Curly Locks Corner

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff

2009-05-08T15:06:00.001-07:00

Title: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

Author: Laura Joffe Numeroff

Illustrator: Felicia Bond

Reading Level: Ages 4 - 8

Hardcover: 32 Pages

Publisher: Harper Festival

Yay!! I finally got around to posting one of my daughter's favorite books of all time!! 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie' book that is. My little one totally devours this mouse and cookie book and we have been reading this for a really long time now. In fact, I bought her several books in this 'If You Give a..' series and she loves them all. But, let me tell you about the one book that started it all.

A young boy sitting on his front lawn happily snacking on some chocolate chip cookies from a brown bag happens to meet a little mouse walking by. Our young hero is kind-hearted and he is glad to share a cookie with the mouse. But, Mr. Mouse asks for a glass of milk to go with it. And, How about a straw little boy? What started out as a simple request turns into incessant demands and our poor little guy could barely keep up with the demanding mouse. After some messing up, washing and cleaning and some nap time stories, the mouse finally winds down with a glass of milk and cookies again!! The story comes a full circle and its a great book that could help teach them about cause and effect.

The illustrations are captivating and the story line is excellent. It is more interesting when you read it the first time, as I found myself as curious as my daughter to know what the little mouse would demand next. After many endless re-readings, we still love it. This is one book DD knows by heart, she could finish the sentences for me. She has learnt many new words from this book like scotch tape, mustache, scissors, refrigerator, pillow and so on. She finds the story hilarious and the pictures amusing. Especially, we spend a good amount of time meeting the mouse family in the picture he drew with the crayons. We have moved on to several other books in this series, but we always revisit this book all the time. A great modern classic you wouldn't want to miss!!

My Rating: 5/5

I Love My New Toy! by Mo Willems

2009-05-04T15:24:00.001-07:00

Title: I Love My New Toy!

Author/Illustrator: Mo Willems

Reading Level: Ages 4 - 8

Hardcover: 64 Pages

Publisher: Hyperion Books

After sweeping off the children's feet with the pigeon books, Mo Willems' new series of picture books titled the 'Elephant and Piggie' books are creating quite a sensation among young readers out there. A recipient of Dr. Seuss Medal Winner for 2008 and 2009, these books are nothing but terrific read-alouds!! We borrowed a few of these from the library and my daughter devours them all. They get picked up again and again and still remain her favorite books after many countless re-readings. Please check out a few titles and see for yourself what I am talking about..

In 'I Love My New Toy', Piggie brings along a new toy to play with Gerald, the Elephant. Gerald is curious about the toy as well, but both of them have no idea how to play with it. 'May be its a throwing toy' says Gerald. 'Here, try it' says Piggie. What starts out as a fun adventure ends in a mishap. 'Zip' goes the toy up up up and down down down it comes crashing on the floor. Piggie gets mad and sad that his toy is broken. Gerald's apology won't cut it for Piggie and he becomes inconsolable. Soon, they both start wailing their hearts out, not knowing what to do. When the little readers begin to wonder if that's the end of their friendship, a little squirrel scurries along their way. Can he fix the toy and revive their friendship?

Picture books for young readers are seldom long. Elephant and Piggie books are an exception though. Many Parents might initially wonder if their child would sit through a 65 page book. But, I beseech you to ignore those initial thoughts and delve right in. You'll flip through the pages faster than you would think and before you know it you'll be at the end of the book longing for more. Each page only has a few words and a cartoonish illustration, nothing overwhelming. The book has tons of pictures and they capture almost every single emotion of the Elephant and Piggie, it feels as if you are watching a cartoon movie! The stories are short, hilarious and has a subtle message to take away with. I don't know how much my daughter understands the underlying moral of the story, but I can assure you that she has LOADS of fun with this book. Her Elephant and Piggie bathtub toys seems to be getting lot more attention these days with all those extra hugs, washing and scrubbing during bath time :) The excitement with which she brings me this book and the giggles and laughter I hear from her every time we read it says it all. Seems like she can't have enough of this book!!

My Rating: 5/5

Aaaarrgghh! Spider! by Lydia Monks

2009-04-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

Title: Aaaarrgghh! Spider!

Author/Illustrator: Lydia Monks

Reading Level: Ages 4 - 8

Hardcover: 32 Pages

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company

I have a spider-obsessed toddler at home. While I am still wondering whether it all began with the 'Little Miss Muffet' or the 'Itsy Bitsy spider' song, I knew when it really caught on. With the arrival of two spider hand puppets borrowed from the local library - a BIG spider hand puppet and a teeny weeny one. Now, she is completely nuts about them :) Nowadays, the 'Fidah' (that's how she calls it) puppets travel with us everywhere we go. Even though, it might be quite an unusual sight for someone who are used to seeing baby girls clutching dolls and doras, we go out with our 'Fidah'. The spider puppets came home with a few spider-related picture books, but THIS book is her most favorite of all.

We love books illustrated by Lydia Monks. Not only are they captivating, they are downright hilarious as well. In this beautifully illustrated picture book, she tells the story of a spider who wants to be a family pet. The spider tries to impress them with his dainty dance and clean manners. But, the family throws him out, screaming 'Aaarrgghh, Spider!' When all his attempts fail, the dejected spider decides to live alone in the backyard... until, his innate talents pay off at the end or does it? With humorous twists and turns in the story, this is one book your toddler would love to read (well, at least mine does) Especially, the page that with the sparkly silvery webs with glitter glued all over is simply breathtaking. Not only babies, adults will find this book equally enjoyable as well. I feel that even after many readings, the story didn't lose its humor. We love reading it over and over again and its well worth a try!

My Rating: 4/5

How are you Peeling? by Saxton Freymann & Joost Elffers

2009-04-22T15:31:00.000-07:00

Title: How are you Peeling?

Author: Saxton Freymann & Joost Elffers

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 48 Pages

Publisher: Scholastic

Just like us, little ones experience a whole slew of emotions throughout the day. From excited to frustrated, happy to sad, their moods vary. Often, they don't find the right words to express what they are going through. Crying seems to be their innate response when things don't go their way. But, the underlying emotion they feel might differ from frustration to confusion or anger. So, How do you teach your little ones to ask for help when frustrated or confused instead of throwing their toys or hugging your feet wailing their hearts out? Vocalizing their emotions might just be the first step. But, How in the world are you going to teach them that? Well, if you are an artist, it should be an easy feat for you. You can sit with your infant and make funny faces throughout the day repeating the words until they get it and say it along. Just Kidding ;o) If you are looking for an easy way out, just like me, go out and check this book out from your library. If you are successful, you might be able to teach them a thing or two...

This book just leaves me awestruck every time I pick it up to read with my little one. With one exacto knife and a few black-eyed peas, eggplants and squash, apples and oranges undergo a transfiguration to reveal all sorts of emotion from happy to sad, shy to surprised, jumpy to grumpy and bored to excited. As per the blurb on the back, the author shopped all around New York city to look for expressive produce and Oh, boy really EXPRESSIVE they do look! In this book, you will find a produce for almost every single emotion you would experience. How astounding! A Wailing Kiwi, Yawning Orange, In-secured Green onions, Mean Squash, Jealous Tomato, Happy Apple, Excited Lemon, Timid Radish, Shy Bell Peppers are just to name a few. In addition to learning different emotions, think about all the produce names they can learn as well! We love this book and DD has learnt so much from it. She loves sharing her toys with a crying orange or a pouting apple. The produce are so expressive and very well-made. I'm surprised at how I yawn every time I look at the Yawning Orange or feel sad for a Wailing Kiwi. Nowadays, I can't help myself looking for some sort of an expression when I grab a tomato or an eggplant from the refrigerator to cook. I guess this book has changed the way I look at the produce now. And forever!!

My Rating: 5/5

Mo Willems

2009-04-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

Mo Willems began his career as a writer and animator for the PBS' Sesame Street where he garnered 6 Emmy Awards for his writing. He is also a creator of 2 animated series Nickledeon's 'The Off-Beats' and Cartoon Network's 'Sheep in the Big City'. His career as a children's books author and illustrator really took off when he created the Pigeon series books with 'Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus' becoming a NewYorks Times Best Seller and a Caldecott Award Winner in 2004. His latest works include the Elephant and Piggie books, a series of “Easy Readers”, which were awarded the Theodor Suess Geisel Medal in 2008 and 2009. His animated cartoon Knuffle Bunny was awarded Best Film during the New York International Children’s Film Festival in 2008 and received the Andrew Carnegie Medal in 2007. Mo lives in Massachusetts with his family.

For more information, please visit his website www.mowillems.com

Bio Source: www.mowillems.blogspot.com

Kiss Good Night by Amy Hest

2009-04-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

Title: Kiss Good Night

Author: Amy Hest

Illustrator: Anita Jeram

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 30 Pages

Publisher: Candlewick

Babies and toddlers thrive on routines. Especially when it comes to bedtime. Its not an easy feat putting a toddler to bed, especially when he is jumping on his bed, ready for another round of play. But, an established bedtime routine can make little ones look forward to the next activity and help them get to bed with little effort. Routines need not be elaborate, but its important to stick to it every single night. They may not notice if you forget to brush their teeth, but what happens if you forget to kiss goodnight?

In this beautiful board book, Mrs. Bear is putting Sam to bed. As the wind howled outside on the dark and stormy plum street, Mrs. Bear and Sam are warm and cozy in their bed reading their favorite bedtime story. Later, She tucks Sam in bed along with his animal friends. They have a cup of warm milk, as they listen to the rain making huge splats on their rooftop. Sam should be really ready for bed, but apparently he is not. Mrs. Bear wonders what she forgot and Sam offers no help saying she knows already. Finally, it occurred to her that she is yet to kiss him goodnight. Sam drifts off to sleep after Mrs. Bear smooches him with more night-night kisses.

The charming illustrations and the heart-warming story makes this such a cute bedtime story book. I guess I started reading this to my daughter when she was about 9 months old. She never grew tired of this book and we have been reading it ever since. She loves everything about this book, including Sam's stuffed animal friends and his little white house. She always has to have her teddy bear while I read it to her and her favorite part is when we rock back and forth saying "Book..Blanket..Friends..Milk.." When I ask her what Mrs. Bear forgot, she smiles at me and gives me a big kiss :) Sometimes, we skip the words altogether and just flip the pages to look at the illustrations. The warm tones and the loving expressions makes you relax and sets the perfect mood for bedtime ^_^

My Rating: 4/5

We're All in the Same Boat by Zachary R. Shapiro

2009-03-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

Title: We're All in the Same Boat

Author: Zachary R. Shapiro

Illustrator: Jack E. Davis

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 32 Pages

Publisher: Penguin Group

We all know the story of Noah's Ark. When God decided to wash all the wicked people away, he asked Noah to build an ark to protect all the animals. When all the animals are safely aboard the ark, it began to rain. It rained and rained so much that it continued for months. Finally, when it stopped raining, Noah sent a dove to find a piece of dry land. All the animals landed out of the ark and life began again on earth. Isn't that how it goes?? Well, who really knew what actually happened inside the ark? With all the animals from around the planet traveling in the same boat, would it be a harmonious or a tumultuous voyage? In this adorable picture book for little ones, Zachary Shapiro brings to life, the classic Noah's ark tale with his witty, heart-warming illustrations. The story is refreshing and the rhythmic word play is simply brilliant.

Apparently, It all began as a fun, exciting voyage. The animals were thrilled to spend a few days at sea and they lived merrily eating pizzas and playing tennis. But, the relentless rain soon turned them all cranky and restless. The bees were bored; dogs were demanding; giraffes were grumpy; hyenas were hysterical; nightingales were nagging; worms were worried and the zebras were zoned-out. When things got out of control, Noah hollered those magic words "We're all in the Same Boat!". The animals were stunned to silence for a minute. Then, the ants apologized, elephants were enthusiastic, foxes told fables, moose were merry and penguins held a party. Peace reigned again as Noah and his animals went to sleep.

There aren't many Noah's Ark books geared towards little readers out there. We have another board book version, but reading it was never this fun. The rhyming words and hilarious illustrations takes this story to a whole new level. Since there is so much to look at and learn from this book, it makes a GREAT read for toddlers. My daughter never really sit through the entire book, I guess it gets a little too overwhelming for her. But, We always come back to this book! She finds the pictures captivating and rhyming words funny. And, when her favorite penguin is aboard the ark, she couldn't ask for anything more :) To narrate the story, the author uses a huge repertoire of adjectives, which even the adults might find interesting. Its hard to find words like 'hysterical', 'livid', 'obnoxious', 'exasperated', 'diligent' and 'tuckered' in young children's books. Most of them use simple, easy to read words. But, reading picture books like these will improve their vocabulary tremendously. Younger readers will revel in the beauty of the illustrations and older ones would love practicing some of the big words. A feast for the eyes as well as the brain!!

My Rating: 5/5

Emily's Balloon by Komako Sakai

2009-03-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

Title: Emily's Balloon

Author/Illustrator: Komako Sakai

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 44 Pages

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Toddlers are obsessed with Balloons. Aren't they? I have often wondered why, but never figured it out! My painstaking search for some interesting books about balloons to read with my daughter led me to this beautiful picture book. Emily's mother buys her a helium-filled yellow balloon while they were out on a walk. The balloon seller ties it to her finger, but as soon as she gets home, it flies to the ceiling. Her mother ties it to a spoon, so that it keeps floating. Now, Emily can really play with her balloon. The yellow balloon follows her wherever she goes and keeps her company. She plays house with it, makes leafy crowns while out in the garden. But, a gust of wind takes her balloon away and the balloon gets stuck on a tree. Emily is heartbroken, as she had imagined sharing her dinner and bed later with her favorite yellow balloon. Her mother comforts her and finally Emily goes to bed, staring at the balloon nestled in the tree, just like a moon.

The simple illustrations made with charcoal and minimal shades of color, beautifully brings out the emotions of a toddler in love with her new friend. When I read this to my daughter the first time, she was a little over one year old. I remember how she fell head over heels in love with this book. She would insist on taking it everywhere, and she would eat and sleep with it. Now at 2, She is not as obsessive as before, but she still likes to read it from time to time. I guess it is yet another story she could relate to very well. She almost mirrored Emily's expressions in every way. Her eyes would sparkle in excitement when she found Emily playing with her yellow balloon and she used to feel very upset when the wind blew away the balloon. Just like Emily, She will keep pointing at the tree and the stuck balloon for a long time after. The story is so evocative that it might make your little one upset towards the end. I remember how I used to feel sad for Emily and my daughter who will not stop asking for that balloon. In order to make our reading time extra special, I decided to blow a yellow balloon and tied it to her finger as we read it. She would sit on my lap, intently gazing at the pictures, while the yellow balloon floated above us, still tied to her finger. When we get to the part where Emily lost her yellow friend, my daughter would offer hers, just like I thought she would! I thought my toddler could be a little less upset and the story could take a happier ending that way. It worked!! Nowadays, She is more than happy to share her yellow balloon with Emily :) Toddlers would love this book. Check it out!!

My Rating: 5/5

Usborne Touchy-Feely Board Books

2009-03-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Touch-and-Feel books are extremely popular among babies, because in addition to the bold and bright pictures, they also offer a variety of textures for them to explore. Not only does it provide a fun and interactive experience, they help them grasp the concept so much faster and easier. I am a big fan of touch-and-feel books and I still like to read them myself. Honestly, its so much fun. Usborne series have numerous touchy-feely books and several of them are in fact award-winners.

One of my daughter's favorite books in this series is 'That's not my Penguin' book. As you all know by now, my daughter LOVES penguins. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that she adores this book. Penguins with fuzzy tummy, silky head, rubbery feet and shiny beak invite her to come and explore different textures in this book. There aren't very many textures (only about five or six), but with babies less is more and they are good enough to keep them engaged for a while. I've been reading it to her for a long time now and many times I have wondered if she will ever get bored of this book. It doesn't seem like it though. Today, I wanted to try something different. I read only the first part of it like 'That's not my penguin, its tummy is too...' and she really surprised me by saying out loud 'fuzzzzzyyy...'. In fact, she could recall the names of all the different textures herself. Its truly amazing :) From penguins to monkeys, cars to trucks, princess to fairies, pirates to dinosaurs, the Usborne series has a book for every little reader out there. You only have to look what might interest your little one. One caveat though - You may not want to get every single book out there in this series, because you will find a lot of them repetitive.

Jules Feiffer

2009-03-23T21:39:00.001-07:00

Jules Feiffer is a man of many hats. He has had a remarkable career being a cartoonist, playwright, screenplay writer and children's books author and illustrator. After serving as a cartoonist for many magazines including New York Times, he shifted his focus to children's and young adults literature. His witty and cartoonish illustrations are widely popular among little readers around the world. He is a recipient of numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize, Academy Award and Lifetime achievement award from the National Cartoonish Society. He has written several award-winning children's books including the 'The Man in the Ceiling' , which he has partnered with Disney. 'Bark, George' is my daughter's favorite Jules Feiffer book.

To learn more about this author, please visit his website : www.julesfeiffer.com

Photo Courtesy: wikipedia

Boynton Board Books -- Part II

2009-03-15T20:30:00.001-07:00

In this second part series of Boynton Board books, let me share with you a few more Boynton favorites. Known for their wacky pictures and silly rhymes, these board books will make terrific read-alouds with your babies.

Title: Opposites

Author/Illustrator: Sandra Boynton

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 16 Pages

Publisher: Little Simon

Learning opposites is so much fun. Especially when its taught by Boynton's favorite animal characters. In this board book, kids will get to learn opposites like High/Low, Strong/Weak, Whisper/Shout, Big/Small, Fast/Slow and so on. Some pictures are hilarious, like the little pig with a phone receiver on his head and a big elephant drenched in rain in spite of carrying an umbrella. My daughter knows a few of them already, but she learnt quite a few like Weak/Strong, Young/Old from it. Some pictures are depicted well. However, a few of them could have been illustrated better. For night and day, a tiny picture of sun and moon in the picture frame and a sleeping bear may not suffice. In my opinion, it would have been better with a page all blackened out with moon and stars shining through. As for Whisper and Shout, I don't see much difference at all, except that the baby hippo's mouth is tad bit wider than the mommy hippo's. Such a subtle variation may go unnoticed, especially with little ones. Nevertheless, if you like boynton books, it will likely be another hit!!

Title: Moo, Baa, La La La!

Author/Illustrator: Sandra Boynton

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 14 pages

Publisher: Little Simon

So far, this is the ONLY book my daughter can ask for by it name. She knows all of her books, but she can't say it yet. Like she used to call it, the "Moo, La Laa" book has been her all-time favorite reads. Is there any better way to teach/practice animal sounds than with a boynton book? Cows moo, ducks quack and pigs sing la la la! Cats meow, dogs go ruff, ruff, ruff and Rhinos snort and snuff. Parents and kids will have lots of fun with this interactive board book. Usually, I read the first half of it (The horse says...) and my daughter finishes it for me (neigh...) She could pretty much make all the sounds, except the snorting and snuffing. It reminds me of a similar book ("What do you say?" by Mandy Stanley) she used to enjoy when she was just a baby. Your kids will fall head over heels in love with this book. Give it a try!!

Wave by Suzy Lee

2009-03-13T21:47:00.001-07:00

Title: Wave

Author/Illustrator: Suzy Lee

Reading Level: Ages 2 - 5

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Chronicle Books

In this beautifully portrayed wordless picture book, Suzy Lee perfectly depicts a child's day at the beach. Followed by a flock of sea gulls, a little girl curiously watches the waves crashing the shore. She walks forwards and backwards as the waves rise and recede. After watching the tantalizing waves for a while, she ventures a little further, first dipping her feet, then playing and finally splashing and dancing in the water. At one point, she grows even bolder taunting the rising waves by sticking her tongue out. Eventually, she runs from it when the waves get bigger and bigger and come chasing after her. It crashes all over her, leaving her stunned. To her astonishment, the crashing waves leave behind some treasures from the sea - seashells, snails and starfish - As she excitedly plays with them, her mother appears signaling her that its time to leave. She bids goodbye to the waves, after an exciting day at the beach.

With simple charcoal and blue-and-white acrylic watercolors, Lee's wondrous illustrations brings out the playful expressions of the child exceptionally well. Standing true to the old adage, 'A picture is worth more than thousand words', this charcoal-and-dust clad girl captures our hearts with her playful antics and whimsical expressions. The brilliant blue waves and the cheerful girl will bring back some wonderful memories to share with your little ones. It just reminds me that you don't need an awful lot of words to tell a story. Words are important, I agree. But, pictures are even more powerful. Here's one book to prove it.

Many times I have come across this book at the library, but never cast more than a fleeting glance at it. I don't know what came over me the other day. Piqued by curiosity, I finally decided to check it out... And, I am so glad I did! As I flipped through the pages, a wave of emotions engulfed me and it rendered me speechless at the end. When I first introduced it to my daughter, I remember reading (or rather looking!) it more than 5 times, that too in one sitting. It has never happened before with any other book! I love watching my daughter's expressions, as much as the book itself. She leaps in joy as the girl splashes in the water. She grows anxious when the waves come chasing behind her and an absolute shock overcomes her as the waves engulfs the little girl in the book. In particular, she is drawn to the page where the girl mocks at the sea by sticking her tongue out playfully. She loves to copy that expression and asks for that page every time we read it. When it is time to close the book, she squeals "some more!!" A stunning piece of work that will surely call for countless re-readings...

My Rating: 5/5

Will Sheila Share? by Elivia Savadier

2009-03-11T22:02:00.003-07:00

Title: Will Sheila Share?

Author/Illustrator: Elivia Savadier

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 24 Pages

Publisher: Roaring Book Press

Sharing could be a mighty hard thing to do for toddlers. Many parents fret about their little ones refusing to share, but actually its quite natural and even developmentally appropriate. According to the noted pediatrician Dr. William Sears, toddlers don't really understand the concept of sharing until at least the age of four. Between the ages of 2 to 4, they are self-centered and possessive (even obsessed) about their precious belongings. If you have ever been to a play date, you might be able to relate with this problem very well. Two angry red-faced toddlers bickering over some toy might be the last thing you might want out of a play date. But, it is rather inevitable and pretty much what you can come to expect from it. Toddlers tend to be selfish and think everything revolves around them. They exhibit an 'EVERYTHING-IS-MINE' attitude and are reluctant to share their possessions with other kids. Toddlers are so overcome by fear of sharing that they think that they may never get it back again. Taking turns is still a wary concept for them. What could be a realistic expectation at this point, would be something called "Parallel Play", as they love to play side by side. You can surely anticipate trouble and tantrums(!) when you expect them to play 'with' one another AND share toys during a play date. As Parents, I encourage you to introduce the concept of sharing, by role modeling and appreciating good behavior, but please wait until kindergarten in order for them to grasp (and model) the concept of sharing!

In an attempt to address this intricate issue, the author of this picture book shares a little story about a girl named Sheila, who refuses to share her toys. To much of her friends disappointment, the angry, red-headed Sheila wants to keep her ball, bunny and candies to herself. Her friends wonder if Sheila will share. Apparently, When Sheila eats a box of cereal or some green beans, she has no problems sharing. When Nana comes to visit, she always shares a hug and a kiss. She even takes turns eating berries and drinking juice with Nana. But, Why wouldn't she extend that same good behavior towards her friends? With a little prod and lots of praise from Nana, Sheila eventually comes to understand that not sharing upsets people and sharing makes her happier than keeping everything to herself. The story is engaging, short and simple and the wondrous illustrations beautifully captures the fearful emotions of the child who finds herself in a perplexing situation. In real life, it might take longer than what it took Nana to turn the behavior around, but the book conveys a powerful message, that too in toddler's terms. This is one of my daughter's favorite books and I highly recommended it to parents of toddlers (Ages 2 - 5).

My Rating: 4.5/5

Mother Goose: One Hundred Best-Loved Verses by Mary Engelbreit

2009-03-10T07:04:00.000-07:00

Title: Mother Goose: 100 Best-Loved Verses

Illustrator: Mary Engelbreit

Reading Level: Ages 4 - 8

Hardcover: 128 Pages

Publisher: Harper Collins

Despite the mysterious origins of Mother Goose, the time-honored classical rhymes have enraptured millions of children around the world for many generations. Widely popular for being silly, witty and wise, Mother Goose rhymes entertains children with their fun, rhyming songs and sometimes nonsense lyrics. Mother Goose takes the forefront when it comes to developing early literacy skills. Many libraries these days incorporate story times like "Mother Goose On the Loose" in an attempt to foster reading development in young children. Not only do these beloved rhymes strive to promote early literacy, they offer the child a truly magical experience!

Standing true to the old adage "A picture speaks a thousand words", Mary Engelbreit's version of Mother Goose sports exquisitely detailed, gorgeous medieval-style illustrations. In this compilation of One-hundred verses, she not only incorporates the much-loved classics like 'Humpty Dumpty', 'Jack and Jill', 'Hickory Dickory', 'Little Miss Muffet' and so forth, but many unfamiliar ones like 'Terrence McDiddler', 'Three Little Ghostesses', 'Little Poll Parrot' and so on. Also, I noticed some subtle variations to the rhymes, like in the "Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe". The Old Woman in this book doesn't whip them, but kisses them all soundly and sends them to bed. And, Gosh! I found a typo as well. In the rhyme "Good Morning, Mrs. Hen", the mother hen counts her chicken to be ten, but she lists them as four brown, four yellow and four speckled red chicks. If you observe carefully, you might actually find four chicks speckled red, but four and four and four don't add up to ten. It could get a little confusing for the children and I wish the editor had either corrected this typo or stuck with the original version of it.

Terrence McDiddler, the three-stringed fiddler,

Can charm, if you please, the fish from the seas.

Ickle ockle, blue bockle, Fishes in the sea,

If you want a pretty maid, Please choose me.

My daughter has many favorite mother goose rhymes from this book including "Old King Cole", "Handy Spandy", "Humpty Dumpty", "Wee Willie Winkie", "Jack and Jill". Its cute to watch her grabbing candy bars and plum cake from Handy Spandy and doling it out to her doll and stuffed animals. When I sing to her about "Little Bo-Peep" and "Baa Baa Black Sheep", she sings "Baa.. Baa.." in the background. One of her absolute favorites is the "dibby-dobbey page" (she calls rain as "dibbey dobbey" which she takes after Mr.Brown from Dr.Seuss), which has all the rhymes you might sing on a rainy day like "Dr.Foster went to Gloucester" and "Rain on the green grass". As we leaf through the pages, we also happened to discover that "Ickle Bockle" and "Three Little Ghostesses" rhymes became her new favorites. Another thing I noticed was, she kept staring at the pictures long after I had finished reciting them and she won't let me turn the page until she had a REALLY GOOD LOOK at it. Even though we own several Mother Goose books, I am delighted to find this adorable copy. One caveat though - Being really chunky, its almost impossible for a young child to sit through the entire book. You might have to read it in a few installments to actually get through it. But once you get to the end, you might want to start over all again!!

My Rating: 4.8/5

Karen Katz

2009-03-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

Being a Graduate from the Yale School of Art & Architecture, Karen Katz is passionate about artwork and began her career as a costume designer. After trying her hands on quilt making, designing graphics and fabric painting, she got her inspiration to write a children's book, when she and her husband adopted a daughter named Lena, from Guatemala. Her first picture book "Over the Moon", the story of an adopted family in a country far away, bagged several awards including People Magazine's Best Book of 1997. Since then, she has written over twenty books for children, several of them are board books and lift-the-flap style interactive books. Her books are extremely popular among babies and parents alike, and she has won numerous prestigious awards for her extraordinary work. Apparently, some of her best ideas for books come from watching kids at grocery carts and standing in line at the supermarket. She says that nothing satisfies her more than a great illustration or a great page of writing!

For more information, please visit her website at www.karenkatz.com

Time to get Dressed! by Elivia Savadier

2009-03-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

Title: Time To Get Dressed!

Author/Illustrator: Elivia Savadier

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 32 Pages

Publisher: Roaring Book Press

Baby Solomon needs to get dressed before 8 A.M. Dad wants to help him out, but Solomon insists on doing everything himself! He cries "ME!" when daddy brings out his outfit. Solomon manages to get his pants up on his head, socks in his hands and shoes dangling on one feet. Time is ticking away and it seems as if dad can't win this battle over. He looks quite bemused at the beginning, but finally decides "Enough is Enough" and takes over the challenge of dressing him up. Soon another battle ensues at the dining table when Solomon insists on feeding himself. The cartoon style watercolor illustrations are hysterically funny and very refreshing. Set in almost white backgrounds, the pictures bring out the lovely expressions of a weary dad and his stubborn baby. Being a pretty common scenario that unfolds in many houses during those early morning hours, both parents and toddlers should be able to relate with this book. It has been one of our favorite reads and my daughter loves baby Solomon's pranks. She likes to read it over and over again and every time we read it, she laughs and giggles her way through it. Perhaps, she sees a bit of herself in baby Solomon!

Toddlers leap through several exciting developmental stages and one of the challenging phases for parents aside potty training is the "I want to do it myself" or rather "My way or No other way". Even though many parents find it frustrating, not only is it a typical behavior of toddlerhood but it also helps them gain self-confidence, discipline and independence. Whether they fumble with spoon and cereal bowl at the dining table or insist on picking out their night pajamas or snatch the soap bar to bathe themselves in the bathtub, they are actually learning valuable skills that will help them cope with everyday tasks and stress later in life.

Being almost two now, my daughter LOVES to do things her way! During dinner time, she picks out her cutlery, chooses a favorite spot to eat (not the high chair, but the stair case) and eats by herself. Most of the food end up on the floor, but she loves to help me clean up too! Whether its eating or bathing or getting dressed, she always says "ME!!" Getting dressed and out the door has never been such a nightmarish experience for me. Imagine dressing up a toddler who hates diapers, rips out layers, abhors any fancy clothing like frocks, frills, laces and insists on picking out clothes, socks and shoes. At times, she won't budge and leaves me with no choice but to take matters in my own hands. How do you think I could take her to the music class in a swimsuit? After much coaxing, I would dress her up in an appropriate outfit. Sometimes, She heeds. Sometimes, She does not. On occasions, She might end up looking a bit buffoonish, but I don't fret much, because this too shall pass! I am fine as long as she would wear something appropriate, as long as we get there in time, because I hate being chronically late for her classes...

My Rating: 5/5

Kiss-and-Read Books

2009-03-07T06:23:00.000-08:00

Title: Counting Kisses

Author/Illustrator: Karen Katz

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 32 Pages

Publisher: Little Simon

Child Magazine Best Book of the Year 2001

Kiss-and-Read books make reading time extra special, because they give parents yet another opportunity to smooch and bond with their little ones. In this adorable board book, a cranky baby is showered with kisses by her family members. From "ten little kisses on teeny tiny toes" to "one last kiss on sleepy, dreamy head", the tired baby goes from being cranky to a peaceful, sleeping baby. Baby delights in all the attention she gets when mommy, daddy, grandma and her big sister kiss her teeny tiny body parts. Even her cat and dog take part in the act bestowing fuzzy and tickly kisses. Finally, baby falls asleep in the crib, as her loving family watches over. The illustrations are warm, inviting and exuberant. The lovely expressions and pink flowery patterns will captivate your babies for sure. My daughter loves this kiss-and-read book so much, we read it almost every day. She likes to identify and show me her body parts as I kiss and read along. It brings out more giggles than any other books we have ever read. This is a great bedtime book and I enjoy it as much as she does :)

Title: How Many Kisses Do You Want Tonight?

Author: Varsha Bajaj

Illustrator: Ivan Bates

Reading Level: Ages 3 - 7

Board Book: 26 Pages

Publisher: L B Kids

No matter how many kisses you bestow upon your precious ones throughout the day, Good Night hugs and kisses are always special. It ends their day on a loving, warming note and helps them unwind after a busy long day. When I ask my little one how many kisses she would like, she always says "two thee". Well, that's pretty much her answer for any question that starts with the phrase "How Many.." But, I know she would love as many kisses as she could get :)

In this beautiful bedtime book, animal parents snuggle up with their babies and ask them how many kisses they would like to get. Little Bear wants one big, loud kiss on his brown hair and little duck yellow gets two - one on his beak and one on his back. As you count along from one to ten, a little dog, horse, bunny and bird get smooched by their parents. Finally, When Daddy asks his little pink princess, she answers "Hundred - One on my nose and one on each curl". Mommy poses the same question to her little knight and he says " A MILLION!" and hugs her tight. This is such a heartwarming book you will love to read with your kids again and again. The illustrations are not so bright, but the warm or rather dull shades sets the perfect tone for a nighty-night read. Older kids would love the beautifully rhyming text and the younger ones would delight in special smooches and cuddles from parents!!

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

2009-03-06T07:01:00.000-08:00

Title: Bark, George

Author/Illustrator: Jules Feiffer

Reading Level: Ages 3 - 7

Hardcover: 32 Pages

Publisher: Harper Collins

ALA Notable Book Award Winner

An old adage says, "You can never judge a book by its cover!" How True! At first glance, the simple cartoonish drawing on the cover might deceive someone unfamiliar with this book, but once you read it cover to cover, you will realize that this is no ordinary book. The spectacular, down-to-earth illustrations and the hilarious adventure of George, the puppy will simply leave you awestruck!

George's mother asks little George to bark. Being a puppy, it should be an easy feat for George. Isn't it? Well, to his mother's astonishment, George goes "Meow" instead of barking. Thinking George is just being silly, she tells him that only cats go meow and asks him to bark again after a brief demonstration. Apparently, it doesn't seem to help. Poor George moos, quacks and oinks, but the much-awaited barks never come. Feeling utterly perplexed, George's mother decides to take him to a vet. The bespectacled vet comes to her rescue and settles the matter once and for all. The story is very creative and extremely funny. Both Kids and Parents will laugh out loud as the vet unravels the mystery behind it. Its quite amazing to see how the author captures such brilliant expressions with just a few pen strokes. My daughter loves this book and finds the story quite amusing. She is drawn towards mother dog's expressions more than anything else and nudges me to talk more about it. She still doesn't comprehend the hilarity behind it, but she looks at it with an almost jaw-dropping astonishment :)

My Rating: 5/5

Baby Can't Sleep by Lisa Schroeder

2009-03-05T20:30:00.001-08:00

Title: Baby Can't Sleep

Author: Lisa Schroeder

Illustrator: Viviana Garofoli

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 32 Pages

Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co.

Newborn babies sleep at sporadic intervals and most of them don't develop a regular sleep pattern until at least four to six months of age. Because of their unpredictable short-sleep cycles, parents of newborns often struggle to get some shuteye. How many times have you dozed off rocking your baby to sleep? Honestly, I have, at least a few times. In this hilarious picture book, one of those oh-so-familiar-scenario unfolds where exhausted newborn parents try to make an active baby sleep. Now, Mommy goes to bed after kissing her baby good night. Tired daddy takes over and rocks the baby slow, staring at the moon aglow. But, our not-so-sleepy baby grabs his nose and wants to play. Dad suggests the baby to count sheep, hoping he would fall asleep soon. Apparently, the sheep are in a playful mood as well. Instead of jumping over the fences, they chase fireflies, strum guitars, ride a jeep and play basketball. Sheep can't help baby snooze :( Well, Has anyone fallen asleep counting sheep? Even though I find it extremely boring, I never can!! Baby begins to wail and mommy shushes the baby, but drifts off herself (once again) rocking the baby. Finally, the doggy comes to aid, bringing his toy sheep and baby is off to slumberland cuddling his sheep tight. Both Parents and toddlers would love this book as they recall those challenging times of putting a playful baby to bed. The author employs perfect rhymes and just the right amount of words to make her story entertaining. The illustrations are adorable and funny. Older Kids would love to count sheep and younger ones would simply revel in the beauty of the illustrations! A very cute bedtime book!

My Rating: 5/5

Boynton Board Books -- Part I

2009-03-04T09:45:00.000-08:00

Sandra Boynton's board books are terrific 'read-alouds' for little ones. Her books are silly, witty, engaging and downright hilarious! Having sold millions of copies worldwide, many young readers have been attracted to her books for generations. I read them to my daughter when she was very little, but she didn't get it the first time. I waited a little longer and introduced them again. Now, she not only loves them, it seems like she can't get enough of it! I would love to share with you some of our favorite Boynton books (may be in two or three part series). If you haven't already read her books yet (which I highly doubt), do check it out! They are like little treasures hidden in your library waiting to be uncovered :)

Title: Blue Hat, Green Hat

Author/Illustrator: Sandra Boynton

Age Range: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 14 Pages

Publisher: Little Simon

Blue Hat, Green Hat, Red Hat, Oops!

Red Shirt, Blue Shirt, Yellow Shirt, Oops!

In this silly, laugh-out-loud board book, Boynton's favorite animal characters, like the elephant, moose, bear and a turkey try on different color outfits. An elephant wears the yellow pants, bear tries on his red pants, moose is sporting his green pants but, the turkey puts it on his head. oops! Apparently, the poor turkey can't seem to get anything right. Can he? He wears the hat on his feet, a green shirt upside down over his bottom, blue pants over the top covering his head, a green coat dangles from his beak, yellow socks go on his hands and red shoes on his head just like a hat :) My daughter loves this book ever since I read it to her the first time. Her favorite is the turkey, of course. The bird's silly acts makes her burst into a fit of giggles!! I love watching her expressions and how she always chimes in when we get to the 'Oops' part! She shows her pointy finger at the turkey saying "No No" and shows the bird where to wear socks and shoes. Its funny to watch her when she turns the book upside down in attempt to find the turkey's head hiding under the blue pants :) She closes the book saying the turkey has gone for a swim, as the bird dives into the pond, fully clothed, finally!! As you can see, she interacts with the book in a lot of ways, which is a great thing. Books at this age should be interactive and fun. This book is a terrific combination of both. Also, it provides a great learning opportunity. It subtly teaches them colors, which in my experience is not so easy with little ones. However, I am quite surprised to see how quickly she learnt all four colors from this book. Also, the colors don't appear in the same order, which makes it a bit more challenging for young ones. But, they'll love the anticipation game and will be curious to know if the turkey will ever get it right :) The funny pictures and whimsical expressions throughout the book will send your kids rolling on the floor laughing!! Check it out...

Title: The Going to Bed Book

Author/Illustrator: Sandra Boynton

Age Range: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 14 Pages

Publisher: Little Simon

If Going To Bed is becoming quite a challenge for your stubborn little one, then pick up this super silly book to spice things up. Boynton's silly animal characters board an ark this time and its just after sunset. The animals soon begin their bedtime ritual where they all jump in one giant bath tub, soaping all over and scrub, scrub, scrub! After wearing pajamas and brush and brush and brush their teeth, they all go up the ark for some exercise on the deck. They finally settle in their bed saying good night as the ark rock and rock and rock them to sleep. The beautiful illustrations along with silly rhymes will entice your toddlers to pick this book time and again. Kids would love to watch their favorite animals doing their nightly routine and might giggle and laugh at hippos brushing their teeth, elephants skipping rope, pigs doing handstands, bears doing pushups and bunny sliding down the staircase rail. If you have a toddler, who resists the nighttime routine, this book should provide lots of encouragement. On the other hand, if your little one goes through the routine like its no big deal, then they will have a lot to relate with this book. In either case, this book is a real winner!!

Title: What's Wrong, Little Pookie?

Author/Illustrator: Sandra Boynton

Age Range: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 18 Pages

Publisher: Robin Corey Books

These days, Whenever I ask my daughter what she would like to read, this is THE book she brings me to read aloud. And, How does she ask for this book? She makes a sign language for crying and runs to her bookshelf saying "Poo..Poo". She loves pookie, the pig and so do I. We have read this book countless number of times already, but looks like she will never get tired of it. Its so cute to watch her wiping off pookie's tears with a tissue. I can't help smile when she keeps asking pookie if he would like to have a cookie or an apple. As you can see, its an endearing story about little pookie who is upset and crying. Mom wonders what could be wrong with little pookie, but he won't answer. She asks him a bunch of questions like if he is hungry or cold or hurt. Pookie answers "No". She even poses some ridiculous questions like "Did a very large hippo try to borrow your shoes?". But, Pookie waves them all being silly. When she ran out of ideas, she picks up pookie off the floor and gives him a big hug and asks him what really the matter was. "Um..I forget.." says cute little Pookie!! What a perfect ending! And, it does sound a lot familiar too. It reminds me of those days, when my daughter throws a tantrum, then forgets why she even had one, right in the middle of it. When all else fails, I offer a big hug and she just melts in my arms, all screams gone in an instant. Have you ever had one of those moments?

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss !!

2009-03-02T14:21:00.000-08:00

Theodor Seuss Giesel , most widely known for his children's book, written under the pen name "Dr.Seuss", would have been 105 today!! Born on March 02, 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts he managed the family brewery before he went to Dartmouth college in 1921. He later entered Oxford, intending to earn a doctorate in literature. He returned to United States without earning a degree, but met his future wife Helen Parmer at Oxford.

He began his career as a writer and a cartoonist and his articles appeared in numerous magazines like Judge, Vanity Fair across America. After returning from his Europe trip, he wrote his first children's book "And to Think That I saw it on Mulberry Street". It became a moderate success after having gone through numerous rejections by publishers. But, his popularity soared to an unimaginable level when a publisher sent him a list of 400 words and asked him to choose 250 words from it and write a book. Thus, "Cat in the Hat" was born and it became a huge success. A 50$ bet with his friend Bennett Cerf prompted Dr. Seuss to write an entire book using just 50 words. You know what it was? "Green Eggs and Ham". Apparently, Cerf never paid him the 50$ :)

He published over 60 children's books including the all-time favorites like "Cat in the Hat", "Fox in Sox", "The Foot Book", "Oh, the Places You'll Go" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". Recipient of numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize, two Academy awards, two Emmy Awards, Dr. Seuss passed away on Sept 21, 1991. Known for silly rhymes and tongue-twisters, his books have captured the hearts of millions of young readers around the world. His works have been translated into more than 15 languages and sold over 200 millions of copies worldwide. Thank you, Dr.Seuss for creating such wonderful books that will continue to enrapture little ones for years to come!!

Mommy Hugs, Daddy Hugs!!

2009-03-01T14:37:00.000-08:00

Title: Mommy Hugs

Author/Illustrator: Karen Katz

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 32 Pages

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Are you looking for that perfect book to cuddle up with your sweet little baby? Then, you gotta try this outstanding picture book that is all about precious mommy hugs and that too lots of it!! The book cheerfully captures the familiar rituals of a baby's day starting out with the baby waking up in the morning getting a nuzzle-wuzzle good morning hug. Her breakfast is filled with choo-choo open wide yummy hugs and then she is off to the park with piggy-back hugs. After some sliding hugs and boo-boo hugs at the park, she is back home for splishy-splashy bath time hugs. She basks herself in laughing and playful hugs before she finally settles in for the night with lots of 'I love you' hugs. My daughter and I can relate to this book in many ways. Not only does it bring back precious memories, it gives us yet another opportunity to nurture and strengthen that special bond we share. And, she loves those special mommy hugs I offer her as we read along. A heart-warming book your child simply can't resist!!

Title: Daddy Hugs

Author/Illustrator: Karen Katz

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 32 Pages

Publisher: Little Simon

Finally, a hug-and-read book just for babies and daddies out there! It begins as daddy announces his arrival with a "I'm glad you're my baby" hug as he tosses her up in the air. More hugs follow as daddy and baby play peek-a-boo and hide-and-seek and dance together. They bond with special boo-boo and pat-and-burp hugs. Like the mommy version of this book, baby is showered with tons of 'I-love-you' hugs at the end. The cherubic baby and her loving expressions will definitely delight your babies for sure! Try it out :)

Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

2009-02-28T21:07:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-27T22:04:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-26T21:14:00.000-08:00

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...

2009-02-26T12:17:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-24T15:55:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-23T15:17:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-22T15:30:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-20T21:29:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-19T15:55:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-19T14:54:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-18T21:54:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-14T16:47:00.001-08:00

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!!

2009-02-13T15:49:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-12T21:10:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-12T11:55:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-10T20:14:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-09T16:17:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-09T13:55:00.001-08:00

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

Princess Baby by Karen Katz

2009-02-07T15:05:00.000-08:00

Title: Princess Baby

Author/Illustrator: Karen Katz

Reading Level: Ages 1 - 5

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade

"No one ever calls me by my real name!" complains a sweet little baby. She is upset that she's been called a Cupcake or Buttercup or Giggly Goose or Little Lamb. She pleads with mommy to never ever call her a Sweet Gumdrop and use her real name instead. But, What is her real name? She has a shiny crown and wears sparkly shoes, fancy dress, velvet cape, glittering jewels and carries a royal wand. She loves to dance with princes and keeps everyone in her plush animal kingdom well-fed and happy. She rejoices when her parents finally calls her a "Princess Baby".

We have many Karen Katz books and She loves them all. But, this book is by far her favorite. The illustrations are bright, colorful and cheery. She adores the little princess baby and is captivated by the shiny crown and sparkly shoes. With a huge smile on her face, she tucks the book under her arm and carries it everywhere she goes. Not a day goes by without reading it at least a couple of times. If you have a little princess at home, you gotta have this book!!!

My Rating: 4.5/5

If You're Happy and You Know It! by Jane Cabrera

2009-02-06T23:09:00.001-08:00

Title : If You're Happy and You Know It!

Author/Illustrator: Jane Cabrera

Reading Level: Ages 1 - 5

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Holiday House

Jane Cabrera brings alive the popular children's song "If You are Happy and You Know It!" with her vibrant, bold illustrations in this wonderful picture book. Monkeys clap their hands, Elephants stamp their feet, Lions roar out load and Birds flap their arms. Like most of her books, the pictures sprawl over double-page spreads and they are enticing enough to send your little ones jumping, clapping, roaring and stamping with delight.

If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands

If You're Happy and You Know It

and You Really want to Show it

If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands...

It was one of my daughter's favorite songs and I was so thrilled to find a picture book about it. We have read it over and over again and its so cute to watch her spring into appropriate action as we turn the pages. I am sure your little copy cat will have hours of fun imitating all the animals. Great workout for Kids!

One Warning - This is not a bedtime book though, as they could get all hyper reading it.

My Rating: 4/5

My Very First Mother Goose by Rosemary Wells

2009-02-06T17:14:00.001-08:00

Title: My Very First Mother Goose
Editor: Iona Opie
Illustrator: Rosemary Wells
Reading Level: Baby - Preschool
Hardcover: 108 pages
Publisher: Candlewick

Winner of numerous prestigious awards including ALA Notable Children's Book Award and Parents Choice Award.

Having Origins dating back as far as the 17th century, Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes have been recited, memorized and passed down for generations and generations. The Well-loved Rhymes are silly, wise, funny, witty, rhyming and just purely magical! They have endured through the centuries for a good reason. We all grew up reciting Mother Goose Rhymes at one time or the other and it is imperative that we expose our child to the world of Mother Goose through songs and books. Apart from the fact that it promotes early literacy skills, it also helps the children bond with their parents. Come on, who wouldn't like to go for a ride on Mommy's lap for "To market, To market" or dance with Daddy for "Dance to your Daddy" or play "Pat-a-Cake" or cuddle up for "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"?

We own a few different versions of mother goose books (including this) and we borrow several from the local library, but I think this book is by far the best out there. Its a chunky collection of over 60 Rhymes, divided into four chapters, with a Rhyme or two on each page. It has numerous illustrations of bunnies, cats and pigs and mice to entice the little ones and uses extra-large fonts for texts. My daughter loves Mother Goose Rhymes and we have many favorites including "Pat-a-Cake", "Humpty Dumpty", "Cackle Cackle Mother Goose", "Trot Trot to Boston", "Cobbler, Cobbler" and so on. Its impossible to list them all. Whether its looking at all different shoes for the "Cobbler" song, or trying to find her own thumb for the "Little Jack Horner" or playing patty cake with playdoh for "Pat-a-Cake" or bouncing on my lap for "Trot Trot to Boston" rhyme she has heck a lot of fun with this book. A few popular ones like "London Bridge Is Falling", "Little Miss Muffet", "This Little Piggy" are missing in this book. But, adding some rarely heard ones like "Mrs Mason bought a basin", "Whose Little Pigs are these these these?", "Wibbleton to Wobbleton" makes up for it nonetheless. Even though we have read several Mother Goose books, we come back to this one particular book all the time!! Highly Recommended!

My Rating: 5/5

One Naked Baby by Maggie Smith

2009-02-05T08:32:00.000-08:00

Title: One Naked Baby

Author/Illustrator: Maggie Smith

Reading Level: Ages 4 - 8

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

With one naked baby and a charming story, here comes a counting book you can totally count on! A toddler's day begins as he runs happily out of the bathtub his mother chasing behind with a bath towel. He runs past the cats napping in the laundry basket and plays with the clothes in the hamper. He dresses up, plays a tickling game with mommy, eats breakfast and heads out to the garden in his froggy boots and buttoned up sweater. He plays in the sandbox, picks up sticks, watches robin birds fly and stomps in the puddles before he gets all muddy and goes back in the bathtub again. As we count along, the story comes one full circle. It presents so many counting opportunities for your little one with all the playful animals like penguins, ducks, bunnies, chipmunks, dogs and cats that appear on every page. And Of course, We fell in love with this naked baby the first time we read it.

Toddlers have exciting days in general. Even if you coop them up all day inside the house, they will find ways to keep themselves busy. DD is very much like the active baby portrayed in the book. She is up and running all day with a few stops to pump up her little tank with some fuel. She loves bath time, but like the baby in the book, the moment she is out of the tub, I have to chase her down with a towel as she runs around the house playing with laundry baskets, cupboards, diapers and toys. Before I could pin her down with a diaper, she would have thrown open the cupboard drawers, littered the carpet with books, sent diapers flying everywhere, pulled pots and pans out of kitchen cupboards, climbed her highchair to explore things on the breakfast bar and perched herself up on the couch daring me to get close with her going-to-throw-tantrum-anytime look. After some tickling games and a few rounds of wrestling matches to get dressed up, we head out the door for more play. Toddlers days could get as busy and exciting as ours and this is one book that beautifully captures their world. We could relate to so many things in this book and that's what makes it more interesting I think. Like my daughter, this is one book your baby might want to read over and over again.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Beep, Beep, Let's Go! by Eleanor Taylor

2009-02-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

Title: Beep, Beep, Let's Go!

Author/Illustrator: Eleanor Taylor

Reading Level: Ages 2 - 4

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

"Jump in. Buckle up. All set? Let's go!". In this fun-filled adventurous picture book, a family of dogs heads out to the beach after loading up their red convertible with beach balls, shovel, pail, floats and umbrella. As they go beeping along their way, they are greeted by pigs on bicycles, mouses on mini-scooters, hippos riding ice cream vans and bears driving a truck load of watermelons. Pandas, Zebras, Elephants, Giraffes, Goats and Geese join in the parade honking and mooing along the way. After a long ride, they finally reach their destination - the BEACH. They bring out their towels, hats and snacks. They have fun fishing, building sand castles and flying kites, before they finally jump in the water with a big splash!!

There is a whole bunch of adorable animals to look at, delectable fruits and ice cream to salivate over, a whole slew of vehicles and other beach accessories to get excited about. This book has very few text and the soft pastel illustrations on a white background make it more pleasing. My daughter spends so much time just looking at the different animals and the beach gears they carry. And, she gets totally excited about ice creams, balloons and balls. She runs for her strawberry ice cream (toy) cone and we continue to honk and beep along as she pretends to slurp it. We end up reading it more than once. Give it a try!

My Rating: 4/5

Kitty's Cuddles by Jane Cabrera

2009-02-03T08:21:00.001-08:00

Title: Kitty's Cuddles

Author/Illustrator: Jane Cabrera

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 26 pages

Publisher: Holiday House

Kitty loves to cuddle. But, who will be his favorite friend to cuddle? Will be it a tiny mouse with his teeny-weeny cuddle or a happy frog with her squidgy, quidgy cuddle? How about a feathery peacock with his bright tickly cuddle? Well, May be he likes a snug, squeezy cuddle from a soggy octopus. As the kitty experiments cuddling with his animal friends, he finally gets his favorite cuddle from his new baby brother. Babies would love to watch the kitty cuddling up with some of their favorite animals like an elephant, monkey and a big bear. Some rarely seen animals like a scaly armadillo and a spiky porcupine may surprise some babies with their friendly/prickly cuddles.

Jane Cabrera is an award-winning author/illustrator and her books have always been favorites with babies and preschoolers. Her vibrant, cartoonish like illustrations sprawl across double-page spreads. Even though it is not a touch and feel book, my daughter loves to pretend as if the octopus is sticky and the porcupine is prickly. She giggles for a tickly cuddle from a peacock and braces herself for a tight cuddle from a monkey. The pictures make it so real for her she feels as if she were the one who cuddles up with all the animals. Needless to say, she loves to cuddle up with this book anytime.

My Rating: 5/5

Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth

2009-02-02T07:32:00.000-08:00

Title: Ten Little Ladybugs

Author: Melanie Gerth

Illustrator: Laura Huliska-Beith

Reading Level: Ages 4 - 8

Hardcover: 22 pages

Publisher: Piggy Toes Press

Ten little ladybugs sitting on a vine,

along came a butterfly - then there were...

Nine little ladybugs skipping on a gate,

along came a caterpillar - then there were...

As the adorable little ladybugs are greeted by visitors like caterpillar, fish, grasshopper, duck and frog, they disappear one by one. But, Where do they all go? Do they get gobbled up by the caterpillar or the frog? You might want to wait until you get to the end of the book. The cut-out holes and the embedded plastic ladybugs on the front cover is good enough to allure even the most reluctant readers. Not only is this a great book for learning how to count backwards, the ladybugs can teach them colors as well.

I think my daughter was around 8 months old when I first read it to her and I still remember how she loved taking turns on everyone's lap in the family to have hours of fun just reading this one book alone. She was so fascinated by the colorful ladybugs that she kept chewing them all the time. And, What's more? She loved to peep and poke through the holes. More than reading, she actually looked forward to PLAYing with this book. She may be still young to learn to count backwards, but it was also THE book that sparked an interest for ladybugs and she is still obsessed with them. This is such a perfectly rhyming counting book every child must have!

My Rating: 5/5

This Is the Way a Baby Rides by Susan Meyers

2009-02-01T10:07:00.001-08:00

Title: This is the Way a Baby Rides

Author: Susan Meyers

Illustrator: Hiroe Nakata

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 40 Pages

Publisher: Abrams Books

On a beautiful sunny day, Mommy and daddy set off for picnic with their charming little baby. But, getting there is half the fun. As Dad packs in maps, binoculars and kites, Mom prepares a picnic basket with sandwiches, pickles, fruits, crackers and cupcakes. Baby joins in the fun bringing along apple, pear and his favorite teddy bear. And, off they go in their little yellow hatchback. While Dad unloads the stuff, baby enjoys a piggyback ride with mom. She plays peek-a-boo, runs, jumps and eats before settling for a nap. The baby wakes up and plays some more. After having fun frolicking through the park, she rides back home.

My daughter loves this book as much as I do. She giggles watching the baby enjoying a piggy-back ride and splashing in the stream. When the baby plays peek-a-boo, she helps out mommy and daddy find the baby. To add more fun, the animals in the park mimic what the baby does. The jumping rabbits, munching squirrels, sleepy ducks, running opposums and hiding deers delights her to no end. I think what makes this book more appealing to her are the playful watercolor illustrations that adorn every page. She spends a good amount of time just looking at the pictures. And I still remember how we read this book over and over again the very first time I got it from our local library. I have renewed it several times already. I guess its time to get our own copy now :)

My Rating: 5/5

Knick Knack Paddy Whack by Steve Songs

2009-01-30T11:55:00.000-08:00

Title: Knick Knack Paddy Whack

Author: Steve Songs

Illustrator: Christiane Engel

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 24 pages

Publisher: Barefoot Books

This old man, he played one,

He played knick knack on his drum

With a knick knack paddy whack

give the dog a bone

this old man came rolling home.

Here comes a wonderful picture book with colorful illustrations of children parading with different musical instruments to the popular nursery rhyme "Knick knack paddy whack". Starting out with the old man playing a drum and one child, each page adds one more child (with a different instrument) leading up to ten children in the last page. The verses are slightly altered to make it more fun and appealing to the children like the old man plays "seven" by the "oven" while kids are waiting on the table for the pizza in the oven. And the children "ate" pizza as the old man played "eight" and so on. And, there is a cute little dog chasing or chewing or snatching a bone on every page to make it more interesting for the toddlers.

My daughter loves this book ever since I read (actually, sang) it to her and she won't put it down unless she has looked at it at least a couple of times. Even though she finds it a little hard to differentiate between a saxophone, a clarinet and a trombone, she loves to look at the different musical instruments and has so much fun figuring out what is what. The illustrations are so captivating that it doesn't come as a big surprise when my little one wants to look at it over and over again.

Though I love the book, I was a little disappointed with the CD that accompanies it. It has only 3 songs (or two?) by Steve Songs and pretty much nothing else. Anyway, if you have been singing this nursery rhyme to your baby, this book would be a great addition to their library.

My Rating: 4/5

Penguins by Liz Pichon

2009-01-29T09:18:00.000-08:00

Title: Penguins
Author: Liz Pichon
Reading Level: 4 - 8
Hardcover: 24 pages
Publisher: Orchard Books

What do a group of penguins at the zoo do all day? As soon as they wake up, they go for a swim and splish and splash. They eat fish. Look at people. Look at more people. Sleep standing up. And, on rainy days they pretty much do nothing. Their days are quite monotonous until one day a little girl drops a camera into their pen. A baby penguin straddles up to the camera and pokes and pecks at it, despite his mothers pleas. But, its only a camera. The penguins have loads of fun playing, poking and taking pictures with it. Its just plain hilarious the way they pose for the camera and when they run out of film, they put it back to be reclaimed by the zookeeper.

My daughter is totally crazy about penguins (or "pingu" as we call it). That's probably an understatement. She lugs around her pingu (plush toy) everywhere she goes and eats and sleeps with it. She learned to say "piiiii" (for pingu) even before she said mom or dad. (No hard feelings there...) And I always keep an eye out for any penguin related books whenever I go to a library or a bookstore. For some reason, it was hard for me to find a book just about penguins (Of course, we have books with pictures of penguins here and there) and when I found this book perched upon a bookshelf at borders, I almost squealed in delight. There is not just one penguin to look at, but lots and lots of them on EVERY page. I knew she would love it and oh, boy was I right.

This has been one of her most favorite books and god only knows how many times we would have read this so far. She especially loves the "Viewfinder" page where a small square hole is cut out like the camera lens and when she gets to see penguins through it, she squeals "piii... piii...". The pictures taken by the penguin (attached to the last page of the book) is an additional treat to her!! She loves looking at them and insists on having names for each penguin like mommy pingu, daddy pingu, baby pingu and so on. And, its so cute to watch her posing for a penguin (that looks up at her with a camera in his hand) with a great big smile. If you have a little one who is crazy about penguins, this is a must-have book!!

My Rating: 5/5

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems

2009-01-28T12:59:00.000-08:00

Title: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

Author: Mo Willems

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Hyperion Press

A Caldecott Honor Book.

Speaking of Caldecott Honor Books reminded me of this book we first heard about in a story time session at the local library. Of all the books the librarian read that day, this one had a huge impact with the kids. You know why? Because, its one book you can say "NO" to :) Even though I loved this book and could hardly wait to introduce it to my toddler, I was just biding my time.

DD is about 21 months old now and is going through an exciting developmental stage fondly referred to as "Terrible Twos". The hallmark of this stage is oppositional behavior, a necessary emotional development every toddler must go through. During this period of "First Adolescence" (as Dr.Greene refers it), a toddler likes to assert her independence and control by making choices of their own, even if that choice comes at the price of opposing you. Nowadays, my daughter has an irresistible urge to do EXACTLY the opposite of what I say. And, her most favorite word these days is a simple "NO". She likes to assert her independence in whatever way possible. Mostly, she whimpers and whines to get her way. Once in a while, we are struck by tornadoes too. Since every other word out of her mouth is a resounding "NO", I knew the time has finally come to read this book to her. You will soon find out why ...

OK, Now about the book.. A bus driver introduces himself saying he needs to leave for a while and asks the readers to watch things for him until he gets back. He adds "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus". Well, that's easy. Isn't it? If only you knew what the pigeon is capable of :) The sweet little bird arrives politely asking the readers "Hey, Can I drive the bus?" to which my daughter grins and responds "NO". He tries every little tactics he knew from cajoling ("Please?") to whining ("I never get to do anything"), from being creative("Let's play drive the bus. I'll go first") to wheedling("C'mon! Just once around the block!), even bribing ("How about I give you five bucks?"), tricky ("I bet your mom would let me"). Frustrated with my daughters "NO"s, he attempts one major tantrum at the end which didn't work out either. The bus driver gets back by now and thanks the readers for not letting the pigeon drive the bus and he is off. But, our hero pigeon is relentless. Isn't he? He sees a big red truck and starts fantasizing about driving it...

She is all smiles when I read it to her and loves the fact that she gets to say "NO" to the pigeon. But, other than that I am not sure how well she could relate herself to the pigeon (I guess she is still young for that). But, I get a big kick out of this book too and I laugh out loud every time I read it. The illustrations are remarkable and wordings are hysterically funny. Its just amazing to see how beautifully the author brings out the expressions of the bird with just a few crayons. This book is a keeper, folks. Don't miss it!

My Rating: 5/5

Caldecott Honor Books 2009

2009-01-26T17:09:00.000-08:00

Lift-the-Flap Books by Karen Katz

2009-01-26T14:49:00.000-08:00

Title: Where is Baby's Mommy?

Author/Illustrator: Karen Katz

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Books: 14 pages

Publisher: Little Simon

Karen Katz books are just awesome! We have several of them both from library and our own copies that we go back to again and again! I guess I started reading these board books to my daughter when she was about 9 months old and even after a year, its still her favorite. I have mentioned only a few here, but please do check out other board books by Katz as well.

In "Where is Baby's Mommy?" a toddler baby goes around the house trying to find mommy behind the curtain, under the table, behind a plant and so on until he finds her all snuggled up under the blanket. DD loves lift-the-flap books and has loads of fun playing peek-a-boo with mommy. In addition to that, there are cats, teddy bear and balls to find under the flap which it makes more interesting for her.

"Where is Baby's Belly Button?" is another delightful book by Katz that teaches them body parts like eyes, ears, nose and belly button (dd's favorite). The beauty of these books lies in the many illustrations and my daughter just adores them. But, my only qualm about these lift-the-flap books is that they rip off pretty easily (I had to glue several of them back) and I wish the flaps were a little more stronger. Nevertheless, its a great book to share with your toddler!

My Rating: 4/5

How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen

2009-01-25T08:17:00.000-08:00

Title:How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?

Author: Jane Yolen

Illustrator: Mark Teague

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Scholastic

It all began when Bonnie Verburg, the editor at scholastic, called Jane Yolen saying "My little boy hates going to bed at night and loves dinosaurs. Can you write something for him?". Jane who had gone so far to embroider dinosaur pillows for her kids understood her predicament. Over a period of two years and after so many revisions, the book finally took shape and as they say, the rest is history.. Having won numerous prestigious awards and published in several languages including Korean, Dutch, Chinese, Brazilian, French, Spanish, and Hebrew, it is probably only a runner-up to "GoodNight Moon" as a popular bedtime book.

With all the toys strewn on the floor, a dinosaur is sitting on the bed clutching his favorite teddy bear and a blankie. He doesn't even remotely look like he is ready for bed yet. When mommy comes to turn off the light, how does he say goodnight? Does a dinosaur slam his tail and pout? Does he throw his teddy bear all about? Does he stomp or roar or fall on the top of his covers and cry? Does he sulk, sigh, mope or moan? When I looked at the intriguing cover on the book, I was as curious as my daughter to find out.

I've checked this book out from library so many times before, but my daughter never took interest in it until recently. Like I said before, she is skeptical about trying new books and finds comfort in books she has seen over and over (which is understandable for a toddler) until one day she took it off the shelf herself and wanted me to read it to her. Now, it has become our favorite bedtime book ever! She loves the dinosaurs and the huge eye-catching illustrations speaks volumes. If you choose to buy it, please go for the picture book version (Not the board book) as the huge illustrations make it more appealing. I guess what makes it more interesting is that there is a different dinosaur with either mommy or daddy appearing on each page. Its so cute to watch her cuddling her little bear and saying "noooooo" by wagging one finger at the dinosaur who is throwing his teddy up in the air. We have loads of fun playing "I spy a dinosaur who is..." with the playful dinosaur pictures on the inner flap of the book and We always end up reading it twice!!

Every kid throws tantrums before bedtime from time to time. My little one is pretty consistent with her bedtime routine. But, once in a while she could drive me up the wall. And, I need to remind myself that she is just a kid after all. The transition between reading a story book and lights out has always been the most difficult thing for us. No matter how many books we read, she always cries for "Just One more Book!!". Since its the last thing we do every night, I am not sure if she is really crying for a book or wanting me not to turn off the light, as she knows what's coming up next :) Anyway, last night when she wailed after I turned off the lights, I asked her what a dinosaur would do and if he would cry and moan like her. It was a pleasant shock that she stopped crying instantly and encouraged me to go on with the dinosaur story. Having stopped a tantrum in no time, I proceeded to tell her how dinosaurs are sweet little creatures who don't make a fuss about going to bed at night. Before we knew, she was tucked in bed and soon fell asleep. Not sure if the dinosaur magic will work every time, but its worth a try :)

My Rating: 5/5

Splish Splash, Baby Bundt by Jamie Harper

2009-01-23T13:53:00.000-08:00

Title: Splish Splash, Baby Bundt

Author: Jamie Harper

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 24 pages

Publisher: Candlewick

Need a recipe for a clean sparkling baby just before bedtime? Look no further. This amusing little board book will tell you how. It begins with a list of ingredients like 1/4 cup of bubble bath, soap, hand mitt, plenty of toys, rubber ducks, towel, powder, sprinkles and so on... And, of course you need a sticky baby. Now, Baby Bundt's big sister helps him with his bath, as they have fun scooping bubbles, floating rubber ducks and fishing toys. Remove the baby when he is all wrinkly, pat him dry and add some sparkles to his pajamas and there you have it. A sparkling baby bundt!!

With the amusing, playful watercolor illustrations, this board book is one of my dd's favorite bath time books. Before we read this book, she runs around the house picking up her doll, a scarf and a rubber duck. She pretends that her doll is sticky, then picks up the scarf, scrunch it all up and scrub the doll from head to toe. The doll happily plays with the rubber ducky and eats scoops of bubbles she offers. When its all over, she adds some imaginary sprinkles and powder. Voila! That's one pretty sparkling doll everyone would love to play with. DD and I always like to read it either just before or right after bath time. She loves to add sprinkles on the pajamas and pretends to scoop up soap bubbles and eat it like an ice cream. This board book will delight your toddlers to no end with its cutesy little pictures!

My Rating: 4/5

Freight Train by Donald Crews

2009-01-21T17:21:00.000-08:00

Title: Freight Train

Author: Donald Crews

Reading Level: 1 - 5

Board Book: 26 pages

Publisher: Harper Festival

A Caldecott Honor Book.

A freight train with colored box cars runs up the track bellowing smoke as it chugs along. Every page reveals a portion of the freight train from the black tender to the orange box car all the way to the red caboose at the end. The train goes by cities, crossing trestles and moving through night and day. For a visual effect, the freight train blurs as it gathers speed and finally it disappears from the book altogether!

My daughter loves this book and she brings out her musical caboose when I read it aloud. With the caboose singing in the background, the freight train takes us on an exciting journey through the beautifully illustrated pages. And, its a great way to introduce colors to your toddlers, especially if they are obsessed with trains.

My Rating: 4/5

Duck & Goose Board Books by Tad Hills

2009-01-20T15:24:00.000-08:00

Title: What's Up, Duck?
Author: Tad Hills
Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Board Book: 22 pages
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade

I'm not sure if there is any board book out there that teaches the concept of opposites better than our beloved duck and goose.

As you can deduce from the cover itself where the duck looks UP and the goose looks DOWN, the book is laden with amusing pictures of duck, goose and thistle bird teaching opposites like fast/slow, near/far, asleep/awake, heavy/light, clean/dirty, happy/sad and so on.

A Duck stands NEAR by whereas a goose stands FAR back. (My little one demonstrates her understanding by pushing the book farther to the end of the bed and pulling it closer in one swift motion. Of course, I showed her the first time).

The goose looks neat and CLEAN while the duck stands smudged with mud all over and DIRTY. (Here, She looks up at me wrinkling her nose and pretends bathing the duck with an imaginary soap in her hand).

Now, the Duck is happily quacking away LOUDly while the Goose is WHISPERing a secret in bird's ears. (She hunches her shoulder even before I bend down to whisper in her ears and bursts into giggles when I do so)

A HAPPY Duck vs a SAD Goose (She is very upset by now and we linger on this page for a while. She pretends to feed the goose in order to make him happy!)

Well, I could go on and on about this book. But, I guess you get the idea. This is one terrific book every child should have. Please, go buy yourself a copy!

My Rating: 5/5

This is yet another board book in the "Duck & Goose" series by Tad Hills that's highly recommended! Two ducks, a goose and a bluebird teach numbers this time. My daughter simply adores this book. Especially the page that is completely black but for the 8 eyes that pop out. She will keep saying "Eyes, Eyes, Eyes" until she finds that page by herself and then goes hysterically laughing at it for a while. Sometimes, its the ONLY page she will look at. I guess she derives her satisfaction of reading it just from this page alone!

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox

2009-01-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

Title: Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

Author: Mem Fox

Illustrator: Helen Oxenbury

Reading Level: Baby - Preschool

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books

This is a wonderful picture book that celebrates babies from everywhere with beautiful pictures and simple, but elegant words. No matter where you are born and what your ethnicity is, you have ten little fingers and ten little toes. And, Who wouldn't love those chubby, squishy fingers and toes that babies are born with?

There was one little baby who was born far away

And another who was born on the very next day

And both of these babies, as everyone knows,

had ten little fingers and ten little toes.

I don't know if my daughter truly comprehends the meaning of it, but she is completely mesmerized looking at all the beautiful babies from around the world. There are sick babies, tall, short and plump babies, asian babies, city and village babies, black and white babies. My daughter is particularly drawn to the pictures of a sick baby holding a hot water bottle and hanky. [No big surprise there. Whatever book we choose to read, one thing that almost always draws her attention is either a sad goose or a cry baby or an injured puppy or someone in need of help] She pretends wiping off the sick baby's nose with a piece of cloth and her kind-heartedness just amazes me.

In addition to the beautiful babies, there are animals like penguin (her favorite), chickens, sheep, dog and ducks to look at as well. If your little one is old enough to count, you can also teach them how to count their fingers and toes. We always finish off the book with three little kisses on her nose just like the mommy & baby in the book.

One last thing I wanted to mention is how captivating the illustrations are. The watercolor shades are soft, subtle and pleasing to the eye. And the babies are sweet, chubby and so cute they hold her attention all the way to the end.

And, Oh don't forget to play "This little piggy" for additional fun :)

My Rating: 4.5/5

Boing! by Nick Bruel

2009-01-18T07:22:00.000-08:00

Title: Boing!

Author: Nick Bruel

Reading Level: Ages 4 - 7

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publication: Roaring Brook Press

Mama Kangaroo teaches her young one how to jump in this delightful picture book "Boing!". When Joey failed to mimic Mama, his friends Grasshopper, Rabbit and Frog come to aid and cheer him with their leaps and encouraging words like "You can do it!" or "It's easy" or "Your turn". Despite their positive words, Joey could only manage a weak "bloomp" or a "blop". When All else fails, the Koala bear, a quite observer on the tree climbs down to unravel the mystery. He asks Joey to reveal the contents of his pocket and then to empty it. Hordes of stuff like a sock, toy dinosaur, piggy bank, buttons, candy bars, marbles and rock come tumbling out of his pocket. With the assorted belongings strewn on the ground, Joey finally manages to leap to Mama with a big Booooinnnnggg!!!

This is a beautifully illustrated book with watercolor paintings and a little text on every page. And, the huge pop-up at the end of the book adds a pleasant surprise to it. This book is not quite age-appropriate for my daughter, but we just look at the pictures and she loves to hear the "Boing", "Bloomp" and "Blop"s on each page. Its cute to watch how her expression changes from one page to the next. She does look visibly upset each time Joey makes a futile attempt and points her finger at him (as if to encourage him) whenever she hears "You can do it" or "Your turn". She likes to point out Joey's possessions, piggy bank and doll being her favorites, as she waits in anticipation if Joey could really manage the feat. And, the happy smile that adorns her face in response to Joey's joyous leap at the end is just priceless!! We always end up cuddling after this book, just like Mama and Joey.

One warning - This is not a bedtime book though. Joey could nudge your little one to leap and bounce on the bed (just like my daughter), so reserve it for a morning or an after-nap read :)

My Rating: 4/5

Hello Munchkins

2009-01-17T16:17:00.000-08:00

To market, To market, to buy a new book

Home again, Home again, jiggity joog...

To market, To market, to buy a big drum

Home again, Home again, jiggity jum...

To market, To market, to buy a thin fiddle

Home again, Home again, jiggity jiggle...

OK. That's not how it goes.. But, Who cares? I place my little one on the lap, singing the above song, making up my own verses as I go. She cranes her neck, anticipating the fall between my lap anytime, her sparkling eyes enticing me to go faster and faster.. until we both end up on the floor, roaring with laughter..we could go no more...

Books, Rhymes and Music are an integral part of our lives and my daughter takes to it like a bee to a honey. A lot of repetition and a little bit of creativity is all you need to make it fun. She likes to read her favorite books over and over, her favorite music played over and over. She is a little skeptical about trying new books, unless there is a kitty on the cover :) But, once she likes it, there is no putting back.. I discovered that it took a lot more tries than I imagined to introduce a new book. But, I always take her cues when it comes to reading, never push her even if its a good old classic must read. After all, its the experience you derive from reading that counts, not exactly the reading material.

I've been toying with the idea of launching a blog catering to parents with curious little readers out there. And the more I think about it, the more I feel excited. Board books, picture books, musical books, pop-up books you name it. This blog will serve as a repository of some wonderful children's books and memories I share with my little princess everyday. I can't wait to get started!!

Happy Reading, Everyone...