friday's five

We came home with dozens and dozens of picture books from the library this week, yet the kids are a little stuck on the Charlie and Lola front. As a result, I'm presenting five picture books this week that I chose from the library shelves that I just know my kids will love when I convince them that I've retired my (lame-o) British accent at story time. I'm confident these five will bring giggles along with our reading time snuggles.

1. The Doghouse by Jan Thomas -- I'm pretty sure we've borrowed this one in the past, because Jan Thomas' illustrations scream at kids from the library shelves with their big-eyed animal characters and bright colors. They're generally fabulous books for short read aloud times, because though they have short bits of text, the stories have LOTS of STRONG emotions to play on as the reader, as Mouse's face exhibits here. Oh, and they're resolved in funny ways, so laughs are a sure bet from any young listening crowd.

2. My Side of the Car by Kate Feiffer and illustrated by Jules Feiffer -- This adorable book by father and daughter Feiffers is actually inspired by a real life father/daughter outing, as described in a note at the end. I'm pretty certain Red will "get" this book quickly, as she is very good herself at denying reality in favor of an alternative scenario more to her liking. Pudge will probably just laugh at the absurdity of it all, especially the funny pictures.

3. Tell Me the Day Backwards by Albert Lamb and  illustrated by David McPhail -- With soft and soothing illustrations by McPhail, his specialty, this is a lovely little bedtime story that does exactly as its title says. Timmy Bear had an adventurous day which is related to the reader from ending back to the beginning. I think this will be fun to try to copy with the kids, too, and there's got to be some cool learning going along with recreating a backwards sequence, right? (I know this is not necessary to relate, but I had to note that our library copy smells really funky, though it appears brand new. Odd, huh?)

 

4. Too Many Toys by David Shannon -- It's been a while since the kids saw this when it first came out, but they were a bit too young to truly appreciate it. Now? Yes, these kids who are swimming in toys, with small bedrooms stuffed to the gills, will most certainly understand the humor in this one and be able to relate. I especially love Shannon's portrayals of the parents, because I've never seen a better depiction of the pain that is stepping barefoot on a bunch of little Lego. This is the perfect picture book to entertain both kids and parents, trust me.

5. RRRalph by Lois Ehlert -- If you have young children and aren't familiar with the Ehlert section of your local library, you must fix this error immediately. Ehlert is known for her eclectic collage style, and children love to identify the silly items that come together to make the pictures. The text is often simple, but the story line here is funny with its plays on words, just the perfect fare for pre-k and kindergarten kids. I guarantee that this is a book that pre-readers will return to this book on their own after reading it with an adult, to "re-read" it to themselves. The different sized and shaped make-up of Ehlert's books make them stand out on the shelf even more!


Happy for Fridays,