David Goes To School by David Shannon

To be honest, I stayed away from the David books when I saw them at the bookstore because I was afraid they would give my son some bad ideas on how to behave. But a few weeks ago Ricky told me that his teacher read a David book during library time so I relented. I ordered this book with his Scholastic book order.

In this book, David does all the things you shouldn't be doing at school - is late, won't sit down, chews gum, won't keep his hands to himself, you name it. At the end he does a good job with his punishment so he's "good" and is allowed to go home. That's the entire plot. This book is based on a book the author wrote as a young boy - with David and no as the only words he could spell - showing all kinds of naughty things David is doing.

I do like the illustrations though. I see the humor in the book. Ricky always says that David is a bad boy.

Maybe a Bear Ate It! by Robie H. Harris; Illustrated by Michael Emberley

This book is about a dog/cat (I can't tell what the heck it is) who reads a book in bed, dozes off, and somehow loses the book. It goes through all these possibilities as to what may have happened to the book- "maybe a bear ate it, maybe a stegasaurus stomped on it, etc."

I think Ricky will enjoy this book because the story line is funny and something he can relate to as he is always asking me where this toy and that toy went - but also because the illustrations are so cute. I hate using "cute" all the time but there really is no other word that best describes these pictures.

This book would be good for 2-3 year olds. It may be too babyish beyond 3.

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!