Books 121-130: A Change in Format

I've decided to stop titling my posts by the week, since I'm eternally behind. Instead, I'll keep track of how many books we've read. I'll still try to read about 10 books each week. Reading with Emma is my favorite!

I think my librarians are on to me, by the way. I basically clear whole shelves in the library, because on any given day, I might put 20-30 books in the return slot, and check out the next 20-30 books. That means that when I walk out of the library, up to 60 books are missing from the same shelf, leaving a gaping empty space. I can't wait until someone confronts me about it!  

Our Weekly Favorite:

Title: Magnus at the Fire
Author: Jennifer Armstrong

Summary:

"Magnus lives and works at the Broadway Firehouse. He knows that when the fire alarm clangs, he and his partners, Billy and Sparks, are supposed to spring into action. Without them the firemen would never be able to move the gigantic steam pumper. And without a pumper the crew wouldn't be able to put out fires."

"Then one day the captain drives into the firehouse on a loud, newfangled contraption called a motorized fire truck. It doesn't need horses to pull it to a fire. So just like that, Magnus, Sparks, and Billy are out of a job."

"A little history, a little humor, and a whole lot of heart are artfully blended in this rousing tale of one high-spirited horse who can't accept being put out to pasture. And thank goodness! Because it's this steadfast sense of duty that ultimately saves the day."  

Why We Loved it: 

• It was really interesting to learn about how horses used to pull fire engines.
• There are good lessons to learn about perseverance and working hard. 

Other Books We Read This Week:

	Title: Even More Parts Author/Illustrator: Tedd Arnold This book illustrates what would happen if we took all of our sayings literally. It's the sequel to a sequel, which is probably why I didn't think all of the idioms were completely awesome. I'll bet the first one was better.
	Title: Me Too! Two Small Stories About Small Animals Retold and Illustrated by: Katya Arnold This book contained two clever little parables. I enjoyed them, but probably wouldn't read them again.
	Title: Duck, Duck, Goose? Retold and Illustrated by: Katya Arnold This book is a classic, "be happy with what you have" tale. It wasn't my favorite, but it does teach a good lesson on contentment.
	Title: Cat Says Meow and Other Animalopoeia  Author/Illustrator: Michael Arndt What an interesting idea. Look at the cover. See how the cat face is made out of the letters meow? Very clever. Worth a read.
	Title: Seymour Slug Starts School Author/Illustrator: Carey Armstrong-Ellis I thought this book was going to be the usual "I was nervous about going to school until I got there and realized it's actually great" story. But there was a bit more than that to this tale, and I found it quite humorous.
	Title: Prudy's Problem and How She Solved It Author/Illustrator: Carey Armstrong-Ellis  I am the opposite of a hoarder... and I was a bit dismayed when Prudy solved her "collecting" problem by opening a huge museum so that she could store even more stuff! Not exactly a lesson I want my daughter to learn, lol!
	Title: Goose Moon  Author: Carolyn Arden  Illustrator: Jim Postier  The illustrations in this book were beautiful.
	Title: Stop That Pickle! Author: Peter Armour Illustrator: Andrew Shachat This book was way too silly for me. Plus, if you're going to write a book in which foods act like people, they shouldn't get eaten at the end!
	Title: Moony Luna: Luna, Lunita, Lunera Author/Illustrator: Jorge Argueta I enjoyed reading this book because it was written in Spanish and in English. I didn't think the storyline was stunning.

Week 19: Happy Easter!

Our Weekly Progress: 

Well, we got a little behind again! I try to read 10 books each week, and write up each blog post at some point during the weekend. The week numbers, by the way, are based on how many weeks old Emma turns during the week. So this past Thursday, she turned 19 weeks old. 

Anyway, this past weekend we visited my parents for Easter, and when we came home on Sunday, we hadn't read ANY of the week's books yet. (The ones I was supposed to be writing about during the weekend that just ended.) 

BUT I have off this week for Spring Break! So I was determined to read 20 books during the week and catch up. So far, so good! 10 down, 10 to go. And there were lots of good books this week! Check it out:   

Our Weekly Favorite:

Title: The Treasure Bath

Author/Illustrator: Dan Andreasen 

Summary:

"Have you ever wondered what lies beneath the bubbles in the bathtub? Embark on a magical journey with a little boy as he explores a creature-filled world beneath the sea."

"This wordless picture book for the very young is full of imagination and surprise. Never has bath time been such a thrilling (and soapy!) adventure!" 

Why I Loved it:

• I really, REALLY loved the illustrations in this book! They are exceptionally well done. The little boy's expressions tell it all. 
• The story-line mixes the everyday with the whimsical, which I love. 
• I don't want to give anything away, but the ending is adorable. 
• This story is told with NO words! It's perfect for kids who can't read yet to make up the words for this tale as they look at each page.                   

Other Books We Read This Week:

	Title: Bayou Lullaby Author: Kathi Appelt Illustrator: Neil Waldman This was not my favorite book. And I have always been intrigued by the Bayou. I hope to visit one day. Even so, the abstract-style of poetry in this book is what ruined it for me. However, I did enjoy the glossary in the front of the book, introducing the bayou-related terms that you would encounter as you read.
	Title: Suryia & Roscoe: The Story of an Unlikely Friendship Author: Bhagavan "Doc" Antle with Thea Feldman Photographer: Barry Bland  This book was so disappointing to me! I thought it was going to be a true story about a remarkable friendship between two animals at a zoo or wildlife preserve. But the authors kind of tried to turn it into fiction, if that makes any sense. They told it from the animals' perspectives, like it was almost normal for a dog and orangoutang to be friends. I wish they had told the true story behind how these pictures were taken. Instead, I'm left to wonder.
	Title: Sophie and the New Baby Author: Laurence Anholt Illustrator: Catherine Anholt  There are a lot of get-the-older-sibling-ready-for-a-new-baby books out there. This is one of the best that I've read. I love the season theme, which very realistically depicts how long a baby takes to arrive!
	Title: Harry's Home Author/Illustrator: Catherine and Laurence Anholt  This was a very good book, with a few good themes running throughout: differences can be good, traveling, homesickness, country vs. city, modes of transportation. Well done.
	Title: Happy Birthday Chimp and Zoe  Author/Illustrator: Catherine and Laurence Anholt  I really enjoyed this book about monkey-twins on their birthday. Very cute.
	Title: Billy and the Big New School Author/Illustrator: Catherine & Laurence Anholt This book was good, but I probably wouldn't read it again unless my kids were starting a new school.
	Title: Crankee Doodle Author: Tom Angleberger Illustrator: Cece Bell  I surprised myself by liking this book! It was very silly, but also funny. I loved the last page where the pony gives a little bit of history about the song, "Yankee Doodle."
	Title: The Very Fairy Princess Takes the Stage Authors: Julie Andrews (yes, the Julie Andrews!) and Emma Walton Hamilton Illustrator: Christine Davenier I like these books. I would read them again. I wouldn't necessarily buy them for my own library, but if you want a dose of adorable, just ask a Daddy or Grandpa to read this story out loud to your little one! So cute. This book is all sparkle and little-girl-glam.
	Title: Story County Here We Come!  Author/Illustrator: Derek Anderson  I really enjoyed this imaginative tale about 5 friends who decide to start a farm. It's really very cleverly done. I loved it when they decided to plant jelly beans and candy corn. Even though it's a short book, the author still managed to give each character a unique personality. Well done!

Week 18: Emma learns to eat books

Our Weekly Progress: 
"I tried to read with Emma, but she kept trying to eat the books!" 

That was my husband this week. I guess it's normal for a 4 month old to want to put everything into her mouth, but that makes it difficult when we're trying to read library books with her!

So we have a new rule: She has to be holding a toy when we read to her from library books. (Her favorite toy, by the way? A crumpled up page from a magazine. Second favorite is a credit card. She played with one for an hour yesterday!) 

She's also been especially loving her cardboard-paged books this week. Here's the normal progression:

1. She "reads" (looks at the pages) for about 15 seconds.

2. The book goes straight into her mouth. 

3. She gets trapped underneath the book and starts to cry. :) 

It's been a fun week. Emma is growing and changing so fast now that I can't wait to see what's in store for next week! 

Our Weekly Favorite:

Title: Saturday with Daddy
Author/Illustrator: Dan Andreasen
Rating: 4 stars

Summary:

"A young elephant and his Daddy spend Saturday running errands, sipping lemonade, and having a cookout. The charming art and simple story make this a perfect summertime book for fathers and their preschoolers." 

Why I Loved It:

• The artwork is fantastic- the elephants are super-adorable!
• This story reminds me of how Emma often spends Saturdays running errands with her Daddy.
• I love anything that has to do with cookouts! 

Other Books We Read This Week:

	Title: My Grandson is a Genius! Author: Giles Andreae Illustrator: Sue Hellard Rating: 4 stars I liked this book. The words told one story, and the pictures told another, which I liked. The pictures were so full of details that you could look at them for a long time!
	Titles: Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs & Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs Missing Treasure! Author: Giles Andreae Illustrator: Russell Ayto Rating: 4 stars These books were definitely new and fun. Was it a little too much to include pirates and dinosaurs in the same book? Maybe. But I think that it worked pretty well for these stories.
	Title: Good Little Wolf Author: Kristina Andres Rating: 3 stars This book was kind of cute, but it didn't really seem to go anywhere.
	Titles: The Very Fairy Princess: Here Comes the Flower Girl! and The Very Fairy Princess Sparkles in the Snow Authors: Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton Illustrator: Christine Davenier Rating: 4 stars I love that these books are written by Julie Andrews. They are actually very well-done. It was especially cute to hear my Dad reading these fairy-princess books to Emma when we visited over the weekend!
	Titles: I Love My Mummy & I Love My Daddy  Authors/Illustrators: Giles Andreae & Emma Dodd Rating: 3 stars These books were nice, but nothing too special.
	Title: With a Little Help From Daddy Author: Dan Andreasen  Rating: 3 stars This book goes with our favorite for the week, and it was cute, too. Of the two of them, though, this one was my second-favorite.