Baby Worlds

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Bob the builder fans

Dig, dig, digging is a book that will appeal to fans of Bob the Builder. You see various pieces of equipment, trucks etc. It ranges from cranes to tractors to trucks. They are busy all day and at the end of the book they rest.

Hamster fun

It has been in the top five of our hit parade for a week or so now. The book - 10 Minutes till bedtime has what it takes to entertain. A young boy and his hamster have advertised on the internet the 10 minutes till bedtime tour. So as dad is hollering 10 minutes till bedtime, boy and hamster are letting in the hamsters for the tour. The book follows what everyone does as dad shouts out the count down.

The pictures are what make this book. There are so many things going on that every reading can be new. My daughter loves tracking what baby hamster is doing. Then halfway through more hamsters come for the tour and the pictures become wild.

The book winds down with a kiss from dad and hamster updating the website to say that tours are over.

Friday, August 11, 2006

two picture books worth more than one reading

If your child likes a picture book, there is a good chance you'll be reading it again. So it is nice when you like them too. Here are a couple we've been test driving lately.

"I want to be a cowgirl" by Jeanne Willis with illustrations by one of my favourites - Tony Ross. The little girl explains to her daddy in this rhyming story, " I don't want to be a girly girl, who likes to sit and chat. I want to be a cowgirl, daddy. What's so wrong with that?" My daughter who owns a pair of cowgirl boots and can pretend anything is a horse, latched onto this tale whole heartedly. In a number of the pictures, daddy is repairing the damage his little cowgirl has caused, but in the end he joins in the adventure. The little girl's imagination and determination make this a fun, quick book.

"Leonardo, the terrible monster" is by Mo Willems, who has written a number of award winning books. Leonardo stands out from other monsters in that he is terrible not to other people, but terrible at being scary. He longs to scare the "tuna salad" out of someone. He decides that Sam is the perfect candidate. In the end the perfect candidate for friendship. My daughter loves for me to read Sam's description of his terrible day in one big burst. (You do have to breathe in the middle, but keep going for the best effect.)

Check them out!