Book #4: Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

The fifth book that I will be reviewing is Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems.

Published in 2004, ages 0-5

I am so excited to be telling you about this book! My friend and colleague, Michela, told me it was her favorite book and I have to say it is now one of my favorites too. I read this book to my daughter and was laughing out loud at it because it reminded me so much of her.

The story is of a baby who has a "Knuffle Bunny" lovey that she carries with her whereever she goes. In the book, her father and her walk down the street to the laundromat to do the laundry. While there, the Knuffle Bunny gets thrown into the laundry machine. The baby freaks out and in baby talk tries to communicate what has happened. The father has no idea what she is saying. They return home and the mother asks, "Where is Knuffle Bunny?, and they all take off to retrieve it.

This book was hysterical to me because my daughter is at the precise age as the baby in the book. She often tries to communicate with us and gets frusterated when we can't understand her. Furthermore, her lovey, "Bert the Cat" is equally important to her.

I particularly enjoyed the illustrations in this book. They are black and white photos of real city buildings (such as a Laundromat) combined with colorful drawings of the characters. The illustrations held my daughters attention and she sat still for the entire book. Which, for a 22 month old, is no small feat.

I also enjoyed the vocabulary used in the book. Ordinary everday words are used such as "block", "errand" and "realized" as well as interesting adjectives such as "bawled" and "boneless".

If you have a toddler, or have a had a toddler, this is a must read!

Book #3: Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

The next book for review is Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell.

This book was first published in 1982. It is intended for ages 4 and below.

I read this book with my 22 month old daughter and she loved it. It is a repetitive book that is very humorous and interactive for little hands. I enjoyed the message in the book. In the book, the narrator is writing to the zoo to get a pet from the zoo. The zoo keeps sending animals and he/she keeps sending them back. I liked the message that not all animals are pets. And that a lot of animals belong in the wild or the zoo, not your house. It opens up a whole new dialougue for a young mind.

On each page is a Lift the Flap detail that allows the reader to uncover an animal and the text describes the animal. For example, the first page uncovers an elephant and the text reads: "He was too Big". I liked that my daughter was able to identify certain vocabulary and traits with certain animals.

The illustrations in this book were also very colorful and engaging. The text of the book was clear, large and in normal text, not book text.

My daughter and I really enjoyed this book.... and I think you will too.

Book #2: Tickle, Tickle by Helen Oxenbury

Tickle, Tickle by Helen Oxenbury

Published in 1987

When I chose this book I was excited to read it with my daughter, who is 22 months old because of the title being Tickle, Tickle. I was pleasantly surprised that the book included a diversity of races of children. It is rare that this happens in books. However, I was dismayed when the mention of the title did not occur until the last page. It seemed like a waste of either a book or a title. If it had been titled Everyday Things or something like that, it would have been more indicative of the book. Helen Oxenbury has written other titles such as All Fall Down, Clap Hands, and Say Goodnight . I can't help but wonder what those books are made up of. Does the title only occur on the last page as this book does? To be honest, I don't have a desire to find out. All in all, the book should be commended for it's diversity and use of new vocabulary such as "squelch" and "gently" but the focus of the book needs to be addressed.

Book #1: Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins

The first book I will be reviewing is Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins.

The book was written in 1968 and is meant for ages 3-6.

I thought this book was very clever, indeed. It is the story of a hen who takes a walk and is followed by a fox. The fox, of course, is on a mission to make Rosie his dinner but he gets thwarted several times along the way. I liked this book because of the humorous illustrations. The story is not only in the text but the pictures as well as the fox gets stuck along the way by ponds, sticks, rakes and other obstacles. These obstacles lend the reader to a chuckle because Rosie is never made aware of the threat of the fox.
The illustrations are clearly from the 1970's. They are done in the classic pumpkin orange, olive green and tree bark brown hues with a folk art feel. They reminded me of a picture my parents had in our house growing up. In this way, there was an odd comfort about them rather than a jarring outdated feel. All in all, this was an excellent book to be enjoyed by children and adults as well.

Introduction

Hello everyone, I am starting this blog based on my love of children's books. As an elementary school teacher, I have come across many gems that I look forward to sharing with you. I am currently on childcare leave and have an almost 2 year old daughter and a son on the way. Due to being a mother, my love of children's books has expanded to board books as well as the elementary age appropriate books. I recently came across a list of books from 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Upby Julia Eccleshare. I was surprised that I had only read 138 of the books! I immediately placed several books on hold at my library. I am looking forward to reading all of the books and then some as well as sharing them on this blog. I hope you enjoy the ride!