Looking back over the reviews that my son and I have done over the past year, a few books stand above the rest. I don't often buy books (we are heavy library users), but there are three authors that are now in our collection and that I recommend for other children, especially in the age range of 3 to 6. Interestingly, all of our favorite new books are a part of a series - maybe this is no coincidence. And the winners are ...
Mr. Putter and Tabby books
by Cynthia Rylant
One of our favorites is Mr. Putter and Tabby Spill the Beans.
These stories are so heart-felt, but also funny. There are some books I've read to my son that I enjoyed because they appealed to an adult's sense of humor (like making funny references to pop culture), but these stories are funny for a 4-year-old. I never thought my son would respond to books about an old man and his cat (and his neighbor Mrs. Teaberry and her good dog Zeke), but this series is one of his favorites. The Henry and Mudge series is also very good. I think we have read them all by now.
Fly Guy books
by Tedd Arnold
My son's current favorite is Buzz Boy and Fly Guy.
My son is starting to read, but he more often likes to be read to. With these books, he is motivated to read himself. I will be buying him Hooray for Fly Guy - he loves sports, so the combination of Fly Guy and sports is a hit. I'm not sure they're all going to be winners for me. (We have read four in the series so far.) But I look forward to reading the rest of them in 2012.
Elephant and Piggie books
by Mo Willems
I don't know about my son, but my favorite by far is We are in a Book.
My son also likes to read these books. The language is simple and repetitive so they lend themselves to early readers. There's usually a pigeon on the back cover of these books, which is so amazingly funny for a 4-year-old to discover.
I'm looking forward to what these authors have to offer in 2012. Happy reading!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Pumpkin Trouble
Pumpkin Trouble
by Jan Thomas
4-Year-Old: Mixed
Mom: Mixed
Summary: In the process of carving a pumpkin to create a jack-o-lantern, a duck falls into the pumpkin and gets stuck. He starts walking around trying to get help from his friends. His friends think he is a pumpkin monster and run away. The duck overhears them and thinks a pumpkin monster is after him.
Review: In the middle of the book when the duck thinks a pumpkin monster is chasing him, I asked my son what he thought was going on. He understood that the Pig and Mouse thought Duck was a Pumpkin Monster, but he didn't understand why Duck was running away. I stopped in the middle to explain what each character was thinking. At the end of the book, I asked him what he thought. He said, "It was funny, but it wasn't THAT funny." I agree. We both liked the artwork and simple language (it was all dialogue similar to Elephant and Piggie books), but I think the Theory of Mind piece of it (understanding what others are thinking and why) might be a bit hard for young children to grasp. Regardless, it's a fun book for autumn holidays.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Buzz Boy and Fly Guy
by Tedd Arnold
4-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: Buzz writes his own comic book story. Buzz and his friend, Fly Guy, are superheros who save their house from pirates.
Review: Ted Arnold is really in tune with what a 4-year-old boy thinks is cool: superheros, pirates, dragons. This book is so simple, and yet it has it all. The artwork is colorful and fun, and the text is easy to read. This is a big plus now that my son is starting to read on his own. He asked me to read the book about five times in a row. At bedtime, he declared that it was his favorite. I didn't realize there was an entire Fly Guy series. I'll definitely look into getting more Fly Guy books.
by Tedd Arnold
4-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: Buzz writes his own comic book story. Buzz and his friend, Fly Guy, are superheros who save their house from pirates.
Review: Ted Arnold is really in tune with what a 4-year-old boy thinks is cool: superheros, pirates, dragons. This book is so simple, and yet it has it all. The artwork is colorful and fun, and the text is easy to read. This is a big plus now that my son is starting to read on his own. He asked me to read the book about five times in a row. At bedtime, he declared that it was his favorite. I didn't realize there was an entire Fly Guy series. I'll definitely look into getting more Fly Guy books.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Zero
Zero
by Kathryn Otoshi
4-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: Zero is feeling frustrated. She never gets to count with the rest of the numbers (I think zero is a she in the book). She tries to look more like other numbers, but it's no use - she can't help being zero. Then, she has an epiphany. If she places herself next to the other numbers, she can help them all count higher.
Review: I thought this was a very clever story that helps children conceptualize the value of zero. The story was positive and the character of zero finds her place in the world. My son had an immediate "Again" reaction. I think he liked the storyline and responded to the excitement that zero felt when she could help the numbers count really high - like thousand, ten thousand and one hundred thousand.
If I were a school teacher, I would definitely buy this one for the classroom.
by Kathryn Otoshi
4-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: Zero is feeling frustrated. She never gets to count with the rest of the numbers (I think zero is a she in the book). She tries to look more like other numbers, but it's no use - she can't help being zero. Then, she has an epiphany. If she places herself next to the other numbers, she can help them all count higher.
Review: I thought this was a very clever story that helps children conceptualize the value of zero. The story was positive and the character of zero finds her place in the world. My son had an immediate "Again" reaction. I think he liked the storyline and responded to the excitement that zero felt when she could help the numbers count really high - like thousand, ten thousand and one hundred thousand.
If I were a school teacher, I would definitely buy this one for the classroom.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Mr. Putter and Tabby Spill the Beans
Mr. Putter and Tabby Spill the Beans
by Cynthia Rylant
4-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: Mr. Putter's neighbor invites him and his cat, Tabby, to a cooking class to learn 100 ways to cook beans. During the class, Mr. Putter and Tabby fall asleep but then are awakened when Zeke the dog starts a chain reaction that ends with beans flying everywhere.
Review: When I read this book to my son, I could not stop laughing. We love this book and the entire Mr. Putter and Tabby series. My son always has an "again" reaction to them. He likes that the book is split up into chapters and he can relate to the book's humor as well as I can. We went on a vacation this summer and I bought several of the Mr. Putter books for the trip. It was a good investment. I didn't see this one at the time, but I'll probably buy this one as well.
by Cynthia Rylant
4-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: Mr. Putter's neighbor invites him and his cat, Tabby, to a cooking class to learn 100 ways to cook beans. During the class, Mr. Putter and Tabby fall asleep but then are awakened when Zeke the dog starts a chain reaction that ends with beans flying everywhere.
Review: When I read this book to my son, I could not stop laughing. We love this book and the entire Mr. Putter and Tabby series. My son always has an "again" reaction to them. He likes that the book is split up into chapters and he can relate to the book's humor as well as I can. We went on a vacation this summer and I bought several of the Mr. Putter books for the trip. It was a good investment. I didn't see this one at the time, but I'll probably buy this one as well.
Let's Count Goats!
Let's Count Goats!
by Mem Fox
4-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: The author introduces you to all different kinds of goats and then on certain pages, challenges the reader to count the goats.
Review: Unlike other counting books that explicitly use the numbers one through ten, this clever book simply asks the reader, "Can you count the goats?" For my son, this trick worked like a charm and he enthusiastically counts all the goats on each page. This is a winner for me as a Mom. My son especially likes the illustrations because the goats are often eating random objects and are doing silly things like playing a trumpet the wrong way. The only problem we had was that on the last round of counting, we were asked to count the goat ears and he started to include the horns as well. Even though he is well beyond counting from one to ten we have read this book dozens of times.
by Mem Fox
4-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: The author introduces you to all different kinds of goats and then on certain pages, challenges the reader to count the goats.
Review: Unlike other counting books that explicitly use the numbers one through ten, this clever book simply asks the reader, "Can you count the goats?" For my son, this trick worked like a charm and he enthusiastically counts all the goats on each page. This is a winner for me as a Mom. My son especially likes the illustrations because the goats are often eating random objects and are doing silly things like playing a trumpet the wrong way. The only problem we had was that on the last round of counting, we were asked to count the goat ears and he started to include the horns as well. Even though he is well beyond counting from one to ten we have read this book dozens of times.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Clever Jack Takes the Cake
Clever Jack Takes the Cake
by Candace Fleming
4-Year-Old: Thumbs Down
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: A poor boy is invited to the Princess' 10th birthday party. He doesn't have enough money to buy a gift worthy of royalty, so he bakes the Princess a lovely cake from scratch. As he walks to the Princess' castle, he comes across some hungry birds, a troll, a dark forest, and a dancing bear, some of whom eat part of the cake or require Jack to give away or consume some of the cake. At the end, all he is left with is his story. But maybe a story is exactly what he needs.
Review: I enjoyed reading this book. The main character comes across obstacles and overcomes each one. He has a positive attitude after he loses each part of his precious cake and in the end wins over the Princess (who is bored by all her fancy gifts). I liked the main character's perseverance. When I finished reading it to my son, I said that I liked the book. He immediately told me that he did not! First, he actually didn't want me to read it in the first place, so I don't think the art captured him (especially on the cover). He explained to me that he didn't like the birds. I think he was disturbed that they swarmed around and ate the walnuts off the cake. He didn't like the troll (he's scared of trolls in children's stories generally), and the dark forest was scary for him too. So, even though the story had a happy ending, it didn't matter to him because he remembered all the disturbing parts of it. I'm not sure what the reaction would be for other kids who are not so skittish, but for my son, this book did not take the cake.
by Candace Fleming
4-Year-Old: Thumbs Down
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: A poor boy is invited to the Princess' 10th birthday party. He doesn't have enough money to buy a gift worthy of royalty, so he bakes the Princess a lovely cake from scratch. As he walks to the Princess' castle, he comes across some hungry birds, a troll, a dark forest, and a dancing bear, some of whom eat part of the cake or require Jack to give away or consume some of the cake. At the end, all he is left with is his story. But maybe a story is exactly what he needs.
Review: I enjoyed reading this book. The main character comes across obstacles and overcomes each one. He has a positive attitude after he loses each part of his precious cake and in the end wins over the Princess (who is bored by all her fancy gifts). I liked the main character's perseverance. When I finished reading it to my son, I said that I liked the book. He immediately told me that he did not! First, he actually didn't want me to read it in the first place, so I don't think the art captured him (especially on the cover). He explained to me that he didn't like the birds. I think he was disturbed that they swarmed around and ate the walnuts off the cake. He didn't like the troll (he's scared of trolls in children's stories generally), and the dark forest was scary for him too. So, even though the story had a happy ending, it didn't matter to him because he remembered all the disturbing parts of it. I'm not sure what the reaction would be for other kids who are not so skittish, but for my son, this book did not take the cake.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
We Are In A Book!
We Are in a Book!
by Mo Willems
4-Year-Old: Mixed
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: Elephant and Piggie realize that they are in a book. They find it amusing at first, but then they realize that all books come to an end. Before the last page they resolve how to come to terms with the ending of the book.
As with the other Elephant and Piggie books, this one is written in the style of a dialog between the two characters.
Review: I am so amused by this book. I studied post-modern literature in school and was brought back to some novels we read in class in which authors became characters, readers became characters, and authors spoke to the reader directly. In this children's book, we see the characters becoming self aware. I found it hilarious when the characters made me say silly things because they knew that a reader was going to read the book out loud. I was almost in tears laughing. My son thought it was funny, too. We laughed and laughed. He asked that I read it again. On another occasion, though, when I asked if he wanted to read this book, he picked another one. He must not find it as amusing as I do.
by Mo Willems
4-Year-Old: Mixed
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: Elephant and Piggie realize that they are in a book. They find it amusing at first, but then they realize that all books come to an end. Before the last page they resolve how to come to terms with the ending of the book.
As with the other Elephant and Piggie books, this one is written in the style of a dialog between the two characters.
Review: I am so amused by this book. I studied post-modern literature in school and was brought back to some novels we read in class in which authors became characters, readers became characters, and authors spoke to the reader directly. In this children's book, we see the characters becoming self aware. I found it hilarious when the characters made me say silly things because they knew that a reader was going to read the book out loud. I was almost in tears laughing. My son thought it was funny, too. We laughed and laughed. He asked that I read it again. On another occasion, though, when I asked if he wanted to read this book, he picked another one. He must not find it as amusing as I do.
Press Here
Press Here
by Herve Tullet
4-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Mixed
Summary: The narrator asks you to interact with the book by having you, the reader, press illustrated dots, shake the book, and even blow on it. As you turn each page, you see how your action affected the dots.
Review: Without any plot or characters, I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. The concept is so simple, that I thought as I was reading it, "I could have done this!" But the result is brilliant. My son LOVES going through this book. He enthusiastically presses the dots and claps on command. At the end, the book invites the reader to do it all again. My son will not take no for an answer and we do it all again. I bought this for him because it's an interesting concept, and he loves it.
by Herve Tullet
4-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Mixed
Summary: The narrator asks you to interact with the book by having you, the reader, press illustrated dots, shake the book, and even blow on it. As you turn each page, you see how your action affected the dots.
Review: Without any plot or characters, I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. The concept is so simple, that I thought as I was reading it, "I could have done this!" But the result is brilliant. My son LOVES going through this book. He enthusiastically presses the dots and claps on command. At the end, the book invites the reader to do it all again. My son will not take no for an answer and we do it all again. I bought this for him because it's an interesting concept, and he loves it.
Clink
Clink
by Kelly Dipucchio
4-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: An old rusty robot feels dejected when he realizes that nobody wants him. All his robot friends have special features like fancy attachments or retractable arms, but all Clink can do is make burnt toast and play and old radio. One day a boy comes into the store and looks for the perfect robot. Can you guess which one it will be?
Review: This is a nice, wholesome tale about being different and finding the right place in the world. I liked the storyline and the artwork, and my son had an immediate "again" response. I found this one in the bookstore and bought it.
by Kelly Dipucchio
4-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: An old rusty robot feels dejected when he realizes that nobody wants him. All his robot friends have special features like fancy attachments or retractable arms, but all Clink can do is make burnt toast and play and old radio. One day a boy comes into the store and looks for the perfect robot. Can you guess which one it will be?
Review: This is a nice, wholesome tale about being different and finding the right place in the world. I liked the storyline and the artwork, and my son had an immediate "again" response. I found this one in the bookstore and bought it.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Don't Want to Go
Don't Want to Go
by Shirley Hughes
3-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: A little girls' mother is sick, so her dad takes her to a neighbor's house to spend the day. She doesn't want to go. When she gets there, she is reluctant and shy, but soon she befriends baby Sam and a little dog. At the end of the day, when her dad comes to get her, she finds that she doesn't want to go.
Review: My son's immediate reaction was, "Again!" He actually asked that I read it three or four times, and then at bedtime, and then three or four times the following day. I think what was so engaging for him was that the book captured the perspective of a child his age. Instead of saying to the reader that the character didn't want to go, the author describes how the girl dropped her mitten on the way there or hid under the table once she got there. These behaviors are realistic and familiar for young children. I think my son responded so positively to the book because he could relate so closely to the main character's feelings and behaviors.
My son's preschool teacher actually recommended that I borrow the book for a few days because she noticed that my son was having trouble leaving school at the end of the day. Even though it didn't help to solve any problems directly (it's not a parenting book with tips and tricks, of course), it was useful because I could discuss with him the concepts from the book and relate them to his own feelings.
Our teacher actually informed us that the book is not new but was recently reprinted by the publisher. She is so happy that these books are available again, and I understand why.
by Shirley Hughes
3-Year-Old: Thumbs Up
Mom: Thumbs Up
Summary: A little girls' mother is sick, so her dad takes her to a neighbor's house to spend the day. She doesn't want to go. When she gets there, she is reluctant and shy, but soon she befriends baby Sam and a little dog. At the end of the day, when her dad comes to get her, she finds that she doesn't want to go.
Review: My son's immediate reaction was, "Again!" He actually asked that I read it three or four times, and then at bedtime, and then three or four times the following day. I think what was so engaging for him was that the book captured the perspective of a child his age. Instead of saying to the reader that the character didn't want to go, the author describes how the girl dropped her mitten on the way there or hid under the table once she got there. These behaviors are realistic and familiar for young children. I think my son responded so positively to the book because he could relate so closely to the main character's feelings and behaviors.
My son's preschool teacher actually recommended that I borrow the book for a few days because she noticed that my son was having trouble leaving school at the end of the day. Even though it didn't help to solve any problems directly (it's not a parenting book with tips and tricks, of course), it was useful because I could discuss with him the concepts from the book and relate them to his own feelings.
Our teacher actually informed us that the book is not new but was recently reprinted by the publisher. She is so happy that these books are available again, and I understand why.
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