The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen

The author of this book also has a book called If I Built a Car - which we actually own. I can't believe I didn't review that book! It's on my list of books to review in the near future. He's also written and illustrated Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee - which is also quite good.

We got hammered with snow last night and Ricky didn't go to preschool today so I read this book to him. The story is about a circus ship that has an accident and all the animals swim to shore to a town in Maine. They all grow to love living in the town and want to stay. The circus owner comes to town, looking for his animals. The animals hide and blend into their surroundings so they cannot be found. The mean circus owner goes home empty-handed.

The book is written very well - in a rhyming fashion - and the illustrations are great. They made Ricky laugh at many points.

Chris Van Dusen's books are not your ordinary children's books and do not follow the usual cookie cutter formula. They are original stories that grasp your child's attention. I really enjoy his books and so does Ricky. Our book is overdue and he's asked me to keep it for another day - that's how much he likes it.

Candlewick Press, 2009.

Crow Call by Lois Lowry, Illustrated By Bagram Ibatoulline

I can't read the name Lois Lowry without thinking of Anastasia Krupnik - one of my favorite characters as a young adult. Lois Lowry wrote some great books for kids and is partially responsible for the book lover I have become as an adult. So when I saw this book at the library, I had to check it out - because I knew it was going to be good - and because I was curious.

Crow Call is based on a real life experience of Lois Lowry as a young girl. This book is about a young girl and her connection to her father, who has just returned from the war. She and her father set out on an autumn morning in Pennsylvania and share some cherry pie in town. Then they go out in hills and call the crows. Having lived in Chicago my whole life, I never heard of crow calling. So this was educational for me too.

Since Ricky is a soon-to-be 5 year old boy, he was a bit bored by this book. I think he might be too young for it and doesn't really appreciate the book's merits quite yet. He knows about war from Star Wars but we haven't told him about the actual world wars yet - and the killing, death, etc. He also has no concept of being apart from either of his parents for more than just a day while he sleeps at grandma's house. Living in Chicago, he has gone to the park several times, but has never been out in the woods or anything close to the beautiful Pennsylvania hills. Gosh, this book is pointing out so many things I have yet to show my son!

This book would be perfect for a girl who is ages 6 to 8. I will definitely read this book to my son when he is bit older and can appreciate it. As a young girl, I know I would have loved this book myself. The story is sweet and the illustrations are breathtaking.

Scholastic Press, 2009

The Elevator Man by Stanley Trachtenberg, Illustrated By Paul Cox

I got this book from the library for Ricky. I was attracted to it because of the illustration style. This book is about a little boy who is friends with the Elevator Man. The building's elevator is renovated and the Elevator Man gets a promotion to Doorman.

I was worried that Ricky would be bored during some parts, but he was at full attention the whole time. This book was good because it struck up a conversation about the whole elevator man thing. Riding an elevator is probably one of Ricky's favorite things to do when we go anywhere - specifically, pressing the button.

I explained to Ricky that old elevators needed an elevator man, and we talked about condos, and hotels and the number of floors on them, etc. etc. Actually there is one page where the illustrator shows several floors in a courtyard fashion - and all the people waiting for the elevator. In a nutshell, this book was a good tool for teaching Ricky about buildings and elevators. A Life Tool.

I appreciate this book because it gave us a topic that we wouldn't really talk about otherwise.

So in that sense, it's educational for little kids.

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2009

The Adventures of Harvey the Wonder Dog by Lise Dominique, Illustrated By Chrissie Vales

The author of this book, Lise Dominique, did a reading at my son's school yesterday. Since Ricky has dog allergies, he had to stand in the back of the room as far away from Harvey as possible. He liked the book and what he could see of Harvey the dog.

This is the first time I've blogged about a book I haven't read to Ricky but made an exception since the author read the book to his class. Ricky told me that he liked the book and would like me to find it for him at the library so he can hear the story again.

Hoping our library bought this book. Will blog again after we read it together at some point.

Other Countries, Other Cultures - A National Geographic Picture Book: One World, One Day by Barbara Kerley

With the earthquake in Haiti, we've all been thinking about a country other than our own (for a change) and what it is like living in another country. So when I came across this book at the library on the "new" shelf, I grabbed it and wanted to share it with Ricky.

Other than brief clips on Sesame Street, Ricky's never really been exposed to other countries. I mean, we went to the Dominican Republic on vacation 2 years ago when he was 3 but that was on a resort - so he didn't really experience much other than the resort.

This book is interesting because it shows how kids across the world get up in the morning, eat breakfast, go to school, learn in school, eat lunch, go home, do homework, eat dinner, and prepare for bedtime. Ricky liked this book because he could relate to what all these kids were doing. He found it interesting that 2 girls in the pictures had nose rings and we ended up having a conversation about nose rings and why people want them and what they mean. He was actually grossed out!!

Anyways, this is a good book for kids because it exposes them to other cultures. The photography is excellent but I expect nothing short of excellent from a National Geographic book!

Published by National Geographic Society, 2009

Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray

When Ricky received this book for Christmas a few years ago I had to admit I was skeptical. But I loosened up and now that he is three, he actually asks for this book by name. He laughs and thinks it's hilarious. So if he is happy before bedtime, then the book is fine with me.

This is the story of Walter, a dog who has a farting problem. The kids love him but their parents aren't so sure because his farts are so stinky. But Walter turns out to be a good dog to have because one night, burglars break into the house and Walter saves the day by farting all over them.

There is also a sequel to this book which I will blog about at a later time. This is an instance when I actually changed my mind about a book. I thought it was a grotesque story - farting is so crude. But I guess little boys eat it all up!!

Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems

I just had to blog about this book because I've read it to Ricky every night for the last 5 nights per his request.

This is the story about a monster named Leonardo who is not very good at being a monster. He isn't scary, doesn't have thousands of teeth, and isn't big. He meets a boy named Sam and is unsuccesful at scaring him so just decides they will be friends.

Very cute story. I liked the illustrations as well. This is a good book because it diffuses all the notions about monsters - kind of like Sesame Street does. I had to return it today because it was due but may need to purchase for Ricky afterall.

What Do Wheels Do All Day? By April Jones Prince, Illustrated by Giles LaRoche

This book is interesting because it shows wheels on all kinds of vehicles (cars, trucks) , construction uses, and everyday uses (shopping carts, skateboards, etc.). This is good for also reinforcing shapes. There isn't much of a story - but the point is that it shows wheels being used in all kinds of scenarios - for pulling, pushing, and carrying loads.

This is a repeat request at bedtime. Too bad I had to return it today because I reached my renewal limit!!

Hansel and Diesel by David Gordon

Not sure how I missed this one since I reviewed David Gordon's other books . Like the others, this book follows the story of the traditional folk tale of Hansel and Gretel. I tried not to chuckle while reading it to Ricky because instead of the house made of candy, Hansel and Gretel, who are trucks, of course - stumble upon "brightly colored lights, shiny gas pumps, huge tanks of fuel, and piles and piles of brand new tires." The gas pumps are striped like candy canes. Very cute! The evil winch then tries to shred Hansel and Gretel with saw blades.

It has a good ending and it is done well. At times it can be a bit wordy, but it's a good story overall. Ricky loved it. I always love David Gordon's books. He's a great children's writer and illustrator. Great to be able to do it all!

Potty Training Books!

We are in the long process of potty training Ricky. I keep a few books in there to entertain him while he goes to the bathroom. I've been trying to buy books rather than borrow them because of the whole sanitary issue - with these books probably being in bathrooms. So far, I have run across these storybooks that have been just great:

Ricky likes Once Upon A Potty a lot and asks me to read it multiple times while he sits on the potty. He is particularly fascinated with the pictures of the poo poo.

I liked the way the author pointed out a toddler's anatomical parts in the way they know and understand them. I think Ricky finds this book really inspiring and encouraging.

The story is told from the perspective of Joshua's mother - and she tells the story of how she has been changing Joshua's diapers and how he slowly makes the transition to the potty. Although nobody uses chamber pots anymore, it was really cute!

Ricky really likes No More Diapers for Ducky! too. This is a story about a Ducky who wears diapers and goes to his friend's house. His friend is busy on the potty, so Ducky is playing alone with his friend's toys in his friend's room - wondering what is *so* important that his friend isn't playing with him.

His friend explains that he is on the potty, but Ducky wears diapers so Ducky won't be interested. Ducky takes off his diaper and starts using the potty while his friend plays inthe room alone.

This is especially cute considering that Ricky thinks he is Little Quack these days!

When Dinosaurs Came With Everything by Elise Broach, Illustrated By David Small

Whenever we go to our local Trader Joe's market, Ricky always gets a balloon - his reward for putting up with boring grocery shopping. Now if I imagine if Trader Joe's gave out dinosaurs instead of balloons.....well that would be something to see!

This is the story of a boy who does errands with his mother all day - they go to the bakery, the barber - and instead of giving away balloons as usual, businesses are giving out dinosaurs. As a result, they avoid going to the shoestore (buy 2 pairs get 1 dinosaur free), the movies, etc. Ricky and I really enjoyed this story and it has lots of funny parts.

Published 2007 by Simon & Schuster

Must Have Books for Toddlers - If You Give Books by Laura Numeroff, Illustrated by Felicia Bond

These books are an absolute must for toddlers because they are so darn cute. When Ricky was just a baby, I took my bookstore gift card and bought all the Laura Numeroff books - If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, and If You Take a Mouse to School. We read them all the time - and he never gets tired of them.

All the books follow the same formula - one thing leads to another. Full of consequences and utter chaos but lots of fun. Felicia's Bond's illustrations are really cute and they trigger lots of vocabulary expansion since the illustrations are pretty detailed. There are lots of things to name.

ELMER by David McKee

Even though this book was published in 1968, I had never heard of it nor read it until I became a mother. Call me a deprived child. I wish I had read this book when I was young, in grammar school, and wanting to fit in.

This is the story of Elmer, the patchwork elephant. He is the only elephant in the herd who is not all gray-colored. He has a great sense of humor and always makes the other elephants laugh. They all love him. But Elmer wasn't happy - he wanted to be all gray-colored like the rest of the herd. So he found a bush with gray berries and smushed them all over himself until he looked all gray like the rest of the elephants. When he went back to the herd, nobody recognized him but they were looking for Elmer, the patchwork elephant.

This is a great book because it discusses how special and unique you are - and why fitting in and looking like everyone else isn't all that great. This book would be good to re-visit during the ugly stages of puberty!!

Published 1968 by HarperCollins

Timothy and the Strong Pajamas by Viviane Schwarz

This book reads like a comic book - which is why I was drawn to it in the first place. The only problem is since it does read in this fashion, it may be suitable for older kids - closer to 4 years old and up. Ricky has a pretty good attention span, and there were a few instances while we were reading this book where I lost him.

This is the story of Timothy and his strong pajamas. The pajamas give him strength so he rushes to aid those in need - he catches an elephant falling off a cliff, carries 5 grocery bags for an old lady, saves a ship from sinking, etc.

This book is really cute. Your typical superhero story wrapped in great illustrations. I am curious to read Viviane Schwarz's other books - The Adventures of a Nose and Shark and Lobster's Amazing Underseas Adventure.

Published 2007 by Scholastic Books

Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton, With Paintings by Eric Puybaret

I bought this book for Ricky's birthday. I remembered it as a child and it comes with a CD of the song. The story itself is sad - it tells of a dragon named Puff who befriends Little Jack Paper and they have lots of adventures together. But "a dragon lives forever, but not so little girls and boys....One gray night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more.." so of course Puff mourns the loss of his friend. It is a sad story but you can't help liking it.

The CD has 4 songs on it and you can listen to the CD while you flip the pages for your child. The songs are written by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, and Mary and they flow nicely for a child. I was a tot in the 1970s so maybe that's why I kind of like the CD, I don't know. Shhh!

Little Ricky liked it and didn't ask why Jackie Paper stopped visiting Puff. But at three years old, I wasn't in a rush to point out the whole death thing quite yet. I would suggest this book as a good gift for a child.

Published 2007 by Sterling

SMASH! CRASH! by Jon Scieszka, Illustrations by David Shannon, Loren Long, David Gordon, & Dan Potash

Finally! This is what I've been looking for in books - Trucktown!! Nothing like a bunch of creative people making all kinds of truck and vehicle characters! There are several interesting names attached to this book.

You may recognize the name of David Gordon whose books The Three Little Rigs and The Ugly Truckling appeared on my blog last year. I am a big fan of his - as well as Loren Long - whose illustrations for The Little Engine That Could were just classic. A review on that is soon to come. Jon Scieszka's Stinky Cheese book is really funny - and I plan on reading it to Ricky soon.

But back to the book! Best friend trucks Jack and Dan run around smashing and crashing throughout the book. Tons of visual fun for those kids in love with all kinds of trucks. I can't wait to see what other books these guys come up with!! Check out their Trucktown website - there is a section for kids, parents, and librarians (cool).

Published 2008 by Simon and Schuster

I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track by Joshua Prince, Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan

This is one of Ricky's favorites - I know I say that a lot- we own lots of books!

This book is terrific - especially for the kids who love trains. This is the story of an ant who decides to walk along a railroad track and does not realize that a train is coming! Switchman Jack is nice enough to save him by switching the track so the train does not run over the ant. The ant and Switchman Jack become friends and share a sandwich. Very cute!

I do have to say that I was very drawn to the illustrations of this book and am curious to read the other books Macky Pamintuan has illustrated.

Published 2006 by Sterling Publishing Co.

I Miss You Every Day by Simms Tayback

This is a great book for kids who have a loved one who lives far away that they miss. Ricky could identify with this book because his aunt and uncle live several states away and he misses them and thinks of them all the time.

The little girl in the story wraps herself and sends herself as a letter to her loved one. The book follows the journey she takes through the postal system. There is also a picture and envelope in the front that your child can view.

Published 2007 by Viking

Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems

I saw this book at the bookstore when I was selecting books to give Ricky on his third birthday. What could be better than the sequel to Knuffle Bunny?

This time Trixie is older and can speak her mind. She takes Knuffle Bunny with her to preschool to show all her friends and teacher her bunny. But then she sees that her friend has the exact same Knuffle Bunny too. The girls argued and the teacher had to take their Knuffle Bunnies away. Later that night, Trixie realizes she is sleeping with the wrong Knuffle Bunny and knows her friend has her Knuffle Bunny.

The middle-of-the-night exchange is done by the fathers and Trixie and her friend are both glad they each have their own respective Knuffle Bunnies. Very cute.

Once again, I love the illustrations which are described as "a melding of hand-drawn ink sketches and photography." The story is well-written and Ricky really enjoyed this book.

Published 2007 by Hyperion Books

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems

I was at my girlfriend's house for a playdate and was looking through the stack of books she had on the floor. Her daughter and my son are just a week apart and have similar tastes so I love talking about children's books with her. I was first drawn to this book because of its unique illustrations and the Caldecott Honor Book sticker on its cover.

This book is about a toddler named Trixie who goes to the laudromat with her daddy and brings her Knuffle Bunny with her. She walks home with her daddy only to realize that her Knuffle Bunny was not with her and was missing. It describes how she and her parents frantically backtrack to find Knuffle Bunny.

After a few reads, I just had to buy this book for Ricky. We both loved it. The story is very simple and easy to follow and since there aren't many words on each page, you can try reading it to your child after the age of 1. Regard it as a nicer and larger board book if you will.

Published 2004 by Hyperion Books