Happy, Healthy Monsters: Get Moving with Grover

Happy Healthy Monsters: Get Moving with Grover is becoming one of my favorite books! It's the middle of winter and mostly too cold for playing outside much. Even with a child who seems to be constantly moving, it seems to be a more sedentary season. This book is a great tool for getting a child who loves to read off the couch and getting some exercise while having fun!

Grover and Elmo lead you and your child through a series of activities, most of which involve using the book (running around it in circles, jumping over it, holding it up while stretching, doing push-ups over it, dancing around it, and more). When we started to read it I wondered if my child would really get excited and want to do the activities, but there was no question about it! This is the perfect book to pull out when your child is begging to watch TV or hasn't had much physical activity. In fact, I wish there were more books available like this one.

The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller

The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller is a fun way to help your child start learning United States geography and basic facts about the states. The zaniness begins when Kansas decides he is tired of being stuck in the middle of the country and not getting to meet other states and see other parts of the country. So he and some nearby states decide to throw a party where they can all meet each other. From there, they decide to switch places so everyone can experience something new and meet new people. In the end, they all return to their original homes, but with new memories, friends, and appreciation of why each "place" is specially suited for each one.

Each page tells the main story but also has several little blurbs that can either be read or skipped over (though I enjoyed them tremendously, a young child might become impatient or not understand the jokes).

We recently checked out the sequel where the scrambled states put on a talent show, and it was another fun read.