Wonderful, Silly Books and a Request!

Last night I had the pleasure of sharing a couple of Jan Thomas titles with my sweet, little boy.  The Doghouse was already one of our favorites in the regular rotation, so it was wonderful to share a different title by this author, Is Everyone Ready for Fun?.  As soon as we finished with Is Everyone Ready for Fun?, there was a request to hear it again.  The repetition that is included in Thomas’s books is ideal for beginning readers.  The animals and silly pictures make these stories enjoyable for both parents and children!

Often my students ask me for “funny books” and these titles will be a perfect fit for some of them.  I’d like to make a collective list of humorous books for kids, possibly with the help of Twitter.  It would be great if everyone would add their favorite, wonderful, silly books for kids to the Twitter hashtag #hbfk (humorous books for kids) or post a comment here.  After a few days or so, I’ll put together a list of recommended titles.  Happy reading!

 

Tumford is NOT terrible…

As part of my ramble through the “T section” of our school library for the #ShelfChallenge, I came upon two books by Nancy Tillman.  Last year one of my teacher friends recommended her books and I’m so glad that I’m finally getting around to enjoying them (Thanks, Mrs. Rozar!)!  On the Night You Were Born is a sentimental book that has gorgeous, whimsical illustrations.  Tumford the Terrible is my favorite of the two Tillman titles because it helps children learn that there is a positive side in offering an apology to someone you have wronged.  This title is written in rhyme and is appropriate for children ages 2 and up.

Little Red Riding Hood Lurks in an Unexpected Place

Often in the Merry Media center, we receive requests for books that can be compared and contrasted.  During last night’s reading for the #ShelfChallenge, I happened across a true jewel, Ruby by Michael Emberley.  The red hooded mouse on the cover should have given me a clue that Red Riding Hood was lurking within the pages, but I was pleasantly surprised to find her when the story commenced.  This title was well-written and had colorful, detailed illustrations.  Ruby (Emberley) ended with a twist that students would enjoy!   This will definitely be my recommendation the next time someone asks for two titles he or she can compare and contrast.

The Gingerbread Girl wins our heart!

 

Some of the latest books that I have read with my sweet 3 year old boy have been by Lisa Campbell Ernst:  When Bluebell Sang, Zinnia and Dot, and The Gingerbread Girl.  Our favorite of the three books was definitely The Gingerbread Girl!  Within the last week, we have read The Gingerbread Boy, so it was nice to be able to compare and contrast the two stories.  Rhyming words were incorporated nicely into The Gingerbread Girl, which helped to hold the interest of my boy.  The other two stories were well-written, but didn’t resonate with us as much as The Gingerbread Girl.  She won our heart!

Another title that we have shared was The Princess and the Pig by Emmett.  This is a title that might appeal more to my first and second grade students.  The illustrations by Poly Bernatene are exquisite!  If you have students asking for princess books, this might be the right one for them!

Shelf Challenge: Spanish Style

Recently, the Busy Librarian, Matthew Winner, challenged librarians and media specialists to get to know their collections a little better through a “shelf challenge.”  Read more about the Shelf Challenge HERE.

For this challenge, I have chosen to focus on the Easy section of our school’s E author section.  It is a small section and I thought it seemed a reasonable size to be able to complete it during the month.  My thoughts are that if I am successful with the “E” authors, then I might even be able to start the “F” authors, too.

Each night I read a few of the books to my three year old as good night stories.  Tonight we read Eight Animals Bake a Cake (Elya), Tooth on the Loose (Elya), and Adios Oscar! (Elwell).  I was surprised to find that all three of these titles included some of the Spanish language:  animals, greetings, and cooking items.  For students who are learning basic Spanish phrases, these titles would harmonize perfectly.  The two titles by Elya were very short and could be used together to teach rhyming words.

Adios Oscar!  was a longer book that should probably be read separately.  This book had a message that was wonderfully implied to the reader:  don’t let what others think of you limit who you are and what you become.

Thanks Matthew Winner for starting the #shelfchallenge!  Connecting titles that are similar can be extremely useful!