If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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