious that the tricky gorilla had already procured his keys when he turned his back. The zookeeper, stealthily followed by the gorilla, bids good night to all the animals in the zoo and proceeds to go home. Little did he know that the gorilla had released the cages of all the animals and now a little parade of animals follow his trail all the way home. He tucks himself in bed, but so do all the sleepy animals!! When the zoo keeper's wife bids him goodnight, she hears not just one, but seven good nights in return. Now, its her turn to take them all back to where they belong.

The author relies heavily on the illustrations to depict her story. But, it also gives an opportunity for the parents to make up their own. It has been a favorite night time book for my little one, ever since I started reading it to her. She loves the gorilla's pranks, who wouldn't? In fact, she likes it better than the "Good night, moon" book. Her favorite pages in the book includes the one with the black inky spread which reveals the shocked wide-open eyes of the zoo keeper's wife and the page with just the voice balloons saying "good night". Even after many readings of this book, she never gets tired of this book (or her favorite pages). I slightly alter the story or add some new elements to it each time, just to bring some novelty to the book. This is one terrific bedtime story you would love to read with your child :)

My Rating: 5/5

 

Sputter, Sputter, Sput! by Babs Bell

Title: Sputter, Sputter, Sput!

Author: Babs Bell

Illustrator: Bob Staake

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 32 Pages

Publisher: Harper Collins

"Glug, Gurgle, Glug"... A flashy red car bearing a wide-eyed curious little driver stops at the gas station to fill up the tank. Once its full, he zooms and vrooms all around the town. He races uphill, downhill, over the bridge and through the tunnel. Sooner the car goes Sputter, Sputter, Sput! A curious girl stops to ask "What's the matter?" But, our confused driver has no idea. Did he run out of gas? Probably. After a second refill at the station, he goes up and down and races out of town. What I love about this book are the beautiful illustrations. The stylish, graphic like pictures and the simple text will make it very appealing for the young readers. Simple shapes like circles, triangles, squares and rectangles undergo a transformation to become humans, cars, buildings, trees and birds. The pictures are utterly simple, yet insanely attractive.

My daughter isn't crazy about cars in general, but she is drawn towards this book quite often. She squeals in delight as the car zooms and vrooms around the town. When the car goes through the downtown, She loves guessing who lives in what house. She always takes the green house with the red door and I get the one that is adjacent to it, the red house with the purple door. On the next page, the car vrooms through the freeway and look what she finds. Her daddy in his business suit zooming by, Mommy and a little baby (that's her) in a convertible, grandma driving all alone and her favorite red and blue birds driving their own cars. The pictures are playful, fun and spurs a lot of discussion. We have read it many times already and she seems to have more fun each time we look at it. This book was more like a love at first sight :) We can't seem to get enough of it!!

My Rating: 4.5/5

From Head to Toe by Eric Carle

Title: From Head to Toe

Author/Illustrator: Eric Carle

Reading Level: Ages 3 - 5

Paperback: 32 Pages

Publisher: Harper Festival

Toddlers love to run, kick, bounce, jiggle and jump around. They have so much energy during the day, they need to find ways to let off their steam. My daughter is an active kid. She is always on the run. She burns off her calories jumping on the bed, doing somersaults, climbing the staircase, hanging upside down on the couch and running around the house. At times, her idea of having fun could get a little too much for me to handle, but at the end of the day, when I sit back and relax, I realize that its all part of growing up. Toddlerhood is so much fun, in particular. Their minds run faster than their feet could take them. At this stage, they are still mastering that hand-eye coordination, learning how to balance and working on refining their body movements. They enjoy moving their bodies and anything that calls for it could potentially become a big hit. Here's one perfect book that does just that.  

In this fun, interactive picture book, various animals invite the readers to participate along, as they turn, bend, wave, kick, wriggle and jiggle the various body parts. There isn't any story or anything in this book, but it gives a total body workout for your energetic toddler. I guess I read it to my daughter when she was about 18 months old and I remember she had a total blast with it. She loved to imitate the animals, especially thumping her chest like a gorilla, stomping her foot like the elephant and bending her neck like the giraffe. I returned my copy to the library after a few renewals and I totally forgot about it. When I came across this book last week, I checked it out once again. I am surprised to see how much she still remembers from this book. Just by looking at the picture of the animals, She knows what to do even before I actually read it out to her. She could do most of the things illustrated in the book and asks for "some more!" every time I read it out. Its a great way to teach them different body parts while having loads of fun with it. Check it out...

My Rating: 5/5

Library Finds...

Title: I Know a Rhino

Author/Illustrator: Charles Fuge

Reading Level: Ages 2 - 5

Hardcover: 24 Pages

Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co.

Would you like to sip tea with a Rhino or have mud fights with a pig? How about blowing bubbles with a giraffe in a bathtub? I guess that should be heck a lot of fun. Have you heard of the ape who sings pop songs and dances along to a tape? Would like to treat a scaly, bold dragon who has got a bad cold? How about packing some bread and honey for a picnic with a big brown bear? Hop aboard! We are going on a fun-filled adventure with a charming little girl and her stuffed animal friends. The bright, bold illustrations and the simple, engaging story will draw your kids towards this picture book in no time. A real page turner!

Title: Welcome to the Zoo

Author/Illustrator: Alison Jay

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 32 Pages

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers

Welcome to the Zoo! No Cages. No Locks. The animals here freely roam about and there are lots of them. You'll see bathing hippos, diving dolphins, roaring tigers, sleeping koalas, bouncing kangaroos, swinging monkeys, singing parakeets and much more. Just like the animals, the zookeepers are busy too. You'll find zookeepers taking zebras on a walk, carrying a platter of fish for the penguins, pushing chimpanzee in a cart, bathing hippos, carrying a giant toothbrush for the elephant, chasing an ostrich and feeding monkeys, anteaters and yaks. The readers will find themselves lured by the detailed illustrations they won't actually realize that it is a wordless picture book after all. Its not that big of a deal, because the picture tell stories of their own. My daughter and I have so much fun tracking the zookeeper's activities within the zoo. Does he ever catch the ostrich? Who will be eating the platter of fish? Could that big bunch of bananas be for the monkeys? Who will be drinking from that huge bottle of milk? There is just so much to see and discover in this book. It will take at least a couple of reads to actually see them all. We constantly find amusing little things every time we read it. The "Can you find us?" page at the end offers more exploring opportunities for those curious readers out there. Its unlike any other zoo you've been to. Check it out...

Are You My Mother? by P.D.Eastman

Title: Are You My Mother?

Author/Illustrator: P.D.Eastman

Reading Level: Ages 2 - 6

Hardcover: 72 Pages

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

A mother bird flies away from her nest in search of food anticipating the arrival of her newborn baby. While she is away, the egg hatches and out comes the baby bird! He looks up and down searching for his mother, but she is not to be found anywhere. He decides to take matters in his own hands and goes out looking for her. He didn't know what she looked like, so he walks right past her. "Are You My Mother?", he asks the kitten, hen, dog and cow who pass by, but they aren't. He even wonders if the broken car, the sailing boat or the flying plane could be his mother. Finally, a steam shovel drops him back in his nest just when the mother bird flies back home with food in her beak.  

If you like Dr. Seuss books, I'm sure you would love books by P.D. Eastman. His illustrations are fun, simple and adorable. Millions of little readers have been captivated by this classic story book. It took my daughter a couple of reads to actually get her interested in this book. We have read it many times now and she feels intrigued by the story every time we read it. Mostly, she couldn't wait to see what happens at the end, so we almost always skip a few pages in the middle, to get to the end. She flashes a cheerful smile when she finds the baby bird uniting with his mother. The book also provides ample opportunities for the parents to mimic various animal sounds. The story builds up enough anticipation even the squirmy readers would sit through the book to find out how it all ends. Well, if you think about it, you will realize that it could be scary for a little one to wake up and not find his/her mother near by. No wonder they feel intrigued by the brave little bird who finds himself in such predicament. With the happy ending, they would feel reassured that no matter what, a mother always returns to her baby and loves her more than anything else. I think its a terrific message you ought to share with your baby! 

My Rating: 4.5/5

Alphabet by Matthew Van Fleet

Title: Alphabet

Author: Matthew Van Fleet

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 20 Pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster / Paula Wiseman Books

In an attempt to introduce the concept of alphabets to the teeny ones, Matthew Van Fleet takes us on a fun-filled safari ride showcasing a wide array of animals and plants in this multi-textured, touch-and-feel sturdy board book. Not only does he accomplishes what he sets out to achieve, he far surpasses one's expectations. Touch-and-feel books are great for young ones, but what you have here is unlike any other. 

Toddlers will find endless ways to interact with this book. They would delight in pulling and pushing tabs, scratching tongues, smelling bugs, and touching and feeling a variety of textures. There is so much to look at, not to mention touch, sniff and feel in this book. Young ones will be surprised to spot some rarely heard animals like Swinging Uacaris, Waddling Warthogs, Tweeting Xenops and Sleeping Zorillas (Yeah, not Gorillas). Furry Lions roar, Whiskered mice squeak, Shiny Parrot fishes swim and newborn Nightingales cheep. Octopuses are sticky, Jaguars are spotty, Frogs are bumpy and Dragonflies are shimmery. The different textures, colors, scents and pull-outs will provide a great sensory experience for the little ones. My daughter has tremendous fun squishing the insides of the clam, scratching the cougar tongue, touching the sticky Octopus and pushing the slide so the newborn nightingales could open their beaks to eat their food. Toddlers tend to be curious creatures. They love to pull, push and poke at everything, including books. To their frustration, we always teach them to be gentle with books. But, they can pull, push, poke, scratch and sniff all they want with this book. You, as a parent, will find yourself grinning ear to ear in response to that. Do you think they can pull it off something like that with the picture books out there? Not only that. This is one terrific book that provides exactly the kind of stimulation the little ones are looking for. You can have hours of fun with it. Trust me :)

My Rating: 5/5

How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? by Jane Yolen

Title: How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?

Author: Jane Yolen

Illustrator: Mark Teague

Reading Level: Ages 2 - 5

Hardcover: 40 Pages

Publisher: The Blue Sky Press

OK, Let me say this up front. My daughter and I are hard-core fans of "How Do Dinosaurs..." series and we devour any books Jane Yolen would whip up with a Dinosaur in it. More than anything, What really drew me toward this book was indeed the title and the cover. If you have a picky eater at home, you will know exactly what I'm talking about. DD started eating solid foods more consistently when she was about a year old. Unlike those toddlers who will gobble up anything served on their plates, She has always been a picky eater. She loves to play with food, but it ends there. In the past year, I have sprouted more white hairs on my head than ever before just by conjuring up some dishes to feed her. I've heard that some kids just survive on air, but I didn't believe it until I actually had one. She gets all squirmy and fidgety in a high chair and trying to feed her could be pretty challenging at times. Not to mention, the cleaning up of the mess later. With spaghetti tossed around everywhere and rice bowl dumped on the floor, it could be a pretty scary sight to watch her standing precariously in her high chair, with cheese and pasta sauce smeared not just on the face but all over her shirt as well. If only I could get a morsel of toast or a few strands of pasta down her throat, it would be all worth it. Isn't it? Well, toddlers at this stage love to pick and poke at food (and puke) and there isn't much one can do about it. So, How in the world do you make them eat their food, let alone teach table manners? For now, I am going to take it easy and let the dinosaurs take care of it :) 

Enough preamble there. So, How do you think the dinosaurs really eat their food? Do they burp, belch or make rude noises? Do they fuss or fidget or squirm in their chair? Do they stick beans up the nose or spit out broccoli partially chewed? By now, the little readers would be intrigued with the series of questions and want to know if the dinosaurs are any different from them. Well, it turns out that they are not that picky after all. They say "Please" and "Thank you" and eat up all their food with smiles and goodwill. They don't drop anything on the floor and ask for some more when they are all finished. With the beautiful eye-popping illustrations and a compelling story, your picky eater will have so much to relate with (and possibly learn from) this book. Go ahead and try it!! 

My Rating: 5/5

Gossie by Olivier Dunrea

Title: Gossie

Author/Illustrator: Olivier Dunrea

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 32 Pages

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Gossie is a small yellow gosling who likes to wear bright red boots. EVERY DAY. Uphill or downhill, Rain or Snow, Backwards or Forwards, no matter where she goes, she wears her bright red boots. She is so obsessed with her red boots she never takes them off. One day, her red boots go missing. Imagine how heartbroken Gossie could be. She searches high and low for her boots, but they were nowhere to be found. But, soon after she sees a flash of red. And they were walking. "On someone else's feet!!". Here comes, Gertie, another yellow gosling who adores the bright red boots. Gossie and Gertie become friends and share the beloved boots. The story comes to end as Gossie and Gertie stomp about wearing one red boot on their feet.

With charming watercolor pictures and simple, yet captivating story, your little ones will beg you to read this book over and over again. The playful illustrations and repetitions will delight your toddlers for sure. And, What's more? It is a great way to introduce concepts like friendship, loss and sharing. This book has been a new arrival to our library, but not a day goes by without reading it at least once. My daughter adores the cute yellow goslings stomping about in their bright red boots. She gets very excited every time we read this book together. Her whimsical expressions are what I like the best. She is happy and gay when the gosling stomps around, but when they go missing, she looks very upset. Her eyes widen in surprise when she finds it on Gertie's feet. When all ends well, She couldn't be more happier. We have a few more books like "Gossie & Gertie", "Ollie the Stomper" in this series, and they all turned out to be equally engaging. Oh, before I forget, let me tell you this... They come in small, square hardcover format. Just perfect for those little hands :)

My Rating: 5/5

Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell

Title: Clifford the Big Red Dog

Author/Illustrator: Norman Bridwell

Board Book: 32 Pages

Reading Level: Ages 2 - 5

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Clifford is a BIG, red dog. He belongs to Emily Elizabeth. She loves her dog more than any other dogs. She feeds him, bathes him and provides him a dog house to stay. She even takes him to dog shows. And, Clifford is a loyal watchdog too. He keeps an eye on bad boys and burglars. He loves playing hide and seek with Emily. But, like other dogs, he makes mistakes too. Like he runs after cars, throws sticks and chews shoes. He is playful, silly and and mischievous. Emily loves her dog and will keep Clifford no matter what.

The Big, Red Clifford dog has fascinated kids for many generations and you will find all sorts of story books, toys, TV shows and video CD's related to it. My daughter is totally crazy about this cute, big dog. She loves to read this book over and over again and it has been one of her favorites for a long time now. She learns a lot from it too. It teaches her what good and bad behaviors are. It talks about loyalty and caring for pets as well. We haven't tried other books in the Clifford series, but I am sure she would like them all. When we make a trip to the library, She always find the big, red Clifford perched up on the shelf and demands to hold it while I browse the shelves. She would lug it around within the library and she would mostly end up crying when its time to put it back. I don't think she could get enough of this adorable little (sorry, BIG) red dog. 

My Rating: 4.5/5

A Nap in a Lap by Sarah Wilson

Title: A Nap in a Lap

Author: Sarah Wilson

Illustrator: Akemi Gutierrez

Reading Level: Ages 2 - 5

Hardcover: 32 Pages

Publisher: Henry Colt and Co.

Where you would like to take a nap? Baby Joey likes to nap tucked into mommy's flap and baby snake naps all wrapped up in a coil. Would you rather sprawl upside-down like a bat or stay cozied in a hay like a pig? How about like the little ladybugs dozing on the tip of a rose? Do you know that a baby tortoise nestles on the rocks with mommy and the camels love to take a snooze in sand dunes? Oh, What's that little mouse up to? Isn't that the baby socks he is sleeping in? Whether its a tree or a nest or a log, baby animals have favorite places to nap. How about you?

This is another nap time book we love to read. With warm and gentle illustrations, DD loves to look at the different baby animals cuddling up with mommy to take a snooze. Like the little girl in this book, her favorite napping place is my lap, of course. With few words on each page and cozy pictures all the way through, toddlers should be able to relax while reading this book. Worth a try!

My Rating: 4/5

Time for Naps by Jane Yolen

Title: Time for Naps

Author: Jane Yolen

Illustrator: Hiroe Nakata

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 16 Pages

Publisher: Little Simon

This is one beautiful board book that illustrates the nap time ritual of a little girl who tucks in all her stuffed animals in bed before she herself settles down for a nap. With warm yellow and orange tones, Nakata's illustrations are not only pleasing to the eyes, but also soothing to the babies.

Nap time, kitty, time for bed.

A pillow for your furry head.

No more books can now be read.

Time to close your eyes instead.

"No More Books", "Time to close your eyes", "No Peeping", "Yes, I'll get some water" are some common phrases used by parents when they put a child to nap. The little ones should find it very comforting watching the toddler in this book imitating many of the things their parents do before nap time. It may not send them off to slumberland right away, but at least get them in the mood for it. Whether it works or not every time, at least its worth a try.

 

Nap times are hard to come by, as a toddler grows. Sometimes, the time it takes to put a toddler to nap can exceed the actual nap time itself. Some parents at their wit's end would be looking high and low for anything that would help their little energizer bunnies rest a little. DD is not 2 yet, but getting her to nap has been a monumental task for me lately. Whether she is tired or not, she fights nap time. She could easily wear me out with her incessant demands for water, toys, potty, books and more. After a few tantrums, she would finally settle down for a nap. Sometimes, she will skip it altogether. The transition from play to nap time has never been easy and I am exhausted trying all sorts of things to make it a smooth one. Often, I find myself at the end of the rope. Like many parents, I am seeking for that elusive downtime her nap could provide. I guess it might as well be a pipe dream...

Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi

Title: Everyone Poops
Author: Taro Gomi
Translator: Amanda M. Stinchecum
Reading Level: Ages 2 -5
Paperback: 28 Pages
Publisher: Random House

All living things eat. So, they all must poop. And so do animals, birds and other species. It is a natural phenomenon, but how many of us feel comfortable enough to talk about it with our little ones? Some parents may find it a little offensive; Some parents might feel a bit squeamish; Though a few may be open about it. Whatever your standpoint is, toddlers find it a very fascinating subject. Especially during the potty training stage. Some young ones might feel scared. Some might be curious. But, many of them need an assurance from parents that its quite a natural process. When mastering a potty, it helps them tremendously if they know why and where it all comes from.

Lot of potty books are out there in the market. Most of them beat around the bush, but this is a no-nonsense book that hits the nail right on the head. It was first published in Japan in 1978, but translated and published in the US almost over a decade later. With simple watercolor illustrations and succinct text, this book talks about how and where different species poop. An elephant makes a big poop while a mouse makes a tiny poop. Birds, Bugs and fish poop too. Different kinds of animals make different kinds of poop. The book shows how some animals poop in the water, and how some poop here and there. Apparently, cats are smart enough to clean up after themselves and deers are busy enough they do it on the run. The book then moves on to human beings showing grownups and children in various potty seats.

My daughter used to get a little squirmy when she sits on the potty. Sometimes, she will run here and there in the middle to pick up her toys or whatever. But, this is one book that will make her sit down the whole time. Every time she sits on the potty, she insists for poo..poo book to be read to her. She finds it downright hilarious and absolutely wonderful. We have so much fun figuring out whose poop is what and guessing what a whale poop would like. A one-hump camel makes a one-hump poop and two-hump camel makes a two-hump poop. Really? No, Just kidding. She loves to watch the grown-up guy (she smiles saying its her daddy) and the little ones on their various potty seats. She also identifies herself as the toddler sitting on the potty. We have read this book many times, but she finds it totally riveting. Even though some parents might be put off by the detailed illustrations, I think its an absolute must-have for a toddler in her potty training stage.

My Rating: 4.5/5

It's time to go Potty!!

Potty Training a toddler could be a pretty daunting task for many parents. If there is one surefire way that teaches the toddlers to master the potty, one secret recipe that would guarantee a success every single time, I am sure every parent struggling with potty training would queue up in line to get hold of that magic formula. And, I bet the queue would even surpass the ones we see at the New York square on the day of a new iPhone Release. When it comes to potty training, parents want to get it over with as soon as possible, so they can go about their business without having to worry about changing diapers every couple of hours. However much we seek it, the diaper-free days remains elusive though. But, Once the child gets to the 'Other' side, parents beam with pride as if they just climbed the top of Mount Everest.

Ever since my daughter's first birthday, I have grown apprehensive about the whole potty training process. No matter how many potty training books I read, I always felt unprepared and jittery. Talking to my friends made me more nervous. One friend said it was no big deal, she did it under a month. But, another one said it took her more than six months, not to mention the fact that while her little one is sitting on the potty, she had to blow bubbles for hours until she turned blue. And, I am yet to meet the super mom who potty trained her child in less than a day. If you are out there somewhere, please let me know. You deserve nothing but an Olympic Gold for your spectacular achievement.

I decided to turn to my mom for some expert advice. After all, She has been there and done all that. Remember, I grew up in India when I was little, so potty training is a little bit different way back then. So, When I asked her, She rambled on and on about how she would let us go diaper free during the days and how she would make an 'instant potty' by sitting on the floor, her knees bent and a little apart to make an opening and how we used to sit on her bent knees without fussing and how she would catch the potty in a newspaper spread on the floor just below it. Honestly, I don't remember any of that. Gosh! that sounds easy though. Even before that thought sunk in, I pinched myself to bring me back within the realm of possibility. With all the carpeted and hardwood floors we see around here in the US, this idea needs to be thrown out the window. Never in my dreams I can imagine letting her go diaper free the entire day or squatting in the restroom with a newspaper on the floor to hold it. You could tell I wasn't looking forward to it much, but I kept on eye on her watching for the so-called readiness signs.

One day my daughter caught me off guard, when she silently stood behind our dining table chewing the table cloth. She was standing still the whole time averting my gaze purposefully. Well, I could smell that something was wrong not to mention it was stinking already. When I realized soon after that she had gone potty, I wondered if this was it. Probably, the sign, the mark on the sky, I have been waiting for all along. When she exhibited other signs like being uncomfortable with a poopy diaper and all, I rolled up my super mom sleeves and decided to get to the bottom of it. Her potty timing was pretty consistent and her before-going-poopy expressions were inevitable. Phew! That must be easy, right? Heck, No. I purchased a toilet ring and a step stool as a first step. This way I don't have to deal with transitioning her from potty to the regular toilet. I made her sit on her toilet seat fully dressed, just to get her used to it. Then, She was sitting on it during off-potty times, but it didn't get us anywhere. She just drove me crazy pulling wads of toilet paper off the roll and stuffing them into the toilet bowl. After a while, I gave up and decided to buy a little potty. Kids don't prefer shortcuts. Do they? And, we parents often learn it the hard way!!

The pink little Baby Bjorn potty sat in her toy room for several days. She would make her bear sit on it, her puppy sit on it, her doll sit on it. That's about it. She wasn't interested in using it for anything beyond that. During the first few weeks, my confidence level hit rock bottom, not that it was soaring high to begin with anyway. Forget about making her sit on the potty, I couldn't even stick a foot inside the invisible perimeter she had drawn around herself during poopy times. I focused all my energy into getting within the range, not to mention I had to duck my head for flying objects she was hurling in my direction. She would scream and wail if anyone would attempt to get closer to her and any mention of potty would be responded with ear-splitting No No's. It wasn't going very well and I had a feeling she was a little scared and uncomfortable about the whole poo-poo thing. Then, a little light bulb went up in my head. How did I forget about all those potty books that I could read to her? After a trip to the library, I stashed her bookshelf with some potty books for her to look at. Ever since we have started reading them, I realize that she is quite interested about the whole potty thing and less reluctant about using one. We have read many potty books together, but a few of them are her absolute favorites. Mostly, I reserve them for potty time. That way I could at least make her sit on it. It has worked out quite well so far. I even got her to go pee-pee and poo-poo on some rare occasions. Its a small accomplishment, but hey we are getting there... And, Who knows? Pretty soon, I will be beaming with pride when she masters the potty someday. Until, then..God help us!!

Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? Dr.Seuss's Book of Wonderful Noises

Title: Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?

Author/Illustrator: Dr. Seuss

Reading Level: Ages 2 - 5

Hardcover: 36 Pages

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Oh, the wonderful things Mr.Brown can do! He can moo like a cow. How about you? Inviting the readers to participate along, the brown-clad mustachioed Mr.Brown takes us on a noisy adventure imitating over 20 different sounds. He can buzz like a bee, pop like a cork, eek eek like a squeaky shoe, hoo like an owl, choo choo like a train and even whisper like a butterfly. Mr.Brown is smart enough to make some rhyming sounds like tick tock and knock knock. Hey, He can blurp like a horn and slurp like a cat. How about you?

Some of my daughter's favorite sounds include 'dibble dibble dopp dopp' like a rain, 'klopp klopp' like a horse feet and 'sizzle sizzle' like an egg in a frying pan. She giggles when the hippopotamus goes 'grum grum' chewing the gum and chuckles for the sound of 'pip' when goldfish kiss and laughs out when I go 'BOOM BOOM' like a thunder. Some sounds are familiar like the mooing of the cow, choo choo train but many of them are unusual like the sound of rain drops. I am familiar with the expression 'pitter patter rain drops', but now that I think about it, 'dibble dibble dopp dopp' sounds much like the rain actually. We found this Dr.Seuss book pretty lately, I don't know how I missed this one. However, I am glad that she caught on with this book sooner than I imagined. She is fascinated by all the wacky sounds and Mr.Brown's whimsical expressions. Needless to say, we have a total blast every time we read this book. I even learned to read it in a sing song manner to make it more interesting for her. Its almost impossible to pick one Dr.Seuss book over the other, because they are all unique and absolutely wonderful in their own way. But, Since my daughter gravitates towards this book all the time, I guess it has to be her most favorite Seuss book of all. 

My Rating: 5/5

Picture This... by Alison Jay

Title: Picture This

Author/Illustrator: Alison Jay

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 32 Pages

Publisher: Dutton Children's Books

The other day, I was thinking about books I used to enjoy reading to my daughter when she was a little baby. I didn't have to think too hard because, Alison Jay's picture books immediately sprang up to my mind. The gorgeous illustrations with a word or two on every page makes it a perfect first book for babies and toddlers.

It might look like a very simple picture book, but when you look closer, you would realize that it has much more to it. The author cleverly adapts some classic nursery rhymes like 'Jack and Jill' and 'Hickory Dickory' for words like 'Hill' and 'Clock'. On top of that, every page takes clues from the previously illustrated picture for a clever word play. For instance, a gold fish that adorns a fisherman's hat on the previous page, now swims inside a tiny fish tank on the next page. A red airplane that is swooping over the fields on one page, flies past a soaring kite on the next page. A painting of a rabbit inside a car hanging over a ship enclosed in a glass bottle makes a reappearance in the following page to emphasis the word 'car'. Many of the pictures make more than one appearance to reinforce the concept. 

I am not sure if my daughter grasps the 'déjà vu' effect , but she loves to look at the beautiful illustrations and she has learnt many of her first words from it. It is unlike any other first word books I have ever read. I don't think its an easy feat to take some irrelevant words and somehow link them to create a story using the pictures alone. My daughter is not as crazy as before about these books, but she likes to look at them from time to time. Ideal for Babies!

My Rating: 4.5/5

Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox

Title: Falling for Rapunzel

Author: Leah Wilcox

Illustrator: Lydia Monks

Reading Level: 3 - 8

Paperback: 32 Pages

Publisher: Penguin Group

In this hilarious picture book, Leah Wilcox puts a clever twist on the children's classic tale of "Rapunzel". A prince rode upon Rapunzel's way as she was sitting up on the tower whining about her hair losing its shine. Hearing her whine, the prince sallied forth to set her free. However, She was quite far away to make out what the prince would say. When the prince pleaded her to throw down her hair, She threw down her underwear. When he asked for her curly locks, She covered him with her dirty socks. The prince wondered out loud if she had a rope. Out came a cantaloupe that bursted right on his head. May be a ladder? Whoa!! She threw out pancake batter. How about a twine? Rapunzel heaved out a blue-ribbon swine. The prince feeling more enamored, yelled for her to throw down her braid. She couldn't quite make out what it was, so she pushed down her pretty maid. Soon after, the prince and maid fell in love with each other and rode back home.

My daughter and I heard about this book during a storytime session at a local bookstore. This book sent both kids and parents rolling on the floor laughing. Since it became a HUGE hit among kids that day, I decided to buy a copy for my daughter hoping she would love it too. Oh, Boy was I right. We have read this book countless number of times already and she NEVER grows tired of it. She doesn't know the classic story yet, but she finds this one pretty funny. She giggles looking at the hapless prince covered from head to toe in dirty socks and underwear. She bursts out laughing when the cantaloupe smashes his head and loves to mimic the horse that laps up all the juice dripping over his head. And, She is all excited about the little red riding hood walking down their way stealthily followed by a big bad wolf (I don't know where that all came from, but I don't care as long as my daughter loves it). She is more than happy when the prince finally finds his soul mate, the pretty maid and we wave them good bye as they go clippety-clop on their horse.

Leah Wilcox & Lydia have done a terrific job with this book. The story is clever, witty and laugh-out-loud funny. The illustrations are made with acrylic paint and collage and they are cheery and delightful. I love the fact that it provides a lot of ways to interact with your kids while you read to them. Take my word, You will be falling for this book in no time! I bought this as an early valentine's day gift for my daughter and I couldn't be more happier with my purchase!! Please do yourself a favor and go buy a copy. I'll wait right here..

My Rating: 5/5 (Can I give more than 5?)

The Story of Red Rubber Ball by Constance Levy

Title: The Story of Red Rubber Ball

Author: Constance Levy

Illustrator: Hiroe Nakata

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Harcourt

A red rubber ball sat all alone on the grass and none of the passersby seemed to be interested enough to play with it. Caterpillar crawled by it, spider tried it, Bees buzzed it and ant missed it. "Woodpecker picked at it, poked at it, pecked at it, and pocked it all up". A hungry squirrel mistook the ball for a nut and gave it a kick. A passing cat made a beeline to it, but then chasing a butterfly made him forgot all about it. A sleepy snake coiled around it and a grasshopper leaped over it but, no one spied it. The little red rubber ball sat all alone battered by the sunshine and rain until a labrador stopped by it and took it home to keep.

My daughter and I fell in love with this picture book at first sight. I borrowed it from the library and we have already read it many times. The book is laden with rich, charming pastel watercolors that draws us back to it time and again. To make it even more interesting to the readers, there are numerous minuscule background details illustrated throughout the book like an ant lugging a flower or a leaf, a spider wearing multi-colored shoes (one for each leg), a ladybug napping on a branch, baby birds feeding one another, a baby chick looking up at the mobile in his nest and children merrily playing in the swing. My daughter LOVES looking at the tiny details (especially the mobile hanging over the baby chick's bed) but what excites her the most is the part where the resilient woodpecker (she calls it a penguin though, since its all painted in black and white) pecks, picks and pocks the red rubber ball. Irrespective of the gloomy start, the book has a cheerful ending which makes it a very satisfying read. This is one terrific book you wouldn't want to miss!!

My Rating: 5/5

The Colorful World of Eric Carle

Eric Carle is one of the most acclaimed illustrator of many children's books. His picture books have attracted millions of young readers worldwide. They are widely popular for the vibrant, bold illustrations sprawled over double-page spreads. Created using collage style painting, they are just simply brilliant and beautiful. He illustrated over 70 books, many of them were best sellers, including the 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' which sold over 29 millions of copies worldwide.

"Brown Bear, Brown Bear" was our very first Eric Carle book. My daughter was totally captivated by the brilliant artwork and found the repetitiveness very comforting. I got several others (like the polar bear, panda bear books) and even after a year, she still likes to look at them. She has several favorite animals like the macaroni penguin, blue horse, spider monkey and yellow duck. We always find ourselves coming back to Eric Carle books more often. They make a great read-aloud for the very young and every child should own at least a few of his books.

My Rating: 5/5

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Audrey & Don Wood

Title: The Little Mouse, Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear

Author: Audrey Wood

Illustrator: Don Wood

Reading Level: Ages 1 - 5

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: Masters Press

A little mouse scampers through the forest looking for a red, ripe strawberry. When he finds one, he hoists a ladder up and plucks it. But, Does he know that the big hungry bear loves strawberries too? Especially, the one that is just been picked. The mouse seems terrified by the big hungry bear who will tromp through the forest and snatch it away. He feels dismayed that the hungry bear will eventually find it, no matter where it is hidden or locked. Disguising the fruit won't work with the bear as well. How in the world is he going to save the luscious strawberry from the bear? What if he eats it? Well, Isn't it the only way out there? And, the mouse is kind enough to share a half with the readers. 

The story is endearing, but so are the illustrations. My daughter is totally fascinated by the pictures and the cutesy expressions of the mouse. She learnt a few new words like "disguise","mustache" from this story. She always like the part where I go 'BOOM..BOOOM..BOOOM' like the hungry bear tromping through the forest. She awaits in anticipation as the mouse scurries around trying to save the strawberry and when she was finally offered a half strawberry by the mouse, she couldn't be more happier. One good thing that came out of this book - She loves strawberries now!! Yeah!!

My Rating: 4.5/5

The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss

Title: The Foot Book

Author: Dr. Seuss

Hardcover: 36 pages

Reading Level: Ages 1 - 5

Publisher: Random House Books

Theodor Seuss Geisel, an American Writer and Cartoonist, is widely known for his children's books written under the pen name Dr.Seuss. He published over 60 children's books and they are immensely popular for their wacky, silly, rhyming and funny text. And, they sound terrific when you read out loud. No wonder children and parents alike are mesmerized by his works. Every Child deserves to be read at least a few books by this greatest writer of all times. If you haven't already, I beseech you to do it now..

'The Foot Book' was the first Dr.Seuss book I read to her. She was so little and I still remember how she would crawl out to me with this book in her mouth asking me to read it to her. As I begin reading "Left Foot, Left Foot, Left Foot, Right. Feet in the Morning. Feet at Night", She would sit still on my lap intently staring at all the quirky pictures. We have so much fun finding her left and right foot as we go. There is high/low feet, wet/dry feet, front/back feet, sick feet with bandages all over (my daughter is especially fond of), pig feet and even fuzzy fur feet. And for a counting adventure some have even 24 feet. Bound by the captivating rhythm and enraptured by the wacky illustrations, She would watch the endless parade of feet after feet after feet. She is a little under 2 now and she still devours this book. It never fails to bring out a huge smile on her face every time she picks it up. Dr.Seuss once mentioned "I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells". Well, it sure does!!

My Rating: 5/5