I thought it would be fun to share some of Dante’s favorite books every month. He tends to have a few favorites at a time and we read them over and over. This way, parents & teachers can learn about some picture books they might want to share with their kids and I got a built-in memory of his favorites over time. Win, win! Check out the books I’ve already reviewed – many of them remain favorites.
Kindness Makes Us Strong by Sophie Beer Published by Hardie Grant Egmont on April 1, 2019
Genres: Picture Books
Pages: 24
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Whether we share a toy or include someone in a game, all acts of kindness – no matter how big or small – make the world a better place.
Kindness is doing what you can, where you are, with what you have, and in Kindness Makes Us Strong, Sophie Beer introduces us to a bunch of cute kids doing just that.
I MAY have pushed this one to the top of the pile because I was so excited about it, but thankfully Dante seems to love it as much as I do. Obviously, I love the message of this book, which is one of kindness. It illustrates kindness as sharing, giving comfort, playing together, etc. I love that the pictures tell the same story of inclusion, with various races, ethnicities, sizes and even disabilities being represented in the pictures. I think this is a book that will age well with Dante and he will be able to enjoy it as he grows older. The only page that bothers me is the one that says “Kindness is trading treats.” I understand the idea behind this, but as a former teacher I had such a hard time getting kids to understand that as nice as it may seem, we can’t share food – at least not at school. Because of allergies especially, but also germs (even more pronounced in these days of COVID-19) and plain parental preference, you really can’t let kids share foods at school. So I wish child entertainment would catch up to that and not encourage it as a nice thing to do. Other than that, a great book!
Old MacDonald Had a Farm Finger Puppet Book by Cottage Door Press Published by Cottage Door Press on October 2, 2018
Genres: Picture Books
Pages: 12
Format: Hardcover
Source: Gift
Goodreads
Well there’s nothing surprising about this book… It’s the classic song – “Old McDonald Had a Farm” with cows only. But OMG Dante loves this book. We read it OVER and OVER and OVER again. I’m sure it’s the finger puppet, which I can make move around, Mooing it’s little heart out. Dante loves it and brings the book to me all the time. Proving the point that sometimes simple is best.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Slide and Find by Bill Martin Jr., Eric Carle Published by Priddy Books Us on August 3, 2010
Genres: Picture Books
Pages: 22
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Eric Carle's familiar illustrations of brown bear, red bird, yellow duck and the other endearing animals from his classic creation parade across the pages of this great Slide and Find interactive board book.
As each page is turned, a new animal and its color are introduced, accompanied by Bill Martin Jr.'s singsong, rhyming question-and-response text to read aloud or listen to. There are sliding doors throughout the book, which children will just love to open, so they can discover what the next animal in this engaging story will be.
This is a slide and find take on the classic and it’s just as great, but more interactive. Dante actually isn’t as into the slide and find as I thought he would be, I think because the slide is just words, with a picture underneath. I do think it will appeal more when he’s older. But he does seem to really enjoy the story itself. He likes the pictures (it’s an Eric Carle… what else would you expect right?) and I like the repetitive nature. I feel like once he’s really talking and participating this book will be a great one for his language development and learning colors. For now, It’s just fun.
