The RAHK Report for 1/28/18

Our week in reading included some lovely experiences with each of the following books:

• The Wonderful Farm by Marcel Aymé, illustrated by Maurice Sendak
  I'm loving this book more and more as we get further into it. This week, we finished the third chapter, The Mean Gander, and the fourth chapter, The Pig and the Peacock. As we go, some of the lessons learned by the two girls in the stories seem to become less and less obvious to Miss Muffet (4 years, 2 months) and Bo Peep (2 years, 4 months), but both of them still look forward to hearing the book every day at lunch. We may finish it this week. 
• Life Story by Virginia Lee Burton
  This is the most beautifully written and most beautifully illustrated book about evolution for kids that I have ever seen. I read it aloud to Miss Muffet over the course of several days this week, and I know it's a book we'll return to again and again. I have a review of the book scheduled for next month, so I'll save the rest of my comments until then, but truly, I can't recommend it highly enough. 
• History Can Be Fun by Munro Leaf
  Miss Muffet has been slowly reading this aloud, but she had taken a break from it for a while. This week, we brought it back into her repertoire and she enjoyed reading a few passages. Sometimes I question whether she comprehends what she reads in a book like this, but then she'll make a connection to another book, or a video, or to something else we're discussing, and she'll yell out, "That's my history!" The title of the book definitely rings true for her. 
• Lullaby and Good Night: Songs for Sweet Dreams by Julie Downing
  This is the most popular book in this household. The older two fight over who gets to read it, and they both use it to sing to the baby. The way they love it, though, we may need a replacement copy by the time the baby is old enough to want to read it.
  
  
• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
  Miss Muffet has always been a big Ezra Jack Keats fan, but Bo Peep is only just showing interest in his books. We read The Snowy Day together a few times this week, and just yesterday, she picked up the book and began retelling it to herself. She has also given Peter the nickname of "Pete." 
• Little Penguins by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Christian Robinson
  Bo Peep liked this book last winter after I used it in story time, and it has made a comeback with a vengeance this week. I try to use it as an opportunity to talk about colors with her, but mostly she just likes the mittens and the mommy. 
• Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin
  We watched the Weston Woods video of this story a couple of times this week. Miss Muffet and Bo Peep have always liked the book just fine, but they love the film, and it is always their top request when I offer to play something from Bookflix.
• Dot the Fire Dog by Lisa Desimini
  We have never read the physical book, but I showed the Weston Woods film to Miss Muffet once on a whim, and now it's also in our regular video rotation. Personally, I was completely terrified of fires as a kid and would never have been able to handle a book like this - I guess it's good that my kids are less worried about bad things happening. Watching the video also led to a game of fighting fires in the cardboard box "cave" we currently have in our living room.