The children in this house have read so many books this Fall it would take a month of posts to discuss them all! So instead of trying to mention every book, I've made a list of the books I have perceived to be the girls' favorites over the past couple of months.
- All Alone by Clare Huchet Bishop, illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky
This short Newbery honor story about two boys caring for their cattle in the French Alps was suggested as a lunch time read-aloud by my husband. I knew Little Miss Muffet (age 5) would love it, but I was not expecting Little Bo Peep (age 3) to also find it so engaging. It was Bo Peep who would remind me to get the book, listen with rapt attention, and beg for just one more chapter. Typically, she is not that interested in adventure stories, but this one, which has a fair amount of danger and suspense, held her attention from beginning to end.
- The Enchanted Wood and The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
Miss Muffet laughed her way through both of these titles, which she read independently, and during the time she was reading them, spoke incessantly of rhe Saucepan Man and other new "friends" she made in the books. I'm glad to see her responding to fantasy stories, something I still struggle to do as an adult! I haven't read either of these books, but I'd feel confident in recommending them after seeing her reaction.
- Sophie Mouse series by Poppy Green
Miss Muffet received books 1-4 of this series earlier this year, and then book 5 at the start of the school year. After she'd read book 5 at least 5 times, my mom sent her some more for her birthday. Of the four titles she received for her birthday (two weeks ago) she has already read three. They are a bit easy for her at this point, but they are great for her to read when she wants to relax. She's always excited to tell me about a new character who comes into the story, and she likes that Sophie is "a girl just like me, but she's a mouse." She also received the first two books in the Heartwood Hotel series for her birthday (also from my mom) and those are a bit more challenging, but she's excited about them because they remind her of Sophie.
- All About Sam by Lois Lowry
I read all of the Anastasia books and all of the Sam books back when I was still working in the library, and I remember thinking how great the Sam books would be for a precocious preschooler to hear read aloud. When we found a paperback copy of All About Sam among a bunch of stuff at my childhood home this summer, I brought it home and it was one of our November lunch time read-alouds. Both Little Miss Muffet and Little Bo Peep instantly loved Sam, and they really related to the daily dramas of his young life. It was one of our best read-alouds of the year.
- Who Lives in this House? by Glenn Blough, illustrated by Jeanne Bendick
I used this book to help teach Miss Muffet about how animals build their homes, and I enjoyed it just as much as she did. Though this is a picture book, it manages to pack in a lot of scientific information, and the illustrations really help illuminate the actions described by the text. On the heels of this book, we also read this author's Who Lives at the Seashore? on Open Library, a book we will likely revisit before we go to the aquarium in February.
- Castle: Medieval Days and Knights by Kyle Olmon and Tracy Sabin
I have had this pop-up book since Little Miss Muffet was a baby, and finally brought it out to read a week or so ago. Both Little Miss Muffet and Little Bo Peep were in awe of all the little details in the pop-up illustrations and they both cited the chapel and the dungeon as their favorite parts of the castle. I have to keep the book hidden because I know it will get destroyed if it's out where they can handle it any time, but I expect to be asked for it a lot!
- Where's Santa Claus? by Ingela P. Arrhenius
This book came to Little Jumping Joan (age 13 months) from St. Nicholas, and he (I) received it as a review copy from Nosy Crow. It's a lift-the-flap book, but instead of flimsy paper flaps, the ones in this book are made of felt. This is a stroke of genius in my opinion because not only can a baby not rip a piece of felt in half, she also can't get a paper cut from a felt flap. The last page of the book is a mirror, which has also been a lot of fun for her to explore. This book has gone all around the house with her during the past week, and will probably be by her side until Epiphany when the Christmas books go away.
- Singing in the Rain illustrated by Tim Hopgood
My sister sent this picture book for Little Jumping Joan's birthday, and we all loved it right away, just as we did What a Wonderful World, also illustrated by Tim Hopgood. Jumping Joan loves anything that involves singing, so this was a natural fit for her, and her sisters also like to take it out and attempt to sing the tune. (We're still working on learning how it actually goes.)
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