Showing posts with label small fry saturday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small fry saturday. Show all posts

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Small Fry Saturday #24: My Bus by Byron Barton

Hey there readers!  Small Fry Saturday is back!  WOOOOOO!!

As you may remember, Small-Fry Saturday is a when-I-feel-like-it meme to showcase some of books that my 3-year-old Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.

This week's selection is...

My Bus by Byron Barton

Small Fry Saturday should now probably be called "Potato Product Saturday", because I'm considering the reading needs of both 3-year-old Small Fry AND 9-month-old Tater Tot.  This is tough to do, because I like to read to them at the same time, but Small Fry is able to sit through a lot of lengthier picture books now, while Tater Tot is decidedly...not.

However, Barton's My Bus has proven to be a great option for both kiddos.  Small Fry loves it because he is straight-up obsessed with anything bus/truck/car related (he actually picked this one out from the library on his own).  And Tater Tot's attention was held because the book is short, and the pictures are big and bright (perfect for little wandering baby eyes).  I like it because in addition to meeting Small Fry's requirement for involving something with wheels, it also teaches a lot about numbers as the passengers get on and off the bus.

A bonus is that the Goodreads summary for this book describes it as a "preschool tour-de-force".  Summary writer WIN.

Barton has a similar book called My Car that the kids were equally delighted with.  I think it might be time to buy these, rather than just continually borrowing from the library!

Do you have any favorite kids' books that work well for both babies and preschoolers?

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Small Fry Saturday #23: Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin

Hey there readers!  Small Fry Saturday is back!  WOOOOOO!!

As you may remember, Small-Fry Saturday is a when-I-feel-like-it meme to showcase some of books that my 2-year-old Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.

This week's selection is...

Dragons Love Tacos  by Adam Rubin
(illustrated by Daniel Salmieri)

Now that I'm home with my kiddos full time, I take them to the library at least once a week.  Small Fry is now 2.5, and takes great pleasure in picking out at least 2 books to bring home at the end of every library trip.  However, because his reading skills are...you know, at the 2.5-year-old level, his book selections tend to be pretty random.  That said, I have no idea what compelled him to grab this one a few weeks ago, but WAY TO GO, KID.  Because this book is hilarious.

So, the basic premise of the book is this: dragons love tacos.  But they hate spicy salsa, WITH A PASSION.  However, they do love parties, and obviously, they love TACO parties.  So throw your dragons a taco party, but good God, don't mess it up by serving spicy salsa.  Or you're going to have a lot of really flippin' angry dragons after you.

I know.  It makes no sense, AND YET IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE.  This book is meant to be funny, and kids will definitely see the humor, but adults are going to love the subtleties even more.  Plus, the illustrations match the tone perfectly.

If you're into quirky humor and/or have a kid that is a fan of dragons (or tacos, but not spicy salsa), this book is fantastic.  Definitely the best library find that Small Fry's had in a long time!

What's your favorite humorous kid's book?

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Small Fry Saturday #22: How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen

Hey there readers!  It has been a LOOOOONG time since I did a Small Fry Saturday.  I am way overdue--so here's a little kid lit to wet your whistle.

As you may remember, Small-Fry Saturday is a when-I-feel-like-it meme to showcase some of books that my 2-year-old Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.

This week's selection is...


How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?  by Jane Yolen
(illustrated by Mark Teague)

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I volunteered at the Rochester Children's Book Festival, and while there, I had the pleasure of meeting Jane Yolen, the author of the "How Do Dinosaurs..." series of kid's books.  At my baby shower before Small Fry was born, a guest gifted us with a copy of How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?, which we've been reading to him since he was but a wee lad.  At RCBF, I finally got to pick up this book as another installment in the series (and get it signed!), and it's been fun reading this one with Small Fry as well.

Why are these books so cool?  Well, the illustrations are a good part of it.  In this book, each page shows a different dinosaur doing something silly before he/she goes to bed.  As you can see from the cover, this usually entails a massive reptile perched precariously on some piece of furniture as a tired parent attempts to reason them into bed.  Young kiddos will like the pictures, and older ones will be able to learn from them too (each page has the species of dinosaur printed somewhere on the page).  Dinosaurs jumping on stuff and throwing tantrums...what's not to love?  Plus, the rhythmic story provides a fun reading experience for the kids as you go along.

If you want a goofy, fun kids read (especially for any dino lovers in your life), any book in this series is a good bet...though I particularly love this one as a before-bedtime pick.

Have you read any other books in the How Do Dinosaurs series?

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Small Fry Saturday #21: Roadwork by Sally Sutton

Hey there readers!  Welcome to my newest Small Fry Saturday installment.

As you may remember, Small-Fry Saturday is a when-I-feel-like-it meme to showcase some of books that my 2-year-old Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.

This week's selection is...


Roadwork by Sally Sutton

NEW BOOK ALERT!  Small Fry received this book from my friend Cari as a birthday gift a couple of weeks ago, and he is full-on addicted to it.  I knew I had to feature it on Small Fry Saturday right-quick once I realized we were reading it a minimum of 10 times a day.

Roadwork is pretty much the ultimate book for two-year-old toddler boys that love trucks.  The book traces the steps that construction workers have to take in order to mark out and pave a new road.  Each page has the same rhythm and includes some fun sound effects for the adults to act out:

"Load the dirt. Load the dirt. Scoop and swing and drop. Slam it down into the truck. Bump! Whump! Whop!"

Kids love the cadence and the funny noises, and adults...you're lying if you tell me you don't think this book is fun to read out loud.

The illustrations (by Brian Lovelock) are clear and colorful.  If you have a tiny truck-lover in your life, this book is a great choice to keep them entertained.

Any other fun toddler-age books about construction that you would recommend for Small Fry?

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Small Fry Saturday #20: On The Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

Hey there readers!  Welcome to my newest Small Fry Saturday installment.

As you may remember, Small-Fry Saturday is a when-I-feel-like-it meme to showcase some of books that my 2-year-old Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.

In honor of Small Fry's birthday party (which is TODAY!), this week's selection is...


On The Night You Were Born  by Nancy Tillman

This is one of those kid's books that was really made more for the adults.  You know what I mean: they're totally schmoopy and lovey and basically make the adult reading it aloud want to cry ALL THE TEARS while they recite it to their adorable, amazing, never-could-be-more-perfect child.

At least, that's how this book makes me feel.  Basically, it's a story written to kids about all the magical things that happened on the night they were born.  Polar bears danced, the wind whispered their name, geese flew to see them...all sorts of crazy-awesome stuff, because (as the book reminds them) there will never be another kiddo like them, and the world celebrated that on their birthday.

What can I say?  The words are beautiful and poetic, as are the illustrations.  I'll admit that Small Fry is a little on the young side for this one (though he does love pointing out the moon and the "ack-acks" (ducks) on various pages), but we did read it on his birthday night, and if nothing else, it made me hug him a little tighter.  When he's old enough to understand the words, I hope he thinks it's as cool as I do.  And then goes and gets me a tissue.

(Oh, and for the moms out there, this is a great way to mostly forget any of the pain and screaming that you may have actually experienced on the night your kid was born.)

We already discussed Love You Forever by Robert Munsch a few weeks ago (another kid's book that makes the adults cry)...any other emotional kid favorites that you have in mind?

Saturday, June 15, 2013

TWRV and Small-Fry Saturday #19: The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

Today is a very SPECIAL edition of Small-Fry Saturday!

Because it's also the kick off for The Well-Read Vacay 2013!
I know, the two pictures don't really go together well. Kids, don't drink and read until you're 21.
As you may remember, Small-Fry Saturday is a when-I-feel-like-it meme to showcase some of books that my 23-month-old Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.

At the same time, I am on vacation this week (I left TODAY! SIYONARA!) and I have a series of travel-related posts lined up to entertain you while I'm gone.  So why not start with a somewhat travel-related kid's book?


The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

This book is a classic, published back in 1942.  To refresh your childhood memory, basically Baby Bunny (our world traveler in today's post) is feeling kind of ornery, so he turns to Mommy Bunny and says, "Aye yo, I'm running away, what's up now?"  And Mommy Bunny is like, "Okay, well wherever you run, I will find you."  And Baby Bunny's like, "GOOD LUCK, cuz I'm going to become a boat and sail away."  Mommy Bunny retorts with, "Oh yeah?  Well I'll become the wind and blow you straight home (to time-out, I might add)."

Baby Bunny continues to list all the things all over the world that he will become in order to run away, but every time, that wily Mommy Bunny figures out a way she's going to track him down.  Spoiler alert: Baby Bunny finally gets tired of being outwitted, and decides to stay home.

(This may or may not be a very modern-day summary of The Runaway Bunny.)

The basic message of this book is cute: no matter where you travel to, little guy, Momma's going to find you and love the bejesus out of you.  YOU CAN'T IGNORE MY LOVE.  I will admit that it occasionally strikes me as creepy (stop being such a stalker, Mommy Bunny, srsly), but kids won't see it that way.  (Hopefully.)  The illustrations (by Clement Hurd) are amazing too.  This book may not have the flash and pop-up elements of newer kid's books, but kiddos will be into it anyway because of the happy story and intricate drawings.

Do you have any travel-related kid favorites?  Use the term "travel" in as creative a way as you wish!

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Small Fry Saturday #18: Does A Kangaroo Have A Mother, Too? by Eric Carle



It's time for installment #18 of Small Fry Saturdays!  This is a when-I-feel-like-it meme to showcase some of books that my 22-month-old Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.


Does A Kangaroo Have A Mother, Too? by Eric Carle

This post is kind of a week late, I suppose, but I'll tell you why.  Each night before bed, we let Small Fry pick 2 books for us to read aloud to him.  The night before Mother's Day, he chose this one for the first time ever, and all this week it's been his constant favorite.  HOW CUTE IS THAT.  Right on time for Mom's Day.  However, too late to be last week's Small Fry Saturday post, thus I'm featuring it this week instead.

I am familiar with the well-known Eric Carle books (Very Hungry Caterpillar, etc.) but when Small Fry was born, my eyes were opened to the vast library of other books that he's done as well.  Does A Kangaroo Have A Mother, Too? is one of those.  I'd never heard of it until last year, but it's a cute book with a simple concept.  Each page asks "Does a ________ have a mother, too?" (different animal on each page).  And the answer is always, "Yes, of course they do!" before moving on to the next animal. This gets very repetitive for the adult reading aloud, but at his age, Small Fry loves it.  Every time I turn the page, he yells, "YES!" because he knows that this animal does, in fact, have a mother too.

The illustrations are in the typical fun Eric Carle style, very eye-catching.  This is a great one for younger kiddos that will enjoy the repetition on each page...as well as any young animal lovers that you have in the house.

What's your favorite Eric Carle book?

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Small Fry Saturday #17: Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury



It's time for installment #17 of Small Fry Saturdays!  This is a when-I-feel-like-it meme to showcase some of books that my 21-month-old Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.


Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury

I received this book as a gift for one of my baby showers.  For a long time, Small Fry wasn't really interested in it--I think mostly because the illustrations are in rather muted colors, so when his book "reading" was very eye-catching-dependent, this wasn't a favorite.  However, it is now a nightly read in our house.  He's at an age where he loves pointing out his fingers and toes, AND he loves pointing at babies/kids in pictures ("bay-beeeee").  This book has PLENTY o' that, so he rightly adores it.

One of the things I like about this book is the diversity of kids that it portrays.  Basically each part talks about two kids...for example, one little baby "lives in a tent" and another little baby "born on the ice", etc.  It includes babies that are white, black, Asian, etc. and a wide variety of homes that they grow up in.  But both babies always have 10 fingers and 10 toes.  This is a nice way to incorporate visuals of diversity at a very early age.

This probably isn't a great pick for the itty-bitty newborns due to the lack of pop-off-the-page pictures, but for ages 18 months and up, this is a fun read with a nice message behind it.

What are some of your fave kid's books that illustrate diversity (in any form)?

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Small Fry Saturday #16: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom



It's time for installment #16 of Small Fry Saturdays!  This is a when-I-feel-like-it meme to showcase some of books that my 20-month-old Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.


Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
(illustrations by Lois Ehlert)

If you've become a parent within the last 12 years, I'm sure you've heard of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, but I have to review it anyway because it's a BIG HIT in our house right now.  Chicka was not around when I was a kid, but apparently it's blown up hard since its 2000 release.  For those unfamiliar, this is an alphabet story.  Basically, the lower-case letter "a" is throwing his weight around, daring the other letters to chase him up the coconut tree.  So they all go up there, and just as slowpoke "z" arrives at the top, the whole darn tree falls over.  The upper-case letters come to rescue the poor, beat-up lower-case letters, and at the end, (Chicka Chicka spoilers y'all!) "a" dares everybody to do it again (does he learn nothing?).

I have been reading Small Fry this book since he was itty-bitty, mostly because the rhythm of the story is catchy and easily got his attention.  The illustrations are bright and fun for young eyes as well.  However, now I love it because he's actually starting to pick out some of the letters, and it's an excellent book for letter recognition.  He's also chiming in for the parts of the story he remembers (his favorite: when the tree falls down and he gets to yell, "OH NO!"...haha).  A definite advantage to the singsong melody of the book.

Chicka is a modern classic for sure.  There's also Chicka Chicka 123, which we haven't checked out yet, but I plan to soon!

What are your favorite alphabet books for kids?

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Small Fry Saturday #15: the Good Night Our World series




It's time for installment #15 of Small Fry Saturdays!  This is a whenever-I-feel-like-it meme to showcase books that my Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.


The Good Night Our World series, published by Our World of Books

I first noticed this series of books when I was at a Hallmark store in Connecticut, visiting my parents.  My mom and I were out shopping alone, and while splurging on a new Vera Bradley bag for my birthday, I saw the book Good Night Connecticut at the sales counter.  I immediately fell in love and had to pick up a copy for Small Fry.

While the title implies similarities to the classic Goodnight Moon, the content is actually modeled quite differently.  Each book in this series brings you through a day in the title location: so at the beginning, it will start with "Good morning ______" and move through various spots in the given state/locale until the end, when you finally say good night.

Why do I love the series so much?  Because it's really cute to read a book to your kid that's specific to your area!  The Connecticut book makes stops at UConn (yes!), Mystic Aquarium, the Mark Twain house, Essex Steam Train...ah, the memories.  Even though we live in New York now, Small Fry will know many of these places as he gets older because my parents still live in my hometown.  Plus, Connecticut is a small enough state that one book easily sums up all of the major attractions...ha.  (I guess I need to get my hands on Good Night New York State as well.)

It looks like nearly every state has a Good Night Our World book now (check out Amazon/B+N to search for yours).  There are also more general ones, like Good Night Farm and Good Night Ocean (another one that we have and enjoy at home).

Do you have any favorite kid's books that are set in your home town/state?

Friday, January 18, 2013

A Meme Break

Hello, lovely readers!  Believe it or not, January is a very busy time for the Well-Read Redhead.  I work at a university, and students return to campus this week and next for the new semester.  I'm also teaching an online course (starting at the same time).  And, I'm home 2 weekdays/week with Small Fry (which, while awesome and fun, doesn't give me much time to brush my teeth, let alone blog).

And oh yeah, I guess it goes without saying that I'd love some time to read my MASSIVE PILE OF BOOKS.



As a result, I need some TIME.  And thus, I think I'm taking a meme break for a while.  I'll turn Small Fry Saturdays into a "whenever the mood strikes" sort of thing, rather than every Saturday.  Probably no Deja Vu Reviews or Top 10 Tuesdays for a while either, though I do have some Wondrous Words posts scheduled and I love sharing my nerdy words, so that might stay.

Overall, I think for a while I will be mostly focusing on my book reviews and the occasional discussion post (loved all the responses to my "where do books take you?" post last week!).

Posting may be more spread out than usual, but absence makes the heart grow fonder, yes?  Admit it, YOU MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE.

In the meantime, be cool mah bebehs, and be on the lookout for:

-my first Foodies Read review of the year, and

-the worst Stephen King book review I have ever had to write.  Srsly.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Small Fry Saturday #14: Press Here by Herve Tullet




It's time for installment #14 of Small Fry Saturdays!  This is where I do a weekly showcase of books that my Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.



Press Here by Herve Tullet

Small Fry received this book for Christmas from his great-aunt and -uncle.  I'd never heard of it before, but all it took was one reading for me to say, "Okay, this book is flipping AWESOME."  SF is a tad young for it right now, but in a year or so, I bet he will think it's a riot.

The book starts by asking the reader to press the yellow dot and turn the page.  From there, kids are asked to shake, blow on, and press the book in all different ways, causing the dots to rearrange themselves on the subsequent pages.
one page example
Interactive children's book WIN.  It's such a simple concept, but manages to be educational (pick the yellow dots out from the other colors!) and goofy at the same time.  Apparently the book even has it's own iPhone app ($.99) with additional games and activities, which I'm planning to check out soon.

What are your favorite interactive kid's books?

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Small Fry Saturday #13: SF's Christmas book haul!


Hey, if I can do my own Christmas book haul post, then Small Fry deserves one as well.  We are taking a break from our normal Small Fry review this week, and showing off what SF got from Santa in the book department this year.

My tiny sir has received:

Snuggle Puppy! by Sandra Boynton
My Dad Loves Me! by Marianne Richmond
Thomas Looks Up by Rev. W. Awdry and Billy Wrecks
The Cheerios Play Book by Lee Wade
Jingle All The Way by Tom Shay-Zapien
Press Here by Herve Tullet
The Duckling Gets A Cookie?! by Mo Willems
Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter
Sesame Street Starry Sky Songs by Publications International

We bought the books by Boynton, Richmond, and Willems for Small Fry, but we are so grateful to his grandparents and other family members for giving him the others as gifts!  This kid is going to need more book storage room soon (he is already taking over my bookshelves).

We've already given many of these a read, and I can't wait to share some of them in future Small Fry Saturdays.  Some of them are fun (Snuggle Puppy leads to some hilarious singing), others are awwww-worthy (My Dad Loves Me), and some are very interactive (Starry Sky Songs, Thomas Looks Up, etc)...so I have a whole range of things to review soon.

What books did your small fries receive this holiday season?

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Small Fry Saturday #12: Jingle All The Way by Tom Shay-Zapien



It's time for installment #12 of Small Fry Saturdays!  This is where I do a weekly showcase of books that my Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.



Jingle All The Way by Tom Shay-Zapien

For my last Christmas-related children's book of the year, I'm reviewing a book that Small Fry received as a gift from my mother-in-law this week!

Jingle All The Way is actually an "interactive story buddies" book, which means it comes with a stuffed Jingle the dog.  You turn Jingle on before you start reading, and then when you read key sentences in the book (highlighted in red), the stuffed Jingle will bark/sing/whine/etc with the story.  It's a cute concept!

The book itself is heartwarming.  Jingle roams the streets, but particularly loves hanging out with the children at the local elementary school.  On Christmas Eve night, he is looking for a home to stay in, but can't find one.  He accidentally curls up to sleep in Santa's sack, and Santa delivers him to a little boy's house on Christmas morning.  (Let me hear it: "Awwwwwww.")  The story is great, and Jingle is just so darn adorable (the illustrations of him are almost better than the actual stuffed dog!).

As for the "interactive" part, that is a little less awesome.  You can have literally NO background noise going on when you read, or else Jingle won't play along.  Case in point: the first time my husband tried reading it, the dishwasher was running in the next room, and he couldn't get Jingle to react when he read (or, shouted) any of the prompting lines.  I can only get it to work if I'm sitting in complete silence.  (Just picture me sitting in my living room, screaming repeatedly at a stuffed dog: "And Jingle was a good boy!...AND JINGLE WAS A GOOD BOY!  GAHHHH!")  So the interactive-ness is a neat idea, but definitely not ideal (especially when reading to a busy/noisy toddler).

Even so, I'm glad Small Fry gets to enjoy this book, and he loves squeezing his fluffy Jingle...even if the dog is a little bit hard of hearing.

What new books did your Small Fries receive from Santa this week?

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Small Fry Saturday #11: Suzy Goose and the Christmas Star by Petr Horacek




It's time for installment #11 of Small Fry Saturdays!  This is where I do a weekly showcase of books that my Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.


Suzy Goose and the Christmas Star by Petr Horacek

I am having so much fun discovering these Christmas books with Small Fry at our library!

Suzy Goose and the Christmas Star is an adorable story about (you guessed it) Suzy the goose, who is decorating the Christmas tree with all of her other animal friends.  However, they soon realize that they are missing a star for the tree.  Suzy sets out to get the best and brightest star she can find!  And when she has difficulty, her animal friends help her out so that they can create the perfect tree that they envisioned.

I love that this book teaches kids about being determined and bold--but also about how to accept help when you need it.  Two awesome messages, on top of some Christmas cheer.  It's beautifully illustrated as well.  And what is my thing with geese in kid's books this year?  I guess Duck and Goose infiltrated my brain.

What Christmas books are you enjoying this holiday season?

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Small Fry Saturday #10: Santa Claus The World's Number One Toy Expert, by Marla Frazee



It's time for installment #10 of Small Fry Saturdays!  This is where I do a weekly showcase of books that my Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.


Santa Claus The World's Number One Toy Expert, by Marla Frazee

Another fun Christmas book for you this morning!  This was another one that Small Fry and I unearthed at the library recently.  Let me tell you, the kid's Christmas books section at the library is cutthroat these days--everything is on 7-day loan, and parents are pushing each other out of the way to nab the best ones.  Okay, maybe not that bad, but it's pretty cray-cray.

Anyways, this book is awesome for kids and adults alike.  It teaches kids about the painstaking work Santa does to research all the best toys, and keep tabs on all the kiddos, so that he can give everyone the very best presents possible (including himself!).  Small fries will love hearing the story, but adults will get a chuckle too, as the illustrations have all sorts of hilarious little details.  (Ex: Santa sitting at his desk surrounded by sticky notes...hello, that is my entire life at work ON THE DAILY.)

The drawings in the book are seemingly simple, but hold more detail the longer you look them over.  And I love how the author used a lot white space on the page, allowing the words to flow over and around the illustrations in a playful way.  Overall, this is a fun, spirited Christmas book that will make kids excited to see what Santa chose for them this year!

What Christmas books are you enjoying this holiday season?

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Small Fry Saturday #9: Merry Christmas, Ollie! by Olivier Dunrea




It's time for installment #9 of Small Fry Saturdays!  This is where I do a weekly showcase of books that my Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.


Merry Christmas, Ollie! by Olivier Dunrea

For the rest of this month, I will be highlighting CHRISTMAS BOOKS!!  Small Fry and I went to the local library last week, and took out a few holiday books to help us celebrate the season.  I tried to grab books that I hadn't seen before, because Small Fry loves new reading material, and I like to branch out beyond the more popular kid's books.

Merry Christmas, Ollie! is an adorable book about Ollie the gosling.  Ollie and his 4 gosling friends (Gossie, Gertie, BooBoo, and Peedie) are anxiously waiting for Christmas, and the arrival of Father Christmas Goose.  But Ollie is especially impatient!  While the other goslings hang their stockings and wait quietly, Ollie stomps around, because he wants Christmas NOW!  The other goslings try to help him stay patient as they wait for the big day to arrive.

This book captures the impatience that little kids feel when they know Christmas (and Santa) are just around the corner!  It's a short book, so a good one for your smallest small fries.  And the illustrations are what got me the most--remember how much I adored Duck and Goose?  The goslings in this book remind me of them, with their adorable big beaks and winter hats.  Love it.  I didn't realize it when we took it out, but this book is part of the Gossie & Friends series, also by Dunrea.  I will be checking them out for sure!

What Christmas books are you enjoying this holiday season?

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Small Fry Saturday #8: Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney



It's time for installment #8 of Small Fry Saturdays!  This is where I do a weekly showcase of books that my Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.


Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

The Llama Llama books were not around when I was a kid, but I think anyone born after 2005 or so is going to remember them the way I remember books like Where's Spot? and The Very Hungry Caterpillar: childhood classics!

I know a lot of people have heard of Llama Llama Red Pajama already, but I have to highlight it this week, because lately it's pretty much the only thing I've read to Small Fry before bed each night.  And I don't even mind, because this book (and the others in the Llama Llama series) are so entertaining.  If you've never read it, Baby Llama is tucked into bed by his Mama Llama.  Mama Llama goes downstairs to do her mom thing--wash dishes, and talk on the phone (Dewdney responsibly left out the part about drinking wine).

Meanwhile, Baby Llama decides he's thirsty, and starts calling for his mom.  But she's not coming.  And Baby Llama throws down some DRAMA.  I mean, look at the face on that cover--that kid is freakin'.  His pouts and stomps throughout the book are hilarious, and as Small Fry's narrator, I have a good time playing up the dramatics as the story goes on.  Plus, it ends with Baby Llama going back to sleep, so it's a good bedtime choice for kids.

So far, the only other Llama Llama book we own is Llama Llama Misses Mama, but I'm looking forward to getting some of the other ones for Small Fry soon too.  Might be the perfect time of year for Llama Llama Holiday Drama...

Have your kids read the Llama Llama books?  Which one is their fave?

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Small Fry Saturday #7: I'm A T.Rex! by Dennis Shealy




It's time for installment #7 of Small Fry Saturdays!  This is where I do a weekly showcase of books that my Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.


I'm A T.Rex! by Dennis Shealy
(illustrated by Brian Biggs)

Great minds think alike, so when both my mom and my mother-in-law bought this book for Small Fry, I knew it must be a good one.  I'm A T.Rex! is a relatively new (published 2010) part of the Little Golden Book series that most of us remember from childhood.

The book is perfect for making funny voices and sounds (as the T.Rex roars, stomps, and growls his way through the pages).  But it's actually educational as well ("I lived in a time called Cretaceous--good gracious!").  The book teaches kids all about the tall, toothy, and terrible T.Rex.  The illustrations are just like the cover--colorful and a bit goofy (no Jurassic Park-type dinosaurs here).

For now, Small Fry is mostly entertained by the loud and funny way we read this book, but as he gets older, I can see him having fun with it as he learns more about the dinosaurs and tries to pronounce all their crazy names.

What are your favorite Little Golden Books for kids?

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Small Fry Saturday #6: Pajama Time by Sandra Boynton



It's time for installment #6 of Small Fry Saturdays!  This is where I do a weekly showcase of books that my Small Fry is currently reading.  Feel free to do a SFS post on your blog (with the graphic above) or leave a comment below about your favorite kiddie reads.


Pajama Time by Sandra Boynton

One of our neighbors gifted us a copy of Pajama Time when I was still pregnant.  She said that her daughter adored the book, and she wanted to pass a copy on for us as a result.  I had never read a Sandra Boynton book, but I quickly realized how fun they are!

Pajama Time is a bedtime book that will make your kids want to dance before getting into bed (okay, hear me out).  The characters in the book start putting on their PJs of all different kinds--fuzzy, striped, polka-dot, you name it.  Then they dance their way into bed.  The Pajama Time song is hilarious to sing ("Jamma jamma jamma jamma P! J!").  Hubs thinks it's kind of weird, but I get REALLY into it.  And Small Fry seems quite entertained by this theatrical show before sleepy time.

The illustrations are bright and cheery, and the book does conclude on a more hushed note--perfect for saying "the end" and shutting out the light.  This pick made me curious about Boynton's other books, which I've found are equally as funny and well-illustrated.  Your Personal Penguin is a recent one that we've added to the collection--will be showing up in a future Small Fry Saturday post for sure!

What are your favorite bedtime books for kids?
 
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