I’m home for the summer.
Which means I get to hang out with my niece (6 months old) and her sister (almost 4)
And read as many books to them as my brother will let me.
A few days ago, I got the reader’s chance of a lifetime.
Going to the Fair!
Now, there was no reading at the fair, but there was plenty of time in the car.
Here’s the books I brought along to read.
I was limited by my at home library, a set of books I had as a teacher of two year olds.
But I think we still did pretty well 🙂
For the most part, my niece just stared at the books, though one was her favorite and she let that be known. I’ll list the favorite parts of her sister for each book, since, you know, she can talk.
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Favorites:
- the escalator,
- Corduroy getting his own bed,
- and when he got his button fixed.
A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni
Favorites:
- “It’s just like Billy’s book!”–my brother Billy must have another Leo Lionni book he reads to the girls,
- the color yellow,
- and finding a friend.
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Favorites:
- how he walks, slowly, slowly,
- the monkey noise: Tsz! Tsz!
- and all the different color caps.
Where’s my Teddy? by Jez Alborough
Favorites:
- when the bear was afraid of the boy
- when they were snuggled up in their own beds
- how the trees were so tall.
The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the BIG HUNGRY BEAR by Don and Audrey Wood.
Favorites:
- when the strawberry wore a disguise,
- cutting the strawberry,
- hanging out in the hammock.
Happy Birthday, Moon by Frank Asch
Favorites:
- The hat,
- Moon’s voice—I do a very echo-like voice for the moon,
- the tall mountains.
Alligator Baby by Robert Munsch
Favorites:
- Applied to the situation nicely (Older Sis had the new baby experience not too long ago!)
- The seal playing in the bathtub
- and repeating the line: “Now Kristen. Don’t be jealous.”
Now we get to the ones we read a few times.
Or sung a few times.
First up:
Miss Mary Mack by Mary Ann Hoberman and Nadine Bernard Westcott
Favorites:
- The Elephant shaped pool
- the picture of the peanut tea,
- and Billy singing along. (I’d sing the book and when I got to a repeating word, Billy would jump in. Like, Ms. Mary Mack, Mack, Mack. Older Sis LOVED the addition of another voice at that part!)
Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley
Favorites:
- yelling GO AWAY
- Getting to help read it (I’d say, Little Green Monster has two squiggly…and she’d say EARS! because she could tell by the picture and she remembered after the first reading)
- that it’s just like their book (I bought the girls Goodnight, Little Green Monster, a companion book)
Baby Beluga by Raffi, illustrated by Ashley Wolff
Favorites:
- Singing. Billy and I grew up with this song, so we were really good at singing it together.
- The line: “We like to hear you.” Baby Beluga’s friends all gather around and listen to his song.
- the last line that gets repeated twice: “You’re just a little white whale on the go” because Billy and I kind of Jazz it up at the end.
and, the big winner of the day goes to:
Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathman.
I bought this one in board book form for little niece and she ADORED it.
I think we read it 7 or 8 times.
Older Sis loved spotting the mouse in each spread too.
Favorites:
- Spotting the mouse and seeing what he was up to.
- The page where only the ZooKeeper’s wife’s eyes are visible,
- and the armadillo page.
My niece talked at the book every time we read it and loved the pictures,
but she was VERY vocal at the armadillo page every time, practically yelling at it.
Well, there you go.
10, I mean 11 books that are fun for a road trip.
Do you have any favorites that you like to read in the car to the kids?
Until next time,
KE and Singe Singe
