My Favorite Books to Launch the School Year

Hi Everybody!

I've been very busy visiting all my schools helping people get ready for the new school year. Everywhere I go I bring my suitcase full of my favorite books to read during the first month of school. 

I'm a little bit picky when it comes to these books. Just because it's a book about the first day of school, or it has kids reading and writing in it, it doesn't necessarily make it onto my list. Only my favorite books that I have read aloud to kids are on this list. There are lots of other wonderful books I could have added--I just haven't had a chance to read them to kids yet!

These books are arranged loosely in order of difficulty/maturity. Having said that, upper grade teachers and parents, don't be afraid to use the picture books! You might be surprised at the conversation that goes on!

Kindness and Friendship Picture Books:

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae

It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni

Swimmy by Leo Lionni

Ugly Fish by Kara LaReau

My Teacher is A Monster (No I Am Not!) by Peter Brown

Don’t Laugh At Me by Steve Seskin & Allen Shamblin

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Stand Tall Molly Lou Mellon by Patty Lovell

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill

My Best Friend by Mary Ann Rodman

Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

Enemy Pie by Derek Munson

One Green Apple by Eve Bunting

The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson

Kindness and Friendship Chapter Books:

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Counting by 7s by Hollly Goldberg Sloan

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

Overcoming Fear/Building Agency and Resilience Picture Books

Big Plans by Bob Shea

Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg

Ish by Peter Reynolds

The Dot by Peter Reyndolds

Courage by Bernard Waber

The Writerly Life:

Ralph Tells a Story by Abby Hanlon

David’s Drawings by Cathryn Falwell

Rocket Writes a Story by Tad Hills

The Best Story by Eileen Spinelli

Little Red Writing by Joan Holub

The Boy Who Loved Words by Roni Schotter

Max’s Words by Kate Banks

Nothing Every Happens on 90^th Street by Roni Schotter

The Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk

I’m in Charge of Celebrations by Byrd Baylor

Building a Reading Life:

Wild About Books by Marc Brown

We Are in A Book! By Mo Willems

How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills

How to Teach a Slug to Read by Susan Pearson

If I Were A Book by Jose Jorge Letria and Andre Letria

Bats at the Library by Brian Lies

Day 16 SoL Story Challenge: Drawing Inspiration from Familiar Stories

Join hundreds of teachers and students as we share stories every day for the month of March.

Whew! We just had the busiest weekend ever! Saturday for Little L went like this:

10:00am Teddy Bear Tea Party
11:00am Special Lunch at Gardeners Cafe
12:00pm Parents Day at Little L.'s Preschool

That' a lot of excitement for a four year old in one day.  Then today went like this:

11:00am Cousin J. came over to play
1:00pm Go to Casey's Hill for sledding with Cousin J., K, and M
4:00pm Grandma and Grandpa and Great-Grandma came over for dinner

With all this great stuff going on, it was hard for my little coauthor and I to squeeze in some storytelling for the SOLSC. Then, when we finally did have a minute, we had a hard time coming up with ideas.

So, what do you do when you can't think of an idea for a story?  Here a just few things I do:

1. Think of a true story that really happened
2. Think of people or places that matter most to me, then think of one thing that happened
3. Think of a person I'd like to tell a story to, and make up a story just for them
4. Look at pictures or videoclips to get ideas
5. Draw a picture of things I like to do, then tell the story of one time
6. Think of stories or books or movies I love, and write my own version

In today's SOLSC Little L. tells her own version of a story that is very familiar to her. See if you can guess what story she is adapting (don't cheat by looking below!):

Peter Rabbit has been a topic of conversation quite a bit lately. She has a porcelain place setting decorated with Peter Rabbit and other Beatrix Potter characters that was my husband's when he was a child, and I think this sparked her interest. She also has a complete set of Beatrix Potter books that was a gift one year, and she's enthralled by the stories. The beautiful language captivates her. The gorgeous illustrations and little child-sized hardcover bindings are absolutely enchanting. The thing that I think interests her the most, and the thing that is the most surprising to me as an adult…. is that the stories are shockingly violent… in a way that I think scares her just a little, but not enough that she dislikes them. There really isn't a better word to describe them, but violent. Funny, I must have read the same set of stories a hundred times when I was little but I don't remember them being so violent. I guess I must have been so swept away by the child-size covers and adorable pictures that I didn't even notice that characters were risking limb, and losing life on every other page!

Little L has a bunch of other stories that she loves to retell, especially for her baby brother. She loves to do The Three Little Pigs, and she also really loves to tell the story of The Carrot Seed and her own versions of Winnie the Pooh chapters, and movies that she's seen (especially The Lego Movie lately). (Also, for more on emergent reading with preschoolers and kindergarteners click here).

What about you, dear readers. What familiar stories did you love to retell when you were young? Do your students or your own children retell old favorites? Leave a title in the comment section!

Day 12 SoL Story Challenge: A Story About a Guinea Pig

Join hundreds of teachers and students as we practice our own writing by sharing a story every day in the month of March.

It's amazing the way little kids use bits and pieces of true life in their make-believe play and storytelling. In Little L.'s stories, real life pets often become main characters, and characters from familiar books make appearances.

Today, Little L. tells a story about a guinea pig. Her classroom at preschool has a pet guinea pig, named Roger. Little L. has been begging to get a guinea pig of her own lately (it's not going to happen).  Also, we recently read The Mouse and The Motorcycle  and Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary, and in both these books, the antagonist is a cat named Catso. See if you can hear how she pulls some of those details into her story.

Shared Reading With Your Tiny Reader

In preschool and kindergarten classrooms, "shared reading" is a method that teachers often use to introduce young children to concepts about print and the beginning stages of reading on their own.

Essentially, shared reading is when you and a child (or group of children) read a book together.  The book is read over and over again so that the child becomes so familiar with the how the story goes that she can chime in and "read" along with you. (So make sure to pick really fun books!) Usually we use short, predictable texts so that it's easy for the child to learn how the words go, making it fun and enjoyable to read along with you, matching her voice to each word you point to.

Little L. and I have been doing a lot of shared reading lately, using short, easy, beginner reading books--the kind that you would see in almost any pre-k, kindergarten, or first grade classroom.

We love the Brand New Readers Series. I use these little books often in my work as a literacy consultant, and it's exciting to see how much Little L. loves them!

There are tons of different characters to choose from in this series. Here are a few of our favorite characters from Brand New Readers. There are numerous titles for each character, so you and your child get to read about Monkey, or Mouse, or Worm in many stories, not just one :

Shared reading involves lots of rereading, which is great because it allows you to focus on something different each time you read the book.  Usually the first time through, I read it just like I would read aloud any other book, only I do make sure to point to the words, and I use my voice to make the pattern stand out.

The second time through I continue to point to the words, and I also might let my voice trail off so that Little L. can fill in the missing words. She looks in the picture, and she knows how the pattern goes, so she's able to figure out the words I leave out. Substituting and filling in words that make sense is an important first phase in learning to read! 

I've been keeping L.'s shared reading books in a special bag on her bookshelf next to her bed. We read 2-3 of these before her regular bedtime stories, which are usually longer storybooks or a few chapters from a chapter book. She loves that she gets to have a few extra books before bed, and they're so short that it only extends bedtime by a few minutes. As we reread our books, over time, Little L. chimes in more and more, and eventually she points to the words and "reads" the whole thing herself!

Some parents will ask me, "But aren't they just memorizing it? That's not really reading is it?" Well, yes and no. When your child knows exactly how the book goes, he or she is able to put together many reading skills at once:  using the picture to figure out what's happening on that page, pointing to one word at a time, making sure to say words that match what's happening on the page, turning one page at a time, reading with expression… and much more. All of these skills can come together somewhat easily when your child knows the story, even when they might not be able to practice these skills at all on "cold read." 

For more on shared reading with young kids, I recommend the book Read It Again!: Revisiting Shared Reading by Brenda Parkes.

And if you're more of a researcher type, you should check out Don Holdaway's work (he's known to many as the guru of shared reading). Here's a link to a lovely youtube video that nicely summarizes some of his work.

Happy Shared Reading!

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old

It's Little L.'s second year at her preschool, and she's lucky to have a handful of the same friends from last year in her class again this year. I am so excited and proud to see her really come out of her shell at school, playing and laughing and telling me all about her friends when she comes home.

But... there is just one thing.

L. doesn't really want to play with the new kids. In fact, sometimes, she can even be a little bit mean to them. Especially during "outdoor time" (that's what they call it at her school) on the playground.

Sigh.

So we've been having many, many, many discussions at home about being kind, making new friends, and thinking about how others might feel. And of course, we've been reading lots of books to help Little L. understand how her words and actions can hurt -- or help -- others.

Here are a two of the many wonderful stories that are really helping L. make sense of what's going on during outdoor time. Thankfully, her teachers have been telling us that she's already thinking more about others, and now will even remind other kids to be a good friend.

The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill, illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith

This book, The Recess Queen,  really hit home. At four years old, Little. L. can totally relate to both "Mean Jean" and Katie Sue and the other kids in the story. We've read and reread this book many times on L.'s request. She's really into it.  Here are some of the ways we've talked about this book:

We try to put ourselves in the character's shoes. I asked L. one night, "Why do you think Jean might act so mean?""Maybe she doesn't know how to make friends yet," L. said. "Maybe she doesn't know that the other kids are sad."

We think about all of the characters, not just the main character. We talk a lot about how the other kids in the story feel, but we also talk about what they might have done differently. "It says nobody ever dared played with Jean. What do you think about that?" I asked L. and she said, "The other kids could be like Katie Sue and ask her to play--then she might not be so mean."

We talk about different ways to figure out how characters in books, and people in real life, are feeling. I asked L., "It seems like Mean Jean doesn't know that the other kids are sad. How would she know that she's making them feel bad?" L. responded, "She should look at their faces," or "Maybe she should ask them 'How are you feeling?'" 

The big thing we talk about is that it's important to try to think about how other people feel. Look at their faces, ask them questions, talk to them, invite them to play.

Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell, illustrated by David Catrow

Little L. relates to this book this just as much as The Recess Queen. We've probably read it ten or twenty times in the past week!

We use what we learned about one character to help us figure out another similar character. In this book, Ronald Durgin reminds L. of Mean Jean from The Recess Queen and we talk a lot about how they are similar and different. Especially we talk about why Ronald might act the way he does, and how maybe he feels a lot like Jean who nobody ever plays with.

We talk about how the character's actions are similar to real life experiences.  Ronald calls Molly Lou Melon a name, making this book the perfect spring board for talking about a name calling episode L. experienced at school. "What could Ronald have done differently?" "How do you think Molly Lou Melon feels when he says that?" leads right into, "How do you think Little E. felt when you called her a name?" "What could you have done differently?"

We talk about how characters change across the story, and what they might have learned along the way. Along the way in this book, the author repeats the line "and he felt very foolish..." L. asked about this one night. "What's foolish?" she asked. "It means he knows he did something wrong," was my response. "So why does he keep being mean to Molly Lou Melon?" L. asked. I had to think about it for a second. "Why do you think?" I asked L. She stopped to think about it too. "Maybe..." I said finally, actually having to really, truly, think about it, "...maybe, it takes some people lots of times to really learn something." Then on each subsequent page we stopped and talked, "Did he learn a lesson yet?" "Nope, not yet..." Next page. "Did he learn anything yet..." Nope, not yet. Then on the last page, it's so clear... Ronald finally learns how to be a friend, and isn't so foolish anymore.

We talk about why characters react the way they do.  In this book Molly Lou Melon always reacts very positively even when Ronald is being extremely mean to her. We talk a lot about why she's able to do that. "Some kids would be really sad if someone was mean to them. Why do you think Molly Lou Melon is still so happy and cheerful?" Little L. has to think about this, every time, even though we've had the same talk lots of time. But she always comes up with something along the lines of, "Because her grandma told her to stand tall."

With this book we talk a lot about how even though Ronald starts out as a bully, he's able to change, and if he can change, then anybody can. And thank goodness for grandmas!

Has your child ever had trouble on the playground? What books do you recommend? Leave a comment and share the love!

Emergent Storybook Reading

Have you ever wondered what kids do for "reading" in school if they haven't yet learned how to read conventionally? Well, I will tell you!

In schools across the country where I work, kindergarten teachers read and re-read special storybooks that we call "emergent storybooks." This is based on the work of Elizabeth Sulzby, a renowned researcher. To support emergent readers, teachers read aloud a few stories again and again. The children get to know the stories really well, and soon will begin to talk about the pictures and even tell the story to go with the pages. Some children will even point to the words and "read." All of this fosters a love of reading along with an emerging understanding of how reading works.

In classrooms, teachers will scour the classroom library for books that:

1. Have characters, a problem, and a solution

2. Have pictures that closely match what the text says on each page

3. Are highly engaging. The kind of books children love to hear again and again.

4. Are memorable - often there is a refrain or repeated phrase that helps kids remember how the story goes.

5. Contain rich, beautiful, literary language (think fairytales or folktales as examples)

Some examples of emergent storybooks that you might know:

Caps for Sale

Three Billy Goats Gruff

The Gingerbread Man

Three Little Pigs

Once you have some books, all you need to do is read them again and again. Soon, your child will know the story so well that she'll start to chime in with you. Then she'll start to tell the story to go with the pictures herself. Sometimes, she'll even start recognizing some of the words in the book!

A few tips for reading in a way that is especially supportive:

1. Make your voice as EXPRESSIVE as possible!

2. Point to the PICTURES as you read.

3. Use GESTURES and act things out with your hands and your body as you read.

Emergent storybook reading isn't just for classroom teachers or researchers. Parents and caregivers can support their wee readers at home by reading and reading and reading these books!

Life-to-Text Connections

Real life always reminds us of life-to-text connections! (Yes, "life-to-text.")

This picture is from one of our many trips to the Bronx Zoo. It reminds us of so many great books!

This reminds me of...

... Llama Llama Red Pajama, by Anna Dewdney

... Is Your Mama a Llama?

... Zoo Looking, by Mem Fox

What does it remind you of?

It's Time for Holi! Author Interview

Amita Roy Shah is the author of It’s Time for Holi! Amita is also a consultant for several educational publishing companies, a researcher studying South Asian American women who become teachers, and is the mother of one super-smart kid!

Luckily for me, she was willing to take time out of her hectic schedule to answer some questions about her new book:

Tiny Reader: It’s Time for Holi! is your first children’s book. What inspired you to write a book about Holi?

Amita: The idea of Holi came to me when I was designing a Pre-K curriculum and realized that many Pre-K themes have to do with colors, seasons, and multicultural celebrations. Holi is the Indian festival of colors! People celebrate spring by throwing colors on one another…so I thought to myself, what child wouldn’t want to celebrate spring by throwing colors on their family and friends?!?

Tiny Reader: What’s a common question that children have for you about Indian culture, and how do you address it?

Amita: It’s not really a question but I think children are sometimes confused about the term “Indian." And in the United States the term is used to talk about Native American Indians the most. I think this term causes a lot of confusion, so I always make it a point to say that Holi is a celebration that started in the country of India but is now celebrated everywhere. I think it is also important for children to say “India” out loud and I hope the images from my book will help them develop a better understanding of Indians who are from the country of India.

Tiny Reader: What is your writing process?

Amita: My writing process has always been to write down whatever I am thinking at the moment and develop the structure, format, and language later! This has definitely worked for me. The first couple drafts of this book don’t really have a rhyme or rhythm and are just some ideas about roses, butterflies, birds, colors, and spring. It is funny to look back and see it all now.

Tiny Reader: What do you hope children will learn from reading your book?

Amita: I hope that all children get more exposure to the Indian culture. Throughout the book you will notice subtle images of the culture--such as the jewelry, the dress, the wall hangings, the containers with the colored powders, names of characters, etc. I also hope that children get really excited about spring and celebrating Holi at school or at home. Holi is about getting messy with colors so children can really do any activity that allows for them to make a mess with colors. I am going to have my son make colorful handprints or footprints with paint and throw some colored confetti on us at home. He will also go to a couple Holi celebrations that are taking place in the bay area. The other thing I hope for is that it helps validate the experiences of Indian children living in the United States. I think it is really important for children to see people like them and their families in books.

Tiny Reader: What does your son think about all this?

Amita: This is a great question! So let me give you a little more background. I needed the illustrations to look as realistic as possible--so my illustrator referenced our online family albums to create the characters. The boy in the book looks exactly like my son! So my son is absolutely ecstatic when he sees the book. He says, “Look! It’s the Deven book!” every time he sees it!

Tiny Reader: You are a busy lady—a researcher, a consultant, a mom, a children’s book author. What other projects do you have going on right now?

Amita: I think I thrive on multiple projects, so it’s actually a good thing that I have a lot going on. But I am also fortunate enough to have a flexible schedule that allows for me to prioritize projects so that my son always comes first. So with that, I do what I can when I can. Many people have already expressed an interest in a Diwali book... and I do have some ideas for that, so that might be next! I am also talking to a university about teaching part-time. But again, it all depends on time and scheduling!

Tiny Reader: What are your plans for the book now that it is published?

Amita: I have created a Facebook page, “It’s Time for Holi,” to write about all the latest happenings. But just to give you a couple highlights, I plan to do read-alouds at schools or community centers to get the word out. I just did a reading for children at Teachers College and will be at the Indian Community Center (ICC) this week. In the future, I hope to make a more interactive website for children to play virtual Holi game so children can virtually throw colors and get points! I also want to host a coloring contest during Holi and have children color some of the pages from my book. Those are just some ideas in the works to get children more involved in Holi activities 

Love at First Read

At the library today, Baby L fell in love with this book! I've never seen her become so attached, so quickly, to a book.

She pulled it out of the board book section completely on her own and brought it over to me saying "Book! Book!" Then she demanded that I read it to her multiple times!

Has your child ever fallen in love with a book at first sight? Post a comment and tell us about it!

New Year's Reading Resolutions!

Happy New Year!

It's the time of year when we all think ahead to the coming year and make big plans and big promises for ourselves. We think back on what we were able to do (and not do) last year and we think about how things can be better in the year ahead.

I've been thinking a lot on how much Baby L has grown since last year and my head just spins! Last year she was just a tiny newborn. She'd sit in my lap and listen intently as I read book after book after book. Her fingers would "skritchy-skratch" across the pictures and she'd pull books into her mouth to suck on them. I remember how proud I was when around this time of year last year she started turning pages!

Now, one year later, Baby L has favorite books of her own. She picks them out of her stacks of books that we have all over the house and she "reads" them to herself, opening and closing them (not quite turning one page at a time on her own yet), pointing and talking. For the book Baby Talk she always says "Mama!" because she loves the page that says "Mama." For Jamberry she says "Boom boom!" because she loves the page that says "Moonberry, zoomberry, rockets shoot by!" As far as I'm concerned -- she's reading!!!!!

(Sidenote - Lately, she's actually been getting very upset when the Jamberry ends and always wants to read it again... and again... and again... sometimes grabbing the book in frustration because she wants to skip right to the good part with the "boom." What a passionate reader!)

This year Baby L and I have a few things we definitely plan to do as readers together. Here are our New Year's Reading Resolutions:

1) Go to the library every week (and maybe even return all of our books on time!).

2) Read a few books each night at bedtime, and every day at naptime.

3) Keep books all around the house, and bring books with us when we go on trips in the car or when we ride on the subway.

4) Make sure Baby L sees Mommy and Daddy reading.

What are your New Year's Reading Resolutions? Post a comment and share!

Where Is Baby's Pumpkin?

October is almost over--can you believe it?!

For Halloween this year, Baby L is going as the baby from her favorite author's book, Where Is Baby's Pumpkin?

The book:

The costume:

The pumpkin:

L. is participating in a family tradition of dressing as favorite characters, including the time I dressed as Harry Potter when I was teaching fifth grade, and when I dressed as Mrs. Wishy-Washy when I was teaching first grade, and the time I dressed in all orange, along with my whole fifth grade class so that we could all be the entire cast of Louis Sachar's Holes. There was one year when I dressed as the M, from MSV-- but that's another story (and only reading teachers will understand it!).

Are you dressing as a character from a book this Halloween? Post a comment and share your costume ideas!

Birthday Books!

It's hard to believe Baby L's first birthday is just a few days away! People always say ,"Seems like it was just yesterday..." but it REALLY seems like it was just yesterday that she was born.

As you can imagine, Baby L is definitely getting a couple books for her birthday. Daddy B and I are thinking of making it a tradition to get her some birthday books each year. We'll write a little note in each one so that as she gets older she'll have a birthday book collection. Here's this year's birthday book list:

Where's Baby's Pumpkin by Karen Katz

As you already know from previous posts, Karen Katz is L's favorite author, and has been since L was just a few weeks old! So it only makes sense that Where's Baby's Pumpkin is on our list. L already owns Where's Baby's Birthday Present, or that one would be on the list too! (Side note: L is going to dress up as the baby from WBP? for Halloween-- how cute is that!?)

Birthday Monsters by Sandra Boynton

Baby L also goes by the nickname L-Monster so it was perfect that we found Birthday Monsters for our own little monster!

The Birthday Box by Leslie Patricelli

Baby L and her nanny checked this book out at the library, and the more times we read it, the more L enjoys it. BUT... L really loves it because the baby in the book is wearing a party hat. She points to the pointy little hat and says "Doo doo..." (which is her "word" for "look, look" or "this...this...") Ever since L's neighborhood birthday party a few weeks ago, she had been obsessed with party hats. Funny, right? What a crazy thing to be obsessed with, but it's true. When she sees the party hat in the book, I say, "L, where are your party hats?" And she crawls over to her toy box and brings one back! (FYI: Where's Baby's Birthday Cake also has party hats).

Do you have some favorite birthday books? What are your birthday traditions? Post a comment and share!

Addendum:

Here are some of the other books Baby L got for her birthday:

On The Day You Were Born, by Debra Frasier, Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin, by Brooklyn Local Tad Hills, and My First Halloween Book published by my fave nonfiction publisher, DK.

Bedtime Routine

When Baby L was about twelve weeks old we started to have a routine at bedtime. We would start with a bath, then lots of singing along to her favorite music while L got her fresh diaper and jammy's on. And then, of course, we would have a bedtime story.

When L was a tiny baby she would lay peacefully next to me on the bed while I read to her. She'd pat the pages and coo happily.

When she was about six months old, she started to point to specific details in the pictures, and would turn to me and say, "Gaaa!" or "Ma-ma-ma!" She started turning the pages herself and screetched with delight when something was especially funny or surprising. At some point we started reading the same two book for every bedtime and nap time. Even now, it's always Goodnight Moon, or Mommy Hugs.

Now that she's nearly eleven months old, we still lie down on the bed together to read her bedtime story, but her favorite thing to do while I read is to roll around, crawl all over me, and get just plain silly. She occupies herself with giggling wildly as she pats my knee, or sucks on my elbow, or tugs on a blanket or piece of clothing. I read, and Baby L happily plays around me, looking over her shoulder each time I turn a page, or laughing when I drag her back over to me.

When the story is over, I always say "The End," and L reaches her arms out to be picked up. I hug her tight, and sing the ABC song a few times with the lights out before Baby L goes in her crib, and I go out the door.

Who knows what the next three to six months will bring. Baby L and I will have to check back in and share our new routine when Bedtime 4.0 arrives!

What's your bedtime routine? Has it changed over time? Leave a comment and share!

Summer at the Library

Baby L. and I went to the library and guess what we found?

Board books for summer!

The library is the perfect place to hang out on a hot summer day. It's air conditioned, they have comfy seats, there are plenty of people for

Baby L. to watch, and there are tons of books. What more could you want?

We read a stack of books together, but came away with two summertime faves:

Splash! by Flora McDonnell is an absolutely adorable little book with elephants, tigers, and rhinos on a hot, hot, HOT day--just like the day we had today! Baby Elephant figures out how to cool everybody down.

Beach Day! written by Anahid Haparian and illustrated Kristin Sorra was the perfect book for us today. With just two words per page, L. could turn the pages just as quickly as she wanted. No waiting around for mommy to read the words--instant gratification! Plus the book is the perfect read to help us imagine the beach and do some wishful thinking--when we can't get in the car to drive there.

While we read our board books, there were plenty of other babies and kids in the library. Baby L. spent just as much time people-watching and socializing as she did looking at books! Everybody wanted to say hi--not that I blame them. She is irresistibly cute!

L. was especially enthralled by watching two brothers playing with a wire and bead toy. When they got up to pick books from a nearby shelf she studied them, watching their every move. When they turned and waved hello she nearly exploded with excitement! (Luckily our library isn't the totally-completely-silent type of library).

What are your favorite things to do with a baby or toddler at the library? Leave a comment to share your ideas!

Biscuit and the Baby

Okay, so I have had a crush on Biscuit for a long time now. Not only is he a cute little puppy, but he's also a character that first graders can follow across a nice easy series of books. As a teacher, the Biscuit books are my favorite series of books to help kids move on up into what we call the "watershed levels" of reading. If you're a little kid, and you're reading books at level F/G/H, there just aren't that many series books to choose from. Thank goodness for Biscuit!

Now I have a whole new reason to crush on Biscuit. Baby L. loves the Biscuit books! It's the repetition. Not only is there a pattern to the text (Not yet Biscuit! Silly puppy...), but I read the books over and over so often that L. lights up when she sees a Biscuit book now. Lily loves familiar books and songs. Whichever books I read the most-- those are her favorites.

The best part is that my dog, Indie, loves the Biscuit books too. Whenever I'm reading to Baby L., his ears perk up when I read "Woof! Woof!" He watches us reading Biscuit, with his head cocked to one side, wondering why I'm barking (especially since I tell him not to). Between Baby L. lighting up, and Indie's quizzical expressions, the whole scene is just adorable.

For Mother's Day, I'm hoping somebody gives me Biscuit Loves Mother's Day. The perfect combo for Baby L.: Biscuit the puppy, AND flaps to lift up, all in one book.

Readers' Best Friends

Biscuit,

Mudge,

Clifford and Harry.

Walter, Benji, Willie,

Buck,

Shiloh,

and of course,

Lassie.

* Day 28 of the KidLitosphere Poem-A-Day Challenge for National Poetry Month.

How To Read At Six Months Old

Look at the pictures.

Take your time, if you can.

Touch the pages.

Scritchy scratch across the pages.

Try to pick the pictures right off,

and discover that they are stuck.

Maybe drool a little on a page or two,

Maybe chew on a corner, or two.

Giggle with delight at the sight

of a familiar book--

Brown Bear Brown Bear,

Or Goodnight Moon,

Or The Peace Book,

Or Where's Baby's Belly Button?

Help mama turn the pages.

Put your hands on top of hers.

You can even close the book,

before mama's ready...

That's how to read at six months old.

* Day 21 of the KidLitosphere Poem-A-Day Challenge for National Poetry Month.

Brooklyn Author Melanie Hope Greenberg!

Everybody knows that Brooklyn is the coolest of the five boroughs in NYC. We have the best pizza, the best of the NYC bridges, the best artists, the best rappers, and the best authors!

I was lucky enough to meet one of Brooklyn's finest through my neighborhood mommy-group, online. (Mommy groups are another one of reasons why Brooklyn is awesome).

Melanie Hope Greenberg is the author and illustrator of many must-have books, including Mermaids on Parade, A City Is, and Good Morning Digger. You can also collect her beautiful artwork by visiting her original art sale blog. While you're online, you should also visit her Student/Parent/Teacher Blog. Did I mention that it was selected “100 Best Book Blogs for Kids, Tweens, and Teens?" You can also visit her webpage, and even become become one of Melanie Hope Greenberg's Facebook Friends!

I had the opportunity to interview Melanie, online. Check out what she has to say about being a writer.

Me: You’ve illustrated some lovely children’s books, most recently Mermaids on Parade. What projects are you currently working on?

Melanie: Right now I am juggling various book projects to sell and publish. Even though I have published before, there is no guarantee that I will publish again. Markets change, trends change. I am trying to do my best and hope my ideas fly with a publisher.

Me: As an author/illustrator, what do you think makes a really great picture book?

Melanie: My belief is that art is always subjective and there are too many people to try and please. I do not think there is a real answer when it comes to loving art and words. Maybe it's the winning combination of talent, skills and where the public is at when that book comes out. I'd much rather go with an overall formula of good writing skills, a story that can be read over and over without it becoming stale, child friendly art, universal human appeal and heart.

Me: Do you have a few favorite children’s books?

Melanie: From my childhood I remember, Lottie and Lisa (the original Parent Trap), Little Witch, Dr. Seuss, and Golden Books. I was exposed to many books at the New York City Public Library-- the Classon Point branch in the Bronx. I hardly look around now since I try not to follow trends but to be true to my own inner visions and stories.

Me: What do you find is the hardest part about writing and illustrating?

Melanie: Waiting... Rejection...Hustling for financial balance while I create....Lack of exposure so that my books are not as popular as they could be or that my original art does not sell and sits dormant in my studio. Quite frustrating.

Me: How is the process of writing the story related to the process of illustrating? Do you write the whole story first, then illustrate—or do you start from an idea for the artwork and let the story develop afterward?

Melanie: I usually start with an idea and a 32 page thumbnail grid "map" on 8 1/2" x 11" paper. Then I can see the whole 32 page book in front of me. The grids are boxes that represent each spread and how the book pages will turn. They are labeled 4/5, 6/7, 8/9 etc. I begin write in the scene sequences with a few notes in each box. Once the story has a basic "spine" I write to fill in the details. Then I add the visuals by sketching larger boxes to create storyboards. Once I like the storyboards I create a 32 page book dummy. The dummy is what an author-illustrator must present to an editor. We are actually creating the whole book (without final art) before we even present it to an editor.

Me: What strategies do you use when you are stuck for ideas for your art or your writing?

Melanie: Research, looking at things other than art to feed me stories about real life, taking a break, putting the project to the side then coming back to it. These things refresh my creative juices. Also marketing my older books while I work on new ideas keeps my name fresh in the public eye.

Me: What can parents do to encourage children to be lifelong readers and writers?

Melanie: Start reading to them while they are very young to develop the discipline of listening and being quiet in order to go inside the imagination. Parents can instill that books have value and to treasure them. Parents can instill the value of listening to one's inner voice, and from that place art and words arise. To honor that place within and to express thoughts and ideas and the authors and artists that show the way.

Top Ten Things to Do With a Five-Month-Old on a Rainy Day

10. Bounce in the bouncy-seat!

9. Walk around the apartment looking at things.

8. Dance to reggae in the living room.

7. Take naps.

6. Go for airplane rides on mommy's knees.

5. Practice kicking at toys in the play gym.

4. Try eating some rice cereal - but most of it winds up on the bib in the end.

3. Change lots of diapers. And a few outfits.

2. Sing our favorite songs (which include You Are My Flower, Ladybug Picnic, and Little Sack Of Sugar)

1. Read our favorite books, of course!

What are your favorite things to do on a rainy day? Post a comment and share!

Love Letter to Todd Parr

Dear Todd Parr,

Your colorful books grab Baby L.'s attention like no others. She scritchy-scratches her little fingers over the bright smiley faces again and again, trying to pick them off the page!

When I'm reading to L. she loves to hang on to one side of the book with one hand and reach out and touch the pictures with her other hand. It's as if she's discovering what's a picture and what's an object.

No only that, but your books teach all about topics of great importance to babies! Baby L.'s fave right now is The Peace Book. But she also really digs The Family Book, Reading Makes You Feel Good, and It's Okay To Be Different.

I originally bought these books to support the New York State Social Studies curriculum for Kindergarten and first grade. They're the perfect books for the School and Community, Self and Others, or Families social studies units if you're a Kindergartner, or Families and the Community if you're a first grader!

Thank you Todd Parr. We love you!

Love,

Mommy and Baby L.