friday's five

Seriously? What would we do without our public library? In our house, we're so incredibly fortunate to have hundreds of picture books in our possession, yet I cannot imagine what life would be like without the rotation of library books in our lives. The kids get so excited to choose books, each and every time, and their excitement is a wonder to behold. Leaving the library with 40-70 picture books may hurt my arms, but it definitely feels good in my heart. Here are five books the younger kids and I have enjoyed this week.

1. Little America by Helen Foster James -- Don't let this book's status as a board book keep you from showing it to your preschooler or kindergartener. The rhymes on each page give clues about different symbols, experiences and landmarks that are famously known in our country. Even after Red and Pudge were familiar with what was coming next in the book, they've enjoyed returning to the book to talk about the Statue of Liberty, baseball, and apple pie.

2. My First Day at Nursery School by Becky Edwards and illustrated by Anthony Flintoft -- While we may not call it "nursery school" at the lab school where I'll be once again teaching and Red and Pudge will be students, the gist of this book was right on for us. I think this will be a recurring theme in our library check-outs over the upcoming weeks as I work to prepare the kids for their first schooling experiences. The emphasis in this book is the fun experiences, and the little girl who's being reluctantly brought to school on the cover feels quite differently by the last pages. Here's hoping that we all make such a smooth transition!

3. One Hole in the Road by W. Nikola-Lisa and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino -- You know that if a book features vehicles or construction paraphernalia, it's a Pudge Pick. This classic counting book uses a construction site as the backdrop. With that one hole in the road, there's much work to be done, and lots of passersby and various workers all interested in what's going on. I happen to adore Yaccarino's illustrative style, and the bright colors pull kids in immediately. If you've got a construction-oriented kid, this is the perfect book to have fun with while reinforcing counting skills.

4. We All Went on Safari: A Counting Journey through Tanzania by Laurie Krebs and illustrated by Julia Cairns -- I have to admit that I don't often look in the soft cover book boxes at the library, but the kids are often drawn there and the results are often hit or miss. This one? A big hit. Another counting book, this one introduces the Swahili numbers one to ten, and gives some information about the Maasai people of Tanzania. Thankfully, there's a pronunciation guide at the end for the Swahili names and terms. Love the nonfiction bits at the end of the book, too. All around this is a fabulous and fun book.

5. I Can't Stop Hiccuping! by Lauren Child -- Okay. I'm not usually a fan of any tv-show-trying-to-pass-as-a-picture-book, but... the Charlie and Lola series is actually kind of cute. Maybe it's because we've only seen a handful of episodes, so the show isn't imprinted on our brains, and the books are cute and charming all on their own, even if you never even knew about the show's existence. If you are familiar with the show, I dare you to get through one of the stories without affecting a British accent.


Wishing you lovely library times,