Children's Book of the Week: "How Do Dinosaurs" Books

How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms?
by Jane Yolen & Mark Teague
Lincoln's Pick (my three-year-old)

Why He Loves It: He loves to see the different dinosaurs and learn what they are called (each picture of a dinosaur has its name next to it). He also loves to see how the dinosaurs do things, which is the point!

Why I Love It: I love the illustrations and that my kids are not only seeing cool pictures of dinosaurs, but they're learning what the different dinosaurs are called. They also learn valuable lessons about how to do things, like cleaning, staying safe, and saying "I love you."

This is the only one of the books from this series that we own, but I wish we had all of them! They are frequently borrowed from the library and we love reading them! We currently are reading How Do Dinosaurs Stay Safe? These books are fantastically illustrated and they make learning how to do things so fun for the kids! 

The picture I've used is a totally beat up copy of How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms? It was gifted to me at a baby shower when I was pregnant with my first son and the woman who gave it to me had three boys, I think it was. She said they all loved it and my boys love it too! 

I definitely recommend this one for boys, but there's no reason why girls wouldn't love it too. They are double awesome because the kids love them and they teach how to do things properly, without being too preachy or boring. Check them out! They will definitely be at the local library, but I would absolutely recommend buying them because they will be read over and over again and become a loved part of your at-home collection.

  

Children's Book of the Week: Zoomer by Ned Young

Zoomer
by Ned Young
Makadie's Pick (my 3 year old)

Why she loves it: She thinks it is funny and makes her laugh.

Why I love it: The illustrations are so fun and tell more about the story than just reading the words.

When Hooper, Cooper and Zoomer, three brothers who also happen to be dogs, wake up in the morning, their dad tells them to get ready for school.  The twins,  Hooper and Cooper, start with their morning routine.  Zoomer, on the other hand, declares he isn't going to school and proceeds to build a giant brontosaurus in the sandbox, launch a rocket and attempt to break a world record.  The illustrations in this book, also done by the author, are so fun to look at and my daughter loves pointing out the silly things Zoomer is doing.  My son is entertained by the pictures as well, which are bright and engaging.  There is a funny surprise ending that my daughter laughs at every time and I'm sure your kids will too.

Children's Book of the Week: Jerry Seinfeld's Halloween

Halloween
by Jerry Seinfeld
Becky's Pick

Why I love it: Jerry Seinfeld. He wrote a children's book. Also, this stand-up routine is so good and the book comes with a CD of it so you can experience the full Jerry delivery. Or watch it below!

I don't think I really need to explain much about why this book is awesome. It just is. It basically consists of one of Jerry Seinfeld's stand-up routines about Halloween. It's totally clean and totally hilarious. Admittedly, some of the jokes will be over your child's head. But the book is about Halloween, candy, and superhero costumes, so my sons are totally in! They love it and I love it because I think Jerry Seinfeld is hilarious and I absolutely love Halloween! Our apartment was decorated a week ago and we already have a supply of candy and my kids' Halloween costumes ready to go. We get excited around here. :)

Children's Book of the Week: The Bear's Sea Escape

The Bear's Sea Escape 

by Benjamin Chaud

Lincoln and Emmett's Pick (my three- and one-year-olds)

Why they love it: They like to look for the big bear and the little bear.

Why I love it: The artwork is so fun and the book is HUGE, which also makes it a lot of fun!

This book is a look and find book, but it is easy enough for my sons (one and three) to enjoy and succeed at the looking and finding. Most look and find books are geared toward older children, but this one is so much fun for both of my little ones. Even my twenty-month-old is able to find the bears on each page. It's the story about a papa bear and a baby bear who go on a lot of adventures and each page is full of fun. The story is your basic children's book story, but the art and the looking and finding are both so good, I had to recommend it! It's a rare look and find book that has all of us happy while we're reading it. 

Children's Book of the Week: Belly Button Book! by Sandra Boynton

Belly Button Book! by Sandra Boynton
Shani's Pick

Why I love it: It's a fun and silly book that kids love!

One of my favorite children's book authors is Sandra Boynton.  All her books for babies and toddlers come as board books so they are perfect for little hands and much more durable.  I never have to worry that they pages are going to get ripped out or torn.  It's awesome!

Another thing that is great about these books is that as my daughter starts reading, the words are simple enough that she could learn to read these by herself.

Turns out that I'm not the only one who likes Sandra Boynton's books.  My kids love them as well!  We own about 13 of her books total and they are the books my kids reach for at least half the time they choose a book.  The colors are bright, the illustrations are simple and it is short enough to keep their attention.

The first book of hers that I bought was the Belly Button Book!  It is a silly book about hippos who love their belly buttons.  They all go to Belly Button Beach to show them off to each other.  Boynton uses lots of rhyme throughout her books, which makes for a fun, sing-song rhythm as you read.  My daughter has memorized most of the book simply because the rhyme makes it so easy to remember.  There's also a little bit of humor that kids generally don't catch onto and makes it a fun read for adults as well!

Children's Book of the Week: First 100 Words Board Book

First 100 Words Board Book 

by Roger Priddy

Emmett's Pick (my one year old)

Why he loves it: The colors and pictures

Why I love it: He's learning words and loving to read

This book is only $3.30 on Amazon and I have Amazon Prime, so the shipping was free for me! I was shopping for a birthday gift on Amazon and came across this book. I thought, "Emmett might like this," and since it was so cheap, I bought it. It has been his favorite book ever since. He loves pointing at the animals and objects and hearing me tell him what they are. We go back and forth. Sometimes I point and he says the word. Sometimes the other way around. And sometimes I ask him to find things or make animals sounds. 

Ever since we got this book, Emmett always reaches for it and brings it to me to read with him. And it started him really enjoying reading other books as well. Before we got this book, he wasn't really interested in reading, but this was on his level and it was fun for him so it gave him more patience with other books. I was really surprised how much he loved this book, but I'm so glad I forked out the three bucks and got it! He especially loved the farm animals page. :)

Book of the Week: I Love You, Mommy by Melanie Joyce

I Love You, Mommy by Melanie Joyce
Shani's Pick

Why I love it: It reminds me of the relationship I have with my kids

Reading to my kids is one of my favorite things to do with them.  It makes me even happier to see them choose to look at and "read" books without any prompting from me.  I remember looking at , reading, and loving books as a young child and I know it was my mom who helped instill this love of reading that has continued into my adult years.

When I was pregnant with my first child, my mom gave me this book.  I hadn't ever heard of it, or seen it anywhere, but after reading it, it became of my favorites.  I Love You, Mommy is a sweet story told from the perspective of a baby bear who, through the course of a day, tells all the things he loves about his mommy: He loves that she smells like sunshine and wildflowers.  He loves that she gives him nice things to eat.  And most of all he loves... well, you'll have to read it to find out.

One of the things I love most about this book is that it celebrates the simple things that mothers do for their children each day that don't always get recognized.  I will admit that I've cried more than a few times while reading this story to my kids, especially when they or I have had a rough day.  It reminds me that my children depend on me and love me and that they are the reason for so much of the joy I experience in my life. 

*Also be sure to read the book I Love You, Daddy (also by Melanie Joyce) to find out all the things that this baby bear loves about his dad.  I guarantee you will love both of these books!

Post by Shani Ogden

Book of the Week: You Are Special by Max Lucado

You Are Special by Max Lucado
Becky's Pick

Why I Love It: The Message

This book brings me to tears almost every time I read it. Not only because I love the message, but because I want my children to get the message. So I will read this book to them for years and years and years to come. I hope they have it memorized by the time they leave my home.

Basically, it's about a little wooden man who lives in a town of all wooden people. They give each other stars and dots. Stars are for when others feel positively about the wooden people and dots are for when others feel negatively about them. They can give each other stars and dots for whatever reason they please.

One day, the wooden man meets this cute little wooden girl who has no stickers of any kind. And you'll have to read the book to find out what happens to them, but it is just wonderful. It's about knowing who you are and that what other people think of you really doesn't matter.

**It has a very Christian theme, so if you're not Christian or don't believe in God, maybe this isn't the book for you. But if you do believe in a Creator, this is a wonderful and amazing book and I recommend it more than any other children's book I know of. It is my absolute favorite!

Lost My Name Books

Guys, these books are ADORABLE!! My in-laws gave one to my son for his birthday this year and he loves it! I told him the story was about him and he got so excited! Now every time we go to read it, he tells me the book is about him. I also hope it helps him learn how to spell his name! (All he knows right now is that it starts with L.)

Basically, you go to www.lostmy.name and customize a book for your child (or grandchild or friend) and they create it instantly for you to preview. The story of the book is that the little girl or boy loses their name and then they go on an adventure to find all the letters of it. The pictures are so cute and the creatures the children meet on their adventures in these books are so fun and creative!