Soooo, people really love this book, but I…really don’t. I guess it’s cute, but I just can’t seem to get past the gender stereotyping in this series. Soooo, people really love this book, but I…really don’t. I guess it’s cute, but I just can’t seem to get past the gender stereotyping in this series. As a girl who had zero interest in makeup or dolls as a kid, but who did love collecting earthworms and playing pirate, I will admit that I am probably a little more sensitive to this kind of thing than most people are. But reading these books always sort of makes me feel a bit icky. :/...more
This was one of the very first books that my son wanted to read over and over again, probably when he was about a year old. It's super simple, and jusThis was one of the very first books that my son wanted to read over and over again, probably when he was about a year old. It's super simple, and just follows a mom and her child as they put away laundry and get the child dressed to go to the park, but he loved it and we ended up checking it out multiple times. ...more
I had a pretty long, thoughtful review written out for this one, and then something happened with the app and I lost it! Anyway, I don’t have the enerI had a pretty long, thoughtful review written out for this one, and then something happened with the app and I lost it! Anyway, I don’t have the energy to try to recreate it. This gist of it was…I don’t really love this book.
I find a number of the ideas in it super gross/dumb (if someone hates you and is a complete asshole to you for no good reason, all you have to do is save their kid from drowning and then everything will be just fine!), and I find it a bit unsettling as an adult. My normal policy is to read anything to my two-year-old that he’s interested in and just talk about the parts that need to be talked about, but there’s so much going on in this that just feels…kind of ick to me. Plus, he’s starting to get kind of freaked out by the closet scene. I’m freaked out by it, too!
I guess it’s maybe a good book to start discussions about prejudice and bullying, but I think I’m going to put it away for awhile and just try a different Lyle book, since I think he’s really the main draw for my son. ...more
We have ended up with a bunch of our youngest nephew’s old early readers, and this is the one that Elijah got stuck on right off the bat. He is a dog We have ended up with a bunch of our youngest nephew’s old early readers, and this is the one that Elijah got stuck on right off the bat. He is a dog fan like his parents, so it’s no wonder, but I think he also just loves saying the word “pup.” Anyway, I don’t always love the Berenstain Bears, but this one is actually pretty good....more
I sort of had to force Elijah to read this one by looking at it over lunch one day, but he was immediately hooked. Partly it’s the intricacies of the I sort of had to force Elijah to read this one by looking at it over lunch one day, but he was immediately hooked. Partly it’s the intricacies of the art, especially that a couple of his favorite stuffed animals (Rex the sloth and Kian the toucan) make appearances, but partly I think it’s just the slow, quiet mood of it. It’s really a very beautiful, imaginative book, and I can see it being a springboard to all sorts of other topics. I am never disappointed when he asks for this one!...more
I...don't super love this one, but Elijah does, and has wanted it read to him over and over again. He mainly seems to be stuck on the page where SpencI...don't super love this one, but Elijah does, and has wanted it read to him over and over again. He mainly seems to be stuck on the page where Spencer yells at his sister and makes her cry and then his mom makes him have a tea party with her to apologize. I do like how it ends, but...I dunno. I'm getting pretty tired of this one. ...more
I grabbed this at the library based on the art alone, but at first every time I tried to read it Elijah said, "No." Then I told him he didn't have to I grabbed this at the library based on the art alone, but at first every time I tried to read it Elijah said, "No." Then I told him he didn't have to listen, but I wanted to read it to myself. So I did, out loud, and the second I finished it he said, "MORE!" and then immediately made me read it two more times. Since then it has been following us around from room to room and I have read it to him a bunch, and he has sat down with it and looked through it himself, and it really is a great book. So many sounds! Beautiful pictures! So much to love! ...more
This was a gift from Elijah's aunt, uncle and cousins. Okay, partly I just have very, very fond memories of reading many of these stories as a kid mysThis was a gift from Elijah's aunt, uncle and cousins. Okay, partly I just have very, very fond memories of reading many of these stories as a kid myself, so I am never bothered when Elijah wants to read it, but it helps that he focuses on three or four stories at a time and wants to read just those, and not the entire book, because it's pretty long! I had sort of forgotten how funny Richard Scarry books are until he got hooked on this one. Somewhere I'm pretty sure I have another collection of stories from my childhood days. I need to find that thing!...more
This is a book that was given to me by Susan at work as a baby shower gift when we were welcoming our own Elijah! It's a book about a Jewish family ceThis is a book that was given to me by Susan at work as a baby shower gift when we were welcoming our own Elijah! It's a book about a Jewish family celebrating Passover together, and simultaneously, the story of a young kitten and how it finds a home. The illustrations are warm and evocative, and I love the way the boy's and the kitten's evenings parallel each other until they meet. We read this book multiple times a day for about a month, and I never really got sick of it. ...more
One of the very first books that Elijah picked out for himself at the library, and we kept it for months and reread it about 5,000 times before it finOne of the very first books that Elijah picked out for himself at the library, and we kept it for months and reread it about 5,000 times before it finally had to go back. We're definitely planning on buying a copy at some point. Super simple concept, but the illustrations are so good, and the way the story unfolds all in B words is so well-done! I never got tired of this one, and I miss it now that we don't have it anymore!...more
This book totally kicked off my son's Ladybug Girl obsession and we've now read it about a million times. He knows all the dogs, can complete most of This book totally kicked off my son's Ladybug Girl obsession and we've now read it about a million times. He knows all the dogs, can complete most of the sentences, and while he's now mostly moved on to Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy, he still requests this one from time to time. It's pretty great, although I personally feel that Elvis does not receive nearly enough screen time. I love him the best!...more
Yep, another Ladybug Girl book we've been reading into the ground!
In this one Lulu and her family go to the beach, and Lulu finds the ocean is a littYep, another Ladybug Girl book we've been reading into the ground!
In this one Lulu and her family go to the beach, and Lulu finds the ocean is a little scarier than she thought it would be! Of course, once she turns into Ladybug Girl to rescue her favorite pail from being swept out to sea, all is well. My personal favorite part is "This is a good time to remind her parents about ice cream." I don't know why, but it makes me smile every time. Probably because I really love ice cream.
So, my son is super into Ladybug Girl, and we've been reading this one constantly for about three weeks now. I like that it shows Lulu and Sam having So, my son is super into Ladybug Girl, and we've been reading this one constantly for about three weeks now. I like that it shows Lulu and Sam having disagreements over what to play together, and then finally figuring out how to work together. I like that they have imagination, and that their game is kind of infectious (enter Marley and Kiki).
I was definitely aware of Ladybug Girl when I worked at the library, but never actually read one, because they just looked annoying to me (I know, I JUDGED THE BOOKS BY THE COVERS!!!). But they've won me over, and I definitely don't want to hide them under the couch like certain other oft-requested books I could name!...more
This is yet another book that Elijah has gotten completely hooked on. I love when he grabs random books at the library and they turn out to be really This is yet another book that Elijah has gotten completely hooked on. I love when he grabs random books at the library and they turn out to be really good and keep him occupied for weeks!
This one is about a little girl whose grandpa is visiting from China. It's her first time to meet him, but things don't really go as she planned as they have trouble communicating in multiple ways. Of course, they do manage to connect by the end, and every time I read this to Elijah (it's been about 15 times now) I get a tear in my eye when Yeh-Yeh gives Daisy a ticket to China to visit him!
Beautiful illustrations, sweet story with lots to talk about, and a recipe for fried rice at the end!...more
This book is Elijah’s latest obsession, and I have been asked to read it to him about five times a day for the last couple of weeks. I definitely did This book is Elijah’s latest obsession, and I have been asked to read it to him about five times a day for the last couple of weeks. I definitely did not read this one as a kid, so I had no idea what to expect, but it’s actually pretty good! Thanks, Jaime—I think this was one of yours?
Anyway, if you’re looking for a book to inspire your child to maybe clean their room every once in awhile, this could be the one? I for sure could have used it as a young one, ha!...more
I swear, my kid latches onto the weirdest books sometimes! He grabbed this one off the shelf at the library this morning and he has already made me reI swear, my kid latches onto the weirdest books sometimes! He grabbed this one off the shelf at the library this morning and he has already made me read it to him about ten times. He gets reeeeeally fixated on the page where the bat gets scared and then he and the frog shake hands. Why? Maybe because he’s also really been into the phrase “nice to meet you” for some reason? I dunno, he’s one.
Anyway, I don’t know anything about Matt Furie, although I guess this frog is kind of a big deal or something? But I feel like probably this book was drawn while high. I guess it’s kind of a nice story, and it’s neat that it doesn’t have words, so you can kind of fill in your own details or speculations, but it is a strange one! I think I’ll be okay with it when he (hopefully) eventually gets bored with it and I can take it back to the library....more
I happened across this book while looking for something else and it just sounded cool, so I put it on hold. And it is SUPER cool! Beautiful illustratiI happened across this book while looking for something else and it just sounded cool, so I put it on hold. And it is SUPER cool! Beautiful illustrations based on real photographs of seven kids around the world and their families, their houses, their meals, their schools, their games, their beds, their clothes, their names... It’s fun to see the similarities and differences among all of these kids, and learn more about where and how they live. It’s a very simple concept, but done just perfectly! I would love for there to be more books like this for sure. ————- Update: Elijah has now gotten hooked on this book as well. At this point you can name any of the kids or any of their family members and he can point them out. He knows who all the clothes and houses belong to. He gets really disturbed by the fact that one Japanese girl is not in her seat and yells, “No, girl!” at her whenever we get to that page, and he also doesn’t like that apparently kids in Russia don’t raise their hands all the way up in class. He loves saying “Bonka” (which is what he calls his little brother) when he sees Kian helping take care of his little brother. He always tries to grab the bike at Kei’s house out of the book, and he is weirdly fixated on Romeo’s dad Oscar.
All that to say, my not-quite-two-year-old also thinks it’s super cool, and I am kind of amazed at how well a book this long has held his attention! We have read it about 25 times now, and he just seems to get sucked in deeper and deeper.
Am I regretting bringing it home now? …Maybe a little? But mostly I still really love it....more
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