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Thursday, February 12, 2009

Ro and Ree's bookshelves

The girls love books, maybe even as much as they love their mangy stuffed snowmen. Well, maybe. Anyhow it's been a real kick this week to introduce Catherine to Ro and Ree's favorite books, so I thought it might be interesting to capture their current faves in a blog post. Click, Clack, Moo by Doreen Cronin. The newest fave (introduced to us by fellow booklovers H2 and S2). This book is hilarious, I giggled the first time I heard it and still crack up each time I read it to the girls. Get this book right now -- seriously -- you'll love it. Oh, and make sure you have the kids say "Moo" each time you say "Click, Clack." That's how H2 and S2 do it, and they'll be happy to know that's how Ro and Ree's whole preschool did it when they brought the book in today. 'The The rest of the books, in no particular order other than the sporadic way I slapped them on the floor for this pic: The girls' fave books Grandpa's Mask by Jing Jing Guo and Di Wu. A beautifully illustrated story that we got in Australia on our babymoon (the trip we took days after receiving our referral for the girls). Cool story about a girl and her Grandpa from China who really dig Peking Opera. The girls think it's tops. Froggy Bakes a Cake by Jonathan London. The girls love the entire Froggy series. Going to the Dentist, a DK First Steps book. We got this book to help the girls get ready to go to the dentist, and, sadly, still haven't taken them. (Will remedy that very soon, I promise.) Anyhow, they think the book is just fascinating. Every Year on Your Birthday by Rose Lewis. Great story, the girls love every word and so do we. Food for Thought by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers. These guys make some amazing things out of food. Fascinating. My Visit to the Aquarium by Aliki. We picked this one up at the Monterey Aquarium and the girls just have a ball poring over the pages and saying "We saw dis! We see dis too!" Neat book, especially if you've ever taken the kids to an aquarium. Chicks and Salsa by Aaron Reynolds. Hilarious. Really. And quite clever. The Eentsy, Weentsy, Spider by Joanna Cole and Stephanie Calmenson. If you're like me and can never think of any songs when the kids demand one, this book is for you. It has all the good "hand motion" ones. The Best Nest by P.D. Eastman. Has been a fave for two years now and still going strong. DW's Guide to Preschool by Marc Brown. When the girls were going to start preschool we scoured the bookstores looking for a nice, friendly way to prep them. This book was the best. It was Ree's hands-down favorite book for almost a year and gave nice, concrete examples of what they could expect at preschool. (We're big on prep around here.) The Berenstain Bears Go to School by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Good story to introduce the idea of school. Mother Goose Rhymes by Platt and Munk Publishers. This was one of my books when I was a kid, so it's (ahem) four decades old. I Love You Like Crazy Cakes by Rose Lewis. The girls love this book because it tells the story of a baby who was adopted from China. But I have to say we have never read the words as printed. The story is told in first person, which is confusing for the girls, and we don't love exactly what it says, so we flip through the pictures and tell our own story to accompany the images (sorry Miss Lewis!). The Dancing Dragon by Marcia Vaughan. Great pictures and a great flip book for Chinese New Year. It folds out to read. The Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood. This one was a fave when they were babies and they still like to hear it. It's a short one. A Quilt of Wishes by Teresa Orem Werner. The girls are fascinated by this story of a mother who makes a good wishes quilt for her baby in China. Wonderfully informative story, but make sure you read it the first few times by yourself because you will not get through it without crying. Trust me. Dim Sum for Everyone by Grace Lin. Ro and Ree especially like to read this book before or after they've gone for dim sum. Bear Wants More and Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson. I just love these books and could read them over and over. Thank goodness, because they consistently get picked for bedtime. Fun stories, vibrant writing, and beautiful illustrations. Wet Pet, Dry Pet, Your Pet, My Pet by Dr. Suess. A good one for younger kids. Our girls still love the interactive stuff on each page. It's short. Olivia and the Missing Toy. Love all the Olivia books. Brain Quest by Smart Start. Have you seen these little fan-like Q&A books? Awesome learning materials. And the girls are utterly captivated by them. They beg "Can we do questions mama?" Applemouse. Another book from when I was a kid. Great story, I'll bet I've read it a thousand times in my lifetime. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess. Another vintage book from the 1960s. I actually can't stand to read this book, but the girls keep finding it (gee I don't know who keeps hiding it) and begging for it so I suck it up and do it. Well those are the books I grabbed in a quick pass through the playroom. What other ones should we add to Ro and Ree's bookshelves? Please share your favorites!

43 comments:

  1. Some of my almost 4 year old daughter's books -

    Anything by Sandra Boynton -

    http://sandraboynton.com/sboynton/Introduction.html

    but especially Snuggle Puppy; Pajama Time; Hey, Wake Up; & Blue Hat, Green Hat

    Anything by David Shannon -

    http://www.scholastic.com/titles/authors/david_shannon.htm

    Current favorites are David Goes To School as well as No, David

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  2. Skippy John Jones is a favorite in our house... I still giggle when reading it out loud. My son is 7 and we have been reading it since he was 3. He still loves these ones read to him. The way it is written you cannot help but use an accent. Skippy John Jones is a very silly siamese kitten with "a head to big for his body and ears to big for his head" with a zorro like alter ego named El Skipito. So very very fun. He is adorable.

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  3. Ooo...Shaoey and Dot by Steven Curtis Chapman but don't buy it as I have an extra copy and will bring it next time. Hey...another reason to come back!!

    Great book list here! Hope to read them all before leaving and add many to Hannah's library.

    Books are the best and reading with your little girls so fun!! Each time I think of their Moo it makes me smile from ear to ear!!

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  4. Froooooogy! Whaaaaaaaat? Oh the number of times I've read that book. We continue to take "Baby Sister" out from the library .. Maya LOVES those books but apparently does NOT want a baby sister. Not that we are open for discussion on that issue anyway!

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  5. You've got some great ones!!! Some of the Tongginator's favorites:

    Guji Guji by Chih-Yuan Chen
    Has Anyone Seen My Emily Greene? by Norma Fox Mazer
    The Seven Chinese Sisters by Kathy Tucker
    Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
    Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr.
    One Duck Stuck by Phyllis Root
    The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle

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  6. My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss

    A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon (really any of his books are great)

    Miss Spider's New Car

    Frog and Toad are Friends, by Arnold Lobel

    Frances books, by Russell Hoban and Lillian Hoban

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  7. Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee, it's awesome, and our son loves it.
    Also, Naughty Little Monkeys, and anything that is a search and find.

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  8. Anonymous2/13/2009

    So glad you got Chicks and Salsa. We love it too along with "Buffalo Wings" by the same author.

    Tess has really been into the Toot and Puddle series by Holly Hobbie these days. Also, Someone Says, the Squiggle, and Dragon Dancing by Pierr Morgan and Carole Lexa Schaeffer.

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  9. The author of Click Clack Moo also wrote a book called Dooby Dooby Moo that's pretty great too!

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  10. There's another book about the Animals at Farmer Brown's place. We love that one too. It's Giggle, Giggle, Quack http://www.amazon.com/Giggle-Quack-Doreen-Cronin-Author/dp/0689845065/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234533643&sr=8-2

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  11. This is a great idea. I love books and I so want Emily to love books too. I'm totally stealing this and doing this for us this weekend!!

    and maybe running to barnes and noble's to pick up a few of these! Em's current fave is Sheep in a Jeep. You're girls would get a kick out of it if you get the chance to find it. (and so will you and tubadad!)

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  12. Anonymous2/13/2009

    You are missing our all time favorite "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendack. I can picture your girls doing the wild things dance and they'll put together costumes for that dance with no problems. I'm now a grandma and the story continues on in our family. The book has now been memorized by 3 generations. All the Sendack books are magic.

    They would also love all the Curious George books. My younger son taught himself at 2-1/2 to read because I got so sick of the stories and told him we'd take a break. But in moderation the girls will love them - lots of a certain monkey on each page.

    Another thought: Two Little Trains by Mararet Wise Brown (I think). Read it with the cadance of a train.

    Hope that helps.

    Kat

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  13. Here are some of our favorites that celebrate diversity and/or adoption:
    Whoever You Are by Mem Fox
    We're Different, We're the Same by Bobbie Kates
    We Belong Together by Todd Parr

    Other favorites are:
    Skippy Jon Jones (this is a parents fave...kids are too young to follow along just yet)
    Anything by Eric Carle - Hungry Caterpillar, Brown Bear, etc.
    Anything in the "If you give a mouse a cookie" series

    Have fun!

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  14. ALWAYS Good Night, Moon--I love that they can "read" this on their own.

    Another new fave-Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann. Read it, your pink-obsessed kiddo will LOVE IT!

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  15. Anonymous2/13/2009

    Great collection, but you desperately need Graeme Base (Animalia, The Eleventh Hour, etc).

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  16. Re: Crazycakes. I've never read it as printed either.... I just kind of weave my way around it to make it "our" story...

    Oh and Skippy John bookes are GREAT!

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  17. Our favorite book right now is Don't let the pigeon Drive the bus! or any of the other pigeon books. It is completely hysterical, although we don't have kids but the neice and nephew love it.

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  18. We're big fan of the Bear books here too! We read in Spanish too, so our faves are a mix in both languages.

    Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day (I though it would be too long for our then 2 year old, but he LOVES it - we know it by heart)

    I love you forever (my eyes well up every time I read it, which is often)

    The Max & Ruby series.

    The Family Book by Todd Parr

    Where the Wild Things Are (tho I edit the story line a bit...)

    Thanks for sharing your list, we're always on the look out for good books!

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  19. I would agree, the Pigeon books are hillarious (by Mo Willems). We also love Duck on a Bike by David Shannon, Too Many Monsters by Eve Bunting, the "monkey" books by Eileen Christelow, and The Knuffle Bunny. So cute!

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  20. My friend Tassie's sister is Teresa Orem Werner and I remember having our reunion in Seattle about 3 years ago and she brought her sister's book for all of us to see. It's really beautiful. Tassie and I met on our DTC Yahoo group for China more than 4 years ago and many of us are still in touch after all this time.

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  21. Anonymous2/13/2009

    We have a big "reader" here, too. Some top favorites in Piperland are:
    Pinkalicious
    Fancy Nancy
    Snow White
    Old Hat, New Hat
    Cat in the Hat
    Green Eggs & Ham
    Olivia
    Angelina Ballerina
    Brown Bear, Brown Bear
    Guess How Much I Love You
    Yum Yum Dim Sum
    First Book of Sushi

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  22. Anonymous2/13/2009

    We just discovered Humpty Dumpty Climbs Again by Dave Horowitz. Hilarious! The Horn Book Magazine (they review children's books) puts out a monthly parents' e-newsletter (free), which features new books for all ages, and there are always some great new picture books. I highly recommend it: http://www.hbook.com/newsletter/index.html
    (Their website has some good booklists, too, for those who like lists: http://www.hbook.com/resources/books/default.asp) Just my 2 cents.

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  23. I second the pigeon books. Pigeon wants a puppy is great too. And by that same author (Mo Williems) Knuffle Bunny. All are favorites with our four and half year old. She can read them by herself too, just because she has them memorized from start to finish. Also "It's ok to be different" by I think Todd Parks.

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  24. My First Book of Sushi by Amy Wilson Sanger- this is one in a series of little board books that are rhymes about different types of food, this is the most lyrical and fun.
    The Henry Series by D.B. Johnson- Henry Hikes to Fitchburg was and is the fave around here.
    Fly Away Home by K.D. Plum- great bed time story. This is about a little bird flying home to his nest after a big day of flying in the city.
    The Daisy Series by Jane Simmons.
    The Wizard by Bill Martin Jr. - awesome book. Simple rhyme about some magicl mischief. The illustrations are fabulous.
    Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton- this is a story about an insomniac sheep.
    The Cinder Eyed Cats by Eric Rohmann.
    The Walloping Window Blind the Jim LaMarche adaptation and illustrations.
    Last but not least, the most favorite book in this house has been Come On Rain! by Karen Hesse, This one may be a bit old for the girls now, but it is worth getting - we can not get enough of this story.
    Also about the Sushi book? On one 15 hour car trip, the only thing that would keep Ev happy was this poem. I recited it about a thousand and twelve times from memory. You know what? I still loved it after that trip.

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  25. Love "The Bear" seires... bear sleeps on, bear is sick,

    also the fancy nancy series....

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  26. Our daughter loves the Mr. Putter and Tabby series. Her current favorites are Mr. Putter and Tabby Paint the Porch as well as Mr. Putter and Tabby Watch the Fish.

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  27. ok-- you HAVE to have the following:

    Pinkalicious and Purplicious (forgot the authoer- but easy to find) SOrry- they don't have Yellowicious!

    Do Princesses really kiss frogs
    Do Princesses scrape their knees

    Any of the Berenstein Bears- my kids all Love them!

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  28. Anonymous2/13/2009

    Greame Base is wonderful, especially Animalia, bith alphabet and seek and find with amazing illustrations

    Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm by Jerdine Nolan...my daughter had me read that multiple times daily for many, many months...a great craft to tie in with it (if you ever have a Mystery or parent reader day at school is to make individual worms and dirt cups and Plant a small ballon tied to a coffee stirrer stick, a definate favorite!

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  29. I loved seeing that someone else still had their beloved copy of Mother Goose Rhymes! Mine is in dire need of a rebinding! The current faves are Kitten's First Full Moon and Come Along Daisy. I also love the Skippyjon Jones books but its really a 5-7 age group to appreciate it. My older son LOVES them.

    -Heather

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  30. Anonymous2/13/2009

    I love Ruby Lu, Brave and True, by Lenore Look. I think it capture AA childhood, at least mine, well.
    Take care, Lin

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  31. One of my favorites: I will never, not ever, eat a tomato. (Charlie and Lola) by Lauren Child

    Another by the same author: I am not sleep and I will not go to bed (Charlie and Lola) by Lauren Child.

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  32. Anonymous2/13/2009

    Click, Clack, Moo is in our second grade reader!! The kids love it. The book is also read on Discovery Learning on the web. We love the book, also!

    Mary McG
    in TN

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  33. Great post! We have several of these as well. My kids also like the Walter the Farting Dog series, so funny! Other favorites here include: Goodnight moon (by Margaret Wise Brown), Tails, I don't have your eyes, Lucky Dragon Dance and Where the Wild Things Are.

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  34. Anything "Skippyjon Jones". Also, "Don't let the pigeon ride the bus!".

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  35. As a kinder teacher, there is nothing better than the Pigeon Books, or actually anything by Mo Willems. All my little nieces 2-5 LOVE them. Also, Go Away Big Green Monster is a great one! I am going to have to try some of these other ones out.

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  36. Anonymous2/13/2009

    Oh ... what a delightful post to see what the girls are reading! I adore the Llama, Llama books for the rhythm in the language - Carmelle loves books I'd have never picked out on my own like "Big Red Barn" and "Escape of Marvin the Ape."

    But do check out the Llama, Llama books!

    http://www.amazon.com/Llama-Mad-at-Mama/dp/0670062405

    -Friea

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  37. Eliza is loving the little critter books. We just went to the library and checked out a bunch of them.

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  38. Anonymous2/14/2009

    There is a series by Phoebe Gilman called "Jillian Jiggs" which I think your girls would get a kick out of. We were introduced to the series when a friend bought the first one titled "Jillian Jiggs" for my daughter - named Jillian (I hadn't heard of the books when we picked the name). We now have the whole collection - 5 in all. Quite funny and cute!

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  39. Wow! We also have the "Visit to the Aquarium" book, given to my elder son by my BIL and his wife, who had their wedding reception there. Very cool!

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  40. No Mo WillemS? You've got to rectify that: Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, and The Pigeon Has Feelings Too are all favorites, as are his Knufflebunny and Elephant and Piggie series, including There's a Bird on Your Head.

    I second (third?) anything by David Shannon, don't miss "Alice the Fairy."

    Also, Seventeen Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore and anything by Judith Viorst. My Kids have grown up on Alexander.

    Of course, you have to add the Madeline and Babar books. Those are classic.

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  41. Thanks for the list. In case you haven't seen it, the author of Click Clack Moo has one called Diary of a Worm that will really crack you up! I think it's even funnier.

    Ansley

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  42. A year or so ago my grandmother bought Martina a traditional Goldilocks and the Three Bears book. She is definitely enamored by Goldilocks and the Three Bears!

    We just got our new Scholastic books in from school. I ordered WAY too many. Her favorites from the new batch are The Seven Chinese Sisters and Dogerella.

    Catherine mentioned Shaoey and Dot, which was a big favorite when Martina was 2.

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  43. Anonymous8/30/2009

    your twin girls are darling! I was a children's coordinator for the down town library and that book click clack cows....
    it's hilarious!!!

    You must check out Chicka chicka boom boom!

    Every mom needs to have on their shelves I will LOVE you forever! By Robert Munsch.


    Again the girls are darling!
    I am going to do a book oder soon!
    ANythng of interest I may comment back to you if that is alright.
    I chat with Donna often on line.
    I will keep you posted if you like!

    Cindy in Tn

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