Halloween Reads

October is here, and so are our Halloween books. There are our two current nightly favorites.

Author Readings

The highlight of the Fish Tales, Tugs, and Sails fest was storytime, with the books read by their authors. We got there just in time to watch author/illustrator Ed Heck read Big Fish Little Fish.



Lilypad Princess had never read the book before, but quickly got into it answering at just the right times.


After Big Fish Little Fish, Ed Heck read Monkey Lost and Chameleon's Colors which isn't even available yet.



He showed the kids his notebook where he sketches his ideas and how he draws Little Fish.


After he was done with stories, he was willing to sign books for the kids. Lilypad Princess was thrilled that he drew another Little Fish on the back of her new book.

Reading List

Our new reading collection from the Fish Tales, Tugs, and Sails fest. All but the last signed by the author (or author's daughter).






book images from Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Lilypad Likes: My First Look and Find Books

Lilypad Princess loves books. She loves to read herself, read to you, and be read to. She has recently discovered the fun of I Spy, and the My First Look and Find books are a great way for her to play by herself. Because she's still rearfacing, it isn't easy to play the game with her in the car since we can't see the same things. But she loves to find all the objects in the books, then tell me stories about what is happening on each page. We have had the Princess one for a while, and just bought the Best Friends one earlier this week.

Stellaluna

Stellaluna was the topic of conversation last week at Nana and PopPop's house. Nana has the sweet story about Stellaluna as well as a cuddly Stellaluna stuffed bat. Lilypad Princess noticed these the first day and Nana read her the story and told her about bats.

Two days later at the zoo, there was a bat exhibit in the rainforest. Lilypad Princess stopped to watch the bats flying around inside the dark case, then noticed the escapees who were sleeping right above our heads!

The next morning, Lilypad Princess yelled to everyone that she found Stellaluna. She had noticed a small moth sleeping on the blinds in the kitchen. His little brown wings and the way he was holding on made him look like a little bat wrapped up and hanging upside down. She was determined to rescue Stellaluna, so Nana very carefully lifted him up and put him back outside so he could fly home to his mommy and daddy who missed him.

A couple of nights later, Lilypad Princess flew through the house in her pajamas telling us that she was a bat. Stellaluna definitely made an impression on our LP, I'm so glad it was a good one so she will never have a fear of bats.

Lilypad Likes: Knuffle Bunny Books

Since Lilypad Princess was going to be home sick, I ran to the library on my way for her medicine to pick up some new books. Two of the books I brought home were Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale and Knuffle Bunny: A Case of Mistaken Identity.

Both books star Trixie and her Knuffle Bunny and the trials that Trixie goes through when Knuffle Bunny is forgotten or switched. The first book features a young toddler Trixie, who hasn't learned to talk yet and struggles to tell her dad that Knuffle Bunny has been left behind at the laundromat. In the second book, Trixie has definitely learned to talk, and takes Knuffle Bunny to pre-K with her, where he is accidentally switched with another Knuffle Bunny.

Printed on olive-green backdrops, the illustrations are a combination of muted, sepia-toned photographs of a Brooklyn neighborhood upon which bright cartoon drawings of people have been superimposed. Lilypad Dad loved these books just as much as Lilypad Princess and I did. We are definitely going to have these to our permanent library.


Book image from Amazon.com

Bedtime Books

During our trip to the library this week, Lilypad Princess and I picked up some new books to read including a few specifically bedtime related books. Now that we have had a chance to read them all, the definite favorite has emerged. It is read multiple times each night before bed, and I think will have to be made a permanent addition to our library.

Good Night, Animals by Lena Arro, Catarina Kruusval, and Joan Sandin tells the story of Bubble and Pearl’s campout adventure. As they settle into their “green cave” tent and darkness falls, they hear some strange noises outside. Each noise turns out to be friendly animals who want to join the campout in the tent. One by one, the animals rearrange to make room as mice and rabbits, a cat, dog, hen, sheep, and even a horse settle down for the night.

101 Things Every Kid Should Do Growing Up

A much better find than the video was the book 101 Things Every Kid Should Do Growing Up. I haven't made it all the way through yet, but as I go through I'm making notes on things that I want to remember to do with Lilypad Princess as she grows and which things we have already done.

The book also has helpful hints for most things, such as a recipe for making your own Playdoh (#6 Every kid should play with playdoh)or ways to have an indoor camp-out if you don't have a backyard (#4 Every kid should camp in the backyard).

Some of the things LP has already done:
#35 Every kid should create a holiday keepsake. (Santa's cookie plate)
#5 Every kid should play in the bathtub until his skin wrinkles. (almost every bath)
#8 Every kid should catch snowflakes on his tongue and eyelashes.
#38 Every kid should have a collection. (magnets)
#39 Every kid should attend a live performance. (Sesame Street Live)
#37 Every kid should play dress up.
#69 Every kid should make a pizza

Some of the ones that will definitely be added to my list of things to do:
#77 Every kid should go to a baseball game with Grandpa. (definitely a Yankee game)
#86 Every kid should have a personal library card.
#24 Every kid should learn to swim (in progress)
#27 Every kid should take music lessons.
#36 Every kid should participate in a "-thon".
#45 Every kid should write a memory letter each year.
#56 Evert kid should create a board game.

A Word Window

Lilypad Princess loves books. She reads to herself, reads to us, and of course we read to her. She tends to get hooked on the same book for weeks on end, which can lead to a little book boredom for me. But last summer LP's great-Auntie Diane gave her an entire set of books, and we've been working our way through the 15 or 20 book set lately.

The books are all part of the Magic Castle Readers set by Scholastic Books. We have been reading Away Went the Farmer's Hat and The Bears Upstairs almost every night for the past month, but tonight we traded for What Do You Do With a Grumpy Kangaroo? and Smile, says Little Crocodile.

I think these might be out of print of now, the copyright is 1988, but I recommend picking some up if you ever see them at a used book store or tag sale. Each book has a lesson as well, kangaroo teaches about feelings, crocodile teaches about health, the bears teaches about playing pretend, and the farmer's hat is about adventure.

101 Places and Things

I haven't seen these books in person yet, but I really like the ideas behind them. They sounds like a great addition to any child's library.

101 Places You Gotta See Before You're 12!
To children, the world can seem huge, filled with exciting places to visit and new things to experience. But how can they start uncovering the many treasures that await them? This fun and informative guidebook—the first in a new series—invites kids to embark on an exhilarating scavenger hunt that opens their eyes to things they’ve never imagined before. And there’s no need to go far or plan a big, expensive vacation to see this great stuff. In fact, some of the places may be quite close to home. They can take a peek at what actually goes on at their parents’ office, experience another culture’s cuisine at an ethnic restaurant, immerse themselves in the beauty of nature at a wildlife preserve, or get the inside scoop on what really happens backstage at the theater…or even in the teacher’s lounge! And the ideas are just general enough to provide a gentle push in the right direction, while allowing young dreamers to use their imagination and fill in the specifics.
In addition to tons of fun facts, lists of little-known sites, and more than 250 color photos, there’s a bonus fold-out map of North America and stickers, so youngsters can mark where they’ve been.

101 Things You Gotta Do Before You're 12!
Joanne O’Sullivan has delighted children everywhere with her 101 Places You Gotta See Before You’re 12! The series, and the adventures, continue with an idea-packed book for the under-12 set that’s a sure cure for boredom. From exciting outings to creative activities at home, it’s crammed with stuff that’s amazing, amusing, and inspiring. Plus, this list lets kids take the lead—they can use it as a springboard for their own discoveries.
So what tempting things are on the game plan? Well, how about visiting a crazy festival, like the UFO Encounter in Roswell, New Mexico? Or competing in a wacky contest—perhaps the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition? Closer to their own backyard, enterprising youngsters can build a tree house, learn to cook a special dish, or trace their family roots.
Whatever they choose, this is a fun and challenging to-do list—and, as a bonus, kids get stickers to mark what they’d like to do and what they’ve done.

book descriptions from Amazon

A Big Mess!

A couple of months ago we stumbled upon some old Sesame Street books at a store and picked them all up. Calling them old makes me feel ancient, because they are all from the 70's and 80's. In fact, I remember one of them and think I had it when I was young.

The current favorite is Ernie's Big Mess. Bert gets frustrated with the mess Ernie leaves all over the apartment and yells at him that he wishes he lived alone. So poor Ernie packs up all of his toys and goes looking for a new place to live.

This book is currently on the nightstand waiting to be read before each nap and bedtime, but has to be taken in the car on long trips. It can occupy her for at least an hour in the car and she asks for it every time we get in. I wish I could find another copy so we had one in each place!



book cover photo from Muppet Wiki

Bedtime Books

Bedtime is one of my favorite times of the day. After the fun routine of bath or shower, and teethbrushing, I love to cuddle into the glider with Lillian and the books of her choice. While the I Love You book is still a favorite, I've gotten a little tired of the same 4 stories everynight and have tried to get her to branch out a little. So this week we have been reading You And Me by Giovanni Manna and The Snuggliest Snuggle in the World by Sarah Nash.