skip to main |
skip to sidebar
We're back with our second edition of Wednesday Book Nook!
First up is a cute Easter read called Piggy Bunny, written by Rachel Vail, and illustrated by Jeremy Tankard.
As you can imagine from the cover, this book tells the story of a young pig (named Liam) who wants nothing more than to be the Easter Bunny. Unfortunately though, his family can't understand why he would want to be anything other than a piglet. It isn't until his grandparents buy him his very own Easter Bunny suit, that Liam full realizes his dream. This story is a testament not only to the wonderful imaginations every child possesses, but is also a story to remind parents to support their children's dreams -- even if it is to be the Easter Bunny!
Our second read is an early reader's chapter book: Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel. Lobel is also the author of the classic Frog and Toad books, so as you can imagine, this one didn't fall short of expectations.
The neat thing about this book is that there are actually four stories within the main story. The concept is that a young mouse gets snatched up by a hungry weasel who wants to make mouse soup. Mouse is clever though, and convinces Weasel that in order for the soup to taste good, he needs to put stories in the soup. Mouse then tells four short, quirky stories, each containing a particular item that Weasel will then need to collect to put in the soup. However, as soon as Weasel leaves to collect these items, Mouse sneaks to safety. Mouse shows that using your brain and your words are better ways to get you out of sticky situations than rudeness or violence.
This is a great read if your child's at the point where picture books are no longer cutting it. There are still small illustrations throughout the book, but the focus is on the story itself. It's actually categorized as a Reading with Help book, but if you have a strong reader on your hands, it might not be a bad idea to encourage them to try reading the story by themselves, and then regrouping so you can discuss the book -- ask them what they liked, what they didn't like, about each of the characters, and what the author was trying to say through the story.
We hope you enjoyed this wee's Book Nook! Happy reading!
~ Sonja & Joy
Good afternoon folks!
We're going to be starting a bit of a tradition around here, and as I'm sure you can guess from the title of this post, we're calling it Wednesday Book Nook. Every Wednesday we'll be featuring two books on the blog: one picture book, and one early chapter book, or middle grade novel. We'll be looking at new releases, classic lit, and pretty much everything in between. Posting it mid-week means that if it sounds like something your little one might be interested in, you can make plans to head on over to your local library on the weekend to scoop it up -- if your library carries it, of course!
Coincidentally, both books we picked up were British. What are the odds?
First up, is the picture book, Bear and Bird by Gwen Millward.
What a great story about friendship and working together! Bear and Bird are a delightful (and kind of an odd) pair, who live together in a little cabin in the woods. When they run out of the firewood to keep them warm through the cold winter, Bear sets out to find some more -- only to get lost. Bird, being the good friend he is, sets out to find his friend, and bring him home safely.
This book is filled with lush illustrations that are great for playing "I Spy" with kids. Ask them to point out different objects, or find all the insects on the page. This will keep them occupied for quite a while, and is a wonderful learning opportunity!
Our early chapter book of the week is You, Me, and Thing (The Legend of the Loch Ness Lilo) by Karen McCombie.
This one caught both of our attention with its cover alone. Who said you can't judge a book by its cover? The Legend of the Loch Ness Lilo revolves around three characters: Ruby Morgan (who narrates the tale), her friend and neighbour, Jackson Miller, and their magical friend/pet/thing, Thing -- who can't keep from getting into trouble. Especially when they bring him along to a friend's pool party!
The pages are chock full of quirky illustrations, and fun British terms that you and your reader will have fun deciphering and researching, and the wild characters provide an excellent opportunity to read aloud and play with voices. The Legend of the Loch Ness Lilo is actually the third book in a series of three, and we can't wait to get our hands on the rest of them!
~ Sonja & Joy
