Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Library Bag Favorites #2

We had another winning library bag this week! Some of our favorites from our most recent trip are (in no particular order):
  • Caps for Sale. I remember seeing this book on Reading Rainbow growing up, and I remember loving it. I wasn't sure if it would be too long for Phoebe, but she loves hats... and she loves monkeys... so it was a sure-fire win. She's chosen it several times for our bedtime read, and she's even tried to read it to Nora. (Nora was, by the way, more interested in the book jacket.) It's a classic worth reading; we'll probably be buying a copy.
  • Hooray for Fish. Oh fish, how we love thee...especially this week, since Phoebe got to watch Finding Nemo last weekend. I love the vivid illustrations of the fish and the unique fish pictured. Smaller children would love this book because there's little text and bold illustrations. Hooray for this book! (This is also by the author of the Maisy books, if you're interested.)
  • Roar! When I opened this book, I dreamed up about six different third grade reading block lessons I could do...but you're probably not interested in why this is a great book for third grade literacy. It was great for Phoebe because of the bright colors, the variety of animals, and the really interesting language used in the text. We learned a lot about animal sounds and movements. And we read it a lot, since I kept it in the bathroom for the first day of potty training. She liked it more the more we read it.
  • Noah's Ark. This is a wordless picture book that is beautifully illustrated. We loved examining the pictures and telling the story of Noah. Phoebe particularly loved noticing little things in the pictures, and it caused her to ask a lot of questions. This would be a great addition to a family library. My favorite part of the book is the opening poem, a sixteenth century Dutch poem about Noah... and God's grace.
  • Put it on the List. Oh my goodness, did I ever empathize with the Mom in this book... except I'm the one guilty of not putting things on the list. Great illustrations, funny little story... and a sweet reminder to write things down so I'm not wandering Target with a hungry toddler and a fussy baby wondering what on earth I was supposed to get.
I should add...if you want a great resource for finding good, age-appropriate children's books, I would highly recommend Honey for a Child's Heart. It's a good overview of why you should have literature in the home, but it is fantastic because of its appendix of high-quality children's literature. It has an emphasis on classics, and the book is written from a Christian worldview. If you're wondering where to start in the library, books like this are a great resource!

1 comment:

rhiannon said...

When I worked at Zany Brainy, I liked to read Where Do Ballons Go? and Today I Feel Silly, both by Jamie Lee Curtis (really!). I bet Phoebe will LOVE learning about moods (and I'm sure you know how important it is to teach kids feeling words!) and the illustrations are SO silly and lovely (good for Nora!).

Also, I still have some stuff from Italy for the girls.