More than Dick and Jane

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2009-06-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you dont.

2009-03-24T16:21:00.000-07:00

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Moving to the Mom Buzz

2008-10-21T09:59:00.001-07:00

Thank you for everyone who chose to follow More than Dick and Jane. But this is my last post here. I am moving all old children book reviews to the Mom Buzz. And all new book reviews will be posted there from now on. You can follow me via blogger, sign up for an e-mail subscription and follow me on twitter over there! This blog will be closed once I get my last review moved.

Already I have a new review over there for Where's My Mummy. Trust me, you'll want to read it.

Thanks!

the Mom Buzz

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Sputter, Sputter, Sput!

2008-10-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

With insane gas prices, Sputter, Sputter, Sput! will speak to parents while giving kids an auditory and visual thrill. A little driver fills his car with gas "Glug, Gurgle, Glug" and drives around town. But then his car stops with a "Sputter, Sputter, Sput". What happened? Well, his car must have run out of gas. The text is simple, the gurgling of gas being filled and the sputtering of the car dying is fun to read and the illustrations are bright and attractive. I LOVE this book. It was a great find to read to the boys.

AUTHOR: Babs Bell
ILLUSTRATOR: Bob Staake
SUGGESTED PRICE: $17.89
PAGES: 32 Pages
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins, July, 2008
AGE RANGE: Baby to Preschool

Who's There on Halloween?

2008-10-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

I bought Who's There on Halloween last year for $2.00 at the bookstore. It was a GREAT, CHEAP impulse buy. Keegan was only 1.5 years old when I bought it, but it quickly became a must-read throughout the year. There are seven riddles throughout the board book, each one leading you to the appearance of a Halloween character on the following page. You'll see a witch, ghosts, spider, jack-o-lantern, skeleton, bat and owl. The rhymes are short and fun. My favorite is the one about the skeleton. "Bony, Bony, Bony Me!" If you see it at the bookstore, be sure to pick it up. It's great for babies to preschool age.

Author: Pamela Conn Beall & Susan Hagen Nipp
Illustrator: Charles Reasoner
Suggested Price: $4.99
Suggested Reading Level: Baby - Preschool
Pages: 18
Published: Price Stern Sloan, 2003

Skeleton Hiccups

2008-10-06T18:17:00.000-07:00

Keegan loved Monster Mess so much, that I looked to see what else author Margery Cuyler and illustrator S.D. Schindler collaberated on. There is only one other book - Skeleton Hiccups. In this book the skeleton gets the hiccups. Hic Hic Hic. He tries to get rid of them with the help of his friend ghost, but they keep coming. Hic Hic Hic. Finally, they manage to scare the hiccups away. Hic Hic Hic.

The story is fun. Hic Hic Hic. After every line you get to hiccup. Hic Hic Hic. Which Keegan thinks is hilarious. Hic Hic Hic.

It's a perfect book to read during October, preparing for Halloween. Keegan really loves skeletons, even dragging a halloween decoration skeleton around the house. So this book was right up his ally. I highly suggest it, along with Monster Mess.

Author: Margery Cuyler
Suggested Price: $14.99
Suggested Reading Level: 4 - 8*
Pages: 32
Published: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2002

Monster Mess

2008-10-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

We originally borrowed Monster Mess from the library. My son requested it so many times, that we are now planning to buy it. All I can say is that this is a must-have. And it's not very often that your child will REQUEST monsters!

The story is about a monster who wakes up at night and goes around cleaning. Every page has a sound you get to make, such as:

"Peek, peek ..." as the monster looks under the bed.
"Tiptoe, tiptoe..." as she tries to silently move around the house.
"Whisht, whisht..." as she sprays air freshener.

My two year old will repeat lines with me. Plus, I made actions for each sound. Such as making my fingers walk for "tiptoe" or laying my head on my hands for "Zzzzzz, Zzzzz". And my son now repeats those actions too!

The monster is not scary at all. It is lizard like with lots of hands, perfect for tickling the little boy at the end.

Overall, I highly suggest this book and look forward to reading more by Margery Cuyler. She did team up with illustrator S.D. Schindler for another book called Skeleton Hiccups which I am anxiously trying to get my hands on.

Author: Margery Cuyler
Suggested Price: $14.99
Suggested Reading Level: 4 - 8*
Pages: 40
Published: Margaret K. McElderry, August 2008

*Keep in mind, my 28 month old LOVES this book!

Five Ugly Monsters Jumping on the Bed...

2008-10-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

Move over monkeys! Now we have ugly monsters jumping on the bed in this quirky little board book. Just like the rhyme, "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, one fell off and bumped his head," except replace little monkeys with ugly monsters. The monsters are not scary looking, so little ones can handle it. Some monsters look like giant hairballs, others look like fish. But every time one falls off, the little boy calls the doctor and the doctor yells his advice over the phone. But by the last monster, the doctor unplugged his phone, so th elittle boy takes matters into his own hands. Keegan LOVES this book. Especially since every time I read the line of the doctor I get louder and louder! It's a great addition to your little monsters library. And perfect for Halloween!
Author: Tedd Arnold
Suggested Price:
Publisher: Scholastic, 1995
Pages: 30, including cover
Suggested Age: 4 - 8

***This is a board book, so I think it's perfect for birth to preschool.

If You Give a Mouse A ...

2008-09-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

If you give a mouse one cookie, you are going to have quite a lot of insanity and commotion to deal with! Author Laura Numeroff and illustrator Felicia Bond do a wonderful job of bringing this mischievous mouse to life in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, If You Take a Mouse to School and The Best Mouse Cookie. The first two are Cause and Effect books, while the latter is simply a cute story.

1. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie: A little boy sees a mouse in front of his house and gives him a cookie. From there it is just a whirlwind of activity as the little mouse asks for a glass of milk, a mirror to check for a milk mustache, nail scissors to trim his hair - one request after another pours out of his mouth until he is exhausted and thirsty at the end, needing a drink of milk. And that glass of milk sure would go good with a cookie! The illustrations capture the craziness perfectly, as the little boy is barely able to keep up with the mouse's demands. And the illustrations are so realistic at certain points. For example, when the mouse is coloring with crayons, you feel like you can lift a crayon off the page. Overall it is an excellent cause and effect book, and if you are planning on buying any Numeroff book - this should be your first choice.
Suggested Retail: $16.99
Pages: 32
Recommended age: 4 - 8
Publisher: Laura Geringer, 1985

2. If You Take a Mouse to School: This time the little boy brings his mouse friend to school. Of course the mouse needs a lunch box (with a cookie) if he is going to school. It leads the reader from one consequence to another and the mouse makes himself right at home at, well, school. From writing books to building with blocks he creates quite a spectacle for the classmates to watch. Bond's full page illustrations are busy, chaotic and fun - just like the story. It's a great book for a child's first day of school!
Suggested Retail: $16.99
Pages: 32
Recommended age: 4 - 8
Publisher: Laura Geringer, 2002

3. The Best Mouse Cookie: This is not a cause and effect book. But, it does bring us back to what the mouse really loves - COOKIES!The little mouse is in his tree house baking cookies. But he isn't very attentive. But it doesn't matter, because the best cookie is the one that is shared with a friend. This book is very short, with approximately 70 words.
Suggested Retail: $9.99
Pages: 32
Recommended age: 4 - 8
Publisher: Laura Geringer, 1999

*Although the recommended age is 4 to 8, don't let that deter you from reading it to your younger toddler. Keegan loves these stories.

Cause and Effect Toddler Books

2008-09-23T08:35:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite series of books is the "If You Give..." books by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond. Laura Numeroff has actually written many other titles, outside of this series, but she is most well known for her pesky animals that turn a house upside down after they are given a treat.

The "If You Give..." series includes:
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (1985),
If You Give a Moose a Muffin (1991),
The Best Mouse Cookie (1995)
If You Give a Pig a Pancake (1998),
If You Take a Mouse to the Movies (2000),
If You Take a Mouse to School (2002),
If You Give a Pig a Party (2005),
Merry Christmas Mouse (2007)
and most recently
If You Give a Cat a Cupcake (2008).

The Best Mouse Cookie and Merry Christmas Mouse actually don't follow the "If you give a ..." format, although they are included in the series.

The great thing about these books is they really teach cause and effect to little ones. Plus, the illustrations are very detailed with lots of fun hidden surprises to look for.

Over the next few days I will break up the series into Mouse Books, Pig Books and Moose Book. But two of the books in the series are actually Christmas related, so be on the look out for those reviews early December.

Dinosnores

2008-09-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

Dinosnores is a cute hardcover book by Kelly DiPucchio and illustrated by Ponder Goembel. Ponder did an awesome job, capturing the dinosaurs in a prehistoric setting through beautiful, full-color illustrations. The story is cute, explaining how the super continent broke apart and drifted because of loud, explosive Dino-Snores. The dinosaurs made so much noise when they went to sleep that aquatic animals were scared to shore and bugs were petrified. It is quite silly and definitely lots of fun. Your children will love seeing the dinosaurs cuddled with stuffed animals and blankets in their boulder beds.

This is definitely a great match to Jane Yolen's "How Do Dinosaurs..." series, especially How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?

Pages: 32
Words: Approximately 80
Reading level: Preschool to Grade 2
Publisher: HarperCollins, April 12, 2005
Suggested Retail Price: $17.99

How Do Dinosaurs...

2008-09-19T19:28:00.001-07:00

Most kids LOVE dinosaurs. Creatures that are almost bigger than their imagination. So it is no surprise there are so many books about dinosaurs out there. One popular series is the "How Do Dinosaurs...: series. My sons and I had the pleasure of reading two of the books and LOVED them.

1. How Do Dinosaurs Learn Their Colors?
by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

This was my first introduction to the How Do Dinosaurs Series of books. And it was a great start! I am now excited to read the other in the collection. The illustrations of the dinosaurs are cartoon-like and friendly, yet detailed. They are doing very un-dinosaur like activities throughout the story, such as pulling a red firetruck from under the bed or chasing a pink ball bouncing down stairs. Yet, they remind me of toddlers with their exuberance and facial expressions. The story is simple, it uses everyday objects, such as a blue robe or orange backpack to teach children their colors. But rather than boring ol' people showing off these colorful artifacts, its exciting dinosaurs with names like velociraptor or tropeognathus written next to their illustration so you know what they are. If your child is a dinosaur fiend like mine, this book will be a delightful addition to their color or dinosaur book collection.

Pages: 14, including cover
Words: Approximately 80
Reading level: Birth to Preschool
Publisher: The Blue Sky Press, September 1, 2006
Suggested Retail Price: $6.99

2. How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms?
by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

Everything I like about How Do Dinosaurs Lean their Colors?, I like in How Do Dinosaurs Clean their Rooms? Once again we place mighty dinosaurs, such as tuojiangosaurus and parasaurolophus in modern day scenarios as they either try to hide the mess in their rooms or actually tidy them up. While I don't think this book will inspire a 2 year old to clean their room like a dinosaur, I do think it is a nice introduction into cleaning up after playing with toys. And no matter what, it is fun to read and point out the different dinosaurs. A must-read for any tiny toddler with a dino-sized love for dinosaur books.

Pages: 14, including cover
Words: Approximately 100
Reading level: Birth to Preschool
Publisher: The Blue Sky Press, September 1, 2004
Suggested Retail Price: $6.99

The stories really do have social or educational value. Other books in the series include:
How Do Dinosaurs Play With Their Friends?
How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?
How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?
How Do Dinosaurs get Well Soon?

If you read any of these books, feel free to leave a comment and let us know your favorite one! Or even your favorite dinosaur from the series.

Boynton Board Books: Share Your Reviews

2008-09-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days I've reviewed my collection of Boynton Board Books. I definitely won't end my collection here, as she has written numerous other board books that I am anxious to get my hands on to share with my children. If you spot them first, feel free to send me YOUR review and maybe a picture of your child reading them! I'll post them here on More than Dick and Jane!

Books I would love to hear your review on:
1. Opposites
2. Horns to Toes
3. Snoozers
4. Dinos to Go
5. And everything else I missed!!!

And if I reviewed any Sandra Boynton books you don't own yet, feel fere to head on over to Amazon and purchase them today! Then come back and give us your thoughts.

Sandra Boynton: Everything but the Hippopotamus

2008-09-16T18:05:00.001-07:00

With Sandra Boynton you can forget the old, standard, "A cow says Moo" kind of book when you are trying to teach your child farm animals and their sounds. Instead reach for these Barnyard Classics.
1. Barnyard Dance: It's a hoedown at this barn, with a cow calling the shots. Pigs, sheep, horses and ducks all get lively as they strut their stuff with a Neigh and a Moo and a Cluck Cluck Cluck. You can't help but sing the lyrics to your children, and if you really get in the spirit everyone can dance along!

2. Moo, Baa, La La La: Boynton just wanted to make sure you were listening. As a cow says Moo and a Sheep says Baa and three singing pigs sing La La La. Huh? Don't worry about confusing your children, because if they are anything like mine they quickly get the joke and shake their finger at the singing pigs to say, "No No No". It' s a fun, quirky book that invites children to read along - which is what we are all about here at More than Dick and Jane!

I was very tempted to throw this book into my next series of reviews, which is going to be dinosaur books. But it is a Boynton Board Book. So let's take a quick peek at one of my son's favorite Boynton Books:
3. Oh My Oh My Oh My Dinosaurs!: The book is less about dinosaurs and more about adjectives and opposites. It just uses dinosaurs to illustrate the point. It has 22 adjectives/opposites. And then three funny action sequences, just to work it all together in a quirky manner. My son's favorite part is when the dinosaurs are singing a dinosaur song. And you really have to sing it - there is even note music! The type used helps convey the story even more. For example, the work "weak" is spindly and small. While the word "strong" is bold and ginormaus - complementing the huge blue dinosaur it is describing. It's a loud of laughs and you and your children will have fun acting out the parts of the dinosaurs. For example, my son and I make a muscle when we read "Dinosaur Strong."

Can you point out your Bee-Bo? Everyone has one...
4. Belly Button Book: I might have to blame Sandra Boynton for my 27 month old not saying Belly Button. But he will gladly point out your Bee-Bo, as well as his, his brother's and his daddy's. Bee-Bo is just a tiny hippo way of saying belly button in this cute board book. Every page has tons of hippos wearing skimpy bathing suits to show off their beloved Bee-Bo. It is a quirky little book dedicated to that little button everyone has. And it's a great way to torture family members who are squeamish at having their belly-buttons touched. "Keegan, Where is Daddy's Bee-Bo?" :wicked giggle: See reading IS fun!

Know someone with a birthday coming up? Well, put down that $3.99 Hallmark card and pick up Birthday Monsters by Sandra Boynton.
5. Birthday Monsters: Just imagine. It is bright and early and you are sound asleep when five birthday monsters barge right into your house to celebrate your birthday. But they do it birthday style, which involves making a monster sized mess of things. They ruin breakfast, eat your cake, take your presents and much more. But just when you think you have had the worst birthday ever, they come right back and make sure you have EVERYTHING you need for the perfect birthday. It's fun, silly and really would mean more to a child then a paper birthday card.

And, of course we cannot forget the Hippopotamus.
6. But Not the Hippopotamus: Sandra Boynton began her career with writing about hippos going berserk. So we'll end this string of reviews dedicated in her honor with But Not the Hippopotamus. If you want to get deep, the story is about a hippo who feels left out of everything. Other animals pair off to do one fun activity or another, but not the hippopotamus. But just when you think the hippopotamus is just not very popular, all the animals ask her to join them in for a fun animal jog! Honestly, when I read it I just like the repetitiveness of the line,"But Not the Hippopotamus" and the adorable drawing of the hippo spying on the other animals. Like they wouldn't notice a hippo hiding behind a tree. :giggle:

Sandra Boynton just has a wild sense of humour and can write about anything on a child's level.

Sandra Boynton: Good Night, Wake Up and Hugs

2008-09-13T12:53:00.000-07:00

Sandra Boynton is such an energetic writer that it is almost hard to imagine that she could write something that would settle your child down for bed. Or even write a love song dedicated to your toddler. But she did just that. Here are some of my thoughts on a few other must-have Sandra Boynton Books.

GOING TO BED?
1. The Going to Bed Book: Aptly named, the Going to Bed Book follows a crew of animals going through their nighttime routing on a ship out at sea. When the moon goes down they take a bath, brush teeth, get dressed and ... exercise! It's fun and crazy. And although the writing is silly and causes giggles, my son settles right down to sleep when we are done.

2. Pajama Time: Why would they call them Pajamas, if you weren't meant to jam (aka Dance) in them? Whatever your pajamas may be; red, pink, old, new, fuzzy, striped, or even ugly - they are all made for dancing. And after pajammying to the left and pajammying to the right with your child, they have managed to get those last few wiggles out before settling for a good night's sleep.

WAKING UP
3. Hey! Wake Up!: How do you and your children start off your day? With a wiggle of the nose, a touch of your toes, some shimmies, stretching and shouting? Well, that's how the Big Guys and Little Guys do it in this morning book. It's fun, vivacious and fin to read from morning to night.

THE SOFTER SIDE OF BOYNTON
4. Your Personal Penguin: Published in 2006, it is one of the newer additions to Boynton's board book collection. But gosh darn-it, it's a sweet story of a penguin that strives to do more than live in a land of ice. He has met a hippo that he likes a lot, since she is funny and kind. And all he wants to do is hang out with her night and day. A sweet story to read to your little one.

5. What's Wrong Little Pookie: Toddler's aren't known for being able to communicate. And it is captured by little pig Pookie in this story. The Mama Pig tries to find otu what's wrong with a crying Pookie, but Pookie won't answer so she resorts to Yes or No questions. Keegan loves reading Pookie's lines, a simple and high-pitched, "No!". First Pookie's mom goes through the simple questions - cold, hungry, hurt, lost a favorite toy, torn a new shirt, sick, tired or thirsty. Then she moves into silly scenarios that are intended to make Pookie laugh, for example flying green elephants takinghis cookies. In the end Mama is too successful, because Pookie can't remember why he is crying!

6. Snuggle Puppy: This is a love song for your baby! Keegan loves when I sing it to him, it doesn't matter if I am off-key or pitchy. A Mama Dog is singing to her puppy about why she loves him, as cookies bake in the oven. There are plenty of opportunities for your children to howl and you can sneak in a kiss or three!

I hope you consider buying or borrowing these Boynton Board Books. Tomorrow I will review the last six I own. They are books about farm animals, dinosaurs, monsters, birthdays, Bee-Boos and not being left out.

Sandra Boynton: Numbers and the Alphabet

2008-09-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

Sandra Boynton books are just fun reads, even if they have a little hidden lesson behind the witty lines and lovable characters. Here are a few of her books that I have read and recommend that review numbers, the alphabet and colors.

COUNTING:
1. Hippos Go Berserk!: This is my all-time favorite and I think it is Boynton's first book. It counts from 1 to 9, and back down again. It stars a favorite Boynton character, a hippo, who is lonely so she calls a couple friends. And next thing you know she is having a hippo house party! But of course, the party has to end sometime and the hippos all go home again.

2. One, Two, Three!: This counting book goes from 1 to 10. With each number, you have more of Boynton's characters to count. Cats, hippos, ducks, pigs - you see them all. And once ten characters fill the page at once, well, it gets a little loud.

3. Doggies: This is a counting and barking book. There is not a lot of witty writing, but there is a lot of barking, panting and whining. Keegan and Lochlan love the barking as we introduce a new dog with every number.

ALPHABET:
4. A to Z: Another simple book without a lot of writing. But we do see some zany illustrations from Boynton as she pairs each letter of the alphabet with a fun animal in action. Keegan's favorite is the zebra zigzagging. But Sandra does throw in some imaginary animals and actions in the mix.

COLORS:
5. Blue Hat, Green Hat: Any toddler will take to this book immediately as there is a fun "oops" on every page. Boynton has four characters - an elephant, moose, bear and turkey, putting on different colored articles of clothing. Everyone gets it right, except the turkey. So whenever you get to the turkey, for example with a shoe on his head, you say "oops". before you know it your toddler will be beating you to the punch.

The board books range in price from $5.99 to $9.99. They are great for small hands, as they usually measure 6 inches by 6 inches. Hippos Go Berserk! is a little longer and One, Two, Three! is a little taller. Overall, they are sturdy little books that you can trust your babies and toddlers to read on their own.

Tomorrow I'll talk about her bedtime and morning books. And also show a softer side of Boynton's writing.

Boynton Board Books

2008-09-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

My friend introduced me to Sandra Boynton's Board Books before Keegan was even born. She gave me a 6 inch by 6 inch copy of Barnyard Dance. Rythmic, silly and funny little illustrations made it an immediate hit. I soon bought another Sandra Boynton Book (Hippos Go Berserk!) and another (But Not the Hippopotamus) and the next thing you know we have 17 of her books. Plus, we borrow the ones we don't have from the library.

These books are good for birth to preschool. Many of them use a lot of repetition. But there is something about the witty writing that really caught the attention of Keegan when he was only months old. And once he learned to walk, he would use his new found skill to bring me Sandra Boynton books to read. And it got to the point where I could say a line from a book, and he would find it and bring it to me!

Now, many of her books are just fun reads. But a few have teeny lessons for toddlers, reviewing numbers, the alphabet, animal sounds, going to bed or even waking up.

And, if you would like to see EVERYTHING Sandra Boynton has published and released for children and adults, visit her Web site at SandraBoynton.com.

Imagination Library

2008-09-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

Books are expensive. Children books more so, considering they tend to have hard covers or board pages. So for 8 pages, including cover, you may fork out 8 dollars. How can you afford to read to your child? Well, the number one way is FREE. Go to your local library. Mine lets me check out a zillion at a time. So Keegan just loads me up on books and I check them out. Then the next week I go back and return the ones he had least interest in and we check out even more. I can renew the ones he likes online. Although, eventually we say good-bye to those to.

But, here is another FREE way to get your hands on children's books that you get to keep - Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. There are a couple of catches. First, it's not available everywhere. It is up to your community to put it in place. Second, your child's eligibility depends on when the program started in your area. For us, it started too late for Keegan to be eligible. But Lochlan is eligible, being younger. And every child born after him will be eligible too. To find out if your child is eligible visit ImaginationLibrary.com.

HOW IT WORKS: Every couple of months your child is mailed a book that covers certain themes. For Lochlan, this first year he will get books that focus on:
Vision - bright, big, colorful
Touch - board pages
Rhyme and rhythm
Simple - easy to use
Minimal text - point and say
Playful sound
Nurture - attachment- lullaby themes

We received our first book in the mail today! So that's really what brought this to mind. Lochlan has his own copy of The Little Engine That Could. Hardcover. With a note from Dolly Parton in the introduction!

I encourage everyone to check out ImaginationLibrary.com today and see if your child can start receiving free books in the mail.

Gossie & Friends: A First Flap Book

2008-09-09T17:52:00.001-07:00

It's no secret that my toddler and I love the Gossie & Friends collection of books. Gossie, Gertie, BooBoo, Ollie and Peedie are such wonderfully simple characters. So when we found Gossie & Friends: A First Flap Book at the library I grabbed it. And ever since it arrived at our house, Keegan has read it and reread it repeatedly.

Unlike the other books, this book is HUGE. The other books in the series measure 6 by 6 inches, whether they are the board book version or simply hard covered. But Gossie & Friends: A First Flap Book is 10 by 10 inches. Here is the best shot of Keegan holding it so you can see how big it really is. The pages are board, making them sturdy so that we can open flaps and peer at hidden illustrations and text.

Another great aspect of this book is that it introduces useful concepts for babies and preschoolers. It touches on colors, seasons, counting to 5, up-down-over-under and matching. This is where the flaps come into play, covering additional pictures and text to help reinforce these concepts.

For example, on one spread it introduces BooBoo as a blue gosling on the left hand page. It wants us to find something on the facing page that is blue like BooBoo. One flap shows yellow straw, another has red apples and the final is a blue dish. Under each flap it asks if these items are blue like BooBoo. But if you lift the flap with the straw, underneath it you see a picture of Gertie and the text reads, "No, it's yellow like Gertie." Under the apple flap it has a picture of Gossie looking at her red boots. The text says, "No, they're red like Gossie's boots." And under the food bowl flap it shows BooBoo eating from her blue bowl and it says, "Yes, just like hungry BooBoo!"

The illustrations are simple, charming and have special surprises hidden in the simple pen, ink and watercolor artwork. For example, revisiting the blue bowl flap there is a mouse eating from the bowl and two humming birds whizzing by. When you lift the flap you now see the mouse is still eating from the bowl, BooBoo is now enjoying a bite too and the humming birds are zigg-zagging around.

Gossie & Friends: A First Flap Book is 12 pages, including cover, and approximately 200 words. It is copyright 2006 by Olivier Dunrea and published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

I found it to be a delightful change of pace from the other charming Gossie series of books. It had educational value, fun flaps and is HUGE hit - both in size and content. We love it. An immediate household hit. I hope you read it soon.

Fun With Geese

2008-09-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

I know I always feel like a better parent when I tie my children's books with other activities. A multi-media experience, as my sister puts it. So, I scoured my cabinets and closets looking for something I can turn into a goose project. Then it hit me - Play Doh and Cookie Cutters. I pulled out my goose (okay - duck) and egg cookie cutters. And Keegan requested the zebra (horse) cookie cutter. There is no zebra in Gossie & Friends, but the kid is obsessed with zebras. Plus, this is just fun, imaginative play.

We rolled out our mixed colors, flattened the Play Doh, pushed our cutters into the Play Doh and pulled out fun goose, egg and zebra shapes. Keegan made the geese talk to each other, piled and counted the eggs, and the zebras ruled the playing field. It was a lot of fun!

Plus, I had other project and activity ideas if you have these materials on hand.
1. Blow Bubbles - In BooBoo, that silly blue gosling eats a bubble and burps backwards,forwards, under water and in the weeds. So blow bubbles that look so delicious that BooBoo would want to eat it.

2. Bubble Art - In an unbreakable plate with raised edges mix water, paint and dish soap. Put straw into one end of the pan and gently blow to form bubbles. Put a piece of paper gently on top of the bubbles until a few pop. They will leave a bubble imprint on the paper. Set paper aside to dry.

Good project for age 3 and up, since you don't want them DRINKING the bubble solution through the straw. What you will need:

Tempera paint (about 1-2 tablespoons)
Liquid dish soap (about 1 tablespoon)
Spoon
White construction paper (Light colors will work best.)
Drinking straws
Raised dish
1/2 cup water

3. Make some construction paper geese. Cut out a goose body using yellow construction paper. Add an orange bill and legs with orange construction paper. Draw on eyes or use googly eyes, depending on the age of the child. Then let your child add yellow, blue or other colored feathers, available at any craft shop. Gertie, Peedie and Gossie are yellow. BooBoo is Blue. Ollie is Brown.But your child can make up a new gosling character using pink, purple or green feathers! A good example of how to do this can be found at NoTimeForFlashCards.com.

4. When I was in college, I used to do Felt Boards for the stories I read to classrooms. I would just cut and make the characters out of felt. And then I would use a huge piece of felt and cover a sturdy piece of cardboard. Fold the extra felt over the cardboard and glue it in place. On the back of the characters glue a piece of sandpaper, so they will stick easily to the felt. Either way, making characters for one of the Gossie stories would be adorable and fun.

5. Paint or dye eggs. Pretend it is Ollie's egg and you are going to make it prettier since he won't come out. You can put fun shaped stickers on the eggs or rubber bands to create interesting patterns if you want to dye them. Or just go crazy with paint!

The Play Doh was the simplest idea for me right now, with two underfoot. But if you try these other craft ideas or have a new one - feel free to share!

Gossie & Friends

2008-09-02T06:15:00.000-07:00

I love the books my son loves. When he asks for a book by name after I read it to him once, I know it is a winner. That was the case with these colorful characters. A few of the stories we read so far are:

1. Gossie - Gossie loves to wear her bright, red boots everyday. One day they are missing! Where could they be? Should she keep looking, or will her boots find their way back to her on their own - with a little help from a little friend.

2. Gossie & Gertie - Gossie wears bright, red boots. Gertie wears bright, blue boots. And they are best friends. Gertie does everything Gossie does - or does she? This little gosling has her own path to tread. Maybe bossy Gossie can benefit from following little Gertie. A great gift for a bossy older sister!

3. Ollie - Why won't Ollie come out of his egg to play? He has the attitude of a toddle, before he is even hatched!

4. Ollie the Stomper - Now that he is out of the egg, we can learn more about this little guy's personality. Loud, stubborn and very much a toddler. Gossie and Gertie help him along and try to keep him happy. A good book for children expecting a new sibling.

5. Peedie - Peedie is such a forgetful little gosling that always wear a bright, red cap. Until he forgets where he puts it! Oh no! Maybe if he remembers everything else he should have done, he will find his baseball cap on the way.

6. BooBoo - A blue gosling with an insatiable appetite for anything! Even bubbles are a "good food" to her, until it gives her some bubbly burps! A great book for your pickiest eater.

Other Gossie & Friends Books
1. Gossie & Friends
2. Gossie's Busy Day
3. Merry Christmas, Gossie

Publishing Information
Gossie & Friends books are published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com

Olivier Dunrea

2008-09-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

I knew the name Gossie before I knew Olivier Dunrea. I picked up Gossie from a bookstore when I was traveling out of state with my son. The tale of the adorable yellow gosling who loved to wear bright, red boots captured my attention. I bought the book and it soon became a favorite of my toddler. Soon after we bought Gossie & Gertie. That was when I really paid attention to who Dunrea was and whether he wrote other captivating gosling stories. Lucky us, he did. So BooBoo, Peedie and Ollie found there way into our house.

They are great stories for babies and toddlers by themselves or as a collection. The illustrations are simple, charming and have special surprises hidden in the simple pen, ink and watercolor artwork. Whether it is a little spider sitting on Ollie or a mouse sneaking a bite from BooBoo's bowl of food. And the 6 by 6 inch books are the perfect size for little ones to read on their own. The books come in board book form, tough for rough readers. And they come with a hard cover and paper pages for older children.

Amazon.com says the books are meant for ages 4 to 8, but Gossie and Gertie were among my sons' first words - before he turned 2.

More than Dick and Jane

2008-08-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

I always enjoyed reading and collecting children's books. It definitely correlates with my degree in elementary education, my experience working for a company that publishes articles online for for beginning learners, my own collection of short stories, and raising a toddler and a baby. It is the latter that really drives my interest in stories geared for little ones.

I ask myself, "Why should I read this story to my boys?" Are the illustrations eye-catching? Is the text purely for fun? Is there a lesson to be learned? Is it repetitive? Does it teach colors, counting or other useful skills? Does it instill a love of reading? Or, most importantly, does it instill a love of reading in my child?

We've come a long way since the basal reader Dick and Jane. Now we can bring delightful characters invented by Sandra Boynton, Olivier Dunrea, Laura Numeroff, Leslie Patricelli and more into our home and yours. And feel free to jump in and let me know what you think of these authors or titles, how your kids react to the stories or other stories you suggest we read and chat about.

I hope to introduce an author or subject a week with More than Dick and Jane. So come back Monday (and often) to see what is on our reading list this week.